Thanksgiving Day on the patio overlooking the Palm Royale Golf Course
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, Nov 26 ... The weather is beautiful in sunny southern CA. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Dad & Mom and Danny and Lexi. We spent the day at Ross’s condo which overlooks a golf course, a small lake and the mountains. It has a very large patio so we enjoyed the turkey dinner that Dixie cooked out there. After that we went to the pool/hotub. It’s now football time!
Wednesday, Nov 25 ... Yet another beautiful day in paradise, California that is. Sunny, a bit breezy with temps around 80 degrees. Dixie is helping her mom and dad babysit Danny’s daughter while Mike does “computer stuff”. He’s getting up to speed on how to sell some of the golf memorabilia on eBay that his friend Ross puts together. We’ll see how it goes.
Nov 18 - Tuesday, Nov 24 ... We arrived last Wednesday in Indio at the Indian Waters RV park. The weather is very nice; warm and sunny. Sunday, we drove the 250 miles to Phoenix, AZ to pick up Dixie’s mom and dad who had flown in from Great Falls, MT. We drove over on Saturday and spent the night at the Crown Plaza hotel. Sunday morning we visited a Camping World store and then to the Mesa airport to meet them. They are staying with Dixie’s brother Danny in Rancho Mirage. Today we plan to visit our friend Ross’ condo for awhile. It has a balcony that overlooks a small lake, a golf course with the mountains in the background. It’s simply beautiful to say the least. Thanksgiving day will be Danny’s condo and will consist of the usual; lots of food and, of course, football. Go TEXAS LONGHORNS!!
Wednesday, Nov 25 ... Yet another beautiful day in paradise, California that is. Sunny, a bit breezy with temps around 80 degrees. Dixie is helping her mom and dad babysit Danny’s daughter while Mike does “computer stuff”. He’s getting up to speed on how to sell some of the golf memorabilia on eBay that his friend Ross puts together. We’ll see how it goes.
Nov 18 - Tuesday, Nov 24 ... We arrived last Wednesday in Indio at the Indian Waters RV park. The weather is very nice; warm and sunny. Sunday, we drove the 250 miles to Phoenix, AZ to pick up Dixie’s mom and dad who had flown in from Great Falls, MT. We drove over on Saturday and spent the night at the Crown Plaza hotel. Sunday morning we visited a Camping World store and then to the Mesa airport to meet them. They are staying with Dixie’s brother Danny in Rancho Mirage. Today we plan to visit our friend Ross’ condo for awhile. It has a balcony that overlooks a small lake, a golf course with the mountains in the background. It’s simply beautiful to say the least. Thanksgiving day will be Danny’s condo and will consist of the usual; lots of food and, of course, football. Go TEXAS LONGHORNS!!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, Nov 17 ... We started our day today with a long walk. The weather is very nice today so it’s a good one to be outside. Mike job today was to polish the mh – or at least part of it! It’s laundry day and other fun stuff.
Monday, Nov 16 ...Happy 10th Birthday to Granddaughter, Adrianna. We took a drive today to the tourist town of Idyllwild. It was 20 miles of more curvy roads! We walked around the town and had lunch there. Upon our return, Mike took on the laborious job of washing the motorhome (including the roof). Dixie spent the afternoon once again on Ancestery.com filling in more family info!
Sunday, Nov 15 ... Today is sunny but cool and very windy. Mike got up around 3:00 a.m. to bring in all the window awnings because they were flopping in the wind. We spent most of the day inside watching church services in the morning and football (Mike) in the afternoon. We did take a long walk around the RV park. Tomorrow we plan to drive about 14 miles to the small town of Idyllwild.
Saturday, Nov 14 ... Much improved weather today with temps around 60 and sunny skies so we took a short hike this morning into the hills around the RV park. Dixie’s brother Danny and his daughter, Lexi came over from the Palm Springs area in the afternoon and Mike worked on “stuff” around the MH. In a couple of days it will be warm enough to actually wash it. It’s been a good day for football because the Texas Longhorns, the Montana State Bobcats and the Montana Grizzlies all won their games.
Friday, Nov 13 ... The weather today is not too good. It has been cloudy and raining off and on since before daylight the entire day. The temperature has not gotten above 50 degrees. But if you’re still in the state of Montana, I suppose 50 degrees is not too bad. We pretty much spent the day inside mostly doing computer stuff. We did remove the bedroom TV from its perch and installed a digital converter box. This was so that we could get some local channels off the antenna since we have none with DirecTV satellite. Unfortunately, we are in a location (mountains) where no channels are available. Dinner will be at the local park restaurant, something we don’t often do.
Thursday, Nov 12 ... There’s a super Walmart in Banning and we need some grocery supplies so off we drove back down the very curvy mountain road we came up on the day before, this time in the car. Later, Mike did some cleaning on the MH and we took a bike ride around the park.
Wednesday, Nov 11 ... Move day! We didn’t have to be out of the park until 12N so we took our time getting things together and preparing the coach for departure. And since our destination of Banning, Ca was only 45 miles away, it was a relaxing morning. When we got to Banning, the relaxing part of the morning was over. That’s because the last 8 miles to the park is 1,000 + ft. climb up the very narrow and curvy mountain road. We’re now at 3,576 feet at the Silent Valley RV Club. This is a park in the mountains with an unbelievable 800 + RV sites. The good part is that only a small fraction of them are occupied therefore we had many to choose from. We found one that looked like it was level enough and that we could get the satellite signal. Well, the satellite part took much patience but the signal was finally located after about 30 minutes. Since it was Veterans Day, I quickly got my U.S. flag up and flying. The balance of the day went well. We met some of our neighbors and did a bit of exploring of the park. The weather is cool but dry.
Tuesday, Nov 10 ... Today is Mike’s 67th birthday! Happy Birthday Mike! He received birthday wishes from daughter Micheala and grandchildren Adriana and Dillon. Also an e-card and phone call from Katherine, and her boys, Bailey and Nicholas. He also received an e-mail from son Brandon in Afghanistan.
Our last day here at Wilderness Lakes in Menifee has consisted of going to the fitness center, washing clothes, washing the car and a visit to the Richardson RV Center in Sun City. I know what you’re thinking but we definitely did not go to look at RV’s but only to purchase a couple of parts from their store. Later we browsed around in a Lowe’s store and this evening we will have a nice dinner at a restaurant in “downtown” Menifee, CA. Although we had to run the furnace this morning we had to switch to the a/c by noon. Today’s weather will be sunny with a high temp of around 84degrees.
Monday, Nov 16 ...Happy 10th Birthday to Granddaughter, Adrianna. We took a drive today to the tourist town of Idyllwild. It was 20 miles of more curvy roads! We walked around the town and had lunch there. Upon our return, Mike took on the laborious job of washing the motorhome (including the roof). Dixie spent the afternoon once again on Ancestery.com filling in more family info!
Sunday, Nov 15 ... Today is sunny but cool and very windy. Mike got up around 3:00 a.m. to bring in all the window awnings because they were flopping in the wind. We spent most of the day inside watching church services in the morning and football (Mike) in the afternoon. We did take a long walk around the RV park. Tomorrow we plan to drive about 14 miles to the small town of Idyllwild.
Saturday, Nov 14 ... Much improved weather today with temps around 60 and sunny skies so we took a short hike this morning into the hills around the RV park. Dixie’s brother Danny and his daughter, Lexi came over from the Palm Springs area in the afternoon and Mike worked on “stuff” around the MH. In a couple of days it will be warm enough to actually wash it. It’s been a good day for football because the Texas Longhorns, the Montana State Bobcats and the Montana Grizzlies all won their games.
Friday, Nov 13 ... The weather today is not too good. It has been cloudy and raining off and on since before daylight the entire day. The temperature has not gotten above 50 degrees. But if you’re still in the state of Montana, I suppose 50 degrees is not too bad. We pretty much spent the day inside mostly doing computer stuff. We did remove the bedroom TV from its perch and installed a digital converter box. This was so that we could get some local channels off the antenna since we have none with DirecTV satellite. Unfortunately, we are in a location (mountains) where no channels are available. Dinner will be at the local park restaurant, something we don’t often do.
Thursday, Nov 12 ... There’s a super Walmart in Banning and we need some grocery supplies so off we drove back down the very curvy mountain road we came up on the day before, this time in the car. Later, Mike did some cleaning on the MH and we took a bike ride around the park.
Wednesday, Nov 11 ... Move day! We didn’t have to be out of the park until 12N so we took our time getting things together and preparing the coach for departure. And since our destination of Banning, Ca was only 45 miles away, it was a relaxing morning. When we got to Banning, the relaxing part of the morning was over. That’s because the last 8 miles to the park is 1,000 + ft. climb up the very narrow and curvy mountain road. We’re now at 3,576 feet at the Silent Valley RV Club. This is a park in the mountains with an unbelievable 800 + RV sites. The good part is that only a small fraction of them are occupied therefore we had many to choose from. We found one that looked like it was level enough and that we could get the satellite signal. Well, the satellite part took much patience but the signal was finally located after about 30 minutes. Since it was Veterans Day, I quickly got my U.S. flag up and flying. The balance of the day went well. We met some of our neighbors and did a bit of exploring of the park. The weather is cool but dry.
Tuesday, Nov 10 ... Today is Mike’s 67th birthday! Happy Birthday Mike! He received birthday wishes from daughter Micheala and grandchildren Adriana and Dillon. Also an e-card and phone call from Katherine, and her boys, Bailey and Nicholas. He also received an e-mail from son Brandon in Afghanistan.
Our last day here at Wilderness Lakes in Menifee has consisted of going to the fitness center, washing clothes, washing the car and a visit to the Richardson RV Center in Sun City. I know what you’re thinking but we definitely did not go to look at RV’s but only to purchase a couple of parts from their store. Later we browsed around in a Lowe’s store and this evening we will have a nice dinner at a restaurant in “downtown” Menifee, CA. Although we had to run the furnace this morning we had to switch to the a/c by noon. Today’s weather will be sunny with a high temp of around 84degrees.
Monday, November 09, 2009
We made it to California!
Nov 6-9... It’s Friday afternoon and we’re on the Freeway again headed toward Carlsbad, Ca which is on the coast about 30 miles north of San Diego. It’s about a 60 mile drive and we’re visiting Dixie’s Aunt Marge and Don. The plan is to overnight and then drive to the small town of Julian on Saturday. Friday evening we took a long walk along the beach and then had dinner in the condo.
After a wonderful brunch at the condo Saturday morning, we drove the 65 miles to Julian. It’s an old mining town that is at 4,500 feet, and is now home to many shops and restaurants where pies are the specialty.
After a bit of sightseeing, we drove 4 miles out of town to the California Wolf Center where Aunt Marge’s niece works as a volunteer. This is a requirement of her studies at the University of California at San Diego. Quoting from their brochure, “The California Wolf Center is a non-profit wildlife education center committed to increasing public awareness and understanding of the importance of all wildlife by focusing on the history, biology, behavior, and ecology of the gray wolf. This is accomplished by offering educational presentations, participating in conservation programs, and hosting and funding research on both captive and free-ranging wolves. Founded in 1977, the Center is located in the mountains, 50 miles east of San Diego, near the town of Julian, California.” After a short presentation, we were then taken to the area where we could view them, an enclosed area of 1.5 acres. They are fed only twice a week in order to closely simulate life in the wild. Today, frozen whole chickens had been placed around the perimeter. This was done so that we could easily view them. Although most are quite shy, some of them did come up to the fence for their meal. Dixie was able to get some photos that will be posted. There is more information about this effort at www.californiawolfcenter.org.
The drive back, in the dark, on a very busy freeway, was an adventure to say the least, but we made it safe and sound. Dixie’s brother, Danny and daughter, came over Saturday evening for a visit. They were overnighting at a local hotel and going to Lego Land on Sunday.
Today, Monday, we utilized the brand new fitness center at the RV park. We plan to drive to Corona this afternoon to visit Mike’s Sister and family.
Nov 5 ... It’s Thursday morning which means we’re back on the road again (Willie Nelson?). We leave the park at 0730 (I’m sure our neighbors complained when I started up the diesel) and get on the road. But only to the Flying J in St. George for a fuel stop. After navigating the truck fuel island because there was no RV island at this one, we were, once again, headed for our next destination of Menifee, CA, which is near Sun City and Temecula, CA. The weather was sunny and cool in the morning. After lunch in Baker, CA (home to the worlds largest thermometer) we ran the generator in order to run the on board air conditioner. Once in California, as usual, the freeway traffic was, as always, awful. I have no idea how some people can drive in this day in and day out. We got to the RV park around 4:00 p.m. (one hour earlier in Calif) and found a nice site next to the water canal that runs throughout the park. There’s only a couple of problems; there’s a dairy farm close by that is odorous and there are lots of flies around the campsite to contend with. Oh well, at least there is a fitness center on site and wifi in the adult center, and, the weather is nice and our satellite TV works . If only those ducks keep quiet in the morning.
After a wonderful brunch at the condo Saturday morning, we drove the 65 miles to Julian. It’s an old mining town that is at 4,500 feet, and is now home to many shops and restaurants where pies are the specialty.
After a bit of sightseeing, we drove 4 miles out of town to the California Wolf Center where Aunt Marge’s niece works as a volunteer. This is a requirement of her studies at the University of California at San Diego. Quoting from their brochure, “The California Wolf Center is a non-profit wildlife education center committed to increasing public awareness and understanding of the importance of all wildlife by focusing on the history, biology, behavior, and ecology of the gray wolf. This is accomplished by offering educational presentations, participating in conservation programs, and hosting and funding research on both captive and free-ranging wolves. Founded in 1977, the Center is located in the mountains, 50 miles east of San Diego, near the town of Julian, California.” After a short presentation, we were then taken to the area where we could view them, an enclosed area of 1.5 acres. They are fed only twice a week in order to closely simulate life in the wild. Today, frozen whole chickens had been placed around the perimeter. This was done so that we could easily view them. Although most are quite shy, some of them did come up to the fence for their meal. Dixie was able to get some photos that will be posted. There is more information about this effort at www.californiawolfcenter.org.
The drive back, in the dark, on a very busy freeway, was an adventure to say the least, but we made it safe and sound. Dixie’s brother, Danny and daughter, came over Saturday evening for a visit. They were overnighting at a local hotel and going to Lego Land on Sunday.
Today, Monday, we utilized the brand new fitness center at the RV park. We plan to drive to Corona this afternoon to visit Mike’s Sister and family.
Nov 5 ... It’s Thursday morning which means we’re back on the road again (Willie Nelson?). We leave the park at 0730 (I’m sure our neighbors complained when I started up the diesel) and get on the road. But only to the Flying J in St. George for a fuel stop. After navigating the truck fuel island because there was no RV island at this one, we were, once again, headed for our next destination of Menifee, CA, which is near Sun City and Temecula, CA. The weather was sunny and cool in the morning. After lunch in Baker, CA (home to the worlds largest thermometer) we ran the generator in order to run the on board air conditioner. Once in California, as usual, the freeway traffic was, as always, awful. I have no idea how some people can drive in this day in and day out. We got to the RV park around 4:00 p.m. (one hour earlier in Calif) and found a nice site next to the water canal that runs throughout the park. There’s only a couple of problems; there’s a dairy farm close by that is odorous and there are lots of flies around the campsite to contend with. Oh well, at least there is a fitness center on site and wifi in the adult center, and, the weather is nice and our satellite TV works . If only those ducks keep quiet in the morning.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Heading South! Nov 2009
Nov 4 ... Since we were a late arrival yesterday, (they close the gate at 4:00 p.m.) we had a 9:00 a.m. check-in with the park office manager. Did I mention that it’s supposed to be 81 degrees and sunny today? After that, we spent some time in the park book store and walking around the park. After lunch we hiked to the Quail Creek Reservoir, a lake about one mile from the park. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. Later this afternoon, we met our neighbors from Washington state and another couple, and had a good time visiting.
Nov 3 ... Today’s start, after spending the night in a small mobile home/RV park in Pocatello, was a cold one with a temperature of around 28 degrees. Luckily, the water hose did not freeze, however, it was all Mike could do to get the 50amp power cord bent enough to get it in a cargo bin. The morning drive went well and after stopping for lunch at Springville, UT which is just south of Salt Lake City. Boy was the traffic a mess through Salt Lake! It is getting to be in the league of a Las Vegas. Four hundred and fifty miles later, we arrived at our park in Hurricane, UT just north of St. George, at about 4:15 p.m. After dinner and a bit of tv, it was early to bed. Thank goodness tomorrow is an off day of driving.
Nov 2 ... Our start today was not exactly the way we had planned it. We got up early on a cold Monday morning in order to get an early start on our trek to California. We had brought the motorhome up to the condo on Sunday and spent about six hours loading it up with all we needed for the trip. Mike decided that we should stop at the Flying J truck stop in Great Falls in order to check the air pressure in the tires. While trying to get air in one of the dual tires, a piece of the valve stem of the Crossfire system broke off. When that happened, he could no longer get air to go into the tire or check the tire pressure. We called Dixie’s brother, Doug who has had extensive experience with this sort of thing and he drove the short distance to the Flying J to take a look. After we determined that the dual tires were inflated sufficiently, we decided it was ok to continue our trip. (The Crossfire company is sending us, no charge, two replacement valve stems.) Fortunately, the rest of the day, although long, went without incident. While in Butte, MT, we stopped for about a half an hour while Dixie visited her cousin Shelly’s beauty shop for a much needed hair trim. We stopped for lunch a bit later down the road and then for fuel in Blackfoot, ID. 415 miles later, overnight was at a small park in Pocatello, ID. We got there about 5:45 p.m. and, although dark now that we’re back to standard time, finally got setup about 6:15. Tomorrow promises to be another long day where we hope to travel 450 miles to St. George, UT where we’ll spend a couple of days before continuing the trip.
Nov 3 ... Today’s start, after spending the night in a small mobile home/RV park in Pocatello, was a cold one with a temperature of around 28 degrees. Luckily, the water hose did not freeze, however, it was all Mike could do to get the 50amp power cord bent enough to get it in a cargo bin. The morning drive went well and after stopping for lunch at Springville, UT which is just south of Salt Lake City. Boy was the traffic a mess through Salt Lake! It is getting to be in the league of a Las Vegas. Four hundred and fifty miles later, we arrived at our park in Hurricane, UT just north of St. George, at about 4:15 p.m. After dinner and a bit of tv, it was early to bed. Thank goodness tomorrow is an off day of driving.
Nov 2 ... Our start today was not exactly the way we had planned it. We got up early on a cold Monday morning in order to get an early start on our trek to California. We had brought the motorhome up to the condo on Sunday and spent about six hours loading it up with all we needed for the trip. Mike decided that we should stop at the Flying J truck stop in Great Falls in order to check the air pressure in the tires. While trying to get air in one of the dual tires, a piece of the valve stem of the Crossfire system broke off. When that happened, he could no longer get air to go into the tire or check the tire pressure. We called Dixie’s brother, Doug who has had extensive experience with this sort of thing and he drove the short distance to the Flying J to take a look. After we determined that the dual tires were inflated sufficiently, we decided it was ok to continue our trip. (The Crossfire company is sending us, no charge, two replacement valve stems.) Fortunately, the rest of the day, although long, went without incident. While in Butte, MT, we stopped for about a half an hour while Dixie visited her cousin Shelly’s beauty shop for a much needed hair trim. We stopped for lunch a bit later down the road and then for fuel in Blackfoot, ID. 415 miles later, overnight was at a small park in Pocatello, ID. We got there about 5:45 p.m. and, although dark now that we’re back to standard time, finally got setup about 6:15. Tomorrow promises to be another long day where we hope to travel 450 miles to St. George, UT where we’ll spend a couple of days before continuing the trip.
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