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Wow another year gone - how time flies when you are having fun.
Seven years ago today my mom passed away. Gosh do I ever miss her, she was such a beautiful kind woman and always so upbeat. I can honestly say I only remember one person she did not care for and that was a caregiver that came into our home to take care of her while I was at work. She refused to call her by name, she called her that girl. Mom I miss you so much.
We had a beautiful Christmas with Amanda, Tim and Joshua this year. We went to their home on Christmas Eve and attended church in the city. It was a nice service and very friendly people. Christmas morning we were up around 8 and opened presents - we received loads of nice stuff and yes I did get my purse. Santa is so good. We had a nice dinner and a very enjoyable day. We did miss our other daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters in South Carolina but got to talk to them on the phone. Next year we will feel the same way about Amanda and family.
This week has been pretty laid back - we have walked, shopped and been doing our WII Fit. On some of the exercises I have improved greatly - others I am just not able to get doing more than one thing at once. Yikes - feel like a little child again.
Today is New Years Eve and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year - hope next year will find you healthy and happy. We will spend the New Year with Amanda, Tim, and Josh with a nice dinner and a few drinks. Tommorow we will change our eating habits and start loosing weight. I told Tim I wanted to wear a bikini next summer - he just laughs at me - I wouldn't wear one when I weighed 95 pounds soaking wet.
God Bless you all and have a wonderful New Year.
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The Christmas spirit has taken over - people are so happy and friendly this week. Why can't we be like this every day? Oh to be fair most people are very nice and helpful - few jerks that get all the attention. The exchange is over flowing with all types of stuff to buy for Christmas gifts. I found a beautiful purse that I would really love to have - wonder if Santa will bring it to me. Also asked for a new bottle of perfume but other than that really do not need anything. We are very content with what we have in our small little home. As you know I love clothes but I will have to lose some weight before I go that route.
I am still using my WII fit each day - I think what I like the most about it is the variety of things you can do so you do not get bored. I love the yoga and step the most.
Yesterday on our walk I felt like I had Jillian from the biggest loser with me. My hubby kept saying move it - no excuses - pretty tough man at the moment and I was getting just alittle mad. Well this morning I got on the scale and had lost 1 1/2 lbs so it paid off. Thanks hon.
Last Thursday night I was flossing my teeth and one of my caps fell out and went down the drain. I went to the dentist and he said it would cost $1200 for a new cap. Yikes. They asked me if I had the cap as they can sometimes reuse it. Of course I said no - it went down the drain. I made an appointment for Wednesday to have this done. My smart husband took the drain apart and found the cap - took it back to the dentist and they put it back on for $98. Pretty good savings - maybe now he can buy me that purse????
Tim went to the doctor on Wednesday - he has a sore on his face that never healed. They did a biopsy on it so we will wait for the results. That skin cancer is hitting everyone, years ago we did not use sun screen - we put baby oil on our bodies and let them fry. It was the in thing to do to turn red. I can still remember many sleepless nights due to the heat and soreness from that sun. I still love the sun but I do use sunscreen now.
The weather here is still pretty cold - it was warmer the other day in Connecticut than here. We broke down yesterday and bought a little electric heater and it really puts out the heat near where we sit each evening. Good investment.
Tonight we are going to San Francisco to watch our grandson play basketball. Last week we went to a game but he had been sick so he felt he did not play that well. We will see what the results are tonight.
Another few weeks sitting still here and then we will start our journey south. We have enjoyed being near Tim, Amanda and Josh but are ready to do some traveling. Guess it gets into your blood - do not like to sit idle.
If I do not write before Christmas we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year. May your new year bring you joys and pleasures that you all deserve. God Bless
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Our week here at Travis Air Force Base has been kind of low keyed. This has been a great base for us as we are close to everything and great sidewalks for walking. Each day we walk about 2 miles plus do at least 30 minutes on my WII fit. I must say that was a wonderful purchase - I use it every day doing step arobics. I am determined to loose weight - I quit smoking 6 years ago after smoking for 40 years so I guess I can lose 20 pounds. As Tim keeps telling me it takes time - I want to go toi bed tonight and all that excess weight be gone. Why can it not work that way?
Last week Tim flew to Florida on Tuesday night and came home Friday at noon. It really was weird for me to be alone but I kept busy and got along fine. I much perfer to have him here though.
I had to go to the kidney doctor on Wednesday for a follow up as I had gout twice in the last few weeks. It makes it quite difficult as I cannot put on sneakers so stops most things. As you know I am stuborn and try to walk anyways. I got a very good report but he does want to see me before we leave thre area.
On Thursday we went to a new eye doctor. After 6 months on a prednisone eye drop four times a day, my eye finally looks like it is clearing up. I will drop the drops each week down one until I am completly of them. Please say alittle prayer that this time it will work - tried this 2 times already so I need the prayers. The drops cost $90 for a small bottle and the military will not pay for them. You have to take them so what can you do? Just lucky that I can see fairly well and can still read. I read at least two books a week plus loads of blogs - the newspapers and magazines. I thank God for letting me keep my sight.
We have been lucky while here though - we have gotten most of our other medicines on base for free. After all these years we really are taking advantage of all our benefits when near a base. In our old lives we lived 50 miles from the base so while working we did not use the base very often. It was just easier to shop locally.
Last Sunday Amanda, Tim and Josh came to visit with us. We had a nice visit and then we all went out to dinner. This Sunday we wil go into San Francisco to watch Josh play his first basketball game of the season for school. That should be interesting.
I still have Christmas shopping to do - need to buy for Amanda, Tim and my hubby Tim. I know what I want so it should be fairly easy and quick. We will be going to Amanda's house for Christmas as we have no room for a Christmas tree. I do have my villages out and they look so pretty. I also hung some santa's up to make it festive,
Until next time have a wonderful week.
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Monday, December 1st they had the lighting of the Christmas tree and the Menorah on Travis Air Force Base. It was sponsored by the Chaplain Corps and they did a wonderful job. They had tables filled with cookies, cider, coffee and water. They told the Christmas story, sang songs both for Christians and the Jewish faith plus had Santa arrive on the firetruck. The weather was perfect about 60 and a nice night.
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September was a month of such fun. The wedding plans all came together and on September 13, 2008 our daughter married her best friend Tim. She made a stunning bride and the maid of honor, bridesmaids, junior bridesmaid and flower girl were also beautiful. The wedding was held on the Bridges Golf Course in San Ramon, California on a perfect night. The reception was just beautiful - the Bridges did a wonderful job and we had a wonderful time. The rehersal dinner was held at Garre Vineyards in Livermore. The dinner was wonderful, wine very good and then they played bocci. A fun time was had by all.
Tim and I spent two weeks with Joshua while they were on a honeymoon in Thailand. We enjoyed being in the city and getting to visit Golden Gate Park, The Presido, Sausalito, Golden Gate Bridge, Fishermans wharf and Fort Funston. We love this city and so much to see and do here in the area. San Francisco Bay covers so many beautiful views of the water and the famous bridges. You can enjoy the tall hills and yet walk on the beach at the same time,.
September also was our anniversary which we celebrated in Old Sacramento. We went to the California State Railroad Museum where they are preserving the history of the railroad. We got to see dining cars set up with china, the sleeper cars, loads of engines but the most interesting one for me was the mail car. I had never seen this before - they sorted the mail on the train and then dropped it off at different stations. In the 1970's it was taken out of service due to the use of zip codes. Very interesting. Old Sacramento consists of 53 historic buildingds on 28 acres. We went into the Wells Fargo History Museum - had dinner and drinks at the Delta House Restaurant. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed it greatly together.
October I flew to Charleston South Carolina and left Tim at Sharpe Depot in Stockton California. I babysat for my beautiful granddaughters while their parents went on a cruise. We kept very busy with school, dance, play groups but we enjoyed our time together. I was even brave and took all 3 of them out to dinner twice but they are well behaved girls and so good.
The middle of the month we hooked up our little home and headed for Monterey. Tim attended a photography class while here which he enjoyed greatly. He loves that camera and will be posting pictures as soon as he can. We also did alot of walking at Point Lobos State Reserve and along the water in Monterey. We also visited the Naval Postgraduate School which was the first luxury resort west of the Mississippi River called the Del Monte Hotel. The area around here is a big producer of spinach, artichokes, strawberries, lettuce and garlic.
While in the area we also visited The Basilica of Mission San Carlos Borromeo at Carmel By The Sea. It was founded by Padre Junipero Serra of the Franciscan Friars in 1770. It was the 3rd mission built of 21 built along the coast from Mexico border to Sonoma. They all are alittle different but very Spanish - nothing like our east coast churches which are more European.
Our next stop was Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield California. We will be here thru the start of the New Year to spend the holiday with Amanda, Tim and Josh. This area is also fun as you are really close to Napa Valley and all the Vineyards. We have visited Sonoma Barracks where they housed Mexican troops in 1834 to serve as a buffer to the Russian movement on the coast. They also have Mission San Francisco Solano which was the 21st mission established in 1823. 5 rooms of the original mission remain and today they all come under the State of California State Parks.
We visited Mare Island which used to be a huge Navy Base and shipyard. 513 ships were built here during the 142 years the base was in operation. The navy left in 1996 and today they are building new housing and redoing the old officiers housing. The area around here has seen so many bases closed and the area goes into such neglect. It is really kind of sad to me that they tear down so much instead of using it for low income people - give them a nice home to live in.
I know I have been very neglectful of our blog - will really try to keep it updated each week.
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The past two months have been filled with new and exciting places. The fires in California forced us to leave and go up into Oregon, a state we had seen very little of 30+ years ago. Our first stop was Joseph H Stewart State Recreation Area. What a beautiful park with over 200 sites, reservoir for fishing, boating, watersking, marina, store and nice hiking trails. The only bad thing was we could only stay one night. Around midnight Tim went outside and called Josh and I out - what a site. The sky was lit up like a Christmas tree with stars galore, I have not seen that many stars in many years.
Our next stop was Diamond Lake Rv Park. This is a privately owned park in the Umpqua National Forest located on the summit of the Cascade Mountains. We were able to visit Crater Lake National Park which was pretty interesting. The collapse of Mt Mazama after a massive volcanic eruption over 7000 years ago left a deep basin and over the years snowfall and snowmelt have filled this basin with clean pure water. It is an amazing blue hue and in July still had roads closed due to the snow. The lake is 1943 feet deep making it the deepest lake in the USA. While in the area we also visited 6 beautiful waterfalls - so happy I have my hiking sticks. They sure make a hike easier on an old lady. We were really far from any towns - had eye problems and had to drive 90 miles one way to the eye doctor. Seems that my left eye did not appreciate eye surgery - will need to be on drops for along time. I can see great in the distance so no glasses for that - just need them to read.
La Pine State Park was our next stopping point. This park was located about 27 miles southwest of Bend, Oregon and located on the Deschutes River. They had the largest ponderosa pine tree in Oregon being 191 feet tall, 326"circumference and over 500 years old. The park had nice hiking trails which we enjoyed.
Newberry National Volvanic Monument is located in the Deschutes National Forest and contains over 50000 acres of lakes, lava flows and spectacular geologic features. We were able to drive up to Lava Butte which gave us a spectacular 360`view. Also in the area they had a Lava River Cave with is a mile walk into the cave - it is pitch black - you must rent lanterns plus very cold - 42 degrees year round. It was a very interesting stop and I think one of Joshua's favorite places.
We also did High Desert Museum which was pretty interesting. Most of the stuff was from the early 1900's era so to us it really was not that old. We did see some interesting things though - especially and old west town.
Silver Falls State Park was our next stop and one of our favorites this summer for hiking. The park consists of over 9000 acres making it the largest state park in Oregon. The park sits at the base of the Cascade Mountains with beautiful scenery and awe inspiring views. The park offers 10 beautiful water falls on a 8 3/4 mile hike. We hiked 4 miles one day and 6 the next visiting all the waterfalls. South Falls is a 177 foot fall that you actually walk behind. Lower South Falls goes down 185 steps to a 93 foot waterfall. Another falls - North Falls is also down 77 steps. Easy going down but quite hard coming back up. Our hike was thru a temperate rain forest of douglas fir and western hemlock trees, meadows, creeks and a vast array of wildlife and plants. We actually watched a deer drinking out the the creek. The campground had water and electric hookup but we were without phone, internet, and tv for the 4 days we spent in the park. At night we spent playing games or cards. Enjoyable stay.
Our next stop would be along the coast of Oregon. The state of Oregon has 363 miles of ocean beaches without fences or development so everyone can enjoy the scenery. In 1918 the governor put the land aside - smart governor. The coast is quite cool though and no swimming is allowed at the beaches. Our stop was the Jessie Honeyman State Park in Florence. It is located in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area which was just out of this world. They have sand dunes that are 385 feet or more in height and you are allowed to walk on them, ride them with sand boards, atv's or dune buggys. Joshua used a sand board one day and had so much fun. Wow was it ever hard to climb a hill of sand. While in the area Tim and Joshua took a sand buggy ride which they said was better than a roller coaster. The smiles on their faces made it worthwhile. It was so different and something that you could not do any where else.
While in the area we went to Heceta Head Lighthouse. This lighthouse was lit in 1894, can be seen 21 miles from land and 205 feet above the ocean. It sits on 594 acres and was automated in 1963. It is the strongest light on the Oregon coast. The keepers house has been turned in to a bed and breakfast. While camping our gas tanks were stolen during the night. We have never had anything stolen before in all the years of camping. We now know we need locks on tanks - gas is tooo high.
On the 16th of July we headed to Bullards Beach State Park in Bandon. The campground had full hookups but the temp was only 50. We sat around the campfire at night with jackets on. Tim's brother Jeff met us at the park and camped with us. While in the area we did Coquille River Lighthouse which was in the state park. The guide did a wonderful job explaining the light.
We also visited the Cape Blanco Light which is the oldest continueously operating light in Oregon. The light was built in 1870 and still active. Also on the grounds was a 2000 acre ranch owned by the Hughes family. The house was built in 1898 with victorian architecture, it consist4ed of 3000 square feet and cost only $3,800 to build. One room in the house was set up as a chapel due to one son being a Roman Catholic Priest. The ranch had dairy cattle and is now a state park.
We left the coast and headed back inland to Valley of the Rogue State Recreation Area near Grants Pass. The state park was actually part of the rest area along the interstate. Nice park though and we had full hookups.
One day we went to Hictoric Jacksonville, founded in 1851 to find gold. We took a trolley ride around town and got a little history of the area. We had lunch at Jacksonville Inn - great food - thanks Jeff for treating us.
Hellgate Jet boat excursions was the highlight in Grants Pass. It is a hydro jet boat that goes down the Rogue River and spins, stops really fast, looks like you will hit something and ends up getting you soaken wet. We all were laughing so hard - it was a really cool trip. Half way thru the trip you stop at Ok Corral Dinner Lodge and have a wonderful family style lunch. We had tossed salad, bbq chicken, potatoes au gratin, cornbread, and a raspberry dessert. Excellent food. The trip was over 3 hours and 36 miles on the river. You went through hellgate canyon where sheer rock walls rise 250 feet high and water runs 100 feet deep. The area has been used for the movie The River Wild and Rooster Cogburn. It was a wonderful day with many laughs and such fun.
On the 31st of July we headed to Lake Oroville State Recreation Area about 75 miles north of Sacramento, California in Oroville. Oroville means "City of Gold" in spanish. The lake was created by the construction of the Oroville Dam in 1967 and has 167 miles of shoreline. Because of the drought in California the lake was down by about 200 feet of water and not very pretty. The Bidwell Bar Suspension Bridge is located here and was quite interesting. It was built in 1856 in New York and brought around the horn to California. It is the first of its type in California. It was closed to traffic in 1954 and moved to its present location in 1967. We visited the visitor center and learned about the area during the gold rush featuring interpretive displays. We also went to the Forebay Aquatic Center and rented kayaks. This was alot of fun - think this is something Tim and I really could love. They also had hydro bikes which we had never seen before.
Alameda fairgrounds in Pleasanton was our next stop. One day Josh went to visit a friend for the day which was good for him as he has not been with kids most of the summer.
One day we went to the Oakland Aviation Museum located at Oakland Airport. It was very interesting - having loads of planes and giving us talks about different things. We then went to Quinn's Lighthouse Restaurant for lunch. This is an historic lighthouse which they bought from the Coast Guard for $1 in 1965. The lunch was wonderful and from the windows we could see Coast Guard Island. Next stop was Treasure Island, whcih used to be a Navy base. They still have housing but most of the island is in need of tender care.
The Presidio of San Francisco is a place you do not want to miss in the city. It was established in 1776 by the Spanish as a military base and continued as an active army base until 1995. When the army moved out it became a national park right away so the homes and buildings are still in great shape. The visitors center is the old officers club which is the oldest building in San Francisco. The grounds are beautiful and overlooks the golden gate bridge. The old housing is now rented to people for over $3000 a month and to think people wondered how we lived in housing years ago. In 1975 I went to the old Letterman Hospital on base to find out that I was pregant with our second child. Funny how we find ourselves interested in things from years ago.
The middle of August took us north to Petaluma California where the Coast Guard Training Center is located. We spent over a week here enjoying this beautiful base. They had really nice walking trails and we got to walk quite alot. They also let you eat in the galley which we did a few times. Reasonable and quite good. The time here was spent mostly relaxing but we did make two trips. One day we rode to Pt Reyes where we used to be stationed. We were allowed onto the base and could not believe how things have changed. Wow. We then had a nice lunch in Pt Reyes and walked around thinking back to how it was. Years ago people did not flock here as tourist as they do today - they had active hitching rails back then - no mail delivery and they literally brought the sidewalks in at dark. This was one duty station that really changeled us city folks.
Another day we rode up to Salt Point State Park where we used to camp and Tim went scuba diving for abalone. We have quite a few good memories of this wonderful area. We also stopped at Fort Ross State Historic Park which was so interesting. This was a Russian American Company that was settled between 1812 and 1841 by the Russians with help from Alaskan natives. The fort was very different from what you see out east as our stuff has mostly European influence. It covers over 3200 acres and sits on the Pacific Ocean - nice trails to walk and enjoy the wonderful weather.
On the 19th of August we took Joshua home after enjoying our summer with him. We enjoyed our time with him and hope he enjoyed himself also. We left Petaluma on the 24th and headed east to Sharpe Army depot. Our stay here was reasonable and just relaxing.
During July and August we had many wonderful experiences plus met lots of wonderful folks. I will do another entry for September, October, and November and then try to be better about posting. Till next time
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After a couple of miss directions, (we went back up the mountain and back down again, when we turned around thinking we missed it we were only about a mile away) we finally made it to the RV Park. The park is a little rustic, but had a nice site with full hookups. In addition to the RV sites, they have cabins, a restaurant, motel like rooms, large group cabins and a tenting area. We ate dinner in the restaurant last night, Friday, and the food was excellent, the service was good and people extremely friendly. While waiting on dinner there was a commotion outside, I got up and looked out the front window and found that across the street in the cow pasture a coyote was stalking a calf and momma was having none of that. The owner said that some people need TV to entertain them, all we have to do is sit outside and watch the action.
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
Wednesday night got rather chilly, from a high of 91 during the drive up to a low of 45 over night. I got up Thursday morning and put on blue jeans, long sleeve shirt and my light shirt jacket, the first time in many weeks. June and 45 I thought it was summer. Joshua was already up, killing time on the computer, so I took my coffee outside and enjoyed the morning quite. After we all had breakfast, we headed out to the Park, deciding to take a drive through and see what it had to offer. Without stopping they say it takes you 1 hour to go completely through the park, I just don't know how anyone can go through without stopping. See what I mean......
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
Friday morning started off a lot like Thursday, except that Joshua and Peg slept in until after 9. Once everyone was up and those that needed it were fed, we started our day with what we thought would be a good slow walk for starters. There was a National Park trail 1/4 mile down the road that looked interesting. The sign did say it was a 5 mile hike but we thought, "This is the valley so it shouldn't be too bad.... famous last words." We did make it a little over a mile, all up hill, before we gave up. I say we in that Peg and I gave up and Joshua wanted to keep going. When we finally made it back to the truck, he did say we had done very good...for our age, thanks.
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
We went back home, had lunch and rested for awhile. Then we decided we could do a nice moderate 30 minute climb to Bumpass Hell. We drove back into the park and headed to the large parking area for Bumpass Hell. Everyone told us that it was well worth the trip, with sulfur vents, bubbling mud pots and boiling water. Ok, and as you can see in the slides that follow, the sign DOES say a 1.5 mile 30 MINUTE MODERATE walk. Right off the bat we were transversing snow, not too bad. After climbing over a large, slippery snow bank, we got held up for 20 minutes as they were doing trail work. The rangers working on the trail said that there was some more snow on the trail ahead but should not be a problem, just a little slow going. I had my new hiking boots on, Peg had her sneakers on and Josh had his new basketball shoes on, not the best footwear for this type walking, however they both said to continue and continue we did. After I almost fell three times and Peg did fall twice and over an hour of walking we finally got near enough to see the sulfur mud pits. Peg had had enough so Josh and I continued on, hindsight says I should have stopped also. On return to where we left Peg, she was not there, I was exhausted and no place to rest except on the snow. Joshua, bless him, volunteered to carry some of my gear and I just had to let him, that helped but I was still dragging it. We caught up with Peg and after another hour and a half we finally made it back to the truck. Never was I so happy to see a truck. When we got back to the camper, it was decided that cooking was out and we would go the additional 100 yards to the restaurant for dinner, very glad we did.
One of the things that came out of all this hiking, Peg decided that hiling boots and hiking poles are a must. I guess the next stop will be at a shoe store for boots for her and Joshua. $$$$$, me and my bright ideas!
Believe me, in the summer with no snow it might have been a 30 minute walk, but in the spring with a lot of snow on the ground ------ STAY A HOME.
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
After our experience on Friday, we took the day off from hiking. I worked on the pictures, Peg did laundry and Joshua played on the computer. Tonight we are not cooking either, but are going for prime rib at the restaurant.
I had to add a little more about the RV resort. We just got back from another delightful meal, the owners and staff go out of their way to make you feel at home. If you don't feel like one of the family, then it all your fault. If you are ever in this part of the state, be sure to stop in, if only for a meal, you will not be unhappy. Chcekout their website, it is very good.
http://www.childsmeadowresort.com/
Until next time, may your days be filled with joy and happiness.
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Being from Connecticut orginally has made me open my eyes and mind to the people whom settled the west. As we were driving across the plains all I could think of was what brave souls they were. The landscape is flat and you can see for miles - the winds blow so hard you feel like you'll become Mary Poppins. I said to my hubby I would have begged you to turn around and go back home back in the 1800's. He just laughs at me cuz I really am a city girl and the thought of being 50 miles away from stores would drive me nuts. Yikes.
One thing I did see that I had never seen before were cows in the water - water covering them - all you saw was their heads. Never had seen that and did not know that they even did that. Little things make this experience and lifestyle so interesting. You learn even on the highway. In Texas on I-40 they have the biggest cross in the western hempshire. Of course it is so flat that you can see it for miles - pretty cool.
Another thing you see out here in the west is loads of windmills. They really should use more and they could power the whole United States of America. This wind is like nothing I have ever seen. After experincing this you can picture the dust bowl - before that was really hard to imagine.
This trip west started in Charleston South Carolina and will end in Pleasanton California. Thus far we have spent over $500 on fuel - highest price paid thus far was $4.75 but saw it yesterday for $4.99. We were lucky that Kirkland Air Force Base sells diesel - not to many military bases do.
All the years we spent in the military - hubby was active duty for 20 years - is paying off for us. We get to stay at nice campgrounds for $12 to $20 a night - shop in the commissary and exchange - some bases even let you eat in the galley, we can bowl, use health clubs and even the library.
Our stay in Albuquerque was really nice - we toured Old Town and went to the Museum of Art and History. Outside of the museum I saw a real roadrunner. Really cool too see. We enjoyed our stay but were ready to hit the road again.
During our trip from Albuquerque to California we saw more trains than I have seen in years. Most of them were at least 100 cars long - so cool. We saw snow capped mountains, the beauty of the desert and such different plant life. Our first stop was at a campground in Kingman Arizonia. We called some old friends to see if we could get together but their phone number did not work. I did send an email but did not receive a reply right away. We were really disappointed but we will be back to see you Dan and Pam really soon. We have not seen them in over 30+ years - wow that is along time.
As we entered California a shock to our system happened. We stopped for fuel - $5.49 a gallon for diesel. Yikes. Thing that was really good is that did not continue - the price is about $4.89 most places. Driving thru California was really interesting - saw the plan where Borax is made, saw lots of fruit and vegetable growing, nut trees and those beautiful rolling hills that only California has. We stopped for one night at a small campground and then the next day went into Sharpe Rv Park which is at the Military Defense Distribution Depot. It is a small campground but the price was right for $9 a nite for full hookups. We got to see many ground squirels and hares. Very interesting. We met alot of really nice people during our stay here and really enjoyed ourselves. They have a beautiful swimming pool and nice gym. We were located about 50 miles from our daughters house but we made the drive every few days. It was so good to see them - gosh I miss my girls when we are apart.
During our stay we celebrated Tim's 65th birthday. Amanda and Tim treated us to dinner at a Japanesse restaurant and then we did 1st Wednesday downtown Pleasanton. Very enjoyable time.
We went to see the new Indiania Jones Movie - it was so cool to see pictures of Yale and even saw a New Britain Transportation Bus. That was the town where I grew up. Very good movie.
Amanda and I went shopping one night and I tried on gowns for the wedding. Found one I really liked - alittle more than I wanted to spend but I feel comfortable in it so that is all that matters. We had a nice girls night out - shopping and a good dinner.
We also were able to go to Bridges Golf Course where the wedding will take place. Tim and I were both very pleased with their selection. It should be a beautiful wedding - can hardly wait for September to enjoy the day.
On the 18th we left Sharpe with Joshua (our 13 year old grandson) ande headed north. We arrived at Childs Meadow Resort in Mill Creek. We checked in for 4 nights. After getting set up we headed into Chester to get gas, wash the truck and have a good ice cream cone. That night I could not believe how quiet it was - no traffic goes by except during daylight hours. Wow peaceful.
Tim did the blog about Lassen National Park but I will add alittle to it. I was so impressed by this park - it became a national park in 1916 and has seething sulphur springs, belching mud pots and hissing steam vents. It is the most incredible site I have ever seen. Hiking to Bumpass Hell was an unusual trek - short sleeve tops - jeans and sneakers hiking thru snow - how unusual is that. We were all tired when the hike was over but it was just beautiful - so much in this country to see - wow.
We left on Sunday Morning and headed to Redding California to Fawndale Oaks Rv Park. We planned to stay in the area until the 7th of July but that was not meant to be. The fires in northern California began on Saturday night after the lighting storm. If you have never been out here the summers are very dry and this year they had very little rain so everything is dry. The smoke was unbelievable.
On Monday we took a ride to Whiskeytown National Rec Area but could not see the lake or ride around because of fires. We did stop in the information center and were told they give free kayak tours. Tim and Joshua really wanted to try that but fires prevented that also. Whiskeytown is home to many black bears and I really wanted to see one. We will be back in this area as their is loads to see. We also wanted to do Shasta State Park.
We did tour the Shasta Dam which was made of 6.5 million cubic yards of concrete. The dam is the second most massive concrete dam in the United States. The water rushes over the 487 foot spillway and forms the worlds largest man-made waterfall. It took 7 years to construct. No pictures were allowed but it was quite interesting.
The weather in Redding was very hot and the smoke burned our eyes. We went to the Sundial Bridge which is a 720 foot long bridge that crosses the Sacramento River. It is only used for bikes or foot traffic. Once on the other side we got an Italian Ice which cooled us off. Interesting concept.
On Thursday the owner of the campground were we stayed told us she would refund our money if we left early. Because of eye surgery both Tim and I were having problems seeing and each day it got worse. Our hearts go out to the people in northern California - so many homes and land burned.
We headed north on I-5 and stopped in Medford Oregon at the Safeway Grocery Store. We were getting quite low on food - have a teenage boy to feed and not used to that. We stocked up on food and now that I look back I am really happy we stopped. This area is in the boonies and nothing around.
We stopped on Thursday night at the Joseph Stewart State Park - they only could take us for the one night. What a beautiful park - full hookups for $18 a nite. We took a nice hike and saw the beautiful lake. That night the sky was full of stars - have not seen that many in years. Just spectaciluar site.
Our next stop was at Diamond Lake Rv Park which is located close to Crater Lake National Park. It is a full hookup site but we will stay Friday and Saturday and move on Sunday to a different site. They were able to accomadate us until Friday which is great. After setting up on Friday we took a walk around the campground and then over to Diamond Lake. What a pretty lake - see people swimming while you see snow in the background. Really unusual for us. We walked around for awhile and then stopped at the store to buy graham crackers, choclate bars for smores and an ice cream cone. Sure cooled us off.
Saturday am we rode to Crater Lake National Park - what a beautiful park. The park itself is pretty with snow so high that it is hard to believe. Each year the park receives over 533 inches - that is alot of snow. The lake is 5 miles wide and ringed by cliffs almost 2000 feet high. The lake rests in the shattered remnants of a volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted and collapsed into itself 7700 years ago. Crater Lake filled with rain and melted snow and at 1943 feet deep it is the deepest lake in the United States. Crater Lake became a national park in 1902 and is a must for anyone living in this beautiful country. Our visit was topped by a visit to the center and lunch at the cafe. What a wonderful day exploring our national park.
Sunday we moved our site - thanks to Josh and Tim. I went to the laundry here in the campground and did 4 loads of laundry. We are now in a nice site and will remain here until Friday.
Monday we took a ruide and did hikes to different waterfalls in the area. The Watson Falls area was our favorite and so beautiful. We hiked quite a distance to view it. While at the falls I met a really nice couple from Florida. This lifestyle sure lets you meet interesting people.
Today marks our 2nd year on the road. We have not looked back and enjoy each day as we see it. Our lifestyle just fits into our lives so easily and giving Joshua, our grandson, the opportunity to experience this with us is just so wonderful. Next year we hope that Emily, our granddaughter, will be able to enjoy and experience this with us also. God has surely blessed us and we enjoy each day to the fullest. God bless you all until next time.
PS: Talked to our nephew Steve on Thursday - God was that a good feeling to talk to a Marine just back from the war zone. He sounded so good and so happy. He will have to return to the war zone soon and we will keep him in our prayers. He just got engaged and we are so happy for them. God bless you Steve - we love you.
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Our remaining days in Charleston South Carolina were filled with fun and doctors. We were able to celebrate both of our granddaughters birthdays. Emily turned 9 - Julia 4. We were very happy to spend time with our girls and will be happy to see them in California come September.
The eye doctor gave me clearance to leave - must get prescription reading glasses and have my eyes checked in 3 months. My pupil is still dilated but I can see much better. Whole new learning experience for me as I always took off glasses to read - now I must put them on. Hard to teach an old lady new tricks.
Both Tim and I went to a new doctor in Charleston area and really liked her. Our daughter recommended her and we were very pleased. The best part was my blood pressure was perfect 120/70. Have not seen those numbers since I was 40. Yea - retirement is finally agreeing with us. I also got my pap smear done and mammogram so all set with that for another year.
We visited the Charleston Maritime Festival in Charleston. They had 4 tall ships - the Amistad, the Schooner Virginia, the Corwith Cramer and South Carolina. We paid to board the vessels but all you got to see was the main level. It was interesting but not worth $15 each. It was a fun day and glad we did it.
With beautiful sunshine we left Charleston at 8:30am and headed west on the 22nd. We stopped at the rest area for lunch and had a bubble in our tire. Thank goodness for road service - they came within the 1/2 hr and changed it for us. We stopped up the road about 40 miles and bought a new tire. We thanked God for keeping us safe. As we were going around Atlanta we saw a car on fire - the tires actually were burning along with everything else. It was unbelievable to watch something go so fast. God was with the young girl whom owned the car - she was far away from it and fine. We stopped for the night at a campground and just left the camper hooked to the truck. After dinner we took a walk around the park and then watched tv before enjoying our nice comfortable bed.
Friday morning we were up early and left at 7:30am - once we hit the Alabama state line the time changed and we were now in central time zone. We were going around Birmingham during rush hour. The ride this day was beautiful with so many rolling hills and sooo green. We crossed the Mississippi River and stopped for the night in Hazen, Arkansas. We had planned to go in the morning to the Clinton Presidential Library but heard on the news they were having a huge riverfest - not a place you want to pull a 34 foot camper into. We decided we would do that some other time - that is what is really nice about being full timers. We drove into Oklahoma and stopped at a campground. We decided to stay for 2 nights - time to relax. We are doing this trip pretty fast as we would like to be in California the second week of June. We are taking our 13 year old grandson for a few weeks to enjoy camping with us.
Memorial Day was a beautiful sunny day but so windy going thru Ok, Texas and then into New Mexico. Before I forget I want to thank my hubby, brother, brother-in-laws, friends and everyone else whom served in the military. We live in such a wonderful country thanks to all of you. God bless you all.
We stopped at Mountain Road Rv Park in Tucumcare for the night. We had a nice steak dinner and watched some tv before calling it a day. We again were in a new time zone - mountain time. Our poor bodies are really messed up - keep saying to Tim - What time is it really?
Tuesday morning we left around 9 and headed west on I-40. My hubby is the most careful person in the world when it comes to his truck and camper. Well he checked the tires before we left and about 2 hours in to our ride he said something is wrong. We pulled over and we had a blown tire on our camper. I felt like crying but as Tim said we were safe and it is only money. We called road service - got the tire changed and then went to the shop and bought 3 more tires. We are not taking any more chances. Now we have 4 brand new tires.
Our stop today was at Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have decided to stay here at least until Saturday and relax. We hope to take the tram to the top of the mountain and have dinner also. We did that 34 years ago on our way to a new duty station and enjoyed it so. Wow that makes me feel old - yikes. The campground is right on base and is quite nice. Full hookups and laundry so we are happy.
Now we are back on the road I will try to write some each day. Until later.
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Charleston still has a hold on us for another week or so due to the cataract surgery. I had my first eye done on April 21st and it went so well. A week later I had surgery on my left eye and problems began. I had a horrid headache and spent most of the night awake. Went to the doctor the following morning and could not even see the big E on the eye chart which scared me to death. Seems my implant did not lay right so that Friday I went back to the hospital and had that fixed. I am doing really well with my distant vision - no glasses - but my reading vision is still not where it should be. I did get reading glasses but only read for about 5 minutes and my eyes are tired. I will be returning to the eye doctor on May 21st and hopefully will get a good report so we can hit the road again. I do enjoy this area greatly - get to see our beautiful granddaughters, daughter and son-in-law but we are ready to travel again.
We did get to see the "Wings over Charleston" which was an air show here on the Charleston Air Force Base. On Friday they had some planes opened plus all the pilots were practicing so we got to watch. On Saturday when the base had over 125,000 people we sat by the campground and watched the show. It was a great show watching the Thunderbirds, Golden Knights, Raptors, Strike eagle and all the other planes. The Air Force should be proud for a wonderful show.
I still have not driven so Tim has to take me most places. One Saturday I took our oldest granddaughter shopping at Town Center in Mount Pleasant. This is a shopping area where you walk outside and into each store indivdually. Emily is such a delight to be with - we walked and talked - even missed a store we wanted to go into cuz we were talking so much. She seemed to enjoy the day also and came home with new shorts, tops, book and loads of earrings. I could not read any prices so she would tell me the size and price - thanks Emily for helping grandmom plus having such a nice day. We had lunch also and grandpop even joined us.
Sunday we took Julia, our middle granddaughter whom will be 4, shopping. Her choice was Wal-Mart. She really made we laugh as she looks at everything first and then decides what she wants. She ended up with a pony, sand sculpturing craft, sunglasses and books. We also did lunch and she was excellent. I hear so many young mothers say they cannot take their children shopping and it makes me wonder. Guess I just have wonderful grandchildren.
This has been a quiet month for us - with eye problems it was very tiring to me. Spent alot of time sleeping or just relaxing my eyes. We did take a trip to visit with Lucille and Vinny one day and enoyed that greatly. We did lunch at a great place right on the water - food was yummy and so much. We walked on the beach alittle and of course I had to put my feet in the cold water. We then went for alittle ride to see one of the biggest campgrounds around - wow what a place. Back to their place for good conversationn and then we hit the road to come back here. Thanks guys for a wonderful day.
Mothers Day this year was very different for us. We awoke early and got ready for church with the rain pounding and the winds blowing. Turned on the tv and were told that tornado warnings were in effect. We decided to just stay put - in case of an emergency we would not be driving. Lasted about an hour and then it calmed down. Joshua, our grandson, called to find out how to make french toast for his mom. He is such a thoughtful kid - talked to his mom later and she said it was great. Susan called an invited us over for dinner which we so enjoyed. Our son-in-law Jerry made dinner and did a wonderful job. Thanks for such a beautful day. As I told Tim late last night I did two wonderful things in my life - I married him and had two beautful daughters. God has been really good to me and I thank him each day.
I promise when we get on the road again I will write more often and more interesting subjects. We are still enjoying ourselves - met lots of nice people here but have not been very busy. Until later.
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