October 26, 2012

Lake Park RV Resort and Lodge

Lake Elsinore, CA 92530

We slept okay and thought maybe we had been too hasty about wanting to move on today until we opened up the door and were met with the fresh smell of manure from the nearby chicken farm.  We tried to make a mad dash out the door without letting in any flied but were unsuccessful as at least 20 flew in.  I knew ducks had been waddling around our site by the evidence they had left behind that was difficult to avoid stepping in. 

I had researched several places a few days earlier but all of them were heading east and I thought it might be nice to head west toward the coast so it was back to the drawing board (in this case the laptop).  First, I checked campgrounds that accept the PA membership and then looked on RV Park Reviews to see what they had to say about the parks. 

Lake Park RV Resort and Lodge in Lake Elsinore sounded nice and had good reviews.  I called the office and spoke to Judy who sounded very chipper as she assured me they had availability and that the PA rate of $15 a day would be good for up to five days. 

The drive from Reflection Lake to Lake Elsinore was less than 1 hours and I knew as soon as we turned into the driveway that we had made a good decision in coming here.  The grounds were well manicured.  We went in the office and met Judy who was just as bubbly in person as she had been on the phone.  I told her we would be staying one night (I didn’t want to commit us to more than one night just yet) and she said she was sure we would be back in the morning saying we wanted to stay at least the 5 days allowed at the PA rate.  Judy gave us a map that showed which sites were 5o amp and told us we could pick any site that was empty.  We drove up and down the rows and settled on C2, a gravel pull through site.  There wasn’t enough room for my car so we parked it near the office, a short walk away from the site. 

We did a partial set-up and then went in search of Taco Bell because I had a craving for Nachos Bell Grande.  Lucky for me we only had to go ¼ mile and fifteen minutes later we were sitting down and I was devouring my gooey cheesy plate of deliciousness with relish.  The funny thing is that when I ordered the Nachos, I was asked if I wanted chicken or steak.   Back in Florida, Nachos Bell Grande only comes one way, with chopped beef.  The Taco Bell we went to was also a KFC and Monte opted to order fried chicken with two sides.

Back home, Monte continued with the outside setup and I took two baskets of wash to the on-site Laundromat.  My timing was perfect as the spotlessly clean laundry room was empty and I was able to do all four loads of wash at the same time.  After getting the wash going, I went next door to the swimming pool and sat down at the edge, dangling my feet in the water while reading.  It was very hot so the cold water felt really good.

Later on, back at the rig, it was nice to be able to sit outside (without being attacked by flies) and continue reading until it got too dark.

We were still full from our big lunch so we just finished off the remainder of the apple pie we had purchased the prior week when we had stayed at Tule Campground and attended the Springville Apple Festival.

We watched a couple of hours of TV and then went to bed with the absence of noise.  No highway noise- No yapping dogs-No trains whistling-No ducks quacking-no flies buzzing in my ear.  Nice!

October 25, 2012

Reflection Lake RV Park & Fishing Campground

San Jacinto, CA

 This morning, as we were getting ready to leave, the sun was shining and there was no wind.  We were on the road by 10:30 and other than being delayed by a passing train, we made good time until we turned onto I10.  So many of the drivers were rude cutting us off and darting in front of us and I found myself gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.  

 I was relieved when we arrived at the Reflection Lake RV Park.  BUT that relief was short-lived for several reasons.  The first problem we encountered happened when Monte pulled into the entrance of the park.  It was so narrow that he had to back up and pull forward a few times to avoid hitting the curb.  I went inside the office to start registering and Monte joined me after he found a place to pull over safely.

We were assigned site number 29 but only 3 of the 57 sites were being used so the clerk informed us that if we weren’t happy with the assigned site we could choose another.  Monte got in my car and we made the loop to check out the sites.  Site 29 was okay but we continued on to see if there was another one we would like better.  We decided on site 52 so I drove Monte back to the front of the park and dropped him off at the rig.

The second problem we faced was the FLIES.  There were swarms of them.  We later found out that there is a chicken farm nearby.  After we got set up and I opened the door to the rig the first thing I noticed was there was spilled milk all over the floor.  We have never encountered a problem with anything falling over in the fridge so it was quite a surprise and a big mess.  I had to empty the entire fridge, wash it out, and wipe all the contents. 

After all that was done, I booted up my laptop and attempted to log on to the internet.  There were no instructions on the sheet I had been given at registration so I called the office but no one answered.

I raised the antenna, turned on and programmed the TV.  We were able to receive 5 channels, 2 only showed infomercials and the other 3 were in Japanese-Yes I said Japanese.  UH? 

We were in the mood for pizza so we took a ride into the town.  San Jacinto is an attractive town with several middle-income housing developments and all the usual chain stores and restaurants.  We found a place called My Mama’s and ordered a medium pizza.  While we were waiting, the waitress served the table next to us.  It was braised chicken that smelled and looked mouth-watering.  We wished that we had seen the chicken before ordering the pizza but it was too late.  But the pizza was delicious. 

After we ate we made the customary trip to Walmart for a few items and then back home.  We had planned on doing laundry but were just too tired so we decided to put it off until tomorrow.  We were hoping that we were going to like Reflection Lake because the rate was reasonable and it would have been nice to stay for at least a week.  BUT between the flies, limited TV reception, no wifi and duck poop all over the place, it does not have the WOW factor so we will be moving on tomorrow. 

October 24, 2012

El Solana RV Park

Inyokern, CA

We brought in all the slides before going to bed and we slept much better than the night before.    While Monte was in Ridgecrest getting the truck’s transmission flushed I researched our next destination.  I narrowed it down to 5 places at distances of 125 miles to 250 miles.  After being stuck at a campground because I hadn’t researched a plan b I am making sure we have not only a plan b but at least a plan c. 

Monte was a little bummed out because he received an offer on his motorcycle.  It has been on consignment at a dealer back in Florida since we departed in August.  I think he was secretly hoping it would not sell.  I am sympatric to his feelings but keeping the bike just isn’t practical in our current lifestyle.  On the bright side, the proceeds from the sale of his bike will put us a lot closer to being able to afford solar for our rig.  Having solar would give us more flexibility in where we stay and would allow us to go off the grid more often. 

Monte had reservations about taking the truck into an unfamiliar place but was very impressed with the place he took the truck for service.  The shop was clean and the techs very knowledgeable.   I was pleasantly surprised when Monte returned because he bought me a pair of trekking poles.  He had stopped in Big 5 Sports and found the poles that had originally sold for $30 each were on clearance for $10 each. 

To test out the poles, we took a ride to Red Rock Canyon State Park, only 25 miles from our campground. 

It is a beautiful facility that has primitive camping sites nestled among the rocks. 

The research I had done on the campground indicated that it could not accommodate rigs over 30 feet but when we took a ride through it we saw several that we could fit into.  If we are ever in this area again and we have our solar we would consider camping there.

After driving through the campground we parked and set off on one of the clearly marked trails. 

We ascended rapidly and were soon at the crest of a mountain where we stopped to eat lunch.  After descending we went back to our car and drove to another section of the park to take a different trail. 

 In total, we only hiked 5 miles but a significant part of the hike was ascending and descending, making it feel like much more than 5 miles.   I was very happy with the poles and was glad I had them especially when we descended as they gave me a sense of security.

It was a lazy evening.   We were both exhausted and went to bed early as tomorrow is a travel day.  The absence of wind allowed us to keep our slides open.

October 23, 2012

El Solana RV Park

Inyokern, CA

We decided to stay two more days as Monte made an appointment for tomorrow morning to have the transmission flushed at a service station in nearby Ridgecrest.  We just lounged around in the morning.  My brother used to work at the China Lake Military Installation and had lived in Ridgecrest.  He moved away over 20 years ago.   I told him I would pass his old house to take pictures.  Once that was accomplished we made a stop at Walmart and Home Depot. 

We discussed taking a ride somewhere but it was already 3pm and everything worth seeing was too far away. 

Back home, we spent the rest of the day listening to our slide toppers flap in the heavy winds.  By 6pm we couldn’t stand the noise anymore so we brought in the slides and spent the rest of the night on the bed watching TV.

October 22, 2012

El Solana RV Campground

Inyokern, CA 93527

This was the most frustrating, stressful day since our journey began.  It started out okay.  The first annoyance was when I received a call from the property we use for our bricks and sticks house.  The current tenants, an elderly couple, complained that they could not get the garage door to close.  Of course, the first thing that came to mind was maybe they had blocked the sensors. (Well, actually the first thing that came to mind was how much this is going to cost us)  But Vicki, the manager, said she checked it out and the sensor was fine.  Because she hadn’t been able to contact us (we haven’t had cell service for a couple of days) she called in a handyman who determined the problem was the door itself.  The door is splitting at the bottom.  He was able to put a bracing board as a temporary fix but we will need a new door eventually.  He only charged $25.00.  The first challenge had been dealt with.

 We left Tule Campground at 10:30 and followed the GPS directions for our next location in Inyokern, CA.  The first leg of the trip was okay.  It wasn’t until we were routed to 155 that we had the first inkling of what was to follow.  The road was very narrow with a very steep grade in areas.  Monte had to pull over a few times to rest the truck which really made me nervous because there wasn’t much room for cars to get around us. 

Finally, at around 4,300 feet in elevation, we came to a fairly large area that we were able to pull over safely and let the truck rest.  We weren’t sure what to expect when we opened the rig.  What we found was that the freezer door had opened and all the ice cubes had spilled out over the floor.  The microwave door had opened and the glass turntable was on the stove.  Luckily it hasn’t broken.  We considered ourselves lucky that was all that happened.

We ate lunch and discussed possibly turning around and going back down the mountain or taking a ride in my car for a few miles to see if the road was going to improve or be worse.

As we were discussing our options, a car pulled over and the driver, whom I know regard as our guardian angel, asked us if we needed any assistance.  We relayed our fears to her about continuing on the road.  She said we MUST turn around and go back down the mountain because we had very steep grades coming up if we continued on the same road. 

We went back down the mountain and took the route our angel showed us on a physical map.  It took us two hours out of our way but it was well worth it.  The second challenge had been dealt with.  BUT we had learned a very valuable and possibly expensive lesson (to be determined as the transmission fluid on the truck has a burnt smell) and that is to always check the roads on a physical map before starting out.

When we stopped for gas and tried to use one of our credit cards, the sale was denied.  I had to call the credit card company to assure them that our two vehicles were traveling in California and the gas sales should be authorized.  The third challenge had been dealt with.

The RV Park we ended up at didn’t exactly have the wow factor but we were so tired and stressed out by that time that we didn’t care.  We were in the Mojave Desert and we really didn’t have many options at 6pm.  The manager, who gave us a list of available sites, suggested we get set up quickly as there was a storm coming in.      

After setting up, surprisingly, when we raised our antenna, we were able to receive several stations.  The camp had advertized free WIFI but when I questioned the manager about it she informed me that it had been down for a week and Verizon was scheduled to come the next day to fix it. 

We went to bed before 11 but at 3am I woke up from the sound of the wind ruffling the slide toppers.  I gave up trying to get back to sleep and watched TV but kept expecting the roof of the rig to be blown off.  It finally subsided at 5am and I was able to fall asleep. 

October 21, 2012

Tule Campground

Porterville, CA

I was feeling the results of the activity from the day before.  We had a big breakfast and I typed my journal entry for yesterday. It was noon by the time I finished.  We decided to check out the Apple Festival in Springville. 

 We found a close parking space having to walk only one block to the beginning of the festival.  We walked down one side of the festival, crossed the street and walked back taking in all the colorful booths and mouth-watering aromas. 

Having decided the BBQ vendor nearest the exit had the best looking food, we shared one pulled pork sandwich that cost $6.00.  We had already spent $5.00 on honey roasted almonds and $12.00 on an apple pie.  This was turning out to be an expensive outing and we had only been at the festival for approximately an hour. 

We took a ride into the town of Porterville, six miles away just to use our cell phones because we don’t have any reception at the campground.  We stopped in a supermarket to pick up ice cream and whipping cream to go along with the apple pie we planned on having for dessert. 

Back home, I made some meatballs and raviolis and then we took a walk down by the lake.  We didn’t stay long because it was too buggy.  

 

October 20, 2012

Tule Campground

Porterville, CA

(Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks)

Yesterday at the Sequoia National Forest Supervisor’s Office, the ranger had warned us to leave before 8am if we wanted to avoid all the traffic in the town of Springville due to the annual Apple Festival.  Our route to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks took us through Springville.  We went through just as vendors were setting up booths and could already smell the wonderful aroma of BBQ rigs slow cooking. 

 

 We also saw there were booths advertising apple pie and all sorts of things apple related.  Or course there were also the usual arts and crafts and gizmo booths represented.  We discussed the possibility of attending the festival tomorrow.

A couple of miles after passing through Springville we noticed the sign for the road we needed to take with another sign nearby announcing there would be no services for the next 30 miles.  OH NO-we needed gas and after entering “fuel” into the GPS discovered that the next gas station was 13 miles further up the road beyond our turn.  We had to make a u-turn and return to Springville.




 It was a little difficult pulling into the small station as there were festival vendors set up very close to the entrance.  But Monte maneuvered through the maze of booths expertly.  While the car was fueling, he walked over to a nearby booth and purchased a piece of apple cake that we set aside for later in the day.

Finally gassed we were on our way again.  The next leg of our route took up Yokohl Valley Road, 24 miles of winding road taking us up and down a mountain passing horses, cattle, and even a coyote.  

The next leg the terrain changed dramatically as we entered the forest.  We opened the windows to allow in the fresh air. 

We finally arrived at the gate to Kings Canyon where Monte showed his America the Beautiful Senior Pass enabling us to save the $20 entrance fee.  

 

 

I really wish that I had been keeping a list of places we have used the pass to see how much we have saved.  Oh well. 

After stopping at the Grant Grove Village Visitor Center, where I was able to stamp my passport and use the facilities, we ate the sandwiches we had packed at the picnic area just outside the center.  I was wearing shorts as it had been very hot when left the campground but the temperature had dropped by at least 25 decrees so I pulled on the long pants I had brought along.  We also put on heavy jackets and slipped woolen gloves and a hat in our pockets just in case they would be needed on our hike.  

Back in the car, we took Generals Highway crossing from Kings Canyon National Park into Sequoia National Park.  They are two separate parks but both managed by the National Park Service as one.  We had bypassed the attractions at Kings Canyon as we only had one day in the park and most of the things we wanted to see and do were located in Sequoia NP. 

Our next stop was at the Lodgepole Visitor Center where I stamped my passport and we watched a short film about the deconstruction of the cabins in Giant Forest. 

  People have been coming to visit Sequoia, America’s second oldest National Park, since the late 1800’s.  Cabins were erected to house those people and more and more services were added.  Conservationists towards the end of the last century pushed to have the cabins removed and today there is no trace of them. 

After a short drive, we arrived at the General Sherman Tree trail parking lot. 

 We opted not to take our hydration back packs with us because I had read that the trail to the General Sherman Tree (the largest tree on the planet) was only a half mile.  The first thing I noticed as we started on the trail was that the trail was downhill and there were signs warning that the return walk was strenuous.  At first I thought how bad can it be?  It is only a half mile and the trail is paved.  But I should have paid closer attention to the people passing us going up as most of them were panting and stopping every few feet to rest. 

Arriving at the General Sherman, we oohed and aahed at the star of the Giant Forest, took some pictures and began the Congress Trail because that is the trail the ranger told us we should take if we were only going to have time to do one trail.  The Congress Trail is a 2 mile loop through the heart of the grove taking us past The President, The Senate and several other famous Sequoias. 

Towards the end of the trail we came upon a group of firefighters conducting a prescribed fire. 

Years ago, fire was believed to be destructive in the forest.  But as time passed unanticipated consequences from the lack of fires became evident as fire suppression blocked important natural processes.  The sequoia ceased to reproduce because the conditions they needed to regenerate were not present.  Fires leave behind a seedbed with ash that opens the forest canopy, allowing sunlight to reach the seedlings.  Now it is customary to ignite prescribed fires and strong evidence shows that this practice is succeeding.

 

The trail brought us back to where we had started at the Sherman Tree.  We began the half mile upward trail back to the parking lot which took a hell of a longer time and significantly more energy than it had taken us going down the trail.  We were both exhausted by the time we arrived back at our car.  We changed out of our hiking boots, me into sandals and Monte into sneakers, thinking that we were finished hiking for the day.   BUT, we weren’t-more about that later.

Continuing on the road, we reached our next destination, “Tunnel Log,” a sequoia that fell back in the 1930’s and was tunneled through.  It is the only tree you can drive through.  The road to the tunnel forms a loop so we went around and drove through a few times. 

 

We planned on leaving the park at this point as we were both exhausted but saw a sign that intrigued us and we decided to check it out. 

 Moro Rock is a granite dome with a steep ¼ mile staircase, with a 300-foot elevation gain, to the top that provides a spectacular view of the Great Western Divide. 

 As we were climbing the 350 steps to the top (wearing my sandals) we passed several people on their way down who, upon seeing me having difficulty breathing, tried cheering me on by assuring me that the exertion would be worth the effort and that I was almost there.

The view at the top was spectacular! 

There were quite a few people at the summit including a group of young men repelling down the mountain.  In my opinion you have to be young and just a little crazy to do something like that!

Going down was a lot easier than going up and was accomplished in a quarter of the time it had taken to get to the top.

 

At this point we were definitely ready to go home.  I entered the camp’s location in the GPS and it showed that it was going to take three hours.  It didn’t make sense to me to take the route it was showing as it had us going north, west, and then south.  I changed the setting to “detour” and liked that route better as it took us south and showed us arriving at our destination in two and a half hours.  BUT, we hit road construction in the park that delayed us over 4o minutes and took us down a really curvy road at 40 miles an hour.  At the exit to the park, the GPS had us go down unlit, rural roads and we both thought that there must be something wrong with the unit.  But eventually we were routed to a highway and made good time from that point.  We stopped at a Carl’s Jr. for a quick bite to eat and were home way before the 10pm closing of the campground gate.  It had been another awesome day!