Marty's Travels

It's certainly a pretty drive over to US 101 and up to this small town . I haven't seen any redwoods yet, but the town does have a lumber mill, a rare sight nowadays. Ukiah is known for grapes, marijuana, and lumber in that order.

Weather has been variable. Clouds, sun, rain. I'd like to drive through the mountains to the redwood coast tomorrow, but weather conditions rule right now. I'll see tomorrow.

This is a pretty place, though it would be much better without the rain, clouds, and thunderstorms. The towns in the valley are attractive and offer a lot to see and do, especially wine-related, but not during a storm. I managed to drive the valley roads during a break today, which doesn't take very long because it's a pretty small place.

Napa is the home to a surprising number of labels, and probably most of the big California names. Obviously there isn't enough room to grow all the grapes for those labels, so a great deal of the grapes come from elsewhere, the San Joaquin most frequently. The next time I'm here I'll go back off the main drag to some of the smaller names and check out what can be done with mostly local grapes. A day when the weather cooperates.

It's clearing up now, and tomorrow I plan on winding my way through the mountains over to US 101 and the Sonoma region, and up to Ukiah for a few days. That's another wine region and if the weather cooperates I'll have a chance to sample their wares.

I'll be dodging incoming storms all the way through Oregon, with a target date of hitting Port Townsend around May 1.

Yup, the forecast was right. I was hoping for a break in the rain today so I could get out and look around a bit. It didn't let up, and now I'm in a lake ankle-deep. That's why I keep a stash of reading material. Tomorrow will still be wet, but not as bad. I'll stick here for another day.

Tuesday looks like a good travel day, so I'll be taking a short run from the wine country into the redwoods. And then more rain.

Calistoga is at the top of the Napa Valley, and I'll be here until the storms pass through. I'll most likely take a driving tour, but pass on the wineries. They are too cutesy, tasting costs money, and the parking lots have more buses than cars in them.

I hated to leave Chuck and Nancy, but we are all anxious to be getting away from expensive California. We had a great time seeing a bit of a great place, but the cash kept going out until it became damned annoying. We figured we were doing it as cheaply as possible, but nothing's cheap in SF.

They're heading fast to Oregon and Washington, and I'm hoping to meet up with them in Chimicum in a couple of weeks. I'm taking it a bit slower, satisfied that I left the monster freeways behind me today. I was fully aware of what I was getting myself in for a month ago when I crossed that magic line between the western deserts and overpopulated SoCal, I'm glad I did it, but I am in no hurry to do it again. Well, SF and the Sierras when the chance arises, certainly, but you can have the rest of it.

I've still got hassles in front of me, this is California, but the worst is over now. I think.

We went into the city again, and bussed over to the Exploratorium. That's a fun place, a bunch of science exhibits that suck you into learning something new. Then it was Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39.

Tomorrow we both pull out. I'm going to Napa to sit out a rainstorm this weekend; I'm not sure yet where the Genos will be going, but they're heading north to Seattle as well, so we'll probably cross paths along the way.

I've had enough being tourist for a while, but I can't imagine a better place to be a tourist than SF. It was great.

I finished up my work at the library this morning; I wish I had more to do as they have an excellent collection and the staff is wonderful.. And, I got big ol' Chinese meal at a hole-in-the-wall with a big bowl of hot-and-sour soup. They didn't make it hot enough, but that's typical when you're European and they don't know you. My jones is satisfied until I get to Seattle.

I rode into town with the Genos and waved goodbye as they set off to explore the city. They had a great time, figuring out the public transport system right away and saw a lot. It sounds like another trip into the city is positively on for tomorrow. I'm game. It's a cool city.

Geez, it's been along time since I've been in downtown SF. Long enough so I don't know my way around at all. BART is the only way to go into the city, it's so quick and easy. I came up on the street right in front of the library, and devoted a few hours getting my bearings, though I've found it always takes at least 8 hours to learn a new library. I'll go back tomorrow.

Then it was just a sights-and-sounds-and-people-watching walking tour, down Market street to Embarcadero, grazing along the way at the infinite number of food places. I've got a bad jones for real Asian food, so I'll go into Chinatown tomorrow now that I have the buses figured out. Or I'll just walk that way. Everything is basically within walking distance, as long as you don't have to climb a hill. But the transit systems there are so good and cheap it's silly not to use them. You can get an all-day pass and it's basically hop on and off on the buses, the trolleys, and the Metro trains.

When I pulled in at the fairgrounds I noticed someone had parked next to me and laughed: The Genos were parked there. I'll take them to the train station tomorrow and point them in the direction they want to go. They've not seen the city before.

I'm now in Antioch, next to the Sacramento River at a fairgrounds. I'm just about 6 miles from the BART station, and my idea is to stay here, drive to BART, and commute into the city for the next few days. It may not be the best (cheapest) way to see San Francisco with an RV, but it's a start and I'll look for better tactics later.

As usual, I regretted leaving this morning. My neighbors the Genos and I went out for dinner last night, and this morning we wished each other "happy trails". It was fun parking next to them at a most beautiful place. They're re-thinking their fulltime lifestyle, and I wish them the best. It's experience that matters most in this game, I think, and one has none of that when starting out.

Leland and Cathy are behind me a few days and it wouldn't surprise me to run into them again pretty soon. I'm heading eastward this summer so I'll at least see them in Billings.

California prices suck, but the scenery is outstanding. The flower displays along the road today were basically blue lupine and orange California poppy. Excellent.

It's a tad warmer down here closer to sea level, quite pleasant. Forecast is good for the next several days...

I now begin my fourth year on the road full time. I remain resolute that any other lifestyle is not an option; I enjoy moving around too much.

Next-door neighbor, Chuck, and I took his jeep through the creek to tour the "back 40" of the park this morning. There are some great views of the creek back there, and noticed several of the sites in the park have views as well. This is not your typical RV park.

It's Easter dinner in the clubhouse tomorrow, then I'll be watching the weather to pick my move-out day, maybe Tuesday. From here I go to the San Francisco area for a few days.

It's cold here and I ran out one bottle of propane so had to go to town to get more. As I pulled across my neighbor I saw it is was Chuck and Nancy, They pulled me out of a stream in Yuma. They were not around, so I figured I'd catch up later with them.

Propane gotten, the next order of business was social hour at the park. Oddly I sat down in a seat next to Leland and Cathy whom I've known for some quite time.

Back to Chuck's place. Geezus, he's been parked next to me for two days and I didn't notice. That's Coarsegold. The trees block the view to the next site. I warned Chuck when he offered me whiskey, but we went on for a long while anyway.

It was a good day. Chatting with Leland and Cathy, talking with Chuck and Nancy.

Friends everywhere I go now it seems. That's good.

Despite light rain, Pat took me on a tour of the park this morning, and I'm glad she didn't call it off. I learned a lot.

The park itself is 160 acres,but 40 acres are set aside as wild just because it's neat, but also because it would be too expensive to build a bridge over Coarsegold Creek. Access to the wild area (old trees, plants, birds, critters) is by driving through the creek when it's low enough.

Lots are laid out here where and if the natural topography allows, so every lot is a different size and shape. Each comes with a storage shed, but the rule is that anything else you put on the lot must be able to move legally down the highway tomorrow. So, that almost eliminates park models and mobile homes. It's a park for Escapees who like traveling, unlike a couple I've seen that forgot how to move around.

The land is covered with wild flowers, but all of that has to be cut down by May 15 to comply with fire rules, a big job, but positively necessary. The shop is equipped with everything necessary for this task.

Woodpeckers are so abundant that it's a constant fight to repair their damage. Most folk leave their vehicle hoods up in the belief this discourages wildlife from eating the wires and hoses, and building nests in the engine compartment.

I drove into Fresno today to go to the hardware store, and despite I've driven that route three times already, it was spectacular with the cloud cover. The rolling green hills with live oak stands under a gray cloud cover reminded me of Oregon. The grasslands had sprung another color of wildflower since 2 days ago. The clouds covered up the background, the Sierras, so one can pay attention to the lowlands.

The forecasted snow level has been raised, so I guess it's just rain tomorrow.

The Escapee park here is beautiful. Jim and Bobbie asked me to take pictures for them and I have, but tomorrow I get a guided tour and have been advised to bring my camera.

But more on the area. The park is located just a few miles south of the town of Coarsegold, a small village impeccably maintained with an assortment of interesting shops. The region is filled with homes, retirees no doubt, but they are hidden away from view for the most part so you don't get a feel for the density here.

Just up the road is a very big casino, much bigger than you'd expect. I haven't visited it yet, but will before I leave.

Up the road is the the "big" town of Oakhurst. It's another almost comically cute tidy place but with many more services and shops. The shops are doing well because the population is big enough to support them, but it's strange that you don't see how many homes are tucked in the hills around here. Roads are two-lane with turnouts for passing.

The park is located just off road 416 along highway 41. When I checked in I was warned about the intersection. I see what they mean. The intersection is blind all ways, on a mountain curve, on a mountain hill. When everything appears clear you gun it like crazy and hope for the best. Luckily, most folk up here are aware of this problem and cut you some slack if you guess wrong. In fact, 99% of the drivers up here are very un-California in their driving tactics. But it's not tourist season.

"I want a nice quiet place in the mountains to retire in, but with full access to quality services, including medical care". This is the place if that's your thing.

Every time I had been to the Yosemite Valley it was during peak season and it was a complete disaster with crowds and traffic. That's what made it my very least favorite national park. Well, except for Mt Rushmore.

This time I arrived during the "dead" season, and it was a much more pleasant place. Not everything was open yet, but it was much quieter and I was actually able to stop and see the sites. Another advantage: The waterfalls were at maximum flow.

They've adopted a shuttle bus system, which should help considerably, but since they are optional they won't work as well as they could. Bike paths have been installed which could work quite well. Edward Abbey might be winning one here, but parking is still a mess so traffic jams are a potential problem. But not today.

I took the long windy road from Coarsegold, highway 41. Most people opt for the easier route from Merced. 41 was long, windy, and slow, a time to kick back and enjoy the mountains and trees.

Some weather is expected in tonight or tomorrow, rain and then snow here. Snow in the mountains in March is something that must be expected, and if I get snowed in for a few days I'm in the best place possible.

The only route to Kings Canyon NP from Coarsegold is to go to Fresno, then east, and it's a rather long drive. But it was a nice day and a nice drive, and the views were tremendous.

One can't get very far into the park as snow blocks some roads and rockslides in the canyon won't be cleared for another month or so. But I got far enough to see the biggest sequoia tree, 40 feet in diameter at the bottom. The park was rather busy with Sunday family outings to play in the snow.

For my RV'r friends, the roads in Sequoia and Kings Canyon are not RV friendly. A car is the best vehicle to use exploring this place, and a 22-foot limit applies in some places. These parks are well worth exploring, but careful planning is needed if you have an RV. Full access to all the roads is between June and October.

This Escapee park is now my favorite. It sits in the foothills of the Sierras along the road to Yosemite, within striking distance of Fresno and Kings Canyon. I've already mentioned Spring in the foothills, and I couldn't pick a more perfect place to park for a week and enjoy the scenery, not to mention the weather.

Because I was totally clueless about the plants and flowers I've seen in the foothills, I bought some books and instituted a two-a-day rule for learning the names of the flowers, bushes, and trees. Once I learn the names of a number of the local flora, I seldom retain those names, but it's fun learning them and forces me to pay attention to where I am, so the uniqueness can be appreciated.

I can start my identification exercise right here on the lot I've been assigned. The lot has full hook-ups, of course, and a mini-view of the hills. It also has 2 side-yards, and a big back yard. Those are filled with native trees, shrubs, and flowers, so I spent this afternoon studying just the variety on my lot. Birds pass through constantly.

I'll be here for the week. The park was handing out coupons for 1/2 off at the rally I attended in Yuma, and I'm taking advantage of that. That takes the sting out of what I've been paying for gas lately: $3.25 a gallon. But that's cheap compared to the fun of a day trip through the foothills and into the mountains right now.

I'm going to feel bad when I leave this place...

I stopped at a roadside fruit stand yesterday and came away with some excellent local food. I had seen citrus trees with fruit I didn't recognize, and when I saw them I asked for a taste. Melo Gold is like a grapefruit, pale yellow, and excellent. The astringency of a grapefruit, but has it's own sweetness. Large size, bigger than a grapefruit, but the skin is so thick and spongy there isn't a lot of room for meat. Far too much waste to sell them by the pound, they are sold by the each. But they're good.

I bought a big bag of oranges "from just up the road" and they are the best I've ever had. Valencias, not Navels, they are going out of here by the truckload right now.

I grabbed a few local hothouse tomatoes which I'm letting sit for a while.

Cara Cara, another orange-like fruit are available but I'll have to eat down what I've got before grabbing those. They should be available for another couple of weeks.

Of all the places I go my favorites are those that grow people food. Yuma, Imperial Valley, Yakima Valley, Green River, now San Joaquin.

I got up this morning and tried my Verizon card again. It would connect every now and then, and when it did I selected "update modem" from my router software. Voila! It took off and ran perfectly.

Catherine from Verizon was due to call me at 10:30 and I gave her the good news. What I did was to update the "PRL" which apparently holds connection parameters for all the towers in the country. I hadn't updated it ever, and when I sailed into the San Joaquin valley my PRL was out of date. She recommended updating it once a month, and always before moving into a new geographic area.

I had always meant to do the updates, but just never got around to it. I'll be more diligent from now on. I also did my phone (*228).

Catherine was sure helpful. Rather than get all over my case about using Linux, she spent her evening at home trying to find the Access software for Linux. It's out there, but she wasn't authorized to get it. She also became very interested in Linux.

I'm back online now. Thank you, Catherine...

I'm here because I haven't seen this part of the country. The huge lupine field covering the huge oil field in the south was overshadowed as I saw even more huge orchards, huge vineyards, and huge fields of crops I can't identify. This is the place where our food is grown, everything from beef and milk to fruits and nuts. I was surprised at the size of the towns here, Tulare, Visalia, and Porterville, ag towns to be sure but surprisingly well-off financially. And this with the highest unemployment in California.

It's early Spring here: nut trees aren't budded out yet, cherries and other soft fruits are in bloom, hard fruits aren't budded yet, and citrus fruits are being picked and falling off the trees. My great wax job on my truck looked like I came out of an Arizona wind storm this morning, but it was pollen. Bees are the most valued employees here, required for the almond trees. Olives are big here.

The east side of the Sierras I'm very familiar with, but I've not seen the west side, the side that gradually climbs to the highest point in the lower 48. It's snowy up there, the roads not to be open for another 6 weeks, but I went as far as I could. That was the Museum of the biggest living objects on earth, the Giant Sequoia tree.

This would be a tremendous drive in the summer, but I will not regret my trip from the valley floor all the way up to snow-covered mountains to see the biggest trees in the world. Spring time in the Foothills means bush lupine, a plant whose flowers are identical with valley lupine (or Texas bluebonnets), but it grows as a bush instead of a wildflower. Blooming along with them is the plant I know from the east side of the country: red bud.

Red bud, prickly pear, ripe oranges, giant Sequoias, bush lupine, olive trees, vineyards. This is an amazing place.

I'm at an RV park along California 99 in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. I don't recommend this park (Sun n Fun), as it has a serious train problem, something that's not too unusual with discount RV parks. Unfortunately I'll be here longer than I really want to be.

My Verizon internet card has apparently failed (a USB760), and I'm awaiting a warranty replacement. Dealing with Verizon on service issues is not something I'd wish on anyone, but I found someone deep in the organization sufficiently empowered to break their rules and work with me on this one. That was surprising, especially once I explained I ran Linux and had the card in a router. “We don't support our cards in routers”. Of course, 95% of the entire company runs Linux, including in the products it sells, so it's hard for them to complain about that.

In diagnosing the problem I chatted with 3GStore who sold me the setup, an outfit I've spoken highly of and others will attest to their service. I got no satisfaction from them, but did pick up a hint that they were having trouble selling Verizon products again. RV'ers reading this will take note of this observation, and I'd like to hear from other folks and their current experiences regarding 3GStore and Verizon.

Laundry, wash and wax the truck, replace wiper blades, get drinking water, pay bills, and do some grocery shopping. That pissed the day away, but I'm going to be doing some driving tours in the valley and in the mountains for the next several days and don't want to devote time to such things.

I'll move up the road just a bit tomorrow so I can do a day-trip into Sequoia National Park. I'm curious to see how far I can get up the road. In theory, it's still snowed in at upper elevations. But I'll be able to see the big trees.

The weather is splendid here.

As I came down off Tejon Pass through the San Emigdio Mountains the entire San Joaquin Valley was a brilliant purple. When I was in Texas last year I enjoyed the bluebonnets, but I did not see anything close to this sight. Texas bluebonnets are known as lupine elsewhere, and I've never seen so many lupine in one place. Outstanding.

In fact, the hills above Los Angeles are extremely similar to the Hill Country of Texas (where a lot of my friends are gathering now). The only difference is that Texas has modest-sized hills, while California has mountains. Mountains are better than hills, of course.

The freeway experience this morning was everything I expected: hell. The road surface was chewed up real bad in the truck lanes, traffic was dense, there were too many forced lane changes, and signage was poor. It's pretty countryside, but I couldn't see it or enjoy it for the drivey-drivey duties required.

There is one nice thing about LA freeways: drivers know to yield to through traffic as they enter a freeway. I have almost gotten to the point where I don't watch my right mirror as I pass an entry. Contrast with Cincinnati, say, where they seem to think the rule is through traffic must yield to entering vehicles. I've been confused about this rule enough I've asked people what the rule is. In the west it's unanimous: through traffic has the right of way. In the midwest it's equally unanimous: What?

I'll be in Bakersfield for a day or two as I plan my next moves. Toss out the Pacific Coast for now, that leaves the valley and the Gold Country mountains. It's still winter up in the mountains, so I'll be looking at the weather closely.

I'm in a surprisingly pleasant place somewhere in the mountains near Riverside. I'm just laying up today because tomorrow I deal with the LA freeways and end up in Bakersfield.

I gave it a shot at going to the beach today, traffic was a mess. There are more things to do weekends in San Diego than is imaginable, but the most favorite seems to be going to the beach.

I'll be driving out of here heading towards a town called Corona for a night, getting ready to make a big run from there to Bakersfield. The idea is to get out of San Diego and around Los Angeles as quickly as possible.

It's not the scenery or the weather or the beaches or the activities I want to avoid, it's the never-ending density of people, the crowds, and the southern California culture that gives me stress. Example: I nearly took out not one but two Ferraris today that were passing me on the right and I couldn't see them (way down there) in my mirror. I made me wonder what the hell was I doing in a place where Ferraris are a common vehicle to go to the beach. I'm out of my 'hood here, I think.

I'll be on the Pacific Coast Highway for a brief time tomorrow to see the beaches, then it will be redwood country in a couple of weeks before I get back to the ocean. I'm looking for a southern California beach with a tiny fishing town with few people and cheap living, but I might not find it...

I wanted to give this place a try so I left Silver Strand satisfied I had marked on the map my furthest southwest place to park. I won't be recommending that place to anyone, especially since the price went up so much.

The fairgrounds is very large, and quite impressive with it's permanent buildings and never-ending events on site. The RV park is small but nice, though I happened to show up for a dog show event and am dry-camping. My friends Greg and Jean will likely know of this show, as it appears from the dogs and the people this is a big deal. I gather many spectators are expected this weekend. I know zero about dog shows, but I always jump at a chance to see something new at a fairgrounds.

Del Mar, Solano Beach, and Torrey Pines appear to be quite up-scale communities up against the ocean with absolutely beautiful beaches and surf. San Diego is in bloom right now (iceplant, sweetpea, poppies, etc) and the area is stunning with brilliant colors against green everywhere you look.

This place is certainly scenic, the beach and the Pacific on one side, San Diego Bay and the city on the other. With a highway in between. Unfortunately the state has turned the place over to a reservation third-party and they can't guarantee I'll have a spot tomorrow night. So I'm going to try another place tomorrow.

Silver Strand is pretty but rigs are parked close together, and when the family groups arrive for the weekend it's going to be chaotic. The best time to see this place is mid-week. The registration procedures are rather excessive, obviously a product of a bureaucratic committee solving imaginary problems. I dealt with three people to get registered, and paid two fees. I can see why Californians are so hostile about how things work here.

Pretty as this place is, the stress and anxiety is getting to me. It will be a while before I can escape it entirely, but moving sooner rather than later will help...

Greetings to my friends in Ireland!

I took a little driving tour of San Diego today. Mission Bay is a pretty place, and I stopped in the visitor's center to get some maps and stuff for the region. When I described I was looking for a map detailed enough to identify alternatives to the freeways, two nice ladies launched into a speech proclaiming how much better the freeways are here than LA. Actually, it turns out they are right. And, I have to admit searching for alternatives wasn't very productive.

Another way to win points in the freeway game is to cross as many lanes as possible at once. Six is the best I've seen.

I checked out Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, both were quite nice but Mission had the wooden roller coaster, carnival, and swim suit shops. More mainstream and touristy, but I still like Ocean Beach.

Then it was over the Coronado bridge, past the Hotel del Coronado, and south towards Silver Strand State Beach to see that. I'll be moving down there tomorrow as it's right on the beach and has RV parking. The pounding surf will keep me up at night, but I want to get that out of my system. The drawback is that they charge $35 a night with no utilities and next to the highway, $50 if you want to be backed up against the ocean (no utilities) about 30 feet away from the highway.

California is in desperate straits for money, and raising the fees (for parks as an example) is what they are doing rather than raise taxes. Education is taking the biggest hit right now, but parks and rec is sure to be not far behind. For that reason I'll be avoiding the state parks once I leave Silver Strand.

San Diego is damned pretty, the beaches are top-notch. But it's pricey and the freeways are a hassle.

Once the freeway clog opened up I headed straight down I-8 to it's ending at Ocean Beach, got out and walked across the [WET!] sand and into the coolish water. I immediately looked around and saw some beachside bungalows for rent and gave it some serious thought. Maybe it's because I've been out in the desert for so long, but I can see myself on a San Diego beach forever.

Ocean Beach is a cool place. You can describe it as "eclectic" or "hippie" or maybe "surfer". People watching is excellent, and the bars try to outdo each other for their variety of tap beers. I've complained before about how once one leaves the left coast the brew choices drop off (to nearly nothing in Nebraska, say), so it was so nice to see the tap handles lined up longer than the glasses along the bar. Even Smithwick's, my favorite when I drink in Ireland.

Wine selections anywhere I look are astounding. Ethnic foods are very handy (El Cajon has a lot of Iraqi restaurants). Welcome back to the Pacific time zone.

There are a few drawbacks, though. I don't know the rules, strategy, and techniques for the sport the drivers here play on the freeway. The game is fast, close, and unpredictable. And deadly if you don't play it right. Points are apparently earned by how many car lengths you can get ahead of the pack, but tailgating at 75 mph must earn points as well. It will take me a long while before I learn the rules.

I'm here near San Diego, in a park I'd describe as "fair". Gas is about $3 a gallon. It sure is a pretty area, with perfect weather, but too many cars.

My first priority is to go to the beach tomorrow. I'll figure out my next priority later.

I was going to go to Anza-Borrego State Park to see the wildflowers, then on to San Diego. But last night a little bird told me to check the routing. The only direct way to get from Anza to San Diego is via Julian, and the road is basically impassable with a big trailer, narrow and winding through a canyon. The alternate route involves a lot of backtracking to interstate 8 through the mountains. So I'm abandoning that idea and going straight to El Cajon tomorrow.

I'm not familiar with the area so I'll be be doing a lot of exploring and making mistakes. Culture shock is the first thing I have to deal with: crowds, cities, high costs, and frantic freeways. I made a reservation at a park in El Cajon (reservations are not necessary in the desert), some place in the 50%-off Passport America book. It has the word "Resort" in it's name, which I try to avoid at all costs, but every RV place in SoCal wants to be a resort so it can charge more. On making my reservation I was asked the year of my trailer, a common question to keep the riff-raff out. Or so it's thought. I know as many assholes with brand-new 2010 rigs as I do wonderful people with 1968 jewels.

Using Passport America is generally a good deal, half-off the price for members. I have found some excellent places using this club, but some aren't so great. That's the way it goes. This place gives me half-off and the rate is $20 a night. By the time the extra fees and taxes are added, it's $26. That's California.

I have many goals for this trip up through California, and one of them is to accept the reality of the place and quit bitching about the hassles and the expense. We'll see how I do....

I'll be here for a few days, mainly checking out the flocks of birds. Just driving in I could see there are a lot. Time for them to start moving north.