Christmas in San Diego, 2013 Las Vegas Welcome and Phoenix

 

Hello Family and Friends,
When we last communicated we had left North of LA from Santa Clarita after our visit with friends in North Hollywood CA. The Lew Goldstein Family gave us quite the tour of their neighborhood which is the home of many TV Actors and Movie Stars. It was legendary being among the Rich and Famous. Their hospitality made our visit so much fun. Steve Carell's home across the street from Lew was of particular interest to Mike since he has an 18 car basement garage with a car elevator...some 6 weeks later, Mike has finally quit drooling. We were quite the sight pulling up in front of Lew's home in our 1991 Toyota Celica...I know security was biting their lip.





While in the area we made a quick trip to the end of Route 66 at The Santa Monica Pier.

We took the back way into San Diego, East to 210, Riverside and then I15 South to Diego. We were able to bypass LA traffic which when driving this motorhome seemed like a no brainer.

Found San Diego RV Resort adjacent to "The 8" and beside the 70th Street Trolley Station. The views were not what we were used to but the convenience was excellent. We utilized the Trolley System quite a bit...loved the convenience. San Diego has a wonderful transit system.
We quickly set up between 2 palm trees...fun time backing into that spot but Mike did an incredible job. Then headed to Cardiff By The Sea on 101 to meet Cousin Mike and family. Mike had Margaritas waiting for us when we arrived at Los Olas. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaa! We had many outings with Mike, Kate, Maddox and Sydney throughout the month of Dec. La Jolla Cove during unusual stormy10 ft waves was an extraordinary sight. Farmers Market, Beers and Burgers at our motorhome, Christmas at Rancho Bernardo Winery, many relaxing dinners (Cardiff Crack- a Tri Tip Roast in a Burgandy Sauce, was our favorite), Kate's Birthday celebration at Pacific Grill, Cardiff By The Sea and  watching the kids open gifts on magical Christmas morning. Cousin Mike, being the excellent host, took my Mike and his Best Friend Denny to Torrey Pines Golf Course for a round of golf. This course has been on Mike's wishlist for years.

 

 

Denny and Janet from Hershey, PA were in Carlsbad visiting their daughter Erin, while we were in San Diego. What an added bit of fun for Mike and me since they are both incredible friends. Although time with them was limited, it sure was special.

The stay in San Diego went fast. I, Debi, love San Diego and want to spend a few winters here in the future. Wink Wink. We visited all the usual Tourist spots- Old Town, Gaslight District, Balboa Park. Coronado Island, San Diego Harbor, Seaside Village and many beaches.

Lizi and Maxi loved going to The Dog Beach at Ocean Beach every chance they could. Lunch at Hodad's after hours at Dog Beach added to the interesting places/people. We also went to Del Mar Dog Beach which was even nicer. Ocean Beach is funky where as Del Mar Beach is beautiful.

We met many nice people at San Diego RV Park. Our neighbors Steve and Karin were fun and kind. They are in San Diego doing a mission trip for the Mormon Battalion, Old Town San Diego. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. The Mormon Battalion is an integral part of California history when in 1846 the U.S. military enlisted the Mormon Battalion to march 2000 miles from Iowa to San Diego. The historic site was an interesting interactive tour.

Meeting the Dannas,  Paul, Tracy and their children at SeaWorld was a hoot. We went with cousins Mike, Kate and children so a fun day.

Mike found a way to investigate the area's health care systems with stops at San Diego's Kaiser Clinic and Hospital for abdominal pains which they thought was just a bug. After going to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, it was determined through a CT Scan that Mike had a kidney stone. He gave birth to several tiny broken up stones app. a week later in Las Vegas.

After a day in San Diego Kaiser Clinics with mega pain, Mike lost his mind and decided to trade in our 2003 Gas Itasca/ 2 slides Motorhome on a 2004 40 ft Diesel Pusher with 3 slides. La Mesa RV in San Diego turned out to be an impressive RV Dealership. For any of you thinking about purchasing, they really are a class act. They kept every promise...and more. Delivery was made in Yuma AZ to avoid CA taxes since we are non-residents. Mike loves driving a diesel pusher and we love the ride, stability and upgraded spaciousness of our new rig. Having a washer/dryer onboard is also an added plus.

Vegas is the next stop to meet Roger and Toshi to bring in 2013. It was quite the experience being downtown Vegas to bring in the New Year. Fireworks Displays were incredible and we all had so much fun. Roger and Toshi came over  to our motorhome New Years Day to have our traditional New Years Day meal for good luck...Pork and Sauerkraut. We had met Roger's friends at The Wicked Spoon Buffet Dec 30th in the Cosmopolitan....WOW ...what a spread! Angelina and Mark stayed at The Aria 53rd Floor, invited us for drinks and VIEW New Years Eve! INCREDIBLE!!!!! It was such a wonderful memory spent with Roger and Toshi.

Riviera RV Park....hmmmm...what an interesting place with "unique personalities" who reside there. We felt safe and enjoyed talking to the tenants but at first glance we were afraid we had made a mistake. The razor wire around the facilities reminded Mike of Camp George West. When Mike was so ill, our neighbors were all caring, checking on us. I am thinking of writing a book much like Cannery Row by Steinbeck. This is the real America. Many of those folks had very little but would have given their last dime to help a neighbor. Don made us laugh daily with his home cures for Mike, ie Southern Comfort daily and other stories. He now is an email friend who sends us daily jokes. His kindness and gentle nature was a comfort to me. Ricky would ride around the park on his Vespa in his bathrobe to come talk with us. Mike lives in a van on blocks that he converted to his humble home and was mighty proud of.... Barb, the manager of the park, is a feisty, tiny 82 year old. She kept us laughing with her antics and motherly advice. We had to extend our time in Las Vegas by a week until Mike could get rid of the kidney stone. We left Vegas on Jan 10th. for Phoenix. Jan 10th was Mike's 5 year anniversary of his heart surgery. Can you believe it?

I met my high school friend Deb DeBolt Gallaway in Henderson for lunch at PF Changs. We reminisced about old times, caught up with our present lives, children, hubbies, etc. The lunch went way too fast. I so enjoyed visiting with her.

We arrived at Dessert Shadows RV Park on Jan 10th for a month's stay. Such a cool place with lots of activities, including Sat night dances, Bingo, Line Dance Lessons, Indoor Pool, really nice exercise room, pool tables, library, dog park...just about everything you can imagine for a sense of community. We cannot take a walk without people stopping us to chat. The early morning coffee circle at the office fixes the "issues of the world". We have made many friends and wish we were staying longer than a month. This is definetly on our list of places to come back, possibly winter. Our neighbors, John and Val from Conifer are in Sun City for a few weeks. It sure has been nice being with them again. Mike and the "girls" held down the fort during the wierd cold spell while I made a trip to Shippensburg...met Brian there. On my return from Ship, we went to Papago Park, Hole In The Rock, Phoenix for hiking with beautiful views.

A trip to Freightliner, Tolleson had to be made to complete warranty work. What a phenomenal facility and operation. They have a RV Park on their property with full hookups which we utilized by arriving the evening before. Their garage is clean and organized. I have never seen a garage like it. They did the work in 2 and a half hours, no charge to us and we were on our way back to Dessert Shadows.

We have visited 89 year old cousin Charlotte with her children, Jay and Marlene twice in Pebble Creek, Goodyear and it has been fun. Charlotte never changes and is feisty as ever. We spent Super Bowl Sunday with them enjoying their company as well as the game. It has been nice getting re-acquainted with Jay and Marlene.

A day spent with 87 year old Aunt Jane in Payson happened this past week. We had a lovely visit and dinner. Times spent with her are always cherished.

The adventure continues....we have one more week here. We will be attending the Sat night dance, lets see if we remember any of the dance lesson moves. Hahahahaha.

We leave Friday the 15th for Tuscon to be with our friends Larry and Deb at Dessert Trails RV Park. Can't wait!

Love you all...Miss you all!

 

Happy Holidays From Our Home On Wheels To Your Home

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.

 

 

 We have had quite the year getting ready for this great adventure. The last four + months have gone quickly and we really are living the dream.

 

Our blessings are many....being with Brian, Emily, Oceana and Seanna for an extended visit filled August and September with such love and joy. We enjoyed having Seanna with us for the first leg of the journey. Watching Oshie cheerleading at football games was such a treat for us. Boating, fishing, playing board games, barbecues, golfing, mining for Star Garnets, attending the county fair and just plain being with them was fun beyond words. Leaving them was bittersweet as we officially started on our quest to see this country.

 

We have traveled through Prosser WA, Cascade Locks Oregon, down the Oregon Coast - from Astora to Brookings- our first time seeing Oregon. WOW, what incredible beauty. We spent time on the beaches exploring the tidepools, letting Lizi and Maxi romp along the surf chasing birds, golfed, saw old friends, made new friends, hiked, visited museums, dropped into Elks Lodges, tasted wines, cheeses, ice creams, watched the seals, whales and made it through the torrential Oregon rains.  The  starfish are unbelievably colorful, seafood yummy and lots of memories made. Doing day trips across the California border to see the massive, magnificent Redwoods was inspiring.

 

We traveled from Oregon to California, doing 2-3 day stints in Fortuna, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and then Thanksgiving week outside of Sacramento on the California Delta, Snug Harbor, Ryers Island. We visited friends and extended family.

We left the day after Thanksgiving for Salinas CA so we could spend time in one of my favorite parts of this country (If I ever won the Powerball, I would buy property here) - Pacific Grove. Atascadero, Santa Clarita, Toluca Lake and then arrival in San Diego, again one of my favorite places, to spend a month. I will do another blog with details / pics of "Christmas Month" in San Diego, CA.

If you have a computer, you can keep up with our travels at:
 http;//evansmd85loving life.blogspot.com/

If you want to be added to our blog email distro let me know.

Our new address is 25587 Conifer Rd, Suite 105-#328, Conifer CO 80433. This is a UPS mailbox service that forwards our mail as we travel and change locations. Our home phone number is alive and forwarded to my mobile number.



Mike and I are having the time of our lives. Lizi and Maxi have adjusted to a different dog walk on a regular basis. We would be remiss if we did not Thank Ken and Margaret for taking excellent care of our home, giving us the mental security to keep traveling.

We love this great country, it's pristine beauty and diversity. The more we travel, the more this becomes crystal clear.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear family and friends. Your love, encouragement, friendships and kindness mean the world to us. You all fill our hearts with joy.

Lots of Love,
Mike, Debi, Lizi and Maxi

 

 

 



 

 

 



Drove Our Chevy To The Levee

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving from Mike, Debi, Lizi and Maxi at Snug Harbor, Ryer Island, CA. We are blessed to have the love of family and friends...many blessings on our plate again this year. This trip has opened our eyes to the beauty of this great country and the continued kindness of many people we have met. This year we think about those who struggle physically and emotionally; those who are far away from loved ones fighting for our country's freedoms; those who have experienced weather's vengence; our First Responders who leave the warmth of family holidays to help at a moment's notice and for all the friends and acquaintances we have me on our travels. May you all have a safe, happy and blessed holiday.

We spent a month in Brookings OR, Oct 10th thru Nov 10th. We stayed in Driftwood RV Park a block from Brookings Harbor Beach, a cool little beach with daily surfers. It rained about 40% of our stay, sometimes torrential. We developed a tiny pinhole leak in the overhead cabinet over the bed. We replaced our slide awnings, found a 72 year old couple who make them and gave us a deal we really could not walk away from. They are an amazing couple, working together to make and install the awnings. Mike sealed all the seams and we learned to pull in the slides when the rains became gale-like. The girls got really cute doggy raincoats in hopes of keeping them semi dry. I have to say the rains really did not slow us much. Rain or shine, there was always something to do. We did enjoy some down time, reading books with the fireplace going in our home on wheels. Somtimes just staring at the ocean was on the agenda. The beaches were amazing with the jutted rocks and we especially loved the tidepools. We walked the Brookings Harbor Beach every morning and sometimes in the evening. Harris Beach State Park, Whaleshead and our favorite beach Pistol River were all within a half hour's drive. We found huge perfect sand dollars at Pistol River on the ocean side one evening at low tide. Our Lizi, who becomes crazed when birds are around (she is the typical Spaniel, bird dog), chased a bird right into the Pistol River. The look on her face when she ended up in the water was priceless. She lost her off leash privileges at that point. When we got home from that excursion, we realized her collar was no where to be found. This had all her tags attached so I thought I would be making calls the next day to get replacements. Mike decided we should go back to the beach and retrace our steps. Lo and behold after app. an hour of retracing...there it was, her bling collar, sparkling in the sunlight at the ocean water's edge. How incredible that it did not go out to sea during high tide.

We met another couple while at Driftwood, who sold their home in Aurora, CO and are full- timers also. Ed and Kim were a hoot and we enjoyed spending time with them. They had a Japanese Chin, named ZuZu, the same coloring and size as Maxi. He adored our girls. :D We are hoping to meet back up with them, if all goes well, in AZ at Spring Training.

Day trips to see the area are always a good game plan. We spent a day at the CA Redwoods; Trees of Mystery, Klamath, CA, was intriguing. This is an interpretive trail of enormous, 1000 year old Redwood formations such as the Cathedral Tree, Candlelabra Tree, Elephant Tree and the tallest of them all, The Big Brother Tree- over 325 ft tall. The Sky Trail was really fun, flying high above the trees.

Coos Bay, OR, was another day trip. We visited the Coos Bay Museum, which houses the Steve Prefontaine story.  Very interesting and what a loss of a phenomenal athlete.
We stopped at the Elks Lodge there and had dinner. They invited us back for Mexican Train/ Potluck night which we did the following week. WHAT FUN!!!!!
We visited Golds Beach, Crescent City and Bandon. Lots to see and experience. We found our days very full.
Before we left the area we did have to stop at Superfly, the local Vodka Distillery and Restaurant. It is a favorite hang out with good food and of course yummy Vodka drinks.
The last 2 days spent in Brookings were at Beachfront RV Park, right on the ocean.  I truly love (me more than Mike) watching and listening to the ocean. Mike indulged me being near the waves...it felt like Christmas.

We left Brookings OR for Fortuna CA on Nov 10th. We drove 101, The Pacific Coast Highway, through the Avenue of the Giants, Redwoods. A spectacular 2 and a half hour drive. We passed Pelican Bay State Prison, of course Mike has an interest in that facility. The One Log House was interesting, it really was a house built inside a Redwood log. WOW!

Fortuna RV Park was our next temporary home. This town has a special meaning for us since our granddaughter Oceana was born here. We spent 3 days checking out the area. The whole town of Ferndale is on the historical register, keeping their Victorian motif alive. Eureka, CA is a quaint, waterfront town. We visited their Elks Lodge and met a woman who is from Potlatch ID. Her nephew is Brian and Emily's electrician. Their children all are friends at school. Small World!

Onward to Petaluma, CA to spend 3 days at the Petaluma Elks Lodge RV Park. We couldn't wait to get to Healdsburg to visit with Jolly Stine, Jolly has been a long time family friend who was a bridesmaid in my parent's wedding. She is a fun and beautiful woman, whom we love. Her home sits in the middle of fields of grapes/ wine country; the views are spectacular. As always, the time with her went too quickly.

We spent a day in Santa Rosa, stopped at Tex Wasabi, Guy Fieri's Retaurant. Mike likes watching DDD...he says he can live vicariously through the food on his show. lol. The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center was extremely interesting and fun. How many of us read his comic strip through the years - who doesn't love Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Sally and Pigpen ?

Three days went extremely fast and we had to leave for Snug Harbor, Ryers Island, outside of Sacramento, CA. We get to stay here for a week and spend time with friends and extended family. This is the California Delta and what a hidden treasure. Most people we spoke with had no idea this existed. That is the great thing about doing this Great Adventure..we see the "hidden treasures" of the USA. The Magellan we received as a gift when Mike left DOC has been a God-Send. It got us to Snug Harbor along the river levee roads which is not an easy task, especially in a motorhome.

We met with Gene Upton and his Jean, (they call themselves the pair of Jeans- love it), at the Texas Roadhouse in Elk Grove our first day here. Gene is a Navy buddy of Dad's, as well as Best Man at Mom and Dad's wedding. It was a delightful lunch and we heard many stories of their time in the Navy.

My friend, Pat Miller, from my MCI days, lives in Citrus Heights so we have been spending several days with her. She was hit by a car while walking 2 weeks ago leaving her with a broken leg. She maintains her sense of humor and loving demeanor despite the incredible pain. We will be spending Thanksgiving with her tomorrow.

Emily's (our daughter-in- law) brother lives in Sacramento so we had dinner with them. Their daughters are adorable and I enjoyed the several games of Go Fish before dinner. We are hoping to see them again before we leave the area. Thank you Matt and Chaundra for making time for us in the middle of your move.

This island is neat- we have to take a ferry back and forth to the mainland. It runs 24x7 and is free, which is nice. There are cute little harbor villages all around us.

 

We leave here Friday for the Monterey Peninsula.

Until we meet again....have a wonderful holiday and enjoy life to the fullest. You all are our biggest blessings in our life.

Seventy Five Days Without Rain

We have seen and experienced so much since I last sent out this blog. I kept saying the first rainy day I would get busy writing... well 75 days later our first rain.  If you are on Facebook, you have been able to follow our adventure, that part I have been good doing.

Hello Family and Friends!
Our time with the kids went way too fast, as it always does. We went Star Garnet digging in Emerald Creek Idaho. There are only 2 places in the world with these garnets, India and Idaho. Seanna is studying Geology and Rocks so this was a fun, interesting way to show her how to dig for them. We actually found 9 small ones. Seanna had a good eye for finding the garnets in the water trough after we dug and sifted. We won't get rich from the stones but the memories digging are priceless.

We played golf, swam, fished on Brian and Emily's boat, played rounds and rounds of  family Rummikub, watched Seanna show her goat Tinkerbell at the Latah County Fair as well as won ribbons once again for our baking, watched Oceana as a cheerleader and had a luncheon with just us gals. We met Frank, Oshie's boyfriend, whom we like quite a lot. We feel so blessed to have had quality time with the kids. We miss and love them so much.

 

 

 

 

After all the tears we are on our way to see the Oregon Coast. Sighhhhhhhhh......

 

First stop Prosser WA, birthplace of our neighbor John. Wine Country RV Park, 13 wineries within walking distance of the RV park. We decided we will not drive more than 5-6 hours a day so have tried to pick interesting areas to stop. We spent 2 days tasting wines and watching Hops being harvested.



 

Onward travels to Cascade Locks, Or for 3 days of exploring. We stopped at Toppinish, WA, City of Murals, Mary Hill Winery and Museum on the Columbia River (WA side). Such a beautiful area!

 





 

 

 

Mural at the Centurylink Building at Toppinish, WA.

                        

Cascade Locks is an interesting, packed full of history area, part of the Lewis and Clark Trail. We stayed at the KOA there Thanks to a gift certificate from Roger and Toshi. We visited Bonneville Hatchery and Salmon Ladders. I have always wanted to see the Salmon jump the ladders so thoroughly enjoyed that experience. Interesting note on the Bonneville Dam: it was considered at the time as Franklin D's "White Elephant" but instead has been an ongoing project of great success. We saw Herman The Sturgeon, a 10 ft long, 450 lb and 70 year old fish. Bridge of The Gods is spectacular! We ate at CharBurger, one of Emily's favorite stops.

We walked the Cascade Locks Trail Head which used to be the main road before I-84. Spent a day putzing around Hood River, watching the paragliders, checked out Naked Winery and Full Sail Brewery.

 

Mike getting a his head scratched by Sacajawea. lol

 

 

 

As always 3 days went by very fast but we saw a lot. Our next stop for 2 weeks is Depoe Bay on the Oregon Coast. I am very excited to see this area. On the way we stopped to see the falls traveling on old US Route 30. Multnomah Falls is absolutely spectacular. Evergreen Aviation, Mcminnville to see the Spruce Goose was on our agenda. We spent a full day at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, time really got away from us- so interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depoe Bay OR for 2 weeks so we can explore the coast. WHAT A FANTASTIC AREA! To say I loved it here is an understatement. We did day trips North to Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Rockaway, Tillamook, Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City and Lincoln City. Then South to Newport, Seal Rock and Florence.  We played golf at Agate Beach, hung out at Gracies Sea Hag by the fireplace for seafood especially their Friday night all you can eat buffet, explored lots of beaches, went to the Aquarium in Newport, Fort Clatsop (winter home of Lewis and Clark) and watched the sea lions on the Astora docks. We indulged in cheese and ice cream at Tillamook so we needed the long walks on the beach. We took one Saturday to just sit on the beach and watch the ocean move a rock while drinking wine. That was our relax day. The "girls" loved running the beaches. Lizi, being the typical Spaniel, bird dog, scared me several times by chasing birds straight into the ocean. The undertow, rogue waves and seals would have had a hey day with her. Lizi lost her off leash privileges after scaring me the second time. Maxi was good. She could be off leash and stay right at our side. Depoe Bay's claim to fame is they are the whale watching capital of the world. We observed many grey whales playing off shore. We went to Turner, OR one day to see a classmate of mine. It was wonderful seeing Steve Frantz after 40 some years and meeting his wife, Marilyn. They are also full timers in their motorhome so gave us great tips. We have visited several Elks Lodges along the way and met many interesting people.

 

We got an extra day in Lincoln City when our air compressor/ clutch mechanism decided to fall apart. I had called Good Sams Emergency Road to get a recommendation for a squeal + oil change. They highly recommended Car Care Specialists in Lincoln City so we made the appointment. The squeal was the air compressor so we had them fix  it. Randy and his wife were very good to us. They worked with our maintence plan, got us a hotel on the beach at their discounted rate and did a great job of fixing our rig.

 

We are now in Brookings OR for a month. I need to download more pics and hoping I can be more deligent about keeping up with this blog. The Oregon Coast is incredibly beautiful and we have been blessed to have record setting dry, warm and sunny weather. We love this lifestyle and having the time of our lives. We will take the rains so we can get caught up with Shtuff.