Thursday thru Sunday – Vallejo/San Francisco area

 

Thursday morning we ate breakfast in and then headed east and visited Jelly Belly.  We all took the factory tour which turned out a little disappointing as most of the line was closed down (we think for maintenance).  But what we saw was cool.  After that, we decided to visit the Olive Oil Tasting room just around the block.  We tried several kinds and bought two bottles each.  This is for daily use as we plan to take tablespoons to help control cholesterol and triglycerides.  After a quick meal, we then went over to Budweiser and took that tour.  All three of these places are within a ½ mile radius. Once we got back to camp we walked the dogs and then rested a bit.  Lydia was in charge of dinner tonight and fixed a casserole. Yummy!  Tomorrow we go in to SF

 

Friday morning we left about 8:45am.  We are 25 miles from downtown SF.  We figured we would hit traffic pretty much any time we left but wow, was it tough getting to the wharf!  Once parked, we walked the shops along the wharf and bought some souvenirs.  We stopped at Fisherman’s Grotto and had the upstairs dining room all to ourselves. 

 

 

Once we were finished the place had a lot more folks.  Note – if you park at the lot with the big famous Fisherman’s Wharf sign,  

you can have your ticket validated by many of the local shops close by, saving a ton on the fee (it only cost us ($3.00). Last stop while we were here was Boudin’s for sourdough bread. Janie was given a sample of 4 small bread shaped turtles to share later.

We then went down the road to Ghirardelli’s to get some chocolates.  Lydia also wanted to visit Loved to Death, which is featured on Oddities SF on TV.  The shop was a lot different than she thought it would be. We then headed home (took about 55 minutes). We rested for a while and then Lydia and Janie went to pick up tortillas for steak burritos. I got a call that my car was done so Rick took me to pick it up.  At dinner we planned our day tomorrow.  We are heading out early for Napa Valley. We are taking the dogs with us as we can take turns going in to the tasting rooms.  We found out that V Sattui Winery allows dogs both in the winery and in their lawn garden.  After dinner we found where Jersey Boys was playing and went to the show.  I had seen that the ratings weren’t all that high but we all enjoyed it very much.

 

 

Saturday morning we left early and headed out to a local diner in old town Vallejo called the Good Day Café. It turned out it was on a downtown street that happened to be shut down for a farmer’s market.  No problem! We found a close by parking space and walked to it. The food was very good.  After a walk through the market, we headed back home to pick up the dogs for our day trip.  We headed up to Napa, Yountville, Oakdale, St Helena and on up to Calistoga.  On the way up, we decided to stop at V Sattui, which happens to be our favorite winery, and walked the dogs, then found a table in the shady lawn area, and had wine, cheese, crackers and grapes for lunch. After making our way up and down the valley, we headed home and rested for a while.  None of us had decided on dinner so we came up with Chinese.  Via the web, I found a local place, back in old Vallejo, called the China Wok.  They had a 5 out of 5 rating. Boy, was that a good meal and a good choice.  Then we headed back to the rig and planned our day for tomorrow.

 

Sunday morning….. Happy anniversary to us!  (46 years!).  We thought we’d head back to the city for the day.  But being Sunday, we knew the tourists would be out in force.  So we slept late, did some chores around the rig, watched a couple of movies, and then headed west on I-80 just for a ride.  I stopped just short of the bridge and headed toward Berkeley and then to Oakland.  We just drove around a bit and then started back toward home.  On the way we found a residential road that wound it’s way up into the hills behind UC Berkeley.  Very steep and windy roads!  But we made it ok and got a great view of the Bay and then worked our way back toward home.  We stopped and bought stuff for spaghetti which Lydia made and was tasty!  Tomorrow we will head back to the city for SF2.    

Monday thru Wednesday – Reno/Sparks

Monday morning Lydia and Janie went back to Walmart to get mani/pedis.   Afterward we took off to tour Truckee CA.  The drive was nice although we got stuck at the agricultural check going back in to California.  They wanted to look at a guy’s U-Haul trailer and couldn't get it latched again.  Took several minutes and a lot of frustration.  Come on guys, we’re touring here!  We made it to Truckee and drove around a bit and finally went to their local hardware store.  It was a store that has everything!  I bought an inspection mirror to use when I check water in my batteries.  Then we stopped at Cabela’s (Bass Pro Shops rival chain store) on the way back.  That took some time as this was a big store.  We found the fudge section and sampled and brought some home. Rick is hooked on fishing and bought a new reel.  On the way back we found Windy Moon Quilts in Reno.  Lydia was happy when she found some material she was looking for for her newest project.  Once we returned, I took Bailey back to the river for a walk and turns out, a swim.  Janie fixed dinner for us tonight and we settled in to rest and watch tv and catch up on mail and this blog.

Tuesday morning saw us take off early to follow Rick to drop off his coach for an inverter install.  More on that later.  We went to breakfast and headed off to Carson City to explore that area.  We really didn't do too much except cruise by the capitol bldg. and historic downtown.  We did find a Beall’s next door to Sportsman’s Warehouse. Perfect for all of us! On the way back to Sparks Rick called and his rig was ready.  Turns out his inverter WAS covered by his extended warranty so he only needed to pay $200. instead of $2200!  We have that same company so we are happy it went so well! We also stopped at Summit Racing so Rick could get an extension for his tailpipe (which he lost on the way up to June Lake).  We came back to camp so we could walk the dog and spend some time with her.   Then we headed out to Treasures, Trinkets and Trash, just down from our park.  This place was interesting.  Something for everyone.  We only bought a few items and headed to another Windy Moon Quilts and then made a quick stop at the store for bread before heading back home.  We added the tailpipe extension while the girls fixed dinner. I prepped the rig for our departure tomorrow.  We are headed 192 miles to Vallejo. 

Wednesday - The trip to Tradewinds RV Park was fun!  I started out going to fuel up at a local Valero station (I have a Valero card).  I squeezed in and had to go up on a slight curb to fit in the tight space.  I was only able to fill about 7/8’s but that was ok.  Rick got in to one of the larger islands and had no problems.  We headed west on highway 80 and climbed up to Donner Lake and then on to Donner Pass.  Then it was downhill almost all the way to Auburn (over 40 miles!).  We got into the park in Vallejo about 12:30 and when I went to unhook the car I found I forgot to release the emergency brake!  I still had brakes so everything was fine except that the emergency brake didn't feel right.  I did take it to a local Honda dealer.  They said that the emergency brake is a separate unit from the rear disc brakes and they phoned later to say that they found normal wear on the rear brakes but they recommended replacement at this time. The emergency brake system still needed to be looked at and they would do that tomorrow.  Once back in camp, Rick drove us to Napoli Pizzeria in Vallejo, just across from Mare Island.  We split a giant pizza and waddled out of there stuffed. Tomorrow we head east to Jelly Belly, Budweiser, and Olive Oil Tasting. 

Thursday thru Sunday………

 

Thursday we rented a pontoon boat and fished June Lake.  The winds always seem to pick up as soon as we hit the lake and today was no exception.  We hit the east end beach and got a couple of fish in the boat.  It was hard to keep the anchors in place so we moved to the west end reed area.  There we all started hooking up and got 15 fish between us.  I guess I was distracted by a hit on my line when I was tying my stringer to the rail and only put one slip knot in.  Later I heard a metal noise and then saw my stringer swimming away with four fish! Oh well, the stringer was only $5.00 and I caught back up quickly.  Thursday meal was another meal from the other team - this one was sloppy joes, baked beans, cole slaw, and banana pudding, all of which were really good.  Later, Paul decided to take a flyer off a ladder while working on his awning.  Paramedics were called and he was transported to the ER in Mammoth as a precaution from the fall and for stitches in his hand and super glue for a cut above his eye. Scary but everything was ok. 

 

Friday Ed had planned on going out in his boat on Gull Lake while Terry and Rick took off to Lundy.  Turns out Ed decided to go with us but we had left before he got out to the car!  So he went to the Gull Lake launch dock on the other side of the lake and quickly got a limit.  Meanwhile, Terry and Rick were getting fish but the wind was almost unbearable.  But we braved the conditions and I got a limit and we were out of there by 9:30.  Friday night was the fish fry.  I had recently bought a fish cooker from Bass Pro Shops just for this trip. Everyone brought a dish to share plus each brought fish for me to cook and we had WAY too many!  It took some time to get them all done (they were all defrosted so we had to cook them) so the cooks ate later.  But everything was great.  Bunch of good cooks in this group!

 

On Saturday we didn’t do too much.  Paul and Pauline went back to Mammoth to have his bandage checked and changed. Ed and Mark went out in the boat and I took Bailey down to the lake to swim.  I had met a local girl who had a five year old golden who loves to retrieve balls and toys thrown in the water.  Bailey had been there before but would only go out to walking distance.  But Chase showed her it was cool to swim so she took off and did it too!  She is definitely a water dog! Lydia has pictures on her phone which we will download later.  Later, we got Ed’s boat back to the rig, Mark and Donna took off for home today.  Later Betty said she wasn’t feeling well, and had trouble breathing so Ed took her down to Mammoth ER to have her looked at.  She had a bit of fluid in her lungs so they kept her overnight.  The rest of us either ate in or went to the Sierra Inn for dinner.  Ed came back later and all of us finished cleaning up in preparation for leaving tomorrow.

 

Sunday morning Paul headed out first, headed for home. Rick and Janie and us left next, headed for Reno/Sparks.  Bill and Treasa took off later, headed north, then east. They’ll be out until October or so.  Ed called down to check and Betty would be released later in the day so he left to park there and wait.  They had to change their plans and get her out of the altitude so they headed home.  We made the drive with no problems and are now checked in to River’s Edge RV Park in Sparks, NV.  The park is right on the Truckee River and is nice.  The spaces are all on blacktop and we have to run the dogs outside the park to do their business but that’s not a problem.  We are here until Wednesday.  We took a drive to check out Safari RV place where Rick will take his rig in on Tuesday for work. That done, we headed to Walmart to stock up.  After getting things put away I found the Great Basin Brewing Company online so we headed there for dinner.  It was very good and a place we will go back to.  We returned to the rig and took the dogs out for a walk along the river.  We then returned to the rig and settled in for the night. 

Sunday thru Wednesday……

Sorry this is all in one big note but internet is really slow here…..

The week has been a lot of fun.  There are 6 rigs in camp here at June Lake RV Park.  Everyone arrived with no problems and got set up in their spaces.  The weather is great. We are supposed to get some changes in the next few days but right now it’s perfect!  Lydia and I along with Ed and Betty had planned to provide dinner for the rest of the rigs coming in on Sunday.  Lydia fixed jambalaya and it was tasty! Terry and Ed put Ed’s portaboat together and got it in the water at Gull Lake.  Later they would take it out and catch three fish.  We are planning a fish fry on Friday and these will go into the freezer for that. 

Monday found the guys heading off in different directions.  Most of us went to Lundy Lake while Ed and Mark hit Gull.  The day turned out productive as Lundy produced 14 fish and Gull 10.  We chose Tiger Bar as the restaurant of choice and had a nice meal.  We went back to camp and made a fire and sat out for a while and made plans for tomorrow.

Tuesday the guys went to Grant Lake.  Now this was a real road trip!  Paul and Bill drove the off road trail to get us around to the back side of the lake.  Fishing was real slow with only Ed and Paul catching a couple. Tonight was a planned meal from one of the teams.  We had assigned 3 couples on a team to make one meal each on Tuesday and Thursday. Tonight we had tacos and all the fixins which were yummy!  One glitch today – Rick and Janie discovered that their refrigerator was giving a low dc warning so they called a mobile tech to check it out.  He set up a visit but wasn't able to get out today.

Wednesday was a day off for most of the fisherman.  We planned a trip to go to Mammoth Mountain and maybe up to Devil’s Postpile. We waited for Rick’s guy to show up and a call told us he wouldn't make it today either. So we were free and headed out to explore the area.  Bill and Treasa drove by themselves and we gave Rick and Janie the two dollar tour of Mammoth and the surrounding area.  Then we headed to Devil’s Postpile. We had never been here before as the roads were always closed.  We got in this time and drove to the trailhead.  Terry and Rick walked all the way in and Lydia and Janie waited on the trail. It was interesting to see the unusual rock formation. Afterward, we all got back in camp.  Ed had fished Gull and got a limit. 

The first leg of our trip is complete

The first leg of our trip was the club campout which we left this morning.  It was a fun outing but it started out on a wrong note.  First I found I left the charging cord for the laptop at home but asked one of our friends to go get it and bring it when they came up.  Problem solved.  Second problem was discovered the next morning when I found I had not packed any underwear. That problem got solved with a trip to Kohl's and a hundred dollars later I was set.   Ok, I think we were good.... no wait, when I left this morning I set down my coffee tumbler and found that it doesn't tumble very well.  Nice hot coffee went down the defroster vent.  We ran it on the way and it seems ok.  We are now at June Lake RV Resort for eight days.  Tonight we ate in (Lydia's choice even though it is her birthday).  Ed and Betty joined us and it was a nice evening.  Tomorrow the other four rigs will arrive.  Lydia and Betty will have jambalaya waiting for them for dinner....Ed and I will get his boat and motor together and put into Gull Lake. 

Our 2014 Trip Starts Tomorrow!

We leave tomorrow morning (6/4) for a month long trip in our motorhome.  Yaaaayyy!   First stop is Acton, where we will be with our Square Dance Club, the Camping Squares.  Then on Saturday morning (6/7) we head up to June Lake for 8 days of fishing and relaxing.  On Sunday (6/15) we leave for Reno/Sparks, traveling with our friends Rick and Janie. We will be there three nights and then head west to Vallejo, which will be our base for a week as we tour around SF, Napa, Jelly Belly, etc. We leave there on 6/25 to start heading home.  We have stops planned in San Juan Bautista/Gilroy and in Buelton/Solvang before getting home on 6/29.

So stay tuned for updates as this trip gets going......

Meet Bailey!

Well, it's been several months since we lost our beloved Chimay.  Although she is irreplacable, I felt it was time to fill that void that she left in our lives.  Sooooo, say hello to our new puppy, Bailey!

She was born on January 13th and is now 4 months old.  We've had her since 8 weeks and she has come a long way since.  She is already potty trained (ok, a few mishaps but mostly now knows to go outside) and has learned a few tricks.  Now that she has all of her puppy shots (and pretty much safe from Parvo), I'm now able to take her out to the park and similar places where other dogs are. She walks well on a leash already but I'm working with her to heel and not pull us around.  It will be a long two years before she gets out of the puppy-chews-everything-in-sight stage but she's worth it!  Watch for more pics as she grows.......