December 20, 2024 – Friday
Time to head south, this time with Daniel and Nicole in tow! The two of us went to the RV to pack up a few things and connect the tow car, while Nicole took her cats to the boarding place and Daniel finished up some stuff at the house. Nicole texted when she got to the house, where she’s leaving her car, and we drove the RV to the house to pick the two of them up about 10:30. Then we hit the road for an uneventful day except for a little rain. Arriving at Seven Feathers RV Park about 5:30, we first parked in the dry lot and went into the casino to update our club cards and get free sodas.  Across I5 we gassed up before checking into the RV park. Unfortunately, their $39 special was not good on Friday or Saturday nights so we had to pay $75 for the night. The slides were acting up so we decided to play it safe and keep them in until we get to Sun Vista. With just an electrical hook-up we had chili with pasta and tortilla chips for dinner, relaxed a bit, and turned in about 9:00.

December 21, 2024 – Saturday
We woke up to steady rain and waited until 7:45 to leave when the rain had let up and it had lightened up outside. Everyone slept well. It was a very gray day with off and on rain and fog, but improved somewhat further south into California later in the day. Dad was well caffeinated so we decided to make it a long day (so Sunday would be shorter) and ended up checking into Bear Mountain RV Park ($41.29) in Bakersfield about 7:30. After a manicotti and cheesy bread dinner we hung out until bedtime at 9:30.

December 22, 2024 – Sunday
We were on the road just before 7:00. It was mostly cloudy but dry and had started to brighten up already. The drive went smoothly the entire day, including driving through the mountains in California. We arrived at Sun Vista about 2:30 local time and spent the rest of the day settling into our home-away-from-home for about the next 3 months (10 days for Daniel and Nicole). We were able to get the slides out with a bit of coaxing. The temperature in Yuma was in the mid-70’s and sunny. Dinner tonight was pappardelle in the Instant Pot with garlic bread sticks.

December 23, 2024 – Monday
Our first full day in Yuma with warm, sunny weather. We hung out in the RV in the morning. Early afternoon we went swimming making use of the indoor pool and hot tub since the outside pool area was crowded. After three days on the RV the swim followed by showers felt wonderful. We put the hummingbird feeder up and immediately started being visited by hummingbirds in the morning and again late afternoon. Dad and Daniel finished the afternoon fixing a small water leak at the Hydrohot under the RV. After garlic butter tilapia with leftover pappardelle as a side, Nicole led us on a long walk around the park where there were lots of holiday lights and decorations to see. Her choice for the evening was to start a short TV series (9 episodes) called “The Last of Us”, which was kind of creepy but very entertaining. We had an intermission for Laurie to fix us all delicious milkshakes. By 9:15 we were all in bed.

December 24-31, 2024 – Tuesday-Tuesday
The weather has been consistently pleasant with a mix of sunny and partly cloudy days. No rain or even windy days. During the mornings we usually hung out in the RV and had breakfast. Afternoons and evenings we found a variety of fun things to do such as:

• Enjoyed the pools and hot tubs, and the showers afterwards.
• Shot pool in the pool room several times.
• Went for walks around the park.
• Played mini golf and shuffleboard.
• Watched the first season of “The Last of Us”.
• Watched the movies “Dark Water”, “Zombieland Double Tap”, and “Margin Call”.
• Lit Hanukkah candles and had chocolate gelt.
• Went to Lin’s Chinese Buffet for a wonderful dinner.
• Watched some beautiful sunsets on the patio.
• Hiked the very scenic Painted Desert Trail and visited the tank display on the Yuma Proving Grounds – about 45 minutes away.
• Laurie and Daniel had fun playing Factorio together on the computer.
• Pat and Nicole had a shopping outing to Walmart.
• Nicole baked some delicious sugar cookie bars.
• Visited Martha’s Gardens to get some tasty date shakes. (Now up to $7.50 each!)

January 1, 2024 – Wednesday
Happy New Year!  Played a few final games of pool then lit the last Hanukkah candles (so we could do them with Daniel and Nicole) before we left around 1:30 for the Palm Springs airport. It’s about a three hour drive but we gained an hour due to being on California time again. When we were near the airport we parked in a small, quiet strip-mall parking lot to have a picnic dinner of sandwiches, chips, and Nicole’s sugar cookie bars. The airport wasn’t busy at all when we dropped them off about 4:00 to await their flight which boarded at 6:20. We were sad to see them go but had a fantastic time when they were in Yuma and greatly enjoyed their company.

More to come…

December 9. 2023 – Saturday
Time to head south to Yuma once again! After having a wonderful Hanukkah celebration with the kids/grandkids yesterday, we were loaded up and ready to leave the storage unit before 7:00 am. Washington weather was rain (on and off) but not a lot of traffic. By the time we got to Oregon it was dry but cloudy, and still not much traffic. We stopped at a rest stop for a quick sandwich lunch, and then stopped at Seven Feathers to gas up ($3.78 per gallon). It was only 2:30, the weather and traffic were very good, and we were caffeinated – so we decided to continue on to Rolling Hills in Northern California. Since we didn’t arrive until after 7:00pm we did a little night driving which actually went well. There was a little bit of snow on the ground at the Siskiyou Summit but that was it. Our dinner was leftover chili from the night before. By 8:30 we were snug in bed. Although it was in the 40’s we were very comfortable, as compared to some year’s when it’s been teeth-chattering cold.

December 10, 2023 – Sunday
After hot beverages we were on the move again about 5:45 am. We were treated to a beautiful, expansive sunrise, followed by some areas of fog before the sun came out for a mostly hazy sunny day. We stopped at a rest area for lunch and also stopped for gas after Los Angeles ($5.52 per gallon!!!!) It was smooth driving all day and we arrived at the Fantasy Springs Casino free RV lot (in Indio) about 5:20. After talking to Mom and Dad, we had dinner (chili and a sandwich), did some reading, and went to bed at a little after 8:00. Another long, 12 hour-ish day but we were now within about 3 hours of Sun Vista.

NOTE: A full tank of gas from Seven Feather will not make it to Indio. We got about 40 gallons outside of Los Angeles to get us to Yuma where gas was much cheaper.

December 11, 2023 – Monday
We both slept well, had our hot beverages, and were on our way again by 7:00. Another day of hazy sun. On our drive to Sun Vista, we stopped once again for gas when we got into Yuma, filling up the tank at $4.68 per gallon. Our site was open so by about 12:30 AZ time we were parked in our home-away-from home for the next 3 months. Most the afternoon was spent setting up, cleaning, settling in, and enjoying hot showers after 2 ½ days on the road. We ate a frozen one-pan pasta meal from Trader Joe’s, relaxed a bit, then turned in early.

NOTE: About 45 minutes outside of Indio there is an easy to get into large gravel lot in between a Family Dollar Store and a Chevron with several small stores. Good place to stop to wait after leaving Fantasy Springs for RV to have a chance to warm up inside. There were also areas to park near Imperial Dunes as well as a good-sized rest area by the dunes.

December 12, 2023 – Tuesday
We officially registered at the office and got our mailbox key. We both kept busy all day inside the RV before catching some wonderful sun late afternoon. Another TJ’s frozen dinner, watching TV, and early bedtime.

December 13-15, 2023
Enjoyed the warm, sunny weather. We rode our bikes around the park, spent time on the patio, and washed the car and bikes.

December 16, 2023 – Saturday
Just after 8:00 we hit the road for the long drive to Tucson to pick up Daniel and Nicole at the airport just before 1:00. It was wonderful to see and hug them both. We had arrived a little early so we ate lunch in the cell phone lot before their plane landed, then the two of them ate lunch on the drive back to Yuma. They settled in and then Laurie grilled a delicious salmon dinner. After dinner we started the series “Stranger Things” which seems pretty good so far. Daniel and Nicole adjusted to our early bedtime schedule. They’ll still have a week’s vacation back at home to do their own thing before work starts again.

December 17, 2023 – Sunday
We adjusted a bit to Daniel and Nicole’s sleep schedule by reading, watching TV, and sipping coffee in our room until about 8:00. A mostly sunny, warm (mid-70’s) day. We all went on a walk around the park to show Daniel around since it was his first time at Sun Vista. After touring all the facilities around the clubhouse, we went to the Fun Park where we had a rousing game of miniature golf. (Some of us didn’t know our own strength as balls ended up by the golf practice cages and on the bocce ball green!) It was fun with Laurie being the top performer. We relaxed at the RV, inside and out, until dinner. The day ended with more episodes of Stranger Things with an ice cream break.

December 18-21, 2023 – Monday-Thursday
The weather has been warm and partly sunny these past few days. During the mornings we each do our own thing until about noon. Some of our fun afternoons included shuffleboard, swimming and relaxing by the outdoor pool, and several hours shooting pool in the pool room. Pat cooked some dinners, Laurie grilled some dinners (with Daniel’s help), and Nicole made some delicious sugar cookie bars. We picked up some date shakes from Martha’s Garden one afternoon which we put in the freezer until the evening. They were yummy. We went to Lin’s Grand Buffet for some delicious Chinese food on Thursday which was followed by a long walk around the park once our food settled. All days ended with watching some more Stranger Things.

December 22, 2023 – Friday
Rain started overnight and continued throughout the day, getting heavy and windy at times. It sounded wonderful on the RV’s roof! There was even some thunder and lightning here and there! There were flash flood warnings in the area in the afternoon. We stayed cozy inside with Laurie and Daniel playing computer games together, and Pat and Nicole doing their own thing on their computers. In the evening we finished up Season 2 of Stranger Things which is where we’ll have to end watching with the kids. Nicole’s seen the next 2 seasons already, and Laurie will try to get those seasons so the rest of us can catch up to her.

December 23, 2023 – Saturday
Back to pleasant, sunny weather. Nicole and Laurie went for a bike ride in and out of the park. We spent some time relaxing on the patio enjoying the sunshine. Nicole made her tortellini casserole for dinner which we all loved. Once our yummy dinner had a chance to digest we headed out in the cool evening to go swimming. For most the time we had the indoor pool to ourselves. Laurie swam some laps and all of us had fun hitting a beach ball back and forth. We finished off with a soak in the hot tub and then showers. Surprisingly we didn’t feel very cold walking back to the RV in the dark. After all that exercise we needed something refreshing – Laurie’s delicious milkshakes! A good ending for a good day.

December 24, 2023 – Sunday
Weather was a repeat of yesterday. We all relaxed in the RV in the morning, then spent the afternoon shooting pool which was a lot of fun. Laurie grilled some amazing hamburgers which we had with oven fries. After dinner Daniel and Nicole headed out on the bikes in search of Pokémon and to take in the beautiful setting sun. We watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 which was entertaining, and included a break for milkshakes and Nicole’s sugar cookie bars. It was the last full day for Daniel and Nicole’s visit.

December 25, 2023 – Monday
Another beautiful weather day for our drive to Tucson to drop Daniel and Nicole at the airport. ☹ They packed in the morning, we spent some time chatting, and then Nicole led us on a last walk around the park until it was time to leave about noon. Close to the airport we stopped for a picnic lunch at a park we had scouted out ahead of time – Christopher Columbus Park. After all the dryness and dust of the desert, it was amazing to come across a small lake just 1.5 miles off the highway. There were numerous birds of various kinds floating on the lake and congregating in areas on the shore. Fishing and boating were allowed, and there was a path that seemed to follow the shore but we couldn’t see all the way around the lake. The park had lots of solar panel-covered parking areas and rotundas for sheltered gatherings. There were bathrooms but they were locked. There also was a large dog park away from the lake that had several happy customers. After eating and stretching our legs it was only about a 20-minute drive to the airport. There were hardly any cars, and the kids said there were hardly any people inside. Their flight ended up taking off about 20 minutes early and then landed them back home safe-and-sound early as well. The time they were here seemed to go fast but we all had a lot of fun, did a variety of activities, enjoyed each other’s company, and ate some yummy food – including lots of ice cream! Hope they visit again in the future!

December 26-31, 2023
Nothing too exciting to finish out the year. We were able to relax in the sun on the patio a couple times but it’s been a bit cooler (low 60’s) with more clouds than sun. Mostly we were catching up on stuff inside the RV but did ride our bikes a couple times. In the evening we’re been watching more episodes of Stranger Things, Seasons 3 and 4. We’ll see what the new year holds . . .

January 1, 2024 – March 8, 2024
Many days early on in our stay were a bit cooler and less sunny than we would have liked but we still spent a good amount of time relaxing on the patio chatting, snoozing, reading, enjoying happy hour, etc. Towards the beginning of March the temperature started warming up bit by bit, finally getting into the 80’s before our departure. Daniel got us started on pool when he was here and we visited the pool room quite a few times. Other activities were mini golf, bike riding, and shuffleboard. We spent time on our computers doing future trip planning, playing games, shopping, meal planning, and just poking around. Evenings we spent watching the complete series of “Six Feet Under” which was very good. Following that series we started with “Eureka” which we also enjoyed and managed to finish 4 of 5 seasons. We also watched the movie “Flowers of the Killer Moon” which was very interesting. We made another visit to Lin’s Chinese Buffet which was wonderful, but the other nights we cooked or grilled.  We ate our way through most everything we could in the freezer, fridge, and pantry so there’d be less to take back home. (Of course, we’re bringing back some Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream which is not sold back home.) Many evenings we had an ice cream break in between episodes. We also had Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese custard tarts) which we had bought at Costco. (A taste of our upcoming fall trip to Portugal!)

March 9, 2024
We stayed in Yuma an extra few days so that we could attend the airshow at the Marine base in Yuma. The base is only about 15 minutes away from Sun Vista . We had no problem with the on-base parking and catching the free shuttle to the flightline. They searched the items that we were taking in, and also scanned us before we were allowed on the shuttle. We had a little time before the show began, so we placed Pat’s chair in a good spot, then wandered around exploring about 2 dozen displays of various aircraft. There were a lot of booths selling food, as well as military-themed merchandise. Then we found a better place to observe the airshow, so we relocated the chair. We were in the free area rather than the extra-cost seating areas. Mainly this meant we didn’t have a great view of things that happened on the ground (such as swearing in new recruits), most of which wasn’t very interesting anyhow. The activities that happened in the air were amazing, though! The show started with a skydiving demo then proceeded on to a variety of aircraft performances. The high-speed, high-flying jets were spectacular. They flew straight up, spun around, flew straight down, hovered in place, flew backwards, and generally seemed to defy physics. The day was sunny, and about 75 degrees with a breeze – very pleasant for spending about 4 hours outside. It took about 35 minutes to get on the shuttle back to the parking lot but their system was very efficient considering the size of the crowd. There were no issues leaving the parking lot and before we knew it were relaxing on the patio before dinner and watching some more episodes of Eureka in the evening.. A wonderful day!

March 10-12. 2024
Time to prepare for our journey home. Laurie planned our route and we have our fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate the whole drive home. There was cleaning to do inside and out, as well as packing to do.

March 13, 2024
Time to start our trip home. After final packing and disconnecting, we pulled out of our site about 9:00 on a beautiful, sunny day. The day was uneventful with a few pockets of heavy traffic but nothing that lasted too long. It was mostly sunny getting to 80 degrees in some areas. Our stop for the night was the rest area at Tejon Pass, elevation about 4,200, in Lebec, CA. Because of the high elevation it was cooler – the mid-50’s when we arrived just before 4:00. We had some leftover spaghetti from last night, relaxed, read, watched a gorgeous sunset, and turned in early at about 8:15.

March 14, 2024
We were up before sunrise, made coffee, got the RV ready, and hit the road just after 6:30 when the sun was just starting to give the eastern horizon a golden glow. The morning temperature was 43! It was sunny and very windy the entire day with the temperature getting into the 70’s by the afternoon. With a stop for gas as well as a quick lunch break, we arrived at the Rolling Hills Casino Truck Stop at 2:45. We went to the casino to checkout renovations that had been made since our last visit and get some free soda/lemonade, then settled in for the evening. Dinner tonight was a salad and leftover grilled sausages that we had in the freezer. We turned in early again.

March 15, 2024
Same start as yesterday with a few streaks of clouds around. Today’s drive was more scenic with rolling hills, snow-capped mountains, and rivers winding through valleys everywhere. By late morning we were at Seven Feathers where we filled up with diesel and propane, then parked in the truckers’ lot to eat lunch. Although this was our original stopping point for the night, we decided to push on since it was so early and the weather was perfect. French Prairie Rest Stop in Northern Oregon was our parking spot for the night. It’s a huge rest area with lots of trees and grass. There were 3 rows of parking available but only the bathrooms on the first row closest to the highway were open – which was okay since we had our own! It was 72 degrees when we parked at about 4:00. Dinner was a Trader Joe’s frozen bag meal of Linguine and Tomatoes with Pesto Sauce along with bread sticks. Another early bedtime.

March 16, 2024
It looked like more vehicles had come in overnight but it had been a quiet night. Surprisingly, it was warmer overnight and in the morning here, than it had been at our stops farther south. Our usual morning and we were on our way by 6:45. The sun was farther up just as we drove through Portland and lit up all the tall, glass buildings which was a beautiful sight. Then it was the usual drive through Washington on a mostly sunny, near 70-degree day. It was only about a 4-1/2 hour drive home today, with a chunk of that sitting in Seattle traffic. We packed the car with all our stuff from the RV, put it in its storage unit, and headed home. It was great to see Daniel! And as we were greeted by him, Nicole pulled up. (She watched the RV camera feed and when she saw the door go down on the storage unit, she jumped in her car and hurried over.) Hugs all around! They both helped with unloading the car and unpacking everything in the house. Daniel did a wonderful job taking care of the house and all the odds and ends it entailed. We got almost everything put away and had a chance to visit before Nicole had to head home for a D&D event she was hosting online. We’re very happy to be back home!

December 4, 2022 – Sunday
It’s snowy, icy, and cold in Mukilteo – time to head south to Yuma! Just the two of us are making the trek down this year as Mom and Dad are traveling to Hawaii to begin a new adventure of living in Hawaii, at least trying it for a year. We were out of the house before 7:00, giving our good-bye hugs to Daniel and Nicole who woke up early to see us off. Nicole will come visit us on Dec 17 for 1 ½ weeks while Daniel will look after the house and cats. It was a cold morning with the car windows requiring scraping. The RV storage unit pavement was very icy so we carefully loaded up the RV, hooked up the tow car, and were on our way by about 8:00. Once we were out of the storage place and on the main roads, conditions were fine. During our drive we encountered a variety of weather including rain, snow, fog, and sunshine. Even though it was snowing heavily in northern Oregon, the ground was warm so nothing was accumulating. We stopped at the French Prairie Rest Area around noon for a quick lunch then it was back on the road. After getting gas at the Seven Feathers Truck Stop, we stopped at the RV park to see how much staying there would be but their best deal was $39. This was too high for us so we drove over to the free boondocking area by the casino. We settled in then walked over to the casino to look around and get some free soft drinks. Dinner tonight was a frozen Chicken Alfredo & Pasta meal that we just had to heat up in a frying pan. The early evening was spent with Laurie relaxing after driving all day, and Pat reading. We turned in about 8:30. It was comfortable under the covers despite not having any heat (our HydroHot diesel was not firing up) and we both slept well.

December 5, 2022 – Monday
A very cold start to the day but at least it’s not freezing, although it was a bit foggy. We warmed ourselves with coffee and by 7:30 were hitting the road again. Today also had a variety of rain, fog, and sun but the roads were fine until we got into California north of Mt. Shasta where chains were required in order to proceed because of snow/ice further ahead on the highway. Trucks and cars were only being let through if they had chains or 4-wheel drive. We pulled to the side of the highway along with many other trucks to wait until the road was open without needing chains, which took about 2 hours. We relaxed, ate some lunch, and were entertained watching truckers put on their chains while we waited. When we finally drove the route it was just wet pavement but there was some fog and rain which made it a bit messy. Our stop for the night was Colusa Casino in Colusa, CA, about a 15 minute drive from I5, where we arrived about 3:30. They have a big gravel lot where RVs can boondock for free. Of course we had to go check out the casino, with masks! New Players Club Members each get $25 in free slot play. After we played through the $50 we ended up with a profit just shy of $70! Even though we felt like big winners, we grabbed some free sodas and went back to the RV for a cheap grilled cheese and tomato soup dinner. (Got to save money towards future cruises!) Then we talked to M&D, relaxed, and went to bed.

December 6, 2022 – Tuesday
Another cold start warmed by coffee before heading out, getting gas at the casino gas station first. The day’s weather was much improved warming up some and turning from mostly cloudy to mostly sunny. We stopped at a rest area for a quick lunch. Travel was going so well we decided that instead of overnighting in the Bakersfield area we’d aim for Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio so we’d have a short driving day on Wednesday to get to Sun Vista. When we made the decision with the current traffic situation the GPS said we’d arrive about 5:45. We thought this would give us plenty of time to go to Costco in Indio and pick up dinner at the food court before it closed at 8:30. Unfortunately, we were overly optimistic about California traffic. We ended up spending hours in stop and go traffic arriving at Fantasy Springs about 7:15. At least we had Nicole’s D&D Podcast to listen to during the drive. After parking in the casino’s free boondocking gravel lot, Laurie was still willing to go to Costco but Pat not so much. We thought we might go when Costco opened the next day at 10:00am before our drive. Our quick dinner was toast with melted cheese, eggs and bacon on it.

December 7, 2022 – Wednesday
After a good night’s sleep, we decided to depart early and go to the Costco in El Centro, about 90 minutes away, which was on our way to Yuma. (This would save us a 2 hour round trip drive from Yuma to the El Centro Costco a few days after getting to Sun Vista.) In El Centro we were able to park across the street in a large shopping center parking lot and walk across to Costco. We took grocery bags with and had no problem walking back with our stuff. We arrived at Sun Vista about 1:30, which is an hour ahead of CA/WA. The rest of the day was spent setting up and settling in. We spoke with Mom and Dad to update each other, as well as Cathi Stark regarding upcoming Indio rally stuff. Dinner was a Costco meal of Coconut Chicken which we had over rice with stir-fry vegetables. Although the days get up to nearly 70 degrees, the nights in Yuma are in the lower 40’s so it was very nice to have full hook-ups again and be able to use our electric blankets (and take showers)!

December 8, 2022 – Thursday
We had a productive morning doing odds-and-ends, putting together a Walmart order for tomorrow morning, going to the office to sign in and let them know our rally travel departure and return dates, and picking up our mailbox key. We spent the afternoon washing the RV, car, and bikes which were all filthy from our travels. It was a lot of work but it was a pleasant, sunny day near 70 degrees. After that busy afternoon we revived with showers and leftovers for dinner. We spent the evening just relaxing.

December 9, 2022 – Friday
We did our first Walmart pickup and plan to get back into doing pickups on Friday mornings. Yesterday we spent most of the day outside, but today we spent most of it inside doing a variety of projects, computer stuff, laundry, and phone calls with family. Dinner was chili which we had brought from home.

December 10, 2022 – Saturday
Again we spent our morning doing odds-and-ends such as looking at flights for our spring cruise, investigating Medicare further, and planning future meals. It was another beautiful 70 degree sunny day so we spent some time relaxing on the patio ending with Happy Hour. We sure miss having M&D’s company and conversation. After having chili leftovers for dinner, we started watching the series “Narcos” which chronicles the cocaine trade in Columbia and real-life stories of drug kingpins in the late 80’s. The first two episodes were very interesting so we’ll continue the series which has 3 seasons for a total of 28 episodes.

Our lives will become pretty routine with lots of relaxing, biking riding, shuffleboard, etc. so we won’t be posting entries for awhile. We do have Nicole’s visit in a week and rallies in January to look forward to breakup our routine.

December 17-28, 2022 -Nicole’s Visit

December 17 – Saturday
Nicole’s arrival! 😊 We made the approximate 6 hour round-trip drive to Phoenix to pick her up at the airport just before noon. She had an uneventful trip as did we. It was wonderful to give her hugs and get her settled in the RV for the next week and a half. Our days will be pretty routine so some of our blogging may be brief. Maybe a few sentences if we do something interesting.

December 18 – Sunday
In the evening we watched “Where the Crawdads Sing” which we all enjoyed, especially with an ice cream break.

December 19 – Monday
Today it was only in the low 60’s and breezy but sunny in the afternoon so we ventured over to the pool. A group was playing volleyball in the indoor pool so we went swimming in the outdoor pool which is heated. The couple of people who were there soon left so we had the pool to ourselves. We spent a little time relaxing in the huge hot tub (36 person limit!) which we also had to ourselves. After using the showers in the locker rooms we returned to our cozy RV.

December 21 – Wednesday
It was a little bit warmer and sunny today. Once it warmed up around noon we went hiking along the Colorado River in the East Wetlands Park, a wetlands restorations area of nearly 400 acres, criss-crossed with trails for walkers, bikers, and even horses. Some areas had interpretive signs explaining the terrain and animal life. It was a relaxing hike that allowed us to stretch our legs more than the walks we are taking within the RV park. Laurie grilled some yummy burgers that went well with oven fries. Nicole is keeping an eye on the Pokémon within the park and after dinner she and Laurie hopped on the bikes to go check them out. Nicole had D&D in the evening which the internet cooperated for.

December 23 – Friday
After doing an early grocery pickup at Walmart, we spent the morning relaxing in the RV. By early afternoon when it had warmed into the mid-70’s with a nice breeze, Nicole decided it was time to play some miniature golf at the Fun Park. We had fun playing through the 9 holes twice. There were some horseshoes by the horseshoe pits so we tried throwing a few. Nicole and Pat didn’t did so well with the heavy horseshoes, but the one that Laurie threw was a ringer (wrapped around the post)! Laurie and Nicole followed that with 4 rounds of bocce ball before we returned to the RV. Before settling in the two made a quick Pokémon run on the bikes. In the evening we watched “Moulin Rouge” which was as enjoyable as it was the previous times we watched it.

December 24 – Saturday
Nicole made incredible rich, outstandingly delicious brownies consisting of a fudgy layer with chocolate chips topped with a yummy cheesecake layer. Fantastic!

December 25 – Sunday
It was a beautiful day – warm and sunny. After a lazy morning we went to the outdoor pool, and we were wished a “Merry Christmas” several times walking there. There several people there including kids who must have been visiting for the holiday. Soon everyone had left the pool and we had it to ourselves. Unfortunately, the hot tub jets weren’t working but the water was still hot and felt good. After showers we sat out in the sun to dry off a bit before heading back to the RV. After dinner we watched a movie called “Nine Days” which had a unique storyline and was interesting to watch.

December 27 – Tuesday
The morning was cloudy but by afternoon the sun peaked out and it once again became breezy. Laurie and Nicole went on a bike ride outside of the park. Just south of the RV park there are some unpaved roads dotted with subdivisions to ride around. Not much to see but some good exercise. In the evening we watched “Chicago” which we all liked.

December 28 – Wednesday
Something different – a little bit of rain overnight! It sounded nice on the RV roof. It was cloudy at sunrise but mostly sunny by 9:00.

Nicole’s departure day ☹. Her flight wasn’t until 7:45 PM so we had a relaxing morning and didn’t leave for the approximate 3 hour drive to Phoenix until about 2:00 PM. We shared a picnic lunch while parked in the cell phone lot before dropping her off. We had lots of good-bye hugs and kisses. When we returned to the RV about 8:20 Nicole was already about a third of the way home on her flight which left on time and arrived in Everett at 10:19, 16 minutes later than scheduled. Daniel picked her up at Paine Field. We will miss having her company and conversation very much. Her visit went by way too fast.

December 29, 2022 – January 6, 2023
The weather has been okay, more clouds and a little cooler than we’d like, but hopefully it will improve. We spent a lot of time preparing for the Indio, CA, Beaver rally that starts on January 8th. Laurie has been organizing the security assignments and various documents to give to each volunteer. Pat has been choosing recipes to make for this rally and the Quartzsite rally after that, such as appetizers, desserts, and salads. Laurie has had a variety of projects that he’s worked on, and Pat got into playing some solitaire games on her computer. We haven’t been as active as we’d like to be because of the weather but did do a bike ride. We continued watching the “Narcos” series in the evenings and just finished Season 2. One more season to go but it will have to wait because of the rallies. We also spent some time getting ready to depart on January 7th for the 2 weeks away from Sun Vista at the 2 rallies. This included cleaning, laundry, grocery planning and pickup, prepping the RV, etc. Mom celebrated her 90th birthday on the 1st. We did a Zoom call that included the two of us, Daniel, Nicole, Robin, Sijia, Evie, Ollie, Adam, and, of course, Mom and Dad. It was great to see everyone and chat a bit.

January 7, 2023
Time to start making our way to Indio, CA, for the Beaver Rally where we are co-rally masters. We left Sun Vista about 2:00 heading to Fantasy Springs Casino, about a 2 ½ hour drive (and a 1 hour time change), to overnight in their free boondocking lot. Fellow Beavers were supposed to meet up there for a morning drive to the Riverside County Fairgrounds a short distance away but we only saw one other Beaver that spent the night. Since tomorrow is Pat’s b-day but we’ll be busy, we picked up her dinner request of Popeye’s Fried Chicken for dinner. It was yummy!

January 8, 2023
More Beavers joined up with us in the lot and we all caravanned over to the fairgrounds. We were in the staging area for a long time (they seemed very disorganized this year) before they led us over to our area. We are parked together around a square gathering area with the rally masters (Cathi & Mike Stark on one side) and us on the other side. We are the co-rally masters for this rally, basically doing whatever Cathi and Mike need us to do. Laurie is also in charge of the Beaver security people providing security at the fairground gates and the vendor exhibit building during FMCA’s Western Area rally. We spent the afternoon getting settled in and setting up the square for our dinner gatherings. About 4:30 everyone met up there and brought heavy appetizers for a delicious variety of food. Cathi dispensed a lot of information and then we spent a little time chatting with other Beavers before the cold that crept in after the sun went down at about 6:30. During the evening Pat had birthday phone calls with Daniel and Nicole, as well as Mom and Dad in Hawaii. Robin and family sent email and Steam b-day wishes.

January 9-15, 2023
It was a busy but fun week. For the security part of the rally Laurie scheduled everyone to work the various posts around the fairgrounds, then checked in to make sure everyone knew what to do. about mid-week he was provided with a golf cart to use which made getting around the large fairgrounds much easier. There were two ice cream socials during the rally where we took ice cream bars to the people on duty so they didn’t miss out on the treats. Both of us also worked four early morning (8-11am) security shifts at the main gate which wasn’t so bad once the sun warmed things up. For the FMCA rally coffee and donuts were available each morning. We also visited the vendors building and walked through some of the new coaches on display for sale. There was also a pulled pork dinner provided one evening for all volunteers. Three of the nights entertainment was provided. The Flashback Boyz were pretty good singing mostly 50’s and 60’s music. We skipped the comedian. The last night was a Creedance Clearwater Revival tribute band that was also good. For our Beaver rally we gathered in an area within our parked coaches each evening for happy hour, dinner, and visiting. Dinners included everyone bringing “heavy” appetizers, grilled burgers and dogs, walking tacos, pizza, and a catered Italian dinner. There were various desserts that people brought and also an ice cream bar with lots of toppings one evening. Most nights a propane firepit was set up in the middle of our circle of chairs to provide light and warmth. As co-rally masters we helped a lot of with set up and clean up, and picking up food. Also at this rally our Hydro Hot, which hadn’t worked properly for a while, was serviced at our RV spot by Howard’s. It was about $700 for a new coil but it was great to get it fixed before we head to the Quartzsite desert with its cold nights. We got to know most of our fellow Beavers a little better. Everyone throughout the week was very friendly and welcoming. We had a great time!

January 15, 2023
A group of Beavers went over to the Elks Lodge for breakfast but we were busy getting our coach ready to depart. We were ready quicker than we thought so we called the RV park that we’ll be headed to, The Palms at River Edge, to arrange to get in a bit earlier than their 2:00 check-in time. It was about a 90 minute drive from Indio to the park which is just over the border into Arizona. It was great to have full hook-ups again, especially water for long, hot showers. After dumping and filling tanks and giving the interior a quick cleaning, we started the first of 4 loads of laundry then relaxed with happy hour and Italian leftovers from last night’s catered dinner back in Indio.

January 16, 2023
Pat started her morning making pecan bars to take to the next rally. After breakfast and finishing up the laundry, we got the RV ready for travel. It was only about a ½ drive to the rally area which is located 7 miles south of the town of Quartzsite. When we arrived shortly after noon and went to put out the slides, the front driver’s side slide wouldn’t go out because the track the rollers ride on had broken on one side. We’ll have to keep that slide in until we can have it looked at. When we fired up the Hydro Hot for the first time we found that, although it worked, it still put out a lot of white smoke. We’ll have to have it looked at again. Since it was very windy we just stayed in the coach, reading and relaxing. In the evening the wind continued and we had a downpour with a little bit of thunder which sounded nice on the RV roof.

January 17, 2023
The morning was spent relaxing some more since the rally doesn’t officially start until later in the afternoon. Pat put together a pan of ham and Swiss sliders to bring for the heavy appetizer dinner at 4:30. We registered and got the rally information packet before then. There was a huge spread of appetizers since there are about 45 coaches at the rally. Everything we had was delicious. Following dinner 2 big bonfires were started but we chose to go inside and read because we don’t care for the heavy smoke and it was also getting cold. It gets down to the upper 30’s at night.

January 18, 2023
Rally attendees were divided into 4 teams to help with preparing, serving, and cleaning up after meals. Today was our team’s day, and we were with the half of the team that handled breakfast. We were out in the cold and dark about 7:15 to have everything ready by 9:00. Today’s menu was French toast, scrambled eggs, ham, and orange juice. There was also coffee and tea provided. Laurie helped with the cooking on the grills. Pat cracked about 100 eggs (more than 200 eggs were used). After breakfast Pat helped wash dishes while Laurie grilled ground beef to be used for the taco dinner. After working for almost 4 hours we returned to the RV to rest. Early afternoon we went wandering around the desert, collecting unusual stones and enjoying the desert and surrounding mountains. The wildlife we encountered included a single bird, a 5 inch lizard, and an endless amount of ants. After another rest in the RV we headed over for a dinner of taco stew and salad followed by an assortment of desserts. We also enjoyed conversations with old and new acquaintances.

January 19, 2023
Another cold start to the morning. We warmed up a bit with a group breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausage patties which we took back to the coach to eat. At 11:00 we went to a seminar (outside in the cold wind) by fellow Beaver Fred Brooks who mostly talked about coach batteries. Saturday is the start of the Quartzsite RV Show but we decided to drive into town to see if by chance Blue Ox was set up yet to have our tow bar serviced. Unfortunately, they weren’t there yet so we headed back arriving in time to watch the “Beaver Races”. Beaver markers named for various Beaver coach models were moved forward on a big mat according to the results of foam dice thrown on the ground. People make $1 bets on the Beaver model that they thought would win with the money collected being divided among those who bet on the winning Beaver. Then it was back to the RV for a bit before returning for a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner with salad, garlic bread, and dessert. Our evening was relaxing in the coach out of the cold and smoke from the campfires.

January 20, 2023
Another in-coach breakfast of scrambled eggs with biscuits and gravy out of the morning cold. Late morning Laurie went to a seminar on RV maintenance while Pat stayed in the coach going through her recipe box. During our hamburger dinner we got a call from a Hydro Hot repair company we had set up service with so we hurried to finish eating and went back to meet the repair guy. He fixed the problem of the Hydro Hot dispensing stinky white smoke when running so we can finally use it without annoying our neighbors. (It’s funny how just about any time a repair is going on at an RV a group of men gather to observe and chat.)

January 21, 2023
We missed the last breakfast as we headed into to town before 8:30 to have drop off our Blue Ox tow bar for maintenance service when the RV show opened at 9:00 (one arm locks up and won’t retract). We lucked out with a parking spot right by the Blue Ox tent which had start taking tow bars a little early. We were about 6th in line. After dropping it off we went back to the RV to wait for their call saying the tow bar was ready not knowing if it would be today, tomorrow, or even later. In the meantime, Laurie visited with the neighbors while Pat read inside. Early afternoon we got the call and hurried into town to pick it up the tow bar. Back at the RV we packed up for the 1 ½ hour drive back to Yuma leaving about 2:30. After arriving at Sun Vista we settled back into our site, ate dinner, and started watching the last season of Narcos. It was wonderful to have full hook-ups again!

January 22 – February 23, 2023
Back to the routine of Yuma with absolutely nothing planned. Most days consist of a light breakfast, maybe a little snack, dinner, and sometimes ice cream. (We have a lot of Costco ice cream bars from the Indio rally as they gave us more than we needed.) The weather is a bit on the cool side and often breezy. One day was very windy and we even lost power for several hours. Evenings we finished the Narcos series and started Homeland.

We have ridden our bikes around the park, played mini golf, and played some shuffleboard. We haven’t sat on the patio much since it’s been a little cool. Pat pulled out her cross-stich project for the first time in a long time, played some Steam games, and did some future cruise planning. Laurie has endless projects around the RV and on the computer that keeps him busy. And, both of us have many books going on our Kindles. The park doesn’t have many empty sites, so it seems to have returned to pre-pandemic levels. There are more people walking/riding/driving around the park and the outdoor pool is packed on warmer days. We did venture to a Saturday morning farmers market in the Yuma Palms Shopping Center parking lot. There was fresh produce, lots of craft work (especially jewelry), various homemade foods and foods/drinks to consume there. Almost everything was overpriced but it was something to do.

One day we drove the RV to CJ’s RV Repair in the Foothills to have the front driver’s side slide repaired since the tracks it rides on were in bad shape. We had scheduled this a month in advance. We were able to hang out in the RV for the 5 hours it took, reading and eating lunch. Laurie was able to observe what the guy, Mikey, was doing and help out a bit. They did a very good job for a reasonable price ($650) and we would recommend them to others.

The weather continued to be cooler than we like and there was a little bit of rain, but we also had a few warmer, sunny days to relax on the patio in the afternoon. Before we had the RV repaired we grilled a few times, but after the repair we decided to leave it packed up since we cleaned it before putting it away.

February 23 – February 28, 2023
We had planned to depart for the trip home today (Thursday, February 23rd). We prepped the RV for travel on the 21st since the 22nd had been forecast to have strong winds around 30 mph. On the 22nd we started hearing about incoming snowstorms in Southern California including blizzard warnings for the Grapevine/Tejon Pass that we need to drive through, as well as extremely unusual lowland snow, high winds, and heavy rain. We decided to play it safe and stay put in Sun Vista for another 3 days until Sunday the 26th when the nasty weather was supposed to be done. It proved to be a good idea since on the 24th the weather radar for a large portion of California was lit up with heavy snow and rain. It got so bad that I5 was shut down because of snow, ice, flooding, a stuck truck, and a mudslide!

On Sunday, I5 remained closed until about 2:00 in the afternoon, which was too late for us to leave and make it  to an overnight spot on the other side of the Grapevine before dark. Sunday night it looked like there might be a window of opportunity Monday morning to get through the Grapevine despite a Winter Weather Warning, but again we decided to play it safe (after looking at weather and road condition reports and forecasts), since there were also high wind warnings and advisories against campers/trailers as well as light snow forecast. It was a beautiful, sunny, mid-60 day in Yuma so we didn’t suffer too much.

Looking at the weather for Tuesday it looked like there might be another window in the morning with increasing snow later in the day, with the worst of the storm happening on Wednesday. Once again we decided to play it safe and made the decision to stay until Thursday morning when the Grapevine weather looked good for the foreseeable future. When we went to the office to pay for our additional days, they said that a lot of people were extending their stays because of the weather.

February 28 – March 1, 2023
The 28th was a beautiful day and we were able to get in a last happy hour relaxing in the sun on the patio. Wednesday, March 1st, started and ended sunny but in between it got extremely windy, clouded up, and rained off and on. (I5 was closed for a while again because of snow and wind so we made the right choice staying until Thursday).

March 2, 2023 – Thursday
Finally time to head home! We were on our way by 7:00’ish Arizona time, stopping to top-off the RV fuel at Arizona prices. It was a sunny and clear day. There were some pockets of stop-and-go traffic going through the Los Angeles area, but he Grapevine (the part of I5 closed at times due to snow), was dry pavement however, there was snow on the sides of the road. After a long day we pulled into Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant in Coalinga, CA, about 4:00. They allow RV parking in a paved lot between the hotel and restaurant. There were a lot of RVs there as the gas station next door which used to have a large truck and RV parking lot, was now taken over by Tesla for a charging area with dozens of charging stations. Harris Ranch had a sign that they will be building an RV park so the free parking in their lot will most likely be eliminated at some point. In the gas station was a Harris Ranch BBQ Express pickup place. In the parking lot heading into the building was a humongous smoker going which smelled glorious. We got a half-rack of 6 ribs to split along with sides of mac & cheese, and mashed potatoes and gravy. The flavor of the ribs was outstanding but they were kind of dry and had chewy spots which put up a fight. Also, the food was not very hot. Given the parking situation, including having to pay in the future, and the food, we probably won’t aim to stay here again. Our evening was spent relaxing and reading before turning in.

March 3, 2023 – Friday
We hit the road with the sunrise at 6:30 for a very long, mostly sunny day making our way north through California. It was a pretty, scenic drive a most of the time with endless fields of white blooming almond trees. We also saw fields of pistachio trees displaying their gnarly branches since they are still bare. Everything was very green after the recent rains including the many rolling hills dotted with black grazing cattle. Most of the drive there were snow covered mountains in the distance for a majestic backdrop. Once we made it to Northern California in the Mt. Shasta area there was more snow around but not on the roads which were dry. It was mostly overcast here. Next up was Siskiyou Pass which was also dry pavement. No problems at all with roads, traffic, and weather at all today. We made it to the Seven Feathers boondocking lot about 4:30, and spent the evening doing a little packing, eating dinner, and relaxing for our last day of driving.

March 4, 2023 – Saturday
Once again we were on our way with the 6:30 sunrise, but it was gloomy and raining today. It was a good decision to push ourselves to get as far as Seven Feathers yesterday since there was heavy snow on the parts of I5 that we had just traveled on. We would have been stuck in California waiting for good road conditions again! Today we just had to contend with rain which wasn’t a problem at all, although it lasted almost the entire trip except for the last hour of driving. After unpacking the RV and parking it in the storage unit, we made it home by 3:00 to the smiling faces of Daniel and Nicole! We were so happy to see them and to be home. They did an outstanding job of taking care of the house and helping us unpack everything, and Nicole prepared a yummy tortellini dinner for us. It was a wonderful homecoming.