I Did It —– All by Myself!

A work trip doesn’t need to be hotels, no pets and no privacy. My new adventure was to drive the silver coach all by myself. We have a small 2007 Sportrac that is only 4.5 liter engine. We have a twenty-foot Flying Cloud Airstream. I really had to convince my hubby that I can and will take out the rig all by myself.

I bet lots of women wonder why the guys have all the fun. They get to drive all over the place. I am not Miss Daisy! hmpf!!!! Women are great drivers and we all need to share the fun. Enough said.

At the time of this adventure my hubby was stationed at an Army base three hours from our home and I was given temporary orders to an Air Base for my reserve duty. This is also three hours from our home. So different orders and different locations! Great reason for me to take the rig out by myself and be able to take the doggie too.

Hmm winter weather with rain. The challenge was Hwy 17 in wet weather or an alternate route Hwy 129, flat, a little curvy and two lanes. Safer in silly wet road driving. Not a bad choice, Gunny and I were cozy and ready for any contingency! Well Prepared.

I took us approximately 3 hours from door to door. Not bad as we traversed a commute mess, toll bridge and the main gate to Travis, AFB. We checked in, drove to our space and had personal, very experienced ground guides help us slide right into our home. Took us less than 30 minutes to set-up and be cozy.

Very easy way to report for duty, then relax at a “home” not full of noise and lots of door noises! Our little doggie was very comfortable too. However, I found that our oven knob was a problem. I couldn’t turn on the blasted oven pilot light! So gave up and used my trusty old cast iron dutch oven. Yummy! I do feel like the pudgy little squirrel a little “squirrel” house! Full tummy, warm and toasty listening to the stormy Delta breezes outside.

I did entertain a fellow officer and it worked wonderfully, She was surprised at the clean, bright and roomy interior. We can do it again! I did notice however I needed to revamp my decor, reorganize the cabinets and re-think staples in the pantry.

As we readied ourselves for the return trip home I felt a sense of accomplishment! I can do this on my own. Not scary and I can take care of business too. Onward we go. Gunny and I did do this again many times on multiple duty requirements with a big old grin on my face!

It is after spending time on a Family Camp site that I really admire and respect all our retirees. We are a great bunch of people and to see the active duty, reservists, retirees and families utilizing a place that they can commiserate about the times they spent defending our country is invaluable.

Very Proud To Have Served!

Turkeys and Scones!

Hidden Valley Lake, California was our adventurous goal. What a wonderful place. It was a four-hour drive from our home up to Napa and the Silverado Trail. Beautiful scenery and lots of places to stop and sip the vino. We arrived at our destination, a little dusty, thirsty and ready to relax. It only takes us 30 minutes to set up, open the vino and put out salami, cheese and french bread. We were the only ones there our first night and only two other RVs arrived the next night. Very quiet. It is a small, oak filled canyon with a bubbly running creek. It feels like you are out on the ranch but you are in the middle of a gated community with a golf course and market!

The deer and wild turkeys rule. The early mornings have a little fog hanging onto the branches, deer grazing, turkeys waddling and flying and the feral cats are fed by a mysterious cat lady. The quiet is amazing. We take our little pooch out for a short stroll. The air was crisp and cool with just a hint of damp. We started our morning with a short walk. The water for our french press coffee is heating and the luscious lemony scones are baking. As we return to our rig the water is poured over our Peet’s coffee and the aroma of the scones cooling on the counter just add to the simple pleasures of life. With our curtains opened to view nature, classical music playing quietly in background, we enjoy our cozy cave. (Our doggie pokes his head between the curtains so he can keep an eye on the wildlife.)

We found this little place thanks to our friends Anne and Dan who live at Hidden Valley Estates. This trip we had dinner at their house, went wine tasting all Saturday and cooked our dinner for the night in our rolling French bistro. Sunday was home-made scones and coffee. This little kitchen really works and there is plenty of prep space. Prior planning helped. I prepared the dry ingredients for the scones at home, packed them in a zip lock bag and only added butter and milk in the coach. Fifteen minutes later, we had warm, buttered lemon scones with our own French press coffee. Now that is traveling!

Unfortunately, we also had our first encounter with a frozen water hose too. Luckily, as always, fellow travelers helped us with a lesson on all-weather camping. We now wrap our hoses in cold weather.

We shall do this again! Even, Gunny, our doggie liked it. He travels well. We love to see our friends and the Napa/Lake county wine regions too. If you go to Lake County wine area there is a great little restaurant in Kelseyville called the Saw Shop and a repeat visit is a must. We are getting used to our little home. It is relaxing to just have a lazy morning with goodies you made while still in your jammies! The dog is not so sure, but goes along for the adventure.

Our Gunny! He now loves his little rolling home. See what he did to the curtains!

It Took Awhile!

Twelve months had passed since our maiden voyage! We wanted to really travel with our new rolling home (20 ft Flying Cloud) but life gets in the way. Wait, I thought escape was the reason behind our investment! hmmmm

Our choice of our “rig” was guided by the capability of our little Sportrac’s tow power. We really did not know what we were looking for or how we would really utilize this trailer. It had not occurred to us what trailer travel was all about. We saw commercials and we thought wow what an adventure. We would use our own linens, our doggies could go too, we could dine and relax in our own “home” while on the road. Sounds great! We’re in!

We visited many dealerships around not only in California but also Nevada . It surprised me in the feel, decor and sneezes we encountered. Yep, I am allergic to the world! Of course the price ranges were wild! We had not even considered previously owned trailers either! We compared the RV to the trailers to the vans, C class, A Class etc, etc. A whole new world.

I really did not want a trailer after all the looking until my hubby took me to an Airstream dealership! I did not sneeze, it was well thought out, clean lines inside and out and it did not have a formaldehyde odor! It also had a light, bright kitchen area that had enough room for me to cook. The really crowning touch was the FULL bathroom! Yep the bathroom and kitchen sold the silver toaster for us! So we took the very expensive plunge.

In December 2009 we went to Moro Bay and stayed at the Moro Bay Dunes RV park. We were fully packed for any contingency and then some. We only had one little doggie then and he is a traveler! We had heard nothing but great things about this park and location. Funny we live by Monterey Bay and now we are traveling to Morro Bay! We plan our trips like we planned mission movement in the military! We flunked the civilian side this time we were late by 30 minutes of our departure time. We also learned how to properly stabilize our hitch.

Off we go! We stop in Soledad, California 2 hours into our adventure for coffee and doggie piddle. We arrive at 2:00 pm at the park and are guided to our site. We were relieved to see we are in a quiet spot with few campers on our court. Did I say quiet!? As the weekenders began to arrive the noise level kept rising and children on bikes and trikes began roaming the area. We realized our court had one of the few gates to the beach across a paved road! Too many people but the view from the kitchen is a wow! Outer Banks Trip 110

The first night is almost completely dark, small slice of the moon, we take a short walk on the dunes and listened to the beauty of the surf and sounds! We did not stay around the camp ground like photos in articles show but we did get a quiet spot to enhance our learning curve. We do know now that we should do a little more homework about where we want to stay and what our style of travel is.

This is a great base camp point for short drives to Pismo Beach and San Lluis Obispo. There is also a lot of surf fishing too! The camp hosts were great and we shall return.

The Silver Suite

Oh the Rain, Snow and Landslides!

For us the winter has historically been our best time to travel. That is before a tree said hello to our back panel and mother nature said “you want rain, here it is” . We then had rain, snow, landslides, rock slides and mudslides. Oh, yeh, we had floods too.

This gave us time to deal with the real world, re-thinking tomorrow, re-evaluating dreams of travel, fun and life. As we are challenged by time, our time. What is the future? Hey, who knows, so enjoy it.

When we bought our Flying Cloud we had no clue what we were doing. All I know is I was not going to sleep on the ground, freeze and wake up aching at every joint. As all newbies know and learn …. WE HAD NO IDEA! reading Living Riveted, Airstream blogs and Sunset magazine … we were confused! Happily we just kept walking into walls and looking goofy!

I also realized we have had our rig for nine (9) years! It feels like it is so new and beautiful. There are so many ways to decorate it, make more luxurious, comfortable and “ours”. It keeps changing and I am still not sure we are doing it right! OK what is correct and right and the Airstream Way? Just have fun is the answer.

A co-worker of mine has a glass etching business with her hubby. They made us beautiful Riedel style glasses with our little silver coach etched on the side! What beauty and such meaning. These are the little things we keep finding in our lives and travels.

We are so excited that we also gave the Airstream bug to our friendly winemaker at Six Sigma Winery. We got them the Riedel glasses to pack easier in their new home! What a hit! Fun, creative people with new prisms of our environment really enhances our experiences.

From all the “how to’s” of travel I havent seen anything about “melt downs!”. YEAH! I mean I journaled our travels from day one to now. They were always beautiful times. Just saying. The adjustment period either makes or breaks your love for you rig. Right?!

So here goes my little story of our little Silver “Canned Comfort”. …..

Outer Banks Trip 088 — Sea Cliff State Park

Here is where the journey started! Our shakedown cruise. Lovely quiet spot 15 minutes from our house! I had already “packed” the little baby with all I thought we needed, including a stew already cooked and just needed a little warm up.

It took us about an hour to get us “right”. The scenery was beautiful, gray, misty and about to rain. Can you imagine what a great start to our first adventure? I forgot the wine opener, had the wine though! We only had one puppy with us and we were about a 20 minute walk uphill to a quick stop! Our knees were kinda sore but we got our corkscrew and found this little place had a great wine selection!

It then started to rain, we were soaking wet by the time we returned but that’s a memory. We turned on the lights, we had full hook ups, turned on the heater, changed to dry clothes and then realized we were in a very little space! The art of movement in a small space has a weird learning curve as does the sleeping areas!

We can hear the surf breaking on the beach, reminds me of Hawaii but very cold, The rain sounds great as it hits the roof. Our first night was a rough night, sleepwise with me and hubby and a mini Australian Shepard trying to stay warm. When we awoke the next morning we though our roof was leaking as the walls and ceilings were dripping wet stuff! we sealed everything closed that night and did not have the moisture stuff to absorb wet! Who would think that you leave vents open to keep your environment going!?!?

Let’s just say a few bad words were spoken and threats of never, ever doing this camping/trailer thing again went round and round that evening. The morning dawned and the sun peeked out while I baked home-made scones in our little oven, the french press was making wonderful coffee and best of all the shower and toilet worked like charms!! Almost like being home in a very condensed toaster! Had a wonderful walk on the beach to a little hamlet nearby and then prepped for home! We had survived our very first ever glamp in our own “back yard”. We are each still alive, the doggie loves his new bed – ours and we did not break our brand new Airstream!

Onward to more adventures!

Our Travel Dreams for 2016

Back to the Dream

Here it is 2016! Haven’t traveled in over three months and keep thinking about going ANYWHERE. Sometimes life takes other turns and gives you a chance to do some long-range plans, repair your rig, re-organize the living areas and dream of where you want to go.

Today is a rainy California day. Our travel time is usually winter so rain reminds me of our travels. In our last walk around of our rig we found a small drip over the bed after a recent rain. The little silver castle is seven years old and we keep thinking she is brand new. This precipitated a complete re-check of little repairs that may need to be done before we travel again.

Last October, 2015, we got the bright idea of Yellowstone National Park in 2016. We are combining that with a family graduation in Idaho and then meandering back home! Wow a dream travel plan that we have read other Airstreamers enjoy. This will be the first “long” road trip for us. Yep a whole two weeks! Ok we have been 11 days on the road with tight timelines….. this will be our first vacation!

It has been a rough year but we know this year is our year to really grow and enjoy life. We have had challenges of serious illness in our family, someone stole our Airstream keys out of our truck, had to order new ones and then needed to make repairs to keep our silver coach safe and road worthy.

In the meantime we did take our Flying Cloud in for a complete service and upholstery change. In essence she is still a new rig of dreams. After we left our trailer at the Bay Area Airstream dealership and service bay we drove up through Suisun Valley to our favorite winery Six Sigma! It was a beautiful drive through cattle and wine country, no traffic just green trees and grasslands.

It was sad to see the after effects of the Lake county fire. The amazing wonder is how mother nature heals herself with beauty and strength! We enjoy peace and greatness of our little piece of the world.

We arrive at Six Sigma and there is a pick up party in process. The people there make us feel at home. The great warmth, friendliness of everyone and fantastic wines create an oasis in a world of crazy noise and cold. As we are sipping our wine we look around and see a campsite! Yep an empty spot that says stay with me and enjoy my peaceful view.

We spoke to Christian Ahlman and were informed they are part of the network of wineries across the United States that allow trailers and RVs to enjoy the beauty, great wine and quiet. This area is like stepping back in time. The fact that this is a working ranch, winery and historic piece of California makes this magic. We can’t wait for our turn to fill this space with our silver trailer at the next Farm to Table dinner and wine pairing. We have the best place to stay! Walking distance to the great food and wine and a little still to our home.

Our coach will be ready in two weeks with a new look to enjoy our next wine adventure. We are looking forward to our first Farm to Table experience just outside our silver door! Bowser!

Racooned!

As we continue with the story of our Pinnicles National Park 3-day we are on a Sunday walk to the Caves. It is a beutiful day and we are enjoying new sites we had not seen before. More people are on the trail but all are courteous and appear happy to be out and about!

We make our way back to our site and note that many of the weekend travelers are gone and it is very quiet. Oh how wonderful the sounds of nature are. We do note that we see alot of small racoons and silly black birds looking to clean up the crumbs of the weekend campers. The signs all over the campsites quite clearly state DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE, ESPECIALLY RACOONS, they can be dangerous.

We take an afternoon nap and then begin to prepare for our dinner meal. Our table is set and the new camp stove heating the griddle and feed the dogs. Our appetizers, chips and salsa with lemonade make for an easy preparation for our dinner. We had purchased a couple of bottles of Cabernet from Pietro Santo winery to go with our meal and so we open and let it breathe.

Little racoons keep running at the edge of the creek and our table. My hubby puts his back pack at the door of our trailer and goes back to help prepare our goodies. A little racoon is quietly unzipping his backpack! We shoe him away and laugh. Our evening continues and don’t think anything about it and proceed with our evening.

As we finish our dinner I see a medium sized racoon approaching us quietly and quickly and almost gets to my sister-in-law! it frightened us and she jumped up and down screaming at the creature and it finally went away. We laughed and continued on with the evening! As the cleanup is complete and we settle in for desert racoons are not on our mind. We all go to bed and know tomorrow we return back to the rat race!

We had a solid sleep and awakened for our usual al fresco breakfast. We have our first cappuccino first and while I am dressing I hear a few choice words from outside. I hustle outside to find my husband shaking his head, waving his hands and saying wonderful expletives. There are tiny hand/feet prints all over the roof of the truck, the cargo over over the bed AND the entire interior of the truck windows etc. !!!! Luckily we had our H2O cleaning towels and it made it fun, easy and no smells.

The only way in was a two inch opening of the small back truck window! They broke it by pushing it down?! After the initial shock and awe we laughed and couldn’t believe how they took every little thing inside and examined it all. They found my lost bluetooth earpiece, ate all the doggie treats they found in a zipper pouch. Yes they carefully unzipped the pouch and then took out stuff. No tearing and no chewing any of material.

After our outside breakfast we began to clean the truck up for our ride home. This just goes to show you ALL the signs at the park are really, really, REALLY need to be followed cuz it’s true!

Yet another wonderful trip to put in our book! Oh yeah, this is a photo of my brothers rig and his stuff no ours! We followed the rules and we got attacked!

Sunset Magazine Wins Again

Thank goodness I read the latest Sunset Magazine issue that featured camping. This issue had great new ideas and instructions on campfire/charcoal briquet cooking. We have decided to try 4 of the recipes! I have read all the instructions, prepared and prepped all the ingredients per the instructions in Sunset! I had given my husband the responsibilities to prep for the “Hobo Bundlels”. Guess what? He did not do the prep! So we set up at our site. My brother sets up his new toy, a great cook stand. Oh yeah, we cannot have open campfires! It is high fire season and we have a drought!!!!

So along with no cocktails, no fires permitted, we also have to finish the prepping in our kitchen and pop the bundels into the oven to cook. We are all settled in, our outside lights are on, table set, the chips, salsas and Martinis are handed out — oh happy nights!

We are parked in our favorite sites. There are not many people here but more than the last time. Weather is a little cool and windy but no rain, no gusts and only the sounds of families camping. Even the doggies are all settled into their fenced play space. Thirty minutes have elapsed and the bundles are done, lights are up, the propane outdoor heater is on, table set and we are relaxed. Dinner was so delicious and filling, worth the wait. Now the sun has set, there is a slight breeze, we are ready for our cappuccino nightaps and NO KALUHA to be found… Yep, my brother forgot the Kahluha, but we did bring the frother.

The morning dawns a little cloudy and breezy but the grill made the Sunset Magazine’s wholegrain, lemon buttermilk pancakes recipe a big winner. The heat of the grill made cooking easy and quick. The lemon flavor was a real treat to the palate. Coffee, friends, a new breakfast food and the meal outdoors, not in the trailer, was a real treat. Actually a new phenomenon for us. We usually cook in the trailer and sometimes eat outside. This time we cooked and ate outside. We are now learning the essence of al fresco dining.

My mom has been in hospital fighting cancer chemo side effects so we want to check in on her status. There is no cell access in the Pinnacles NP. We then drive to Hollister to get reception, call mom and get Kaluha too. I then convince all that a quick ride down the Cienga Rd, wine trail would be fun, on the way back and I could finally try some local olive oil.

Mom is fine, grocery list done and now onto the wine trail. The trail needs help BIG TIME! No real signs or directions and we almost pass two wineries. The one we were looking for is the Pietra Santo Winery. It is as beautiful as ever and it looks closed. Again. But it is open, it just looks closed. We go inside and it is beautiful. I find the olive oil. They have three kinds, lemon, rosemary and organic! The olive oils taste fresh, light and great enough for dipping. The organic is light, clean and cooks well. We do not see any price on the shelves. It is a little difficult to find the oils from the wine and chocolates.

The tasting room is beautiful but the staff is less than helpful. We don’t get any information on the winery, their wines or olive oil processing. We have to almost beg to get the staff to help us. The setting for this place is idyillic. We have been here before but were stood up for a photo op and then came to a function and could not taste any wines unless we bought the bottle! If you want a beautiful setting, stained glass windows and quiet with swallows flying about then visit.

We winded our way back to Pinnacles and bagan our relaxation for the rest of the afternoon. We took a 45 minute walk aroung the campground area that had many, many tent spaces and all inset into the woods. They have group and single tent spaces and the the few trailer/RV spaces are grouped by the entrance. There is only electric hookups, no generators are allowed, there is dump station with a fresh water spiggot for filling the freshwater tanks of the trailers. Quite nice. It was very clear and sunny and the heat of the sun was wonderful. It has been a long time since I was able to be outside to enjoy the sun. What a treat!

While we were out walking our traveling companions were preparing our carne asada meal! This is the second time we have been able to enjoy this meal and the homemade tortillas. The new grill is perfect for this sort of cooking. We have now baptised the grill with breakfast and now our dinner. It really got a workout and we loved it. The aromas, the heat and the fun of cooking with friends and enjoying the meals is a wonderful part of camping.

Oh looking forward to another gentle day for enjoying family and beauty. . . . .

A Great Plan for the 4-Day

We have all the makings for a wonderful long weekend. My brother’s wife was able to get us our favorite spots at the Pinnacles National Park, the menus have been agreed upon and the prep work done! We have plans for the hikes and the weather is in our favor. How much more perfect can this Friday be!
After a week of famiy stuff and work stress it is finally Friday!

The guys started out early today to prep the campsites, start our dinners and have our cocktails waiting for us. My sister-in-law and I worked a full day. This is our first time we are riding together to meet our guys. It is so easy to jump in a car and not naviate the city streets with our silver coach. It is 5:00 pm. We are going from my Salinas Office, through Holllister and then to the Pinnacles! The east entrance is the only way for campers to gain entrance to the park.

A beautiful Airstream drives by going south and it is a good omen. Yes, we are ready for our quiet weekend . … then I spy a glint of silver shimmering on the highway ahead of us. There is a big semi-truck in front of us, we can’t really see the silver shinny thing. What I can see looks like the same model as ours. It is going rather slow. Just as we think we can catch up it is time to turn onto HWY 156 toward Airline HWY and Pinnacles. We finally pass the truck and IT IS MY Flying Cloud! My husband waves and the doggies look happy. What happened? I hope there are no problems. He should have been going south to this turn off not north. He should have been going south on Hwy 101 from Hwy 129 and already be at the campsite! OK what happened!?????

We keep going and are keeping an eye on the coach. As we turn south onto Airline Hwy we get a strange text from my brother asking which turnoff to take to get to the Pinnacles from Pacheco pass! We pull off the road to text him back and find out where he is. We don’t get an answer back and continue one.

As we are driving I ask my Sister-in-law what was the name of her trailer. I though it was a Sierra and she could not remember but looked in the rear view mirror and thought she she saw one like her’s behind the Airstream! It was a Salem! It then picked up speed and passed the Airstream. We started laughing because that is something my brother would do. It was my brother! OK now neither one is at the park and that means we have to set up and do the cooking. We just start laughing and laughing! Only those two would have this goofy convergence without even planning it.

Always something happens to make each trip an adventure. We just want to know what happened to our great planning!?

Ready, Set . . . .. . . . . GO?

Oh boy! We are getting in one more adventure before we stop for the vacation season. Yep we are going back to Pinnacles for one more look. Usually we are cleaning and repairing our silver castle for a little rest time while we wait and prepare for fall adventures. We like to travel when the weather is cooler, less crowded and a different vacation perspective.

As we began the process of emptying the coach of all foodstuffs, clothing, doggie treats and linen we received a call from my brother. He got us our newly found favorite spots at the Pinnacles! As we had already started the process of cleaning we decided just finish the job and be ready for the next trip.

Keeping your rolling home clean and repaired means that the surprise trip will not have major “surprises”! This practice is well worth the effort as it protects your investment, your traveling dream maker! I am always surprised how the simple little fixes prevent the big owies.

When we first ordered our Flying Cloud I read and re-read the marketing booklet and then the manufacturer’s recommendations to be prepared to give loving care to our new silver dream!

The how of cleaning small spaces can be challenging or easy and green. The cleansers on the market may not be compatible with the interiors of campers, trailers and RV’s. The surfaces are not to be scrubbed to death and our aluminum walls are special. I have used multiple sprays, antibacterial cleansers and also learned not to use chlorine liquids. Fragrances of cleaners are also a potential hazard for those with allergies, animals and sensitive skin. The solution? H20 Home! Yep I found it was very simple, the difficulty is in leaving old habits behind. I did mention it in a previous blog but now I am really liking it. The process kind of makes you question the new way and then go ahhh.

When we returned home this last trip I really got energetic and thought a study this process was needed. This is what I did. I analyzed storage space for a cleaning kit I could keep in the trailer and make the upkeep ongoing and minimize the pre-rest cleaning time. All I needed was three (3) chiffonnettes, one container of clay cleaner, and water. Yep that is what I was going to us to clean the entire inside of my coach.

I had read on another blog how a traveler used two dish pans that fit the sinks to clean dishes and then disposed of the boiled rinsing water into the blackwater tank instead of the grey water. By doing this it helps keep the level of the greywater tank lower- more room for shower water! This saved overuse of water and disenfectied the dishes at the same time. Check out this blog J5MM to really see how she did this.

Back to the new process study. I read the directions on the use of the chiffonnettes and thought it was too simple. I wrung out the thickest one for the counter top and began to wipe down the surfaces, hmmm then did the same to the cabinet doors and was really surprised as it shinned with a wipe of the medium towel. I rinsed out the first towel as needed with just warm water. No cleaners, no sprays and no disinfectants. All surfaces and mirrored surfaces gleamed. I then used the clay cleanser product with its little sponge and worked on the sinks and stove top. It has never looked smoother and shinier. I proceeded with this same process to include the aluminum walls and ceilings and got the same results. It was amazing. I did spend a lot of time going end to end but I only utilized water and the clay cleanser. No drip marks and no overpowering fragrance. WOW! Along with this thinking I decided to see what I would actually need to keep her clean on the go and when she rests. How much space, how much effect on the environment and keeping everything easily cleanable and pretty. I also began to think about dishwashing, clothing and towels. I know I can over think a lot but I like to keep things pretty and clean. I came up with a small collection that fits in a small basket under the sink!

Here is the Silver Coach Package: I slips right under my sink and the basket was from the dollar store! It has the three chiffonnettes, two sponges different colors so you can use one for the bathroom, one for dishes with two sides. Clay cleanser for the tough spots and the spots on the floor or carpet, dish cleanser to put two drops on the dish sponge( they can be cleaned and disinfected in the dishwasher at home), the Netepur bar to put on the stains on the camping clothes! Works like magic! Kids clothing actually survives to camp another day without the stains. If you would like to learn more about the super Silver Coach Package from Monica Hein of H2O Home at 1-831-566-5324. She really gets the Airstream dream and of course she cares about the environment.

Well enough cleaning I need to rest to get ready for our next Pinnacle Trip. It is going to be very hot!

Wow! Beauty, Wonder and History!

This is the day we see what we can see. The short but heavy rain had stopped overnight and the sky was clear. Our dogs are small and really not ready for a long hikes (nor allowed on the trails) but we walked them all around the camp ground and then we started our walk.

We stopped at the park store and spoke with the ranger staff about our hikes and if the cave with the bats were open. Sadly they were not. We then started out from our campsite and proceeded through tent campsites to a gate that said we need to keep the gate closed so wild hogs would not run through the campsite and cause damage! It was ok for them to attack us just not the grounds.

We did not expect the many beauties we stumbled upon.

We knew we had not had any rain lately so walking along a dry wash was not expected to yield such beauty. We had seen the photos on the posters of all the wild flowers that grow throughout the park but did not expect to see them. Luckily my brother brought his camera and captured the wonders. It was dry but the morning wasn’t too dusty or dry. There were no more than 4 hikers encountered on our first leg of the walk! There was no strenuous increase in grade as we ascended to the natural museum trail head.

All I can say is I am amazed! We live so near the mass of civilization and who would guess that we also have pristene wilderness. Not just squirrels and crows we have underground water wonders, microclimates spread over just a few miles, pre-historic vultures, caves, bats and fresh air! Oh, no ability to connect to the internet.

We started at 8:00 am and returned to our campsites at 3:00 pm. We were not exhausted but awed! Mostly gentle terrain and more to see and experience that just the caves and bats! We did get to see a circling Condor so that was unbelivable.

Then we relaxed had a short nap after taking our doggies out for a stretch and then planned for the evening. It was a beautiful afternoon to evening. So many people had left for home and it was even more quiet. We luxuriated in the quiet and calm. We had our dinner preps going and our outside dinning room ready. We had would for our fire pit and smoores too.