Oh, Friday Escape Is Here!

As I worked all day, my hubby had the responsibility to pack our silver comfort to go to Pinnacles.  I have lived all my life within 2 hours from this jewel, ALL MY LIFE!  Recently we had the epiphany of the beauty surrounding us.  Everyone lives near beauty but thinks that over the hill on the other road is where beauty is.  Living in the central California Montery Bay Area we take so much for granted.

After our adventure in the real winter of Nevada and Idaho we wondered if we couldn’t enjoy our Airstream closer to home and learn how to benifit more from our cozy comfort.  We have survived our frozen poopscicle and many other challenges, as all travelers do.  We have learned to laugh and cherish the lessons learned and the appreciation of the moment.

The weather has been warm and clear for too long.  We planned on more of the same but of course mother nature had other plans.  As I worked through the day watching the clouds gather, my man and doggies prepped for our journey.  I had left a list of food stuffs and clothing to pack so we could enjoy an old new “jewel”.

My brother and wife were going to join us.  What fun.  Of course I worked an hour later than expected, the skies where getting dark with clouds and the wind was getting stronger.  I could not wait to get in the truck.  As we started out from my office we began our journey.

The skies were getting darker as the sun bagan to set and the storm began to gain momentum.  Oh well, that just meant we could have a little adventure and expierence some weather.  Of course our “weather” is nothing but a mild inconvenience.  We love our climate we just need rain!

The road and emotions began to lift as we left the highway and city behind and drove through Hollister, California.  Unfortunately for us the darkness cloaked the beauty we drove by.  It is so fun to see our silver coach behind us.  It signifies freedom from work, stress and pressure.  When your think about it, we don’t need to travel days for beauty and regeneration of spirit.  It surrounds us.  We just need to see it.

As per usual we really don’t know where we are going, ok we have general directions and a road.  It is dark and the signage for Pinnacles is minimum.  We travel along wondering when the rain will drop.   We keep going and arrive after dark at the park.  We get a little confused on the road and finally find the campground.  We find our spot and easily park.  Wow it was too easy.  We settled in and took our doggies for a walk as the rain started in earnest.  We laughed and enjoyed the smell of rain and knowing our doggies were soaked!  Luckily we had put up our awning which sheltered us as we toweled off our friends.  It was an easy evening and the rain played music on our roof.  The enjoyment of the sound of rain lulled us to sleep.

The morning was lazy and enjoyable.  The park was less than half filled, no generators were allowed at all but we had electric hookup.  Comfort, beauty and quiet.  We did not have our Nesspresso Pixie nor the Frother!  Someone who shall remain nameless forgot to pack our beauties.  We pressed on and enjoyed our french press coffed instead.  I do miss the frother though.  hmmmm

Our Pixie and frother to the rescue.
Our Pixie and frother!  

We had dinner outside, slow roasted lamb ribs, garlic mashed potatoes and blanched asparagus with goat cheese and bread.  We ate outside under the stars as the rain passed over and the stars were out.  Just before dinner the ranger held an little discussion on the California Condor!  It sprinkled throughout the presentation but it was informational and fun.  We walked back to our trailers and began to set out the picnic table for dinner.  I drained the fat off the ribs and spread salsa over the garlic sea salt rub and we ate hungrily.

Of course we can not have a trip without fun.  As I brought a beautiful toasted lemon cake with toasted coconut frosting it flew off the plate in my hands and landed on the ground!  I had waited for a taste of this luscious cake for days.  Sooooo we saved the top layer and followed the 5 second rule and all tasted the cake with a little extra seasoning.  Nothing ever goes as planned!  Flying Coconut Cake is the first evening star.

One happy Airstream
One happy Airstream

As we go back to our trailer and start to clean up I realize my hubby did not pack our H2O Home cleaning tools to pick up.  But even worse my sink was not draining.  We tried boiled water, at least three times and realized that the hot water only went so far down the pipes!  I unwound the plumbing stuff and found a 2 inch by 1.5 inch fat plug!  We had a fat-scicle!!!  We went from poopscicle to fatscicle!  wow  so much laugher and fun.

Soooooo all systems clear, we rest as tomorrow we go a hiking to the caves!

Brrrrrr Happy New Year. . . . Or every road is a different adventure

Such excitement!  We are winter (snow) traveling for the first time on purpose!  We received a new Nesspresso Pixie and Nesspresso frother as Christmas presents and of course just right for our trip.  We planned our New Years Eve dinner and began to prepare for the road.  My spirits lifted and a happy calm prevailed.  Hmmm that is until the sniffles crept upon us.   Oh how we fought our symptoms and denied the same.  I worked my regular two days before we left, all the while happy for the opportunity to hit the road again and see my little girl.

The Holiday Mood is Set!
The Holiday Mood is Set!

The coach is winterized per the owner’s manual and I cleaned every nook and cranny, cleared away any dust that may have accumulated, washed all the linens, pillow shams and bed linens.  I was using cleaning tools and products from H2O, that are green and Eco friendly just like our Airstream.   These chiffonettes, as they are called, do not use cleansers or soaps.  Water is the vehicle, the towels are the dust and dirt cleanser picker uppers.  I really enjoyed the ease of use, gleaming results and no annoying fragrances.  Makes the aluminum walls shine brightly without a lot of work either.  I felt like a queen in fresh, bright like new, Flying Cloud.  Then I started with a little cough.   But that was nothing just annoying.  I mean, I emptied the cabinets, wiped them clean inside and out, throughout items that in five years we have NEVER used and restocked and planned for our new ways of movement and traveling.  Ahh start the New Year clear of the old, in with the new and open for joy.

Wednesday morning dawned, we both had snuffles, dogs and truck cleaned, packed with travel necessities, ie., cough drops, audio books, water, maps and stuffy heads.  We left one hour later than we had planned but we knew no snow on Donner Summit! All seemed well, weather nice, just a little cool but comfy.  Stopped for gas, sure enjoy the lower prices, dogs pooped and piddled and on we go.

As we approached Donner Summit we noticed the wind picked up and the temperature drooped way cold!  We stopped at a rest stop and the wind picked up enough to grab doors to open or slam them.  The doggies did not even want to do their business but did a abbreviated relief.  The chill went right thru us all and made our snuffles worse.  All of a sudden the feeling of the trip seemed to get just plain COLD.  It was early afternoon as we drove through Reno and thought in no time we will be at the new Frontier RV park in Winnanucca, Nevada, then we turn on our heater, oven, pop in our dinner and get cozy in the freezing cold.

New Years Eve DinnerFreezing then became the operative word for our adventure!   It got darker and darker, we forgot time change and shorter days too.  It seemed as though we were blowing our noses at more frequent intervels and the trash bag was getting full of kleenex, cough drop wrappers, and empty water bottles.  The day really really seemed to not end and the lanscape was the same brown grass and sand with an occasional antelope and then darkness!   Cold still got colder and we got sicker.  My sis kindly informed me the whole family was sick with colds all acquired during our Christmas Day celebrations!  Oh boy what a New Year’s Eve.  We just wanted to get to Winnamucca and rest!

We arrived at our destintion and found we were the only overnight guest in this brand spanking new, clean, modern, RV Park.  We were so happy we hurridly set up to find the temp was 25 degress F.  Below freezing.  No fresh water hook up through the night as it would freeze.  We trid to empty the waste water but it was frozen already!  Well not the actual grey/black tank or water tanks, only the outlets!  We happily just wanted to get to bed and get warm.  We did roast the herb crusted lamb chops from Six Sigma Ranch and prepped the mashed potates and green beans for our celebratory evening.  Well ok we were very much frozen from settling the Airstream for the night, exercising the doggies and getting our trailer warm and cozy.  We also had colds and stuffiness and really could not taste our dinner, just a hint.  We finally got warmer, preppared for bed and called it a night it was 9:30 pm!  Happy New Year!