Surprise - Arizona that is!

Today we drove about 400 miles from Aguanga CA to Surprise AZ. It was in the upper 50's when we left California and we didn't stop until a rest stop around Blythe at noon. Boy were we surprised how hot it was!! It was at least 100 and we were in an area surrounded by desert & asphalt. The heat hit us like a blast furnace. We had not been in 100 degree weather since leaving Kansas on August 6th. Guess we will re-condition. It WILL be hot in the Phoenix area.

We are camped in Surprise at the Sunflower RV Resort. Boy, this would be a great place to escape a cold winter. There are lots of amenities here - pool, tennis courts, bocce ball courts, horseshoe pits, billiards hall, ballroom, craft room, golf driving cage, etc. A lot of park models here and few full-time residents.

Got to spend some time with my sister & brother-in-law. They fixed us a good meal and we had a nice visit.

San Diego Zoo

Today we made our last trip into San Diego. We spent the day at the zoo. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the upper 80's.

It was too hot for some of the animals but many others entertained us.

Our favorite animals of the entire visit were the Panda Bears. They were so cute and cuddly. They don't like noise so we were routed through a special viewing area and asked to use our 'soft voices'. We saw three different Pandas. We saw them at close range and a docent was present giving a narration.

The common zoo animals were in good form - elephant, giraffe, apes, monkeys and birds.

I know we walked through four aviaries, and I believe there may have been some we missed.

The bear in the last photo spent most of the day soaking in his water pool. On our last trip past his cage, he had climbed out of the water and lay exhausted against a rock. It is a rough life being a zoo animal. 

San Diego again

We had a busy day today. We went back to San Diego.

Our first stop was the Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo National Monument. Cabrillo explored the Pacific west coast in 1542. He set sail from Mexico but may have been of Portuguese descent.

The monument is located at Point Loma. The Visitor Center overlooks the Pacific Ocean, the Rosecrans National Military Cemetery, the San Diego Bay, the Naval Air Station, San Diego International Airport, Old Point Loma Lighthouse (pictured here) and the new Point Loma Lighthouse & Coast Guard Reservation.

Then we drove around the San Diego Bay and across the bridge to Coronado.






In the photo below are Kite Surfers. The kites are beautiful above the waves. These surfers must have a great amount of upper body strength. We watched them pull & tip the kite to maneuver them out into the next wave to surf back toward the beach.






In the last photograph is the Hotel del Coronado. It is beautiful and huge. The woodwork inside (mahogany?) is exquisite. This photo only gives a small view of the building.




 

Sea World

Today we drove to San Diego to visit Sea World. We arrived shortly after 10 am and stayed until about 4:30 pm. We saw a lot but am sure that there is much more to see.

We did not take the camera because we weren't sure just how wet we would get during the day. We didn't get real wet. The weather was cool & overcast. It was a great day.

My favorite exhibits were the Shamu Show and the Polar Zone replication of an Arctic Research Station.

San Diego is about 1 - 1 1/2 hour drive from where we are camped - depending on traffic.

Old Temecula & Julian

The rally ended this morning with good-byes. We were surprised how many pulled out today. Alot of the rally attendees are from this area so did not have far to travel and no desire to stay longer & explore.

We ran some errands then explored Old Town Temecula and Julian. Julian is famous for orchards - especially apples. They are also famous for nice little shops and great apple pies. The pie WAS delicious!

Grape Stomping

Tonight we had our last group dinner for the Rally.

We went to the Ponte Winery in Temecula Valley. Before dinner, the four regions of our Teton Club had representatives compete in a Grape Stomping Contest. There were half barrels filled with clusters of grapes, a spout extended from the bottom front of the barrel. Each stomper had a partner who held a wine bottle to the spout. The partner also had a stick to frequently clear the solids from the spout. The first team with a full wine bottle of juice was the winner. It was a lot of fun to watch.

We had appetizers while waiting for the grape stomping. Afterward, we had a nice dinner of chicken breast stuffed with pears & apples, steamed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. There was also a nice array of desserts. Everyone had a good time. 

Getty Art Museum & Hollywood

Today we took a bus trip to the Getty Art Museum in Los Angeles. This is a beautiful facility and houses art from 1300 - 1800. We were only able to spend about 3 hours there and it would take much more time to see the entire facility.

Then we were driven through Hollywood and got to see the Chinese Theatre and the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard.

It was a long day as it took 2 hours to drive from the resort to L. A. The return trip was in heavier traffic and took over 2 1/2 hours. Glad we don't live in that kind of traffic.

 

Seminars

Yesterday & today we have had a variety of RV related seminars. We have attended some together and some individually.

Here is a partial list -

• Dometic (A/C, awnings, refrigerators & toilets)
• Wilson Antenna
• Accu-Dish (satillite systems)
• MorRyde (suspension systems)
• Mountain Master (medium duty trucks - MDT)
• RV Casuals (womens clothing)
• Jewelry Making (beading)
• Internet Connection Tips
• Water Heater Maintenance
• Truck Driving & Back-up Tips
• Pure Water Systems
• Trip-Tech & Smart Tire monitors.

One panel discussion that we did not attend was "How to get along 24-7 inside a box (RV)". Walt said his solution is to 'think outside of the box'!

Rancho California Outdoor Resort

Here are some photos of the resort where we are camped. It is a beautiful oasis in the desert.

It is Rancho California Outdoor Resort in Aguanga, CA

The resort is built in sections - each being three holes of the golf course. The RV lots surround each of these sections.

Currently there are over 500 RV lots. When the project is completed, there will be about 800 RV lots.

Wild Animal Park

Today we took a bus trip to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido. It is associated with the San Diego Zoo. It was about an hour trip to the park. We were entertained by a presentation of animals by their trainers or keepers. This little fox is found in the Sahara Desert of Northern Africa. It is called a Fennec Fox and is the smallest of all foxes and the lightest in color. It is about 13 inches long and 10 inches tall. It weighs about 3 pounds. Its very large ears are about 6 inches long.

The next photo is a pregnant rhino. She is due to deliver in November. The gestation period is about 20 months.

The next photo is a pelican. He would scoop and strain food through his large bill.

The last photo is my favorite --the meerkat. Since their supporting roles (Timon and Pumbaa) in Disney's Lion King, I am fascinated by these cute little characters.
 

2006 Teton Club International Rally

We arrived at the Teton Rally destination. For the next 12 days we will be at Rancho California Outdoor Resort in Aguanga, CA. As we approached within 15 miles of the resort, the terrain became more rocky and desolate. The resort is a lush gem surrounded by rocky peaks. You can see some photos by clicking on the link above. I will take some photos and add to the blog later. The park is currently 593 sites. The planned completion will be over 800 sites.

The rally officially starts tomorrow at 2pm. There are about 70 members (x 2) registered. Most are already here enjoying the sunny, clear weather.

Immediately upon pulling in the entrance of the resort, we were greeted by friends. In fact we had received a phone call from another couple as we passed Temecula Wal-mart where they had been shopping.

Most of our rally members are parked in the loop around the last three holes on the golf course. We're enjoying renewing friendships and making new friends. I think the next 12 days will really fly by.

Now this is TRAFFIC!

We were afraid our directions, map reading and GPS would not save us from Los Angeles traffic. Actually the combination did work pretty well.

We did manage to skirt LA and drove through San Fernando, Glendale and Pasadena. Then dropped south and finally landed for the night in Temecula.

These photos give an example of the heaviest traffic around Pasadena. Thank goodness it was a leisurely Saturday afternoon drive!

We counted 7 lanes of eastbound traffic and a commuter train. The traffic moved at around 25 mph for quite a distance. Many cars darting & changing lanes -- never leaving a cushion for sudden stops.

Neither of us were disappointed that we missed LA. We will only have a short distance to drive tomorrow to get to the site of the Teton Rally. We might even sleep late!

We enjoyed the early part of the drive this morning. We saw truck farms, orchards & vineyards. Some of the crops we could identify were peaches, apricots, pistachios, tomatoes, onions, grapes, cabbage, cauliflower, cotton, alfalfa, corn and milo. Oh, there were also meadows of dairy cows and feedlots full of beef cattle. 

Forest Fires

We knew the Los Angeles area was just over the mountains. First we saw many Los Angeles County Rescue & Fire vehicles and helicopters. Then we saw the smoke in the distance.

We had heard about the fire earlier and I can't give you any figures about the acres burned. What I can tell you is that many acres are still smoldering. Roads are closed and the area is still evacuated. Only the utility workers are starting to re-enter the edge of the devastated areas.

In many places the charred area was right along I-5.

We could look down into the canyon along the reservior. The campground had been evacuated and no boats were on the water - not a normal sight for a sunny Saturday.

When we entered Santa Clara, we saw parking areas that were filled with RVs and boats that had been evacuated from the threatened area.


 

Picking up the pace

We need to be in southern California on Sunday. This morning we left Ferndale and put some miles behind us. (We have only been traveling 60-150 miles per day since Port Angeles, WA.)

We traveled US 101 through more of the Redwood Forest. We have seen lots of trees and the giants still fascinate us.

We drove through the wine country of Sonoma County. We were awed by the acres of vineyards. Most vines were heavy with grapes.


Then we skirted the San Francisco bay area and picked up I-5. The trip down I-5 was scenic in a very different way -- NO TREES to speak of. Hills & mountains covered with golden grass and miles of Wind Farms.

As we traveled further south, we began seeing more vineyards and orchards. We camped at Patterson, south of Modesto in a fairly new park - Kit Fox RV Park.




 

More forms of Redwood

We drove through the small town of Scotia. It is a company town owned by Pacific Lumber Company. The mill is not currently open for tours but had a self-guided tour about fisheries and stream conservation efforts.

We saw the acres of redwood lumber in drying stacks. We also saw many log trucks entering the mill with their loads of freshly cut redwoods.

The last example is the photograph of the William Carson house in Eureka, CA. From 1885 dates what must surely be the most notable building in Eureka, Carson Mansion (143 M Street), now a mens club. William Carson, a timber wholesaler and one of the richest citizens of Eureka, had this Victorian house built, mainly of redwood; its numerous pre-fabricated, almost Gothic-looking wood carvings and painted windows, together with its many interlocked sections, give it a unique appearance. Carson House stands on a raised plot and can be seen from afar when you approach it along second Street 

Driving through the Redwoods

Today we drove south along the 31 mile "Avenue of the Redwoods". Besides the protected National & State Forest lands, there are many oddities along the route.

We learned that Redwoods are usually not killed by fire. They contain enough water and no resin that the fire cannot consume the tree.

No, we did not drive through these trees but today's compact to mid-size vehicles could.

Some of the 'drive-thru' trees of the days before protection (1968) still remain on private lands. Those trees still have living burls or tops even though the heart has been removed or burned.

The Chimney Tree was a small gift shop in it's former life.