Napa Wineries and the Culinary Institute of America

 

A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.

 

What a whirlwind adventure we are having.  Finding time to read and write blogs has been difficult but I’m trying to keep up.  After all if I don’t keep up with the writing, I’ll get way behind.  That’s my incentive to keep current.

They have remotes for my GoPro Hero Camera!!

We stayed in Vallejo two nights.  Part of the plan while there was to take the ferry across San Francisco Bay to the main ferry terminal.  We didn’t make it.  We did make it to the terminal in Vallejo but weren’t interested in going the day we had planned.  It was overcast with occasional showers.  Matter of fact, it was the only day that was overcast and the only day that had showers.  We didn’t think that would be the best day to cruise by the Golden Gate Bridge or take another peak at Alcatraz.  After all, what kind of pictures would we get?

On our way back to the motorhome we drove by an area that had been blocked off with a SWAT team, dozens of police cars and a helicopter hovering.  That was our excitement but we certainly weren’t interested in getting too close to anything like that.  

Napa Elks 

After two nights at the Elks we moved on down the road to the Napa Elks.  Now that’s a nice Elks and we have a perfect spot.  The RV park there is even a “gated” community.  Since it was only a 15 mile drive north, we were in our site and ready to check out the surrounding area pretty early.

There is so much to see in the Napa Valley. The wineries are gorgeous. Fields and fields of grapes wind up and down the hills and along most of the roadways. There must be hundreds of wineries all competing for the tourist trade. We walked through several of them and checked out the gift shops and the wine barrels. No …. we didn’t do any wine tasting. We more interested in being fed than wined. We had a late lunch at the Greystone’s Culinary Institute of America.

Like I said there are hundreds of gorgeous wineries around here. We intend to check many of them out while we’re here. Along with the wines there are other things to taste. Dipping oils, sauces, mustards and jams are common. This is definitely a place for people who like food and we love food.

The highlight of the day was definitely the stop at the CIA …. Culinary Institute of America. First we had to check out the gift shop and what a gift shop that was. Just about everything a chef would need was for sale. These weren’t the items you’d find at Wal-Mart either. Terry found a couple little things he had to have …. of course.

Beringer's Winery

Culinary Institute of America

We almost were tempted to get some of the chocolates the chefs put out.  However, we were on our way to lunch so didn’t taste any but we sure enjoyed looking at them.  I’m guessing they were very, very rich.

Top notch chef accessories

Chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates.

Lunch?  The menu was limited but it had something on it for everyone from appetizers to starters and entrees to desserts.  Then, they had the main selection of the day with a choice of entree.  That’s what we both ordered because it was a full course lunch.

 

Appetizer -- Potato	Butternut Squash Soup
Terry's hamburger	My Chicken

It was wonderful. It was expensive but the food and service were amazing.  What a fantastic dining experience it was. However, we were now stuffed and tired.  It was time to head back to the motorhome for a much needed nap.

We may have been mighty full but we couldn’t pass on the crème brulee.

So, we're now at one more place where we'll be following the 2-2-2 plan.  

Phyllis had mentioned the other day in a comment she left that their 2-2-2 plan wasn't for staying two days but for staying two weeks!  Now that one we'd rarely be able to follow!

‘Tis life on the road.

A Trip to Santa Cruz

Trying to be someone you're not is a waste of the person you are

Instead of waking up to another beautiful sunny day, on Monday the fog had rolled in.  The fog was already starting to lift when we headed out.  We were thankful for that but we also knew clouds were expected to roll in by early afternoon.  We still wanted to take another trip to the beach but this time we were going to head a little north of Monterey.  We were going to take a “quick” trip to Santa Cruz.

Lots of fog but no fog horn !

Artichoke Capital

Loved this little farm

It had been many years since either of us had been to Santa Cruz.  It had been so many years we couldn't remember much about the town.  Well, we knew that the beach had a boardwalk, lots of rides and was pretty popular for water sports.  We also knew it was well known for the younger crowd during spring break, summers and weekends the place would be packed.  

Santa Cruz was only 35 miles from where our motorhome was parked.  We couldn’t pass it by this time.  We had already skipped it in October when we were flying down the coast.  Well, we weren’t really flying but we were on a mission to get to Pismo Beach and pick up the new inverter we had ordered after our other one had died. (By the way ... Pismo Beach and Monterey are two of our favorite stops.)

One thing I have to admit is that it sure is pleasant being in this part of the country right now. We left the Arizona desert just before the hot, hot temperatures arrived.  Temperatures are definitely cooler along the California coast.  It is "cooler" but definitely not cold.

There were a few people on the beach at Santa Cruz but not very many. There were also a few people on the pier but not very many there either. However, it was early, cool and it was a Monday. We saw more sea otters than we saw people but that was really a good thing.  It was still before noon and it was cloudy.  That may have had something to do with not having a crowd.

 

This group of otters looked like they were still napping.

I read Donna K’s comment about the sea otters at Moss Landing just after we had returned from there.  That really was a great place to stop.  Not only did we see more of them, we also found a great place to walk along the beach. 

Other than that we made a few more stops on the way back to our RV.  One stop was at a fruit stand.  We had noticed several of these  on the way to Santa Cruz so on the way way back we made a point to stop at one of them.  We bought some butternut squash for 49 cents a pound. Terry picked up some luscious strawberries and I loaded up with grapefruit.

Another stop was to take a look at a few “interesting” motorcycles.

It was just a short detour to also swing by and pick up something for Sabrina.  We should have bought it yesterday when we were in Monterey but we didn’t.  We had never seen a similar t-shirt.  I should have known Sabrina would want it.  She did so we made a stop back to pick it up.   This is what Justin does for the Navy so, of course, she had to have it.

Cryptologic Technician ..  

We ended the day with a trip to Home Depot for a new water hose (which we discovered leaks).  Home Depot happened to be next door to Famous Dave’s.  Guess where we went for dinner?

We spent two nights at the Salinas Elks.  That’s what we said we’d do and we actually stuck with it. (There you go, Paul!!)  Tuesday morning we decided to head a little farther north … 126 miles.  We moved just north of San Francisco to the Elks in Vallejo.  I think we’re going to be hitting that 2-2-2 thing again.  We did arrive by 2:00, drove under 200 miles and will be here for two nights.  I think we’re doing good.  No ... we're doing great!

What are we going to do here?  Not much ... we have one day with a little moisture heading this way so we thought we'd just sit it out and let it pass us by.  Thursday we move again.  Napa Valley here we come.

‘Tis life on the road.

Monterey and the Pacific Ocean

My husband and I were yearning for the pitter patter of little feet so we got a dog - it's cheaper and you get more feet.

We had arrived at Paso Robles about 1:00 Saturday.  Our timing was good and Tehachapi and the deserts were behind us.  We had considered making a trip to the Hearst Castle from there but didn’t.  We had considered doing that on the way south last October but didn’t do it then either.  So, that place is still on our bucket list but not really very high up.  I’ve heard it’s fantastic so …. sometime  .. maybe.

Ever changing scenery!

The scenery continues to change.  After desert living for the last few months, it sure is nice to see all this greenery and tall, tall trees.  Driving From Paso Robles north on Sunday morning was a snap.  We felt like we were traveling through a garden.  Grapes seemed to be the main crop when we first started out in the morning.  It was definitely wine country with many rolling hills with rows and rows of grape vines.  The farther north we traveled the more the crops changed.  We felt we were in a salad bowl.  There were no mountains to cross, traffic was light and the roads were good.  Total mileage was about 84 miles …. not bad, right?

Golf Course View from our front window

We hadn’t really intended to stop at the Salinas Elks but we did.  The Elks is right off the freeway and we have been here before.  It’s really in a convenient location and you could say we’re living on a golf course now as the view from our front window is just that  --  a golf course!

Admin at Naval Postgraduate School

After getting settled we drove the 20 miles to Monterey.  We LOVE Monterey.  One place we wanted to check out was the Naval Postgraduate School.  What a beautiful campus!  The grounds were lush and it sits in a perfect location …. just a short distance from the Pacific Ocean and gorgeous sand beaches.

 

Next stop was the wharf area and Cannery Row.  We seem to forget that when we visit these touristy towns we should do it during the week and not on the weekends.  The place was packed.  Every place around was packed.  Finding a parking spot was difficult and we weren’t about to park in any of the lots since the flat rate was $20 a day.  That’s the same rate many RV parks charge to stay overnight, plug into electricity, fill up the tanks with water and dump!!  All we wanted was a spot for an hour or so.  We had no intention of homesteading.

Are sardines really that popular?  We don't eat them.  Can't imagine a whole restaurant named after sardines!  We didn't visit.

So our travel on Sunday was less than 200  miles, we arrived before 2:00 and we’ll stay at least two days.  And, to think …. some of you thought we couldn’t do it.

We don’t know how long we’ll be here.  Monday we’re off for a little day trip to Santa Cruz.  We haven’t been there in years and years and years.

Time to tear down some buildings!

Do you think everything is covered?

‘Tis life on the road.

Calico Ghost Town and Tehachapi

 

A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.

 

Now I’m not so sure we would have gone a long way out of our way to visit a touristy ghost town.  This one was just twelve short miles from the RV park we were staying in Barstow.  We had read about it before and thought it was a perfect time to visit.   That’s what we did on Friday.

If you're interested, you can click to enlarge the map and information.

The place is huge.  In 1881 this town came into existent with the largest silver strike in California with over $20 million worth of silver being mined.  It was a booming town.  The town had 500 mines and folks came from all over hoping to strike it rich with the silver coming out of this place.  Some did and some didn’t.     When silver lost its value in the mid-1890's, Calico lost its population.  The miner's packed up, loaded their mules and moved away abandoning the town and the dreams of richness.  It became a "ghost town."   

We weren’t here to look for wealth.  After all, we were a little late for that.  Some of the abandoned buildings have been restored.  They have just about everything to entertain folks and bring them in.  There’s even an RV park on property with admission to the ghost town included in the price of the nightly fee.

 

Stone houses were built over individual mine entrances.  They lived in the homes and protected their claims at the same time.

Calico Ghost Town has also been the setting for several wild west and Disney movies.  I mentioned the other day my cousin was a trainer for Disney.  He was in Calico during the filming of one of Disney’s movies.  His job was to take care of the cougars that were used in the movie they were making.

The weather was perfect and we entertained ourselves scoping out the town, taking a train ride and having lunch.  Now we can say …… been there, done that.

On the way back we passed by the McDonalds at Barstow Station.  Had we not already had lunch we probably would have stopped here.  It’s definitely different from all the other hamburger places we’ve seen.  We've never seen a McDonald's in a train car.

We made one more stop.  This time it was to take a look at this monster of a tank.  The tank was used during the Vietnam War.  He’s smiling at you … well, kind of.

It was time to think about getting back on the road again. Saturday was the planned day.  The winds were so strong Friday night they kept us awake as we rocked and rolled.  About 2AM the wind was still blowing strong.  We made the decision then to just stick around another day.  Saturday definitely wouldn't be a travel day with winds like that especially since the Tehachapi Pass was right in front of us.

Did you know there were oilfields in this part of California?

Things changed though when I woke up at 5 AM and the super strong winds had moved along.  It looked like that original departure time was back on schedule.  According to our favorite weather website, it looked like the best time to hit the pass was between 9 and 11 AM.  That was our window.  We figured we could be through the pass and even have Bakersfield behind us by then.  We were hoping we were right.  As we approached Tehachapi the roadside warning sign was lit up indicating super strong winds were ahead and travel was not recommended for RVs.  We were sure the sign was still lit from the night before.  We also knew later in the day that sign would also be necessary.  Needless to say, we were happy to have the pass behind us.

A little after 1:00 we pulled into our new spot at Camp Roberts  on Hwy 101. For $10 we had full hookups and a great site.  The terrain had definitely changed, the sun was shining and I took a long nap. We could even feel  a little bit of that ocean air.   Things are certainly changing.

~~~~~~~~

On Thursday we left the Parker, Arizona area.  It was hot!  The temperatures were expected to push 100 degrees.  It seemed summer was arriving much earlier than normal and we didn't have any interest in sticking around. We have taken many different routes to and from Arizona.  In our opinion there is nothing scenic about this route.  It seems we were constantly either climbing or descending.  On the plus side though the roads were good and the traffic light.

Are we sticking to our two-two-two plan?  Our arrival time was before 2:00 PM and we drove 250  miles but we're not staying two nights.  This is just a stop off.  We're still heading a little farther north before we settle in for a bit. One thing about traveling through this part of California in March ... there is no snow and the weather can certainly be nice (or not).

‘Tis life on the road.

RVers Two-Two-Two Rule

 

California is a fine place to live - if you happen to be an orange.

 

 

We left our RV park on the Colorado River Thursday morning just before 8:00 AM.  First we wanted to fill up with fuel   We figured fuel prices in Arizona were certainly a lot cheaper than California.  We definitely wanted to top that tank off.  The first gas station we noticed as we approached Needles had a sign showing a price of $4.99 a gallon for unleaded.  That station was just off the freeway so it may have been the highest in town but we didn’t venture in that town so couldn’t check the rest out.  However, that one was about $1.30 more than on the Arizona side in Parker.   It will definitely be interesting to watch those prices as we travel west and then northward through California.  We’ve already looked at GasBuddy.Com but sometimes the best stations aren’t in our path.  We did check out the price at the station just around the corner from our current RV park.  Unleaded is $3.93 and we don’t think that’s bad since it is California.

It had been a couple years since we had taken the route north on Hwy 95 to Needles and then west on I-40 to Barstow.  On the 200 miles we drove we seemed to be constantly either climbing a hill or going down a hill.  The roads were good and the traffic was light but those hills were all the way.  I can’t say that’s our favorite route west.   Everyone has a favorite way of going from one point to another.  So far I think I liked the way we headed to Arizona the best …. via Pismo Beach.

We did see a couple boondocking sites.  One wasn’t far from the post office in “Wyatt’ Earp, CA.  The boondocking site had about 15 RVs on it and was located about six miles from the town of Parker!  (Toni … take note!).  We’ll probably check that one a little more thoroughly next year.

 

It was interesting to check the temperature differences between Parker and Barstow.  Late in the day when Parker was sizzling at 97, Barstow was warm at 81.  Now that 16 degrees difference sure makes a difference in your enjoyment of a day.  Friday the temperature difference will almost reach 20 degrees when Parker pushes the 100 degree mark.

Some RVers have a two-two-two rule.  We’ve never tried to stick to that but this year we’re going to try to abide by it.  It shortens the travel days and makes each day more enjoyable.  We’ve been known to have some mighty long travel days including several that even topped the 600 mile mark.  We’re determined not to do that this year.  So, our goal is to travel about two hundred miles, arrive by 2:00 and stay at least two days.  Let’s see if we stick to it ….. so far so good.

How does it feel to be moving again?  It feels good!  A couple nights in this location and Tehachapi here we come.

We’ve exchanged palm trees for pine trees.

‘Tis life on the road.

Timing Our Northward Trek

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.

One thing I really like about having a blog is that it’s easy to check back to see what we did when we did it.   The most recent  information I was looking for was where we were this time of year in the past.  Were we heading north too early?  Was it earlier or later  when we finally started our northward trek? I checked it out and now I have the answers.

Last year at this time we were getting ready to venture into southern Utah for a visit to Zion and Bryce.  A few weeks later on April 5th we crossed the border into Washington State and we were there before Easter.  Sometimes when we start heading north, we start getting a little anxious to get there and that's what happened then.

The year before during the middle of March we  were in Las Vegas checking out all the great buffets and casinos..  Terry, Jerry and Jim took their “famous” ride on the New York New York roller coaster.  We didn’t enter Washington until the 25th of April.  However, having someone rearend me had something to do with the timing especially since we had to return to Phoenix to have the car repaired.

In 2010 we were still in Yuma the middle of March but when we turned that motorhome north, we made good time.  We arrived in Washington March 28th which was even earlier yet and much earlier than we wanted to be. However, this was also the year we had to return early for Terry's cancer surgery.   I think it’s like being on a horse and heading for the barn.  That was the year of the drag racing motorhomes when two Canadian RVers were trying to make it to the border before their time was up.  Terry was caught in the middle and the motorhome passenger mirror was damaged.   

We don’t really have any certain time we have to be across that border into Washington.  We figure March is a little early because it’s cold and rainy.  It still could be cold and rainy in April but the middle of that month usually seems to work for us regardless of the weather and that’s only about a month away.  Heck … it could be cold and rainy in June!!  This year we still need to make a trip back to Phoenix mid-May to pick up our Liberty and drive it north too. 

I found an interesting  website.   The site tracks current weather, warnings, advisories and traffic conditions.  Highways are colored green if conditions are good and red if gridlocked.  Roads where chains are required are obvious.  Even local webcams can be viewed by clicking on the map.  I thought it was a pretty nifty little travel tool so I just bookmarked it.   Check it out and see what you think. It is localconditions.com.

We forgot Tuesday night bingo!! We can't believe we forgot about it especially when we won the last two times we went.  How could we forget??   We did.  We could hang around and try again Thursday night but the plan is to hit the road that morning. It's that hitch itch thing.  We had an appointment Wednesday with Shade Pro.  The latch on our awning broke so we couldn't leave earlier.  Our repair person was here on time and the awning is now road-ready and so are we.

The next header photo you see might be one of the Mojave Desert ... or maybe not.  We don't have any reservations anyplace until the 24th of March and that's in Petaluma so we have about ten days to change our plans around and I'm sure we will.

With hot temperatures closing in on us I fixed myself a yummy cool drink.  I love these fruit smoothies and I love the little Ninja I have to fix them in.  They are fast, easy and so good.  This one was made with a banana, frozen strawberries and ice cubes along with a little liquid (water or diet 7-up).



** Best news of the day ***   Justin has reported in.  He seems to be having the time of his life.  He's seeing the world and being paid to do it.  In the last month he's visited Portugal, Spain and Italy. Who knows where he's at now !!

His ship was featured as a Mighty Ship by the Smithsonian Channel.   The USS Gravely is a guided missile destroyer and is the very definition of a fighting ship. She's the youngest warship in the US Navy's fleet and she's armed with everything from Tomahawk cruise missiles to attack helicopters. The ship is not only loaded with the latest space-age technology, it's also carrying very precious cargo ....... my grandson!

‘Tis life on the road.

Shall We Make a Run For It?

 

The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.

We made a quick trip to Quartzsite on Sunday.  We figured it would look pretty dead after all the January crowds left.  We were right too. 

There were some motorhomes and RVs still for sale on some of the dealer lots but not very many.  Many of the lots were vacant or at least nearly vacant.  Most of the RV lots in town looked deserted.  However, there were still a few still hanging on to their winter visitors.  The Plomosa Road boondocking area was nearly deserted but just down the road at Hi Jolly the boondockers were still there.

La Mesa RV  … gone! 

A few die hard vendors were still hanging around for those last of the season purchases.  Most had already closed up shop or were getting close to shutting down.  The streets were pretty empty.  It was amazing how easy it was to get across the roads and no problem at all finding a parking spot.

 

We stopped at Silly Al’s Pizza and grabbed one of their Bruschetta pizzas to go.  They put out an amazing Bruschetta pizza and there was no way we were going to leave town without one.  That’s definitely it for this season in Quartzsite.  

Perhaps, we’ll visit again in the fall  … but who knows what the fall will bring.

Empty roads

 On Monday we could tell some of the weekend crowd had headed out.  Not as many speed boats are racing up and down the river.  However, we’re still thinking it’s spring break time. Both of the pools are packed.  It’s so different than just a few days ago.  It is definitely the season for spring break and all schools don’t celebrate theirs at the same time.  I’m guessing from now until about the second week in April all the parks along the river will probably be one mighty busy place.

We also decided to run the Jeep through the car wash in Parker.  You certainly don’t want to wash your vehicle around here without using filtered water or you’ll end up with white water spots all over it.    Woody’s car wash in Parker has an aisle for washing motorhomes.  They’ll tell you they filter their water but do they?  We’re glad we washed the Jeep first as we ended up with white spots all over the paint and the windows.  We figured it was probably not a good idea to drive the motorhome to that car wash before we left the area as we had previously planned.  We had enough trouble just getting the white spots off the Jeep.  We’re glad we checked it out first for sure!

It was just a short time ago we were complaining about the weather. The weather was much cooler than we wanted so we complained. We were having a lot of cool weather and more wind and rain than we wanted. Well, the weather has definitely turned. Matter of fact, this week is going to bring a totally different reason to complain. Depending on what weather site you’re looking at the temperatures are forecast to be creeping into the mid-90’s and even closer to 100 by Thursday. We could run for it since we’re due to move out soon anyway or we could just stay put and move during the middle of that heat. With us …. only time will tell.

‘Tis life on the road.