Channel Islands National Park, CA

Our son Michael suggested we check this place out. I’m soooo glad we did! Getting there is fun, too. I made reservations on a boat that takes passengers to Santa Cruz Island, the largest of all the Channel Islands. The boat ride takes about 45 minutes.

Our brother in law Ed Rapp and his son, who is our nephew, joined us. The captain of the boat was really cool. He stopped occasionally to point out wildlife on the open sea.

I learned that seals do not have ear flaps, and sea lions do. Sea lions are generally more noisy!

Once arriving at the Santa Cruz island, we helped Ed off the boat and prepared for our hike.

Ed has a great outlook on life. He says that he may not be able to do all the things he wants to do, but he is going to do all of the things he can do. Amen, brother!

So Ed stayed back and explored part of the park, while Phil, Terry and I took off for Potato Harbor. The hike is a moderate 5 mile walk with some elevation. Wait for killer views!

We followed the trail, which climbed quickly to the very edge of the cliff. The weather was pretty cloudy, but the views were breathtaking!

The Channel Islands are home to 145 species of plants and animals that are found nowhere else on earth. Many species adapted over time to the isolated environment. The Channel Island fox is one of them.

The hike brought us to Potato Harbor, which is basically potato shaped. The cliffs are quite steep. Many of the trails were closed to protect nesting seabirds.

The three of us enjoyed a snack, and then I embarrassed the men and busted out the selfie stick.

All in good fun, of course. Hiking back was great, too. The island is very quiet and remote. Nobody inhabits Santa Cruz, but there are campers, day visitors, and conservationists who come to appreciate and learn about this special place.

The trip got even better when we spotted 2 Humpback whales!

Ok, I know it’s hard to see, but it was a great moment!

Anyway, here we are on the way back to Ventura Pier.

I drove these rowdy sailors back home and made dinner for the group. Thank God for me!! 😂

If you ever have an opportunity to visit Channel Islands National Park, don’t miss out. It’s a wonderful experience!

Camarillo CA

Thanksgiving was spent with extended family in California. The weather has been sunny and in the 80’s. Very unusual for a couple of midwesterners.

I don’t mind doing dishes with this view!

The tables were set with loving care as the food was being prepared by expert cooks.

The food was fantastic! We enjoyed being with a new group of people. Everyone was interested in our rideandseek adventure, and we were happy to share our experiences. Did I mention blueberry, pumpkin, apple pies, lemon tart, cheesecake, and apple dumplings? Breakfast of champions for the day after, too.

Terry and I are thankful for so many things; but today especially we thank our host, Mary Taylor and her brother (our brother in law) Ed Rapp. It was a lovely celebration!

On Friday we decided that some exercise would be a good idea, so we went to Ventura Pier to do some walking. Oh, fish tacos and beer was involved, as well.

And the flowers…I can’t get enough of the beauty!

And fruit right on the trees!

And a farmers’ market with local grown produce. Complete with a tamale stand👍.<<
We ended our day with a glass of wine and a magnificent sunset.

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I’m thankful for all of my family, friends, and my ability to reach out and share my experiences with you.

Pismo Beach, CA

California is a a huge state with diverse ecosystems. I’ve seen Redwood forests, volcanoes, deserts, rugged coastlines, sandy beaches and more. It is an incredible place. And I have enjoyed every place we have visited. However, arriving in Pismo Beach really put me in a “California State of Mind.”

You already know from my previous posts that I’m a sunshine girl. I just feel better when I’ve got sunshine on my shoulders. Well, we have plenty of that here. ☀️

Our plan was to stay at North Beach campground. I had tried to make a reservation, but the California website for making reservations was not cooperative. At all. In fact, I wanted to throw my phone out the window over this. So instead of being foolish, I foolishly suggested we just drive to the campground and try a first come first served spot. It has worked in the past. Not this time. I forgot it is a holiday week. 🍗

Plan B. Holiday RV park. Jammed with BIG rigs. Yes, bigger than PeeWee.

Not the outdoor camping experience we prefer, but at least it’s not Walmart.

No fires at night, but the beach is a short walk from here. The smell of the ocean and sound of the waves is always soothing. And the sunset!!

There is a Monarch butterfly sanctuary near the beach. It was packed with butterflies and tourists.

I’m remembering our family thanksgivings in Palatine. What wonderful celebrations we had! Lots of family and friends coming together to give thanks and start the holiday season together! Those were memorable times. Our plans for this Thanksgiving include spending time with 2 extended family members and meeting new people, too. I would be remiss to mention that I’m homesick and lonely. Still, I’m full of gratitude for this beautiful day.

Peace and love to all of you💕

Monterey CA

How can you stay on the Monterey Peninsula on a shoestring? Camp at Veterans Park, right in Monterey. How can you play golf with an ocean view and not pay 400$ a round? Play Pacific Grove Municipal Course. Ok, so it’s not Pebble Beach, but my game is ok with that.

We had a great time, and the back nine had some sweet views.

The sunsets here are lovely! But so early!

Today was really fun. My morning run was quite challenging. I took off on a trail and ended up climbing UP! I needed a good butt-kickin’ anyway.

Highway 1 runs along the California coast. The drive from Monterey to Big Sur is about 26 miles, so we set out in the Toad. Mountains, sea cliffs, and endless blue ocean views! I will never forget this experience.

Big Sur is not an actual town. It is really an area. So basically from Carmel down the coast is called Big Sur.

We stopped at Monastery Beach for a romantic walk. ❤️

We explored the town of Carmel by the Sea. It’s a lovely place with “beach cottages” that are probably out of my budget. 😳

Last stop, Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. It’s a lively place that bustles with tourists and locals. Restaurants tempt you with samples of their seafood chowder.

How could I resist seafood chowder with NO BACON!! Yay!!

So now we are back with PeeWee. It was an especially beautiful day, and I’m feeling grateful to have had this quintessential California experience. ☀️

Coyote Lake, Gilroy CA

We left Stephanie and Jack in SF and then headed down the 101 toward Coyote Lake. The weather was sunny and mild, and although we were sad to say goodbye to the kids, our spirits were high. Terry and I like being out in the country, in a spacious campsite where we can relax and get to know our surroundings. Once we got up the very long, steep, winding road, we pulled in and set up camp.

Then, Terry got sick. Really sick. You don’t want details here. But after 3 days of whatever bug he had, we ended up at St. Louise hospital. He received 2 bags of IV fluids and a prescription. Our next 2 nights were spent in a hotel. Poor guy; he was miserable! But the good news is that he has recovered. He is still a little weak, but he thinks he might be able to beat me in golf today.

No, this is not Gilroy. It’s Pebble Beach. And NO we are not playing golf here. But we are in sunny Monterey, and we are playing golf today at Pacific Grove. The Pebble Beach photo was taken while we had a cocktail and calamari overlooking the 18th hole. There is a tournament there, and we watched the last group finish.

Terry is tough. If I were the one to have gotten sick like that, I would have made his life miserable too. Getting sick on the road is not like being in your own sticks and bricks home. The creature comforts that we want when we are sick just aren’t the same in an RV. So maybe I will let Terry beat me in golf today. 😉

Update: Terry won the front and I won the back. 👍⛳️

Half Moon Bay, CA

Finally! Stephanie and Jack arrived Thursday evening! I’m so happy to be with them, even if we are sharing 400 square feet. Luckily the weather was good, so we spent most of the time outside.

The campsite was quite small, but we were close to the beach. The waves were huge!

Oh and I neglected to mention that Terry drove PeeWee and the Toad across the Golden Gate Bridge! It was such a wonderful experience (for me). 😉

Terry and I had not been in a city since August. Visiting San Francisco and staying in a hotel was fabulous!! On Saturday, Jack and Terry played golf, and I got to spend the day with my girl!❤️

On Sunday, the 4 of us went to Haight-Ashbury . The architecture of SF is beautiful!

Haight-Ashbury is still a lively, funky area. There are lots of hippie type shops that cater to tourists looking for Jerry Garcia’s house. I’m one of them. Here is a photo of me standing in front of the house Jerry lived in sometime during the Summer of Love.

The best part of the day was seeing San Francisco from Twin Peaks. The views were amazing! Lots of tourists speaking lots of languages.

I busted out the selfie stick. Why didn’t I invent that?

How lucky were we to have sunshine and 70 degrees!

I’m still in love with my man Terry. Maybe even more now than ever. We depend on each other, but we maintain our own interests. We have deep, meaningful conversations. And we both agree that we are blessed to have a wonderful family and dear friends.

BTW; we bought tickets to Chicago for the holidays. 12/13-1/06.

Napa, California

There is something enchanting about Napa. The land is alive with vineyards and orchards, so much that it has its own special energy.

The weather was overcast and kind of rainy while we were here, but it did not stop us from having fun.

These pictures were taken from my morning run. I️ had forgotten how much I️ dislike running hills. And oh, there are hills here.

The town of Napa is nice. Lots of high end stores, breweries and wine tasting rooms.

Also, specialty chocolates💕but they spelled my name wrong.

There was a film festival, but we didn’t see any celebrities. Not that we would have recognized any of them!

If I️ ever come back here, I️ want to ride this train.

Imagine riding an old time train, sitting with a glass of wine and looking out the window at vineyards as far as your eyes can see. Bonus: someone else is driving. 🍷👍

Lake Solano

This quiet campground is near the quaint town of Winters, California. The days have been sunny and around 60 degrees. Nights are chilly and 40ish. This area is very agricultural, with acres of orchards and vegetable crops. I️ really enjoy seeing where my food is grown!

The strangest thing I️ have seen so far is that this campground is home to at least 50 peacocks! I️ thought they would be skittish, but they are anything but! This show-off came right up to my chair!Today was a “normal” day. Morning run (I’m not as routine about this😬) and laundry in town.

I️ love the view from the bridge over Putah Creek (yes, I️ know). When John Fogerty of CCR wrote the song “Green River,” this is the place he was referring to.

Daylight savings time is really weird with this lifestyle. If we are in a campground with a fire ban, we can’t just sit outside in the dark. And it’s dark at 6pm! So we play a lot of card games, Yahtzee, and Scrabble. I️ usually lose. And then we have DVD’s. Get Shorty is Terry’s favorite. I’m a little tired of that one…😉

So it’s not always climbing mountains and hiking through rain forests. What it is to me is a chance to learn about new places, meet new people, and reconnect and rediscover what is truly special in my life. It’s not always in my comfort zone, but I’m ok with that.

Rustic and Remote

Ok, this is awesome!! Nobody around for miles!! Campsite with fire ring, level surface, and it’s FREE.

We are at Cowboy Camp, near Rumsey, California. It’s all gold and mountainous. This is the kind of place where you can really relax. Because there is basically nothing to do.

We went on a hike, of course. The entire loop is 9.4 miles, but we said Oh Hell No to that. What we walked was lovely.

We are dry camping, so once again lots of conservation and quick showers. If I even bother…

I thought it best to show you a picture of a wildflower instead of me. I’m looking a little rough around the edges these days.

Anyway, Terry and I are doing well. We eat healthy food and read a lot. Stephanie and Jack are coming to see us next week!! I’m sooooo excited!! We need a little action in our routine. 😉

From Terry:

We’re primitive camping now. The balance between having electric and water and primitive is important from a budget perspective. It’s been tough to keep to the $600 per month in campground fees- and we’re never in the lap of luxury. Not to complain-sunset is coming.

Lassen National Park

This was an epic experience. This park is in a remote area of Northern California, but it’s worth the effort to get there. Although we did not actually camp there, we made a day trip to climb Lassen Peak. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if Terry was going to go for this. But I was dead wrong! He was badass!!

The ride through the park to get to the trailhead was beautiful. Lassen is a volcanic area, and Lassen Peak erupted in 1914. There is an entire area they call “the devastated area” because it’s just that. It’s an eerie sight. The peak itself is intimidating.

The trail is one way up and back. We took off with high hopes of making the summit, but we both agreed to take it slow and if it didn’t work, it’s still great.

The wind was chilly, but oh that beautiful sun! The elevation gain right from the start warmed us up.

The views were incredible. The trail was well maintained and did I mention ELEVATION?? Yikes!!

Terry was a great hiking partner today! All I can say is his mojo was definitely working!

So the view toward the summit was daunting. No stopping now!

Yes!!!! Now time for a sandwich. Of course I had been thinking about it since the beginning.

2 happy oldsters. Now to get down the mountain.

Great day! Relaxation and Advil is next. Thanks for following us as we find our way …