Reminiscing in San Diego, CA…

We have stayed in San Diego many times over the past eight years and have for the most part always enjoyed excellent sunny and mostly warmer weather. That is not the case this year… Sigh!

Our first 7 to 10 days mostly lived up to our expectations but then a cold front out of Alaska came this far south and dumped snow on the mountains around San Diego and rain on our park. It has been much of the same off and on ever since that first front came through.

Mind you when daytime temperatures are mostly in the very low 60’s we’d still be ok but with the coastal breeze and moisture in the air near the coast it has felt colder than it is. Throw in the fact that it has also been cloudy most days and has rained a whole lot. In fact, I read that San Diego had more rainfall than Seattle Washington did in the month of November!

It has us discussing the likelihood of us ever returning to San Diego. Not only is the weather cooler than normal but the since we were last here the price for our stay has gone up about 35%. Gas prices are around the $4.00 per gallon mark, craft beer pints are $7 to $10 for a pint unless we search to find more affordable happy hour pricing and groceries in general are higher too

Another disappointment is the appearance of our RV park.  Three years ago we knew that the City would be relinquishing the park to the neighboring Camp Land RV park.  Little did we know that during the changeover which finally occurred while we have been here, the city would quit watering the grass and keeping up the landscaping.

The facilities are locked up and broken down. Even the little snack bar is gone. Our walk around the park and the bay is not as appealing because in the three years we have been gone, the empty park model homes have not been removed so they have been vandalized and it’s just depressing to see.

That being said, when there are nice days we are able to fully enjoy those days. We have ridden our bikes all along the bay as well as over to the nearby stores of Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Vons for our grocery shopping. We have also ridden over to Ocean Beach or Mission Beach to ride along the boardwalk to enjoy the sounds and sights of the Pacific Ocean surf. And where else can we buy an almond based delectable dip called bitchin sauce???

Thankfully we have found a few nice happy hours in the area such as at a new Coronado Brewing location by our park, Rock Bottom when we are in La Jolla, OB Noodle House at Ocean Beach and the Draft House in Mission Beach. Coinciding happy hour with the time for the sun to set over the ocean has made the Draft House one of our very favorite places to be for happy hours!

While we do still love a lot about San Diego we both have come to the realization that it is in all likelihood our last time to be in this part of Southern California…

NOTE: We are currently in San Diego CA until Dec. 28th before spending the most of the rest of the winter in Arizona…

Every Town has a Story–Henderson NC…

We sure enjoyed our two night stay at Kerr Lake, North Carolina. When we left our friend's farm we knew we were going to be traveling one more long leg to be able to see Katie, our daughter, in Raleigh for the weekend. Katie wants her mom to help her pick out wedding dresses so we decided to move south about 250 miles to Kerr Lake so we would only be about 100 miles away from our stop near Raleigh.

We scored an absolutely beautiful waterfront site in Bullocksville Park one of the many parks at Lake Kerr. It is part of the North Carolina State Park System. At only $20.00 per night for 50 amp and water hookups it is a steal. I had to reserve it on Reserve America where they add an additional $6.00 reservation fee but I was treated to an additional bonus I didn’t expect. North Carolina parks give a nightly discount to Seniors at age 62 and older. A discount of $6.00 per night made our two night stay only $17.00 per night!!!! Thanks, North Carolina State Park System!

We knew there wouldn’t be much to do in this area but with the first day mostly consumed as a travel day there was only one remaining day to explore the area. The only town of any size near the park is Henderson North Carolina which after doing a web search didn’t have a lot to offer. However it is our belief that every town has a story. So what did we find in Henderson NC?

Roadside America pointed us to a an unparalleled roadside attraction. A local concrete artist and backhoe contactor named Ricky Pearce was the creator. The legs are 17 ft. high and weigh 160,000 pounds. “Inspired by Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, local artist Ricky Pearce created these legs and across the street a pair of heels to go with them. The sculpture is called “Reminiscing,” which can be seen written if you walk beneath an arch while making your way around the legs. “ The kitsch in this artist rendering are the large bush(es) at the rear of the sculpture. Art? Tacky? Rude? Quirky? Who knows, but it certainly was interesting.

Back at Bullocksville Park there were excellent roads and trails for walking around. The park is heavily wooded and the lake views are superb. We spotted a Bald Eagle a few times soaring over the lake but our last evening I was sitting outside birdwatching and seeing the typical summer southeastern birds. Next I saw a group of Turkey Vultures soaring close by and dropping down to land on the lake’s shoreline.

Then I remembered a large dead stripped bass there and as I looked with my binoculars I confirmed what I thought, they were scavenging the dead fish. Suddenly they scattered and it was because the Bald Eagle flew in to land in a nearby tree. I slipped inside to grab my camera and snapped a few photos including one where it looked like the Eagle was smiling at me. The Eagle never dropped in to take the fish so I assume he was not that hungry and a short while later I saw him fly off.

I loved our two night stay at Kerr Lake and will definitely stay there again!!!

NOTE: We left Kerr Lake in North Carolina with plans to move on to Dickens RV Park but after calling them discovered they were full… so onto Plan B, Jordan Lake…

Sharon Loves Visiting this Farm in Virginia…

As much as I love the west I am always really happy to come to the east to experience green rolling hills and meadows.  One of the most beautiful places we have visited and will always revisit is the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. 

We are fortunate to be able to park our RV on a farm near Tom's Brook Virginia at the home of our dear friends.  As John mentioned in a previous blog we took a side trip to Norfolk which was fun for sure but I always look forward to the farm stay because of the serenity and the views are absolutely breathtaking.

In addition to the views we receive many wildlife visitors to the farm.  A woodchuck often comes up to feed on the clover in the back yard.  We also have a beautiful indigo bunting who visits quite often. Does with fawns also frequent the farm so we never know who will show up.  Its just great.The main house sits on a hill with a beautiful valley below upon which the owner has a farmhouse and a Springhouse he lists on Home away to vacationers. 

While here we like to pitch in and help as much as we can.  We collect mail, take garbage to the dump, eradicate wasp nests  and generally keep an eye on things.  At the big house we have trimmed his trees which were hanging too low in the driveway and I enjoy cleaning their house top to bottom.  The lady of the house is taking care of her ill parent so it is our hope that our efforts will lighten the load for them when they return.  Their generosity in encouraging us to stay longer here is such a blessing.

The kitchen at the home place is amazing and such fun to cook in.  Making elaborate dinners and eating out on the back porch overlooking the Shenandoah Valley is priceless! Between great dinners with views and getting to take baths again, I am in heaven.  We also have the opportunity to order some generator parts and get mail we need to receive so we actually lengthened our stay.

We have settled into a routine of walking the property then doing our weight lifting in the mornings whereas in the afternoons we either enjoy fishing or kayaking the river or we ride over to Woodstock to the brewery, to Winchester for happy hour, or to an interesting farm brewery kind of in the middle of nowhere.  We also found a disc golf course nearby which we have played several times. Life is great!

We plan to visit Shenandoah National Park to hike and drive the Skyline Drive. We might make a day trip over to Washington DC if the weather will cooperate but it won't matter if we can't because I really am enjoying being a farm girl for awhile.....

       

How lucky are we to have these opportunities?? I would never have discovered the East or this beautiful Shenandoah Valley nor met these great friends had we not taken that leap of faith in selling everything to embark on our RV travels.  I am ever thankful of our decision and look forward to whatever adventures lie ahead.

NOTE: We have extended our stay here in the Shenandoah Valley so we have begun to plan out trek north from here.

Knowing when to let it all go… A blog about friends!

Knowing when to let it all go… What does that really mean? Well, to me it means a lot. We always come back to our former home here in College Station Texas. Why? Because it was our former home and we have many great memories of raising our family here.

What makes home,,, a home? To me it is a place that makes me feel so totally relaxed that there is no other place I want to be. A place of comfort, peace and serenity. There was a time that home for me was College Station Texas… but not any more. We have now been on the road for a little more than 6 years and our former home is just that… former.

We have lots of former friends in our hometown who have fallen by the wayside while others have forged stronger friendships with us. We so enjoy coming back home to reconnect now that all our kids are grown and life is not so busy as to get in the way. The month-long stay seems to fly by because of all the social visits we try to fit in. Sometimes as occurred yesterday, an old friend traveled from Houston to drop by for a couple of hours before attending an Aggie baseball game. What an unexpected treat that was!

How fabulous in this huge world we have the opportunity to meet people who become so special along the path of our lives on earth. For Sharon and I who grew up in military families, we did not have have the opportunity to make many lifelong friendships. I think as a result we are so grateful for the journey we are on as it has filled that void for us! We have met so many people on the road over the last six years whom we cherish as new friends.  We are ever thankful knowing we would never have had this chance to know them had we not decided upon this nomadic lifestyle. Although our friends made on the road now far outnumber the friends here in our former home, there are still those here in College Station we consider dear friends for life…

What made me contemplate this is thinking of those who are newly retired and planning to hit the road.  Interestingly the same will probably occur for them in that some friendships will fade while others will rise up to replace those who were once very close. Looking at my partner in crime, the person who sits next to me in the motorhome I realize there sits my best friend. Because of her willingness to try this adventure way out of her comfort zone we have become closer than ever before in our marriage.  I have a feeling that is true for so many of our comrades on the road and it will become so for the newbies as well.

Every year we pass through our old home town it has become easier to let it go.  This town is special to us but it is not home anymore.  We have let that go.  Our new “home” is our 420 square feet home on wheels where we experience that joy, peace and serenity everyday we live in it.   I think that is exactly why we haven’t settled anywhere nor seriously looked for a place to settle yet. We just love this and I am thinking now that we will probably let go of the idea we need to know where we will settle.  We will just cross that bridge when we come to it and in the meantime, just enjoy the ride!

NOTE: We are still in College Station until May 7th. Our flooring project is on hold as our tiles are on back order. The photos in today’s blog are of our family who spent the past weekend with us and of some local friends at a gathering…