Last Day on the Road – Part 2

May 19, 2014  –  Monday (continued)

The cold date shake felt good on my increasingly sore throat. We snap a few more pictures before the long uphill Hwy 74 that takes us up over the mountain.

The above picture shows two of the many switch back roads we came up. In the distance, top right of photo, shows where I started the climb. I put the RV in 3rd gear and it climbed the road really good.

It was nice to see the first sign that says how far Aguanga is! Getting really close now.

Aguanga has an elementary school, this tiny general store, a tiny post office just to the right of it and a real estate office to the left. Our mail is delivered to the post office, since they won’t deliver to our house, one mile up a dirt road. We do all our shopping in Temecula, a nice good size town, 18 miles away. Minutes from the post office and our home, is Jojoba Hills SKP Resort. We have a membership to this SKP park, and is where our RV lives. We have never taken either of our RVs home, due to our steep, rocky dirt road.

Once we got back to Jojoba Hills SKP Resort, where all my trips start from, I called my son and asked him to come and get us. We left our cars at our home, so he could drive them and keep the batteries up.  While waiting for Rick to pick us up, we gathered just the necessities to take home, like our iPads, chargers, medication, etc.  I usually go back the next day to bring home clothes, dirty laundry, dog related stuff, etc

I asked the dogs if they wanted to go home while waiting for Rick. They look pretty happy! Bella only makes this face when she is really happy. Chica loved everything about the trip so she would be just as happy to keep going. She is a great traveler. Unfortunately, Bella hates being in a moving vehicle. She never stops panting until the motor is turned off, then she is really happy! I’ve tried various calming products on Bella, but none of them worked. The only option is to leave her with someone when I travel, but I can’t bear that option. Who would take care of her as good as her momma?

Rick pulled up in my car shortly. It was good to see him and know we were close to being home! Both dogs seem to realize we were close to home when they felt the rough dirt road going up the hill to our house. Daisy, our pitbull/shepherd mix greeted us happily when we good home. I tried to take photos, but they were all so blurry! Once we got into the house, Bella ran and got on my bed, her favorite place in the world.

Chica and Daisy played like this for a long time. Daisy has always played so gently with my small dogs. These two have a very close relationship. Chica was a young puppy and Daisy mothered her from day one. Bella was full grown when we got Daisy as a puppy, and Bella doesn’t really like to play as much as Chica and Daisy.

Thanks for following our 49 day RV trip!

 

Patty, Bill, and the stroller dogs, Bella and Chica

 

Last Day on the Road – Part 1

 

May 19, 2014  –  Monday

Yesterday and this morning have been the hottest days on our trip so far. We ran the air conditioner all night and morning. I hate hearing that thing, but it was too hot without it. There was a good breeze, but it was hot air, so just leaving the windows open wasn’t enough.

We planned to get up really early and get on the road to beat the heat. Yesterday, I could feel a sore throat coming on. I didn’t fall asleep till pretty late I think due to the loud air conditioner. This morning it was hard to get going, but we each took showers at the park and were on the road by 6:45 am. My gps says home is 4 hrs and 12 minutes away.

The Lake Havasu area is very pretty. I’m not all that familiar with the campgrounds, but I have stayed at all three state parks. The drive leaving Cattail Cove was scenic, and uphill. I had Bill snap some pictures.

Besides various RV parks, there are a lot of mobile home communities it looks like, right on the Colorado River.

Then the road got long and boring, on our way to pick up the I-10. We pass the Welcome to California sign at 7:20. We pulled over at 8:25 for potty breaks and to replenish our water bottles.

Soon we pass the Riverside County border sign, and we are still 2 hrs and 42 minutes from home! Riverside county is HUGE. We technically live in Riverside county, but near the San Diego county line.

Finally we get to the I-10 freeway in Blythe at 9:15 am. We gassed up in Indio, paying $4.05 a gallon, the most expensive gas we have had for the whole trip. Welcome to California, land of high gas prices.

At 10:30, we are on Hwy 111 that runs thru Indio and the Palm Springs area. Palm trees line the roads, with manicured parkways, expensive shops and golf courses. When I take this route, I always stop for a date shake at Shields. I pull into the parking lot away from the cars so we can run the RV generator and the air conditioner. An RV generator should be run at least 30 minutes or longer a month, to keep it in good working order. We didn’t use it much on this trip. Bill stays in the RV with the dogs while I go in to get my date shake and look around.

I’ve never taken the time to watch the “movie” .

With the monthly generator run done and my belly full, it’s time for the last stretch of the trip before getting home. It’s also the most steep road, on any trips I have taken, I think. My last RV climbed the hill without any problems. I hope this one does as well.

See Part 2  –  Last Day on the Road

 

Bill’s First Time RVing!

Jan 6, 2014
Lake Skinner in Winchester, CA

Bills very first trip in the RV, besides from when we bought it and drove it home. This park is located just outside of Temecula in Winchester, CA. It’s about a 45 min drive from our home. I thought this would be a good trial run for him. We stayed close to home in case he didn’t like it. We took turns riding my bike, as he didn’t have one, walked the dogs on leashes and pushed them in their stroller all over the large campground.

Bill playing guitar at Lake Skinner

Patty and her stroller dogs

Bill with dogs in the stroller

Luckily for me, Bill liked it but suggested we buy a bigger, newer RV so we would be more comfortable. I agreed and we started RV shopping. This was his one and only trip in my little 19 ft, 1996 Coachmen Catalina Sport Class C , because we bought a “new to us” 28 ft 2006 Fourwinds Chateau Sport Class C for my birthday that same month. I sure loved my little RV that took me so many places in the last 6 years solo. Looks like I finally have a partner/husband to travel with now!
My 1st RV – I will miss her! We sold her to our friends. It will be their 1st RV too. I hope it brings them as much fun as it did me.

My 1st RV, a 1996 Coachmen Catalina Sport, 19 1/2 ft

Feb 22, 2014

Lake Hemet in Mountain Center, CA

This was our first trip in the”new” RV. Farther than the last place but still less than two hours from our home in Aguanga. The drive was pretty, and so was the lake. This trip we both had brand new bikes and a new dog bike basket to try out. Bella loves riding in the bike basket, but I wasn’t sure how Chica would do. Chica is young and full of energy and has never rode on a bike before. We put her in my bike basket since I could zip her in it so she wouldn’t jump out. Bella rode in a new bike basket we bought for Bills bike. It was just a wire basket, so I put her blanket in there to soften it, and she did great. Chica wasn’t happy about being zipped in her basket, so I unzipped it towards the end of the ride and she didn’t try to jump out so that was good.

Our new to us RV at Lake Hemet

Chica and Bella at Hemet Lake on a walk

Patty riding Chica in a dog bike basket

Bill riding bike with Bella in the basket

Patty with stroller dogs at Hemet Lake

Bill really enjoyed RVing again, so I think we are ready for a nice long RV trip soon! We are planning on driving across country in April to see the USA and visit some of his relatives.