Category Archives: County Park

County or City Park visited or camped here

Oct 16, 2016 Waxhaw, NC

We left the charming town of Mt Airy, the hometown of Andy Griffith and headed south. Just as an observation, once we crossed the Mason Dixon line from Pennsylvania into Maryland the people became friendlier, the food better and the gas cheaper. Just the way it is in the south, folks!
Our next stop was Waxhaw, NC, just south of Charlotte. We stayed at Cane Creek Campground, a county owned park, and even though leveling the RV and getting satellite tv was a challenge, Bill worked his magic and got it done.
Bill’s sister Janet lives in Waxhaw and we enjoyed getting together with Janet and her husband Bryon for brunch. Waxhaw is just north of the North Carolina/South Carolina border and we passed back and forth from one state to the other on our way to meet them.20161016_125851
On the way back we stopped at a cornerstone border rock which designates the border of North and South Carolina. There seems to be a discrepancy between the date of 1818 on the rock and 1813 on a nearby sign.20161016_14213620161016_142349
We also stopped at the birthplace in South Carolina of our 7th President, Andrew Jackson. Both North and South Carolina want to take credit for his birthplace because at the time of his birth in 1767, the border between North and South Carolina was unmarked. Today the site is in South Carolina.20161016_13534420161016_14015620161016_140313 During the Revolutionary War Jackson was captured by the British at age 13 and mistreated. He was an orphan at the age of 14. In 1806 he killed a man in a duel over the honor of his wife Rachel. When he ran for president in 1824 he failed to get a majority and it went to the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives gave the presidency to John Quincy Adams. Jackson claimed corruption between Adams and the Speaker of the House Henry Clay, when Clay was appointed Secretary of State under Adams. Jackson’s supporters founded the Democratic Party. He ran again in 1828 against Adams and won by a landslide.20161016_140536
Also while in Waxhaw we drove a few miles north to Matthews, NC where we met up with three cousins I had not seen in over fifty years. Yes, I said fifty years. We had a lovely dinner at my cousin Tammy’s home and celebrated several October birthdays. We promised not to wait another fifty years to meet again!20161016_18183020161016_193420
Quotes by Andrew Jackson:

  • “It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes.”
  • “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”
  • “One man with courage makes a majority.”

Here are some of the displays about President Jackson presidency.20161016_14060620161016_14061120161016_14061720161016_140623

January 16, 2016 Everglades N.P.

IMG_20151214_104921First, a quick catch up.  Since our last posting we have really been on the go.
We spent eight days in Jacksonville at Kathryn Hanna City Park.  While in Jacksonville we visited my Uncle Bill and Aunt Peggy and were able to spend time with their daughters, granddaughter and three adorable great grandchildren.  It is always a real treat to visit my Jacksonville family.  They are always so gracious, welcoming and fun.  You haven’t truly lived until you experience one of their Sunday family dinners.20151207_163828
Bill grew up in Jacksonville Beach so while we were there we were able to catch up with several of his good friends.  Old friends are such a treasure!  We enjoyed some of the area Christmas decorations.
It was hard to leave family and friends behind but our next stop was St Augustine for a short stay.  The Spaniards created the City of St Augustine 450 years ago (1565), making it the oldest settlement in America, not to be confused with the settlement of Jamestown (1607), the oldest English settlement in America. We didn’t have enough time to explore and do the town justice so it is on our list of places to visit again.  Since it was December we were able to enjoy all the white lights and Christmas decorations, especially beautiful at night!  We enjoyed dinner with Bill’s ex boss Robert and his lovely wife Donna.IMG_20151210_193736IMG_20151210_205706~2
Flagler Beach was next on the list where we stayed at Gamble Rogers State Park.  Wow we loved this park on the Atlantic Ocean.  The state park has done a nice job of providing several boardwalks leading down to the water.  We enjoyed walking on the beach.  We can never get too much beach time!!
After a short stay in Titusville we arrived in Vero Beach for a week long stay over Christmas.  We were so happy to spend time with Bill’s son Sean and his girlfriend Cathy.  We enjoyed some beach time on Christmas Day.  Notice Santa relaxing on the beach after a busy night.  He was still wearing his Santa hat!IMG_20151225_142835
New Years found us in Clearwater, the area we lived in before beginning our grand adventure.  We caught up with friends and some of Bill’s former coworkers.  We were thrilled to spend New Years Eve with our friends Ben, Anne, Denise and Ralph at their annual party.  During the party we launched Chinese lanterns after making New Years wishes. Yes, good friends are truly a treasure!20151231_230834
20160104_103510January found us in southwest Florida in Fort Myers.  What a beautiful area along the Gulf of Mexico!  We liked our RV park even though it was crowded and tight.  We had great neighbors and hope to return next year to the same spot.  The beaches are beautiful and there is a trolley which you can ride from the campground to the beach for 75 cents.  What a bargain, especially considering parking at the beach is expensive and limited.  While there we had a bad storm and our cell phones shrieked with weather alerts of tornado warnings.  Bill monitored the storm on the local TV station. The weatherman I used to watch for years on the local tv station in Charlottesville is now the chief senior weatherman in Fort Myers.  We found out the next day that a tornado touched down about four miles from our campground.  This weather is unusual for Florida in January.  Thanks a lot El Nino!  While in Fort Myers we drove north to meet Bill’s cousin Shirley, her husband Jim, and two of their friends for dinner.IMG_20160108_194024~2
We reluctantly left Fort Myers and headed to a campground near Miami.  Our main reason for stopping here was to visit my cousin Duane.  IMG_20160113_194602~2We hadn’t seen each other in almost five years and I was beyond excited to see him.  We made the short drive to Coral Gables to meet him for dinner.  The time went by much too quickly.  There is never enough time to spend with family and friends!
IMG_20160119_104730Well, you are caught up on our travels and now on to the subject of this blog, Everglades National Park.  We had reservations at Flamingo Campground at the very tip end of the park.  Once you enter the park entrance it is 37 miles to the campground.  From the time we left Miami until we reached the campground we drove through torrential rain with poor visibility.  Thanks again, El Nino!
We stopped at the Visitors Center at the entrance of the park.  We put on our rain gear and splashed our way to the door.  They had nice displays and we saw a movie about the park.  Our national park system throughout the United States sure has great and informational movies.  We always come away impressed!
The movie said many people think of the Everglades as looking like a swamp, and I was one of them.  It is actually mostly grasslands along with jungle like tropical hardwood hammock, massive mahogany trees, mangrove trees and subtropical pine forest.  It is the only place in the world where both alligators and crocodiles live.  The park was established in 1934 to protect the fragile ecosystem and was dedicated by President Truman in 1947.  At 1.5 million acres it is the third largest national park, the largest tropical wilderness in the U.S. and the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere.  It is the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America and home to 36 threatened or protected species including the Florida panther, the American crocodile and the West Indian manatee.
With the heavy rain we were glad to arrive at our campsite.  Once we left the Visitors Center near the park entrance we lost all cell phone service.  Flamingo Campground has electric sites but no water or sewer at each site.
Since neither of us had ever seen a crocodile in its natural habitat, we were biting at the bit to see one.  The Ranger told us there were “over a million alligators in the Everglades but only about four thousand crocodiles”.  We didn’t think our odds of seeing one was very good but we got a tip that there were two over behind the marina store.  So we hopped in the car and made the short drive to check it out.  First we saw some manatees near the parking lot in a little docking area of the marina.  IMG_20160116_114740IMG_20160116_115414They sure are shy, quick and hard to photograph.  It didn’t help that the water was murky.  We were still on a crocodile hunt.  We saw a huge osprey nest with one lone bird peeking out of the top.  IMG_20160116_120538We walked around the back of the marina store looking in the water but saw nothing.  Suddenly we glanced on the bank and there were two huge crocodiles basking in the sun.  What joy!  The area near them was blocked off so we had to settle for some long distance shots and help from the zoom lens.IMG_20160116_120255
IMG_20160118_155728Another day we drove almost back to the park entrance to walk the Anhinga Trail which we were told was the best place to see alligators.  We only saw four, including this beauty who was completely oblivious to the people around him.  He appeared to be sleeping with his eyes open or playing possum, waiting to pounce when someone turned their back.  One older lady near me commented on how cute he was.  I would have to agree!IMG_20160118_162039~2IMG_20160118_155714
We were told that usually winter in the Everglades is the dry season and it is usually possible to see alligators by the dozens on the banks and even in the roadways.  Thanks to El Nino it has been a very cool, wet winter and alligator sightings are way down.  Sigh.
One fear I had when in the Everglades was encountering snakes.  Bill can’t understand why I have no fear of alligators but am terrified of snakes.  I have read stories of people who buy pythons for pets and when they  get too big or they tire of caring for them, they release them in the Everglades.  It has become a real problem and hunters come to hunt them.  I have seen the pictures of the 200+ pound pythons in the Everglades.  I am happy to report I left the Everglades without seeing a single snake.  But boy was I careful where I walked!
IMG_20160118_153018IMG_20160118_150815One surprise was to discover that Everglades National Park houses one of the best preserved relics of the Cold War in Florida.  The historic Nike Hercules Missile Base, dubbed HM-69, remains virtually the same as when its use was terminated in 1979.  The missile base was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1964 at the height of the Cold War, immediately following the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.  The United States Army chose this strategic site within Everglades National Park because of its location 160 miles from the Cuban coast.
The missile site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.  Bill took a 90 minute tour of the site conducted by a  park ranger. IMG_20160118_153334IMG_20160118_143836IMG_20160118_150656 IMG_20160116_141924Since we arrived in Florida the mosquitoes and especially the no-see-ums have just about eaten me alive.  Bill found a solution at the Everglades gift shop.
Our next stop is a week long stay at Big Pine Key, about thirty miles north of Key West.

July 6, 2015 Cody, Wyoming

IMG_20150707_120324We left Buffalo and traveled to Buffalo Bill State Park just outside of Cody.  This is a nice state park and since we booked early we were able to get one of the few sites with electric and water hookup.  We drove through three tunnels to get to the park which is located near the Buffalo Bill Dam.IMG_20150706_121159

We stopped by the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitors Center.  Construction of the dam took place from 1905 to 1910.  During the construction period several contractors went broke due to bad weather and floods hindering the work.  Laborers refused to work for $2.50 for a ten hour day.  When the U.S. Fidelity and Guaranty Co. took over the project in 1906 the workers demanded and received $3.00 for an eight hour day.   The original dam cost $929,658.  At that time it was the tallest dam in the world.  Subsequent projects for major canals, roads, bridges, buildings and land inundated by the reservoir waters cost $3.3 million.  Through the years it has helped turn the arid high plains of the Big Horn Basin into one of Wyoming’s most fertile farming regions, irrigating over 93,000 acres.IMG_20150706_151450IMG_0333IMG_0334

IMG_0337In 1946 the name of the dam was changed from Shoshone to Buffalo Bill.  In 1993 a $132 million dollar project which took seven years was completed.  This raised the dam by 25 feet and added about 50% to the amount of water stored in the reservoir.  With this addition came opportunities for more hydro-electricity generation, recreational activities such as boating and fishing.

IMG_0339Another day we made the short drive to the small town of Powell to see the Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American Confinement Site.  Six weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which led to the forced removal of all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast.  They were forced to leave everything behind except what they could carry in one suitcase.  By August, the War Relocation Authority had constructed ten camps in remote, isolated locations.  A total of 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated behind barbed wire.  The Heart Mountain Relocation Center was one of those camps.  From 1942 to 1945, a total of 14,025 people lived at Heart MountainIMG_0340IMG_0341 Relocation Center making it Wyoming’s third largest city.  It was a city surrounded by barbed wire, guard towers and armed guards.  Of the people kept there, seventy percent were American citizens having been born in the United States with thirty percent being born in Japan.  These people had done nothing wrong, it was merely “guilt by association”.  With most of the people being from California, they were not used to the cold, snowy Wyoming winters.  In the summer it was hot and dusty with dust and dirt blowing in through cracks in the walls and under the doors.  Besides leaving friends, jobs and possessions behind, the food was poor and they lived in IMG_0345IMG_0344IMG_0343uninsulated barracks with seven people to a room with no privacy.  The bathrooms and showers were just large rooms.  Later the Heart Mountain Relocation Center included a hospital, two grade schools and one high school, post office, fire and police systems, a judicial system, a newspaper printed in Cody, and a sewage treatment system.  They developed a successful agricultural program to provide fresh food and had recreational programs including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

From 1942 to 1945, five hundred and fifty six babies were born, 148 people died, and 800 men and women served in the Armed Forces.  Their allegiance to the United States was tested by placing them in their own infantry which ended up being one of the most decorated infantry of the war.  Eight five protesters refused to serve the draft order. Sixty three were charged with resisting the draft and were sent to federal penitentiaries.  They felt like they were merely trading one prison for another.IMG_0342IMG_0346

The Heart Mountain Relocation Center officially closed on November 10, 1945.  They received a train ticket and $25 to begin their new lives.  Some manages to rebuild their lives while others struggled and never recovered.  In 1988, the federal government apologized calling it a result of wartime hysteria, racial prejudice and failure in political leadership.

Today the Heart Mountain Relocation Center has a museum with exhibits, photographs and oral histories of former residents.  The barracks are all gone and a boiler house chimney on the hill is all that is left of the once 150 bed hospital.  On the hill overlooking the museum is a memorial listing the names of the men and women from Heart Mountain who served in the U.S. military during WWII.IMG_0347IMG_0348

We really enjoyed our short time in Cody.  There were things we didn’t have time to see and added Cody to our list of places we would like to return to someday.

 

March 3, 2015 Taupo, New Zealand

We drove the Thermal Explorer Highway from Rotorua to Taupo, occasionally seeing steaming vents puffing steam from deep inside the earth amid the scenic farmland.  It was easy to see all around us where the land had been pushed up leaving tall pointed hills. After about an hour drive we entered Taupo, a beautiful town hugging the shoreline of huge Lake Taupo.  With many shops and restaurants lining the shoreline, this town PicsArt_1425590488482appeared more like a resort town.We stopped for lunch and parked in a P60 space (60 minute limit).  We noticed what appeared to be sensors in the asphalt under each car.  We surmised these must be a kind of device that keeps track of how long you have been in that parking spot.
For the first time since we arrived in New Zealand we saw several souvenir shops.  We did not see any in Thames and Rotorua only had one.
We checked into our motel with a small fridge, microwave and private patio with table and chairs where we could sit in the mornings or afternoons and relax with coffee or a drink.  No plunge pool.  Once again we were given a container of milk for coffee or tea, so Bill uses it for his cereal.
While in Taupo we visited the Aratiatia Rapids.  This once natural whitewater gorge was damned up behind the gates of the Aratiatia hydro-dam. Due to public outcry over the loss of the rapids, four times a day the floodgates are raised and a torrent of river water rages again through the Aratiatia gorge.  Beginning eight minutes before the gates are PicsArt_1425591243364PicsArt_1425591328771PicsArt_1425590743304raised and at two minute intervals, bells and whistles sound.  We had a choice of three viewing platforms and chose to hike to the highest one.  We arrived early enough to grab a geocache close by the viewing platform.  Bill showed a family walking nearby with small children the geocache and explained geocaching.  The parents were intrigued and the children thought it was really neat!  By the time the gates were raised all three viewing platforms were full of observers.PicsArt_1425590862347PicsArt_1425590925548
Also while in Taupo we visited Huka Falls.  This is advertised as one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in New Zealand.  The Falls are a 100 meter basalt crevice channeling the Waikato River over a 15 meter ledge.  The falls were lovely though we felt the viewing areas did not provide a really great view of the falls. The water flows through the crevice or channel at 62,000 gallons per SECOND!PicsArt_1425591054510
Our last day in Taupo we spent geocaching.  We searched the geocaching.com site and chose several caches where people had given the caches many favorite mark.  We have found that geocaching in new places takes us to beautiful areas we would not ordinarily know about and see.  And this day did not disappoint with two geocaches that led us to a cave and one with a beautiful view of Lake Taupo.PicsArt_1425590393444PicsArt_1425590130933
Some observations:
Tipping is not expected and the service reflects this.  Once your order is taken and your food delivered, you never see the waiter again.  No one checks to see if you need anything or if you like your food.  If you need something you flag a waiter down.  We learned after waiting for our check a couple times that your check is not delivered to the table.  You go inside to the register and they ring up the bill.
Salad and bread is never provided with your entree.  They are separate items on the menu.
When you order water with your meal it rarely has ice and they give you a decanter since they won’t be coming back!
If you order a burger and it says it comes with a salad, the salad is the lettuce and tomato on the burger.  After waiting a couple times for the salad that never came, we figured it out.
If you order a side salad with your entree it is delivered with the meal, not ahead of time.
The mattresses are on the floor.  There is no space between the box springs and the bed.PicsArt_1425589966804PicsArt_1425589831860PicsArt_1425589618705

November 15, 2014 Kauai, Hawaii Part 2

Wow, Kauai is a beautiful place!  One of the highlights of our time there was driving to Waimea Canyon State Park.  The Waimea Canyon, located on the west side of Kauai, is also known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”.  While it is not as big or as old as the Arizona one, we were awestruck by its beauty.  It is 14 miles long, one mile wide and 3,600 feet deep.  The canyon was

The canyon was full of mist

The canyon was full of mist

Waipoo Falls

Waipoo Falls

Closer view of Waipoo Falls

Closer view of Waipoo Falls

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon with helicopter

Waimea Canyon with helicopter

Waimea Canyon with Waipoo Falls on the right

Waimea Canyon with Waipoo Falls on the right

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon

formed by the collapse of the volcano that created Kauai, as well as erosion caused by the Waimea River arising from extreme rainfall from Mount Wai’ale’ale, one of the wettest places on earth.

This sign point to a nearby peak

This sign point to a nearby peak

Kalalau lookout

Kalalau lookout

Kalepa Ridge from Kalalau Lookout

Kalepa Ridge from Kalalau Lookout

While viewing the canyon we heard the faint bleating of a mountain goat.  We had to wait awhile but eventually caught a brief glimpse of him before he disappeared.  Amazing how they can keep their footing on the canyon walls!

Another day we drove to Wailua Falls a popular tourist attraction, the falls drop 80 feet into a pool of water.  The falls was used in the opening credits of “Fantasy Island”.

Wailua falls of Kauai

Wailua falls of Kauai

We loved going to restaurants with tropical settings.

Duke's Restaurant with a tropical interior

Duke’s Restaurant with a tropical interior

Captain Cook landed two ships in Kauai in 1778 and called the islands “Sandwich Islands”.

Replica of statue in Whitby, England of Captain James Cook 1728 - 1779

Replica of statue in Whitby, England of Captain James Cook 1728 – 1779

Our five nights in Kauai came to an end much too soon.  We packed our bags and headed to the airport, but we weren’t ready to fly back to San Diego just yet.  Stay tuned!IMG_20141113_172750-1-1

November 12, 2014 Kauai, Hawaii Part 1

Aloha from Hawaii!  Yes you read that right.  We are on the island of Kauai.  After a six hour flight from San Diego, and a short flight from Honolulu, we arrived on Kauai also known as the

Our first view from the aircraft of Oahu Island and Waikiki Beach

Our first view from the aircraft of Oahu Island and Waikiki Beach

Garden Isle.  Like the other Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is the top of an enormous volcano rising from the ocean floor.  Kauai is the fourth largest island, the northernmost island, the oldest and the first to be free of volcanic activity.  It is 33 miles long and 25 miles wide with a population of around 63,000. It is believed that this island was the first inhabited.  While we were able to drive around most of the perimeter of the island, the interior is mostly inaccessible.  The temperature averages between 69 and 84 degrees year round.  One of the first things we noticed when stepping off the plane was the humidity the likes of which we hadn’t felt since leaving Florida eighteen months ago.  The Hawaiian trade winds help somewhat with making the humidity more tolerable.IMG_20141116_141136-1

With ocean temperatures of between 72 and 80 degrees year round we enjoyed snorkeling at two beaches while on the island.  Kauai is known for roosters and chickens roaming free, so it is common to see them everywhere you go on the island,  even sunbathing with Bill on the beach.

These roosters where everywhere

These roosters where everywhere

We were also awakened every morning by the sound of roosters crowing. While driving to one beach we came upon a blowhole.

Spouting Horn

Spouting Horn

Spouting Horn

Spouting Horn

We stayed at a beautiful condo we booked through Vacation Rentals By Owner.  We enjoyed watching cruise ships coming in from our balcony.  Electricity is very expensive on the island and it is very common to see solar panels on most of the roofs of buildings including our condo.

View from our balcony

View from our balcony

We rented a jeep and set off to explore the island during our five night stay.

One day we drove to the North Shore of the island on Highway 50 to the “End of the Road”.  This part of the island is known for its gorgeous scenery, amazing beaches, dry and wet caves, waterfalls and many one lane bridges where you had to stop and wait your turn to cross.  The  movie ” South Pacific ” was filmed here as well as Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii”.  We also

Left view of Lumahai Beach part of South Pacific movie

Left view of Lumahai Beach part of South Pacific movie

Right view of Lumahai Beach part of South Pacific movie

Right view of Lumahai Beach part of South Pacific movie

stopped at an overlook with taro fields, which is widely grown in Hawaii.  This valley was used during the filming of the movie “Uncommon Valor” starring Gene Hackman.

Hanalei Wildlife Refuse

Hanalei Wildlife Refuse

Haena park

Haena park

Haena park

Haena park

Haena park

Haena park

Haena park

Haena park

October 25, 2014 San Juan Capistrano

We left Huntington Beach and drove the short distance inland to Caspers Wilderness Regional Park in San Juan Capistrano.  It is hard to find a campground with available space on the weekend, so we settled on this campground for a three night weekend stay.  It turned out to be a great campground at a reasonable price with spacious sites where we could hear coyotes howling at night.

On Saturday we drove into town to the Mission San Juan Capstistrano.  This mission was founded on All Saints Day, November 1, 1776 by Spanish Catholics. IMG_2685  It is a beautiful mission and is the oldest building in California, the site of the oldest ironworks in the state, the oldest winery in the state. IMG_2697  In 1812 a massive earthquake destroyed the Great Stone Church and the ruins of the church are visible today.  Ruins such as these are usually only seen in Europe and these are the only such ruins in the United States. Because of the Great Stone Church’s decay the walls and ceiling were not rebuilt. Today there is a new chapel and school next door.

A close-up view of the ruins of Mission San Juan Capistrano's "Great Stone Church," destroyed by earthquake in 1812

A close-up view of the ruins of Mission San Juan Capistrano’s “Great Stone Church,” destroyed by earthquake in 1812

A view of the ruins of Mission San Juan Capistrano's "Great Stone Church," destroyed by earthquake in 1812. These bells are located where the bell tower stood.

A view of the ruins of Mission San Juan Capistrano’s “Great Stone Church,” destroyed by earthquake in 1812. These bells are located where the bell tower stood.

IMG_2688

The two original small bells and copies of the large bells from the destroyed bell tower

The two original small bells and copies of the large bells from the destroyed bell tower

The two original small bells and copies of the large bells from the destroyed bell tower

The two original small bells and copies of the large bells from the destroyed bell tower

Located in the Serra Chapel is its spectacular retablo, a masterpiece of Baroque art, the altarpiece was hand-carved of 396 individual pieces of cherry wood and overlaid in gold leaf in Barcelona and is estimated to be 400 years old. It was originally imported from Barcelona in 1806 for the Los Angeles cathedral but was never used and was installed in the Serra Chapel around 1924. This chapel is still being used today.

The centerpiece of the chapel is its spectacular retablo which serves as the backdrop for the altar

The centerpiece of the chapel is its spectacular retablo which serves as the backdrop for the altar

The centerpiece of the chapel is its spectacular retablo which serves as the backdrop for the altar

The mission is most famous for the return of the swallows each spring on March 19th, Saint Joseph’s Day.  Swallows always return to their nest and they return to the town from March until October when they fly south to Argentina for the winter.  Each spring the entire town celebrates the return of the swallows with a parade and celebration.  One problem the mission and town are encountering is that during efforts to preserve the mission ruins, some of the swallow nests were destroyed and many swallows stopped coming to Capistrano.  The mission has tried various ways to persuade the birds return, including building fake nests, creating mud puddles to provide nesting materials, and throwing ladybug, their favorite food, on the ground to entice them to come back.  Nothing has worked.  Some swallows do return to the town each spring but are choosing to build their nests in the eaves of downtown buildings, under freeway overpasses and along creek beds.  Experts say Southern California is seeing a sharp decline in swallows due to urban sprawl.

In 1939 songwriter Leon Rene wrote a love ballad called “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano” which was later recorded by The Ink Spots, Pat Boone, Glenn Miller and Gene Autry.

San Juan Capistrano was a lovely, quaint town and we enjoyed lunch on a balcony overlooking the town after taking a guided tour of the mission.  We had a really nice weekend stay in the area.

October 12, 2014 Ventura Beach, California

Hello from beautiful Ventura Beach!  We thought we would do a quick blog update to fill you in on what we have been doing since leaving Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park.

We headed first to Santa Maria, California, a farming community about twelve miles from the ocean.  We planned on hanging out there for a few days until the beginning of the Winnebago rally we had signed up to attend.  While in Santa Maria we stayed at their nice fairgrounds with full hookup sites.  Even though the fairgrounds was right across the street from the Santa Maria High School, it was very quiet and peaceful and we certainly enjoyed our stay there.

Craving the beach, we spent a few days at the state park in Pismo Beach enjoying the ocean views and incredible sunsets.  IMG_20140928_184428~2

Next we headed to Paso Robles, in the wine country of central California.  We attended a California state Winnebago rally there.  We were a bit like fish out of water because everyone else was from California and knew and traveled with each other on a regular basis.  We were the strangers from Florida, but everyone was very welcoming and friendly.  Each night at dinner we were able to sit at a table with new people so we got to meet a lot of people and learn about their beautiful state.  California was having record breaking temperatures while we were there and daytime highs were near 100 each day.  The saving grace was it would cool down to the 50’s at night.  Even so, we longed to get near the ocean.

Our next stop was Ventura Beach.  Bill read where Ventura County had several county parks right on the beach with full hookups.  The tricky part was they are first come first serve and you take whatever site is free when you get there.  We decided to take a chance since we had a back up plan in case the park was full.  As it turned out the first night we had to take a less desirable site but the next morning someone left and we were able to grab a site facing the ocean with full hookups.  We fell in love with our site where we could see the ocean all day and  go to sleep at time to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.  We loved it here so much we decided to cancel our reservation at an RV park in Malibu and stay in Ventura Beach for ten days instead of the scheduled three.  IMG_2562

On Sunday the waves were higher than usual and we watched surfers riding the waves from our front window. IMG_2595 Suddenly we saw several dolphins swimming along with the surfers, occasionally jumping high out of the water.  It was an amazing sight and it was as if the dolphins were showing the surfers how it really should be done.  Every time a dolphin would leap from the water the crowd of people standing nearby would cheer.  It was all very exciting but unfortunately it all happened too quickly to grab a camera as the dolphins quickly disappeared from sight and continued on their journey.

The beach here at Ventura is different than any we have been to thus far.  There are huge piles of rocks which form a barrier between the water and the land.  Normally there are steps at the campground which take you down to the beach.  But during high tide the waves crash on theIMG_2579 IMG_2560 rocks and block access to the beach since the bottom steps are covered with water.  Once the water subsides and you can access the beach, the sand is very hard and easy to walk on.  You are literally walking on the bottom of the ocean floor.  There is no loose sand to walk through to get to the water.  We loved it because it made for great beach walking.  On Sunday during high tide some campers were standing on the top of the steps fishing and watching the surfers.  Suddenly a huge wave came crashing in and splashed water over top of them.  It was the first time I had seen the waves that high and it was funny to see the startled looks on their faces.  Nobody was hurt but they were drenched and the first thing they all did was check their cell phones to see if they were damaged.  That was another one of those times when I wished I had gotten a picture of their startled faces.  This is the first beach we have been to that did not have 24 hour beach access, and we did have to plan our beach walks around low tide when the steps and beach were accessible.

We loved, loved, loved our time here at Ventura Beach.  We easily could have stayed a monthIMG_20141008_150819 IMG_20141008_151105-1-1-1 or longer, but they have a 14 day limit and we had reservations at other parks we didn’t want to change.  There have been many places in our sixteen months on the road that have been hard to leave, but leaving this beautiful area was downright painful!  IMG_2557

August 7, 2014 Columbia River Gorge Part 2

Wow it was hot!  As much as we loved our site at the county park in Moro,

The little town of Moro, Oregon amid the trees and wheat fields as seen from our campground

The little town of Moro, Oregon amid the trees and wheat fields as seen from our campground

Mural on the side of a little cafe where we had breakfast in Moro, Oregon

Mural on the side of a little cafe where we had breakfast in Moro, Oregon

there was no shade and we cooked in the sun!  On our last day in the area we decided to drive up to Mt Hood and then come back through to the Gorge area, cross back over into Washington state, and see the gorge from that side.

Mt Hood, Oregon’s tallest peak at 11,245 feet, is a dormant volcano believed to

Mt Hood

Mt Hood

Zoomed in view of Mt Hood from the north side

Zoomed in view of Mt Hood from the north side

have been formed 11 to 14 million years ago.  Mt Hood has had at least four major eruptions during the past 15,000 years, with the most recent eruption occurring shortly before the arrival of Lewis and Clark in 1805.  Mt Hood has twelve glaciers and is the source of five main rivers which flow into the Columbia.  It is the second most climbed glaciated mountain in the world with the first being Mt Fuji in Japan.  We could see Mt Hood and Mt Adams from our campsite, though with the haze from the heat, it was not a clear view.  With the grandeur of Mt Hood and the magnificence of the Columbia Gorge, this area is quite a jewel!  We could only imagine what Lewis and Clark must have thought!

As we left the campground we continued to see the dry wheat fields and then canyons, IMG_1835 but the farther we drove we began to see glacier carved valleys with trees and vineyards.  We reached Timberline Lodge which at an elevation of 6,000 feet was the closest point we would get to Mt Hood.  This area has the longest ski season in North America and has the most night ski acreage in the United States.  We saw many people dressed for snowboarding and it seemed strange to see people in winter clothing on this very hot day.  Timberline Lodge, built in the 1930’s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and dedicated in 1937 by President Franklin Roosevelt, is a historical landmark and was featured in the movie “The Shining”.

Mt Hood from the south side skiing lodge

Mt Hood from the south side skiing lodge

The Hood Valley is a one of the finest fruit producing regions in the world due to the fertile volcanic soil and the area’s temperate climate.  Over 50% of America’s winter pears, as well as a large number of Bartlett pears come from this area.  It is also known for its magnificent Pippin apples.  We passed many orchards of apple and pear trees, as well as bushes full of blackberries.

As we continued our drive back from Mt Hood we noticed a geocache with an unusual name.  This geocache was in honor of a pioneer woman’s grave.  She continues to be a reminder of those pioneers who traveled west in search of a better life.  Today people still leave items in her honor at the gravesite.  This was just another one of those fascinating finds we would have never known about had it not been for geocaching! IMG_1856 IMG_1853 IMG_1855

We crossed from Oregon back into Washington

Washington State uses a profile of Washington's head for their state road signs

Washington State uses a profile of Washington’s head for their state road signs

to see the Gorge from the other side.  The views were IMG_1870 IMG_1883 IMG_1897 IMG_1904

This Falls was completely submerged by the Dalles Dam

This Falls was completely submerged by the Dalles Dam

IMG_20140810_180611

IMG_1886 IMG_1899 IMG_1902 magnificent.  We came to Stonehenge Memorial, built by a local entrepreneur to honor the soldiers of that area who had lost their lives in WW1.  It is a full scale replica of England’s Stonehenge and was completed between 1918 and 1929.  There are also memorials there to local soldiers who lost their lives in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.  We noticed that all the columns had plaques with the names of soldiers who died serving their country.  This Stonehenge sat high on a bluff with magnificent views of the Columbia River Gorge. IMG_1906 IMG_1913

We crossed the bridge back into Oregon and headed home for our final evening in Moro, marveling at what a beautiful area this turned out to be, knowing how glad we were to have made a stop here.

August 6, 2014 Columbia River Gorge

As I mentioned in the last post, the reason we came to this area of Oregon was to see the Columbia River Gorge.  The Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River which stretches 80 miles and is up to 4,000 feet deep.  The Gorge is the only navigable route from the Cascades and the water from the Columbia River flows to the Pacific Ocean.  It is also the boundary between Washington and Oregon.  The Gorge is a federally protected scenic area and makes up the IMG_20140807_141245 IMG_20140807_141231Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.  This area is the largest scenic area in the United States.  The way the Gorge was made is really quite amazing.  Thousands of years ago glaciers dammed up the waters of the Missoula River.  Over time the water built up until finally it was released from Montana with such force that it carved a canyon through the mountains as it roared toward the Pacific Ocean.

On our first day in the area we drove the Oregon Scenic Byway to see Multnomah Falls about a 90 minute drive from our campground.  On the Washington side of the Gorge we could see Mt Adams and on the Oregon side was majestic Mt Hood.

Zoomed view of Mt Adams in Washington

Zoomed view of Mt Adams in Washington

Mt Hood

Mt Hood

Zoomed view of Mt. Hood

Zoomed view of Mt. Hood

This Scenic Byway was built from 1913-1922 and was considered an engineering marvel at that time.  It was built in such a way as to showcase the waterfalls and beautiful spots through the Gorge and in the words of its engineer “not mar what God had put there”.  As we drove we could see smoke from the wildfires still burning, IMG_1732though they were closer to being contained.  The camp host had warned us this was a very popular attraction so we should avoid the weekend and get an early start.  We followed her advice but when we reached the parking lot for the falls it was full with lines of cars searching for a parking spot.  We ended up playing car tag where one of us would circle the parking lot while the other one would get out and walk up to the falls to take a look and then come back to the car and circle the lot while the other one took a turn.  What a pain!  Regardless, the falls was beautiful.  The upper falls drops 542 feet and the lower falls 69 feet, making it the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon.  A sign at the waterfall says it is the second tallest year round waterfall in the United States, though some would argue with that distinction. IMG_1736

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls

IMG_1747

A little farther down the road we came to Horsetail Falls which is supposedly in the shape of a horse’s tail.  It has a drop of 192 feet and was also beautiful.  There was not a long line of cars  so it was easier to view the waterfall and less hectic getting pictures.  Near the falls we had a nice picnic lunch in the shade.

Can you find Bill at Horsetail Falls?

Can you find Bill at Horsetail Falls?

Bill determined there was a geocache nearby and we not only found the geocache but blackberries on both sides of the road as far as the eye could see.  We sure wished we had a bucket or a large container in the car but instead filled up a baggie left over from lunch.  I made a delicious blackberry cobbler when we returned home! IMG_1774 IMG_20140808_133232

We then decided to stop at the Bonneville Lock and Dam on the way home.  Bonneville Lock and Dam was built and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and spans the Columbia River, linking Washington and Oregon.  It was the first federal lock and dam on the

8 dams on the Columbia-Snake River drop the water 730 feet

8 dams on the Columbia-Snake River drop the water 730 feet

Columbia and Snake rivers.  Construction began in 1933 and was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937.  It cost $88.4 million.  In 1986 it was placed on the National

Bonneville Dam First Powerhouse

Bonneville Dam First Powerhouse

View of the Bonneville Dam spillway

View of the Bonneville Dam spillway

Register of Historic Places.  As we drove in we went through a security checkpoint where a guard asked if we had any explosives or weapons.  Everyone who passes through is asked to open their car trunk for inspection.  They had a very nice visitors center where we watched

Bonneville Dam Visitors Center

Bonneville Dam Visitors Center

Generator turbine

Generator turbine

several interesting movies and looked at displays.  We learned that the dam supplies enough energy to meet the power needs of 900,000 homes.  They had nice observation decks to view the dam as well as the fish ladder.  We were fascinated with the fish ladder which was planned

Bonneville Dam fish ladder

Bonneville Dam fish ladder

by the Corps engineers to allow migratory fish to continue their migration from the sea, upstream to the tributaries of the Columbia and Snake Rivers.  There are actually workers whose job it is to spend all day counting fish!  This information is used by biologists and engineers to track increases and decreases in fish runs.  Between 700,000 and 1.5 million adult salmon and steelhead fish swimming upstream, and between 24 and 43 million salmon and other fish migrating downstream, pass through the Bonneville Dam in an average year!  At one point we went downstairs in the Visitors Center where we were then underwater and watched fish swim in the ladder by looking through underwater viewing windows.  Cool!

the fish ladder as seen from the underwater viewing window

the fish ladder as seen from the underwater viewing window

At the bottom are lampreys, really ugly fish

At the bottom are lampreys, really ugly fish

Diane thinks this fish is really ugly and creepy!

Diane thinks this fish is really ugly and creepy!

On our second day in Oregon the temperature really started to rise and it was around 100 degrees by the end of the day.  Seems the temperatures in Montana, Idaho and Washington were catching up with us.  The main objective for today was to visit the Dalles (pronounced Dowles) Dam which is completely located in Washington state.  We made a reservation for a

Exterior view of the Dalles Dam Powerhouse

Exterior view of the Dalles Dam Powerhouse

tour and headed over to the Visitors Center.  There were twelve of us scheduled for the free tour and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee gave the hour and a half tour.  We were driven by trolley over to the dam where we could actually go inside the facility and see the

Generator room in the Dalles Dam

Generator room in the Dalles Dam

IMG_1818 generators supplying power.  The generating capacity is 1.8 million kilowatts, enough to light up two cities the size of Portland.  Here they had more fish ladders and we could walk on catwalks and see the fish going over or through the ladders.  Yes, they have fish counters here too!  They also had an underwater viewing window and while we were fish watching, a duck swam by!!  The guide did an excellent job of describing what goes on at this dam, which was built over a 5 year period with completion in 1957.  The Dam has a unique design in the shape of a backward “L” which takes advantage of the natural rock formation in the river.

Exterior view of the Dalles Dam fish ladder

Exterior view of the Dalles Dam fish ladder

Dalles Dam fish ladder as seen from the catwalk

Dalles Dam fish ladder as seen from the catwalk

On the way home we drove into the town of Dalles because the town had several murals along Main Street.  Dalles marks the end of the Oregon Trail, a trail known as the source of the greatest peacetime migration in history.  We chose three we particularly liked for the blog. IMG_1824 IMG_1822 IMG_1826  There is a strong Lewis and Clark influence in the state as we drove on roads marked “The Lewis and Clark Trail” and “The Oregon Trail” and we tried to picture what it must have looked like to Lewis and Clark as they paddled through the Columbia Gorge.  It is in this area they bartered with the Indians for horses, and it seems the Indians “saw them coming” so to speak and came out ahead on the deal as they forced Lewis and Clark to barter for three horses, two of which were not good horses in order to get one good horse.  I bet when Lewis and Clark traveled down the Columbia Gorge they must have been wondering where the elusive Pacific Ocean could be!

As we traveled home later in the day we were behind several fire vehicles who had spent the day fighting the nearby wildfires. IMG_20140809_165605 IMG_20140809_165832