Wroamin' thru California

Acton, CA

Leaving Medford behind on Oct. 10, we ventured into California. Had beautiful weather driving down I-5 to Sacramento. Finally arriving in Sacramento around 4:30 p.m. --- but trying to find our RV Park proved to be a little more difficult than I anticipated -- even Lucy, our GPS was confused! After a few wrong turns and doing a U-Turn with the trailer behind (I am getting good at this) we finally found CalExp RV Park. I think RV Park is to strong of a description for it....it is in the parking lot of the fairgrounds and it is basically a parking lot with hook ups. No TV, (altho they say you can use your antenna, ours refused to work) and no WIFI (which they say they have, however, we were parked so far away from the hotspot it wouldn't recieve), but we were there and staying put for a couple of nights.

Sunday, Oct 11

Around lunchtime the next day, my stomach realized were were in In n Out Burger country! So off I went with Lucy the GPS and found an In n Out. YUM! Later that afternoon we went over to friends Kathy and Richs for a nice visit and dinner. However, they did something very odd just before we got there; they went swimming in their clothes!! Apparently, Kathy was skimming the pool for leaves, lost her footing, Rich being near she grabbed for him, and they both went in the pool!!! I am still laughing Kathy. They are great people. You know, we are so very fortunate, we have so many great friends in our lives.

Monday, Oct 12 and we are off to Chowchilla for the night. Down I-5 we go, stopping in Santa Nella for our favorite soup stop, Andersens Split Pea Soup. We have made this a stop everytime we go down I-5 in this area. Doesn't matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, we stop. Once we arrived in Chowchilla we were surprised to see how this little, sleepy town has grown. My parents retired and died in this little town, and are buried here, so it is a definite stop when we are in the area. Al and I both like the town and would consider living here if it wasn't in California! Anyway, we arrived at the RV Park and when I was checking in, the clerk said she was going to block out two nights for us just in case. Just in case of what??? They were expecting a terrible storm and were forcast to get at least 5 inches. 5 inches or what??? RAIN! Oh! Right, I am in the rainless country now. We get parked and take off to put flowers on my parents graves and then over to visit a short while with my niece Joy and husband Stan. By the time we get back to the RV Park it is dark and getting a bit windy.

Tuesday, Oct. 13

About 3:30 a.m. we were being rocked by the wind and the rain was really coming down. By the time we got up that morning it was still raining...we tried to wait it out, but after a couple of hours we went ahead and hooked up the truck to the trailer, getting soaked in the process. My jeans didn't dry out all day! Down Hwy 99 we went. We finally ran out of the rain about 100 miles north of Bakersfield. About 30 miles north of Bakersfield we hit a dust storm...visability was poor, but we pushed on. My hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight I was thinking they were going to have to pry them off! Through Bakersfield and up the Tehachapi grade we went...wind blowing across us so hard I thought the trailer was going to topple over. Then we got into some more rain....we were one, big, wrolling, mud ball! Finally arrived in Acton around 4:00 p.m., somewhat tense, but very relieved to be here! After getting set up and a short rest, Billie and Dan arrive and take us to dinner. I was so tired I could barely eat, all I wanted was bed. It was windy here and spitting rain, but nothing like what we had been through that day.

Wed. Oct 14, up and rested we head off for Lancaster to get some needed supplies. For the most part of the day I finish up our income taxes and get them ready to mail the next day; and rest. That evening Billie, Dan, Al and went to Lawry's Prime Rib Restaurant in Beverly Hills for dinner to celebrate both of our anniversaries, albeit, a few weeks late. All of us had done this years ago and decided to do it again since it was so good the last time. This time? Well, either I had it so built up in my mind how wonderful it was; or they have gone down hill a bit. It wasn't as I anticipated, good, but not fabulous. But we had a good time anyway.

The next day dawned bright and sunny and warm. Thursday is the day to mail income tax after filing an extension last April. Nothing like waiting to the very last day huh? So off to the Lancaster Post Office we go....hmmm, where did it go? Even Lucy, the GPS couldn't find it. Finally after driving around and driving by the houses we used to live in, we found it, right where we had left it! Well, actually, it had moved in the past few years, but I had forgotten it. That evening we had dinner with the only friends we have left in Antelope Valley (insert a cry here). All of our other friends have moved, or, unfortunatly died! WOW...what a revelation to us. Any way, we had a great visit with Glennie and Fred and most of the conversations started with "What ever happened to (insert name here)???" It was good to see them and we hope they will at least stay put for a while here.

Antelope Valley from Hwy 14

Glennie and Fred

Friday was work day. We have been having a problem with the truck's temperture gage, so Dan volunteered to replace the thermostat for us to see if that was the problem. Ford wanted $300+ to do the job. I bought the thermostat for $10.32 and Dan put it in for us. We spent the better part of the day at their house, I did laundry and made cabbage rolls for dinner. We also saw just how closes the Station Fire got to their house....to close for comfort if you ask me.

Billie and Dan's house...middle of the burnt area.

Saturday arrives in all its glory. We are off to see my brother in Glendora for the day. But not before I battle an army of sugar ants that have decided to invade the 5th wheel. I spent a good hour and half trying to find out where they were coming from. Off to the hardware store for some ant spray I went. I sprayed around everything that touched the ground on the trailer and sprayed the hose and cables as well. Then inside I sprayed where I saw them coming in and I cleaned everything that even hinted as food for them. GRRR...one of natures mistakes...ants! I am not sure what good they are except to be annoying.

Once we were on the wroad to my brothers we were hungry and were headed to The Hat, the best pastrami sandwich in the world awaited us. As expected, it was great. Found my brothers house as he has moved since we were here last and Lucy the GPS found it perfect. It is really a nice place and so glad they are comfortable in a larger house. Had a great visit with him and family . Then we decided to go out to dinner. Now, we were raised in the town of Azusa and all of our growing up and adult lives, when we wanted Mexican food there were only two places we went; El Patio first and second La Tolteca. Well, El Patio finally closed after 40+ years a few years ago and we thought that La Tolteca may have done the same, so we decided to go to the fall back restaurant, Carmens. Off we go, me following John. Just as we get to Carmens, we look and across the street in the old Safeway building is La Tolteca. You can't imagine how excited our stomachs were!! Yum, it was just as good as we remembered. Hope they stay that way.

Michale, John, Julie, Taryn, Steven and Christopher....family :-)

Today, Sunday, we are resting and doing a lot of nothing, except I am still fighting ants. I cannot find out where they are coming in from. I have used a can of ant spray, supposed to be replellant, but I am beginning to think they are thriving on it.

On another note, time for Grandma to brag. Our granddaughter Lori, has been nominated and accepted into the People to People Ambassador program. She will visit England, France, Belgium and The Netherlands this coming summer. We are so proud of her...she and 40 others will represent Oregon this summer. And what a great program this is and a wonderful opportunity for her. WAY TO GO LORI!

Tomorrow we will be heading to Tucson finally. We are all anxious to get home now. Even the cats are ready to have some room after being cooped up in the RV all summer. Don't get me wrong, our 5th wheel is nice and spacious, but after a few weeks, it does get a little confining.

So until next post from Tucson, hope all is well in your world.

The Wroamin' Wraspirs