Journeys End.. Home!

We have concluded this years trip. The final leg from the ELKS Lodge in Sherwood, OR via Kenniwick was accomplished in spite of some high and gusty winds. Fortunately, most of the wind was at our backs:) Nice to have ANYTHING that will improve the MPG! We did have a nice visit with Lou's sister in the Oregon area. This was NOT the best time to travel in Northern CA or OR because it RAINS a LOT. Of course it also makes everything green and lush:)
All was well at the house when we arrived and Lou enjoyed her hot shower with unlimited water. I enjoyed my shower with lots of room to turn around in without bumping and banging of elbows. No more concerns for capacities of the holding tanks or the amount of fresh water left until we venture out again, perhaps this summer.
All told, we put 4,800 miles on the RV and a good bit on the Tacoma as well. Yes, the gas bill is a doozy but still worth it. Next time to the SW, we'll do a more direct route down and back with more focus on the BLM boondocking areas in AZ to conserve money for the gas tank:) And, alas, we will most likely skip CA next trip. We were there twice on this trip and it's just too expensive.
First, we have to survive an extended La Nina season in the Pacific NW which means that a wet and cool Spring is in store for us until June according to the weather people. It will feel like being in Northern CA for 2 more months:) It will give Lou lots of time to get caught up on her quilting and I can repair a few planes while waiting for flying season.
All told, we had a really great trip and really enjoyed meeting up with sister, cousins, nephews and new babies. We also met up with old acquaintances and some new friends. We will always remember the awesome Tournament of Roses Parade up close and in true living color.
Maybe next year we can do it again:)

Escape from Red Bluff

We have finally escaped the clutches of CA and the traction chain gods. We did have some gusty winds on the way and a pretty good snow storm at the top of the pass when we hit Oregon. We are now in Grants Pass. Very nice and interesting town. There is a quilt shop for Lou and a hobby shop for me to visit in the AM just across the street from each other. This is MUCH quieter than our spot in Red Bluff:) Tomorrow or Tuesday we'll head up to Sherwood, OR to visit with Lou's sister. Then, we will begin the final legs of our travel home. Should be back in Spokane by the end of the week (maybe) so NO MORE SNOW in Spokane please!

Red Bluff ELKS

Day 4 at the Red Bluff ELKS and still watching the road reports in Yreka and Weed. Chains are still required and all vehicles are being checked 10 miles north of Redding for "maximum chains". Campers and trailers are NOT advised due to high winds. We don't have chains for the RV and I won't drive where they are needed anyway. So, maybe tomorrow or Sunday.....or Monday to begin our dash north to Oregon. Once past the state line, weather issues will usually be limited to wind and/or rain. I can live with that but NOT snow/ice:) In the meantime, we will sit and enjoy the hospitality of the Red Bluff ELKS lodge. Really nice people here. This will give Lou another opportunity to do some baking. Yesterday, she replenished our cookie supply:) YUMM!

Hunkered down in Roseville

We are now in Roseville, CA watching the rain come down. Lots of rain.... and WIND! Lots of that also. It is really windy and gusty and the weather prognosticators are forecasting more rain and stronger winds/gusts after midnight until mid day tomorrow. Soooooo, we'll just stay here parked behind the Roseville ELKS Lodge plugged into electric and water until at least Monday. Maybe Tuesday. We had a great visit with Ken and Jackie Coyne while parked in front of their house for the last three days. They are very gracious hosts and super great people. We're sure that Ken and Jackie will wear out rather than rust out when the time comes:) Still a long time off for sure!
Next week, sometime, we'll head northward to Red Bluff or Redding for a few days and, keeping a close eye on the weather, plan our further travels up to visit with Kathleen.

New baby and rain...

We are now in Petaluma afer a few days of a noisy ELKS Lodge in Santa Clara. We were not aware of its proximity to the San Jose airport or the waste transfer station just down the street that the garbage trucks begin their runs at 5AM... even on the weekend:( Otherwise, it was a very nice spot. They served a super steak dinner for $8.50! We arrived in Petaluma with great anticipation of seeing the latest member of the Burns family, Lila Mae Doris Burns. She is beautiful and Dad is giddy with delight and wonder. Carly, Will and Lila are all doing well:)
I was going to go out and take pictures today but it's raining! Imagine that! Raining in California. This cold front will pass through this evening, we hope, and the rain will slow to showers for the rest of the week . We will head towards Roseville, via Napa, to spend a few days in that area. We look forward to visiting with Ken and Jackie, Lou's cousin, and maybe some wineries also:) We'll cycle from parking in front of their house and checking out some of the ELKS lodges in the surrounding areas. If it's raining, boondocking isn't as much fun. Having power, water and sewer connections permits one to just be a bit more comfortable.

On the move

Last night, Indio, CA. Very nice ELKS club but one night was enough so we moved on Westward past where we SHOULD have stopped (Oxnard) and continued on to Lompoc, CA. More miles then we planned but I was determined to escape the traffic congestion in the LA area. While in the Lompoc area we will visit, once again, Buellton and Solvang. We were here 2 years ago and it's worth repeating. Tomorrow, we will check out the Jamala County Beach Park a few miles away from here. It gets rave reviews for scenery and facilities. We'll see and judge it against the cost.

The Golden State isn't golden now. It's GREEN! The hills are covered in green velvet as Lou described it. Still pursuing cheap gas ($3.73 at Costco in Fontana) but we have seen it as high as $4.19! C'mon Ghadaffi, give it up and LEAVE:)

We Moved Again!

We have left the lovely "gentle desert" of the Pinal County campground and are now tucked in at the Yuma BPOE RV area. This is our first stay at an ELKS Lodge since becoming an ELK in Gila Bend. We decided to begin our westward trek but needed to have a safe haven to let the current weather system pass us by. Driving in rain and gusty winds aren't as fun as they used to be in Florida. Of course, I wasn't driving an RV then:) We have been watching with trepidation the constant rise of the cost of fuel for the RV. We will pay what it takes to get home, of course, but it will still be a bit painful at $4/gal... or more. It was less than $3 when we left:(
We'll be here until Monday and then try to get our turn signals fixed. The left signal keeps blowing a fuse and I think it's in the steering column. Having it checked Monday AM. We haven't decided which route we will be taking through California as yet or where we will enter California for that matter.
Lou gets a break for dinner this evening as we will have dinner at the lodge. Reports are that the food is really good and they are serving shrimp and tenderloin this evening. YUM!
Right now, the weather isn't too bad. A little gusty and some sprinkles. Not the big storm they were predicting earlier. Weather map shows that a bunch is still on the way however. Maybe it will slide up north (hope, hope, hope).
We will get to the San Jose, Petaluma and Roseville areas on our return trek. No schedule set as yet but we should be home by the first part of April.... weather permitting. As always, we look forward to the journey and seeing family along the way. We have met many nice people along the way and even ran into some we saw 2 years ago. Really good to renew the old acquaintances. Still lots of Canadians in AZ. You'd think it got cold up there or something in the winter:)