Kayaking on Lake Perris - Not!

Tuesday the 27th

We planned to go kayaking on Lake Perris today but by the time we were ready to go it was almost 80 degrees out and we didn't seem to have the energy to do much of anything energetic. So we gave in and decided to wait for another day. The rest of the day we read and relaxed, walked the dogs and just plain took it easy!

No photos today.

Wednesday the 28th

We did a little housekeeping this morning since Don was coming over for a visit to shoot a little pool with Mike. Don arrived around 10:30 AM and after a brief visit with Tina, he and Mike repaired to the billiards room where they shot pool for a couple of hours, swapping yarns and trying to outdo one another on remembered times in the Galactic Space Patrol. Fortunately there were few others nearby to be bothered by the incredibly, ahem, exaggerations of actual facts. But the boys certainly had their fun, as usual - heheheh!! Around 1:00 PM Tina brought some lunch over and joined them on the patio for their repast. Following lunch, Tina went shopping while Mike and Don played Snooker until it was time for Don to leave. After a warm goodbye, Don headed off for home and Mike and Tina relaxed for the rest of the day.

No photos today.


Thursday the 29th

Cool this morning, but no rain. We had planned to go kayaking on Lake Perris but the winds were just too high. With gusts up to 35 mph, we'd be blown from one end of the lake to the other before you could say Jack Robinson. Well, that was okay. We took the kids to the groomers at 10:00 AM then went to the Western Science Museum (http://www.westerncentermuseum.org/) at Diamond Lake.

The Western Science Center (formerly the Western Center for Archaeology & Paleontology) is home to a large collection of Native American artifacts and Ice Age fossils that were unearthed during construction of Diamond Valley Lake. The exhibits include "Max", the largest mastodon found in the western United States, and "Xena", a Colombian mammoth.

We got there about 10:30 AM and after paying our entrance fee, we joined a group of about 25 young school children for a tour of the exhibits. Along the way we were treated to two movies on the construction of Diamond Valley Lake, the finding and preserving of the fossils and the fauna of the Pleistocene in the Diamond and Domenigoni Valleys.

After the movies we proceeded to the paleontology gallery, which is filled with fossils recovered from the bottom of what later became Diamond lake. Along with the skeletons of "Max" and "Xena" are "Li'l Stevie", one of the most complete mastodons known from the western United States, who is displayed unreconstructed and still partially buried as found when it was first uncovered. The gallery also has skeletons of a Harlan's ground sloth, and interactive displays on archeology and paleontology.

After leaving the museum we decided to check out the Lemon Grass Grill for lunch. It was a Thai treat. We both had soup and everything was delicious. we will definitely go back for dinner. From lunch we went back to the groomers and picked up Wicket but had to return later for Punky. So off we went to home.

Dropping off Wicket at the coach we rode our bikes over to the office to visit the sales office for the new Park Models being offered. We met with Phil, a dinner companion from last night and he showed us the four models available, talked prices and how sales worked. We came away with some ideas to add to our information on "planning our future" but no decisions about anything.

Then we went back to the groomers and picked up Punky. The rest of the day was spent reading and relaxing.

No photos today.

Quiet Time In The Hemet Heat II

Monday the 26th

A beautiful morning, the heat was only on for about twenty minutes. We decided to go on a short bike ride around 10:00 AM before it got too warm to ride. We did a loop through Hemet and found several low traffic roads. By the time we got back we'd covered ten miles.

The rest of the day we relaxed with our books, shot a little pool and took it easy until 4:40 when we headed over to the cinema and watched the movie Bounty Hunter, followed by dinner at Mimi's. Both the movie and dinner were good but nothing to rave about, but we always enjoy ourselves anyway.

Not much else to report, except, the Punky girl really likes to look for rabbits. Every evening she indicates she wants to go out to pee but in reality it's just a sniff run, heh, heh.

Quiet Time In The Hemet Heat I

Sunday the 25th

Warm, warm, warm.... Ahhhhhh, so nice. Mostly we spent the day with our books, a short bike ride and oh, yes, hunting for a runnaway dog.

Seems Tina was walking the two girls and dropped the leashes so they could run back to to the coach. Unfortunately, just as they got to the steps Punky flushed a rabbit. Zooooommm, off she went trailing her leash, trying to bring down the cute little bunny. Tina dashed in and said she couldn't find her, so here we are, walking up and down the street calling, "Punky, where are you." Nothing.

So out on the bikes we went. Same thing. I came back to the coach just in case she came back. No luck. By this time we'd been looking for half an hour. Then I heard a faint yip, yip, from somewhere behind the rig. Walking back behind our site I came out on the street behind us and ran into a couple who thought they had heard something, but couldn't tell which direction it came from. I heard something behind me and started in that direction.

Finally I spotted two eyes looking out from under a hedge. There she was with her leash all tangled up around the roots and trunk of the bush. I unwound her leash and got her out of the bush and out to the street where I thanked the couple for their help. Then we walked back to the rig and found Tina coming back. She was very happy to see the little scamp, but now, with so many rabbits around, they won't be allowed to run free.

Other than that it was a pretty quiet day.

High Mountain Drive

Saturday the 24th

A beautiful day dawned as the kids decided that 5:00 AM was a good time for us all to get up.Fortunately they're not in total control and Tina was able to convince them that it was too early to get up. So, after turning on the heat, we all laid back down for another 45 minutes. Then it was definitely time to rise as the "Punky" Alarum went off and we were showered with lots of licks and her own form of communication, paw pats. Yes, Paw Pats. This is where she sits or stands and lifting one front paw, she taps out morse code on the closest body part. In bed it's my chin as she stands on my chest. Okay. So.... well, I think it's time to get up, heheheh!!

After breakfast, walks and cleanup, we headed out for the Big Morongo Canyon Wildlife Preserve (http://www.bigmorongo.org/) which is located, naturally, in Morongo Valley. The 31,000 acre preserve sits in the heart of the Little San Bernardino Mountains and opens at the bottom into the west end of the Coachella Valley northwest of Desert Hot Springs. Elevations on the Preserve range from 1,700 feet on the canyon floor to 3,430 feet at the ridge tops.

To get there we drove 18 miles north from Hemet to I-10 and turned east for about 22 miles exiting on highway 62 for the twelve mile drive up to Morongo Valley. Bythe time we got there it's about noon and we're getting hungry so we stopped for lunch at the Morongo Valley Cafe located in the middle of town.

It looked pretty busy and there weren't any outside seats available so Tina went in and asked where else we could get lunch. But it smelled so good that she decided we should wait, whereupon the waitress came out with a couple more chairs and we joined another couple outside. This was good because we could have the kids with us rather than leave them in the car.

Tina ordered a Patty Melt, while I had the Ultimate Egg Sandwich. This was two fried eggs, with a sausage patty, cheese, onions, avocado and jalepenas. Ohhhh, it was really good. This place probably could be featured on Guy Fieri's, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

We finished lunch and continued up highway 62 another half mile to the entrance to the Preserve. We drove in and were preparing to park when Tina saw the sign, "No Dogs Allowed". We were really disappointed, especially as I should have checked before we left home. Oh well, we'll come back again next week and do some hiking.

Since we couldn't stay, maybe we should make it a driving day and do the loop down to Palm Springs and back to Hemet via Highway 74, the "Pines to Palms Highway" over the San Jacinto mountains. So we headed back down highway 62 past the community of Desert Springs, across I-10 through North Palm Springs and south on highway 111 to Palm Springs (http://www.visitpalmsprings.com/).

Since it was Saturday and beautiful out, the streets and sidewalks were crowded with people spilling out of high end shops and filling the outdoor cafes. We didn't have any place in particular we wanted to see in particular since we really hadn't planned to be there until a couple of weeks out. The aeriel tramway (http://www.pstramway.com/) would have been nice but there was still snow at the top and we weren't dressed for cold weather. So it was time to find a map as I didn't remember where we could find highway 74.

I figured that the Chamber of Commerce would be close to the City Municipal building so we turned around and drove east for a mile before I gave up and pulled into the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel. I parked next to valet parking and went in to the lobby. The lady at the registration desk sent me to the gift shop for a map, but the only one they had was for the local area. Fortunately, the lady told me to check with the head porter as he was a long time local.

I found him near the desk and he got a map and showed me how to get where we wanted to go. Turns out his family had large farms in the Hemet Valley and also outside of Palm Springs. We chatted for a few minutes then I thanked him for his help and headed out through the front door still studying the map.

Once I got to the curb I went around the back of the car, opened the drivers door and got in. I vaguely felt something was not quite right. For one, the door seemed bigger, the drivers seat was set wrong and the A/C was off. As I was reaching for the seat belt I turned to ask Tina why the A/C was off and found myself staring at a Japanese tourist. We were both surprised! He was making "shooing" motions at me and saying "not your car, please get out". I looked through the windshield and sure enough, our car was another ten feet further up the curb. Apologising profusely, I quickly got out of his car and got in the correct one. Whooops!! My bad!! Heheheh!

As we pulled out of the hotel, I told Tina what happened and she immediately texted everybody in the family with the story. For the next twenty minutes as we drove south along the San Jacinto mountains I got various comments relayed from Tina as everybody got a chuckle over my gaffe.

Leaving Palm Springs we passed through Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and into Palm Desert where we made our turn onto highway 74. This was another beautiful drive up and over the mountains. We made several stops to look back towards the valley as we gained elevation making a final stop at the "Cahuilla Vista" pullout. After parking the car we leashed up the dogs and headed down the trail. Reaching the viewpoint platform we took some photos of flowers and the landscape around us. It was really beautiful!

Eventually we passed the summit at Lake Hemet reaching 4,760 feet elevation then started through a series of alpine meadows dotted with campgrounds, hiking trails and horse ranches. Gradually we dropped down to Mountain Center around 4,000 feet at the ridge of the long canyon leading to Hemet. We inched our way down following a series of hair raising turns, "U" turns and otherwise dramatic mountain highway finally reaching the valley floor at the eastern edge of Hemet, about six miles from the coach.

Driving through town we stopped at a Starbucks to buy some whole beans and grab a couple of iced mochas. Ummmmm, mmmmm, just right. we got home in time to take the kids for a long walk. I cleaned the grill and Tina grilled some steaks, sauteed brussel sprouts and we split a baked potato with chocolate ice cream for desert. Yumm!!

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Don and Diane Visit

Friday the 23rd

Well the rain quit last night and it was a beautiful morning. Crisp but sunny with a few light clouds. After getting up, turning on the heat, turning on the coffee, walking the dogs, having breakfast, and doing a little laundry, I managed to get the bed repaired. We had ordered a replacement gas strut (works like the hydraulic piston that holds up your trunk lid) to replace the one that broke in the fully extended position. We had lifted the bed up to access the storage area and the old one froze open. It only took twenty minutes with Tina holding the bed up to fix it. I kept dropping screws, but that's another story, heh, heh.... Once that job was done I managed to hang Tina's new stained glass Dragonfly.

Don and Diane arrived around 11:30 AM and we celebrated Diane and Mikes delayed birthdays with a gift exchange. We visited for about an hour then walked over to the Shuffleboard Courts before proceeding to the Cabana. By now the sun had warmed things up and we were able to eat lunch poolside.

After lunch we went into the Billiards room where Don and I traded games and the ladies watched. As in days of old we used many tricks and subtle forms of sharking to rattle the other player. With laughter all around it was soon time for Don and Diane to head home to their "kids". We walked back to the coach and said goodbye, recognizing that we would soon be meeting up for a trip up through Bryce Canyon, Zion, the Grand Tetons and on into Yellowstone for a week.

Around 3:30 PM we decided to take the kids for a hike up to the Hemet Maze Stone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemet_Maze_Stone), a granite boulder carved with a labyrinth maze in a 3 1/2-foot square. The surface of the boulder has a light patina known locally as “desert varnish”, suggesting the petroglyph may have been carved between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago. About 50 maze-stones have been identified throughout California, in Orange, Riverside, Imperial, and San Diego counties, and at least 14 examples of labyrinthine rock art are known in the remote area of Palm Springs. All of them have been found within 150 miles of each other, and virtually every one is rectangular, although varying in size from 4 inches to several feet across.

We drove to the end of California Avenue which took us up Reinhardt Canyon where the county has blocked off the road. We parked at the gate, leashed the dogs and headed up the remains of the old road. We steadily climbed upward past hillsides dotted with huge granite boulders and abundant flowers. Even the bushes are in bloom.

We finally reached the Hemet Maze Stone which is protected against vandalism by two chain link fences. I tried to take a picture but it's tough to shoot through the fences. After checking out the area we returned to the old road for the trip back to the car. Before starting down we met a couple of hikers and exchanged information about hiking in the area. We plan to return and do a hike in the area.

Arriving back at the car we headed back to town and our coach. While I worked on photos, Tina fixed a great dinner salad with shrimp, avocado, blueberries and nuts. Simply delicious!! After dinner we went over to the Shuffleboard Pavilion and joined eight other players for a rousing game. I was paired with two other husbands while Tina was with their wives so it was the men against the women. We played six "ends" then switched positions. At the end of twelve rounds the ladies had beaten the men by two points 117 to 115. Everybody had fun!!

After the game we returned home, took the kids for a nice walk and spent the rest of the evening relaxing.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Rainy Day in Hemet

Wednesday and Thursday the 21st and 22nd

Well the promised rain showed up last night but by 6:00 AM this morning it had quit. Today we are going to spend time catching up on chores like cleaning the coach, which as it turned out, was a good decision - it rained on and off all day. It was pretty much the same on Thursday, so we stayed close to home and let it rain, taking the kids for walks in between showers.

No photos yesterday or today.

Marsh Air Museum

Monday the 19th

Quiet time today. Laundry, shopping and a little pool.

Tuesday the 20th

Another beautiful day. We have really been fortunate with the weather this winter. Yes, we had some cold weather in Florida, but for the most part we have had nice, warm sunny days. Just what we wanted rather than the cold, cloudy and rainy days typical of a northwest winter. It's really nice to be able to take the kids out at 7:00 AM in short sleeve shirts and shorts.

We had a lazy morning. Tina made French Toast for breakfast and after cleaning up I checked on the markets to find that everything is doing well and it definitely looks like the worst is over.

Today we planned to go to Marsh Field Aviation Museum (http://www.marchfield.org/) over in San Bernardino, about twenty-three miles from here. We got to the museum which sits on a portion of the March Air Reserve Base field about 10:30 AM and paused at the War Memorial just outside the entrance. Even though the Museum has a dedicated hanger with WWI artifacts, it is primarily a static display with over 60 planes outside.

We entered the museum and spent half an hour walking around and talking to staff about the displays, then we moved outside for the next two hours. The planes on display range from the 1930's through the 1970's. It's a really incredible display with freighters, transports, fighters, bombers and trainers. Especially impressive is a B-52G in desert camo.

Another hanger is dedicated to the restoration of P-38's where there is a full scale replica on display. Rather than go into a lot of detail on what we saw, go to our photo site.

After leaving the March Air Museum we stopped for lunch at Del Taco, oh well, it was only one meal. During lunch we decided to try and find the Perris Lake Recreation Area and find the kayak launch. About six miles southeast of the museum we headed up into the hills to find a man made reservoir and a huge, beautiful park with lots of green grass, shade trees and picnic tables.

After getting a temporary pass from the ranger we drove to the west end of the lake next to the dam and found the put-in. It was just like Lower Otay where we could drive right to the edge of the water, park and unload. Leaving the park by the Western exit we dropped down to Ramona Blvd which too us all the way to Sanderson. Turning right on Sanderson we drove six miles to Hemet and with a quick right on W Florida Ave, pulled into our camp.

The rest of the day we hung out and got the site ready for rain.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Rim of the World Drive

Sunday the 19th

Today is going to be a great day for a drive. The sun is warming things up so we decided to get on the road early. Packing up the kids and cameras we started for the "Rim of the World" Scenic Byway (http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/recreation/byways/rim.shtml) which runs through the San Bernardino National Forest.

The route from Hemet took us straight up highway 79 to Beaumont where we got on I-10 west for six miles exiting at Calimesa. From there we backtracked a couple of miles to Bryant Street which runs due north through the city of Yucaipa until it connects with highway 38.

Once on highway 38 we turned east until we got to the Mill Creek ranger station where we stopped for some information and to check on road conditions. That's when I earned that part of our return route, highway 330 was closed. With a map of our route in hand we headed off for the snow covered peaks.

Our first stop was just before reaching Mountain Home Village. We had come out of a canyon where the cliff walls went straight up and into a small valley with a small stream running along the road. There were some amazing yucca plants growing. There were some just getting ready to bloom and others in bloom and some almost done blooming. These plants had towering stocks coming up out of the plant with blooms at the tips of the stock. Pretty amazing.

Passing Mountain Home Village the road made a sharp "U" turn at Monkeyface Falls and passed the flank of San Bernardino Peak . By now we were up over 2,000 feet and starting to make some serious elevation gains. We soon passed the small community of Angelus Oaks and on to Barton Flats where the Boy Scouts have a large camp.

The route continued upward passing 5,000 feet, then 6,000 and into snow country. We stopped for several shots of roadside snow not realizing how much higher we were going and how much more snow we'd see.

Finally we reached Onyx Summit, at 8,443 feet the highest paved road in Southern California. Off to our right was San Gorgonio Peak, covered with a blanket of snow. At 11,499 feet, the tallest mountain in Southern California.

Descending from Onyx Summit we dropped down into Deer Springs Valley and on into Woodlands before reaching Big Bear City at the eastern end of Big Bear Lake, elevation 6,744 feet, where we stopped for lunch at "Thelma's Family Restaurant and Bakery".

This is a really great little restaurant. We sat out side on the patio where we could have the dogs with us instead of in the car. It was about 68 degrees with blue sky so i put up the umbrella for some shade. Tina had a Cheeseburger and I had a California Chicken Burger with avocado, jalapenos, lettuce, tomato and onion. Along with the seasoned fries we both enjoyed our lunch.
Thelma's has a nice cozy atmosphere, fast service and a very friendly staff. Of course I had to order the Apple Dumpling for desert. Yum!!! This was to die for with warm caramel sauce and ice cream... wonderful!!

Leaving Big Bear City we drove along highway 18 past Big Bear Lake, through the town of Big Bear Lake and past the ski slopes where several hundred people were enjoying a great day of spring skiing! Continuing our journey we passed Snow Valley ski area and Green Valley ski area also with plenty of skiers.

Our route was slowly trending downward as we worked our way west to through the mountain community of Running Springs and on to Lake Arrowhead. Originally we thought we might do the loop drive around the lake but decided to continue our main route instead since we had already been in the car for several hours and had another thirty miles of mountain driving to go.

Eventually we passed Arrowhead Highlands and started the final descent along Waterman Canyon, home of the Arrowhead Springs Resort (http://www.arrowheadspringsresort.com/) down to the city of San Bernardino where we got on I-215, then I-10 and over to Beaumont for the drive back to the coach.

The rest of the day we spent relaxing, a swim at the pool and for me a little billiards.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Bike Ride Around Diamond Valley Lake

Saturday the 17th

At 5:40 AM I woke up in advance of the "Punky" alarm going off. Tina was up a few minutes earlier and took a quick photo of me and Punky before we got up. Well half of Punky. Well actually, the south half to be more specific. The rest of her was burried under the covers. Oh yeah, she was upside down too.

Once up we quickly went through our morning routine, taking the kids out, getting their breakfast, etc., then with the bikes on the car and all our gear, we drove across the street to "Mia's Country Kitchen" for a leisurely breakfast. Tina had Belgian waffles while I had a hot and spicy omelet. They were both very good.

From the restaurant we drove south out of town and up into the hills to the Diamond Valley Lake Marina for a ride around the lake. Hosted by the Directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California(http://www.mwdh2o.com/DocSvcsPubs/bike_ride/Bike_ride_flyer5_web.pdf), the ride is almost 22 miles around the lake on an unpaved service road carved out of the side of the mountain. Diamond Valley Lake (http://www.dvlake.com/) is a huge man made reservoir constructed inside a diamond shaped valley and was created with three huge earthen works dams. Completed in 1999, it's primary purpose is an emergency store of water in case of a severe earthquake.

We arrived at the marina around 7:30 AM and parked across from the registration desk. Once we checked in we waited for a while until the majority of riders had arrived then rode over to the trail entrance. After riding up a slight incline, everybody stopped for a group photo then we were off. The route followed the lake shoreline and stayed pretty much at one elevation. Hard packed dirt, rocks and exposed shale with patches of sand made it a little treacherous for me on my road bike but Tina didn't have any problems.

We made the entire route with three short stops in three and a half hours, not bat for a roadie. Once back at the car we loaded the car and went down to the Visitor Center where we had a quick lunch of hamburgers and chips, then we toured the Center. Dedicated to the Dam project it is a very nice place for education on water use and conservation.

Leaving the center we drove home to take the kids for a long walk, then it was up to the pool for some R&R, heh, heh!! We spent the afternoon at the pool finally returning to the coach around 5:00 PM for dinner. After eating and cleaning up we spent the rest of the evening watching movies.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Bike Riding in Hemet

Thursday the 15th

In the morning, I went over and played pool with Larry for a couple of hours while Tina joined the morning water volleyball game. There are actually two pools set up for water volleyball and they get up to fifteen people on a side. She had an exciting time leaping and hammering the ball into the opposing court. When I got done, i went home and changed into my swim suit and returned to the pool. We had lunch pool-side then spent another two hours getting wet, reading, getting wet, reading, having a cool one, etc, etc.!!

Since it was sunny with no clouds, it was a good day for checking out the area. After taking the kids to the dog park we went out riding to see what we could see. Hemet turns out to be much bigger than expected, with large housing developments and lots of retail mini-malls scattered about. We covered about seven miles and only saw a tenth of the area or less. We actually have several rides mapped out but mostly in the more rural areas.

After out brief tour, we headed over to the pool for the rest of the afternoon. After dinner, I went over to the shuffleboard arena to learn how to play shuffleboard. The resort has a professional shuffleboard facility and this summer will host the US and German teams for international championship play.

The tournament director, gave me and another fellow some basic rules, told us to select a pole and bid us get in a few practice pushes. The pucks slide almost effortlessly down the court and it took me all night to get a feel for what I needed to do. After a bit we were assigned lanes and partners and the fun began.

It really was fun even though I was frustrated at how difficult it was to control my speed. By the end of play I had achieved the lowest score, having gone backwards, ending up with minus twenty, earning the booby prize (return of my $1 entry - heheheh!! We plan on going over by ourselves this weekend to give Tina a chance to try it, since there is a game every Friday evening.

To soothe my tattered ego I went over to the billiard room and shot pool with Larry for an hour, doing very well, then went home. Tina had spent the evening relaxing and trying to let her shoulder and arm muscles relax. Turns out she was more energetic in the morning volleyball gaame than she realized. Setting the alarm for 5:45 AM we hit the sack.

No photos today.

First few days in Hemet

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the 13th, 14th & 15th

We are orienting ourselves to the area before doing any exploring. I am putting a schedule together with lots of opportunities to get out and about, so you can expect stories and photos over the next few days.

The weather has been real nice so far, in the high 40's at night and mid 70's during the day with brilliant blue sky's and few clouds. There is a small cabana cafe next to the pool and we had lunch there yesterday then sat by the pool side with our books and drinks for a couple of hours.

There is a dog park near by so the kids have been able to meet some new friends too. But mostly we are just taking it easy here in retirement paradise.

This evening we went to a movie, Clash of the Titans, it was pretty good. Then we had dinner downtown at La Casa Vieja and that was pretty good too!

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Drive to Hemet

Monday the 12th

Well it started coming down around 1:00 AM this morning and kept coming down heavy until after 10:00 AM. Taking the kids out for their morning walk we came back to the coach soaked to the bone. Tina had a towel down on the floor and a second one for drying.

We have a short drive today so we weren't in any hurry to get on the road, opting to drive on dry roads. By 10:30 AM the sun was out and had warmed up everything, drying things outside enough so we could go out and put the kayaks on the car and the bikes on their rack.

With everything inside cleaned and put away we pulled out of Chula Vista and headed to the freeway for our drive north. We made about forty miles on I-15 before it started to come down in buckets for about twenty minutes. Gradually tapering off, we made it to I-215 where it eventually quit all together so we made it to Hemet in the dry.

Our new home is at Golden Palms Village RV Resort (http://www.goldenvillagepalms.com/) where we will be for the next thirty-five days before we leave for Bryce, Zion, the Tetons and Yellowstone. Once we were set up, we had a late lunch and went to Home Depot for a cable TV extension so we could reach the cable plug in. After that we spent the afternoon exploring our new facilities. I went and shot pool with Larry, one of our neighbors, for a couple of hours then called it a night.

Distance for this leg, 95 miles. Total for the trip so far, 6,476 miles.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Relaxing in Chula Vista

April 10th and 11th

It's Saturday and cloudy out so we decided to just hang out and take a day off.


It's Sunday and cloudy out so we decided to just hangout and take the day off. Since it's supposed to rain tonight we got all squared away for our drive up to Hemet tomorrow.

No photos but keep watching!

Mikes 63rd Birthday

Friday the 9th

What a great day! The sun is out and I got to sleep in until 7:00 AM. Tina was up early though and put up some birthday decorations. When I got back after taking the kids for their regular morning walk in the park, Tina was preparing a special Birthday Breakfast celebration (French Toast using thick sliced Banana Walnut Bread), followed by a box of Russell Stover Chocolates, a new CD and a bag of Hershey Kisses. What a great way to start the day!!

After breakfast we drove up to the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the opening day of the Good-Guys Hot Rod and Custom Car Show (http://www.delmarnationals.com/)!! We got there around 11:30 AM and spent the next three hours wandering around hundreds and hundreds of absolutely stunning customs, restorations and street rods. Talk about eye candy, it was incredible. I never imagined having this many old cars all in one place at one time. It was a truly edifying experience. Fortunately we left the checkbook at home - heheheh!!

Finally my drool bib couldn't take any more so we wandered back to the car for the drive home. Wee got back about 3:30 PM and took the kids for a long walk. When we got back Tina started preparing my special Birthday Dinner (Gumbo made with shrimp, sausage and chicken) followed by a moist chocolate cake with candles. And of course another present, a new Perlizumi Bicycling Jacket!

Tina really did a great job and it was one of the nicest birthdays I've ever celebrated. Of course having my special love and closest friend to share it with made it that much more fun. Having great food and presents was nice too, but it's just so cool that we have a great time together. I'm really one lucky guy!!

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Kayaking San Diego Bay

Thursday the 8th

Since the wind has been coming up in the early afternoon we decided to put in at the marina and kayak around the shore south of the marina.

We drove over to the marina and put in at the boat launch dock and paddled out of the marina and into San Diego Bay. The tide was still going out but there was no wind as we paddled south along the breakwater.

Nearing the entrance to the estuary the water got very shallow. In fact, with the tide out we couldn't go into the estuary next to the power plant. We paddled almost to the power plant with ten to twelve inches of water beneath us and a huge stretch of mud flats on our left. The birds were out on shore with ducks, seagulls and oyster catchers in abundance.

As we went across the mouth of the estuary the water stayed less than a foot deep with a sandy bottom. Farther out there were large fish jumping, sometimes three or four times in a row. By then we'd been out about an hour and the wind was slowly picking up. Small waves were gently coming in from the west and rocking the kayaks as we were parallel to the troughs. So we decided to turn around and head back. We both noticed that we had sore upper arms from yesterday.

Arriving back at the marina we pulled up to the dock and ended our paddle trip. Loading he kayaks on the car we headed into town to do some grocery shopping. When we got home and put everything away we fixed a late lunch and went out on the patio to eat. After lunch Tina gave the kids a bath. After we dried them off, Tina gave Wicket a haircut while I worked on the blog.

The day was simply beautiful as we took several walks with the kids through the park and along the beach. Tomorrow we plan on going to a classic car show in Del Mar for my birthday. Should be fun!!

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Kayaking Lower Otay Lake

Wednesday the 7th

With breakfast and the morning chores complete we put the kayak holders back on the car and loaded up the kayaks. While I attached all the lines to tie them down Tina made a lunch, grabbed some drinks and a towel and loaded it all in the dry bag. With cameras in hand we said goodbye to the kids and headed for the hills.

Temperatures were predicted to be in the upper 70's we thought it would be good to get a reasonably early start. Driving through Chula Vista we passed the 805 freeway and passed Otay Ranch. Once we passed the 125 freeway the road continued east through beautiful developments and lovely roadside landscaping with jogging trails everywhere.

Eventually we reached our turnoff and headed for the county park. Along the way we passed the Olympic Training Facility (www.teamusa.org/about-usoc/chula-vista-olympic-training-ctr), a $65 million all year round training center for US athletes.

Shortly after passing the gates to the center we got our first glimpse of Otay Lake (www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/lotay.shtml) which is actually a water reservoir for the city of San Diego. The road continued for another mile following the shoreline then we turned into the parking lot where the Water department has developed a recreational area with boat rentals and launch ramps.

We parked not far from the shore and unloaded the kayaks, carrying them down to the lake. After putting on our life vests and loading the dry bag in my kayak Tina handed me an early birthday present, a new pair of neoprene water shoes. I quickly swapped my sandals for them and helped Tina get in her kayak. Once she was out in the water I pushed my kayak from shore and climbed in. We were under weigh by 11:30 AM for our next adventure.

Looking out over the lake we saw something floating that looked like some kind of raft. Paddling out to it we found a floating, solar powered water circulator pump with a three foot circular mouth and signs warning of large circulating blades! Cool! Looking around across the surface of the lake we saw another half dozen similar devices.

We left the pump station and headed for the eastern shore of the lake looking for what appeared to be sandy beaches. Surprise!! As we got closer, what appeared from a distance to be a sandy beach was actually large stands of dead rushes that had been bent over in a wind storm and bent into brownish tan looking mattes.

As we paddled along the shore the reed stands were punctuated with large rock jumbles protruding out into the lake. At one point I nosed my kayak into the rocks and half disappeared, looking like I was between a rock and a hard spot!! Heh, heh! We continued to cruise along, slowly making our way north listening to the birds and ducks having at it in the reeds.

Eventually we rounded a point and into a small arm that lead off into the hills. Naturally I had to see where it went. So as Tina watched me disappear into the reeds I made my way into an ever narrowing patch of water, surrounded by reeds and boulders until there was only another thirty feet or so until the end. At one point I heard Tina call out my name to make sure I was still there.

Not wishing to get mixed up in the reed beds I turned around and made my way back out. Since we were hungry we continued looking for a place to pull out and have lunch. No luck. So we decided to work our way back to our launching place and eat at one of the picnic tables.

As we arrived back at the park around 1:20 PM to find there were quite a few more people enjoying the water. I worked my way to shore, stepped out of my kayak and pulled it half way up onto the beach. Then I went back and held Tina's kayak while she got out. After taking the kayaks up to the car we took our lunch and walked over to a shaded picnic table.

After relaxing in the shade we loaded the kayaks onto the car, changed shoes and returned home. What a nice time we had on the lake drifting along watching dragonfly's dart around and fish jumping to catch bugs for their lunch. Arriving back at the coach we took the kids for a long walk and decided to go out on the bay tomorrow.

To see all our pictures, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Maritime Museum and Harbor Tour

Tuesday the 5th

Today is a rainy day. I hung out with the kids while Tina went into town. By afternoon the rain was done and the sun came out though it was still a bit cool. After Tina returned we pretty much just hung out around camp reading and walking the kids.

Wednesday the 6th

The sun is out and it promises to be a beautiful day so we decided to head for the San Diego waterfront and the Maritime Museum (http://www.sdmaritime.org/). Being in Chula Vista has been very convenient. Once in the car we can be downtown in less than fifteen minutes.

Our directions took us to a parking lot on Ash St and Harbor Ave, on the waterfront right across from the Maritime Museum.

Crossing the street we purchased our tickets along with a pass for a harbor tour. Walking down a gangway we boarded the Berkley, an old passenger ferry, which houses all the marine artifacts of the museum.

Built in 1898, the Berkley is an old steam driven ferry that operated in the San Francisco Bay for 60 years.

With seating for for almost 1,700 passengers, this 280 foot long and 64 foot wide vessel carried thousands of people to safety during the 1906 earthquake.

After signing in for the harbor tour we walked over to the boarding ramp for the USS Dolphin, a deep sea submersible designed for extreme depths and built primarily for research.

Launched in 1968, the Dolphin served for 40 years, recording the deepest dive for an operating submarine in 1969. A record that still stands today.

The Dolphin is a very narrow diesel-electric sub and has been preserved in it research configuration with some of the oldest and some of the newest marine technology.

Returning to the outside via the aft hatchway we walked a short distance to a private yacht, the Medea. Built in 1904, the steam yacht was built in Scotland for William Maccalister Hall of Torrisdale Castle Scotland for hunting trip along the west coast. Bought by the French and converted to a gunboat she served in the first world war.

After the first world war the Medea returned to Britain and was reconverted to a pleasure craft until the start of WWII when she joined the British Navy as a barrage balloon vessel.

After the war, once again a private vessel, the Medea operated as a charter and still goes out for cruises today. Currently the Medea is undergoing an extensive refit to return her to the glory of her launch days.

Stepping back onto the Berkley we walked out along the pier past several smaller boats and out to the end where there were two old cannon from WWI and a magnificent view of the bay.

Finally it was time to go on our cruise. we met the captain and other passengers at the boarding ramp and were ushered aboard a 1914 Harbor Pilot boat. Pilot boats were used to take a harbor pilot out to large vessels before they entered the harbor ensuring that a pilot with special knowledge of the harbor was at the helm.

We boarded and took a seat just aft of the pilot house on the outside deck where we had an unobstructed view. Our tour guide used a microphone to point out various features along the shore, starting out along the north shore going past a man made island, known as Casino Island for its several casinos including a stern wheeler built by Nichols Brothers.

Passing the mouth of the harbor we turned south past the Navy Base on Coronado Island where we saw both the USN Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USN Ronald Regan, two Nimitz Class aircraft carriers in dock for refits after extensive tours at sea.

The long sausage like barriers floating alongside the carriers are security barriers designed to prevent another terrorist attack like the one on the USS Cole.

We weren't able to get too close in fact there were two Navy security gunboats that were on duty preventing boats from approaching the base.

Continuing south past Coronado we saw numerous beautiful private homes, several condos and resort hotels and the old ferry landing shopping center. Turning east we paralleled the Bay Bridge (CA-75) and approached the Port of San Diego and the container terminal. One out of every five imported cars in the US comes through the port.

Turning north we cruised past the San Diego Convention Center, Sea Port Village, several city parks with lots of public art, the USN Midway, a post WWII aircraft carrier which is now a museum.

Once past the Midway we rounded two large cruise ships and headed for our berth alongside the old Medea.

Leaving the Pilot boat we crossed over to the "B-39" a Soviet era "Foxtrot" class diesel-electric attack submarine. Commissioned in 1974, 39 of these large boats were built, among the largest of its type. Used on regular patrols until 1994, the B-39 carried a crew of 78 and could dive to nearly a thousand feet.

We had quite a task as we toured the length of the sub as most internal hatches, separating the different compartments, were a three foot circular hatch a foot thick. So we were going through them bent over like a circus performer stepping through a hoop.

Rising from the bowels of the sub we returned to the shore and walked over to the Star of India moored along the quayside. Built in 1863 the Star of India is the worlds oldest working ship. Built in the Ramsey Shipyard on the Isle of Man, the Star was one of the first iron hulled ships ever built. Currently going through a complete refit, she is due to be ready to sail by next November.

Crossing the gang plank we boarded amidships by the center mast continuing on the main deck to the foredeck of this amazing ship. Almost 220 feet in length and originally christened the Euterpe, she spent her early years hauling cargo from India. In 1871 she changed hands and made 21 trips around the world transporting emigrants to New Zealand with some voyages lasting over a year.

In 1902 she was sold to a US company and spent twenty years hauling fishermen north to Alaska returning laden with canned salmon. For 35 years after the ship languished until in 1957 a visiting maritime authority lambasted the citizens of San Diego for letting her deteriorate. He was successful in raising awareness of the treasure she represented and over the next twenty years was fully restored.

We toured the entire ship, going below decks and even to the hold to see the ballast rocks and how spare rigging, spars and sails were stored. The accommodations for 1st class passengers were very nice. Those for what we would call coach class were adequate, but passengers making their voyage in steerage had a very spartan set of accommodations. This is truly a magnificent example of late 19th century sailing.

The only ship we didn't get to see was the HMS Surprise, a replica of an 18th century Royal Navy Frigate as she was recently sent to dry dock for refurbishment. This is the same vessel used to film "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World", a very good movie (we saw it when it came out). Coincidentally, we have a very large ship repair yard about three blocks away and the Surprise is visible from the street.

After our last stop we decided to call it a day and drove home, spending the rest of the day with the kids.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Return To Balboa Park

Sunday the 4th - Happy Easter!!

With another beautiful day on the way we decided to go back to Balboa Park so we could check out a couple of museums and some more of the gardens. Since we didn't plan on leaving until eleven or so, I gathered up the bed sheets and our current load of dirty clothes and went off to the laundry. Two hours and half a book later Tina helped me fold the clean clothes and return to the coach.

As soon as we finished making the bed and putting everything away we turned on the A/C, said good-bye to the kids and headed north. Exiting the freeway at 6th Avenue we drove up 6th, turned right onto El Prado and straight into Balboa Park. We found a parking area behind the Mengei International Museum and pulled into a parking spot right around 11:30 AM.

From the parking lot we walked through the Alcazar Garden which is patterned after the famous Alcazar Castle in Seville Spain. This is a formal garden bordered with boxwood hedges and planted every year with over 7,000 plants for vibrant color throughout the year.

Passing through the gardens we walked across El Prado and over to the California Building with its 200 foot spire. This is the home of the Museum of Man, devoted to anthropology with a focus on mesoamerican culture, the Mayans, Aztex, Toltecs and Olmecs. The museum is home to an incredible array of stellas and zoomorphs, copies made in the field in 1914 and placed here for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition. The displays trace the history of the native peoples with interpretations of the hieroglyphs describing the events leading to specific points in time.

From the Museum of Man we went to the Building housing the Photographic Arts Museum where we had a really nice lunch at the Cafe in the Park. From here we went downstairs to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, which has 28,000 square feet of displays with four huge operating models going plus a look at a new display under construction.

It's a pretty amazing place. Much of the geography of the models is based on real places and there are photos showing reality vs the copy scaled down to 1/8 or 1/20 actual size. Really incredible!!

Leaving the trains we crossed the street to the Natural history Museum. The museum is dedicated to Paleontology with a permanent exhibit called Fossil Mysteries, covering 75 million years of the rich fossil history of Southern and Baja California.

Their current exhibit, Dinosaurs; Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries has life size models of more than 35 different dinosaur species. With displays covering how scientific thinking has evolved over the past 50 years and how scientists are reinterpreting many of the most persistent and puzzling mysteries of the dinosaurs—how they looked, how they behaved, how they moved—and ultimately, the complex and hotly debated theories of why they became extinct. We really enjoyed the museum.

Finally we were able to enjoy a twenty minute IMAX 3-D movie, a global adventure of science and discovery featuring the entire age of dinosaurs—from the earliest creatures of the Triassic period to the monsters of the Jurassic and Cretaceous, the film takes you on a journey with the world’s preeminent dinosaur hunters. It was very well done but too short.

Leaving the Natural History Museum we wound our way through the park hoping to walk through the Japanese Friendship Garden. Unfortunately we arrived after it closed so we headed for the car and drove home. Arriving back at the coach we took the kids on a really long walk. By the time we got back it was almost 5:30 PM and Tina was not ready to cook dinner. So we decided to take it easy and drove over to El Torito for a quick Mexican meal. Turned out to be pretty good!

The rest of the evening we watched the next installment of "Life" on the Discovery channel.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.gogle.com/mjdolanski

Drive To Carlsbad Flower Fields

Saturday the 3rd

Tina wanted to go up to Carlsbad for the annual Tulip Fields tour so we packed up the dogs and headed north on I-5 to Carlsbad (http://www.theflowerfields.com/). We arrived to find the place absolutely swamped with cars and people. Well it was an absolutely beautiful day with temperatures in the high 60's and light fluffy clouds overhead.

After finding a parking spot we put the kids on their leashes and headed for the entrance, walking past numerous vendors selling hot dogs, strawberry shortcake and, yes, flowers. We got to the gate and found out there was a $10 entrance fee and , oh by the way, your dogs aren't allowed. Dang! Well it was too warm to leave the kids in the car so we took some photos from the parking lot, packed up the car and drove over to the small town of Carlsbad.

We had stayed here at the South Carlsbad State Beach Campground four years ago when we were coming home from Las Vegas with our 34' SeaBreeze. We were only able to walk a short distance into town at that time so this was a chance to check out the area in more detail. Carslbad is one of a string of small resort type towns starting with Oceanside just below Camp Pendleton and ending with Mission Beach jut north of San Diego.

We drove around Carlsbad and were impressed with its small town feel. Eventually we parked and went into a small deli for lunch. We both had a sandwich and drink. When we were done Tina looked at me and said, "I could eat at a place like this 3 or 4 days a week." I agreed, it was that good. Leaving the deli we walked across the street to a Farmers market and bought some veggies and strawberries for dinner.

Since we were on the coast, rather than go back to I-5 we decided to follow the coast south on Hwy 101. So we did. Leaving Carlsbad we passed through Palomar and Leucadia before descending on Encinitas a really stunning beachside town, slightly larger than Carlsbad with more resorts. From Encinitas on down through Solana Beach, Del Mar we arrived at Torey Pines, home of the famous Torey Pines Golf Course a major stop for both the PGA and LPGA.

Just south of the golf course is the Torey Pines Reserve (http://www.toreypine.org/) where we plan to go for a hike next week. Continuing south on 101 we went up and across the bluff and dropped down into La Jolla, home of the Scripps Oceanarium. We have a kayaking trip planned to see the La Jolla sea caves next week too.

Eventually we left the coast and headed inland to I-5 for the drive home. We had a really nice day on the road seeing a lot of small coastal towns and getting a better feel for the area, just in case we really want to move our winter home down this way.

To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Ocean Beach and Mission Beach

Friday the 2nd of April

Another beautiful day in southern California. Temps in the high 60's, sun shining and a light tropical breeze to keep the haze at bay. Tina is definitely better today. We are going to do some sightseeing on the north side of San Diego!

After our usual preparations we grabbed our cameras, directions, car keys, water and walking shoes for the drive north on I-5 headed for the small town of Ocean Beach (http://www.oceanbeachonline.com/). OB, as its called by the locals, is located just south of the mouth of the San Diego River, northwest of San Diego Bay. Laving I-5 we headed west on I-8 which ended at the north side of OB.

Driving into town we turned west on Newport, which is the main business street and drove out to the beach where we were able to park right next to the stairs leading up to the Pier. First we walked along the cement bulkhead looking for the tide pools which have been carved out over eosn by the waves crashing onto the mudstone sediment layer that underlies the area.

Unfortunately the area was fairly unsavory as there were dozens of "bums" hanging out and, in fact, as we walked back from the tide pools several police were rousting a couple and leading them away in handcuffs. So we decided to return to town rather than continue up to the pier.

Finding a parking spot was easy even though there were a lot of people out. OB is a typical small beach town which relies heavily on the tourist trade. Every third store front is an antique dealer with restaurants in between and a few businesses like Ace Hardware, attorneys, a grocery store, several banks, a couple of old time hotels and a youth hostel.

After walking both sides of Newport and exploring several shops we grabbed a coffee at Starbucks and headed across the river to Mission Beach. This is another small beach community but has a totally different flavor as it s obviously more of a resort community. Nestled between the San Diego river to the south, Mission Bay to the east and the Pacific on the west, Mission Beach has over five miles of boardwalk that stretch around Mission Bay and along the Pacific.

We parked in a lot just behind Belmont Park (http://www.belmontpark.com/), a year round ocean front carnival with a large wooden trestle roller coaster and several other rides. We made it out to the boardwalk and cruised around weaving our way through walkers, bicyclists, skaters and skate boarders all vying for their place in the sun. On the other side of the balustrade was the beach, covered with umbrellas and bodies!

We stopped for lunch at a small restaurant, the "WaveRunner" where we had an elevated view of the boardwalk and beach. Tina had a really good Turkey and Avocado sandwich while I opted for the Avocado, Jalapeno and Jack Burger, both with a side of fresh fruit. Everything was simply delicious! After lunch we strolled north towards Pacific Beach past hundreds of really nice rental vacation condos that fronted right on he boardwalk. Definitely a great place for Spring Break!

Leaving Mission Beach we made our way back to I-8, then over to I-5 where we drove to the Home Depot just south of Chula Vista. We picked up some caulk and small screws then headed home. After walking the dogs we relaxed for a couple of hours then Tina made grilled marinated steak with a salad and the remaining Crusty Mac n'Cheese. Yum!!

That pretty much did it for our day! To see all our photos, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Sitting Out The Rain

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Tuesday was spent in recovery from our visit with Marni and Emma, updating the blog and photos and relaxing.


Wednesday we continued relaxing and preparing for the coming rain storm. Tina did her hair and went shopping.


Thursday and the sun is out, even though it's cool, at least the rain is gone. We can take the kids on long walks which they appreciate.

After lunch we picked up a couple of things at Home Depot, a reading lamp bulb, some caulk and a couple of small screws to hang a picture. The caulk is for the shower. Otherwise we don't have any plans.

Since it was so nice out, I went out for a bike ride into the hills east of Chula Vista. It was a pretty good ride though I had a heavy headwind on the way back. Did about twenty miles. When I returned it was time for the pool and hot tub. Very nice afternoon.

Later Tina fixed a really nice dinner, grilled Salmon, crusty Mac & Cheese and a salad with avocado, carrots, cuc's and mixed greens. Very tasty. As usual, better than most of our restaurant meals!!

After dinner we looked at our activities list, checked the weather forecast and made some plans to visit downtown SD, do some kayaking and check out the Mission Beach Boardwalk.

No photos today.