Category Archives: Uncategorized

Po-Key Surprise

We survived Friday’s downpour. By late afternoon, it turned into occasional showers. Around 4pm, my daughter, Shauna came by. I drove with her to her house and dropped her off. She’s leaving her car with us until Wednesday, while she’s back in Washington, DC. When I came back, Donna’s sister, Sheila had picked her up and they went out to have their nails done.

We had plans to meet up with Chris and Sherry Nirschl for dinner in Ocean Beach. I sent Donna a text asking if I should pick her up in Point Loma at the nail salon so we could make it to the 6:30pm dinner reservation. She texted back telling me Sheila would drop her off. I read this and thought Sheila was driving her back to the RV park and we would drive together.

I was beginning to think we would be tardy for dinner when Donna hadn’t returned by 6:15pm. Then I saw a text from her saying she was arriving at the restaurant early and wanted to know where I was. Oops! Sheila dropped Donna off in Ocean Beach while I was waiting for her to return to the RV park.

I drove to the Ocean Beach Warehouse restaurant and would’ve been only a few minutes late if I could’ve found a parking spot. I circled around Newport Avenue a couple of times before I found an open parking space two blocks west of the restaurant. Of course, when I walked up Newport Avenue, three parking spaces had been vacated right in front of the restaurant.

The Ocean Beach Warehouse restaurant website boasts “Eclectic global cuisine and vintage decor create the perfect casual hangout in the heart of downtown Ocean Beach.” They aren’t just bragging. They back it up with a variety of entrees and 24 local beers on tap. Donna ordered the short rib pappardelle and I had grilled mahi-mahi over garlic smashed potatoes. The food was cooked to perfection. I paired my dish with Belching Beaver IPA. This small brewery is becoming one of my favorites. Their IPA is brewed to style without over-the-top, in-your-face hoppiness.

The best part of the dinner was the company. We hadn’t seen Chris or Sherry since our last visit to San Diego a year ago. We had fun catching up and I really enjoyed the conversations.

Chris, Sherry, me and Donna

Chris, Sherry, me and Donna

In the photo you can see the vintage decor includes the siding from an old Airstream travel trailer on the wall behind us. My hand on Donna’s shoulder looks like it came from the land of the giants!

The skies cleared up on Saturday, but it wasn’t very warm. I don’t think the thermometer climbed much past 60 degrees all weekend. We had another meetup scheduled on Saturday afternoon.

Carole Sue Bringas arranged to meet with us at the Offshore Tavern and Grill and she invited some friends. Carole came down with the flu on Friday and had to cancel. Donna and I went to the Offshore anyway and were pleased when another old friend walked in.

Colette Denning, her daughters Kirsten and Ally and Kirsten’s son Tristan stopped in. I think it’s been about 15 years since I last saw Colette or Kirsten and at least 20 years since I’ve seen Ally. I’ve known Colette since I was in the ninth grade. We’ve stayed in touch over the years and at one time, in the early ’90s, we both lived in western Washington. Our daughters played together when they were kids.

We sat around a table and talked for a while, then Kirsten had a phone call from work. They needed her to come in ASAP. Kirsten lives with Colette in San Clemente. That’s also where she works, about 60 miles away from where we were. Our visit was cut short and I didn’t have a chance for a group photo.

After they left, Donna and I decided to stay and have something to eat. Donna ordered the bruschetta sliders plate and I ordered my favorite dish at Offshore, the poke (PO-key) plate.

Bruschetta sliders

Bruschetta sliders

Poke plate

Poke plate

Donna’s sliders were excellent. As soon as I tasted the sushi grade ahi tuna poke, I knew something wasn’t right. After a few bites, my mouth was on  fire! I neutralized it somewhat with the fried won-ton chips and avocado, but I couldn’t understand why the tuna was so spicy. Closer examination revealed a copious amount of dried red chili flakes in the sauce. I’ve never had this on the poke plate before. My face was flush and I was starting to sweat. I asked Donna to try a bite. She said it was awful – the chili flakes totally overpowered the ahi.

We called our server, Stefan, over. I showed him the chili flakes on the poke. I told him I’ve had this dish many times before and it wasn’t like this. Something happened in the kitchen or the chef decided to kick things up a notch. Stefan went back to the kitchen to inquire. He came back  to our table and said it was the new recipe. I had him take the plate away – I couldn’t eat it.

They didn’t charge me for the poke, but they’ve taken what was an excellent dish and changed it for the worse. When I go to get my free football pool drink on Tuesday, I’ll let the owner know what I think of the new poke plate.

Pineapple Express

Donna loves Christmas decorations. I go along with it, but I’m not crazy about putting up lights and all that. This year, Donna decided to decorate the coach. She strung lights outside and inside. She also bought funky little tree – it  has bare branches, white bark and lights.

Christmas lights outside and inside our coach

Christmas lights outside and inside our coach

Donna's Christmas tree

Donna’s Christmas tree

Yesterday, Donna moved the tree into the coach and removed the outside lights from the coach. I moved the ladder and Donna’s bicycle over to the trailer. We were battening down the hatches in preparation for the storm heading our way.

A tropical storm, called a Pineapple Express is slamming the west coast. It hit northern California, Oregon and Washington first. A Pineapple Express is a tropical storm that originates in the vicinity of Hawaii. As it moves in a northeasterly direction across the Pacific Ocean, it builds intensity and carries a lot of moisture.

These storms are fairly easy to track and predict. It hit the northern section of the west coast Thursday morning. Portland International Airport recorded a 67mph wind gust – the strongest recorded in 33 years. Powerful wind gusts hit the San Francisco Bay area, knocking out power. Wind velocity of 147mph was recorded in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Truckee, California.

With the wind came rain. Flash flood warnings were in effect in every county of the Bay area and inland to Sacramento. Nine inches of rain fell in Sonoma County and multiple freeways have been closed. The storm will bring significant snowfall to the Sierra Nevada mountains. The snowpack could help to ease California’s drought.

The jet stream was expected to push the storm southwards, with heavy rain coming to the Los Angeles basin Thursday night. We expected to catch the tail end of the storm in San Diego, with the heaviest rain coming this morning.

The wind woke me up a couple of times in the early morning hours. By 7am, the rain was falling steadily. By 8am, it became heavy rain and it continues to rain at 10am as I type this. The forecast calls for the rain to let up with showers all afternoon and this evening. The weekend forecast calls for the storm to move east, with clear weather here on the coast. Umm, should I say that’s when the coast will be clear?

The storm will bring snow to the Rocky Mountains over the weekend. I’m glad the Chargers are playing the Denver Broncos here in San Diego on Sunday.

76 Acres

After 11 years of battling in court, a settlement was reached between the residents at De Anza Cove and the City of San Diego last month. I wrote about the court battle and settlement offer in this post. The offer made by the city was amended by a judge. The new offer was for nearly $30 million. There was an appeal period after the amendment – neither side appealed. Since the appeal period expired, the deal is done.

All of the residents in the (not so) mobile home park surrounding Mission Bay RV Resort must be out by the end of January 2016. People are already packing up. The big question is, what happens to the 76 acres of prime real estate once they’re gone?

There has been much speculation and a few plans presented. Another twist in the story is the Campland on the Bay RV Park which sits on 42 acres of land across Rose Inlet, west of Mission Bay RV Resort. Campland’s lease will expire in 2017. The current master plan calls for the 42 acres occupied by Campland to be restored as marsh. This would provide a natural filter for water entering the bay from Rose Creek and would provide habitat for wildlife. This plan has much support.

Map of area

Aerial map of area looking east

There was talk of allowing Campland to relocate on the De Anza land, displacing Mission Bay RV Resort. This hasn’t gained much traction. I think the city realizes that the income potential of the RV resort far exceeds the tax revenue from Campland. The Mission Bay Master Plan includes space for an RV park on the bay.

When Mission Bay Park was conceived, limitations on commercial use were put in place. No more than 25% of the land surrounding Mission Bay can be used for commercial purposes. This ensures public access to the bay. When Campland is removed and the land returns to a natural state, this opens the possibility of commercial development elsewhere on the bay.

The politicians are moving quickly. Mayor Kevin Faulconer said, “There’s no doubt in my mind that once we get past the litigation issues in De Anza, that we should move full speed ahead. Any way you look at it, the public is going to benefit from increased access to the park and the environmental benefits of expanding the wetlands.”

There’s a rumor going around about a back room deal being struck between the city, Campland and Sea World. Sea World has long wanted to expand their leasehold to build a hotel adjacent to their park. The rumor is that Sea World will buy out Campland’s lease before it expires, to get them out, allowing Sea World to expand. The city would benefit if Sea World’s money made Campland go away.

The future development of the 76 acres at De Anza is still unclear. The latest rumor says the city will expand the RV resort into a true resort with premium bay side sites and amenities. The occupancy rate at Mission Bay RV  Resort has risen over the past two years and the city is realizing a nice revenue stream. If they go upscale, they could make plenty of money and still be in compliance with the master plan.

The dust will settle soon and we’ll see how this plays out.

 

Albatross

I’m not a bird watcher (birder), not that there’s anything wrong with that. What I mean is, I don’t actively search for particular bird species nor do I keep a list of the birds I’ve seen. Having said that, I do enjoy identifying birds when I see them. I know enough about birds to recognize an unusual bird for the area or a rarely seen bird.

When I see an unusual bird, I try to take a few minutes to memorize its size, shape, color and distinctive markings. I may have an idea of what it is, but once I’ve memorized its features, later I look it up in Peterson’s Field Guide. Sometimes, once I’m fairly certain of the identification, I’ll find additional information on the Web.

Yesterday, while Donna and I were eating lunch outside, a large bird zipped by overhead. I got up and walked to the back of our coach where I watched it soar over De Anza Cove. It rose quickly on an updraft, then wheeled about making sharp turns as it crisscrossed the cove before it soared away to the south. I don’t think it beat its wings once during the few minutes that I watched it. It was riding the wind expertly.

Donna asked me what it was. I told her it didn’t make sense, but I was pretty sure it was an albatross. I’ve never seen an albatross fly over land in southern California. I’ve only seen them when I was on a boat miles off the coast.

I estimated the bird had a wingspan in excess of six feet. Its body was disproportionately short from head to tail. The tail was so short, in fact, that its feet extended under the tail in flight. After lunch, I broke out my  field guide and looked it up. It was a Laysan albatross.

Laysan albatross - wikipedia photo

Laysan albatross – wikipedia photo

Wikipedia photo

Wikipedia photo

Ninety-nine percent of the Laysan albatross breeding population is found in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. These birds spend more than half the year out to sea. They can process sea water, removing the salt through a special nostril in their bill. When breeding season comes around, they return to an island to breed. They often forget how to land on the ground after months at sea and land clumsily. The oldest known Laysan albatross is a female named Wisdom, that’s estimated to be 63 years old. She was banded at an estimated age of five, 58 years ago.

I did a little research and found that a small breeding colony is found along the Revillagigedo Islands, about 240 miles southwest of the tip of Baja California. That could be where this bird came from, but who knows. They spend many months at sea and can end up almost anywhere in the north Pacific ocean. I’m guessing the storm that came through southern California on Tuesday and Wednesday blew this bird in.

This was the second time I was surprised to find an unusual bird here at Mission Bay. I posted a picture of a peregrine falcon I saw perched on a pole here.

I really enjoy spotting and identifying rare or unusual birds. Maybe I’m more of a birder than I think I am.

By the way, one of my favorite instrumental songs is Albatross, by the original Fleetwood Mac featuring Peter Green.

Free Ride

The weather guessers had it mostly right yesterday. The rain moved into San Diego County as a storm system closed in. It wasn’t as heavy as predicted, but the county’s coastal areas recorded an inch of rain, with two inches reported inland and three inches on Palomar Mountain. The area needs the rain. Southern California has been suffering from drought conditions and water restrictions are in place.

I don’t play in the rain. Donna and I spent most of the day indoors – she at her laptop, me reading on the sofa. Donna did manage to get out for a quick walk in-between showers.

It's not sunny everyday

It’s not sunny everyday

We picked up some wild Alaskan cod from Trader Joe’s on Monday. Donna prepared it a la Meuniere (with a lemon, butter and parsley sauce) for dinner. She served it with steamed broccoli.

Wild Alaskan cod

Wild Alaskan cod

I paired the dinner with a glass of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. This is one of the premium IPAs brewed in San Diego County. Ballast Point says it’s the result of years of experimentation and they add hops to the brew at five different stages. They describe it as having hints of apricot, peach, mango and lemon flavors. It definitely has citrus-y hop flavor, but it’s smooth and not over the top. It’s 7% alcohol by volume (ABV) and 70 international bitterness units (IBU). It usually sells at a higher price than most IPAs. I found it on sale and wanted to try it. It’s good, but I don’t see why it should command a few extra bucks over most craft IPAs.

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

By the way, the name Sculpin comes from a fish. There are many varieties of Sculpin living in both fresh water and sea water. There is a variety that’s common along the southern California coast. They are usually incidental catches by fisherman fishing the bottom along kelp beds. They don’t have scales, but they do have sharp spines along their fins that can sting and leave a toxin. Getting stung by a Sculpin is no fun – the toxin causes swelling and redness. I know first hand. About the only thing you can do if you get your hand stung is to soak the affected area in hot water to neutralize the toxin.

Sculpin - watch out for those spines

Sculpin – watch out for those spines

The rain continued this morning. I had a follow-up visit with my primary care physician at 10am. The forecast called for more rain, heavy at times throughout the day. I didn’t want to ride the scooter to Point Loma in these conditions. I downloaded the Uber app and thought I’d give it a try. Uber is a non-traditional cab company. Uber drivers utilize their own personal car. They log in for duty and their location is tracked via GPS. If a customer logs in to request a ride, the nearest Uber driver is sent to the customer’s location. The Uber app shows the drivers in your area when you place the request. Then it shows which driver is coming with an estimated time of arrival. You can follow the driver’s progress on the app. My driver was here six minutes after I requested a ride.

With Uber, no cash changes hands during the ride. They take you to your destination and the bill is sent through your Uber account. I have mine set up to automatically bill my credit card. My ride to Point Loma was free due to a promotion for registering with Uber. When I completed my appointment, I requested a Uber ride back. The car arrived in two minutes and I was driven back to the RV park for $13.95. Warm and dry all the way.

For a limited time, Uber’s giving new riders a free Uber ride (worth up to $20). Use my code – michaelk2803 – to sign up now and I’ll get a free ride too. I signed up with Donna’s code and she now has a free ride coming.

I’m expecting a UPS delivery from Amazon today. With Christmas approaching, Amazon ramps up their operation. They employ a temporary workforce at their distribution centers through a company called Camperforce. Many of these temporary workers are full-time RVers. Clarke and Elaine Hockwald are working at Amazon for the second time. Clarke describes the job on his blog.

Amazon has an affiliate program. If you follow the link to Amazon from my blog page, I earn a small referral fee on any items you buy. It doesn’t affect your cost at all. Nina Fussing wrote about it in detail on her blog today. If you’re considering an order with Amazon, I’d appreciate it if you reach their site from my page. It’ll add a few pennies to my beer fund.

Weekend Campout

Thanksgiving weekend is a busy time here at Mission Bay RV Resort. We remembered how busy it was last year, but it didn’t compare to this year. Last year, the last row of sites on the south side of the park was closed for construction, eliminating about 50 sites. And there were still some open sites scattered throughout the park.

When we checked back into the park on Wednesday, we were told the place had sold out all 253 sites for the Thanksgiving weekend. I watched people pull in and set up all afternoon. At one point, an SUV with two adults and two kids pulled into the site next to us. They got out and were milling around. Donna jokingly asked if they lost their trailer.

He was a deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. He told us they had a group coming – they  had reserved three adjoining sites west of us and three more sites behind them. He was waiting for delivery of a rental RV unit. Of the six sites in their group, three would be occupied by rental RVs.

With kids on holiday from school, many families from southern California choose to spend Thanksgiving weekend camping. Mission Bay RV Resort is more of an RV parking lot (with hook-ups) than a campground. The location is nice though and we had a park full of families “camping out.”

After the group of six set up next to our site, they moved the picnic tables to the grass between the back-to-back sites and put up a line of EZ-Up canopies. This isn’t the usual way to set up. The grass is meant to be a buffer area between sites.

Canopies and tables on the grass - seen from the back of our coach

Canopies and tables on the grass – seen from the back of our coach

They were a boisterous bunch. They all had kids – I’m guessing the ages ranged from four or five to 15 years old. They started out early with everyone at the back of their RVs eating breakfast at the tables. The kids were running wild. They ended the night with the adults sitting outside and partying.

With every site occupied, there were plenty of kids riding bicycles and skateboards around the park. Amid the constant noise, we reminded ourselves that they were having family fun and building memories with their kids. Besides, it would only be for a few days.

I took a walk through the RV park and shot a few pictures. Every type of RV imaginable was here. Many weekenders choose smaller travel trailers for their occasional use. These are generally less expensive and easier to maneuver than a larger RV. Of course, there are exceptions like Airstream travel trailers for example, which can be pricey and many full-time RVers use them. Smaller travel trailers can be pulled by an SUV or light pickup truck.

Travel Trailer

Travel trailer

Another type of towable RV is the fifth-wheel trailer. These are larger trailers with a raised front that usually serves as the bedroom. They are connected to the tow vehicle with a pin mounted under the front of the trailer. The tow vehicle has a plate over the rear axle that receives the pin. With the trailer pivoting on a pin over the rear axle of the tow vehicle, fifth-wheel trailers are very maneuverable for their size. Nowadays, most fifth-wheels have slide-outs to create more interior space. Fifth-wheel trailers require heavy-duty tow vehicles.

Fifth-Wheel trailer

Fifth-wheel trailer

There are three classifications for motorhomes – class A, class B and class C.

Class C motorhomes are usually built on a cutaway van chassis. Most are powered by gasoline engines, although some are diesel-powered. They range from 20 to 25 feet long in most cases and have a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 to 12,000 pounds. They are characterized by an overhead space (usually sleeping quarters) over the driver and passenger compartment.

Class C motorhome

Class C motorhome

Class B motorhomes are less common. They are camper vans – usually with a pop-up roof. They are usually under 20 feet in length and weigh less than 8,000 pounds.

Class A motorhomes come in a wide variety of lengths, weights and powertrains. They can be built on a heavy-duty truck chassis, a custom motorhome chassis or a bus chassis. Nearly all of the Class A motorhomes built in the last ten years or so have two to four slide-outs. Class A motorhomes include the largest and heaviest RVs.

27 foot Class A motorhome built on a Workhorse chassis, powered by a GM Vortec 8.1 liter gasoline engine

27-foot class A motorhome built on a Workhorse chassis, powered by a GM Vortec 8.1-liter gasoline engine

42 foot class A Wanderlodge built on a Blue Bird bus chassis, powered by a Detroit Diesel engine

43-foot class A Wanderlodge built on a Blue Bird bus chassis, powered by a Detroit Diesel engine

On Sunday, the activity in the RV park ramped up as everyone prepared to leave. Rigs pulled out all morning. Some people packed their belongings in their cars and left their rental unit behind. Some of the rental companies provided delivery and set up and pick up at the end of the rental period.

Rental RV left behind for pick up

Rental RV left behind for pick up

By the time I was watching the afternoon NFL games, the park was quiet with many open sites. I shot another picture from the back of our coach looking west.

Compare this to the first picture

Compare this to the first picture

It’s nice and quiet here now. Today, the forecast calls for cloudy skies with a high temperature of 70 degrees. I’ll need to dump and flush our tanks and do some shopping this afternoon. The weather guessers are predicting 100% chance of heavy rain tomorrow. If it’s true, we’ll hunker down indoors tomorrow.

 

 

Kindred Spirits

I mentioned how Thanksgiving is a time for reflection. I’ve been thinking that although our life on the road has taken us to many beautiful and interesting places, it’s the people we meet that make it special.

When I researched this lifestyle and thought about the possibility of living on the road, I found RV forums and blogs. Some of the blogs gave me insight into how it’s done and how rewarding it can be. There are some blogs that I really felt a connection with and I follow them to this day. There are others that I check from time to time. I read a couple of forums almost daily, such as IRV2 and RV.Net. The forums keep me up to date on things and happenings. The blogs keep me in touch with people.

Many of the friendships we’ve made on the road have been lasting. We met Charlie and Sheila Pennington in South Dakota. We stay connected via Facebook and I’m sure our paths will cross again. Likewise, we met Bob and Sini here in San Diego last year and we stay in touch.

Brett Miller and Cheri Alguire visited us in San Diego last year. Donna already knew them from her SendOutCards business. They were inspired to live the nomadic life and are on the road now. We stay connected with them through Facebook and we’ll surely meet up on the road somewhere.

Following someone’s blog creates a connection of sorts, even if you haven’t met the person face-to-face. We’ve had a few instances where we found ourselves in the same place as the people I’ve been reading about, like the time we stopped in Cape Blanco. We met two couples that have some of the best RV blog material. I learned so much by reading Chris and Cherie’s blog, Technomadia, and Nina Fussing’s blog, Wheeling It. It was fun to actually meet them and spend a little time together.

We met another couple that we became friends with while we were here last year. When we moved on to Arizona, we camped with Mark and Emily Fagan and we stay in touch.

We met fellow Alpine Coach owners and Escapees members, Dave and Lynda Campbell in Arizona. We stay connected via Facebook and met up with them again in Oregon.

In Coeur d’Alene we met another blogger who happens to follow our blog, Esta Gardberg. It was great to meet someone that we had conversed with through comments on the blog.

At the Alpine Coach Association Rally in Oregon, we made many new friends. We enjoyed spending time with Dave and Stilla Hobden. We also met Scott and Marcia Hicks who graciously offered to have us stay at their beautiful property on the Row River.

While we were traveling in northern California, I was at a stoplight heading to Walmart for the night when I saw a something that blew my mind. A 1982 Newell coach pulling a long cargo trailer drove by. I immediately recognized the coach as the traveling home of Clarke and Elaine Hockwald. I’d never met them or seen their coach before, but I’ve been following their blog since I first started thinking about going out on the road. We were both heading to the same Walmart for the night. It was great to actually meet up.

Another way we’ve connected with like-minded people is through a website called RVillage. We met John and Sharon here in the Mission Bay RV Resort after seeing they were here on the website. RVillage is like a Facebook page for RVers.

When we stayed overnight at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve last week, we met up with another RV blogger. Hans and Lisa Kohl were there. Hans follows our blog and we are also Facebook and RVillage friends. We talked briefly and we hope to see them again soon on the road.

We met another interesting couple here, Phillip and Cara. We were drawn to them because they have a Kymco Downtown 300i scooter, identical to ours. They still have a sticks-and-bricks home in Florida, but spend most of their time traveling. Phillip is from Perth, Australia originally. They’ve sailed across the Atlantic and lived aboard their sailboat in the Mediterranean. They are currently traveling in a 27′ motorhome. They headed south a few weeks ago. They planned to head all the way down the Baja peninsula to Cabo San Lucas for the winter.

Last Sunday, they stopped by our coach. Not only were we surprised to see them back here, we were doubly surprised to see Cara in a wheelchair with her right leg in a cast. They told us the sad tale. They made their way to Loreto, Mexico, about 850 miles from here. They were out sightseeing on the scooter. The road had a few water crossings. At one of the crossings, they entered at walking speed. The concrete surface below the water was covered with moss and slime. The front wheel slid out and they fell from the scooter. Phillip landed on Cara’s leg, badly breaking her knee. She was air-lifted back to San Diego. Phillip drove the motorhome back to Mission Bay. Their plans are up in the air now.

We had them over for cocktails and dinner on Friday night. Phillip and I have common interests in motor racing and motorcycles. We both grew up riding dirt bikes and still love being on two wheels.

We’ve met many other people on our travels and we’ll surely meet more like-minded souls in the future. That’s the real treat of this lifestyle. Meeting and enjoying time with new found friends.

Thanksgiving Twice Over

We made our way back to Mission Bay RV Resort on Wednesday afternoon. When we checked in, we were told the park would be filled to capacity for the Thanksgiving weekend. The park was busy at this time last year, but not full. All afternoon and into the evening, rigs were pulling in and setting up.

There’s a big group next to us – a group of sheriff’s deputies and their families here to celebrate the holiday. One of the first to arrive was waiting on a rental RV to be delivered. There are a few of them here this weekend.

Around 5:30pm, Donna and I headed over to her sister, Sheila’s house. Sheila was serving Thanksgiving dinner on the eve of Thanksgiving. We still have Linda’s car while Linda is celebrating Thanksgiving in Vermont with her husband, Tom.

My daughter, Shauna, and her roommate,Kat, joined us there. We had seven people in total at the dinner table – Sheila, her son Connor, Jeff Sandler, Shauna, Kat, Donna and me. Dinner started off with a curried butternut squash soup that Donna made, followed by a traditional turkey dinner with  mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all the usual fixings.

We had a good time with lively discussions at the table. We came home around 9pm. The park was indeed nearly full by then, with people sitting around campfires and enjoying themselves. The group next to us was a bit rowdy and got a couple of visits from security reminding them about quiet hours after 10pm.

On Thursday morning, Shauna picked us up at 10:30am for our second Thanksgiving dinner. We drove up to Sun City (Menifee) to spend Thanksgiving with my stepdad, Ken. We made the dinner logistics simple by ordering out. If we cooked a turkey at Ken’s place, we would have had to leave here at dark-thirty for the 90-mile drive to his place or we wouldn’t be able to eat until late in the day.

There are 13 Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises in southern California that are owned by Polly’s Pies Restaurant. These locations offered seasoned, deep fried turkeys (14-15 lbs) and side dishes. All turkeys had to be pre-ordered. Last week, I called in our order. The KFC manager told me orders had to be pre-paid in person. I explained our situation to him – driving a 180-mile round trip to pre-pay was out of the question. He made an exception for us and put us on the order list.

At noon, we picked up the turkey at the KFC near Ken’s house. Our Thanksgiving dinner included stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and bread pudding. Shauna bought Ken’s favorite cranberry relish at Trader Joe’s, but forgot to bring it. We stopped at Von’s and found cranberry-orange salad in the deli. Donna bought a cherry-apple crumb pie from Julian Pie Company for dessert. Ken’s neighbors, Ray and Helen, joined us. Helen brought biscuits she made from scratch. It was a good time and nice for Ken to have friends and family over for Thanksgiving. Ken lives alone since my mother passed away in September 2012. I don’t think he’s had the good china out since then.

Donna, Shauna, Hen, Helen and Ray at the dinner table

Donna, Shauna, Ken, Helen and Ray at the dinner table

Ray is Ken’s best friend. They both served in the Marine Corps in the Korean war. We ate, watched some of the football game and talked for a few hours. We left around 3:30pm and were back home just after sunset.

Donna and I have much to be thankful for. I think all of us at both dinners were thankful for our health. You can’t take your state of health for granted. We also have great families that give us love and support. We’ve caught up and connected with old friends and made new friends over the past 16 months since we hit the road. Neither of us can imagine being tied down in one spot for more than a few months at a time at this point in our lives. We’re thankful we made the decision to hit the road and expect we’ll be out here for some time to come.

One Day in Santee

I haven’t found the time to post over the past couple of days. On Sunday, Jim Birditt came over and we watched the Chargers versus Rams game. We enjoyed snacks and beer and a very entertaining game. It was a seesaw affair with the Chargers pulling off the win with an interception in the end zone with just a minute left in the game.

On Monday morning I had a doctor appointment in Point Loma. By the time I was finished with that, it was noon and the day was getting away from me.

Today was a move day. We had to leave Mission Bay RV Resort as our second month there came to an end. Rather than go to the Sycuan Casino again, we thought we’d do something different. We’ve been wanting to check out the RV park at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve.

This park is laid out on a long, narrow property owned and operated by Padre Dam Municipal Water District. There are seven small man-made lakes on the property along with about 300 RV sites and some rental cabins on the lakes.

The roads in the park are paved but the sites are all dirt. Our site is a 60′ long pull-through. It’s not exactly level, but not too bad. There’s adequate space in our area, which is the West Oak Loop. Some of the other loops with smaller back-in sites seem a little tighter. They have several wifi towers and the internet accessibility is very good.

Even though the park is surrounded by residential areas, it feels secluded. The hills that make up the views from the park are barren and it’s quiet.

Site 232 at Santee Lakes

Site 232 at Santee Lakes

We’re only here for the night before we return to Mission Bay RV Resort tomorrow. I explained the one-month rule at Mission Bay in this post. After we get set up tomorrow, we’ll be going to Donna’s sister, Sheila’s house to celebrate Thanksgiving early. On Thursday, we’ll drive up to Menifee with my daughter, Shauna to spend Thanksgiving Day with my step-dad, Ken. I probably won’t post again until Friday.

By the way, I sampled an unusual brew from Stone Brewing. It’s part of their Stochasticity line called Master of Disguise. This is a golden ale brewed to a high ABV of 9.7% with cocoa and coffee beans added. It tastes like a chocolate-covered roasted espresso bean. Loved it!

Chocolate covered roasted espresso bean in liquid form

Chocolate-covered roasted espresso bean in liquid form

Loco Moco

In 2008, Donna and I vacationed in Maui. We snorkeled the reefs daily. Our usual routine was to be up early, have coffee and biscotti, then head out to a secluded cove to snorkel before the crowds arrived.

We stayed in Kaanapali at the Westin Hotel. There were places to snorkel right by the hotel. Black Rock is a popular snorkeling spot there. We usually ventured out though. We would drive up to Honolua on Highway 30. There were a couple of spots that locals told us about, like Makulei’a Bay at mile marker 32.

We would spend an hour or so in the ocean, snorkeling among the reefs, checking out tropical fish and sea turtles. By the time were ready to head back to Kaanapali, we had worked up a mighty appetite.

Our favorite thing to do was to stop at a little cafe where we would order loco moco and sit outside and eat our breakfast. Loco moco is a ubiquitous Hawaiian breakfast. It consists of a hamburger patty on white rice with two fried eggs over medium on top. Brown gravy covers everything. It is delicious and very filling.

I mention this because on Friday evening, I stopped in at the Offshore Grill and Tavern and somehow, loco moco found its way into our conversation at the bar. Lauren, the bartender, told me about a cafe on Cass Street in north Pacific Beach that serves loco moco. I’d never seen loco moco on a menu outside of Hawaii.

So on Saturday morning, Donna and I drove over to Leilani’s Cafe for loco moco. You order at the counter, then seat yourself. The girl at the counter asked if we wanted the Hilo-style loco moco. This was a new twist I hadn’t heard of before. Hilo-style comes with spicy fried rice with Portuguese sausage instead of plain white rice. We went for the Hilo-style and found a table outside on the deck. They bring the food to your table on paper plates. It was outstanding. The coffee was excellent as well.

Loco moco

Loco moco Hilo-style

After the hearty breakfast, we drove up to Del Mar to check out the RV park by the fairgrounds and race track. We were thinking that we might head up there next Tuesday when we have to leave Mission Bay RV Park for the night. If we liked it, we might consider a month-long stay there in the future. The park is just minutes from shops and restaurants on Pacific Coast Highway with easy access to some terrific bicycling routes. It turned out not to be a suitable place for us – all gravel, tight sites and no sewer hook-up. We decided there’s no point in paying $50 for the night if we aren’t interested in coming back for a longer stay.

We will be returning to San Diego in April. My youngest daughter, Shauna, will be graduating from Cal Western School of Law on May 1st. We might come back to Mission Bay and stay for the graduation, but we want to look at a couple of other places.

Jim Birditt, my best friend from my high school days, is in town for the weekend. Donna and I met up with him at the Offshore Grill and Tavern in the afternoon. We had a couple of beers and chatted. After about an hour, Carole Bringas, another friend going back to our school days, joined us. We ended up ordering a table full of appetizers and hanging out for a few hours there.

Carole, Jim and Donna at the Offshore Grill and Tavern

Carole, Jim and Donna at the Offshore Grill and Tavern

Today is NFL football day. I’ll don my number 14 Dan Fouts Chargers throwback jersey for the game against St. Louis. Jim is planning to come over for the game.