Gone RVing!

Stuck in Ontario for now!

2019-11-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

Where are we now?

Whitby, Ontario

Read all about it on https://www.facebook.com/GoneRVing

Don't get excited...but we are!

2019-04-09T18:17:00.006-07:00

The Oaks at Point South

Yemassee, South Carolina.

We are on our way home from a wonderful winter in Florida. Don't know why, but it seems to speed by so fast. Every year, faster and faster.

As you know in 2016 we sold our lovely Newmar Dutch Star Diesel Pusher and regretted it ever since. Well, a park model, two trucks and two travel trailers later we have decided to sell the park model, the truck and the trailer, get an A Class and go on the road again. Daft hey??

We are getting another Newmar, but a gasser this time. We figure we still have a few years of traveling left in us. If we find we have to stay in Canada for health reasons, there is an awful lot of travelling to do in our own country. So we found a 2006 Newmar Kountry Star and persuaded the dealer to take our Ford F150 EcoBoost truck and our 2015 Forest River Rockwood trailer as trade ins. This means we just have to pay a small balance on the motorhome. We will get a solar system installed, do some renovating of the motorhome. Carpets, mirrors, ugly window treatments and the ugliest of all headboards will be going at some point.

Here is a short video of the new moho. We are excited!!

Our Instagram is @gone.rving. Check us out. Lots of photos of our winter in Florida. Thousand Trails campgrounds and boondocking on Water Management Districts and Wildlife areas. I think we are getting this RVing stuff figured out!

Leave us a comment and please be kind.

From Kelowna and up into the Rockies via Revelstoke, BC

2018-10-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Up into the Rockies.

May 2nd, 2017

Hooking up and leaving Holiday Park, Kelowna.

Some last minute photos of Lake Okanagan before we head for Revelstoke.

On our way up into the Kootenay mountains we came across a place of historical significance at Craigellachie. The Last Spike was driven into the railroad at Eagle Pass. We wandered around and took some photos of the artefacts in the area of the old railroad.

Timmy leads the way (as usual)

From Revelstoke we carried on to Glacier National Park where we had gob smacking views of the Rockies and some glaciers.

Little Ford building up the stamina to get up and over.

Glacier National Park Visitor Centre. Little Amerilite is almost dwarfed by that snow bank!

Inside the visitor centre they had a wonderful display of the local fauna. So well done!

This is a model depicting the structures on the road to protect travellers from avalanches.

Michael is dwarfed by that snow bank!

Here is some scenery around the Visitor Center.

Sorry the photos are a bit jumbled up but 2 cameras with slightly different times on them arrange the photos in a higgledy piggledy manner.

What a stunning drive we had today.

Lake Okanagan West Shore.

2018-10-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Lake Okanagan, British ColumbiaMay 1st, 2017

This area is so beautiful and completely different to what I had imagined. Today we took a drive down to the bottom of Lake Okanagan. Here are the pics. Mostly taken from the truck. A very still day gave us beautiful mirrored water images. We have to go back there!

That's all for today folks. Stay tuned and we will soon be caught up!! Leave us a comment why don'tcha?

Hi ho, hi ho, It's off to Kelowna we go.

2018-10-03T18:20:00.002-07:00

Coquihalla Highway to Kelowna

April 29th, 2017

From Cultus Lake we took the Coquihalla Highway to Kelowna, passing through some beautiful mountain scenery.

Leaving Cultus Lake

In Kelowna we stayed at Holiday Park for a few days. This was a Coast to Coast resort and pretty much like a parking lot. However, it was only $10 a night and served us well to explore that area. We had come to the decision that we needed to upgrade out travel trailer and started to look in earnest for something a bit sturdier and roomier. We looked at several used Arctic Fox trailers but nothing caught our eye.

The Okanagan Valley is gorgeous, rivers, lakes and lots of fruit orchards and vineyards. Of course it was not the right season for fruit so we just enjoyed looking at the lovely scenery.

I think was Lake Okanagan

Short stop along the way

Our trusty little Ford V6 did very well with the mountains. Just take it easy and let the Ford engine do it's job.

Well manicured gardens at Holiday Park Resort

Our little spot. Timmy did not like those stones!

Holiday Park

Still lusting after the big busses.

Holiday Park on Ellison Lake

Ellison Lake

It was a great 4 days in which we drove down to Penticton, Summerland and Peachland. Such a beautiful area.

Leave us a comment, we love to know that someone is reading this blog.

Thousand Trails Cultus Lake, Chilliwack, BC

2018-06-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Thousand Trails in B.C? You betcha! The only TT park in Canada.

April 25 - 29th 2017

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Cultus Lake Thousand Trails Resort. We were there for just a few days but it was nice rest on our way to Kelowna. The resort is nestled in among the mountains and the forest. Just beautiful and it was free to us with our membership.

Here are my photos of our stay.

Cultus Lake

Thanks for following along.

Riding the Sky Train into Vancouver and meeting up with kin.

2017-04-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC

April 23rd, 2017

Today we took the Sky Train into Vancouver city and spent a few hours wandering around BC Place and few waterfront streets before making our way to Granville Island by bus.

Michael looking a bit sleepy. It was an early start!

Vancouver has some pretty awesome architecture, mixing the old and the new.

Canada Place from the Sea Wall

Canada Place

The Drop.

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Vancouver Convention Centre behind me.

Float plane docks

Getting ready to take off

Bye bye!

Walking to the bus stop to get the bus to Granville Island

A sculpture along the way

Gas Lamp district

Michael next to a Gas Lamp

Blue building

Michael, Jason, Finn and Zuzana

Finn not to sure who these strangers are.

Jason and Finn

Finn, ZuZana and Michael deep in conversation.

I hope you enjoyed these photos. They are just a few of the many we took in and around Vancouver. It was cool and damp but still a wonderful day.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

We were all ears!!

2017-04-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Golden Ears Provincial Park

April 21st 2017

Saturday saw us going out to Maple Ridge to visit friends from our days back in Yellowwood Park in Durban, South Africa. We met Dave and Liz van Rooyen when we were all bringing up our kids in the '70s and Michael knew Dave though work. We met up with them again after we moved to Canada and they arrived here as well, a few years later. They lived in Ontario for while and then relocated to British Columbia.

We had a wonderful day with them walking around Golden Ears Provincial Park. Some info about Golden Ears:

Nature and Culture

History: The park was named after the twin peaks of Mount Blanshard near the peak’s western boundary. Originally part of Garibaldi Provincial Park, the establishment of Golden Ears Park in 1927 recognized the almost impenetrable mountain barrier between the two areas.
Cultural Heritage: Human activity in Golden Ears, both past and present, has been confined to the accessible Alouette Valley in the south of the park. In the 1920s, the forested slopes of the valley became the site of BC’s greatest railroad logging operation until a disastrous fire swept through the valley in 1931. The lake and its forested surroundings were also the traditional hunting and fishing grounds for the Douglas-Lillooet (Interior Salish) and Katzie (Coast Salish) First Nations peoples.
Conservation: The park represents the Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone and is characterized by a second-growth forest of western hemlock, western red cedar and Douglas fir. There are a series of sphagnum bogs at the south end of Alouette Lake.
Wildlife: The park’s lush plant growth, numerous waterways, and mountainous terrain provide habitat to a variety of animals including beaver, deer, black bear, and mountain goat.

Then we walked around the local area where the van Rooyen's live. Very nice residential area with views of fields and mountains. Sorry, did not take photos.

Michael and Dave on the trail

Rapids above the lake

Amazing colour of the water in the river.

A tiny waterfall.

Moss covered trees

Alouette lake. The mountains in the distance are covered cloud.

Michael and Dave fixing the problems of the world.

Liz and Dee. It was a chilly day.

There is that beautiful green river again

Moss on the old logs.

Driftwood bench

Time to head back to the van Rooyen's house

Just gorgeous

The water is crystal clear emerald.

Enjoying time with old friends

Two gorgeous Yellowwood Park girls.

Thanks for following along on our epic journey.

Goodbye USA, Hello Canada!

2017-04-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Burnaby Cariboo RV Resort

April 18th - 25th

It is with very mixed feelings that we left the USA and crossed back into Canada, Sad to leave because of all the amazing places, people and things we have seen, yet happy to be back in Canada where we still have so many places to see before we get back to our home base in Stouffville, Ontario.

We took the truck route at the border and we were through in less than 3 minutes. Easiest border crossing ever. We had booked into the campground in Burnaby from Wednesday and we got a great site at the back of the park, away from the road. Most of the sites were too small to park an RV and a tow vehicle, but we had space for both and we were right near the pet walk.

Great campground with nice facilities, clean bathrooms and an indoor pool and spa. It is also walking distance to the Sky Train into Vancouver.

Our first day it was grocery shopping, laundry and a trip to the Drug Store to top up our medications. The weather was not great so we were happy to just get used to our surroundings and get settled. This park was the most expensive that we stayed in the whole winter at $345 for a week.

We have friends who live in the Vancouver area and arranged to spend some time with them. The first couple was Darrell and Adrienne. Adrienne's father and my father had been big buddies in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) since long before we were born so she is the person I have known the longest. Even longer than some relatives!! It was great to see them again. The last time was in Pickering when my father was still living with us about 10 years ago.

Darrell and Adrienne took us under their wing and wined and dined us and took us on some wonderful adventures in this beautiful city.

Arriving at Lynn Canyon

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Waterfall next to the bridge

Adrienne, Timmy and Michael

Forest in Lynn Canyon

Panorama from Cypress Mountain

Vancouver from Cypress Mountain

Big tanker in English Bay

Totem in Stanley Park

Stanley Park

View from Cypress Mountain

Up on Cypress Mountain

Adrienne and Dee

Such a beautiful city

Ferry Terminal at Horseshoe Bay

Michael at Stanley Park

Another pic of the totem

Lions Gate Bridge

Sea to Sky Highway

Lunch at Furry Creek Golf Course

Waterfall at Furry Creek Golf Course

Our view from the golf club

Mount Garibaldi

Stawamus Chief

Adrienne and Darrell at Shannon Falls

Shannon Falls

Below Shannon Falls

Mt Garibaldi. A volcano which has not erupted in 8000 years

Howe Sound

Stawamus Chief is a very popular rock climbing area on the Sea to Sky Highway near Squamish. We tried to spot some climbers but could not see any. Here is the Wikipedia blurb about the rock.

Stawamus Chief

A quick stop at Porteau Cove for a few photos, on our way back from Squamish

Porteau Cove

We went on a Cruise!!

2017-04-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

San Juan Islands, Washington

April 18th, 2017

A friend had suggested that we take the ferry from Anacortes, WA around the San Juan Islands. We found out that, as seniors, we could ride all day for $6 each. And we could take Timmy. BONUS!! A sunny day was forecast, so we packed up a picnic lunch and got on the ferry around 10.30 am and our first leg was across to Lopez Island - such a beautiful island. Check the web site, then Shaw Island. We did not get off at those two stops as there is nothing to see without transport further onto the islands. Then on to Orcas Island where we got off and had our picnic lunch while we waited for the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We wandered around Friday Harbor for a couple of hours, had a good cup of coffee and chatted to some people as we waited for the ferry to go back to Anacortes. We discovered that there is a Lavender Farm on San Juan Island called Pelindaba Lavender...and yes, South African friends, it is founded and owned by a South African! We had seen a Pelindaba store in La Conner and wondered if they were South African. You can read the history of Pelindaba HERE

A good day was had by us two. Timmy was not too happy with the movement and the vibration of the ferry. We could also have gone on to Sidney, Vancouver Island, Canada for just $9 each. What a deal!

Enjoy our Photos.

Setting out from Anacortes

The wind and choppiness didn't stop the sail boat

Loading the ferry with cars

Very comfortable inside

Panorama

Michael and Timmy on the front deck

Our wake

A perfect day to go cruising

Hoping to see some wildlife. I saw one seal and that was all.

Coming in to Orcas Island

Our lunch spot

View from the picnic table

Pelindaba Lavender store in La Conner

Good usage of old Bank stone

Loading for Friday Harbor

Ferry Terminal

Michael and Timmy taking shelter from the wind

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Store on Friday Harbor

Africa Sailing Adventure?

Mural on the outside of the Whale Museum.

Panorama

Marina on Friday Harbor

Marina boardwalk

Seal Sculpture

Nice condos on the waterfront

Park near the marina

Indian stuff

Plaque about the coastal Native People

Rain moving in as we head home.

What a wonderful day we had. Thanks for coming along on our adventure.

Daffodils, Tulips and a Lone Tree.

2017-04-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

La Conner, Washington

April 15th - 18th

We left Elma on the morning of April 15th and made our way past Seattle. We did not stop there as time in the US was getting short. Instead we took photos from I-5 highway. We had booked a site at La Conner Thousand Trails Preserve. We managed to get a good site with an ocean view. The campground is right on the banks of the Puget Sound. A gorgeous place with so much to do. We were very lucky in that we had great weather while we there.

Going through Seattle.

The ocean view from our site

Lovely sunny site

The Lone Tree. - lost it's top a few years back.

The Lone Tree and the sunset.

The setting sun shining on the beach.

Loads of driftwood

Lone tree at sunset.

Skagit Bay on Puget Sound from the campground.

The second day we were there we went to the Tulip Festival and got a few photos of the tulips and daffodils. So spectacular that half of Washington State was there and we found it hard to get around with all the traffic on the roads. However we did get some good photos.

Thanks for following along. Join us next time.

Rain, Rain, Rain and a little Ice

2017-04-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

North Oregon Coast and crossing into Washington State

Our trip continued up the Oregon Coast and our next port of call was Seaside Thousand Trails Resort. Just three days there and it rained for two days. Luckily our site had a gravel base but we still had to wade a bit from the trailer to the truck and back.

The resort was OK with a lovely indoor pool and hot tub, but no internet even though we had been told that there was. We did a couple of drives to local beaches to give Timmy his beach fix. Just a quiet stay for us.

Lewis and Clarke statue on the beachfront

Lovely sunset

The beach at Seaside on our one sunny day

Timmy in his element.

Skunk Cabbage, I was told.

Swamped woodlands at Seaside TT Park

Beautiful indoor pool at the resort

Our next stop was Travell Inn Campground, a Coast to Coast park in Elma, Washington State. The drive was still rainy and as we got to the resort the rain changed to ice. It was fine for an over night stop, but not somewhere I would like to stay for any length of time.

The bridge over the Columbia River into Washington State

A rainy, icy drive

Ice on the back of the truck when we arrived

Our wet site.

The sun came out for a short while and we had a lovely double rainbow.

Rainbow

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Newport, Oregon and meeting up with friends.

2017-04-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

Whaler's Rest Thousand Trails

April 8th - 11th

A short drive up the road to Newport, Oregon and Whaler's Rest RV Resort. We love Thousand Trails!! We could not travel as much as we do without the membership. Some parks are fantastic and some are less than fantastic but for US$550 a year we cannot complain when we get 30 free nights a year and rest are $3 a night. Whaler's Rest is one of the better resorts, and it is just a walk across the road to get the beach.

The drive was lot more interesting because the rain held off for a few hours. We have to come back to Oregon. It is so beautiful along the coast. We also find Oregon a lot more relaxed than California. The beaches are wonderful and dog friendly!! Timmy likes that.

We found a good spot where we could get satellite and also we were able to pick up the wifi from the Adult Centre.

A trip to the beach and Seal Rock was on the agenda.

While we were at Whaler's Rest we met up with friends, Jennifer and Kate. We met them last winter in Florida and vowed that if we were ever in Oregon we would look them up. We had a walk around the town for a while and took a look at some big seals in the harbor. Then we had a late lunch. It always so nice to re-connect with people we meet on the road.

Dee, Kate, Jennifer and Michael

Sea Lions jockeying for position on a floating dock.

Noisy and stinky!

Here are a few more photos that we took while we were at Whaler's Rest.

On our way to Newport, the sun was shining, so we stopped at Heceta Lighthouse again.

Looking toward Manzanita.

Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

Jockey's Cap Rock

We took so many photos but it is impossible to show them all. Oregon has an astoundingly beautiful coast line. Can't wait to go back.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Mountains, Beaches, Rocks, Rain and a Big Wind

2017-04-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Florence, OR

April 3-8 2017

We left Redding early and decided to drive right through to our next stop at South Jetty Thousand Trails Park.

On the way we came across a wetland and an elk herd on the side of the road. We stopped to take a few photos.

We arrived at the resort looked around for a spot where we would be able to pick up the satellite signal and found one near the front gate. No free internet signal though. A lot of the sites were very muddy because of all the rain the west coast has received. Our site had a gravel base so we were high and dry.

The elk herd

Elk

Getting into our site at South Jetty Thousand Trails Park

Our view from the dinette

Pool was open but not heated. Brrr.

Family Centre with good free wifi

Family Centre

We took Timmy down to the beach in-between showers. He just loves running on the sand.

Our second day here we took a drive up the coast to the Heceta Head Lighthouse. We also saw the Cape Creek Bridge.

Iconic Oregon view

The bridge carrying 101 past Heceta Lighthouse

Sea Lions on the rocks below the view site

This coast is so spectacular. Pity it was raining most of the time.

The lighthouse and the keepers house in the distance

The bridge over the Siuslaw River in Florence

On our last night at South Jetty we had a severe wind storm and at about 4.30 am we heard an almighty crash. Did not know until the morning what had happened. This motorhome was right over the road from us.

The wind was still at gale force the next day so we were allowed to stay at South Jetty for an extra day. Very thankful to the staff.

Thanks for following along. We really appreciate your comments.

A fantastic overnight stop

2017-04-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

Redding, California

April 2nd, 2017

After our Day In San Francisco we chose a Boondockers Welcome overnight stop. We love Boondockers Welcome. It is a subscription service that lists private property all over the US and Canada where subscribers can stay overnight in a quiet safe area. We have been members ever since it's beginning days and have stayed in several properties.

This place was the home of Paula and Steve where we stayed on their "second" driveway with access to water and power. They no longer have an RV but have maintained their listing on the website. It was in a quiet residential neighbourhood. Our hosts were so welcoming and gracious and Michael and Steve spent quite a time discussing motorbikes and motorhomes. Nice people. RVers are the nicest people.

Our hosts house on the left

We are parked on their RV driveway

Thanks for joining our travels. If you have the time, please leave us a comment.

A Drive through San Francisco.

2017-04-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

San Francisco

April 1st, 2017

I found a driving tour on the Internet called 1 Perfect Day in San Francisco and so I downloaded the tour to Google maps and transferred it to my phone.

We set off early in the morning and started the tour with a drive up Marin Headlands. The day was very sunny but there was a haze or light fog over the water. We took a LOT of photos. It is such a thrill to see The Golden Gate Bridge. We then followed the route into the city. I wonder how much it has cost us to drive over the bridge. The bill will be sent to our home address.

We only had time to do about 3/4 of the tour but we saw most of the famous places.Here are some photos and the description of where they were taken. We didn't get to see everything so another excuse to come back!

Golden Gate Bridge from Marin Headlands

Timmy visits the Golden Gate Bridge

Crossing the bridge

There were so many of these lovely colourful homes in the hills around SF

Views from Christmas Tree Point at Twin Peaks

The Castro District.

Haight Ashbury District. Reminds me a bit of Queen West in Toronto

The "Painted Ladies". Saturday picnicers relaxing in Alamo park across the street

Such a thrill to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge

The city

Panorama from Marin Headlands

Panorama from Christmas Tree Point

Thanks for coming along with us.

Wining again...NOT!

2017-03-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Tradewinds RV Resort. Vallejo, CA

March 31st, 2017

While in the San Francisco area we stayed 3 nights at Tradewinds RV Resort which is in Vallejo. A couple at Wilderness Lakes had given us the name of the place. While it was in a poorer part of the area it was very satisfactory for a few nights. A little pricey for someone who doesn't like to pay more than $10 night but at $36 a night and the fact that we were close to San Francisco, it was OK.

The office/washroom/laundry building

The sites were very narrow and there were only a few transient sites.

The weather looked great for our two days there and we decided to go to Napa Valley first, for a drive through.

Early start because the drive is very busy and we were off. First stop was at the Visitor Centre in Yountville and then we went north along Rte 29 stopping off at wineries along the way. We did not partake in any wine tasting because it is SOOOO expensive. Even in the best wine areas of France, tasting is free. For about $50 each you get to taste 5 wines and that is the cheap price. However, it is a beautiful area and we took a bunch of photos.

Robert Mondavi Winery

Statue in front of Robert Mondavi Winery

Robert Mondavi Winery

Antique grape press

We were told about the winery built as a castle. Some people have just too much money!!

Castello Di Amoroso

Chapel by the side of the road.

After the castle we crossed over to East and took Silverado Trail back south to the campground.

On the way back I spotted a winery built in the style of the Cape Dutch buildings of the Stellenbosch area in South Africa. We drove into Chimney Rock Winery (check this link for better photos than mine) and I went in to ask if it was owned by a South African. I was told that it was founded by a South African but he had been bought out.

Frieze of Ganymede above the cellar entrance. Ganymede was the Greek cup bearer to the gods.

That was our day in Napa Valley. Wine, wine everywhere and not a drop did we drink!

Thanks for following along.

Sardines, Seals, Surfers, Scenery, and a Sea Otter.

2017-03-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Monterey and beyond, CA

One of the things on my bucket list to drive HWY 1 through the Big Sur. Imagine my dismay that, due to some major storm damage, that a big chunk of that drive is closed. The bridge over Pfeiffer Canyon has had to be demolished and will be rebuilt over the next 6 months. Another reason to come back here to the West.

Our day started in Cannery Row of Monterey where we walked around for about 30 minutes looking at the waterfront and some of the old sardine canning factories that are now transformed into restaurants, hotels and boutiques

The ocean side of Cannery Row

Converted into Hotels and Condos. I wonder if you can still smell the sardines.

Cannery Row Monument

We carried on south down HWY1 stopping to take a few photos here and there. The ocean views are spectacular.

A part of the beach is closed off because of seals and calves who are protected.

We then went on to Lover's Point where we watched a sea otter fishing and some surfers.

Sea otter floating on his back. I think he was eating mussels or something because he kept diving and coming up.

Lots of wild flowers

In Carmel

Carmel

I thought I had taken a lot more photos of Carmel, but if I did, I lost them.

Unfortunately we missed Point Lobos all because I did not do my homework before we came on this trip. Yet another excuse to come back.

But we did see some other very beautiful spots along the coast

Kelp

Bixby Bridge

Bixby Bridge from the other side

Too soon we had to turn back as gas was getting low and it was getting late. Another place to come back to!

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

On a mission to a Mission

2017-03-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

San Juan Bautista State Park

March 27th, 2017

A friend suggested we go and check out the Mission and State Park in San Juan Bautista. So a quick drive over there and we found free parking in the cute little historic town. We paid the $3 fee to go into the State Park area where there are several buildings. To quote from the State Park page

"The park includes several structures built in the 1800s. The four main historic museums are the Plaza Hotel, the House/Plaza Hall, the Plaza Stables, and the Castro-Breen Adobe. Many of the interiors are furnished vignettes or colorful and informative exhibits that help create a unique learning environment for people of all ages. The park also features a blacksmith shop, the historic jail, and an early American settler’s cabin."

The mission

The stables

Outside the Zanetta House

The Zanetta House

The Mission

Right on the San Andreas fault

Gate to the graveyard

Inside the mission

I wonder how many people have walked on these flagstones. In the front of the mission church

The altar

Looking down the aisle.

The entry door

Holy water at the door

Side door

The verandah of the mission buildings

Thanks for following along. I am going to make a separate post of the State Park museum area. Stay tuned.

San Benito Thousand Trails Preserve

2017-03-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

San Benito Resort

March 26th to 30th

We stayed at San Benito as a jumping off point for a couple of day trips. The park is very natural and peaceful. We were lucky to get a full hookup site as there was overflow from some other Thousand Trails parks that have been closed by the storms that swept through over the winter.

Here are some photos taken around the park.

The front gate

The Family Rec Center. Free wifi there.

There we are!

Store

This area had not been mowed yet. Only a few campers here as it is electric and water only.

We stopped by the adult pool one evening. It was full of kids.

Timmy taunting the Bobcats.

Thanks for following along. Feel free to leave a comment.

A night in a winery

2017-03-25T22:03:00.001-07:00

A winery somewhere in California.

March 21st, 2017

We have a membership in Harvest Hosts, which allows us to stay in Wineries, Farms and Orchards all over North America. We are not obliged to buy anything but we do like to go into the tasting room and if we find a wine we really like, we will purchase a bottle or two. If you decide to join up, please add our email (michaeldaryl@gmail.com) as your referral. Then we both get an extra month added.

The directory lists all the places that allow us to stay overnight. so we picked one that was about 2 hours from Flying Flags and what a good overnight stop it was. we were one of two RVs that stayed overnight.

The weather report was predicting rain so the winery staff told us to park on a paved area so that we did not get stuck in the field where overnighters usually stay.

We went into the tasting room and enjoyed sampling their fine wines and ended up buying a couple of bottles. There was a great atmosphere in the room as there were about 10 other people tasting wines.

Here are my pictures of our overnight stay. I cannot give the name of the winery because it is protected under the Harvest Host organization so that only members can know which wineries are a part of their membership.

A very artistic barbecue area with some pretty fancy rock and brick work and beautiful hand hewn tables and benches.

Next to the vineyard and the warehouses

Our neighbors had a toy hauler trailer for their 3 Weimaraner show dogs.

The front verandah at the Tasting Room

Very happy buzz inside

Come on along, Lots of room for more tasters

Thanks for following along. Feel free to leave a comment.

Flying Flags

2017-03-25T20:50:00.001-07:00

Buellton, California

March 20th, 2017

We stayed for one night at Flying Flags RV Resort in Buellton, California. It is only about 5 miles from Solvang, so the location was perfect. It is also a Good Neighbor Park, linked to our RPI membership so we got 50% off the nightly fee.

Entrance

Pull through site.

We had no neighbours which was just as well because the sites are very narrow.

At the back of the park there are Airstreams and vintage trailers for rent on site.

Lots of empty spaces.

Very clean and well tended park

Outdoor barbeque area

Lovely heated pool

Seating areas at the poolside

Very classy place

The Barbeque area

Cabanas next to the pool

Kinda odd. Hippos.

One hot tub is inside a shelter

Second hot tub outside

We enjoyed our brief stay there and the day after we went to Solvang we left early to get to a winery for our next night.

Thanks for following along.

Coffee and Danish anyone??

2017-03-22T22:39:00.001-07:00

Solvang, California

Monday, March 20th

We left our lovely hilltop site early because we had a small concern regarding our booking for our next campground.

I had, or thought I had, reserved Flying Flags in Buellton for the night on Monday night. The plan was to go to Solvang for a walkabout, some coffee and Danish Pastries then in the afternoon drive over to Flying Flags for the night. Despite several call by RPI (a camping membership company) and us we had heard nothing, so we went straight to the campground and booked in for 50% off using a membership connected to RPI. That was fine with us, so we parked, connected the electric cord and drove the 5 miles to Solvang.

This is a cute little tourist town founded by some Danes in the early 19th century. Danish styled buildings, bakeries and coffee shops cashing in on everything Danish. They even have a replica of the Little Mermaid. We had a cup of fantastic coffee and some Danish pastries from Mortensen's Bakery. Very delicious. A couple of pastries to take home and we then went back to the RV Park.

Here are some photos of our pastries and other things we saw in Solvang

Visitor Center

Hans Christian Andersen

Mermaid

Bakery

Dansih Waffle with cream cheese and raspberry jam

Apple Danish

Windmill

Carousel horse

Do you think Timmy would like to be carried in one of these?

Clogged street?

Round Tower (replica)

Pretty building

Another windmill

Thanks for following along and don't be shy, leave a comment.

El Capitan State Park

2017-03-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

El Capitan State Park

March 19th, 2017

We chose to stay in the group section because the views were amazing!

Lots of debris on the beach

I wonder if they will clear this. Probably not.

Michael looking for a flat piece of wood to put the RV jack on.

Timmy at the beach!

Where we are. Thanks to Google earth

Day 1. Beautiful views of the coast line. Looking west

Day 1.Looking east

Pretty creeper

Great bike path along the top of the cliffs

Day 2 Early morning walk

Day 2. On the Beach

Day 2

Much better with the sun shining

Found a piece of plank

Can you see the two platforms behind Michael in the previous picture? Here is the story about Oil and Gas off the coast of Santa Barbara.

Info plaque

Our only neighbors

What a difference a day makes

Tim's second walk.

Thanks for following along. Please leave a comment if like.

Wow...Just WOW!

2017-03-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

We spent a week at Wilderness Lakes in Menifee planning our trip north. We enjoyed the park and compared it with Thousand Trails Orlando. It is very similar in many respects. We had a good pull through site in a very quiet part of the park. Timmy enjoyed the one mile walk around the park in the mornings, stopping to say hello to all his doggie friends and a few human friends that he met every day.

Site 121 at Wilderness Lakes

There were about 5 of these ponds/canals around the park.

Nice family pool

Two hot tubs

Beautiful sunset

Now to get to the WOW part!

On our second to last day there we decided to take a drive up to check out Jojoba Hills Escapee Co-op park. We had heard so much about it from people who have stayed there. You can buy a lot there for a price of around $30,000 and then there is a monthly maintenance fee. Not sure how much that is. There are communal buildings, activities, and a fabulous community. If we were American, I would seriously consider putting our names down for a lot. Non owners can rent a site for up to 28 days a year. You are also able to boondock there for $7.50 a night for 7 nights max.

We were blown away by the beauty of the place. It is so well maintained and the sites are absolutely fantastic. Built on terraces up the side of a hill. Almost all sites have mountain views. The flowers and landscaping, which is all done by volunteers and site owners is very impressive.

The road up the hill

Lovely spot for quiet meditation

The sites are all large

The pool and hot tubs all overlook Mount Palomar

Incredibly well stocked library

A place to spend hours reading

The pool was covered to keep it warm. It is maintained year round at a temperature in the 80s

Rec hall

Colorful flower beds

Beautiful views

Wild flowers on the hillside

A riot of color

I wonder if this is new since all the rain

Ponds

Another pond

There are about 5 ponds in the park

To see some videos on the park just search for "Jojoba Escapee park"on Youtube.com. There are several videos

Thanks for following along and please leave a comment.

Gone RVing!

Stuck in Ontario for now!

Don't get excited...but we are!

From Kelowna and up into the Rockies via Revelstoke, BC

Up into the Rockies. May 2nd, 2017

Lake Okanagan West Shore.

Lake Okanagan, British ColumbiaMay 1st, 2017

Hi ho, hi ho, It's off to Kelowna we go.

Coquihalla Highway to Kelowna

April 29th, 2017

Thousand Trails Cultus Lake, Chilliwack, BC

Riding the Sky Train into Vancouver and meeting up with kin.

We were all ears!!

Nature and Culture

Goodbye USA, Hello Canada!

We went on a Cruise!!

Daffodils, Tulips and a Lone Tree.

Rain, Rain, Rain and a little Ice

Newport, Oregon and meeting up with friends.

Mountains, Beaches, Rocks, Rain and a Big Wind

A fantastic overnight stop

A Drive through San Francisco.

Wining again...NOT!

Sardines, Seals, Surfers, Scenery, and a Sea Otter.

On a mission to a Mission

San Benito Thousand Trails Preserve

A night in a winery

Flying Flags

Coffee and Danish anyone??

El Capitan State Park

Wow...Just WOW!

Up into the Rockies.

May 2nd, 2017