Rick & Paulette's RV Travels

A Stay At Home Day And Trying Out A New Deli

2012-01-28T02:00:00.000-08:00

Following our long day of driving to Julian and back on Thursday, I was all set for a quiet day yesterday. It kind of helped that the weather, while still pretty hot, was a little on the ‘breezy’ side which deterred me from wanting to play any golf. Although I’m enjoying my return to golf, I’m still holding on to a few self-imposed rules from the past. I don’t golf in the rain, wind or cold and by cold I mean temperatures below 65F!

Molly and Rylie sacked out in their favourite spot last night after another tough day!

Most of Friday morning was spent just puttering around outside taking care of a few odd jobs like emptying the holding tanks. Then I just read a book while Paulette was busy sewing on a foldup table she setup in the living room.

Our golf ball haul from our walk around the park yesterday afternoon

After lunch, Paulette and I decided to take Molly and Rylie for a walk around the perimeter of the park. Not only is this 2 mile walk great exercise for all of us, it’s turned into a great game of looking for lost golf balls. We had a bonus day yesterday finding 7 including a good Titleist as well as a Nike. If this keeps up, I won’t have to buy another golf ball while I’m down here.

Reading a few of the comments left on yesterday’s blog, I couldn’t help but laugh about this one from Rod and Loyce Ivers:

“Surprised you managed to stay out of Temecula when you went by so close. Sounded like a fun day!”

Since Rod’s wife Loyce is an avid quilter he obviously knows them all too well. As we drove through Hemet Thursday and headed south towards Hwy. 78 and the turn-off for Julian, Paulette’s quilting radar and antenna’s suddenly must have started sending signals because she suddenly said “hey, are we near Temecula, this looks familiar”? I couldn’t say much because we were just approaching the Temecula Valley Mall – trapped!

Yes, we had to stop in Temecula and here’s the proof

Needless to say, we were soon taking a slight detour off the I-15 for a 45 minute stopover in Temecula. While Paulette restocked her supplies at The Wool Lady and The Quilter’s Coop, I walked up to the end of Front Street with Molly and Rylie to the Starbucks store to pick up a couple of pounds of our favourite Kenya Coffee beans. So, it turned out to be a win-win situation. Good catch, Rod!

We decided to go out for an early dinner last night to Manhattan In The Desert, a New York style deli several of Paulette’s friends had recommended. To me, there is only one New York style deli in all of Palm Springs and that’s Sherman’s! I couldn’t imagine how anyone could ever be better than Sherman’s. I said I’d go anyway and sad to say I was right. Manhattan in the Desert was good but Sherman’s is better by quite a bit – and, Paulette agrees.

It was good to get a comparison though as now we know and when we feel like a deli lunch or dinner, or a great dessert we won’t have to even think about where to go – now, we know. Manhattan’s prices were comparable to Sherman’s and portion sizes were big too but that seemed to be at the cost of quality. I ordered the same Corned Beef on Rye I’ve had at Sherman’s and although the Manhattan sandwich was stacked high it just wasn’t the same.

Fuhgeddaboudit – Sherman’s desserts take the cake by a New York Mile!

And as for desserts – fuhgeddaboudit! It’s Sherman’s by a New York mile! We skipped dessert at Manhattan’s and went home and finished the last of the Mom’s Bumbleberry Pie from Julian! It was even better than the first night.

Have a great Saturday, and thanks again for visiting!

Julian, Home Of The Best Pies In California

2012-01-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

The last and only time Paulette and I visited the little town of Julian, CA was in February, 2010, and it was a bitterly cold day in the high mountains. It was so cold, we couldn’t even walk down the main street to look in the shops and stores. We left in a hurry and headed back down to the desert to get warm but we promised to return some time on a nice, hot day. That day came yesterday!

Lots of interesting and different scenery on our drive yesterday

After breakfast, Paulette and I were discussing what we should do as neither of us had any plans. We knew it was going to be a hot day with temperatures in the mid-80’s so we weren’t up to any long hikes. Eventually, we decided it might be a good time to drive up into the mountains to visit Julian – about a 2 hour drive from the Sands RV Resort.

It was just before 10am when we left, choosing the route that would take us west on I-10 then south past Hemet before turning back east for the long climb up to Julian. All I really knew about Julian was that it had a great reputation for pies. It is famous all over California for the great pies they make. Like I said before, last time we visited we were so cold we didn’t even go into a store to buy a pie – I was determined to correct that this time.

Julian Soda Fountain

As soon as we drove into Julian and turned on to the small 3 or 4 block main street we could see why it was called the ‘Pie Capital of California’. There were more cafes, bakeries and shops advertising pies for sale than any place we’ve ever seen. After parking the truck, we walked up one side of main street and then down the other looking for what we thought was the best looking place to buy a pie.

I wished we had brought home all the pies on the left instead of just one on the right

How can you go wrong with a place called ‘Mom’s Pies’? After checking out at least 3 other pie shops, we settled on Mom’s Pies thinking they looked the best by far. The pie we bought to take home was a Bumbleberry Pie. It was all that and then some! Both Paulette and I agreed that Mom’s Pie was the absolute best ‘non home baked pie’ we’ve ever tasted – just delicious. We were kicking ourselves after dinner that we only bought one!

As for Julian itself, there’s not much there other than the pie shops and some specialty stores. The main industry used to be the Gold Mines up in the hills but today it’s tourism. Julian is located approximately an hour east of San Diego and is now the premier mountain retreat in the county and is unique in that it has four seasons – we can vouch for that.

The entire township of Julian is a Designated Historical District. Its image as an early California frontier town with pioneer store fronts, historic sites and guided tours of Eagle and High Peak Mines accounts for much of its modern appeal.

There were also a few interesting old shops and stores in Julian

In addition to Mom’s Pie, we bought a couple of sandwiches at a deli and then hit the road for home. We did a complete loop by driving from Julian all the way on the Palms to Pines Hwy. back to Palm Desert and then home to the Sands. We arrived back just after 4pm and it was still around 80F. I was going to ride up to the pool for a swim but couldn’t get up the energy after driving for most of the day.

Have a great Friday, and thanks again for visiting!

There Are Hikes And Then There Is ‘El Chorro’

2012-01-26T02:00:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I received a notice that someone by the name of ‘Camping El Chorro’ had added me to their Google+ circles. I get quite a few of these and after checking them out end up deciding not to add them to my Google+ circles. This one, however, intrigued me because the owner had a few photos of a hike that were simply out of this world – just incredible. These awesome photos showed a path high up on a limestone gorge in Andalusia in southern Spain.

The Caminito del Rey cliffwalk near El Chorro in southern Spain

Can any of you looking at the photo above ever imagine walking along that path – it doesn’t even have a fence and it’s over 600’ down to the gorge. Definitely not a place for a person who suffers from Vertigo. This very dangerous path is called Caminito del Rey (King's little pathway). The path gave access to a hydro-electric plant and took its name after an official visit by Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1921.

Somehow, Spain is planning to rebuild this pathway

Official access to the path was removed in 2000 on safety grounds. At present the walkway is accessible by climbers but it is very dangerous. No kidding! In June 2011, the regional government of Andalusia and the local government of Málaga agreed to share costs of restoration of the Caminito. I don’t care how they restore this sucker, I’m never going to hike on this path – ever!!

The desert just outside the property of the Sands RV Resort

Looking at the scary pics of Caminito del Rey must have had an influence on me because even though it was Paulette’s quilting club day and I usually take the muttzo’s out to find a new hiking trail, I stayed pretty close to home. In fact, the only hiking I did at all yesterday was to walk the entire perimeter of the Sands RV Resort and it turned out to be pretty interesting. One side faces the open desert and I’d never been out there before yesterday.

This must have been an old home at one time – just a fireplace left now

The perimeter walk covers approximately 2 miles so it’s pretty popular with the residents here especially for giving the dogs a good outing without having to drive anywhere. I got the idea from Paulette who often takes Molly and Rylie on what she calls ‘the loop’ along with a few of her friends.

Looking back from outside the fence and the golf course and pool area

After exiting the main gate yesterday, I turned left and walked along the boulevard bordering the golf course. About a third of the walk happens to border the golf course so I got a whole new perspective on just how beautiful this RV Park is especially when I could see across the fairways to the swimming pool which was pretty busy as the temperatures were in the 80’s. Scenes like the one above are probably why you’ll never get me boondocking in the middle of the desert!

The fences along 3 of the long fairways prevent golfers from retrieving golf balls that have been hit over. I know because I’ve done it a few times.

But then, so has every other golfer. I was lucky yesterday because while I was walking I found 4 golf balls that some poor shmuck had sliced or hooked over the fence. So at least I’m 2 up on lost golf balls.

A small garden maintained by one of the residents at the Sands

I also came across this little garden shown above. Paulette told me it’s maintained by one of the fulltime residents as a hobby. Another neat find was the remnants of an old stone house out in the desert. All that was left of it was portions of 2 walls but there was a fireplace that had somehow survived.

I was happy to get back to the gate and main entrance to the RV park

By the time I got back from my walk with Molly and Rylie, Paulette was home. It was just after 3pm so I decided I had just enough time to squeeze in 9 holes of golf before it would start to get dark. I was able to get on the course right away and play a practice round by myself which I like to do occasionally. After that it was home for dinner and a quiet night.

Have a great Thursday, and thanks again for visiting!

Showing Paulette The Hidden Palms Oasis

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

On some of the Wednesday’s that Paulette spends in the North Hall with her quilting friends, I’ve taken Molly and Rylie on interesting exploratory hikes. Our mission was to check out places that we think Paulette might like to see and then return on another day. A few weeks ago me and the muttzo’s discovered a place called the Hidden Palms Oasis and yesterday Paulette joined us on a return hike.

Walking towards the stairs, we could see hikers ahead of us high on the ridge

We normally pack a lunch with us on these hikes because after a strenuous walk up some pretty steep grades, one can get a little hungry. Our fridge was a little bare yesterday so I suggested we just pick up a sandwich at the Desert Hot Springs Subway which Paulette thought was a terrific idea. What a deal. Paulette came out of the store with a “$5, $5 dollar foot long” that we could share for lunch. I think this will be a new tradition on all future hikes.

The dry, dusty trail stretches out ahead of us on the desert

The Hidden Palms Oasis is only about a 20 minute drive from the Sands and is located just a bit past the Thousand Palms Preserve. There are several different desert trails to several oasis’ including the Pushawalla Oasis where I managed to get myself lost a few weeks ago. Paulette wanted to make sure we weren’t going there as she still doesn’t quite trust me – heck if I know why!

At last, there it is – the Hidden Palms Oasis

Once there, we parked the truck and were soon walking down the trail to the Secret Staircase that would take us to the top of the high ridge and then out onto the desert mesa and the trail to Hidden Palms. It was a pretty warm morning even though there was a stiff breeze blowing on top of the ridge. The wind was quite warm as it was coming in off the desert so it was hot even in a T-shirt.

Since I’d been here before I had a real good idea of where we were going and amazingly we did seem to keep on course on the roughly 1 hour trek across the desert. This hike is a relatively easy one with very few steep inclines. The actual oasis is invisible until you are within a few hundred yards of it and I suppose that’s exactly why it’s called The Hidden Oasis. It’s an impressive site to round a corner and suddenly see a few hundred Palm Trees in the middle of nowhere.

Rylie just about was able to grab this sandwich and take off

Once in amongst the shade of the tall Palms, we soon found a nice spot for lunch. That was a bit of a battle as Molly and Rylie were sure part of that Subway footlong was definitely for them. Paulette managed to get them settled down, gave them some fresh water and soon we were able to enjoy our lunch while sitting on a few large boulders in the shade.

Paulette has her hands full here trying to control the muttzo’s – they were hungry.

When we finished out lunch, which was really good, we spent about a half hour exploring the Oasis. We noticed a lot of Palm Trees that looked to have been burned. It could have been from lightning strikes I guess or from careless hikers, I don’t really know. Whatever, the fire didn’t really spread as 90% of the Palms were unaffected.

Once we finished exploring the Oasis, we headed back up the trail and across the desert to the ridge and staircase that would take us back to our truck. The hike back took about an hour as well and we were dead tired and vey happy to be sitting in the truck with the A/C blasting away on the short drive home.

When we got back to our rig at the Sands, Paulette still had enough energy left to head into Staples in Palm Springs to do some photo copying for quilting on Wednesday. Me? I just flopped in my lounger and had a nice long siesta – so did the pups as they were exhausted. It was a great hike though and well worth the effort.

It’s always nice to see Mt. Jacinto from a different angle

Two of my golfing buddies, Gary and Tom, left with their wives and rigs for a few days at Quartzsite yesterday and won’t be back until Friday or so. Paulette and I decided to skip this little adventure as it meant boondocking in the Q’s BLM lands – ain’t gonna happen!

Have a great Wednesday, and thanks again for visiting!

It’s Not Just RV Bloggers Who Meet Nice People

2012-01-24T02:00:00.000-08:00

Since we arrived at the Sands in early November, we have been lucky enough to meet many fellow RV Bloggers. We’ve spent time with Russ and Donna, Kim and Don, Allen and Lolita, Laurie and Odel and Sue and Maureen. Paulette and I have also met a lot of new friends here at the Sands who are RV’ers but don’t write a blog – yet!

It’s also been interesting to read all the other RV blogs these days as the snowbird season is in high gear and to see how many other RV bloggers are also enjoying the company of fellow bloggers. Blogging definitely does bring a lot of folks together who normally might never meet. I happened to read Paulette’s blog yesterday and I’ll be darned if it wasn’t about meeting a fellow blogger as well only this time it wasn’t RV bloggers but rather Quilting Bloggers.

Paulette, as usual, said things a lot better than I could so I just thought I’d share a part of her post:

You meet the nicest people…

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times…you meet the nicest people blogging!

Meet my new friend, Val!! Val has been reading my blog for a few years now and she just happened to win my last give away. When I asked for her address she replied that she was coming to Palm Springs in January and could we meet!! Of course I said “YOU BETCHA”!!

So meet we did…we rendezvoused at Starbucks in downtown Palm Springs…and man, what a NICE lady! Now you would think complete strangers would have a hard time talking for an hour…well not us…nope not one bit!! We talked like old friends…and before we knew it, over an hour had passed!!

This is Val opening her Winning Loot…and she wasn’t the only winner!! I won Val’s Give Away…and look at how she wrapped it…with tissue and burlap…looks wonderfully at home beside the Starbuck’s cup!

Val knit me a beautiful pair of socks!! I have NEVER owned a pair of handmade socks before! LOVE THEM!! Thank you SEW much, Val!!

Yup, I like them a lot!!

So warm and cozy!! I think these are going to become my evening socks…it gets cold out on the desert after the sun goes down!! :) Ahhh…very nice!! And so colourful!!

Yup…you meet the nicest people out in blogland!!

So, there you go! I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Have a great Tuesday, and thanks agin for visiting!

A Great Day And Google Shuts Down Picnik Photo

2012-01-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

What a difference a day makes is right! After a very windy Saturday here in Desert Hot Springs, Sunday morning brought us a beautiful sunrise and the air was perfectly still – no wind. As the day went on, it just got better and better. The RV park was alive again with folks outside organizing chairs and mats that had been blown around a bit. Later the pool was busy and the park was buzzing with activity.

Paulette took this photo of a beautiful sunrise yesterday morning

Paulette was off to downtown Palm Springs to meet a friend for coffee and while she was gone I decided to give the windward side of our 5’er another good cleaning with The Solution. A lot of sand had been kicked up on Saturday so I thought it best to get rid of it, besides I didn’t have much else to do anyway as Paulette had the truck.

Work crews cleaning up some of the Palm Fronds blown down by the windstorm

I was just finishing up the side of the RV when Gary came over to see if I wanted to play a game of golf. I couldn’t get down off the ladder fast enough. Our friend Tom, from Williams Lake, joined us and we were able to walk up to the clubhouse and get on the course within 10 minutes.

The first email I saw in my inbox yesterday morning was from the photo-editing and storage site Picnik announcing that “Picnik will be closing on April 19, 2012”. Now a part of Google, the Picnik team also promised to “focus on even awesomer things” whatever that means.

Google, the owner of Picnik, is shutting down the company as a separate entity but Picnik staff will remain and all premium users will be refunded their annual premium fee as all features of the product are rolled into Google+ as a native photo editor.

There is some good news here for users of Google+ as Picnik will be available for free within your Google+ account. However, users without Google+ will have to seek alternatives or sign up for a free Google+ membership. Maybe a lot of you have never used Picnik but it’s a very powerful photo editor with some Photoshop like tools for enhancing pictures. Right now, you can easily transfer a photo to Picnic from within Picasa 3.8 and see all of the powerful editing tools as they are now free to use.

Q: What do you get when you merge Google and Picnik? A: Google
The bigger question that remains unanswered is when will Google shutdown Picasa 3.8 and transfer all photo editing and storage services directly to Google+. I say when because it certainly looks like that’s where this is headed as Google does not want to run duplicate applications. It’s a waste of resources and it’s confusing as well. Eventually, everything will be housed and operated under the Google+ umbrella so it’s better to get on board now!

However, if you happen to be a diehard anti-Googlite, and don’t want to open a Google+ account but would like a quick and simple web-based solution when it comes to tweaking your pics, here are a few suggestions that should help you out:

FotoFlexer	very similar to Picnik in look and feel; offers many effects, including distortions; ability to work with layers, too. One imagines this site is going to see a big increase in traffic once Picnik disappears from the scene.
Phixr	not such a clean interface; consider it as a simplified version of Picnik. Offers a few interesting options such as noise removal and ‘fun effects.’
befunky	another site which operates along the same lines as Picnik, though befunky feels a little clunkier to use. Still, it offers lots of editing options and may appeal to some, especially those who like to jazz up their images with stickers and such like.
iPiccy	nice, clean interface; lots of options for editing and adding effects. The site is currently in beta, but we can see this one becoming pretty popular with those who enjoy using Picnik.
pixlr	a more Photoshop-looking interface, with a comprehensive set of adjustment tools. Decent filter list. Much more powerful than Picnik, but may be daunting for some. Clean interface though and well worth a look.

While I was on the golf course yesterday, my trusty PVR was busy recording the NFL playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots so I got to watch the whole game which the Patriots won – yahoo!!!

The recording also featured a rather unique version of the Star Spangled Banner sung by Boston native Steven Tyler. Tyler, the lead singer of the rock band Aerosmith is probably better known now as one of the American Idol judges.

Apparently, a lot of folks were quite critical of Tyler’s rendition of the anthem which included his trademark ‘raspy, scream’. For my part, I thought it was great and I’ve certainly heard it sung a whole lot worse. Rock on!!!

Have a great Monday, and thanks again for visiting!

The Desert Wind Makes A Visit And Difficult Sports

2012-01-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

After an absence of nearly a month, our old friend ‘the desert wind’ returned with a vengeance on Saturday. It’s been eerily still since well before Christmas here in Desert Hot Springs and it’s become a bit of a standing joke not to be caught ever mentioning the ‘W’ word for fear of waking up the slumbering giant. We’ve had a great run of perfect weather here and the good news is according to Weather Underground the winds are expected to quit overnight Saturday.

These wind turbines in Desert Hot Springs were turning pretty fast yesterday

In the 5 years we’ve been coming to Desert Hot Springs and staying at the Sands RV Resort, the past 4 weeks has been the longest straight stretch of absolutely no wind we’ve seen here. Usually, in any given month, we’ll get 3 or 4 days of winds strong enough to make it uncomfortable for outside activities. On those days, we quite often drive over to Palm Springs where the mountain ranges offer great protection against the winds we experience.

The Palm Trees were blowing in the wind

As I expected, there were some differing views about what many referred to as my ‘rant’ yesterday when I characterized PGA Golfers as the most pampered, prima donna, divas in all of sports. My friend Rene said “To be a PGA calibre golfer requires incredible talent and a work ethic unlike most other sports.” I agree with Rene that to be a PGA calibre golfer requires incredible talent but I don’t agree with the “unlike other sports” part. Also, you can have incredible talent and still be a pampered diva – and PGA golfers are.

Boxing was ranked #1 by ESPN’s panel as the most difficult sport to masterAnyway, it got me to thinking on a windy, inside kind of a day about what are the most difficult sports to master and excel in. As it turned out, a few years ago ESPN was pondering the exact same question. Assembling a knowledgeable panel of experts, they came up with rankings for the 60 most difficult sports. The skills ranked included: endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, nerve, durability, hand-eye coordination and analytic aptitude.

The Keys used to rank the most difficult sports:According to ESPN’s expert panel, the most difficult sport is Boxing, followed by Ice Hockey, Football and Basketball. Golf, on the other hand, was ranked 51’st – just ahead of cheerleading! I’m not making this up folks, it’s true. Golfers are talented but way too much is made of how they have to win to survive. All pro athletes must win or they’re gone. An NFL player is lucky to last 5 years.

Here are ESPN,s Top 10 ranked sports in terms of difficulty and skill:Ranked, 51 by ESPN, Golf just beat out Cheerleading

Last night, while keeping in tune with my sports theme of the last few days, Paulette and I watched the movie 'Moneyball’. I was surprised Paulette wanted to watch it as she’s not a sports fan at all so I just chalked it up to Brad Pitt being the star of the movie. I know she’ll watch any movie starring George Clooney but I guess I’ll have to add Brad Pitt to the list.

Moneyball – I’d give it “2 thumbs up”!

Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of Brad Pitt but he did a good job in Moneyball. If you’re a baseball fan, you’ll love this movie as there’s a lot of inside stuff in it and it is based on a true story about the 2002 Oakland Athletics. I downloaded it from iTunes for $4.99!

Have a great Sunday, and thanks again for visiting.

PGA Golfers Are Pampered, Prima Donna, Divas!

2012-01-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

That’s right! I’ve always thought that amongst the sports world, PGA golf pros are the most pampered divas of the entire bunch and my own experience yesterday convinced me once again.

I wanted to attend the PGA’s Humana Golf Challenge Tournament (formerly the Bob Hope Classic) now underway in La Quinta at the PGA West golf course(s) facility but because I had a camera I was told “you’ll have to take your camera back to your vehicle before being allowed on the course”.

Here are some of the pictures I could have taken if cameras were allowed

The beautiful 15th hole at PGA West

What? Who are these boneheads? I just put my money back in my pocket and headed back home. I was a bit disappointed as there were a few big name golfers there such as Phil Mickelson and David Toms as well as the usually not camera shy horde of Hollywood Celebrities. Mostly though, I was looking forward to taking a few shots of some of the scenic holes on the fabulous Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer designed PGA West golf courses.

I’ve always wondered how come Michael Jordan could stand at the foul line and sink a game winning free throw with 20,000 rabid fans screaming and yelling at him, waving signs and taking flash photos? Or, how about Alex Rodriguez standing in against a 100mph fastball, with 60,000 fans screaming, booing and yelling yet he still knocks it out of the park to win the game.

A camera click knocks a golfer out of the box? Come on! Why is it that pro golfers seem to be the only sports professionals who can ’t walk and chew gum at the same time? These guys have been pampered like divas for most of their lives. To me, it’s plain ridiculous that a professional golfer can’t simply concentrate on a shot and be able to block out everything going on around him like other professional athletes must do.

The 8th hole

Here’s what I’d like to see. There are a few ‘Stadium Courses’ on the PGA Tour. Many of the holes on these courses have bleachers and stands built to accommodate several thousand fans. How about designating at least one of these holes to allow spectators to get involved like at a football, baseball or basketball game? I’d love to see which golfers could handle the heat and which ones would fold.

Wouldn’t it be fun to watch a golf pro hook a drive into a lake and be met with a resounding chorus of boos and some yahoo yelling “hey ya bum, why don’t you play wearing a wet suit”? Or, after missing a short 3 ft. putt, hear “hey Magoo, get a thicker pair of glasses”! Let’s face it, these guys are making millions and have made rules for themselves that most famous divas can only envy.

Then, there are the dutiful and subservient TV golf announcers who pander to these prima donnas. I really get a kick out of them talking about injuries. So and so has a “sore wrist” (probably from lifting too many glasses of champagne) and another guy has “tweaked his shoulder”. How about one of these golf pros taking an open-ice body check or getting sacked by a rushing NFL linebacker just after hitting a drive? Then we could talk about injuries with a little perspective.

John took this photo of me hovering over a putt and according to him, I made it!

Anyway, yesterday afternoon I played a quiet round of golf at the Sands with no cheering crowds, TV cameras or even pesky point and shoot digitals. It was another hot, sunny day and I was able to play this round of golf and still have money left over from what it would have cost me to silently watch the PGA pro divas.

Have a great Saturday, and thanks again for visiting!

A Return Hike To The Cove Oasis

2012-01-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Paulette was out the door at 8am Thursday morning to walk up to the clubhouse where all the quilters were meeting for their drive west on I-10 to the Ontario Convention Center and the Road to California Quilt Show. Talk about being hyped-up, Paulette said she didn’t sleep a wink all night just thinking about it……..Jeesh!!

Since I was in charge of the homestead and the muttzo’s for the day, I thought I’d better take them on a bit of a hike in the morning to try and tire them out a bit. I didn’t want to do any strenuous hiking so I decided to go over to La Quinta and the Cove Oasis Trail. I had taken Molly and Rylie there back in early December on a day that was a bit overcast and I wanted to see the area again on a good day.

And, a good day it was, perfect in fact with not a cloud in the sky. By the time we got rolling, drove the 30 minutes over to La Quinta and arrived at the Cove Oasis trailhead it was about 10:30am. It didn’t take long before I had Molly and Rylie headed off up the gravel path towards the hills off in the distance. I made sure I had lots of water in my backpack too.

One of the things I’m always amazed at here in the Palm Springs area is the number of folks who are out hiking. I’m not sure if it’s locals or tourists but it’s quite surprising to note just how many people, old and young, take advantage of all the great desert hiking trails in this area. It seems to be quite a healthy community.

We must have hiked out on the trails for about an hour before it started to get just a little too warm for me let alone the poor pups who were much closer to the desert floor than me. So, I turned around and we headed back down the trail to the truck and then drove back to the Sands arriving just before 2pm, very tired but having accomplished my mission of tiring out Molly and Rylie.

That was it for us for the rest of the afternoon. Rylie crawled under the kitchen table for a long siesta while Molly hopped up on the sofa to do the same. I managed to grab my eBook and setup a lounger in the shade alongside our 5’er. I spent the next 2 hours just reading and taking the odd siesta for the rest of the afternoon.

I knew Paulette would be home sometime between 5-6pm and I was in charge of dinner. I took the easy way out and drove into Desert Hot Springs just before 5pm to pick up a pizza. By the time I got back, Paulette was home – exhausted but thrilled with the big Quilt Show and all her buys. Needless to say, the saddle-bags of cash were completely empty. It was apparently a very good day and tiring too because Paulette went to bed just after 8pm!

The Quilting Crew with all their loot!

Yesterday, I received an email from a reader asking me to post a link to a story about missing RV’ers in the Rio Grande Valley. The son of the missing Winter Texan couple says they've dropped off the map. He hasn't heard from them in weeks.

Have a great Friday, and thanks again for visiting!

Paulette Heads Off On The ‘Road To California’

2012-01-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

Bigger than Christmas, Birthdays, Anniversary’s or even family reunions – that’s the Road To California – at least as far as Paulette is concerned. The ‘Road’ is the biggest and best Quilter’s Showcase and Conference in all of California. It’s a 4 day event that is held at the mammoth sized Ontario Convention Center on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

I saw this van driving around – not sure if it’s the Quilter’s ride or not

Paulette and lots of her quilting friends from here at the Sands will be loading into a couple of vehicles early Thursday morning to take the 1 hour drive west on I-10 to get there in time for the opening at 10am. I was just wondering if they may have to bring a few cans of Pepper Spray with them to make sure they don’t get trampled and pushed around.

My only job for this event was to visit the Wells Fargo ATM in Desert Hot Springs Wednesday morning to fill the saddlebags with cash. The Road to California is to quilters what Quartzsite is to RV’ers. Who knew? Not me until Paulette first discovered it 4 or 5 years ago. Now, as soon as it’s over, the countdown for next year begins!

I don’t know what goes on in the cars and vans on the drive to this quilt show, I’m just very happy that I’m not the designated driver. In doing a bit of research for this post, I happened to check Paulette’s blog from last year and discovered this little song that she composed for them all to sing as they drove along:

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mambo No 5
One, two, three four, five
everybody in the van so come on let's ride
To the QUILT SHOW around the corner,
the girls say they want some thread and patterns - but I really don't wanna
waste my time on trivial mattas’ like this

I must stay deep 'cause talk isn’t cheap
I’ve got Judy, and Doris, Gwen and Alice, Penny, Chris and of course meeeeee.
and as we continue you know we’re gettin' weaker for..
a little bit of Moda in my life
a little bit of Whimsical by my side
a little bit of Hofmanns all I need
a little bit of Blackbird is what I see
a little bit of Kaffe in the sun
a little bit of French General all night long
a little bit of Buggy Barn here I am
a little bit of you makes me your wo-man
mambo number five!!!

Perhaps to appreciate this little ditty, you have to be a Quilter. I’m just going to ‘double-down’ and repeat my thanks to all gods past and present that I’m not required to drive them.

John (RV Life on Wheels) enjoying some refreshments after our golf game

In non-quilting news, I spent a very enjoyable afternoon of golf here at the Sands with friends John, Don and Gary. It was enjoyable because of the perfect weather and the great company. We had a lot of fun and afterwards the guys came back to our site where we sat out back and enjoyed a few refreshments as the sun began to set.

Have a great Thursday, and thanks again for visiting!

Would You Pay $1,500 For A Golf Pull Cart?

2012-01-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

The most exciting thing I did yesterday was to buy myself a new golf pull cart. I have a pull cart at home but didn’t bring it down with me as I wasn’t really planning on doing any golfing because the rotator cuff issue with my shoulder but that problem has disappeared and my shoulder is around 95% of normal.

Up until now, when I do go golfing I’ve been renting one of the carts from the pro shop for $3 a round. I figured I’m going to play at least 10 more rounds of golf before we leave, probably a lot more, so it would be worth my while to invest in a small, inexpensive cart. I found one yesterday at a Golfsmith Store for $30 – just perfect! It’s light and folds up and the price was just right!

What I really found hard to believe while I was looking at pull carts in Golfsmith was that there was a cart for $1,500. Not only that, there were dozens of pull carts in the $500 plus range too.

It was absolutely amazing to me to see pull carts of all types costing between $250 to $1,000. What’s up with this? Are golfers nuts or do they just have too much money to spend?

So what do you get for buying a $1500 pull cart? Well you get an aviation-grade aluminum frame with alloy folding hardware components. Everyone needs that on a manicured golf course right? Here’s the kicker though – this little baby is remote controlled! How about that? It is powered by a lightweight lithium ion battery and features a fully functional anti-jamming remote with a 100-yard range.

Considering that I only spent at total of $170 for my PowerBilt golf clubs shown in the photo to the left, it would be mucho overkill to buy a remote controlled pull cart at a cost of $1500.

I’m pretty happy with my little $30 cart. I seem to be all set as far as golfing goes for our stay here in Desert Hot Springs. I bought a new pair of Sketchers running shoes for $29 a few weeks ago which I now use when I go golfing.

The Sketchers aren’t real golf shoes with spikes and stuff but they’re comfortable enough and seem to be o.k. as far as I’m concerned.

Our 9 hole Executive golf course here at the Sands is pretty reasonable too. It only costs $16 to play 9 holes or $30 to play 18 so at least I’m not going to go broke playing golf – as long as I don’t get tempted by that high-tech remote controlled pull cart! It might be fun!

The other day while we were hiking in Whitewater Canyon, Paulette and I kept looking up at the steep canyon walls looking for the elusive Big Horn Sheep that apparently hang out on the rocky slopes. Again, we didn’t see any sheep but what we did see was kind of interesting. The entire rocky, canyon wall was dotted with small caves carved into its side.

Does anyone know if Bighorn Sheep hang out in these cave like openings or is it just a force of wind and water that the sheep just ignore? I have no idea but it was interesting to see this ‘swiss cheese like’ formation covering the entire rock wall.

Have a great Wednesday, and thanks again for visiting!

Cardenas Supermarkets – A Little Bit of Mexico

2012-01-17T02:00:00.000-08:00

We sure don’t have to cross the border to experience a little bit of Mexico here in Palm Springs. Paulette and I managed to taste just a bit of that experience when we visited a local Cardenas Supermarket not too far from our RV park. Cardenas was recommended to us by Allen and Lolita as a great place to go for ingredients for Mexican food recipes.

The bakery section at Cardenas is a pretty close competitor to Sherman’s Deli

While we weren’t particularly thinking about trying any Mexican food recipes right now, we’d heard from a few other folks here at the park that Cardenas was an interesting supermarket just to visit. Not having much else to do yesterday afternoon, Paulette and I headed over to Cardenas after lunch. As soon as we walked in the store we were amazed at how different it was from Safeway, Stater Brothers or any of the other supermarkets we’ve been to here or at home.

I’m told (not positive) that this is a traditional Mexican Wedding Cake

There was no doubt about who the main target customers were as the signs on all the products, aisles and everywhere else were in Spanish. There was also loud Mexican music piping through the entire store which added a very lively atmosphere to the shopping experience.

The largest variety of multi-colored peppers I’ve ever seen in a store

The first thing I noticed when we walked in was the huge bakery section. I do seem to gravitate to these areas first that’s for sure. It didn’t seem to me that any store could ever compete with the bakery display at Sherman’s Deli and Bakery but Cardenas sure gives Sherman’s a good run for their money. Pretty spectacular cakes!

The produce section in Cardenas was just spectacular

Next up was the fresh produce section and when we saw the huge mountains of multi-colored peppers all we could say was ‘Wow’! It sure was impressive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much fresh produce on the shelves of any supermarket I’ve ever been in. It was pretty amazing and Paulette was doubly impressed by not only the quality of the products but the variety and the costs. I mean, I’ve never seen Cactus or Banana Leaves on Safeway store shelves!!

This is the Tortilla Production Center – they are made right in the store

This was also the place to come if you want to get some fresh Tortillas – of any variety. Cardenas makes their own right in the store and you can see the whole process through the big glass windows. There were lots of workers in the back cranking out Tortillas by the hundreds, wrapping them up and taking right out to the shelves for sale.

Hot Sauce anyone? Hundreds of different kinds

An in-house deli and BBQ, with a small restaurant, offered a huge variety of Mexican food to eat right in the store or to take home. We ended up ordering a couple of Chicken Burritos which we took with us for dinner last night – they were excellent.

So, thanks to Allen and Lolita, a little trip to a supermarket turned into a highly entertaining afternoon adventure for Paulette and I. The next time we want to get fresh produce, peppers, fruit or ingredients for making Mexican food, we’ll definitely be going back to Cardenas.

Have a great Tuesday, and thanks again for visiting!

We Finally Hiked To ‘Red Dome’ In Whitewater

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

After our unsuccessful attempt last Monday to find a place called Red Dome in the Whitewater Canyon Preserve, Paulette and I set out again just after 9am on Sunday to give it another try. Having looked at a few maps, we knew where it was so we figured this was going to be easy. We always think things are going to be easy!

This is the rugged river bank we had to walk along to get to the Red Dome trail

Nothing is easy though it seems though, as about a mile from the Ranger Station parking lot we came across a roadblock where a couple or Rangers told us the Park Station was closed Sunday because of a Memorial Service. They told us we could park along the road and follow the river bank until it connected up with the trail to Red Dome.

Here at least, there was a bridge for us to cross the river

That sounded pretty reasonable to us so we parked the truck alongside a few other cars and with Molly and Rylie in tow we headed down the side of the road towards the river bank. It didn’t take us long to realize that there was no path alongside the river – just a collection of rocks and hard gravel. We knew we had about a mile to walk before hitting a real trail but we decided to press on hoping the going would get a bit easier.

Once out into the desert, the trail was much better

It didn’t. In fact, we ended up with very wet shoes after having to criss-cross the stream several times. The hike into the actual Preserve was rough going and we were quite lucky to get through it all without twisted ankles or falling into the water at some point. Eventually, though, we walked around the back of the Ranger Station and found the trail we were looking for that would take us to Red Dome.

As far as hikes go, once we made the main trail, this one was relatively easy. The path to Red Dome was a very gradual incline and so there were none of the steep lung-busting grades we’ve become accustomed to out here on our usual desert hikes. It was quite long though so that was kind of tiring. It took us about 2 hours to get out to our destination – Red Dome.

This is it folks – Red Dome – like I said – a little underwhelming

To say Red Dome was a little underwhelming is an understatement. We had kind of expected to see a mountain, or at least a big hill looking something like the famous red rocks of Sedona. Red Dome wasn’t very big and it wasn’t very red either. There was a bright side though as it was located right beside the Whitewater River with tremendous scenic views in all directions and it afforded us a great spot to sit down, rest and have lunch.

The saving grace of this hike was a great place to sit by the river and have lunch

Having satisfied our curiosity about Red Dome, we headed back down the trail towards the Ranger Station. It was a much easier and faster hike back as we were going downhill all the way. Once we approached the Ranger Station, we could see a large crowd seated in a field where the Memorial Service was taking place. We were able to walk through the parking lot to the road which took us the mile down to our truck. It was a much easier walk than the rugged river bank that’s for sure.

So, although the Red Dome wasn’t much to write home about, it did get us out for some great exercise on another beautiful desert morning so for that we were thankful. We took it easy for the rest of the day as Paulette sewed and I watched the Green Bay Packers self-destruct against the New York Giants in an NFL playoff game.

Then, a long walk back through the desert to our truck

Have a great Monday, and thanks again for visiting!

A Quiet Saturday – Pancake Breakfast Tops The List

2012-01-15T02:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday got off to a great start with the Sands Resort’s bi-weekly Pancake Breakfast. This is my favourite social event at the Sands which makes sense because it’s about the only one I ever attend. The great thing about the Pancake Breakfast is you can go anytime between 7:30am to 9:30am and just walk in and sit at any table.

The Sands breakfast features ‘all you can eat pancakes’, eggs and sausages for $4

There are also bi-weekly dances up at the Oasis Hall every second Thursday featuring a live band. Our friends Kim and Don seem to be big fans of this bi-weekly dance as they often mention it on their blog saying how much fun they had. Again, I’ve never been to this dance or any other in our 5 years here at the Sands. Same goes for the weekly ‘Happy Hours’ as I’ve been very happy never to go to one. I guess you could say I’m not really a fan of anything that is organized and has a specific schedule.

Paulette’s a lot more social and outgoing than I am and she’s a regular at her weekly Quilting Group. She also started a Monday morning Beading Group that has attracted a few other ladies but Paulette is hoping to pass this job off to her friend Sandy who is an avid ‘beader’.

I managed to get a rare par on the First Hole today – my very first on #1

As for golf, yes, after 4 years of watching others hit the little white ball around the course, I’ve finally succumbed and am really enjoying playing this year. There are, of course, all kinds of organized golf events happening at the Sands. There are golf tournaments for Men, Women, Mixed, Inter-Club, Championship, Scramble and all kinds of others going on most mornings. I’ve never played in one of these either and I don’t plan on entering one either.

Entering a Golf Tournament would require me to sign-up and then show up at a specified time to play. That sounds too much like being on a schedule to me. I retired to get off of a schedule. Also, I’d most likely end up having to play with folks I don’t even know and that doesn’t appeal to me either. I like it the way it is now, I just play with a few friends and we walk up to the clubhouse and get the next available tee time in the afternoon – it works great!

For instance, I wasn’t even planning on playing golf yesterday, until Gary came over about 2pm asking if I wanted to give it a go. I was just watching the beginning of the Saints vs 49’ers game on TV but I hit the record button, grabbed my clubs and we headed up to the course for a nice afternoon of golf. No organizing, no scheduling, just spontaneous which is the way I like it.

Have a great Sunday, and thanks again for visiting!

Cute As A Button….Gwenny Is Adorable And Sweet

2012-01-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

“Cute as a button, Gwenny is so adorable and sweet”!

Paulette must have said that a hundred times on our way home from our wonderful visit with John and Judy (RV Life on Wheels).

John and Judy’s daughter Kristina and her husband Chris have been here on holidays since last week and are heading home to Ontario this Sunday. John and Judy knew that Paulette and I really wanted to see Gwenny, and everyone else too, of course, so they invited us over for lunch yesterday. We had a great time!

Here we are holding the ‘Little Princess”

We drove down Dillon Rd. to the Sky Valley Resort which is about 15 minutes from the Sands and after a quick drive around to check out what is a very nice RV Resort, we rolled up to John and Judy’s site just before 11am. Everyone was sitting outside enjoying the great sunshine except for Gwenny who was having a nap and more than likely dreaming about making the entrance of a ‘Princess’ which she certainly did a little later.

When we arrived, everyone was just sitting outside in the sunshine

While Gwenny was finishing up her nap, we all sat outside and had a great chat catching up on what we’ve all been doing since arriving in Desert Hot Springs. It was a perfect day but then we’ve had nothing but perfect days for quite a while now so we’ve just come to expect them.

Here’s the proud Grandpa with his little Granddaughter Gwenny

John fired up his trusty Coleman BBQ just before noon to grill some cheeseburgers for lunch. While he was busy with the burgers, Kristina went in to bring out the star of the show Gwenny. And, what a star she was. Gwenny is one of the happiest, most good-natured babies we’ve ever been around – and definitely one of the cutest too.

Gwenny’s learning the art of opening presents pretty fast

Paulette couldn’t wait to get her hands on Gwenny and was amazed at how Gwenny just sat on her knee, comfortable as ‘all get out’. I think if Paulette could have figured out a way to clone Gwenny we’d be back in our 5’er with a beautiful, little 6 month old baby girl!

Chris got the dog patrol duty for a bit

While Paulette was holding Gwenny and I was taking pictures, the job of handling Molly and Rylie was taken care of by Chris. The muttzo’s were way more interested in the cheeseburgers grilling on the BBQ than anything else that was going on. I don’t blame them because they sure smelled good.

John grills cheeseburgers a lot better than he flies(lands?) model airplanes

John’s cheeseburgers tasted even better. While sitting around talking during and after lunch, I mentioned that the most common word Paulette was using to describe Gwenny was ‘adorable’ and how in the world was I ever going to use that word in my blog as adorable just isn’t a word a normal guy uses, right? I mean, I’ve never heard a guy say ‘adorable’. But, I had to relent because Gwenny is just that – adorable. I will now retire that word from my blog lexicon!

We were sad to say goodbye to Gwenny but I know we’ll see her lots in blogland

It was just great to meet Kristina, Chris and Gwenny and to get together with John and Judy again. We made plans to keep in touch and arrange a hike, a garage sale trip and most likely something involving food – breakfast, dinner or a BBQ. Thanks again John and Judy for a wonderful afternoon, Paulette and I had a great time and are so happy we got to meet Kristina, Chris and Gwenny!!

Have a great Saturday, and thanks again for visiting!

Hey….Geek Boy….Get A Handheld GPS!!

2012-01-13T02:00:00.000-08:00

After my blog about getting ‘a little bit lost in the desert’, I received a barrage of comments advising me that I should invest in a GPS to carry with me. Some, but not all, were similar to this kind and thoughtful message left by our friend Donna (Cave Dwellings):

Dennis and Donna said... WHOA!! HEY..GEEK BOY...DON'T YOU HAVE A HAND HELD GPS?? After McGyver took me on a 2 mile turned into 8 mile "hike", I make him carry it if we aren't familiar with the area..I cannot believe you don't have one..Maybe Paulette should lash it around your neck!

Not to be outdone, my friend Rod (Retired Rod) piped in with:

Rod and Loyce Ivers said... I thought those iPhones had a GPS built in!!!

Here’s where I have to admit it’s all my fault as I do have a nice iPhone 4 with a couple of perfectly good GPS Apps and even one that is made specifically for hiking.

Either of these apps would have led me out of the desert but unfortunately my iPhone wasn’t “lashed around my neck” as Donna suggested.

It was sitting in our 5’er right beside my laptop – double ‘DUH’. Next time – it’s coming with me!!

Lots of Palm Trees in the Pushawalla Oasis

When I left off on my blog Thursday, I was walking around in the Pushawalla Palms Oasis trying to decide if I should return the way I came or follow the wash that I figured would head around the high ridge and lead to a path back to the trailhead where I’d parked my truck. I was hoping to avoid having to climb back up the steep, rocky trail to the high ridge. A nice leisurely return along the flat desert wash really held a lot of appeal to me.

Little did I know as I headed down the wash that not only would I end up having to clamber up over the worst rock strewn, steep and goat like path I’d ever seen. But, ignorance is bliss so off we went down the wash and through thick groups of Palm Trees, bush and other vegetation. After about 15 minutes of this, we were out of the Palms and into a wide expanse of sandy, desert wash. This is more like it I thought.

We followed this wash for about a mile and looking ahead it seemed to me it never ended and didn’t look like it would ever wind around the high ridge to take us back. The wash seemed to be going away from where we wanted to go. Just then, I looked to my left and saw a narrow, very steep opening with a ‘sort of a trail’ that headed up to the top of the ridge. I figured if I could get to the top I could look around and get my bearings then find the trail back.

Nearing the top of the ‘rock rubble’ trail we took to the top of the ridge

With poor little Molly and Rylie in tow, we headed up the ‘goat trail’ for the top of the ridge. This was no well used path but rather a series of boulders, sand and plain old climbing hand over foot up an extremely steep grade.

Looking back down the ‘lung busting’ trail we climbed up from the desert wash

It was lung-busting and a few times I had the feeling this was where I was going to meet my end never to be seen again – my heart was just a pounding. With several stops to rest, we made it to the top only to find I had absolutely no idea where we were.

At the top – miles and miles of desert in every direction

Sure, there were lots of visible trails going in all different directions but no way of knowing which path headed back to the trailhead. For the next hour, we wandered around the top of the ridge looking for any clue that would help only to find ourselves often heading due east instead of west.

It was about then that I spotted 2 hikers emerging out of a canyon and, as I mentioned in my blog yesterday, they were heading back so we were able to just tag along.

The trail back stretching out along the very peak of the ridge

As I said to Paulette last night “I wasn’t really lost as I could see Mt. Jacinto way off to the west”! She just shook her head, looked at me and said “you’re kidding, right?” No, not really – I kind of knew where I was – sort of!

Beautiful scenery along the way back

I didn’t take any chances yesterday as I never even left the RV park nor did I even venture out onto the golf course. Most of my day was spent sitting outside just soaking up the sun while reading. I did take a break from that for just a bit to hit a bucket of balls on the golf range and then go to the pool for a swim. For that, I didn’t need to take along a GPS!

Have a great Friday, and thanks again for visiting!

A Great Desert Hike Except For Getting Lost–Part 1

2012-01-12T02:00:00.000-08:00

After 4 straight days of walking around a golf course here at the Sands, I decided to go for a hike in the desert instead. Paulette was off to her Quilting Club here so it was just me, Molly and Rylie. We didn’t leave the RV park until just after noon but I figured we still had time to complete our hike and be back well before Paulette finished up her quilting at 3pm. We would have made it too except for getting a little bit lost on a high ridge in the desert.

It was right about here on the way back that I looked around and figured I was lost

In total, I got lost for about an hour while trying to find the right trail back to the parking lot across from the Thousand Palms Oasis. It was then that I spotted another couple of hikers walking up one of the trails towards me. I had walked that same trail for quite a bit only going in the wrong direction. Luckily, these guys knew where they were going and how to get out of the desert so I just followed them and eventually got back to the Sands just before 4pm.

Early on, I spotted some Palms but it wasn’t the Pushawalla Oasis

You may recall that a few weeks ago, I went on a hike to a place called the Hidden Palms. During that hike, I saw a sign pointing to another oasis called Pushawalla Palms and that’s where I decided to go yesterday. Everything went well as I parked the truck at a roadside pull-out and then headed across the desert to find the ‘Secret Staircase’ that would take us up to the top of the high ridge – no problem there.

Somewhere, there was a trail that headed down this canyon

Soon, we came to the sign junction with one arrow pointing to Hidden Palms and the other to Pushawalla which is the path I chose. This trail was pretty incredible as we walked along a ridge that got narrower and narrower until there was only a few feet on each side of the path. I sure had to keep a short leash on the muttzos as we walked along the top of this ridge.

The trail along the ridge got narrower and narrower the further we walked

Eventually, I knew that there would be a trail heading down from this ridge to the desert floor and the Pushawalla Palms themselves but I never realized it would be such a long hike. We seemed to walk along this ridge forever before finding a sign pointing towards a canyon with a trail heading down.

The trail down was steep and rocky

And quite a trail it was – very rocky and quite steep. I remembered hoping that there was perhaps an easier loop trail back so I could avoid hiking back up this steep, rocky trail. That was the beginning of my later problems.

At last, my first sighting of the Pushawalla Palms

Finally, as the trail wound around some rocks, there it was the Pushawalla Palms Oasis. I thought surely there had to be an easier way back. While thinking about that, I found a huge rock in the shade of some Palm Trees where me and the muttzo’s quickly went through a few bottles of water – thank goodness I threw a few extra bottles in my back pack.

More of the oasis

We wandered around the Oasis for a bit having a look at all the beautiful old Palm trees and sheer cliff walls of the canyon. It looked to me like there was a trail heading out of the canyon and I somehow figured it must loop around and take an easier trail back along the wash I was standing in.

My 2 hiking saviours walking along the trail towards me

That’s where things began to get a little interesting but I’ll have to save that adventure for tomorrow’s blog or this post will become interminably long.

When I finally did get back to the Sands, Paulette said she was just beginning to get a little worried as I’m usually never late. I was just exhausted and collapsed into my Lazy Boy. Later, to celebrate my escape from the clutches of the desert, I suggested to Paulette that we call Gary and Sandy to see if they wanted to go to Sherman’s for dinner. They did, so we ended the day on a high note with another great meal at Sherman’s Deli – and yes, we did bring home a piece of their famous Carrot Cake for dessert later!

Have a great Thursday, and thanks again for visiting!

What Is The Answer And Golf Is Not Stupid, I Guess!

2012-01-11T02:00:00.000-08:00

What is the answer? That’s the question Allen and Lolita posed in a great post on Tuesday morning. They were talking about questions like:

Should I retire now when I can or wait a bit longer?
Do we have enough money to live comfortably?
What about our daughter’s schooling when we travel?
What type of RV should we buy?

Sound familiar? I’ll bet these questions ring a bell with most RV’ers whether you are fulltimers, snowbirds or just plain weekend ramblers. Fortunately, Allen and Lolita say that they don’t have to sell their home to take up RV’ing so that eliminates one of the big issues for a lot of folks. We were lucky in that regard too and have always thought having our home to go back to has really enhanced our enjoyment of RV’ing – it’s the best of both worlds for us!

Allen and Lolita

Now, here’s the bad news for Allen and Lolita. Most of the questions they ask are probably ones only they can answer. Only they know their financial situation and what they need to live on now and for a long and happy retirement. As for what type of RV to buy? Well, haven’t we all visited this topic over and over again. Motorhome vs Fifth Wheel? Again it comes down to a personal choice depending on what your individual needs and requirements are.

While keeping our home means some work, we’ve never regretted it

However, for those of us who have taken the plunge into RV’ing fulltime or part time, what we do have to offer is our own experience and why we made the choices we did. I know when we were looking and making RV’ing decisions, the advice and experience of others was a great help to us. So, if you feel like sharing some of your thoughts, maybe you could head on over to Allen and Lolita’s blog and share a bit of your story with them. I know they’d appreciate it very much.

Our decision was to go the 5’er route

Golf is a great game! I know, I know, yesterday I said golf was stupid because I was coming off a pretty dismal performance. I was pretty discouraged and wondering why in the world I ever took up golf again after living happily without it for the last 2 decades at least.

Yesterday, after trudging up to the driving range for some much needed practice, I played another round with Gary on the same course that beat me up on Monday and I had a good day and, more importantly, a lot of fun too. Plus, it was a beautiful afternoon here and walking around the golf course was very enjoyable and good exercise too.

I’m not sure what happened but I did watch a lot of You Tube Golf Tip videos on Monday night and put some of those ideas to good use at my Tuesday morning range practice. Then, during yesterday’s game, Gary gave me a couple of really great tips which improved my swing and shot making immediately. So, I guess I’ll just have to stay patient and keep working at this because it really is fun when things seem to go well. Besides, I have to have a hobby down here to compete with Paulette’s quilting stuff.

Have a great Wednesday, and thanks again for visiting!

Another Beautiful Day In Desert Hot Springs

2012-01-10T02:00:00.000-08:00

After a nice long hike on Sunday, we took it pretty easy and just hung around the RV resort yesterday. I did go and shoot a round of golf with Gary yesterday afternoon, but I’d rather not talk about that at all. Let’s just say it was “no steps forward and 3 steps back”! Why did I decide to take up this stupid game again?? Computer stuff is so much more logical and easy!

So, what did we do yesterday? Well, golf if you want to call it that. We went for a swim in the pool as yesterday was another perfect day here in Desert Hot Springs. Paulette spent some time sewing while I was golfing and we both went for a few walks around the park as well. I’m not going to make this a long blog post because I really don’t have anything exciting to tell you about so I’ll just answer a few questions I’ve received lately:

Janna asked in a comment yesterday:

Just a curiosity question--do you drink Coke Zero because it has no caffeine or because it has no calories?

The Coke Zero I drink does have caffeine but it is calorie free. Mostly I drink Coke Zero though because I just like the taste when compared to soft drinks that use regular sugar.

Also, a reader who I can’t seem to remember and can’t find the comment either, asked me how I get the rounded edges on the photos in my blog.

The ‘rounded edges’ in my photos are simply a function of the editor I use to publish my blog – Live Writer 2011. Live Writer offers a whole series of functions for inserting, managing and editing photos that are far superior to Blogger’s editor – at least as far as I’m concerned. Others, I know, prefer Blogger but I just find Live Writer more flexible and powerful.

The College Football Championship Game on TV last night was a bit underwhelming as it lacked any excitement at all. Only one team seemed to show up to play and that was Alabama who crushed the previously unbeaten and defending national champion LSU. So, that’s over with now.

Have a great Tuesday, and thanks again for visiting!

Hiking In The Whitewater Canyon And More Golf

2012-01-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

We broke out of our do-nothingness, resort style laying around yesterday morning to go for a hike in the Whitewater Canyon Preserve. Paulette and I, with Molly and Rylie in tow, left the Sands after breakfast and headed west on I-10 for the short trip up to Banning Pass where we exited onto to Whitewater Canyon Rd.

Our view of the Whitewater River and Canyon from the high point of our hike

The road dead-ends at the Preserve’s Ranger Station so there’s no chance of getting lost or missing this place once you’re on the right road. Since Paulette missed my last visit here, we spent some time touring around the trout ponds so she could see them for herself. Then, it was off to the trailhead for our hike into the desert and the hills above.

We were just starting up the mountain when I took this shot

Our objective yesterday was a place called Red Dome which was about 4 miles away from the Ranger Station. I didn’t know much about it except for the fact that it seemed to be the closest place that actually had a name so it was a good a place as any to start. We followed the well marked trail along the banks of the Whitewater River for about 30 minutes before coming to a sign with arrows pointing to 2 different trails.

The thin white band in the middle is part of the winding trail up the mountain

One trail sign said ‘Preserve Crest Trail South’ while the other said ‘Preserve Crest Trail North’. No mention at all of Red Dome. That seemed pretty normal to us as far as trail signs here in the desert. They are very mysterious and don’t like giving out much information. The north trail headed out across the desert while the south one seemed to head into the hills. Which one to choose?

We chose the PCT South Trail and soon found ourselves walking up a switchback path that took us further and further up the mountain. Looking back down at the valley below we were amazed to see how high we had climbed in just 30 minutes. We had spectacular views of the Whitewater River as it snaked its way through the canyon below as well as the beautifully colored mountains on the other side.

Stopping for a rest about half-way up the trail to the top

After reaching the ridge at the top of the trail, we looked around and couldn’t see anything resembling a Red Dome nor any signs that even mentioned such a thing. All we could see was the trail as it stretched out for miles along the top of the ridge. Since we had no idea where the trail went and suspected we’d have to come back the same way we thought we’d done enough for one day anyway so we just headed back down the mountain the same way we came.

Back down at desert level this clear, rushing water was a welcome sight

When we finally got back to the Ranger Station, we looked at some maps and found that to get to the Red Dome we should have continued on the PCT North Trail not the south trail we chose. The good news is we had a great hike, got some good exercise and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. Plus, we now have a reason to return and hike out to Red Dome now that we know where it is!

Part of the narrow trail through the desert floor

By the time we got back to our site, it was just about 1:30pm and time for the kick-off of the NFL playoff game between the Denver and Pittsburgh. I was all settled in my Lazy Boy with a nice cold Coke Zero when I heard our gate open and saw our friend Gary outside. Next thing I know, I’m walking up to the golf course with Gary to play a round of golf. It worked out just great as I had a good time, improved my game a little from the day before and, thanks to our HD PVR, got to watch the entire football game when I got back – it was a pretty good game too! How ‘bout them Broncos!!

Have a great Monday, and thanks again for visiting!

A New Hat For Paulette And Making Hiking Plans

2012-01-08T02:00:00.000-08:00

Quiet resort days are piling up one day after another and I’ve got no problem with that at all. That, as a matter of fact, is exactly why we return to the Sands here in Desert Hot Springs each year for our annual winter vacation. Now that Christmas is over, the last remaining sites in the park here are filling up fast. More and more rigs are rolling in every day. We have our privacy though as we back onto a wash and tall Oleander hedges separate us from the sites on each side of us.

Paulette drove over to the College of the Desert early Saturday morning to take back a hat I had bought for her when I took Hayley there before Christmas.

As luck would have it, I bought a pink hat alright but it was the wrong shade of pink. So, back it went for the right shade as I couldn’t pick out a color if I had it written down.

We are planning on hitting the hiking trails again starting Sunday!

My only real accomplishment was to play a round of golf late Saturday here at the Sands. I’ve been wanting to go out and try a round all by myself just to work on a few ‘swing things’. Practicing on the driving range is o.k. but it’s not the same as a real golf course. I probably had my best round of golf in over 20 years – that’s not saying all that much, but at least most of my shots were going in the right direction and that’s all I was really hoping for.

We still haven’t seen a Bighorn Sheep but they are supposedly up there

Paulette and I are planning on getting back on track with our hikes beginning on Sunday morning. We have several places in mind including the Whitewater Preserve, Pushawalla and Horseshoe Palms. Where we end up going will depend on both how we feel and what the weather’s like for walking out in the desert.

Gary, Jennifer and Tom

More friends from B.C. pulled into the Sands yesterday as Tom and Jennifer are parked in a site just a few down from us. With Gary and Sandy having arrived on Friday, we’ve got a great contingent of friends from B.C. here again for the next few months.

Windows 8 will feature an automatic refresh function to restore your computer

Now, here’s something that a lot of Windows users, including me, have wanted for years. Microsoft has announced that the new Windows 8 will provide a refresh option that can automatically restore your PC to a clean state without erasing all your data and customized settings. The refresh option makes good on Microsoft's earlier promise that it would give users an easy way to restore Windows in the event of a problem. The reset option will securely remove all data, settings, and applications, and then reinstall Windows.

Have a great Sunday, and thanks again for visiting!

Another Quiet Resort Day–I Could Get Used To This!

2012-01-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Friday was another quiet day here at the Sands RV Resort with some pool time, golf range time and lots of recliner time alternating between the blazing sun and the cool shade of our RV. Paulette and I have really slowed our pace down since the kids left for home last weekend. I think all the running around took a lot more out of us than we thought it would. That won’t last too long though!

Sandy and Gary just arrived at the Sands yesterday afternoon

The biggest thing that happened around here today was the arrival of our friends, Gary and Sandy, who live about 20 minutes from our home in Cowichan Bay. We were expecting them and, sure enough, they rolled in about 2:30pm to the row of sites just across from us and up a bit. We knew they’d be tired after a day of driving so we had already emailed them and invited them over for dinner.

This pulled pork cooked in the crock-pot outside all day yesterday

Paulette had thrown a Pork Loin Roast into the crockpot with a bunch of spices and seasonings as we were making a nice easy dinner of Pulled Pork Sandwiches. We left the crockpot outside our RV and every time we left or entered we got a great aroma of what we were going to be having later on. It sure smelled good cooking all day.

I took this pic while BBQ’ing a few days ago – all the sites across from us are now full

It was a warm evening, so when Gary and Sandy came over we decided to have dinner out back. It was sure an enjoyable time as we got caught up with all the goings on back home including how Christmas went for everyone. After dinner, we settled back inside our 5’er for coffee and cake for dessert. We chatted for a good couple of hours before we all started to tire out so we called it a night. Paulette has a new shopping partner and Gary’s a big golfer.

We’re still eating well here – we grilled some great Pork Chops the other night

So, that was it. Another quiet resort type day here at the Sands. As long as this weather holds out, there could be many, many more days just like this one. I sure hope so.

Have a great Saturday, and thanks again for visiting!

No Hiking, No Golf, No Shopping – Just Relaxing!

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

Our original plans for Thursday to hike a few trails at the Whitewater Canyon Preserve never materialized. We sort of got behind schedule a bit in the morning taking care of a few chores around our site and by the time we got organized we felt it was just too darned hot to be wandering around in the desert. Instead, we just had a rest day, took it easy and will visit Whitewater sometime in the next few days or so.

While emptying our holding tanks this morning I checked our propane and found one of the 30lb canisters empty. That gave me a good excuse to go for a drive down Dillon Rd. to Blair’s RV my favourite RV supplies store in the desert. All I bought there was propane but it’s always fun to look around the store especially at some of the really old stuff he seems to have hanging around.

Our hot spell here in Desert Hot Springs continues but no one is complaining one bit especially since the temperatures drop down nicely once the sun sinks down below the peak of Mt. Jacinto. Once the sun disappears it doesn’t take us long to switch from T-shirts to a warm sweatshirt or light jacket for sitting outside in the evening. We like it because it’s just perfect for sleeping at night.

My friend Mel here at the park invited me to play golf with him and Roger at the nearby Desert Dunes Golf Course. Crafted by legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., this course is widely considered one of the best tests of golf in the valley. It’s hosted U.S. Open and PGA Tour qualifying events and is widely considered one of the best tests of golf in the valley. What did I say to Mel? I chickened out! My game needs a few more rounds at our great little 9 hole executive course here at the Sands before I hit the ‘big time’!

Mel’s offer though did encourage me to head up to the driving range and do some more practicing. I’m quite happy with my progress so far and am looking forward to the next time I hit the links here. My main goal is going to be to ‘keep my darned head down’ and look where the ball goes ‘after I hit it’!! I just might even keep an actual score next time so I have a benchmark to compare to. We’ll see!

Paulette had a very quiet day as well. She just stayed around our site, setup her sewing machine and worked on a quilt all day. I think she’s kind of worn out from all the shopping and running around with the kids last week and needed a good rest to restore her usual all out energy. We’re looking forward to the arrival of our friends from home, Sandy and Gary, here at the Sands on Friday. They’ll be here for the next 2 1/2 months.

Have a great Friday, and thanks again for visiting!

Whitewater Canyon And Dinner With Friends

2012-01-05T02:00:00.000-08:00

There are not too many places here in the desert where one can experience the sight and sound of a rushing river splashing over rocks. But, that’s exactly what I found yesterday when I visited the Whitewater Canyon Preserve with Molly and Rylie in tow. It was a nice change from the dry, desert washes that permeate this area.

One of the very deep trout ponds behind the Ranger Station at Whitewater Canyon

Wednesday was the first time I’d ever made the short trip from the Sands RV Resort up towards Banning Pass and then taken Whitewater Canyon Rd. up to the Preserve. Paulette had gone to her Quilting Group for the day so with not much else on my schedule, checking out another place to go hiking seemed like a good idea.

There are some pretty big Trout in these ponds

When I parked the truck and got out, my first impression was that with all the bare trees and leaves on the ground it looked very much like a fall day only it was 85F and it wasn’t even noon yet. It was amazing to see how different the landscape was well above the desert floor. Even so, there were still lots of Palm Trees around.

Another of the Trout Ponds

The preserve HQ is a beautiful building that doubles as a Ranger Station. Behind the park HQ building are a series of clear and very deep trout ponds. I saw signs that advertised occasional catch-and-release fishing for kids in education programs. Judging by the size of some of the trout in these ponds they haven’t had to worry too much about being caught.

These rocky cliffs are inhabited by Bighorn Sheep although I didn’t see any

The water in the ponds seemed quite cool and I suppose that’s only because they were so deep. I would think in the summer with temperatures in excess of 100F that the fish would have a hard time but I really don’t know much about that at all not being a fisherman. From the fish ponds, I headed across a field towards the trails that headed off into the mountains.

This trail off into the mountains was left for another day

I got kind of side-tracked when I saw a sign pointing towards a path down to the Whitewater River. Curious, I followed that path and sure enough came across a very shallow, but quickly flowing river – the only one I’ve ever seen in this part of the country. Molly and Rylie took advantage of the cool water to have a good drink.

The Whitewater River

My plan was to hike out about 4 miles to a place called Red Mound. I knew Paulette would love this hike, so I decided to wait a day so she could join us. It’s exactly the kind of trail she really likes, besides it was getting a little bit too hot to be tramping across the desert. Better to do this in the morning. So, I headed back to our RV park and hit the swimming pool instead – great choice!

Kim and Don have relatives who arrived a few days ago and are renting a park model here at the Sands. Last night, Don’s 2 sisters and brother-in-law invited us over for dinner.

Dinner was fantastic and for dessert we had a special surprise and treat. The surprise was an early Birthday celebration for Don and the treat was Vinatarta!

Vinatarta is a delicious, delectable Icelandic Christmas cake. Don is Icelandic by heritage and coincidentally so is Paulette. I’ve heard Paulette talk for year’s about Vinatarta and how her Mother used to always make it but I’d never tasted it until last night. It was every bit as good as she said it was. So, thanks to Don’s sisters for a great dinner, conversation and a delicious Vinatarta dessert!

Have a great Thursday, and thanks again for visiting!

A Visit To The Calico Horse, Camping World & Golf

2012-01-04T02:00:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning I drove Paulette and her friend Judy to the Calico Horse Quilt Shop in Redlands. Redlands is about 45 minutes west of Desert Hot Springs and is an easy drive along the I-10 freeway. I guess there was some kind of special fabric sale going on there for something Paulette really needed for a project she is working on.

There’s a Camping World store just 10 minutes from The Calico Horse so after dropping off Paulette and Judy and telling them I’d be back in an hour, I headed off to Camping World with Molly and Rylie. All I bought at Camping World was a special water bottle for dogs that cost all of $5. Still, I did spend over 30 minutes just walking around the aisles looking at all the fancy gizmos and gadgets they have for sale.

We were back at the Sands at exactly 12 noon. It was another really hot day here so I quickly changed and rode up to the pool for a swim. I’m sure that some day this absolutely perfect weather is going to let up a bit but for now we’re sure enjoying it. After I got back from the pool, I grabbed a couple of golf clubs and headed up to the driving range to smack a bucket of balls around. I was thinking of going out and playing a practice round but it was just too hot so I headed back to our site to sit in the shade and read/siesta a bit.

While at the Sands we usually rely on the parks free WiFi system. It’s actually pretty good and most days I’m able to post my blog easily even with a lot of photos.

The slow times are from 5-7 each night and 7-9 in the morning. When that happens, we just switch over to our Verizon aircard and Cradlepoint router for Internet use.

For the second month in a row, we are going to use up almost every single byte of our 5GB monthly allowance. I checked last night, and as you can see on the image above with 1 day to go we’ve used a total of 4,817.26MB of our 5,120MB allowance. So tomorrow we’ll just have to ensure we use less than 300MB’s so as not to be charged extra. That’s cutting it pretty close – about the same as last month.

Have a great Wednesday, and thanks again for visiting!