Along the Way with J&K....

Sky Valley Resort

2013-05-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

74711 Dillon Road

Desert Hot Springs, CA 92241

760-329-2909 or 888-894-7724

5/11-5/14/13

Have you ever felt as if you were the only special person in the entire world…well that is exactly how this crew made us feel. Since we are hanging out in the same area and checking out all the resorts nearby we arrived at 9am to check in, but the office was closed until noon. We called the Assistant Manager and he sent someone over immediately. We were way early, but she apologized and said to make it up to us she would put us in a Super Site.

We paid $15 per night with our Coast to Coast membership without any additional charges for water, electric, sewer, on gravel with a patio, patio set under shade trees and a gazebo…WOW! No cable but they offered a $20 value for internet but our DirecTV and Verizon MiFi and phones worked perfectly. Unfortunately our entire time there was a heat wave going on with temps reaching 108 so we could not enjoy the patio as much as we hoped.

The restrooms, laundry room and other areas were kept immaculate.

The hot spring pools were wonderful which we took full advantage of every chance we got, especially when the sun went down.

Feeling like a million bucks we decided to check out the on-site Restaurant and we were thoroughly impressed. We had breakfast because they serve it all day and it was the best food we have ever tasted and the friendliest staff we have come across.

The House Omelet had all sorts of vegetables that complimented one another with some secret sauce that tantalized the tongue with every bite and topped with fresh avocados and sour cream made it a special breakfast.

If we ever decide to settle in somewhere this place would be high on our list and we would highly recommend it and will come again and again and again. Love the area and love this resort!

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Where Do Your Choices Take You?

2013-05-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It’s not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make. PERIOD!

After reading this the other day I knew we were once again on the right track. Whenever something someone says, or does, or writes or reads hits a core deep within, we have learned to pay attention.

Life is about choices, not blame, but your own damn choices that only you can make. Sure others can influence those choices if you allow them to, but nobody or nothing can make your choices for you and there IS always a choice. It may not be the one you want but there are always choices.

We choose many times to travel the roads less traveled because we are never in any hurry, or at least try to plan it that way. This time as we traveled to the resorts in the Desert Hot Springs area we chose to get off I-10 and take Dillon Road. Even though it was much more scenic, it was also very wavy. Those types of roads do not appeal to me but we would never have known if we did not get out of our box and try it.

We have been doing that a lot lately, trying new things. Something we never would have done before adventuring out into this lifestyle. New doors are opening all the time for us and we are learning to step in and see what it is all about.

How about you, do you tend to go with the normal, safe choices? Or, do you tend to step out of your comfort zone and see what the other choices could bring you? A few of you, we already know the answer since we keep in touch and read your blogs. It is so nice to see the choices we all make every moment of our lives!

Writing Once Again

2013-05-12T09:14:00.001-07:00

Guess we needed a break from blogging, and it was well spent. We have been working on our first book in our series of “Along the Way with J&K”, this one titled “Rags to Riches…Our Spiritual Journey in a RV!” All it needs is a tad more tweaking and it will be ready for publishing.

Then more of the series will include writings of our travels, our reviews, particular cities and places we have been blessed with being able to visit while living this wonderful lifestyle. The series will also include books about Boondocking, finding work along the way, Casino hopping, and remodeling on a budget and so many more stories that are just wanting to be completed and published. We have been dormant long enough, it is our time, our time to finally do what we love and have fun while we do it.

For now we are in the Palm Springs area soaking in the Hot Springs and loads of sunshine, a little too much heat coming up for the next few days but we will muddle through. We will be heading to the Coast in just a week or so to cooler temperatures and some adventurous work and sightseeing opportunities.

We absolutely love this area and if we ever…not likely…but if we ever give up our wheels we would love to stay in this area. We did notice the town itself Desert Hot Springs is going downhill fast, looks like a lot more transients in the area and the businesses are either closing up or becoming very rundown. We now head into Palm Springs for any of our needed essentials, a much nicer area.

Life is always what we choose it to be, it is always our choice in what and how we view what is happening in our lives. We are still learning to take each opportunity and make the most out of it, doesn’t always go the way we want it, but we always make it through with more knowledge then before. These past few months have not gone as we would have liked them to go, we came in contact with some pretty difficult people that were not honest and forthcoming. They weren’t bad people, just misguided and some very dramatic, something we do not do any longer. This took our lives in a direction that was not clear so we made mistakes along the way and got off course, but we are so happy to announce we are back on course and ready to begin living our lives to the fullest once again.

Caliente Springs

2013-05-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

Caliente Springs

70200 Dillon Road

Desert Hot Springs, CA 92241

760-329-8400 or 888-894-7724

5/7-5/11/13

We paid $15 per night with our Coast to Coast points with NO additional charges for water, electric, sewer, on a level, sandy site with a patio. Our Verizon MiFi and phones had great reception but they offered WiFi at no charge.

Just about the only negative was that they have only one trash area located at the entrance which was such a pain to get to so we just held on to our trash for the four days we were here until we left.

They have a 9-hole Golf Course that was reasonably priced to walk the course or bring your own ride.

We played billiards, ping pong and shuffleboard in the game room.

The restrooms and laundry room was kept clean, as well as the grounds were maintained well.

The hot spring pools area was fabulous that we enjoyed several times.

This resort is a gem in the desert and even though we have been in this area so many times we could not get into this resort with our membership but it was a quiet time of the year when all the snowbirds had already left and we had the place almost to ourselves. It was so nice enjoying the hot springs, the weather was a little warmer then we like it but it was a great visit and would highly recommend it and we will visit again.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Mother’s Day Gifts

2013-05-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

This post was prepared for the NerdWallet’s Mother’s Day Your Way Contest at NerdWallet.com. Check out their site for coupons, ideas and so much more!

I have always struggled financially due to my “lack” mentality and this particular year was no different. I was always the one who came up with the “creative” ideas, at least that is what I called them, my family called them cheap.

I have given lottery tickets with no big winners. I have also given self-made coupons that they could turn in for hugs, free babysitting, a day of cleaning and so many other ideas. And, the most important were the hand-made items that I have created throughout my years for my family.

This particular year I made my mother this absolutely beautifully crafted photo frame filled with years of photos of our family all in a collage form. It also included little poems I wrote about the mother that raised her five children mostly by herself and did the best she could with what she had at every moment.

I poured my heart and soul into this photo frame that was in grand scale. I searched through tons of photos, not just from our childhood but from my mom’s just to find the perfect ones to add to this creation. Searching to find photos of each of her children with their families was not an easy task since many of them were extended and guarded. Secrets were well known in our home and for this creation I did not want to let any of them show and most certainly did not want to leave anyone out either.

Finally after months of creating I had what I thought was the best I could have done and presented it to my mom. Tears filled her eyes and even though she did not say it, I could see it in her eyes that she appreciated all the love I put into this present. Unfortunately a few years later she passed away and now I have no idea where it ended up, most likely in the trash somewhere since my family thought it was just another of my cheap ideas.

When Mother’s Day comes around this year as I have been doing now for so many previously, my goal will be to make it through all the hype and hope I do not cry all day long. Since my mother passed away and then losing my only daughter so many years ago I just pray for peace within to get me through.

Palm Springs Oasis RV Resort

2013-05-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Palm Springs Oasis RV Resort

36100 Date Palm Drive

Cathedral City, CA 92234

760-328-4813 or 800-680-0144

5/2-5/7/13

With our Coast to Coast membership we paid $19.04 per day, $15 in points and the rest at check in for Resort Fees and taxes. Even though those extra charges annoy us, it is still usually a great deal for the type of resorts they offer.

A smaller resort with under 150 sites, ours was water, electric, sewer, level on a concrete slab with a patio. Our Verizon MiFi and phones had great reception

The restrooms were immaculate and the laundry facilities worked perfectly, we were in and out in record time.

Conveniently located near restaurants, stores and so much more and they have a spa and a fabulous pool that we took full advantage of due to the weather flirting with temperatures near 100 degrees.

It was off season during our visit, so there were not many sites filled. It may be more cramped during peak season but we would highly recommend staying here and we will visit again.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Wine Tasting

2013-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a year since we have posted any of our wine tastings...we think it is long over due...enjoy!

We usually pick up our wines at local grocery stores, Walmart and we have also found a few new places to purchase them. We have been shopping at BevMo for a few years while in California and Arizona. They have a wide variety ranging in prices but mostly mid to high dollar wines.

Our favorite new place is Total Wine...it has the best wines and they range low to high dollar with many in our budget range. Unfortunately they too are limited to certain areas in Arizona. We will keep looking for more like these in different areas.

This first one might not fall into a wine category, more like a beer but will probably not be something we try again so we included it here with the wines.

Bud Light Lime-A-Rita – We paid about $1 per 8oz, has an 8% alcohol and we gave it an 8 rating. Produced at Anheuser Busch in St Louis, Missouri, we could taste the Margarita with a twist. It is a malt beverage ale with natural flavors, including caramel coloring and is very refreshing. We salted our rims as we would with a margarita, but the beer taste stood out and for that reason we would not purchase it again but it was good!

Yellow Tail 2010 Riesling – We paid $6 per bottle, has an alcohol percentage of 12.5 and we gave it a 7.8 rating. Produced in Yenda, Australia region, we tasted a slight fresh fruit flavoring. This wine has a little after bite and not as sweet as other Rieslings we have tasted. The colder it got the smoother it got and we might purchase it again.

Gascon Malbec – We tasted our first Malbec but did not take any notes, only this less than perfect photo. We recall that it was a more stout wine than we anticipated it to be. We do not have a price since it was a gift, nor do we have any of the other information to share with you.

Mirassou Moscato 2011 – Another California Moscato produced by Moscato Bella with such a clean, clear, light, refreshing and sweetest taste that would be great with any dessert. It has 7.5% alcohol content and we paid $5.99 and would absolutely purchase again and again.

Macaron 2011 Moscato – Produced by Underdog Wine Merchants in Ripon/Livermore, California that has a 9.5% alcohol that we paid $5.99 a bottle. The sweet honey, nectarines and wild flowered smelled dry but instead was very sweet. It would pair well with bacon wrapped scallops that leaves your mouth watering for more. A very clear fresh taste that we have on our list to purchase again.

Ooh La La 2011 Riesling – From the vineyards in Modesto, this wine has 9% alcohol and priced at $6.99 per bottle. We bought it for the name and the grapefruit and peach combination gave it a zingy flavor with an almost champagne feeling to it. It is not at the top of our list to purchase but we would not refuse to drink it again.

Inglenook Sangria – A terrible bitter tasting wine from Ripon, California that has 9% alcohol that we paid $5.99 a bottle. The citrus flavor had no sweetness, it was closer to a deep dark red, very dry wine that will not be on our list to purchase ever again!

Sutter Home Bubbly Moscato – A sparkling champagne taste with a lingering moist aftertaste, this one we rated a 9.8 and has 10% alcohol that we paid $4.99 a bottle. With its honeydew melon and peach flavoring giving it a very sweet taste produced in Ceres, California we will be purchasing it in the future for celebrations.

Bodegas Sarviver, SL Lolailo Sangria – This wine is from Madrid, Spain with a 6% alcohol that we paid $4.99 per bottle. We gave a rating of 9.7 because of its rich, smooth and delightfully fruity taste that is at the top of our list to purchase again.

Cavit 2010 Collection Moscato – This wine from Trento, Italy with its apricot and peach flavoring, 7% alcohol that we rated a 9.3 and paid $5.49 a bottle has a smooth, clean, crisp and bubbly taste that we really enjoyed the sweetness that left us wanting more and more.

Conte Priola Puglia Moscato – An Italian White Wine from Fossalta Di Piave with 8% alcohol that we rated 7.3 and paid $6.49 per bottle has an effervescence flavoring with a champagne touch. With apple, lychee, peach and pear flavoring, not a true tasting Moscato but more like a sweet white wine. It has a good clean flavor with a fresh ending that we would purchase again.

Double Dog Dare Cellars Moscato – From the Chile region, with 11% alcohol that we paid $5.99 a bottle and gave it a 9.4 rating. It is a sweet, smooth wine with a silky finish that is on the top of our list to purchase again and again.

Black Swan 2010 Riesling – A citrus and lime flavored wine from South Eastern Australia with 12% alcohol that we paid $4.99 per bottle is not on our list to purchase again. We gave a low rating of 6.3 because it is not as sweet or flavorful as some of the other Rieslings we have tasted. We have noticed there is a wide spectrum of sweetness when it comes to Riesling wines and we prefer the sweeter side.

Beringer Red Moscato – From the Napa Valley region, this oldest grape variety imported from Chile has a very unique flavoring for this Red Moscato. Having 11.5% alcohol that we paid $4.99 per bottle, we gave it a high rating of 9.5 because of it fresh fruit sweet flavor bursting with a clean ending. It is a wine we would share with our friends for a night of entertainment and enjoyment.

Beringer 2011 Chenin Blanc – Seems as if we can’t go wrong with Beringer from the Napa Valley region. Having 11.5% alcohol that we paid $4.99 a bottle, we rated this one 8.7 for its burst of fruitiness and a brisk ending. This wine could be served with any meal because it is so clean and we will definitely purchase it again.

Beaujolais Nouveau – A red wine made from Gamay grapes that is produced in the Beaujolais region of France is one of those heavy, bold wines that is dry that we do not like and would not purchase again.

Emerald Cove Resort

2013-04-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Emerald Cove Resort

2715 Parker Dam Road

Earp, CA 92242

760-663-4941

April 2013

We paid $10 per night with our Coast to Coast membership, no additional charges for water, electric and sewer site on level gravel with a picnic table and barbecue. Our Verizon MiFi and phones had great reception and for an additional charge they offered cable.

Our first visit we were crammed into a site on the second row from the lake where our neighbor’s awning was touching our rig and the other neighbor was using our picnic table to sit on while he washed his dog on our site. We were not happy campers but it was convenient for us while we worked nearby and spent our days off here.

The cleaning people must have had the day or maybe the week off because the restrooms and laundry area were dirty and wreaked of a sour smell.

The store carried all the conveniences including beer, wine, ice and even lottery tickets. The Emerald Tiki Bar served breakfast, lunch and dinner with phenomenal pricing. They also offered Karaoke and Happy Hour Specials on some refreshing alcoholic beverages.

We stayed here several times while we were working in the area during a slow time in between the winter and summer seasons. Otherwise we believe this park will be packed with kids, toys and lots of activities in the River Rat’s Kid’s Club, more like a KOA on steroids.

If we are ever in the area we would stay here again, the location is great and being on the water is surreal but we would avoid it during peak seasons.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Black Meadow Landing

2013-04-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Black Meadow Landing

156100 Black Meadow Road

Parker Dam, CA 92267

800-742-8278

April 2013

This one is a little harder to review because we also worked here for a short time, so this review will also include our work experience.

The charge per night would have been $46 per night for our site which included water, electric, sewer on a flat, gravel site with a patio slab and a picnic table far away from the lake. They did not offer cable but WiFi could be purchased through Tengonet. Our Verizon MiFi and phone reception was a tad slow but worked alright. The site rate was priced way too steep so we would not have even considered staying if we were not working here.

Lakefront sites started at $66 per night for 2 people.

They are located on a dead end, bumpy, rough, filled with holes road that is 20 or more miles from any other store but there are some spectacular views on the drive and within the park.

They have a Café that served wonderful food (Jerry was the cook)...

They have a store, motel, cabins and even gas pumps.

The restrooms were kept clean but the laundry room was always filthy. The sites are not well maintained as we went through several sites before we finally found one that did not have electrical issues. There are donkeys all over the place and they do their dropping everywhere so keeping up with that was a full time job that was maintained well.

Located on BLM land they had some pretty strange rules that they enforced and people were easily 86’d for some very bizarre reasons while others got away with so much more.

Within our first few days working there we began to notice a few very negative and downright nasty people that worked there. Just as we were about to give our resignation they gave theirs and we thought things would then come to a better place, a better work environment, but that did not happen. One of our biggest issues then became one of their policies of not allowing couples to work together. This was a show stopper for us since one of the reasons we are out doing this is so we can work together and we do it very well but they refused to let that happen even though there were openings.

Their rules, hours, schedules changed so often it was hard to keep up with how they wanted things done and then we had a personal emergency that made it perfectly clear that this was not where we needed to be so we chose to end our employment.

We gave it our best and we had fun as we always do but it would be hard for us to recommend this place either work or just visit because there were more negatives then positives. A very remote place where customer service is not at the top of their priorities. Now we do not believe that the customer is always right, but they go to the total opposite with the customer is never right.

To really appreciate this place, check out our Picasa Web Albums for all of our photos.

Imagination Verses Reality

2013-03-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

We are in our 10^th year of full time traveling and absolutely no chance of us ever stopping.

Is it all that we imagined? I would have to say yes and no!

Finding work…

Has never been an issue, finding the kind of work we love well that is an entirely different subject.

We imagined writing our stories, taking photos, and sharing them with our readers in books, magazines and blogs. We imagined writing jingles, creating cards and postcards to sell. We imagined getting paid enough to allow it to be the only work we had to do all awhile traveling in the style we chose.

Our reality has been a bit different on the types of work we have had to take to get us a paycheck, and even though we are getting very discouraged we will not give up on finding that perfect balance in what we love doing and getting a nice paycheck for doing it.

There have been jobs that we LOVE, others that we just tolerate and some where we do not have the patience or time to allow them to suck the hope out of us. We continue to search for the ones along the lines where travel is more frequent and staying in one spot is less the norm. Some of the jobs we have done surprised us on how much we enjoyed them and others disappointed us when we thought they would be the best for us.

When we get this all aligned with our hearts, we will then be able to see our imagination and our reality as the same. That is all we can continue to strive for and whole heartedly believe that it can be our reality.

Our Travels…

We have seen more than we could have ever imagined and we still love traveling more than we enjoy staying in one place for too long. At first, six months in one place didn’t seem to be enough, now 6 days in one place is too long. We are still trying to find the balance in our lives that will allow us to continue traveling while working doing something we love.

We still love traveling the back roads verses the main highways and still only love doing a few hundred miles a day. We love pushing ourselves to cross those bridges, take the roads less traveled, and to turn that unknown place into a check mark off our Life List.

We still have many places we have yet to see and with each passing day, we add more to our list. We do not think we will ever accomplish all of them since every time we dwindle that list down, we read about another place to add to it. Settling down back into the stationary lifestyle is not even an option for us, not sure if it ever will be. We are having too much fun in our home on wheels.

Finding ourselves…

The biggest surprise for both of us is the spiritual connectedness we have found within ourselves during these past years of traveling. We have done so much soul changing that we do not even recognize ourselves any longer. This has been an enlightening journey that we continue to travel every moment of every day. We have learned to let go of all the drama and live a more relaxing, peaceful life.

We are open to new adventures and have removed that box from our lives that we had both lived in for so long. We are free spirited and love our lives from a core we never knew existed. We have so many new mantras in our lives,” Akuna Matata”, ” No Worries”, and so many others. It feels good, it feels right.

We got into a slump and we had to dig deep and pull ourselves out of it and continue living our lives the best we know how with what we have and where we are at this moment. No need to rehash the reasons for it. The bottom line is that we both got lazy when a few of our jobs did not turn out the way we had anticipated them. The good news is that we did not go into a pity party, even though we were invited many times. We just allowed life to take some of our zest and relocate it for a short time. Our goal is still to find the right fit for us so that we may travel and do what we love while making a good paycheck.

At times we need to take a few detours along the way and we may take some untraditional roads to get us on track again but we are never lost, only misguided for a short time. We have dreams undreamt, we have goals yet to reach, and we have life yet to be lived. We are searching once again and have the confidence that all of it is possible and we are doing it all with the most zest for life we have ever felt in such a long time.

Eagle View RV Resort

2013-02-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

Eagle View RV Resort

9605 N Fort McDowell Road

Fort McDowell, AZ 85264

480-789-5310

2/25/2013

It had been a long time since we had gone to Fort McDowell Casino but did not want to boondock so we opted to stay here and use their shuttle service. We were not only disappointed in the shuttle service which took almost an hour to pick us up but longer when we wanted to return. The casino has gone downhill since the last time we visited, very smoky, smelled pretty bad and the buffet was terrible.

We paid $42.62 using our Good Sam 10% discount for water, electric, sewer, huge, level site on asphalt. Our Verizon MiFi and phone coverage was great so we did not take advantage of the free WiFi or cable.

It was quite apparent that many of the people here were snowbirds and the area was kept up nicely.

The restrooms and laundry facilities were clean and they even offered a Continental Breakfast that we did not partake in but it was there if we chose to do so.

The price was just way too high for us to recommend it and we would choose to boondock if we would ever come back again, which is highly unlikely.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Never Know Where to Begin…

2013-01-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

After being such a slacker on writing our blog, it is always so hard to get caught up. I usually have hundreds of articles that I wrote while living our life but for some reason, just never posted them which is the case once again. There are several articles written about our time at the Pumpkin Station, the time in between, the Tree lot, the time after, yet another remodel, summarizing 2012, our drive to the desert and our work beginning in Quartzsite but we have to start somewhere…

We received a call several months ago asking us if we would be interested in working in Quartzsite for the big tent, when we accepted we decided to reserve a full hookup spot right across the street at Rice Ranch. We arrived in Quartzsite, Arizona on January 2^nd and Jerry assisted on a few projects with the big tent and is now doing security. I am working the south gate passing out brochures and keeping the public out before 9am.

We are working separate shifts for the first time in 9 years of living this lifestyle and we do not like it at all but it’s a job and it is only for a few weeks…we can do anything for a few weeks. We will both be working for the duration of both shows and after that, it is all still up in the air…

From Our Table to Yours

2012-11-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

We are so far behind once again in updating our blog but we will…I promise…but for now we just want to say that we are back on a tree lot and getting ready for our next adventure to begin…but for today I wanted to share a few things with you all.

We have a Facebook friend, just as with many of our blogger friends, we have not met them but still consider them friends. They are in a deep funk and are reaching out and it touches my heart to the core since Jerry and I can totally relate to them…we were there and it took every ounce of our beings to pull ourselves out and begin living our lives. If we ended our lives as they continue to share then look at all the precious moments we would have missed.

Jerry and I have gone through some pretty rough times, not just financially, but emotionally with our family dysfunctional chaos that we are now happy to say has ended. They finally got it that we are who we are and we do not choose to live in the chaos ever again and they have accepted it and do not contact us any longer. At times that could be a negative, but we see it as a positive because after all these years without them in our lives we now choose to keep it that way. We are no longer the same people and neither are they and to try to ever reconcile would not be beneficial to us or to them.

To get back to our Facebook friend, they are in that deep black hole that we were in so many years ago when we lost it all and thought we would never recover and there were moments in our lives that we have both contemplated ending it all but we were lucky enough to never fulfill that request. If we had we would have missed out on the best years of our lives.

No, we do not have the finest things in life, even though there are times we dream about them. But, what we do have are grand moments in our lives that would have never happened if we had followed through during those dark times in our lives and we hope that with our words we can help them or anyone else who is going down that black slippery slope of despair.

Do not concentrate on the negative, the things you do not have, the bad times. Instead focus on all the good and believe me there is so many good things if you choose to look in that direction.

We are grateful for one another, there is not a morning that upon wakening that I do not thank the Universe for allowing both of us to have awoken and are able to share another day together. We are grateful for our home and that our home has wheels. We are so thankful for all the wonderful job opportunities that continue to come into our lives since we do need to work to continue living. We are grateful for our health, even though at times the aches and pains are severe, we do know that we are both very healthy and are just getting a little older and some of those aches are inevitable.

The list could go on and on of all the great things in our lives but you all get the road we are traveling. If you are depressed and are contemplating ending it all, please reconsider and start looking at all the wonderful things you have going for you. If you do not see all your good, then just take a trip and open your eyes to the many other people who have it so much worse than you do. The folks who do not have any shelter at all, or are not healthy and have lost limbs, their hearing, their eyesight, or those who have lost all of their hopes and dreams. We are surrounded by them daily on many street corners, or in the news, or walking past us in a daze because they no longer care.

Take a moment in your day and understand that they are you…only they gave up… realize that by just looking into their eyes and acknowledging them or extending a hand that you can give them the hope and encouragement they need to make it through one more day.

Happy Thanksgiving and to all of our readers, we hope you all have everything you dream about and more!

Golden Shore RV Resort

2012-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

Golden Shore RV Resort

101 Golden Shore

Long Beach, CA 90802

800-668-3581

11/2-11/7/2012

We paid $263.70 for 5 nights which balances out to be $52.74 per night with our Good Sam 10% discount. We had a flat, packed sand graveled site with water, 30amp electric, sewer without cable and a charge for WiFi. Our Verizon phones and MiFi and DirecTV worked marvelously for us while we visited.

Customer service at the front desk was not the best, with our calls and check in, we did not feel the love, they did not do anything wrong just no great service that stood out for us.

While doing laundry in the less than adequate laundry room, we did have the maintenance man offer a ride to us to our site while carrying our laundry and this was well received.

Sites were cramped together and they did warn us with a flyer about theft within the park in recent months. This was disconcerting to us but we noticed it was quiet at night and no mischief while we were there.

The resort was conveniently located for what we needed from our stay, but as for recommending we would not do since it is highly priced and really not a lot to offer.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Touring Long Beach, California

2012-11-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Our main goal was to visit Catalina Island, even though we could have parked Maggie in their huge parking lot while visiting the island, we also wanted to visit a few other places while here so we opted to stay at the Golden Shore RV Resort that is located right in the downtown area. Read our separate review on this resort.

We walked to the Aquarium of the Pacific and explored all the different areas of the Aquarium. We paid an online package price of $42 for the Aquarium and the Queen Mary. If purchased separately we would have paid $52 each, so we saved quite a bit doing it this way. They offer several different packages, check them out prior to getting your tickets in case you want to save more too!

The aquarium was nice and even though there were never any of my favorite colorful coral, sea urchins and jelly fish, nothing will ever compare to my childhood favorite at the Belle Isle Aquarium we enjoyed weekend after weekend while we were kids and have some really great memories of those times.

We stopped for lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and enjoyed it as much as we did our first visit to a Bubba’s on Fishermen’s Wharf.

This time I had the “I’m Stuffed!” Shrimp which is Shrimp with Crab Stuffing, baked in Garlic Butter, and topped with Monterey Jack Cheese...

Jerry had Forrest’s Seafood Feast which is Southern Fried Shrimp, Seafood Hush Pups, Fish & Chips, Coleslaw… And don’t forget the delicious Sauces for dippin’ – Tartar, Cocktail and Remoulade. Both dishes were great and very scrumptious tasting and even though it is a bit pricey we would return again.

We then took advantage of the free transportation and rode the bus to the Queen Mary.

In its time, this ship was huge, not so much nowadays...

We enjoyed exploring the different decks.

We did a little shopping at the shops, we checked out some of the rooms on board which we did not stay in. We also had a drink in one of the lounges and had a great time.

We would highly recommend visiting this area and these are just a few of the many things that can be done while here. Stay tune for more and check out our photos, photos and more photos at Picasa Web Albums, we took hundreds!

Paradise by the Sea RV Resort

2012-11-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Paradise by the Sea RV Resort

1537 South Coast Highway

Oceanside, CA 92054

760-439-1376

11/1/2012

We paid $48.60 for one night using our Good Sam discount for a fairly level smaller site with water, sewer and 30amp electric. They also offered complimentary cable and WiFi which we did not use since our Verizon MiFi worked perfectly as well as our DirecTV.

Customer service was high, exactly what you would expect since it is a high dollar rate they charge. Everyone was friendly and willing to go that extra mile to make us happy.

Being so close to the tracks was intimidating at first, the noise took some getting used to, but after all being just a few moments away from the ocean...well it was worth it.

The amenities and the landscaping were all clean, pristine and well maintained.

Even though it is way beyond our budget, we would most certainly stay here again.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

It’s Official!

2012-11-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

I am a Senior Citizen…I turned 55 and even though Jerry is right behind in a few months, I get all the discounts and he has to wait!

It’s also official we have completed the Pumpkin Station and had a blast doing it. What a wonderful feeling of knowing that we are truly appreciated and that we are NOT workhorses, instead we are managers just like the way it is supposed to be. We are returning for the trees, but for now we are in vacation mode and already having the time of our lives.

We stopped at the Camping World in San Marcos, California for a few minor things that needed to be done on Maggie. We are so spoiled by having Jerry do most all of the maintenance that when we have to go to the shop we soon realize why we do not like it. We arrived early for our 10am appointment and knew it would take some time to just diagnose the problems so we went to breakfast. Returning one hour later and they had not even moved Maggie…ugh, this was going to be a long day.

Finally around 2pm we were out of there with hundreds of dollars out of our pockets and parts that Jerry will replace on our water heater, our jacks are now in working condition, but absolutely no answer to why our refrigerator was making that noise. According to their diagnostics, they could not replicate the noise. Funny how often I continue to hear it!

With that behind us, we focused on vacation time. We stopped at Walmart to do some shopping and then checked in for one night at the Paradise by the Sea RV Resort. Even though we had laundry and cleaning to do, we chose to have a glass of wine and take this moment to just enjoy where we were and just relax. Check out our review on the resort, it is one of those gems…very pricey but oh so nice.

Got up early the next morning, took a walk to the beach and had a great Breakfast Burrito at Buccaneer Café. Not only does this place have location…location…location, the food was delicious and the customer service was exceptional, Linda was a great host!

It’s time to move on down the road and visit Long Beach, not only the Queen Mary

and the Aquarium of the Pacific

but we will be spending one night on Catalina Island…stay tuned for more of our vacation time and see all the fun things on our agenda.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

13 Days…22 Hours…5 Minutes…

2012-10-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

But who’s counting?

Even though this Pumpkin Station experience has been the best we have ever had, we are still counting down to when we will be on our mini vacation in between this and the Christmas tree lot.

Hooking up, getting some work done on Maggie, overnight on Catalina Island without Maggie, play days and the Boat Ride on the Colorado River we have been anticipating for years is just a few of the many things we have planned for those 18 days.

Getting out of California for a little while will be a treat, we have been here for months and are looking forward to heading to Arizona and Nevada for a few days to just unwind and cross things off on our Life List.

Managing this lot has been a great experience; we have learned what it is like to truly be appreciated for our skills and to work for a very well-oiled company. They do everything top-notched, their systems work and we are happy to be a part of this family.

The only complaint we have would be about the hired workers but we have weeded out the bad apples and are finally down to the very best of the crop. Many of the workers have been coming back for years and as I informed one of them that in all actuality that only means they have worked for a few months since this is a seasonal one month job, not the years they continue to state they have been with the company. Many of them took advantage of the other managers and took long breaks and even hours on company time, did not show up for shifts and then expected to just show up for their next one and work. That is not how we operate, this is a business, not a day care center and we hire adults who need to give us their all while they are on our time, if not they can find other work. We run a tight ship and once that word got around we began losing people which was really a blessing. Now, we can relax and have some fun since all of our workers are now exactly that, they are workers who understand that this is a business.

Now that we are on the last part of this, we will continue getting busier each day. Pumpkin sales will rise and so will the traffic but that will make every day fly by and before we know it, we will be on vacation once again.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

The Games Have Begun

2012-10-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

It has been a strange opening for us, we piddled around the lot while the workers did the rest. Ah hah, we now know what it is to manage a lot and not work a lot…big difference and we most certainly can get used to this.

By not destroying our bodies with all the setup, we now have plenty of stamina to take care of the staff and the customers the way they should be treated, not from the pain and tiredness but from relaxed and ready to work side of us. Love it!

Norm and Linda Osborne and their son Mike have owned this family business Pinery Christmas Trees and Pumpkin Station for many years and they do a top notch job keeping these businesses flourishing. We had our employee orientation and hired around 50 people, Linda came by and facilitated the event and it all came together and went pretty smooth.

The pumpkin business is much different from Christmas trees. With the tree business, it booms on opening and slows way down towards the end. Pumpkins on the other hand begin very slow and then booms for the last two weeks. By then we feel we will be ready for it and will have all of our best employees prepared and then head out on November 1^st with a satisfying feeling of completion of a job well done.

The weather has been a bit draining, since El Cajon, California has been in the 100’s for days now, but we are told that today should be the end of the 100’s…we are hoping that this time the weather forecasters are correct. Wouldn’t you love a job where you can be wrong 90% of the time and still have a job?

Walmart Squatters

2012-09-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

The nerve of some people…check out this photo…

Oh wait…that is us doing what we have complained about others doing for years, being sprawled out in a Walmart parking lot and we will be here until November 1^st...What have we got ourselves into now?

Our vacation is over, at least for the next 30+ days it is. We arrived at our Pumpkin Station location in El Cajon, California and even though we don’t open until September 28^th we are here. We are not helping with the setup which is strange to us, but fantastic at the same time, but what we are doing is interviewing employees that will begin working when we open. We are actually going to be managing this Pumpkin Station and not manual laborers, wow life is good!

It has been warm so far, highs in the 90’s but the lows are into the upper 60’s at night thank goodness since we are on blacktop and we will not have any power for a few days due to some restriction changes the City made on them. We are exercising our generator and also taking advantage of the Mall’s air conditioning.

Yesterday we did some shopping at Walmart that is located in the Westfield Parkway Mall. This Walmart has a second floor that have elevators or escalators, the escalators have a middle space that your cart goes into and travels up or down along with you!

We then ate lunch at Bob’s Big Boy, also located in the Mall which we have a separate entry on our blog for that review, be sure to check it out.

Hopefully, with the shortened hours here at this lot and managing instead of all that physical work we just might be able to do what we love, write about our adventures.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Bob's Big Boy

2012-09-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Bob’s Big Boy

Westfield Parkway Plaza Mall

937 Parkway Plaza

El Cajon, CA 92020

619-440-9000

9/22/2012

For most of my childhood we ate at Big Boy’s in Michigan and while visiting we made a special stop at one of them just so Jerry could see how similar they really were to Bob’s Big Boy’s in California.

The atmosphere is pretty much the same and many of the food items are the same as well, but the one major item Bob’s is missing is the Slim Jim, my all-time favorite sandwich. They have a similar item that I ordered here at Bob’s but it just was not the same. I forgot what they called it but it had sliced ham, pepperoni, cheese, lettuce, tomato on this absolutely wonderful dried tomato rye sort of bread. And, even though it satisfied my taste pallet it’s just not the same.

I did enjoy the strawberry malt…

Jerry had the Super Big Boy which is still the 2 patties of 100% pure ground beef with American cheese, lettuce and their special sauce on a sesame seed bun, only bigger! After only one bite he had to put it down on his plate and begin eating it with a knife and fork, but he enjoyed every bite and the fries were so delicious, crispy on the outside but soft and flavorful on the inside.

We are going to be here for over 30 days so most likely we will be dining there again and will let you know if we try other items on their menu.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Oak Creek RV Resort

2012-09-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Oak Creek RV Resort

15379 Oak Creek Road

El Cajon, CA 92021

619-390-2884

9/19-9/21/2012

Sunland RV Resort properties are located in several areas in Southern California and this is our second one we have stayed in. This one totally out shines the San Diego RV Resort by far.

Conveniently located just a few miles from I-8 with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains, we were able to use our Passport America membership and paid $47 for two nights for a water, 30amp electric, with sewer on a part concrete and part gravel fairly level site. The nights we slept with our windows open and there was no noise to be found, it was peaceful and restful.

While we were there we used the laundry facilities that had large washers and dryers that did their job but were a bit pricey, $2.50 to wash and $2 to dry. The Recreation Room was located next to the laundry room so it was nice to sit in the air conditioning, watch TV, read, work on a puzzle or even shoot some billiards.

The showers and restrooms were kept very clean and the landscaping was impeccable. Even though it was obvious that there were many long termers they all kept their area immaculate.

They had no cable but offered TengoInternet for a charge. They also provided discounted attraction tickets for purchasing them there. Our MiFi and Verizon phones worked perfectly and we would highly recommend this place for an overnight or even a longer visit.

They had a cute verse to remind everyone to pick up after their pets, “If your puppy does his business in a place where people stroll, then for the sake of all of us, picking it up should be your goal. If it’s beneath your dignity to stop and scoop it up, then maybe in reality you shouldn’t own a pup!” Seemed to have worked, but we did have a run in with an ignorant dog owner while doing our laundry. They believed that allowing their Pit Bull to come in “just for a moment” while they took their clothes out of the dryer was not going to harm anyone…wrong! I immediately asked them to remove their animal and when she replied that their dog has never bit anyone, I told her that was exactly what the last person who said that to me said a moment before their dog bit my ass! She looked startled but complied with the rule immediately. I am getting less tolerant of stupid people as the years pass.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

Another Great Adventure – Indy Racing

2012-09-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were just bidding time until work begins at the end of September when I received an email from Auto Club Speedway about an upcoming event, the MAVTV 500 INDYCAR Race. Being almost a week before it began we didn’t think we could get any camping or tickets, but we soon realized that this event was not NASCAR!

We were able to get front row infield camping on turn 3 with two wristbands for $345 including all taxes and fees. We jumped at the chance for us to enjoy our first live Indy race together. Jerry had never gone to one and the last one I attended was through the streets of downtown Detroit which they have not been racing there in many years.

We arrived at noon on Thursday to stage for entry to the infield at 3pm…they were late getting us in but we were finally situated by 5pm. Of course we chose the weekend there was to be record breaking temperatures in the area and they were not wrong. The 3 days we were there, the highs were over 105 degrees and the lows at night barely dipped out of the 80’s. Needless to say it was warm. We kept cool as possible with plenty of ice, water spray and plenty of drinking water.

The race was a night race and it was so exciting under the lights, and to be right next to the track was awesome.

We were lucky enough to be camped next to a wonderful man who was an Indy fan that caught us up on who is who and how they were scoring for the final championship race. He was 71 years old, lived in our old neighborhood in Phoenix and was just a joy to hang out with. He lost his wife about 5 years ago and even though he is dating another lovely lady, you could still see that he still missed his lovely wife of over 40 years every time he spoke about her.

Our other neighbor, unfortunately, we did not get to know him until the day after the night he ran his generator ALL NIGHT! He came over the next day before we had a chance to go over and talk to them about it and he asked if he had been a bad neighbor and we agreed he had been. He assumed since it was so warm that most people would run theirs all night which we did not. Of course we could have gone over there at 3am but I did not want to bother him…yes, you heard me right, I can be so annoying at times. Instead, I stayed up and worried about all those stories we have read about couples dying from the fumes. Because of the heat all of our windows were open and we are not sure whether that is good or not. Oh yea, forgot to mention that by this time I woke up Jerry who was sound asleep which scared me because I thought he had rendered to the fumes. No alarms of ours went off but how certain was I that they were all working correctly. Or that even though our neighbor had just bought an exhaust pipe that Jerry assisted installing, how certain we were that the pipe was taking the fumes away and not winding right back into our open windows? Finally after 4am I was too tired to sleep outside anymore and the body was aching so we just threw caution to the wind and decided if we were going to die, we would go together in our RV…what a way to go!

Even with the heat and the one night of the fume fear, we had a great time and are now thinking that we will be checking out more opportunities to be at the tracks besides just NASCAR.

For more photos, check out our Picasa Web Albums.

A Day That Changed It All

2012-09-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

9/11 is a day that stands out to many people and most of us can recall exactly where we were that day that changed the world and so many lives. Even if you were not personally affected by this tragic day, you were still personally affected.

For a moment right after this tragedy when Americans all stood together, when there were no planes in the skies, where people were too busy helping one another to even think about crime was a statement so powerful, I thought for sure we were all on the right track. But those moments did not last and then the violence, crime and blame began all over again.

I remember feeling powerless for a short time, then the feeling of empowerment took over from deep within my soul and there was no stopping me. There were other instances throughout my life that rose up those same thoughts but this time was different. This time the urgency sent chills up my spine for many years to follow and still does. It reminds me of how precious every moment of each day truly is and how we each have to take hold of them and turn them into the best possible life we could ever imagine.

We each have to reach deep within our own souls and bring out the best we have to offer. Stop putting off things until tomorrow…Stop waiting for the perfect moment…Stop making excuses. That perfect time may never come and then all you will have left is a life not fully lived. I may not be able to change the world, but I can most certainly change my world and make it the best possible life ever.

Still Learning

2012-09-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Be content with what you have and enjoy the way things are because it can all change in an instant. ~ Kimberly ~

I just came off a week vacation from the land of “poor me” or a “wah wah wah” attitude. It is not a fun place to visit, but am certainly happy that we no longer live there permanently. I finally paid attention a few days ago when my body ached worse than it ever has before and my mind was angry and afraid of every little bump in the dark. I decided it was time to get over feeling sorry for myself and get back into living our lives the best we can with what we have and stop looking at what we do not have.

On my vacation, I gawked at others newer and nicer rigs and wished we had them. Everything about their things, I wanted. Their vehicles, their jewelry, their hair, their clothes, their smiles…you get the picture.

Also, in this land I constantly wondered how others see us…

Do they see us as worthless as I was seeing myself?

Do they think we have nothing, as I was thinking we had?

Do they look at us as we are unworthy of good things, as I was looking in the mirror and seeing?

The thoughts that had been creeping back into my thoughts were devastating and it began to get the best of me. There was a time in my life when that was normal for me, but now I know it is an old pattern that needs to be worked through so that I can begin living my life to the fullest once again.

I was angry at myself for not finishing my books and publishing them. I was angry for not publishing my photo ideas, my greeting cards ideas and my songs I have written. At the same time it was easier for me to not fulfill these dreams because if I did and I became a successful creator of those things then my inner voice would not match up with who I was becoming. Struggling with a big difference in my inner thoughts and who showed in the outer world has always been an issue that I attempt over and over to balance but never quite making it fit properly.

I have learned if I want what others have, I have to believe I deserve them and also understand that I will never have what others have because I have not lived their lives. To have exactly what others have would mean I would have to have lived their lives the way they have done. I choose not to go there, instead I chose to get back into meditating and living our lives truer to who we are and stop worrying about what others think or say about us. We are who we are…take us the way we are or just leave us alone and we will continue to be happier than we have ever been before.

Learning to stop trying to be somebody or something else than what and who we are from the inside is not always an easy task, but it is something that when lived I feel vibrantly alive and something I strive for as often as possible.

Life may not always give us exactly what we want, but it certainly gives us exactly what we need!