Another big drive this one around California, all the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles and back. After visiting with friends in the Bay Area, we headed south to Fresno, then Los Angeles. Things were hot in the central valley, and then got much hotter as we visited Joshua Tree, the Salton Sea and Calico Ghost Town in the midst of a record heat wave. In an 2009 Safari Trek Motorhome, without air conditioning and a leaky, hot air blowing, transmission tunnel.
Back to Los Angeles for a quick sail with Jim and Gina, then back to the Bay Area.
Highlight Photos
Day by Day
Tuesday 2022-07-05
Fly to Sf (2 hops, Calgary and Vancouver)
Ben picks me up, drive to Vallejo
Meet the RV
Groceries
Mexican dinner
Wednesday 2022-07-06
Visit Ron for Martinez Hidden Lakes walk
Visit old American Gymnastics gym, meet coach
Visit John Muir House
Groceries and steak dinner at Chez Ron
Thursday 2022-07-07
start moving stuff into storage
loaded Mini
Five Guys for lunch
Fail to mount strut tower brace on mini
Friday 2022-07-08
More RV clean up
Waffles with Ron
Drive to Chez Neil and Susan
Taco dinner with Neil and Joyce at dono
Saturday 2022-07-09
Warren home alone, walk and buy milk
Defrost freezer
Disc golf with Ben and Ron at Hillcrest
Drive Palo Alto, video chat with Dave Demanty
Dinner with DD and Connor
Sunday 2022-07-10
Prepare RV to travel
Groceries
Failed to get propane
Gas up
Home Depot and Lowes runs to get plumbing bits to fix water tank drain
YakiSoba noodles and ceasar salad dinner
Monday 2022-07-11
Pick up Ron in the Mini
Drive RV to Fresno
Visit Dave Demanty and Bonnie
Lunch at In/Out
Leave Ron in Fresno
Drive to LA, up the Grapevine, all good
Arrive Jim and Gina
Shower and Hot tub
Warren sleep in RV, Ben in house
Tuesday 2022-12
- Wait until 10:30 for LA traffic rush to pass
- Drive to Joshua Tree
- Lunch at Chic-Fil-A
- Walk to Wind Farm turbines
- Starbucks
- Enter Joshua Tree after booking site in Ryan
- Walk/climb rocks
- Set up Starlink and run generator
- Walk and climb the Cap
- Night photos
Wednesday 2022-07-13
- More Joshua Tree stuff: HallOfHorrors, JumboRocks, SkullRock, ChollaCactusGarden
- Drive down Box Canyon Rd to Mecca
- Starbucks
- DelTaco
- Drive to Mecca Beach Campground
- Set up in heat, but we have power and water, bathroom and shower. AC is iffy.
- Walk to water’s edge, very salty and briny and smelly
Thursday 2022-07-14
- Drive to Calico Ghost town, pull in to RV park, then decide to drive to the ghost town.
- Several hours in the roasting hot sun, leave Calico for milk, and then decide to head back to Jim and Gina’s. Nothing else to do in Calico and no point in spending another hot night.
- Dinner with Jim and Gina at (mexican)
Friday 2022-07-15
- Boogie boarding with Jim at Zuma. Cold water but lotsa fun
- Fancy dinner with Jim and Gina at Sunset
Saturday 2022-07-16
- Picnic at sailing club
- Sailing with Jim and Gina on 22 ft. Catalina, out and around Gina oil rig
- Pizza by Gina
- Ventura Astronomy club for some stargazing
Sunday 2022-07-17
- Drive to Fresno, pick up Ron
- Drive to BJs for dinner with Jeannie
Monday 2022-07-18
- Coffee, cleanup
- Pizza with Ron at Skipolini’s
Tuesday 2022-07-19
- drive to SFO at 5 am
- Fly to Calgary then Stoon