tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17775765898148062962024-03-21T08:07:45.503-05:00Mitch & Kim's JourneysMitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-28002162952986577492007-12-06T08:29:00.000-06:002007-12-06T08:40:45.393-06:00New Blog - Mesa, AZ<img src="file:///Users/mitchmoser/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/2007/Mesa%2012.4.07/IMG_0606.JPG" alt="" />I am starting a new blog with the mac computer I switched to. It is so much easier to use and I'm enjoying learning it. The new address I will be using for the blog from now on is: <br /><br />http://web.mac.com/mitchmoser/<br /><br />Check it out. Just copy and paste it into your browser and save it to your favorites if you wish.<br /><br />The new blog opens to a cover page which I will be customizing over the next few weeks. The cover page will list the most recent blog. You can click on the title of the blog to open it. Once there, you just click next or previous to go from post to post. It is easy to figure out.<br /><br />Thanks, MitchMitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-91899249247013627352007-12-02T05:50:00.000-06:002007-12-02T06:36:27.034-06:00Mesa, AZ<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IocI2vkVdmfAQ1CTz7Pcmhi1zAK72aFIcfyLpPx-GwBsY4DmPEDkBX-40PauPJIQpRCKO0Lrn3ueqtaNVbfnuGSiLXfEhilK7yUdFneOV4sxMdNcpGtn9EG8cipyjP735TfdQi-PaeZp/s1600-r/IMG_0592.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139343241782187810" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MjUSDygzquhSnf6J9LawkyLIMSrJqZkoUKZR1OnTZPMJh2OwI6H4mLbjS5vDHsGZ85QJ7v8bnWZ3f5H-c0ni0E4XMYGk-zlHfRh0co5VnQevXLjVyQCONML3JEFAxOtjJMwCJjcKr1Gy/s400/IMG_0592.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This is a cell phone tower at Fountain of the Sun where mom and dad stay. If you look at the top, there are antennaes on it. It looks like a real palm tree and blends in very well.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_XIE9iSvc9eppv6x_pqEnBkjpvI4z-oCm5XjbHf7_61_EsFHjUGtimMGBTL3hF1mBeWRgFSwNp6YBMfPiD4voV7_uhYuyJzL7icGsFdoYjhu9NKbeO55W6pmLpVPNmAyW9VG-sXDEwmJ/s1600-r/IMG_0594.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139343250372122418" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyd6ftYvQnX6cLQwRH-bPB_pbRZ8AgmJvm6Sw2Z3tju3PzL1I-RezRPbTPlbLU3tPGPjXbppezBvpXDf1gQ-U64Q4oorWTWXioJfKxd4bThJ-Nr-2LjHzOh8eyxLVk5kGOsvdoi9DgG9n/s400/IMG_0594.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I went with dad Friday morning and we preped the shuffle board courts for the day. It was interesting to learn how they do it. Here's dad (left) and a friend cleaning the courts.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQMRYDh1y73o9oYv2-uFzw272cVw4_nAnf_QE6ceJ6fl3ojgFeruTqAYJcXsGZ89SQatBlCvM5cNno-zSpe6NMZYFVUgrjvsqHwnti8M4GSwTTTM_cptWlLu5oNzGlCd2d0ay3_4BUfTo/s1600-r/IMG_0595.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139343258962057026" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LMLLy9BE0JRgyLxgujP9gnza-ACor4FbjBzjDhkvgw6YaQemZuqwhNger1ovStGL2plJepQzDb1Pwudh1SIihpJ0BTxtukYdt2X3RG3jRJTD03zcsD10iNTfCq-2YPVLwJe4INOJIfnJ/s400/IMG_0595.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Mom and me on the Cricket.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnzF-egpgarl-XkZp1zk2LSXqvoITgBZ8xayofgpeaiB4wmaPS_5tOOPui3kgdUO0zCxq-qzBjB886jMprYpd-laifQ0z0ZIHvV4nNQuXDBG205oFd0ueB3my7So12OjqLEOwLguewL93/s1600-r/IMG_0597.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139343267551991634" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKKW7o_Kf4YAOi_F7uyVNTTjgF4lHsywJ1kDOSwJZQSUBCYvjwEN3A-K1Q1FOqt_DVxFOmGFwq4BC0mnTCy2FvqbWm90kAYJFUy0603pimsGWN9WK3B7cPsJDP9-Oyu35MwHTCcIrq_u_/s400/IMG_0597.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Kim last night as we played dominos with mom and dad.<br /><br />Isn’t it hard to believe December is here? Christmas will be upon us before we know it. We stopped by Cummins at Avondale, AZ to get the fan clutch checked out. Avondale is on the west side of Phoenix and Mesa (where my parents winter) is on the east side. Normally we would stay in the coach at night but we stayed with mom and dad for two nights while they were working on the coach. It has been great to spend time with them. Dad and mom won’t let us pay for any meals while we’re here. They've always been like that and we very much appreciate their generosity. We’ve been out to eat three times already.<br /><br />On the way from Yuma to Mesa we had a coach engine clutch fan problem that turned out to be quite an exercise in futility. The clutch runs the fan at low speed until the engine gets hot from climbing a hill or we are stopping using the engine brake. Then it runs at the normal full speed. The clutch fan gets us about one more mile per gallon and also cuts down on the fan noise. The coach comes without a clutch fan but our Cummins rep back home recommended we install it to save money and cut down on noise. It only runs one or two percent of the time. At Cummins, the service writer wouldn’t agree as to how it worked when I described the problem and so he didn’t tell the mechanic what I thought the problem was. He thought the clutch fan turned the fan on or off. I explained that the clutch fan runs the fan on low or high speed and it never turns off. He told me I couldn’t have driven it there without the clutch fan working as the engine would have overheated. I explained that it did not overheat because the fan doesn’t shut off, but run on low. I told him to check the engine computer log and verify the engine had not overheated and that my explanation was correct, but he didn’t. Consequently after a day I drove back over there and he told me they didn’t warranty the clutch and I would have to pay the bill when they were finished. They had spent the day trying to get the fan to shut off, which it doesn’t do. I have a friend back home who goes to our church and works for Cummins on motorhome engines. His name is Jack Markin. Jack actually did the install himself. Since Jack is the Cummins area rep / mechanic for motorhomes and 85% of the motorhomes made in America are made in northern Indiana, I really trust Jack’s knowledge. I got Jack on the phone with the service writer and he explained how the clutch worked, called the clutch company and also told the service writer that they were in fact distributers for that make of fan. In the end the service writer explained how the fan worked to me and I said that was what I have been trying to tell you. I talked with the manager and requested to talk to the mechanic because the service writer didn’t want to let me do so. The mechanic was very open to my opinion of what the problem was and was very glad to speak with me. He couldn’t have been nicer. He called Jack on his cell and Jack walked him through the diagnostics. Bottom line: the clutch fan works now and they did it on warranty. Since they didn’t have to replace it and it now works, Jack suggest since it failed before it will probably fail down the road, but I understand they can’t fix something that is not broke.<br /><br />We took the coach in on Wed and picked it up on Friday. During that time we looked for an RV park here is Mesa. We will be here a few weeks, home two and a half weeks and then here a week or so and the best deal was to just rent a spot for 6 weeks. We’re at the Spirit of Mesa Park which is about 7 miles from mom and dad. We are on a lot about 40 by 80 which is one of the biggest sites we’ve had on the trip. There are 1800 units here. Some are RV’s and some are park models which are like miniature mobile homes – maybe 12 by 40 feet. We have a lot of palm trees, some 40 or 50 feet tall here in the park. When we checked in they gave us some really good cookies and Kim liked that. They gave us a weekly newsletter which has about 15 pages and has so many activities we couldn’t believe it! We went to the clubhouse for a pancake breakfast yesterday.<br /><br />Mom and dad’s neighbor is Jim and we met when we were here a few years ago. He and I really get along well. Jim and his friend Dolly came over yesterday to see the coach and I gave him and mom each a ride on the cricket (mini golf cart we have). While talking he referred to the movie Field of Dreams. I told him we had never seen it and he told me we had to see it. Last night when Kim and I were at mom and dads’ there was a knock on the door and Jim had went out and bought a copy and gave it to us. That was very nice. I got up at 4 and wrote this. We will be at mom and dad’s this morning at 7:30 to go to church with them.<br /><br />I mentioned in a previous post that I had a new computer. I got a macbook. It is a notebook made by Apple that uses a different format than PC’s. They are known for reliability, common sense operating and not locking up like the IBM based computers with Windows operating system. Why you ask? I have come to realize that I’m an initiator. I just like new things. Most people would not want to learn a new system at my age but I really enjoy learning new things. It keeps my mind young and open to change. Hannah had wanted one so I bought her one as her early college graduation gift. I also see it as something we can learn together and help each other out. I like interacting with her on new things like this. We taught our kids for years and now there are areas where they can help us along and I really appreciate that.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-84485479539384779832007-11-27T15:14:00.000-06:002007-11-27T15:58:22.009-06:00Algodones, Mexico<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbKpy_g_Vt-21dxhUMSSMcRqRRyX2Y4u1E3hnEm7JaTfjucoa5toeAGrhVwl-H_oTw73ynK7Gor7RVTpXht7vyNC26FTtILrqakXsOaimqfsMaJ9rkb5oVUjxc1YXzjfPefemB5V13Lld/s1600-h/IMG_0571-1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137633809472302050" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbKpy_g_Vt-21dxhUMSSMcRqRRyX2Y4u1E3hnEm7JaTfjucoa5toeAGrhVwl-H_oTw73ynK7Gor7RVTpXht7vyNC26FTtILrqakXsOaimqfsMaJ9rkb5oVUjxc1YXzjfPefemB5V13Lld/s400/IMG_0571-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Somehow we didn't think we were at Lake Tahoe!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgUP28QtVmvpG-wwD95nWXrEIl0SpAHl-6GxFUIt7_Utcb1rlYSe6H-OmghbOPpVy29ogBc5VxW6TBbIA0Pm8xFMvVqE0SnUNad878Sohvrh8HonSxaPIDOndjZ-RU_hmdgKXcpW5PZGF/s1600-h/IMG_0576.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137633830947138546" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgUP28QtVmvpG-wwD95nWXrEIl0SpAHl-6GxFUIt7_Utcb1rlYSe6H-OmghbOPpVy29ogBc5VxW6TBbIA0Pm8xFMvVqE0SnUNad878Sohvrh8HonSxaPIDOndjZ-RU_hmdgKXcpW5PZGF/s400/IMG_0576.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />There are many eye clinics there.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGfgezmcJv8q11aQu05rqeSCnNOTs00W7KzrC_EUZLW42-2D_pEHMTWW8FI07U4K7YSJVn-nryuIvGQuzIViTKSdIJWihFJIY90_C8F5JAco1vvkPieQ-QBbRuwsBNkWDSwQGhDGcIZfS/s1600-h/IMG_0578-1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137633835242105858" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGfgezmcJv8q11aQu05rqeSCnNOTs00W7KzrC_EUZLW42-2D_pEHMTWW8FI07U4K7YSJVn-nryuIvGQuzIViTKSdIJWihFJIY90_C8F5JAco1vvkPieQ-QBbRuwsBNkWDSwQGhDGcIZfS/s400/IMG_0578-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This was the chiropractor's office. It was very neat and clean.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOVf5ecvnpg0h6HRbWnTyzqBOrxDcxBaUi01rhGnzZoqjhdWrkmzt5Ha_ArwJ9LBrL9z5YuZEqczapKI0Ely-U0vM29o4SivFNihEcJvFvbgQXqrOh4TGEGOHpbr2c_HWuNF7Y325ql3G/s1600-h/IMG_0580.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137633852421975058" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOVf5ecvnpg0h6HRbWnTyzqBOrxDcxBaUi01rhGnzZoqjhdWrkmzt5Ha_ArwJ9LBrL9z5YuZEqczapKI0Ely-U0vM29o4SivFNihEcJvFvbgQXqrOh4TGEGOHpbr2c_HWuNF7Y325ql3G/s400/IMG_0580.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The dentists had some interesting artwork. This shows a crown. It hurts me just looking at it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgAVwvutYR3N8mAbMYQrNb_8ThYUhaqson5cLN8pLvJtKFPDjDAoD_S8yhY0fS5gS6XLyH85l3Us3AWuyyiF-tb43Ti5k6AtiqxEKf5oYuXWSPwQhr-iei8xr3IXhanrqKGO0UGCRxCOE/s1600-h/IMG_0584.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137633856716942370" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgAVwvutYR3N8mAbMYQrNb_8ThYUhaqson5cLN8pLvJtKFPDjDAoD_S8yhY0fS5gS6XLyH85l3Us3AWuyyiF-tb43Ti5k6AtiqxEKf5oYuXWSPwQhr-iei8xr3IXhanrqKGO0UGCRxCOE/s400/IMG_0584.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This is the place we ate our big meal for $7.50. The owner was great and showed us how they use tortilla shells as their bread. He took one of mine and put some salt in it, then he said you can put rice, beans, chicken, beef, pork or donkey meat in it. He said they eat tortilla shells every day as a main staple and anything can go into it. Painted on the wall in big letters it said "If you don't like it, you don't have to pay for it."<br /><br />We drove 20 miles west of our Yuma campground and walked across the border into Mexico today. They have a huge asphalt parking lot on the US side and it is $5 to park there. Going in to Mexico there was no border check. The cars had to stop but there was nothing for us walk-ins. I should mention that there were hundreds of cars in the parking lot. Coming back there was a walk through check for us at the border. There were about 100 people in line for two inspectors. We met some nice people in line and they were informative – like when they call us to the inspection table, only one person at a time. They also told us that sometimes the line is much longer to get back in the USA. We only need a drivers license now to get back into the USA but starting Jan. 1 people will need a passport or application for a passport.<br /><br />One must understand that this town is not like most towns in Mexico. It is a town that thrives because of the US people who shop and come for medical treatment and prescription drugs. If you need prescription drugs, they will write one for you and sell you 3 months worth. That is what our customs will allow in. There are maybe 50 dentists’ offices. There are also chiropractors and other doctors. I went to a chiropractor but he wasn’t in. The receptionist said he may be back in an hour and a half. We ate at the street side vendors and the food was very good. Their veggies are fresh and the seasoning is good – a bit spicier than the Mexican food we’re used to. One of the guys saw us coming and pushes some kind of meat off to the side of the grill where we wouldn’t notice it and then offered us beef and pulled it out of a pan already cooked and warm. We got a beef taco and afterwards asked him what the other meat was. He said it was tripe. According to a web search, tripe is usually made of one of the first three stomachs of the cow, but it can be made of pigs, goats or sheep also. It didn’t look too good. My friend Doug Moore would have probably tried it. I was with him in Goshen when he tried tacos with some strange animal body part or organ in it. I spoke with my friend Kevin Sommers by phone while we were there and he said he generally stays away from eating organs – makes sense to me.<br /><br />The people there were nice and friendly and helpful. Our son Ben collects Harley Davidson T shirts so we bought him two for $16. We didn’t haggle much on price as everything seemed inexpensive already. The one restaurant we ate at I got chicken, beans and rice with chips, salsa, three kinds of dip and also a shrimp taco. Kim also got a shrimp taco and we each got a large bottle of coke that tasted kind of fruity and all was $7.50.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-56403509792987140312007-11-27T15:05:00.000-06:002007-11-27T15:14:49.855-06:00San Diego to Yuma, AZ<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLbAZGlldUI_vxAuEaDtdvRFtF0QsVtclzYzT1fh5SBLsf2NRFrbssb25x6uMC5TgJa-m3g3McvYVkVurGQBA8UdzRZqSXW8sP5JK70jYrATtrPLxnAImooTNe02DRgq5VOvVLZPelwAZ/s1600-h/PICT0073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137630528117287842" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLbAZGlldUI_vxAuEaDtdvRFtF0QsVtclzYzT1fh5SBLsf2NRFrbssb25x6uMC5TgJa-m3g3McvYVkVurGQBA8UdzRZqSXW8sP5JK70jYrATtrPLxnAImooTNe02DRgq5VOvVLZPelwAZ/s400/PICT0073.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Lots of pretty mountains with lots of small rocks<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEczFhfDB3q-vuonlR3C7uFGAGHKKc2LLbZqiymyZMWt6-oj3GXt8l-bLJyA3QqbN3vKmOby1yvxFysoeB1_QlKQTXgcflex5uBZ39zd6yxIAK_T73xsp1qbxHTG-gvh-m6_WIToT8fqYn/s1600-h/PICT0074.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137630536707222450" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEczFhfDB3q-vuonlR3C7uFGAGHKKc2LLbZqiymyZMWt6-oj3GXt8l-bLJyA3QqbN3vKmOby1yvxFysoeB1_QlKQTXgcflex5uBZ39zd6yxIAK_T73xsp1qbxHTG-gvh-m6_WIToT8fqYn/s400/PICT0074.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUB-VIwxU9mciSSI52ahlOSrIU353sAsiADUIxAI-hZ7i-E86RE0wYdBuDKKZtEoPM8TDuFUPpJhinuCfoYkbQCtIZ9nbCPmZULggBdF_w5Oqce501916B-tOjrC8L5xnFCMPMRypSNLG/s1600-h/PICT0081.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137630545297157058" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUB-VIwxU9mciSSI52ahlOSrIU353sAsiADUIxAI-hZ7i-E86RE0wYdBuDKKZtEoPM8TDuFUPpJhinuCfoYkbQCtIZ9nbCPmZULggBdF_w5Oqce501916B-tOjrC8L5xnFCMPMRypSNLG/s400/PICT0081.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This is the ATV area that went on for miles. There were lots of RV's parked in the wilderness.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpxMw0VjUBaRkhitxb4nuJ-jELgmre1I6-Oktk60a8D0h3M6lqX5F-hvzmDTa9x-7tsi5ldTGYM12qjiscamw-Ipa4nNns8lpSACcenFpUaX6Dh_ohuufNAc9KjwdwJqH0ltuVx9ZtOY2/s1600-h/IMG_0570-1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137630553887091666" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpxMw0VjUBaRkhitxb4nuJ-jELgmre1I6-Oktk60a8D0h3M6lqX5F-hvzmDTa9x-7tsi5ldTGYM12qjiscamw-Ipa4nNns8lpSACcenFpUaX6Dh_ohuufNAc9KjwdwJqH0ltuVx9ZtOY2/s400/IMG_0570-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This pretty pink cactus is in our park.<br /><br />Monday we left San Diego and drove east on Highway 8. People had warned us that there would be nothing to see. We thought it was one of the more interesting and colorful roads we had been on. There was a huge variety of things to see. There were mountains with huge rocks and then some of shattered rocks. They were just beautiful! There was also lots of veggie farming, irrigation, and desert and just about anything else you could imagine. There was a big ATV area in the desert that went on for miles and miles. I thought of Tyler Moser as he would love it. It is big enough that it shows up on the state map. It is called the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. When we arrived here the weather was just perfect. It was 75 and sunny. We’re staying at the Shangri-La RV Park and it is really nice. There are lots of palm trees. We walked all the roads in the park today. It was probably a mile and a half or so. There are over 300 hookups here and we walked every row today. We plan to stay here tomorrow and leave Wednesday. <br /><br />Today when going up the mountain I noticed the engine coolant and transmission temps were running about ten degrees high. I troubleshot the problem and found the clutch fan on the engine wasn’t engaging in high speed. It was only operating at the low speed. I think some insulation came off the engine compartment and got in the fan and it damaged the wires to the clutch fan. I watched the temperatures and they only rose above normal going up mountains. They only ran about ten degrees above normal. I have an appointment at Cummins Coach Care in Phoenix this Thursday. Cummins Coach Care works on engines and also fixes most other things on the coach. They have hookups and we can stay there overnight. We have had excellent service from these facilities.<br /><br />We had planned to go to Quartzsite after Yuma but after contacting our friends, Jerry and Sharon Angel, we decided to wait till they were there in a few weeks. We would like to have them show us around and explain the area. Quartzsite, AZ is an area known for huge RV activity in the winter months. I guess it is a flea market and also has anything you could want for RVing. Most folks just simply park in the desert. I guess you have to see it to believe it.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-14038915944299400092007-11-26T09:00:00.001-06:002007-11-26T10:09:51.780-06:00Kids in San Diego 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQngTxLT1Msn4_-lWEyK5kdVTrfTRTJtPLZTQRFkanA-cjk4dLTKK-v0oOvwFbF7mTs7iR2BsJAccmpQXCN0BfN6Y9XnCGw3DTCDP_1XZKORhcrF3t1VORPAlEVc2FkQVAqjUiw5rM7eSJ/s1600-h/IMG_0530.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQngTxLT1Msn4_-lWEyK5kdVTrfTRTJtPLZTQRFkanA-cjk4dLTKK-v0oOvwFbF7mTs7iR2BsJAccmpQXCN0BfN6Y9XnCGw3DTCDP_1XZKORhcrF3t1VORPAlEVc2FkQVAqjUiw5rM7eSJ/s400/IMG_0530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137168716053752658" border="0" /></a><br />Si and me at Balboa Park where we visited museums.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fXvXEiCTSbAagzt4isE7VmxFav4IyhTIXMe7sSxFgcEbmQbjooPYj5XvAMyDesLaVvF51VKhgwRKaegT-iav6vGTWLMaumRXetOWmU-atIFipyTPZxJp7s67CX9YKyx1qIz2mrlIak4K/s1600-h/IMG_0444.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fXvXEiCTSbAagzt4isE7VmxFav4IyhTIXMe7sSxFgcEbmQbjooPYj5XvAMyDesLaVvF51VKhgwRKaegT-iav6vGTWLMaumRXetOWmU-atIFipyTPZxJp7s67CX9YKyx1qIz2mrlIak4K/s400/IMG_0444.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137168728938654562" border="0" /></a><br />Here's the boys on the Cricket. They enjoyed riding around the park on it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC04zhCrIIVOBApHqnaTsxNzFpYrJA1Eijobb3qQNhq0sd1i7oUdAGLM0DQhWSakMgt0s03ZqUCp1qG4WsLqE2bvjEUibRnVEjouNhfsawpH_WPU5UOzYTMSLbR-y1p5cUaBS9pwT38x4_/s1600-h/IMG_0549.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC04zhCrIIVOBApHqnaTsxNzFpYrJA1Eijobb3qQNhq0sd1i7oUdAGLM0DQhWSakMgt0s03ZqUCp1qG4WsLqE2bvjEUibRnVEjouNhfsawpH_WPU5UOzYTMSLbR-y1p5cUaBS9pwT38x4_/s400/IMG_0549.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137168741823556466" border="0" /></a><br />Sightseeing along the coast<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3a9pHEYpnfgKxylO9TzXauNChKl1E1VycdnAPWoV6IX0aYAWRyuNmoyWTuEER8-g6oyglkosWuFOJkEyBQFaPZesFaqc8gVocWRav_ZWHppDiqIQn57tnHGy9Tij_0mOti4IXm73qsfKR/s1600-h/IMG_0558.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3a9pHEYpnfgKxylO9TzXauNChKl1E1VycdnAPWoV6IX0aYAWRyuNmoyWTuEER8-g6oyglkosWuFOJkEyBQFaPZesFaqc8gVocWRav_ZWHppDiqIQn57tnHGy9Tij_0mOti4IXm73qsfKR/s400/IMG_0558.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137168746118523778" border="0" /></a><br />This was s pretty area overlooking San Diego, an Air Force Base and the ship docks<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi720YNZWqqrL4KjRjBQcKM2SQfvZE7e5iwyLN0wD0EN4GF0Chdr5-GkIjgwpACWXgb5iHUMvNK-qj9H0PGambR_1g-zso1nhQgkVGldBxnBoJCaoHmv9tOS6Vn6BwbjBcQoFNfqPQFzh9r/s1600-h/PICT0065.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi720YNZWqqrL4KjRjBQcKM2SQfvZE7e5iwyLN0wD0EN4GF0Chdr5-GkIjgwpACWXgb5iHUMvNK-qj9H0PGambR_1g-zso1nhQgkVGldBxnBoJCaoHmv9tOS6Vn6BwbjBcQoFNfqPQFzh9r/s400/PICT0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137168763298392978" border="0" /></a><br />This is a glider port where people strapped themselves into parachutes and ran off a cliff.<br />There wasn't enough wind to really get them going though.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-17229386471132260672007-11-25T21:04:00.000-06:002007-11-25T21:30:02.787-06:00Kids in San Diego 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaFmsI9f5qRC1rItPnV879ikfHxW9_ETrZNYsmPKS7-lraWUn3my8yCRxfD9ystM_4u_L5LQ87nCbHyp7uSS-HhEBIs2Vks_Rfs1cRiiEJKcWr2ImaJuwycxFa8_PK2awrPdaIiQ1e1PE/s1600-h/IMG_0515.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaFmsI9f5qRC1rItPnV879ikfHxW9_ETrZNYsmPKS7-lraWUn3my8yCRxfD9ystM_4u_L5LQ87nCbHyp7uSS-HhEBIs2Vks_Rfs1cRiiEJKcWr2ImaJuwycxFa8_PK2awrPdaIiQ1e1PE/s400/IMG_0515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136983276545780482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FGJMTcpJ7X68x9Y0nhnOIMsk05jS5qYqrcoUrUlHIdZXHpWjq-rprHiX2P3irfEvk2dSj2lUGz0b567VE1xLJq2l1XmlqWoVS2dTVZd4SrwNIeuCQk4AYXDKtRqgb4BDwxa_2gqX7bhj/s1600-h/IMG_0523.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FGJMTcpJ7X68x9Y0nhnOIMsk05jS5qYqrcoUrUlHIdZXHpWjq-rprHiX2P3irfEvk2dSj2lUGz0b567VE1xLJq2l1XmlqWoVS2dTVZd4SrwNIeuCQk4AYXDKtRqgb4BDwxa_2gqX7bhj/s400/IMG_0523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136983293725649682" border="0" /></a><br />Ben and Hannah sleeping sideways (actually the new computer doesn't respond when<br />I rotate the pics). I'll get it figured out.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyE-pDkNrJ4fL5oYeGar8J1xXtzXk4CckkpZiFmrkpeQT-zz-Xu3Lws6YtC0gyn8gffDqJZ1Ko5UGwXMsZfU_LIU070EeMcwzStJqKicRnzIjErPO66kCxfmNMYoZh4AikwJAxwzyp36_/s1600-h/IMG_0528.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyE-pDkNrJ4fL5oYeGar8J1xXtzXk4CckkpZiFmrkpeQT-zz-Xu3Lws6YtC0gyn8gffDqJZ1Ko5UGwXMsZfU_LIU070EeMcwzStJqKicRnzIjErPO66kCxfmNMYoZh4AikwJAxwzyp36_/s400/IMG_0528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136983306610551586" border="0" /></a><br />Si and Ben eating like cave men (they just did this for the pic).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVbY3ZBTiORs4WuWY3rh2UEdhLczC0lXkC469kD2sLiSmOMPNBFQlPqkDpT8Igk6d3slmU-1gT9bJ8b5_BtIFztceOR8zmQKTnMNDc4-fBTMi-wKAgpwDwVlzBlPmYbI6_kUK_Vyki-Xq/s1600-h/IMG_0542.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVbY3ZBTiORs4WuWY3rh2UEdhLczC0lXkC469kD2sLiSmOMPNBFQlPqkDpT8Igk6d3slmU-1gT9bJ8b5_BtIFztceOR8zmQKTnMNDc4-fBTMi-wKAgpwDwVlzBlPmYbI6_kUK_Vyki-Xq/s400/IMG_0542.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136983315200486194" border="0" /></a><br />Dessert time!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis75bgI-lR11Y2v8Y42J5EG1MWVk4ikYvxa-jhHl_25rudOW0j2QHDQV8kbPQAcpyAIESJ4fHhZtLmAaMBU_TbiaE6AF1mgGRGjMGJipXcfa83PoOYMFQfcXTD0dRzRUpzFVayKkndw-j_/s1600-h/PICT0062.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis75bgI-lR11Y2v8Y42J5EG1MWVk4ikYvxa-jhHl_25rudOW0j2QHDQV8kbPQAcpyAIESJ4fHhZtLmAaMBU_TbiaE6AF1mgGRGjMGJipXcfa83PoOYMFQfcXTD0dRzRUpzFVayKkndw-j_/s400/PICT0062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136983328085388098" border="0" /></a><br />Ben and Kim<br /><img src="file:///Users/mitchmoser/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/2007/Oct%2020,%202007/PICT0013.JPG" alt="" />Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-84627674966939249762007-11-25T20:32:00.000-06:002007-11-25T20:50:27.040-06:00Kids in San Diego 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62U967elE-QCE2Nz6HM5ezwWo68cYK7uzvsijDoEqPp0n9dBq9_AGdo8weIzdoGi1ALiTGfwX040cVfvRW_MUph8sTB4S6-BLZBHu9BpURSUk7l5hO5DLYfomKHL8Orbg1vC-6dJESxyN/s1600-h/PICT0013.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62U967elE-QCE2Nz6HM5ezwWo68cYK7uzvsijDoEqPp0n9dBq9_AGdo8weIzdoGi1ALiTGfwX040cVfvRW_MUph8sTB4S6-BLZBHu9BpURSUk7l5hO5DLYfomKHL8Orbg1vC-6dJESxyN/s400/PICT0013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136973587099560546" border="0" /></a><br />Hannah at the camel display<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vr0fW1q41Ys6Vo24rH7xM02hBvswfKl-pK6c7AZDsrupd4J8We0usYA30dRZ9hyphenhyphenOn4B-UQdXiFyX52nwnk-ug6BNAAJHUOk6KuIecOzi0guKIp49RvOoYt1pWPMI26SGzr-3HLhWxgu5/s1600-h/IMG_0471.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vr0fW1q41Ys6Vo24rH7xM02hBvswfKl-pK6c7AZDsrupd4J8We0usYA30dRZ9hyphenhyphenOn4B-UQdXiFyX52nwnk-ug6BNAAJHUOk6KuIecOzi0guKIp49RvOoYt1pWPMI26SGzr-3HLhWxgu5/s400/IMG_0471.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136973595689495154" border="0" /></a><br />Ben spent a lot of the day holding Kim's hand.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNG8dVrxNdl0xs_sXak3whZdLJPnLTBordkXKorzmdzlSHrmlgGylGm_If15fSg86ZYqSVsI9nxMQUbJEy-mppy5yVuUn-Ax6qUhD2jDzcF9j_ugdXbQG4rqFsonr9dlK2xf__iC68fpY/s1600-h/IMG_0477.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNG8dVrxNdl0xs_sXak3whZdLJPnLTBordkXKorzmdzlSHrmlgGylGm_If15fSg86ZYqSVsI9nxMQUbJEy-mppy5yVuUn-Ax6qUhD2jDzcF9j_ugdXbQG4rqFsonr9dlK2xf__iC68fpY/s400/IMG_0477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136973604279429762" border="0" /></a><br />Hannah really liked the pandas.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRssuVNFMR4qR-gPu31I0X4uRk9WIE4UGkLHsqxkGvT4MgY8yXwfylR6LzfYkWTVosuShDq0iF5ALTVmNwpK93JQI8v1kf2-x5x29aN4qCyVldgkryHo8uUbpWIJKurJ5tLrLLn7Q4sDI/s1600-h/IMG_0482.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRssuVNFMR4qR-gPu31I0X4uRk9WIE4UGkLHsqxkGvT4MgY8yXwfylR6LzfYkWTVosuShDq0iF5ALTVmNwpK93JQI8v1kf2-x5x29aN4qCyVldgkryHo8uUbpWIJKurJ5tLrLLn7Q4sDI/s400/IMG_0482.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136973612869364370" border="0" /></a><br />Here's the family on an outdoor escalator.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_07Znc2EXrdQwmcWx8s-wRIibetVZuyuarxbuLekpLZZEJ4AThbPvQkDSdG-CLPAXSXATdmbzzC0YZGN2g1L54k9rDDMxgtq1dtc3lzHWk7vzemTxJL3CCsZ1M9VQZlL7pTG3roox48sd/s1600-h/IMG_0507.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_07Znc2EXrdQwmcWx8s-wRIibetVZuyuarxbuLekpLZZEJ4AThbPvQkDSdG-CLPAXSXATdmbzzC0YZGN2g1L54k9rDDMxgtq1dtc3lzHWk7vzemTxJL3CCsZ1M9VQZlL7pTG3roox48sd/s400/IMG_0507.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136973617164331682" border="0" /></a><br />The kids were tired at the end of the day.<br /><br />The kids just left this morning for Indiana. We had a great time with them here. They were able to be here 5 full days. We have really missed not being with them. As I write this, I am on a new computer. We made some changes and I like the new notebook, though it is a little challenging at times to learn a new system. We went to the zoo. Most of the day we walked. The San Diego Zoo is a must see. The employees are so friendly and helpful and the displays are great in that they aren't just rows of cages but rather the settings are very well planned and spaced out. We also went and saw two movies while they were here, August Rush and Enchanted were both enjoyable. We made it to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IHOP</span> and Denny's for breakfast and Red Lobster one evening. We also stopped by a Cold Stone Creamery after a movie. We had fun getting around the city in the rented car. We had a GPS but it still was a bit of an adventure at times. It was good to just lay in the hammock and talk with the kids. I really enjoyed just talking with them. Kim was so content to have the kids here and it showed. We go home for Christmas in two and a half weeks, but it was still good to have the kids here.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-20352360221813602462007-11-17T20:16:00.000-06:002007-11-17T20:34:17.448-06:00Disney 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU0bjGGKWL-AK-SCRD4DawtkOzBs92HV4SPqPY67b0GCD5L-dLurFwU4kVTiDrji46yWIFmvQ6IvhJ21SaqPZteVO8UZHf4J-YSUoGCR3rKkt59sBtNXgbkctFQYJci82r9OUX0tFxhQx/s1600-h/IMG_0435.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134000254254983346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU0bjGGKWL-AK-SCRD4DawtkOzBs92HV4SPqPY67b0GCD5L-dLurFwU4kVTiDrji46yWIFmvQ6IvhJ21SaqPZteVO8UZHf4J-YSUoGCR3rKkt59sBtNXgbkctFQYJci82r9OUX0tFxhQx/s400/IMG_0435.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim and I with the Cars <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Characters</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTR82OyGGsXQtQmg3Uo4JFXSvuLkeSPUL8QZAkLltFahcWqofk5G6S1PSL5Sho8AG5rP-TNkhr6J_cMZ65rIUl4igJX0iaO1FuWgsrvTSOWshz84ARegdch44ulaycky4ealytQW0p7iJU/s1600-h/IMG_0432.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134000271434852546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTR82OyGGsXQtQmg3Uo4JFXSvuLkeSPUL8QZAkLltFahcWqofk5G6S1PSL5Sho8AG5rP-TNkhr6J_cMZ65rIUl4igJX0iaO1FuWgsrvTSOWshz84ARegdch44ulaycky4ealytQW0p7iJU/s400/IMG_0432.JPG" border="0" /></a> We ate lunch at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Rainforest</span> Cafe and it was really good. On the left and right are round aquariums and in the middle there is a round tube that connects them. It was beat to see the fish swim back and forth.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCzeP5nhRvEsLNroTtVj9KKaUY_Df1I9qe2aeU8lV0oUPND5YomVxhxo9lJOftSYHSAHghj2BfSGKKn5GXqgLnYs9XX6aV3AwKb1FYYdz4dLjTLv12LXRvI0KQ7GiR8K1GMa_N_qx9tN1/s1600-h/IMG_0433.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134000280024787154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCzeP5nhRvEsLNroTtVj9KKaUY_Df1I9qe2aeU8lV0oUPND5YomVxhxo9lJOftSYHSAHghj2BfSGKKn5GXqgLnYs9XX6aV3AwKb1FYYdz4dLjTLv12LXRvI0KQ7GiR8K1GMa_N_qx9tN1/s400/IMG_0433.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim and I aren't sure what makes adults put on mickey ears but we figure it's a good thing.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydF577ecJA5idz0Ex8hCFmYmNozzsAAKIr754ffsRbUuNiZWbNvvWDto9avcH_J4PXZ4Dynq_iyuy12X5SlEfiC4yRVeheeu1lgdWT8zCu-192Idc_QmUgsq9nQWHBP9uh4UurcEyeElF/s1600-h/IMG_0439.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134000288614721762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydF577ecJA5idz0Ex8hCFmYmNozzsAAKIr754ffsRbUuNiZWbNvvWDto9avcH_J4PXZ4Dynq_iyuy12X5SlEfiC4yRVeheeu1lgdWT8zCu-192Idc_QmUgsq9nQWHBP9uh4UurcEyeElF/s400/IMG_0439.JPG" border="0" /></a> At the Tortilla factory they had a scale <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">calibrated</span> to tell you how many Tortillas you weigh. I think Kim was 1650 and I was a lot closer to 3000.<br /><br /><br />We visited Disneyland again today and also the California Adventure Land that is next to it. What can you say? Disney is interesting and fun. We enjoyed watching them make tortillas. They make 1200 per minute. We also went to the Boudin Bread Company in Adventure Land and watched them make sourdough bread. Sourdough doesn’t use yeast. Instead it takes a small amount of the last batch of bread mixed into the new batch to make it rise. It is like ‘friendship bread’. Kim has done that before when a friend gives her a small amount of bread and she mixes a batch and puts that small amount in and just before she bakes it she takes out a small amount and gives it to a friend and so on. The Boudin Bread Co. is a big thing here in CA and they said at the factory that they are still passing on the bread from loaf to loaf from 150 years ago.<br /><br />Tomorrow we leave for San Diego and will see the kids there on Monday eve. It will be so good to see them again.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-35520811871531471092007-11-16T17:54:00.000-06:002007-11-16T18:33:40.137-06:00Disneyland 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlpKngcyx19aevD16axqHjTjCDL9-FYjjYyn0J26B7I9VpueKJgigdAlXEDwtVYXJvS9cz0ilGqwARIEXTvDVl4pll7KxD1hBguUaRO_ue9rA5TTez5afbV1rscou4Pts780Z1Luvzmqz/s1600-h/IMG_0423.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133598760712153186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlpKngcyx19aevD16axqHjTjCDL9-FYjjYyn0J26B7I9VpueKJgigdAlXEDwtVYXJvS9cz0ilGqwARIEXTvDVl4pll7KxD1hBguUaRO_ue9rA5TTez5afbV1rscou4Pts780Z1Luvzmqz/s400/IMG_0423.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here we are at Toonland in Disney.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFk1z7ZRuCRL4IHn322rK1Cl3OLdTsSUnd5C8ffi2IXwyYubvWkN8s2nMlpfo40yl-pazTc6XpjaJIlxDjuHju5oNCKijB8sSbuER3UQ_WiPUgHXV6nLrPNr5Ote0XN_vgR7iPBBPHjCk/s1600-h/IMG_0426.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133598773597055090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFk1z7ZRuCRL4IHn322rK1Cl3OLdTsSUnd5C8ffi2IXwyYubvWkN8s2nMlpfo40yl-pazTc6XpjaJIlxDjuHju5oNCKijB8sSbuER3UQ_WiPUgHXV6nLrPNr5Ote0XN_vgR7iPBBPHjCk/s400/IMG_0426.JPG" border="0" /></a> This tree is probably 50 feet tall<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvU6mkSc77QvzX3Rfj3XjBEAcS1UA6RGV4cNg72Dd2Igp4bi0GAwYDujY-Cghe_TB8udM-Ahguc53kt8oxVUiT_fNJuWt3hJahZGFSmb4fgrcRifRBLdXUVn3gATqCnfEGILKKQK-goy1/s1600-h/IMG_0416.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133598790776924290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvU6mkSc77QvzX3Rfj3XjBEAcS1UA6RGV4cNg72Dd2Igp4bi0GAwYDujY-Cghe_TB8udM-Ahguc53kt8oxVUiT_fNJuWt3hJahZGFSmb4fgrcRifRBLdXUVn3gATqCnfEGILKKQK-goy1/s400/IMG_0416.JPG" border="0" /></a> It's a small world after all<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC_4UHT0sKB-ngX-J4IFrXQ-FTNfFP5Qk-2od1Be_7o6PJ5uTOb34JQGMumwgvB9GgPQYlprjn8Kn6NvuPtQ-CYAIVgGGrsTwdliWoJKMSCDNqAZ5eQMwR6JWWJG0okeLzhjTfUhemMw9/s1600-h/IMG_0403.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133598799366858898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC_4UHT0sKB-ngX-J4IFrXQ-FTNfFP5Qk-2od1Be_7o6PJ5uTOb34JQGMumwgvB9GgPQYlprjn8Kn6NvuPtQ-CYAIVgGGrsTwdliWoJKMSCDNqAZ5eQMwR6JWWJG0okeLzhjTfUhemMw9/s400/IMG_0403.JPG" border="0" /></a> Moose bush<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-UoIz49kN337t6VuwnVB5ZjEr5rn_Qpm7bf-ZKJq4s26vM23QvqJnqz9egyVfSyiFsogEgULVRXJrXrq0on2D5biFumIOR3qjoGEPUtDMdyF_KD3wI0zjYz6K0jNaAbsUq6Zsw0pIbOi/s1600-h/IMG_0401.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133598812251760802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-UoIz49kN337t6VuwnVB5ZjEr5rn_Qpm7bf-ZKJq4s26vM23QvqJnqz9egyVfSyiFsogEgULVRXJrXrq0on2D5biFumIOR3qjoGEPUtDMdyF_KD3wI0zjYz6K0jNaAbsUq6Zsw0pIbOi/s400/IMG_0401.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is in Tommorrow Land. You press a button and a computer scans your head. The caption says, "Have your head examined". I would be afrain what they would (or wouldn't) find if they got in my head!<br /><br />Today we went to Disneyland. It was our first time there. Today is the first day they were decorated for the holidays. It is really pretty. We left about 9 am and shuttled there and got back about 3 PM to rest a bit and plan to go back tonight for the light show.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-943200236280649392007-11-15T16:30:00.000-06:002007-11-15T16:42:54.844-06:00Anaheim, CA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDA8n0WnSFzFpuAVMpKwjYDDgoDtHKGfmN88uPou1PlvKB_t9YmTRys0N_gxYXtznNQaYla2c6WXWEf8xDIIyM22LUlE5vtyVdxXXbhyUJKW70qvukN3o97KOXPS1n-oUlhRoWe1hzJeN/s1600-h/PICT0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133200290826299378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDA8n0WnSFzFpuAVMpKwjYDDgoDtHKGfmN88uPou1PlvKB_t9YmTRys0N_gxYXtznNQaYla2c6WXWEf8xDIIyM22LUlE5vtyVdxXXbhyUJKW70qvukN3o97KOXPS1n-oUlhRoWe1hzJeN/s400/PICT0001.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's a harbor shot along 101.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl5Y27sGik809OIYuh-EdkLmcvuRm2_6RiAphX01VwkwHJRdMEFvRfB2leyPD-eI6AeJTphbhlCIOh1IFbcOfVoVsdo58wMZ7aHU8R8RZ6c6XH8tDyExUihNcJG8OZVlMbgWUp-UOQehi/s1600-h/PICT0011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133200299416233986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl5Y27sGik809OIYuh-EdkLmcvuRm2_6RiAphX01VwkwHJRdMEFvRfB2leyPD-eI6AeJTphbhlCIOh1IFbcOfVoVsdo58wMZ7aHU8R8RZ6c6XH8tDyExUihNcJG8OZVlMbgWUp-UOQehi/s400/PICT0011.JPG" border="0" /></a> Lots of pretty beaches along 101.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSXPWj8a93P3FW7AHxsU8G9_zeSRTGT2pzBfmZ-I7AhVcjvRs5AelgG9_fz1009LjtmbLE-U_YQBxIXLwv0Kx330Jh-CgSeggXilhN3cvzxmDD0Con4KADrUYd7FExNKLj-ud281of4Fb/s1600-h/PICT0016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133200308006168594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSXPWj8a93P3FW7AHxsU8G9_zeSRTGT2pzBfmZ-I7AhVcjvRs5AelgG9_fz1009LjtmbLE-U_YQBxIXLwv0Kx330Jh-CgSeggXilhN3cvzxmDD0Con4KADrUYd7FExNKLj-ud281of4Fb/s400/PICT0016.JPG" border="0" /></a> We saw miles and miles and miles of veggie farming.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUOPAsB0DSkJOL-VH6qq9SuoQox1Q1DCxoh0yiXbsMf6Ss5Md1TWINexxq2brC4TsttuuRJaTgM-iFw88HZL_ejsbPcvEEWoLbaZ47UO28_YFnmGTwPxPvP4jihr0kOjKH8JDyoIMNpMh/s1600-h/PICT0018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133200312301135906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUOPAsB0DSkJOL-VH6qq9SuoQox1Q1DCxoh0yiXbsMf6Ss5Md1TWINexxq2brC4TsttuuRJaTgM-iFw88HZL_ejsbPcvEEWoLbaZ47UO28_YFnmGTwPxPvP4jihr0kOjKH8JDyoIMNpMh/s400/PICT0018.JPG" border="0" /></a> The RV's are parked along the Pacific Coast Highway. If we had known, we would have stayed there but we had a RV site reserved. This went on for several miles. I love the breaking waves.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yuZb2d5k9a5t7h7qyU9mwBZ40uKRYFQ5_rkr_9JWshKAI0r8h6SAaiIjNX0Ta9e0KsUu3ATaevWf06lRvDzxAtMErUzCaCFcRhfW3sXKfLLEM02x9BB4LUbajW8H7KfzOAoM4YatY1f8/s1600-h/PICT0021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133200338070939698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yuZb2d5k9a5t7h7qyU9mwBZ40uKRYFQ5_rkr_9JWshKAI0r8h6SAaiIjNX0Ta9e0KsUu3ATaevWf06lRvDzxAtMErUzCaCFcRhfW3sXKfLLEM02x9BB4LUbajW8H7KfzOAoM4YatY1f8/s400/PICT0021.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here are some of the trees grown in boxes for resale. (read below)<br /><br /><br />When my in-laws were on the mission field it was good when they wrote about the little things that they might not think were even important. I found the day to day things interesting. This is what I am doing today. I had something happen yesterday that was a pleasant surprise. Our GPS (we call her ‘Grace’ because lately she has needed a lot of it) started locking up and getting lost from time to time. With the coach and trailer it is inconvenient to almost get to your destination, especially in a city and have her quit. We can’t just go around the block like in a car due to low trees and sharp corners. I would like to send her in to get checked out but that leaves us without a GPS for a while. Since we are going through the LA area this week, we researched on the Web and found a new one that we like. A new one will let us have a GPS while the old one is being fixed and then with two we won’t have to switch it back and forth from the coach to the car. Here’s the surprise. Wal-Mart has a pretty good deal but doesn’t stock the one I want in stores. It is an online purchase. I kind of need it now so we went to Circuit City and they had the same thing for about $80 more. I told the salesman that Wal-Mart had it for less and asked if he could help the price. He said, “Sure. We’ll do price matching.” Not only did they match the price but they gave me a discount. He just took my word on the price. I didn’t have documentation. As we left I told Kim that policies like this are just good business. I guess people do this kind of thing every day, but it was the first time it happened to me and it was a good experience. The store didn’t have the GPS in stock but we paid for it and it is being held at a store 25 miles down the road and we are going right by it today anyway.<br /><br />I write the blog on my word processor and then copy and paste to the blog. It is surprising that I have 42 pages, 27,728 words of blog notes on my computer. That doesn’t include the descriptions I type with each picture. Yesterday we got to the campground and asked for a local Mexican restaurant. They told us about a little hole in the wall and we told them that is just what we wanted. Mexican food is different here. It is spicier. We have also started seeing more and more catering trucks parked along the road with Mexican food. I’d like to stop and patronize one of those. Yesterday we drove south mostly on 101 and it was a pretty drive. We were surprised to see so many vegetable farms. It was common to have a mountain on each side of us and a valley with rich farmland between. Maybe there was 5 to 15 miles between the mountains. There were so many manual laborers. We had to have seen over a thousand people working and harvesting by hand. Everything is irrigated and they lay 30’ aluminum pipes every 50 feet or so. This is so labor intensive. We saw huge stacks of this pipe. There were literally thousands of pieces. The tractors are cool in that they have 4 large lug tires and are 4 wheel drive. There are very few rubber wheeled big 4WD tractors. Instead they have Cat rubber track tractors or every once in a while we see an old Cat steel track dozer pulling tillage equipment. <br /><br />Here in the Santa Clarita area there are so many trucks that it boggles the mind. We are in the area of highways 5 and 126. In one small town there are 3 huge fuel stations within a mile and that is about all there is for that mile – trucks. They are parked along the road, parked in turn lanes and waiting to get out on the roads. We have to get fuel today and will probably stop by one of these giant fuel centers. <br /><br />Here’s an interesting tidbit. A month or so ago we bought a Silver Leaf electronic monitor that reads the buss data signals from our engine and transmission computers. It collects all kinds of data on the go. It even stores all error codes in plain English so I don’t have to look up and see what the code number is. Some interesting data is that my best fuel mileage is about 57 to 58 MPH. At 55 the transmission doesn’t get into 6th (high) gear. When I set my cruise it even digitally shows me what speed I have set it at. Normal level driving at 57 MPH registers about 75 horsepower. While I have 400 HP at lower altitudes, I only have 330 HP at 9,000 feet elevation. I really like the Silver Leaf unit. It is expensive but I can move it from coach to coach and if there is a new engine or transmission, I just send it in and they reprogram it to accept the new equipment. They said they have customers who have moved the computer to their 4th coach.<br /><br />Something I haven’t mentioned is trucks. It is interesting in that different states trucks are configured differently for their weight and length laws. In Washington the dump truck configuration seemed to favor a straight truck with a box and a trailer with a 20’ tongue and a dump box. Often the trailer had no steering – just a long tongue that pulled like a two wheeled trailer. They unhooked when they dumped. Here in California they have a semi tractor with one rear axle pulling a single axle trailer and a single axle dolly with another single axle trailer. They bottom gravity dump with air doors from the tractor. We saw a fleet of about 8 trucks going down a lane and dumping on the go and turning around to go get more. They never stopped. This California configuration is the same on fuel and box trucks also.<br /><br />Another interesting sight is all the huge nursery farms that have trees planted each in its own box and sitting on top of the ground. There were thousands and thousands of trees like this. It looked like hundreds of acres of trees just close together in boxes. The boxes were from 2 foot square to about 8 foot square with 25 foot trees in them. I think they just load the tree, box and all when they ship them. I don’t think we could do this in Indiana as the roots would freeze.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-28186075964288153722007-11-14T09:08:00.000-06:002007-11-14T09:33:27.661-06:00Paso Robles recap<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBSe-RlXsAPqY9b9JkNAcJxTk4m-yIGUh64XHr6CsLGDJ0l0ggCrmx4_HI7zum48WAM8uzSGOHN7meXlroeUgEgosPmP1C-4WQV3eKZCDQa6gP4G0OWioV69pP-TXiU3tUUCj2mk_dbod/s1600-h/IMG_0336.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132714130473251346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBSe-RlXsAPqY9b9JkNAcJxTk4m-yIGUh64XHr6CsLGDJ0l0ggCrmx4_HI7zum48WAM8uzSGOHN7meXlroeUgEgosPmP1C-4WQV3eKZCDQa6gP4G0OWioV69pP-TXiU3tUUCj2mk_dbod/s400/IMG_0336.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's the rig at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Paso</span> Robles, Ca. We are at the Wine Country RV Resort. It is a really nice resort. Just above the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Miata</span> hood you can see the hammock post at an angle.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkrsUTkR5PW8B3gdMzJiA7C9EfdezO1-17RJ5qZzqbhTNC9qx3ZOT1-3mDBEAAR0jBSQgNNU_iw7of7Bq0H5cAfg4o9tRyOUdeL0glA7GnmUk7Q_Dn19glBWimt_nmpNebGP6IqiiqBpT/s1600-h/IMG_0355.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132714139063185954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkrsUTkR5PW8B3gdMzJiA7C9EfdezO1-17RJ5qZzqbhTNC9qx3ZOT1-3mDBEAAR0jBSQgNNU_iw7of7Bq0H5cAfg4o9tRyOUdeL0glA7GnmUk7Q_Dn19glBWimt_nmpNebGP6IqiiqBpT/s400/IMG_0355.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's a pic of a tree being moved for the Hearst Castle.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElrmCsjMq_vxKBp1PU3Jv2UmfpBCJLWDT7h6LLnon9qLh1lGyyVRIXDdeY_CErwG4jRJF5Qaa44fU9yHSiz07sykhWoAw3EExBXgJ3msDE-CcA-gGyhYGdpeiN_uxJD6fjD8-syvyAYUF/s1600-h/PICT0013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132714143358153266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElrmCsjMq_vxKBp1PU3Jv2UmfpBCJLWDT7h6LLnon9qLh1lGyyVRIXDdeY_CErwG4jRJF5Qaa44fU9yHSiz07sykhWoAw3EExBXgJ3msDE-CcA-gGyhYGdpeiN_uxJD6fjD8-syvyAYUF/s400/PICT0013.JPG" border="0" /></a> Highway 1 is very pretty. Here are some hills and the ocean.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAmMssWJ9yPzLbjc8ZgLgIvzUgkuiI-Vi6QpnthNWfSa-7t5phni8aLTqYZmEnbiVjCXT_HKKu1dnIxzwEOXFtvUAMyham9MaRwz__EkVzcXD05FQB37XIP21sXLOJdSxD3r3_LBO-3LR/s1600-h/PICT0003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132714151948087874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAmMssWJ9yPzLbjc8ZgLgIvzUgkuiI-Vi6QpnthNWfSa-7t5phni8aLTqYZmEnbiVjCXT_HKKu1dnIxzwEOXFtvUAMyham9MaRwz__EkVzcXD05FQB37XIP21sXLOJdSxD3r3_LBO-3LR/s400/PICT0003.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is one of the three guests houses at the Hearst Castle. Bob Hope stayed here and Gov. Arnold <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Schwarzenegger</span> had a party at the castle on the rear patio for his wife two weeks ago. It was for her charity.<br /><br />W. R. Hearst was eccentric to say the least. Whenever his plans for the castle dictated that a big oak tree was in the way, he ordered that it be moved and not destroyed. The workers would dig around the tree, cut the roots and pour a concrete wall around it and under it and then move it on rollers. They then had to break up the concrete, haul it away and fill in around the tree with dirt. In 1926 they moved a tree that required a concrete wall ten inches thick and thirty foot diameter around the tree. It was estimated that the tree, its dirt and the concrete weighed 600 tons. See the picture above.<br /><br />Today we plan to travel south to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Castaic</span>. We will stay there one night and then move on to Anaheim for three days and then on to San Diego for eight days to see our kids. We’re excited about that. Last night we purchased a two day park pass for Disneyland and the California Adventure Park. We got a discount online and can go straight to the turnstile and not wait in a ticket line. We printed the tickets in our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">MH</span>. Pretty cool huh? Kim is excited to go to Disneyland. I am excited for her.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-21292774772389348192007-11-13T21:34:00.000-06:002007-11-13T21:47:31.804-06:00Paso Robles and the Hearst Castle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTuq1HyfoZ1fX8EDTDepRBUPMOAkiYv9eGN6oOJIQxga2lmXDcceRR5qhQrt_Fq0NwOkRfQqxQPaMvUVnKw9bJ474qAwnIjbLtsTRc1fhI6_pbJxQeiPeVmpod-zB_mzSTEKQcOee3-fA/s1600-h/IMG_0346.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132536207161933810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTuq1HyfoZ1fX8EDTDepRBUPMOAkiYv9eGN6oOJIQxga2lmXDcceRR5qhQrt_Fq0NwOkRfQqxQPaMvUVnKw9bJ474qAwnIjbLtsTRc1fhI6_pbJxQeiPeVmpod-zB_mzSTEKQcOee3-fA/s400/IMG_0346.JPG" border="0" /></a> Beautiful hillsides adorned highways 101, 46 and 1.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdegfWuI2_hGv30abo3b5YNKBgs1yzFjGNPneUcPir7p_uEH-y5W4htHB_-FJgrIVDLPUsY-LSuo7bfRfq0zhHHlMBTq7ZPsdLJ4omQ2vh8RID23dLK6VDME-oOjkQFHL0cCB8pgDIwfj/s1600-h/IMG_0363.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132536215751868418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdegfWuI2_hGv30abo3b5YNKBgs1yzFjGNPneUcPir7p_uEH-y5W4htHB_-FJgrIVDLPUsY-LSuo7bfRfq0zhHHlMBTq7ZPsdLJ4omQ2vh8RID23dLK6VDME-oOjkQFHL0cCB8pgDIwfj/s400/IMG_0363.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is the "Outside" pool at the Hearst Castle. He wanted the whole thing to look like Italy 300 years ago. I told Kim it would have been a lot cheaper for him to just go and visit Italy from time to time.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDvgVXU0BwkRcXB8KgqgKwr4Yor2ERXqP7w-bOXcZWbBEMlSq0Gi_il4TJbK4jwB9cGRiGXwJINbQcL3rkadSbIw0Lx9JUDqaFZpv9TSJojeyt9aq69Xgg0nKJSmFfnMdkZpptSyMxgoX/s1600-h/IMG_0389.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132536224341803026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDvgVXU0BwkRcXB8KgqgKwr4Yor2ERXqP7w-bOXcZWbBEMlSq0Gi_il4TJbK4jwB9cGRiGXwJINbQcL3rkadSbIw0Lx9JUDqaFZpv9TSJojeyt9aq69Xgg0nKJSmFfnMdkZpptSyMxgoX/s400/IMG_0389.JPG" border="0" /></a> These are freshly planted vineyards. They last 35 to 45 years before having to be replanted.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA9NJKUEU7D_VZLjgNvbBSVkdKkhkoSrdaz7u6y4stJOvPHTZIsGlViJvZ6CA4emNhyphenhyphenrIZ0DW8cuDhTRGaRAIF4s_-zRcR13P8g49XDipkjn330eDDJhRFHG3S33isV_3njhIbuFVdbSW/s1600-h/PICT0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132536224341803042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA9NJKUEU7D_VZLjgNvbBSVkdKkhkoSrdaz7u6y4stJOvPHTZIsGlViJvZ6CA4emNhyphenhyphenrIZ0DW8cuDhTRGaRAIF4s_-zRcR13P8g49XDipkjn330eDDJhRFHG3S33isV_3njhIbuFVdbSW/s400/PICT0001.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a view from the Hearst Castle.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hwHD8hXFs4XaEbqWnIMhJk0OSfygpvNwNaYAy3NOl5wFw_bPX8LgIv52ljNZxBqoebjwwqhZdILGMIAUfCssaMAL9YipplNIghflUIjtLV81m0edLSDlrrU-n2b4X5vi3-FCh5TcchnT/s1600-h/PICT0009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132536232931737650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hwHD8hXFs4XaEbqWnIMhJk0OSfygpvNwNaYAy3NOl5wFw_bPX8LgIv52ljNZxBqoebjwwqhZdILGMIAUfCssaMAL9YipplNIghflUIjtLV81m0edLSDlrrU-n2b4X5vi3-FCh5TcchnT/s400/PICT0009.JPG" border="0" /></a> More pretty hills<br /><br /><br />Today we toured the Hearst Castle. It is a true paradox. It is a fascinating place and I could go on and on about the furnishings brought from Europe to decorate and furnish it including ceilings, benches, artwork and special made sculptures. I left there really saddened by the whole thing. I don’t think like other people – OK? Here is a guy who built a castle to his own ego. He entertained stars and leaders from all over the world – but here are some things we learned from the tour guide and the display area we toured. William Randall Hearst married and he lived in the west in California while his wife lived in the east on Long Island. He had a mistress that was in the video tape he shot that was part of our tour. He had 5 sons and between them they had 16 wives. When he was a child his mother would take him to Europe for up to 1.5 years at a time without his father. His father was a mining tycoon and was very wealthy. W. R. Hearst got into the newspaper business and owned newspapers, magazines, radio stations and got involved with the film industry. He built the castle but had no conception of how things looked on paper and consequently had them build many things and then tear them down and start over. There were artifacts where he sent letters to the architect and wanted things changed. As if this weren’t bad enough, he also had them quit their progress in one area and finish another area because he wanted to bring guests there. Consequently he had trouble keeping craftsmen on the job as they didn’t like his micro managing and tearing down their work. They would just quit. There was documentation that he was slow in paying the bills also. There was documentation that in 1923 he had $25,000.00 per month allotted to keep building his castle. In 1937 his empire began to collapse and it was discovered he was in financial trouble with 126 million in debts so from 1937 to 1945, he turned his estate over to an attorney who liquidated land, art and antiques. He never did get the castle finished. When he left it in about 1948 he said it was half finished. Here is one last irony. This guy was a nut that built a monument to himself and 600,000 people a year pay $20.00 each to see it. I didn’t want to go see it but so many people said we should – personally. I wouldn’t again. Here’s my logic. It is interesting that people around the world build these huge monuments to their success and then when their heirs can’t afford to keep up the place they make a tax deal with the government to take it over and turn it into a tourist attraction. <br /><br />We met a guy in a coffee shop on our way home that was a strong believer and has a son who is in the mission field. When it is all said and done at the end of my life would I rather be able to say I built an empire but didn’t father my kids – or live a life that would send a son to the mission field? Sorry, I don’t usually rant, I just couldn’t help myself. <br /><br />On the plus side, we had a great day for a drive and saw many, many wineries and beautiful vineyards. The countryside is so very pretty here. We got back at about 4 this afternoon and we laid in the hammock in the sunshine for an hour or so. Last night we got home after dark and there were so many stars that I set up the hammock and we got some blankets and laid under the stars for a while. It was fun.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-245082254196380692007-11-12T16:56:00.000-06:002007-11-12T18:18:13.613-06:00San Juan Bautista to Paso Robles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jrK-QKZrQ8bTYL24wivBARNIpKQDb6mrJNOsrGzJYMEvA9PXnssScPxKPol-xJTZogOgYGNXcpiUZpRWJ52zcOpYhzgVk2L7gimsWdLRfK_5hFPFJMOAC_4lwEpOgnthw__oKJwMeja8/s1600-h/IMG_0279.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132095444733116322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jrK-QKZrQ8bTYL24wivBARNIpKQDb6mrJNOsrGzJYMEvA9PXnssScPxKPol-xJTZogOgYGNXcpiUZpRWJ52zcOpYhzgVk2L7gimsWdLRfK_5hFPFJMOAC_4lwEpOgnthw__oKJwMeja8/s400/IMG_0279.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim and I on the bike taxi in China Town, San Francisco.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErR_8vxcSa45of9REzXkriDjcwAa63pEGYMs2l1qsGnsSkAckBUFt8bAoNRX5VFtHo5VqDQ9dh6a9YbhfdDl2OkhbJW4T3wGQM-uoFXTxwxTre7MOMaAdJ_QEKwFw9UHN48PvrLTdU00d/s1600-h/IMG_0327.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132095474797887410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErR_8vxcSa45of9REzXkriDjcwAa63pEGYMs2l1qsGnsSkAckBUFt8bAoNRX5VFtHo5VqDQ9dh6a9YbhfdDl2OkhbJW4T3wGQM-uoFXTxwxTre7MOMaAdJ_QEKwFw9UHN48PvrLTdU00d/s400/IMG_0327.JPG" border="0" /></a> We met the owner of this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">converted</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">motorhome</span> at a rest area and he was quite a colorful guy. He was a leftover <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hippie</span> about 65 years old. Note the name is 'The Cool Bus'. There is also a bench vise bolted to the front <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bumper</span> that is painted John Deere green.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWKBrtkbEEQlVJ4zi-DDyGPwx0wf3VvKtZNWKBsgdqfKKXxGHopfoCPVcb0DsGEWRvIFzs-zCuY7o0t23j57pGQ2CsdjQyz-X-2CZ99s8WCRa2z3FkkWieB7VJZ8kF49qshfzHiSNtk_J/s1600-h/PICT0010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132095491977756610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWKBrtkbEEQlVJ4zi-DDyGPwx0wf3VvKtZNWKBsgdqfKKXxGHopfoCPVcb0DsGEWRvIFzs-zCuY7o0t23j57pGQ2CsdjQyz-X-2CZ99s8WCRa2z3FkkWieB7VJZ8kF49qshfzHiSNtk_J/s400/PICT0010.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's a farm scene on hwy 101.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTky2asBF9e2iba8BoNZqd4wWjfzoC2uFb3HfyEuRmSHgu_EIP29_qlrymo8iAS4iEugJuCReQ9poWrKR9AwAqlPn8CP2wl7pM0oUl0DTJcdaFtgGvJy_UHCPYUpEGlsCd1uakYwIiKKu/s1600-h/PICT0005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132095522042527698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTky2asBF9e2iba8BoNZqd4wWjfzoC2uFb3HfyEuRmSHgu_EIP29_qlrymo8iAS4iEugJuCReQ9poWrKR9AwAqlPn8CP2wl7pM0oUl0DTJcdaFtgGvJy_UHCPYUpEGlsCd1uakYwIiKKu/s400/PICT0005.JPG" border="0" /></a> More veggies.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtYshyphenhyphenu7TrusrdjgNXwPMWQI6zY_aqH4x5_7X9YERznyPT1xb9osU2jQvI_o0mJKAKgACbFatMlirwv4zr4Ew54SpkzkT54OWB4GEri0STPpuJojck_hHldtXrB_7A3GvjVcVMEaLEEG5/s1600-h/IMG_0329.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132095547812331490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtYshyphenhyphenu7TrusrdjgNXwPMWQI6zY_aqH4x5_7X9YERznyPT1xb9osU2jQvI_o0mJKAKgACbFatMlirwv4zr4Ew54SpkzkT54OWB4GEri0STPpuJojck_hHldtXrB_7A3GvjVcVMEaLEEG5/s400/IMG_0329.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Here's Kim seated at our picnic table in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Paso</span> Robles. Beside her is my computer from where we posted today. The temp is 74 and it is nice and sunny.<br /><br />Mon 11.12.07<br /><br />Sorry we haven’t posted. We have been at campgrounds that had trees so we <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">couldn</span>’t use our satellite and my notebook will only get out on our network. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but it has been incredibly frustrating. Oh well, don’t let it rent space in your head Mitch. I will probably post three of four blogs today. I have been doing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">journaling</span>; I just haven’t been able to post them. Today we traveled from San Juan Bautista to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Paso</span> Robles. We will be here two days and then head to a campground a few minutes from Disney Land. We’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ve</span> never been there so it should be fun. The drive today brought us totally different scenery than what we have seen in California. Highway 101 runs between two mountain ranges and the valley soil was black and fertile. There were so many different kinds of vegetables grown there and it looks like they may have pretty much a full year growing season. We must have seen over a thousand workers in the fields harvesting, plowing, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">discing,</span> planting and irrigating. We also saw more and more palm trees. We saw one in the middle of a field of vegetables. That was unique. We also came upon a mile or two of oil wells. There had to have been well over 150 wells. Many of them were not more than 200 feet apart. I have never seen them that close.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-67492567231141018522007-11-12T16:42:00.000-06:002007-11-12T18:15:09.246-06:00San Francisco day 3 of 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6i-mebSMnjTWcv_kjy5fEWFBDiWn1Pxvnc33QNNa_wODHhrIdKASLOksj0cUoi8u2mURr4CoOwh6x13zB8hZbAARqY2HoqmAgOjbmhy4nPe77UbIk-WScSu4seMeJyER2J2PRqTw4eBp_/s1600-h/IMG_0250.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132090045959225170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6i-mebSMnjTWcv_kjy5fEWFBDiWn1Pxvnc33QNNa_wODHhrIdKASLOksj0cUoi8u2mURr4CoOwh6x13zB8hZbAARqY2HoqmAgOjbmhy4nPe77UbIk-WScSu4seMeJyER2J2PRqTw4eBp_/s400/IMG_0250.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim hanging onto the side of a cable car.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pZVAcaBNCkJz65S707XypitbL-0AY019CRGYwLeXQYxPP-XxDgUdkrLqD8XRQFGziNnpfwgzTCP_roLIFrcmXelXVb0JKUxVRPJorvBlB7okMfinZqRnpq7dYjFLjBIgpQYC74RuZNTt/s1600-h/IMG_0321.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132090054549159778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pZVAcaBNCkJz65S707XypitbL-0AY019CRGYwLeXQYxPP-XxDgUdkrLqD8XRQFGziNnpfwgzTCP_roLIFrcmXelXVb0JKUxVRPJorvBlB7okMfinZqRnpq7dYjFLjBIgpQYC74RuZNTt/s400/IMG_0321.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here is a cable car and in the distance is a turnabout. A turnabout is a short section of tracks on a big turntable. Two guys push the car onto the turnabout and turn it around manually by hand. It isn't very hard to do.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM6DQtSzePBqDEEfZySM2seL2lqQ486C2lHp2-5UZqVqqJ2Q_N9UjBdf00JRhltVQmXAiz3EDudVKwCTKXGutuiLo27Sa3xaFJmm8hF1J_SJzQPJFavQz6WyFuVhdGStmoQIrJ3w2EkhW/s1600-h/IMG_0278.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132090110383734642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM6DQtSzePBqDEEfZySM2seL2lqQ486C2lHp2-5UZqVqqJ2Q_N9UjBdf00JRhltVQmXAiz3EDudVKwCTKXGutuiLo27Sa3xaFJmm8hF1J_SJzQPJFavQz6WyFuVhdGStmoQIrJ3w2EkhW/s400/IMG_0278.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">the</span> guy who gave us the bike taxi ride to China Town.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNY7xE4VhUqwzUBBtgn3kZ4PCcFQokpq68yBDLiAEb7dyKEFZxXQ2XqK8yxpVeRhHY31Nu0uTX77gQizIfM9BuYGripQJS56dEFMMY95f54C7n_0z1pNCCLZa1SOSl0NRqJ74v-GJxE73/s1600-h/IMG_0246.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132090123268636546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNY7xE4VhUqwzUBBtgn3kZ4PCcFQokpq68yBDLiAEb7dyKEFZxXQ2XqK8yxpVeRhHY31Nu0uTX77gQizIfM9BuYGripQJS56dEFMMY95f54C7n_0z1pNCCLZa1SOSl0NRqJ74v-GJxE73/s400/IMG_0246.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">inside</span> of a street car.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgUnp2eJfuLfyg-R-7X6SkXod9WTFJkSx9Li6woI3MZc7g33RMKeKUvnltXlnpig9728qVq5g0msdXRgtSRg6ibGwu33derqyoWfQFoy_I3NesKgZOVcIGIlbp_ozNZhjAGPKdfEwmpU6/s1600-h/IMG_0292.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132090149038440338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgUnp2eJfuLfyg-R-7X6SkXod9WTFJkSx9Li6woI3MZc7g33RMKeKUvnltXlnpig9728qVq5g0msdXRgtSRg6ibGwu33derqyoWfQFoy_I3NesKgZOVcIGIlbp_ozNZhjAGPKdfEwmpU6/s400/IMG_0292.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's the outside of a streetcar. It has two large antenna like arms that make contact with the electric wires above.<br /><div></div><div>Fri 11.9.07<br /><br />Today we went to the Cable Car Museum and Power House. This is the operations center for the cable cars. It is a must see while in San Francisco. There were old cable cars and lots of artifacts such as good displays of how the car grips the cable and how long the equipment lasts. A cable last 75 to 250 days and the pine wood brakes that rub the track for stopping only 2 to 3 days. In 1947 the city decided to do away with the cable cars and replace them with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">buses</span>. There was such uproar from the people that they finally put it to vote and the city overwhelmingly voted to keep the cable cars. As I said in an earlier post, they identify the city and now the cable car system in San Francisco is a national monument so they are here to stay.<br /><br />It was good to get back home. I realize our home is mobile and I have seen signs that say, “Home is where you park it”, but last night I came up with how I feel about it – “Home sweet home – wherever it is”. We met our new neighbors last night and helped some people who pulled in after dark. They are a crew of painters from North Dakota that paint grain elevators and such. They’ll be here for a month. The owner was really nice and we talked quite a while. I think today will be reading and writing my book. I haven’t made as much progress as I would like. I would like to have my library with me and we probably need to stay in one place long enough for me to concentrate. I’m getting chapters organized though.</div>Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-15801872399807716462007-11-12T16:28:00.000-06:002007-11-12T18:11:07.451-06:00San Francisco number 2 of 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XUQJWTxFzgV1ojz5pajv9ufoQx7IkZnQfg1CjXbrYa9jvBO7SiV0xNNFgzT6HXlirdk1vJX90HHwiNW-qzmREQIW0qd_-obGzBAaY7P8eAZFPFlTvdpMxU-7I9gAZlS1QQzsffa04Xhi/s1600-h/IMG_0254.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132086408121925378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XUQJWTxFzgV1ojz5pajv9ufoQx7IkZnQfg1CjXbrYa9jvBO7SiV0xNNFgzT6HXlirdk1vJX90HHwiNW-qzmREQIW0qd_-obGzBAaY7P8eAZFPFlTvdpMxU-7I9gAZlS1QQzsffa04Xhi/s400/IMG_0254.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's Alcatraz - The Rock. It is very intimidating. On the way there I couldn't help but to wonder what it was like to be on a prison boat bound for the prison. It was a cold looking place.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqnmzoCQ3AoIpBsgbV3_dGoxBiG324NNrjja7zHgNzpRZkQvksaUdyW81L_6drFZHRza4W2TV17DeSx4uiOQyPEd7becNCZ0YUxzJw4VTa0ZgEg4N8CWSZn-kzvM2qfGZdzBsX04OPeID/s1600-h/IMG_0259.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132086451071598354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqnmzoCQ3AoIpBsgbV3_dGoxBiG324NNrjja7zHgNzpRZkQvksaUdyW81L_6drFZHRza4W2TV17DeSx4uiOQyPEd7becNCZ0YUxzJw4VTa0ZgEg4N8CWSZn-kzvM2qfGZdzBsX04OPeID/s400/IMG_0259.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here we are approaching the dock at Accatraz.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvZVExdJHSYi-9GXYqadAdT3OZk9N_xxNC-SvX1IMdi0ccUl5C6ew_Q1b2jsDVjLOuJoo1q-NvoImIwec6WqJOX5yFHMK38sNc03AyFemi1O8TQQCM6rZfVpLHhOi1ldVkjxK8it-0n_G/s1600-h/IMG_0265.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132086459661532962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvZVExdJHSYi-9GXYqadAdT3OZk9N_xxNC-SvX1IMdi0ccUl5C6ew_Q1b2jsDVjLOuJoo1q-NvoImIwec6WqJOX5yFHMK38sNc03AyFemi1O8TQQCM6rZfVpLHhOi1ldVkjxK8it-0n_G/s400/IMG_0265.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim looks at home here, but I feel out of place.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsfgfulWnTPji8As8NZFwQ_mRoQHogqC0M_udtd7co4w333XEu5d-ziDKpvVRgcDIx86iHdSlBa37U6hIWLq27fhT4252AXX1LmjHrO2BiTYteOiZkE4Y-WxPobjVZAY6NReIWWtMRKOt/s1600-h/IMG_0268.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132086468251467570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsfgfulWnTPji8As8NZFwQ_mRoQHogqC0M_udtd7co4w333XEu5d-ziDKpvVRgcDIx86iHdSlBa37U6hIWLq27fhT4252AXX1LmjHrO2BiTYteOiZkE4Y-WxPobjVZAY6NReIWWtMRKOt/s400/IMG_0268.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a view of San Francisco from the yard at Alcatraz. The prisoners said it was difficult having freedom so close that they could hear voices at night when the wind was right. People were laughing and having a good time and they were in prison.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxLYoBdW0P_X5KGdRd4qide12CGoB9BuDwwiQXWkV16ea_mp4Dzs1Yn5kaEF_zseIlvG2DtdIZvQX0Iqlqtj687SxmxrHUr6AEHtYtxQEVuHWnw3ieNX_CGIFK4WhGCfchwDAF2HYLEP9/s1600-h/IMG_0271.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132086481136369474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxLYoBdW0P_X5KGdRd4qide12CGoB9BuDwwiQXWkV16ea_mp4Dzs1Yn5kaEF_zseIlvG2DtdIZvQX0Iqlqtj687SxmxrHUr6AEHtYtxQEVuHWnw3ieNX_CGIFK4WhGCfchwDAF2HYLEP9/s400/IMG_0271.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is Darwin Coon. He wrote a book on Alcatraz and his imprisonment there. I read it the day we got back to the RV and Kim read it the next day.<br /><br />Thurs 11.8.07<br />San Francisco and Alcatraz<br /><br />We started off the day with a trip to Alcatraz. Alcatraz started off as a fort when the government thought it was a good defense point for the San Francisco harbor. Alcatraz is an island that is one and a quarter mile from the San Francisco shore. It was never needed or used to defend the harbor. The military then decided to make it a military prison. They had prisoners build the prison over a two year period and then they became the first inmates. Later it became Alcatraz Federal Prison. They have a self guided tour in which they give you a small player and headsets and you go through at your own pace. Once on the island, you can leave whenever you want. The ferries run every half hour all day. There was an Alcatraz ex-inmate there who had written a book about his experience there and we purchased a copy and had him sign it.<br /><br />From the dock area we took a bicycle transport (with a driver and a bench seat for us) one and a half mile to China Town (most all uphill). It was a very good investment to travel like this. It was kind of crazy in that since he does this every day, he would stop in front of a bunch of traffic that had a red light and sit there and show us things. He was very informative and it is a method of transport you should try sometime. He suggested a good restaurant (Hunan Homes) and Kim and I ate lunch there. It was interesting. The bike guide told us to walk around the block as it was the area where the Chinese shop for their supplies. He also said there is no really good Chinese food in San Francisco. He said if the Chinese want good Chinese food, they go to grandma’s house.<br /><br />This is a walking city, but you still need to try all the forms of public transportation. As we walked we have climbed some big hills. The most aggressive street is 31.5%. That is steep! After just a block of that it makes us huff and puff. The people here are generally nice. The city has a good attitude about it for the most part. Locals are very helpful with directions and information. The Cable Car operators are somewhat grumpy and short tempered, but I sense it is more of a persona they want to give off than how they really are. If you don’t understand they aren’t overly helpful, but stay with it and they’ll warm up. Last night we were on a cable car and the operator seemed short with people. When we got off at the last stop, I stood about 20 feet away and waited for him to look at me. When he did I smiled and saluted him. He smiled and gave me a friendly wave. It seemed as though that since he wasn’t busy, he could be friendly. It was interesting to see him react this way. The drivers stand to operate the cars and it is a lot of hard work. It seems that when we go downhill, the 6 foot long brake lever requires about 50 to 60 pounds of pull! While they are standing, they operate two large long levers that ratchet as they are pulled back and have a hand release lever on them and a foot brake – and watch for traffic signals, traffic, pedestrians, the hills and passengers getting on and off. It is a very demanding job. The Cable Cars are so unique in that they don’t care if you stand on the side platform and hang on standing up. In this day of law suits, it is a wonder they still let you do this. If the seats are filled, they even tell you that if you want to ride you must ride standing holding the rail. They even warn you when another cable car is coming in that if both cars have passengers hanging on and they aren’t tucked in close, they could hit. I’m not sure about the particulars, but there is a general courtesy that cars afford Cable Cars. There are times when the cable is not accessible under an intersection and the car has to coast across the intersection. If a car cuts off a cable car, the driver may have to stop and not make it to the next cable. A local rider said that if that happens, the people on the cable car get off and push it to the next cable. Someone in a car cut us off and that is how I found out about this. We were able to get to the cable by coasting though. The operators do a very good job of running the cars so the ride is very smooth. The cable car is a very easy place to meet people. We have met locals as well as people from Israel, Australia, Ohio, England and Pennsylvania.<br /><br />I also finalized plans so we can drop off the coach for service in Mesa, AZ when we go to Goshen for Christmas Dec 15th. Hopefully it will be done when we get back on Jan 3rd. Probably the most time consuming thing is to replace some cracked tile. We are looking forward to the next month and a half. The kids are coming to San Diego over Thanksgiving, we will see my parents in AZ before Christmas, come back to Indiana to see family and friends for Christmas and then back to AZ in January to see my parents again.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-74213708466059247492007-11-12T16:00:00.000-06:002007-11-12T18:03:06.984-06:00San Francisco here we come!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbl4zgZpw5BKVtmoDW0vZbsArnd-cYGmB6ympOU8uJNjJm2nogqeuBvoLsCJBd6UF9g1O8vGB8uTXooyMuZ5IY7Yt1TYoXEqffG9tn05m5a4xEAl5g4u00r0ZHcMZouVKxz556CaPTX1T/s1600-h/IMG_0217.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132082126039531186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbl4zgZpw5BKVtmoDW0vZbsArnd-cYGmB6ympOU8uJNjJm2nogqeuBvoLsCJBd6UF9g1O8vGB8uTXooyMuZ5IY7Yt1TYoXEqffG9tn05m5a4xEAl5g4u00r0ZHcMZouVKxz556CaPTX1T/s400/IMG_0217.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's a restaurant down on the dock called "Stinkin' Pizza". I think it's because they use lots of garlic. We didn't eat there but it looked good.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8xXNRBd5KqEC_XMpIjwEh7L-6HjB2RiPNUlO-RzhQKSdSYUbNbvjLbARn2IFaMcTIyJYf_drvLm3ILssKeTLJjrTTp3vgHtT2bbzHnrlNFL-ZccA_ML4kcJ_oob5rUnwDE1jqfEbkYUA/s1600-h/IMG_0220.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132082138924433090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8xXNRBd5KqEC_XMpIjwEh7L-6HjB2RiPNUlO-RzhQKSdSYUbNbvjLbARn2IFaMcTIyJYf_drvLm3ILssKeTLJjrTTp3vgHtT2bbzHnrlNFL-ZccA_ML4kcJ_oob5rUnwDE1jqfEbkYUA/s400/IMG_0220.JPG" border="0" /></a> We're on a cable car looking down a hill.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59R-GKaF-WNiyT7_TisnUUipe4jT1luZEsupDtyqAz5vZHTvU3kkvnYoPliDQOVxCjEVQhzGlg0rrbAhmZPHKFvh0CPiiPDnjdtqHmRdVElcuFBQlKD7tl4JiZke0HzPBz8Qqq_RrlqYU/s1600-h/IMG_0223.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132082143219400402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59R-GKaF-WNiyT7_TisnUUipe4jT1luZEsupDtyqAz5vZHTvU3kkvnYoPliDQOVxCjEVQhzGlg0rrbAhmZPHKFvh0CPiiPDnjdtqHmRdVElcuFBQlKD7tl4JiZke0HzPBz8Qqq_RrlqYU/s400/IMG_0223.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a view looking down a hill in San Francisco. We were surprised how much of it was land fill that was added later. It used to be a big port, but Oakland modernized their ports years ago and now has the ports.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78yVDSfXviCuZRuOEssNdPgxCbl5-xOobQD4CDzfzST0kpUnn5x7fOY3FADtfFb1z5aTFASLv0q4sfYOlVAr-z9MHq8T0rgoeljGOfVvFj46lvllj_Ww76R77sjAA6G5-fbxNNEPvdtHZ/s1600-h/IMG_0232.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132082156104302306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78yVDSfXviCuZRuOEssNdPgxCbl5-xOobQD4CDzfzST0kpUnn5x7fOY3FADtfFb1z5aTFASLv0q4sfYOlVAr-z9MHq8T0rgoeljGOfVvFj46lvllj_Ww76R77sjAA6G5-fbxNNEPvdtHZ/s400/IMG_0232.JPG" border="0" /></a> This store with the rainbow is in the Haight - Ashbury district that is known for the hippies of the late 60's. Now the Hippies can't afford to live there. The bus tour guide said that Yippies live there now. Yippies are Yuppies that are Hippies with money. The rainbow on the storefront was there since the 60's when a new owner came and took it off. The neighborhood made such a stink that the lady had to repaint it or go out of business. Interesting huh?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGycFN6CdfvbxgH4m_Sg77LtNRM-abFSyH52uC8hQKQR0p-aUWmhrLBLO6wrgZbGYtGirfZss-CM7ADuFsfI8yrrE66uKCDti9wJoXhBt1XgDPqSk6BHpkngNBvsH4BfbEkoWaMEgLWVZZ/s1600-h/IMG_0242.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132082160399269618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGycFN6CdfvbxgH4m_Sg77LtNRM-abFSyH52uC8hQKQR0p-aUWmhrLBLO6wrgZbGYtGirfZss-CM7ADuFsfI8yrrE66uKCDti9wJoXhBt1XgDPqSk6BHpkngNBvsH4BfbEkoWaMEgLWVZZ/s400/IMG_0242.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a VW bus on the side of a restaurant that serves as a walk up window at pier 39. We saw lots of cool things like this.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wed 11.7.07<br /><br />Today we drove into San Francisco with the Miata and will be staying here for two nights. We valet parked the car and don’t plan to drive it till we leave the city. Public transportation here is very good and finding a parking spot is difficult. People we met from the area at campgrounds said it is a walking city. We took a three hour bus trip of the city today. It was very informative. There are three modes of transportation they have here that I’ve never been on. Today we rode on the top deck of a double deck bus and also a street car. Tomorrow we will ride a trolley. The difference between a street car and a cable car is that a street car looks more like a bus and a trolley looks like a cable car (like in the old Rice-A-Roni ads). Both run on rails. The street car is powered by electricity supplied by overhead wires while the cable car is propelled by gripping a cable that runs under the street. If we hadn’t ridden a cable car, we would have missed the flavor of San Francisco. To become a Cable Car driver, one must drive a bus for several years and then be trained in cable cars and also pass a strength test – yes, a strength test. The driver must pull long levers that have ratchets that click and hold the cable or apply brakes. There is also a secondary foot brake. There has only been one woman street car operator and she quit after two years and became a conductor on the cable car. Their responsibility is collecting fares and I think they also apply brakes as well as signal the conductor with a bell system.<br /><br />We ate at Café Dante on pier 39. It was very good. We watched a man making crepes at a shop there. They had his station in the front window. The food here all looks so good. I wonder how much weight I will gain in three days. There are lots of piers and on pier 39 alone they have about 20 restaurants. As I write the sounds of the city are upon us. An ambulance just went by and I can hear the trolley bells quite often. Hope we sleep OK. Tomorrow we plan on going to Alcatraz, the pier area and China Town. There are 100,000 Chinese in SF and only 15,000 of them live in China Town. We tried to book a tour of the city in an old fire engine but they are booked up over a week from now. Tom and Tammy Moser told us about them. Today on the bus trip we saw a fire truck configuration I’ve only seen on TV. It was a semi tractor pulling a ladder trailer that had a steerable rear trailer axle. We watched them make a turn and the man in the back steered the trailer around the corner so it followed the tractor’s tracks. It was pretty cool to watch. Our tour guide said there is a buddy seat in the back and that a few years ago there was a lady sitting in the buddy seat that didn’t put her seat belt on. They hit a bump and she was thrown out and killed. As we watched we did notice that the thing rode really rough and the guy steering the trailer had a bumpy ride.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-26899924714812407672007-11-05T07:48:00.001-06:002007-11-05T08:37:40.346-06:00Yosemite 3 of 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVlUABiGwWB2pONxyNZjEvXUvy_PAqYR1ngai3se8D4edMJl9OLE7gCD6uj1w3QE39291bzg2SQxqLPYzhKaDjf0tzX6CxeiPXfDQA29OIrXJ-9lnKkR7Kt6dLO88jBNwUnKiac01wIGM/s1600-h/IMG_0181.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129358780931483522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVlUABiGwWB2pONxyNZjEvXUvy_PAqYR1ngai3se8D4edMJl9OLE7gCD6uj1w3QE39291bzg2SQxqLPYzhKaDjf0tzX6CxeiPXfDQA29OIrXJ-9lnKkR7Kt6dLO88jBNwUnKiac01wIGM/s400/IMG_0181.JPG" border="0" /></a> On the left is El Capiton. This is the largest granite monolith in the world and stands at 3,593 feet from base to summit. Climbers come from all over the globe to scale it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsxthPlEMIvojKBHiP0mXLL98ZogGEoMHde6iM4w7Dy_x1MDdZ8lLqmXef7bRYg49aI1xsASvtv6_gZ-4ToYCfOjltpC5PCDdPXQP3Q6M6WTzP4in7z2wvWh0f_sIFTDsyI4EiRivxo7J/s1600-h/IMG_0188.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129358789521418130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsxthPlEMIvojKBHiP0mXLL98ZogGEoMHde6iM4w7Dy_x1MDdZ8lLqmXef7bRYg49aI1xsASvtv6_gZ-4ToYCfOjltpC5PCDdPXQP3Q6M6WTzP4in7z2wvWh0f_sIFTDsyI4EiRivxo7J/s400/IMG_0188.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim at the visitor center.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxUjguk2_tfZymivUxMFf8YatuItBprzfdploktdt1-IHGlCV-iv7rs2mUbzFzsMr8CvsrcMSL5oWbePFLn83FWX95iB6S2G53EpGSitnv0ZmxjqbEsccVQO87T6LMXRzpeYM6eSU-S88/s1600-h/IMG_0191.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129358810996254626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxUjguk2_tfZymivUxMFf8YatuItBprzfdploktdt1-IHGlCV-iv7rs2mUbzFzsMr8CvsrcMSL5oWbePFLn83FWX95iB6S2G53EpGSitnv0ZmxjqbEsccVQO87T6LMXRzpeYM6eSU-S88/s400/IMG_0191.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a tunnel. You can see the road to the left and right of it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0NdZA9el70Woa72YThIZAejgFdXgRKJ-WQRc1X6D_6HaX4AjxP9ljkWgaWefCAG8_jI4W3pGCyHnKQ9_yUy91ucdu2J8hWz9YkztDE1xQZiHqwuLuUSWu68YvDbwjJ0Ql5x6Npm6pTBt/s1600-h/IMG_0201.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129358819586189234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0NdZA9el70Woa72YThIZAejgFdXgRKJ-WQRc1X6D_6HaX4AjxP9ljkWgaWefCAG8_jI4W3pGCyHnKQ9_yUy91ucdu2J8hWz9YkztDE1xQZiHqwuLuUSWu68YvDbwjJ0Ql5x6Npm6pTBt/s400/IMG_0201.JPG" border="0" /></a> Frequently we would see a big boulder just standing on top of the ground with very few other rocks around.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazJUzD09RaaCcqEwDmgDq1SOqzhQEnqZvnef-brSB-PPm70vGyDOJ2pM9vs1cfwtGyuVQS3qYI1ppoTTg-k0gl1eun-k_GCnvH0soYxEqcJ0lrix6iqihh-5CdE-Q3DcEi3dgDWOAAtNM/s1600-h/IMG_0164.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129358836766058434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazJUzD09RaaCcqEwDmgDq1SOqzhQEnqZvnef-brSB-PPm70vGyDOJ2pM9vs1cfwtGyuVQS3qYI1ppoTTg-k0gl1eun-k_GCnvH0soYxEqcJ0lrix6iqihh-5CdE-Q3DcEi3dgDWOAAtNM/s400/IMG_0164.JPG" border="0" /></a> The mound on the left has rings around it that are very pretty.<br /><br /><br />Yosemite has the most diverse range of scenery we’ve seen. It has rocks, sand, bald mountains, smooth, jagged rock – gentle streams, roaring rivers, waterfalls and well, you name it. We drove the car about 150 miles investigating lots of the sites.<br /><br />The visitor’s center traffic layout is kind of a mess and it isn’t that informative. The traffic engineering must have been planned by the same guys who lay out Post Office traffic flow. If a road sign would have been missing, we would have been lost. The whole thing was just more complicated than it need be. The parking lot was a half mile from the visitor’s center and there were signs posted of a bus route which we found out doesn’t run. Oh well, I won’t go on and on. Plan on an hour if you stop there.<br /><br />Today we plan to travel to San Juan Bautista. We will be staying at a campground for a week and plan to take the Amtrack into San Fransisco for two or three days. We may get a hotel there or commute back to the campground. We will see what advice the campground gives us. The Amtrack is six miles from the campground.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-37700452858188531722007-11-05T07:24:00.001-06:002007-11-05T08:31:25.814-06:00Yosemite 2 of 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wN1PUFT08mySZQm4Z3FWKKRn7o2OJYkpcMDw_torIk9ArkZwy_5iFcHK_bjOVfG6AZVKe064SdzBp2B816aUcXMo7OdyGBOpnmPc08Bi4qg4QoE3l2M-jq8MrDflLxPxMEYghOAqRJns/s1600-h/PICT0079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129347953318930226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wN1PUFT08mySZQm4Z3FWKKRn7o2OJYkpcMDw_torIk9ArkZwy_5iFcHK_bjOVfG6AZVKe064SdzBp2B816aUcXMo7OdyGBOpnmPc08Bi4qg4QoE3l2M-jq8MrDflLxPxMEYghOAqRJns/s400/PICT0079.JPG" border="0" /></a> This rock formation is called Half Dome. It stands at 8,842 feet and is Yosemite's most distinguishing monument. It is a few miles away from where I was standing. They say in the summer it is crowded with rock climbers.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Nvl7xWFTuYdvN2KY0Y0WP2nAfWbQS5YdHXIvJox_Sp0hnv4FTKIlUKXy3zkdiPjhdzMhPm3kRpnqdlaJlwjlyUKCAo4GanCVp-qa8w11KMSg9P05jcAm9THgtn3q9VSUIH40M4amHFsd/s1600-h/PICT0080.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129348017743439682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Nvl7xWFTuYdvN2KY0Y0WP2nAfWbQS5YdHXIvJox_Sp0hnv4FTKIlUKXy3zkdiPjhdzMhPm3kRpnqdlaJlwjlyUKCAo4GanCVp-qa8w11KMSg9P05jcAm9THgtn3q9VSUIH40M4amHFsd/s400/PICT0080.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ii8f_wQ29oc3otWZTuDCwOiBPgH4-utVXGevxjHi1jZQaofSze5CdrWrX79zPbr2BF9Vha7BctqKhHDgoLtPXKIasxIwv5mxispz28ZGDGZO29xC5BYsBEPmgrMq84OQElDb4NLG4umT/s1600-h/PICT0081.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129348150887425874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ii8f_wQ29oc3otWZTuDCwOiBPgH4-utVXGevxjHi1jZQaofSze5CdrWrX79zPbr2BF9Vha7BctqKhHDgoLtPXKIasxIwv5mxispz28ZGDGZO29xC5BYsBEPmgrMq84OQElDb4NLG4umT/s400/PICT0081.JPG" border="0" /></a> We drove through about 5 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tunnels</span>. Some were not trimmed out inside with bricks, but just jagged rock. That was pretty. It also made you realize you were really in a tunnel.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpWoBVxq4HjAwZML-EtkCad_dlZCSx_4WxqiIDJK1RFzfcWOHCNEgztu1_x0_gqC_1x0Z10vakEJWvWmN6c0pcv4WQVfAvST2bt_Vvng5PaLKiHg2Z86cLBe8HQZDLiJJpp_pY1yfqPQ4/s1600-h/IMG_0158.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129348176657229666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpWoBVxq4HjAwZML-EtkCad_dlZCSx_4WxqiIDJK1RFzfcWOHCNEgztu1_x0_gqC_1x0Z10vakEJWvWmN6c0pcv4WQVfAvST2bt_Vvng5PaLKiHg2Z86cLBe8HQZDLiJJpp_pY1yfqPQ4/s400/IMG_0158.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vmHARobCTVxrFQ29OSNlUSvRMMVXtOfF757kIUL_wVb6Xo2eAxD9gk9jXfVzgOmbRL1TIunViUcaKmnGx4r2XTjzOydH1zy4eJ8sdlmiB5Ho0GGNv5v3T-uFjGZ9NZ_GkL5Duv-knIGN/s1600-h/IMG_0161.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129348193837098866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vmHARobCTVxrFQ29OSNlUSvRMMVXtOfF757kIUL_wVb6Xo2eAxD9gk9jXfVzgOmbRL1TIunViUcaKmnGx4r2XTjzOydH1zy4eJ8sdlmiB5Ho0GGNv5v3T-uFjGZ9NZ_GkL5Duv-knIGN/s400/IMG_0161.JPG" border="0" /></a> This pic is not in the park, but Moccasin, CA. This is the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hetch</span> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hetchy</span> pipeline system. The town is owned by the city and county of San Fransisco and workers for the pipeline live there.<br /><br />In the town of Moccasin, you can see the historic Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, a pipeline from a reservoir in the Sierras that carries much of San Francisco's water supply, plunges into the Bay briefly next to the old Dumbarton Cut-off railroad bridge. It emerges in an octagonal structure on the end of a pier, and continues towards the city, flowing through the Pulgas Water Temple before spilling into the six-mile long Crystal Springs Reservoir, above San Carlos.<br /><br />Immediately east of town, State Route 120 climbs from about 910 feet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">AMSL</span> elevation to about 2,450 feet at <a title="Priest Station, California" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Priest_Station%2C_California&action=edit">Priest Station, California</a>, over a distance of six miles. Old Priest Grade, a narrower road and predecessor to the current route of SR120, covers the same change in elevation over about 2.7 miles. It is common to see vehicles with smoking brakes descending the old grade. During summer, ambient temperatures can be in the 90~100°F range. In these temperatures, many vehicles overheat climbing the old grade. Locals tell stories of car accidents in history where the vehicles left the path of Old Priest Grade and tumbled into Grizzly Gulch. The hillsides are sturdy <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chaparral</span> with thick vegetation. The terrain was so difficult that, in a few cases, the cars and bodies were not retrieved, some locals claim.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-47956850289714458012007-11-05T07:14:00.000-06:002007-11-05T07:24:15.345-06:00Yosemite 1 of 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05UqeEvif0CnEO1z-P8NjwdG6qPjuLCGNd26wlzUaxAfI9ZkBSKatgtMucJ6alMqStF3c21hwv7QUTeIUdXgUGJPCvQElWGMyyIvwE-Mit9k_QhrhHUTyWtGlYyX6Wf8uGea3GYGvSjX5/s1600-h/PICT0036.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129345346273781474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05UqeEvif0CnEO1z-P8NjwdG6qPjuLCGNd26wlzUaxAfI9ZkBSKatgtMucJ6alMqStF3c21hwv7QUTeIUdXgUGJPCvQElWGMyyIvwE-Mit9k_QhrhHUTyWtGlYyX6Wf8uGea3GYGvSjX5/s400/PICT0036.JPG" border="0" /></a> Yosemite is just so diverse. It has most every shape and color of rocks, it has mountains of trees, no trees and all trees but a bald rock top. I can only post 5 pics so here are three post of the park.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXul8wZWq0CVPD0Q00JaCRQMXc97wJ0bEI31QfEu2eph0S9PQUvrYejcdGA4akZC4oBSMajW5zpjmLslPsq-_Wj_TvgVdXIGrMFK_DET3L2LZ2u4Admm0ywj_6f9G0HMmKSdizirnTNaY/s1600-h/PICT0047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129345367748617970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXul8wZWq0CVPD0Q00JaCRQMXc97wJ0bEI31QfEu2eph0S9PQUvrYejcdGA4akZC4oBSMajW5zpjmLslPsq-_Wj_TvgVdXIGrMFK_DET3L2LZ2u4Admm0ywj_6f9G0HMmKSdizirnTNaY/s400/PICT0047.JPG" border="0" /></a> Break time. I take breaks from time to time as it keeps me more alert to drive.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1LuMhnA-790NohbA4n9Nr27mkBgKcrPThVfPtyMpGwQdwriCi04GZnzrDWOFIgktoEEKE9sb6iBwb0T2mz0Fnd3K89sJaTqTLnJWOL_9dw5YBIxAtuoJGKrxfT1dMB4-GMl30OKU7llV/s1600-h/PICT0049.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129345376338552578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1LuMhnA-790NohbA4n9Nr27mkBgKcrPThVfPtyMpGwQdwriCi04GZnzrDWOFIgktoEEKE9sb6iBwb0T2mz0Fnd3K89sJaTqTLnJWOL_9dw5YBIxAtuoJGKrxfT1dMB4-GMl30OKU7llV/s400/PICT0049.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7fBzjLzxGmIl9TeEXjLqr6HUO2CWoUf1HeA3KLHimJ_zjoG2Fvn6j-reLrRU-TpS1Xk53iGpp7qbk-8fB_E75G6gomS8aSXuFKWhh8OJLBgBFpX-U2O9NslpyJgHt1n_6tUVNo6IgLoF/s1600-h/PICT0062.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129345397813389074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7fBzjLzxGmIl9TeEXjLqr6HUO2CWoUf1HeA3KLHimJ_zjoG2Fvn6j-reLrRU-TpS1Xk53iGpp7qbk-8fB_E75G6gomS8aSXuFKWhh8OJLBgBFpX-U2O9NslpyJgHt1n_6tUVNo6IgLoF/s400/PICT0062.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayRm4-qKrtd-ZlW_zJ4zc-kOmc2IwLCsI_Xa8afap65NIPz8UEFYqc4gEWz6I5iyFXzSl7g6IIse2HNvkIWagPD1BtbwRpU-mxer4OmNbMbdGNgH38h71gOKZELdgZb_E4NDLUIhxWDld/s1600-h/PICT0068.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129345406403323682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayRm4-qKrtd-ZlW_zJ4zc-kOmc2IwLCsI_Xa8afap65NIPz8UEFYqc4gEWz6I5iyFXzSl7g6IIse2HNvkIWagPD1BtbwRpU-mxer4OmNbMbdGNgH38h71gOKZELdgZb_E4NDLUIhxWDld/s400/PICT0068.JPG" border="0" /></a> This rock leans out over the road. There are times when they have a height sign of say, 13 feet. Around the corner will be a rock that leans out over the road.<br /><div></div>Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-70036151073997716132007-11-01T16:15:00.000-05:002007-11-01T16:29:57.279-05:00Lake Tahoe - More Pictures<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127985228915385986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMvpoZAaBxVKmC51JnIPJnbkGQIp95hQ9hXepC4P5nzleswSP-5St4-lbjZz8rrKfXc8c2Iei0MZQD3gzLBTj7odkxtQXgadm_CwzA_zCB0I958nuTGN2KT_uDNhc-G4LsBFopOpmAkLP/s400/IMG_0143.JPG" border="0" /> We spent some time here just sitting on the rocks. It was very scenic.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUOT8FYwI-Oh-peXl3m-QeS1N2FWfNy4BGebtFn1H20uWW3aLy6nQp1gZ1zTb3l5OZaSfuv7s0885m9yHb4Wv6JOKHXiC0cZoLGaol6Y9qWOximML9haGKRKi0_bkVuWkqadGL-3ppU5I/s1600-h/IMG_0146.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127985233210353298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUOT8FYwI-Oh-peXl3m-QeS1N2FWfNy4BGebtFn1H20uWW3aLy6nQp1gZ1zTb3l5OZaSfuv7s0885m9yHb4Wv6JOKHXiC0cZoLGaol6Y9qWOximML9haGKRKi0_bkVuWkqadGL-3ppU5I/s400/IMG_0146.JPG" border="0" /></a> I caught Kim in mid-air in this pic.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcJ2rB0WauqS8Ad5T0iG2OH-9yuF6HYjB2lfdeFAahyPMCUnXsY3W4u_v180KYmt0HLU0MoUBctMGVg73FuE3OVqjREkc7GAeWkA8eS-XW_RjNLmS9HqITdSGJt8lJWMbwuxNJ64DFnvA/s1600-h/PICT0029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127985237505320610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcJ2rB0WauqS8Ad5T0iG2OH-9yuF6HYjB2lfdeFAahyPMCUnXsY3W4u_v180KYmt0HLU0MoUBctMGVg73FuE3OVqjREkc7GAeWkA8eS-XW_RjNLmS9HqITdSGJt8lJWMbwuxNJ64DFnvA/s400/PICT0029.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECINwpyFeBf8jNYNf-oOpUinOVK1X6lzp3UI10sk_qjWLKePbwIhmYejqpF3-3QvlGIR_EgEvYpJ_SS1l-04uly1IUG3EHKnb6cHYKotDpIaOpHIj3VlvPNXwomn-tltzi29BxNdrjUNi/s1600-h/PICT0005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127985246095255218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECINwpyFeBf8jNYNf-oOpUinOVK1X6lzp3UI10sk_qjWLKePbwIhmYejqpF3-3QvlGIR_EgEvYpJ_SS1l-04uly1IUG3EHKnb6cHYKotDpIaOpHIj3VlvPNXwomn-tltzi29BxNdrjUNi/s400/PICT0005.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is an Island at the south end of Lake Tahoe. In 1929 some crazy lady (with a whole bunch of money) had them build her a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tea house</span> on top of it. Look closely and you can see it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObaIvouAdl3KNOsr9fLpbqC6nL9ICyA20qKTXo8yF1fTw9DrWTczMucMttw8-jhQptKLA7eGqXVlZdMso8uvHqVLc22J-nWAAcx_BzDVKvD7dSXkGrj0nuoFsMyPTR7CQholI20C1GkMf/s1600-h/IMG_0140.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127985250390222530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObaIvouAdl3KNOsr9fLpbqC6nL9ICyA20qKTXo8yF1fTw9DrWTczMucMttw8-jhQptKLA7eGqXVlZdMso8uvHqVLc22J-nWAAcx_BzDVKvD7dSXkGrj0nuoFsMyPTR7CQholI20C1GkMf/s400/IMG_0140.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is the fish viewing area at Taylor Creek. We are very late in the season. Bad news is - some things are closed - good news is - there are no crowds. Our campground has about 420 hookups and there are only about 20 there. We went to Taylor Creek Oct. 31, the last day it was open for the season. It is a very worthwhile stop.<br /><br />I am limited to 5 pics per post, so these pics go with the blog below. It will probably be a few more days till we're online again.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-62864761336505816212007-11-01T16:01:00.000-05:002007-11-01T16:15:30.972-05:00Lake Tahoe, CA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyGb9GwsxU_SJ2w9tErPKN9S9KZ87ci28bRFhHB689Y3hiXOVY5iq7pi9oAj78a6sgGHcM-oDIM-6-pwpScvyU-KaKkxNjLf1RJDdXnncyJ9xr9nKWLicH2MAUk2I91xjZGHC-HghmDTd/s1600-h/PICT0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127981067092076082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyGb9GwsxU_SJ2w9tErPKN9S9KZ87ci28bRFhHB689Y3hiXOVY5iq7pi9oAj78a6sgGHcM-oDIM-6-pwpScvyU-KaKkxNjLf1RJDdXnncyJ9xr9nKWLicH2MAUk2I91xjZGHC-HghmDTd/s400/PICT0001.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zSBEt8pyOFs_nYU4wg7fU7quRx2iAWdghSxAWc89Gh4UyoTnpT1dbKH41jNYTZvoabnTg1mnWectP7zE6bhx4hm_2h2bKHTYVADMZXDOlUalXZCK7ZiEjtxPMuw7aNDhQujEhnQ2xQFT/s1600-h/PICT0014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127981071387043394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zSBEt8pyOFs_nYU4wg7fU7quRx2iAWdghSxAWc89Gh4UyoTnpT1dbKH41jNYTZvoabnTg1mnWectP7zE6bhx4hm_2h2bKHTYVADMZXDOlUalXZCK7ZiEjtxPMuw7aNDhQujEhnQ2xQFT/s400/PICT0014.JPG" border="0" /></a> This ia a 10 MPH curve on highway 89 on the way to South Lake Tahoe. It was interesting with the motorhome and trailer but fun with the Miata.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieibgkkfbmq8cdz8UJYSjjYhbioQhyphenhyphen0fVN8s9pyzlG9Fv0wcwJ8kXAk1tv8ZElAIpS3dy_gp01BvkVW3nhBkmB3c_ufr6jRi2aCcvv675A4k5vLTPdXBWrIPskhiYAsrbzLzSRX2HkJe1C/s1600-h/PICT0024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127981075682010706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieibgkkfbmq8cdz8UJYSjjYhbioQhyphenhyphen0fVN8s9pyzlG9Fv0wcwJ8kXAk1tv8ZElAIpS3dy_gp01BvkVW3nhBkmB3c_ufr6jRi2aCcvv675A4k5vLTPdXBWrIPskhiYAsrbzLzSRX2HkJe1C/s400/PICT0024.JPG" border="0" /></a> Salmon at Taylor Creek.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvZlptpkSpEv_TVOjQ-bUWPVLT5VPkWXLoTYD5o4-o29dfb8SauBdl5DDFdfBktOjzcDyHzuw36YEwroVE24cBnk6LokmcTBhGYIgBhpTNHasW2ZInwAC3okMC6Loa-cz5jkpshDwIJY2/s1600-h/PICT0040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127981084271945314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvZlptpkSpEv_TVOjQ-bUWPVLT5VPkWXLoTYD5o4-o29dfb8SauBdl5DDFdfBktOjzcDyHzuw36YEwroVE24cBnk6LokmcTBhGYIgBhpTNHasW2ZInwAC3okMC6Loa-cz5jkpshDwIJY2/s400/PICT0040.JPG" border="0" /></a> The drive around Lake Tahoe.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWVTrbrR7P2td-r3mu18llLldzXiFhv5fkNdAfS3QSj4U-EBwQaejCG-GzxQcEmSP-2Bf056RhZgpEeLkp9KRB_2cpTLBK7jamY1AF05Y4UZIrZGQ9uC8xY_aoVzHok5jfZHVD4YICIrU/s1600-h/IMG_0145.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127981088566912626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWVTrbrR7P2td-r3mu18llLldzXiFhv5fkNdAfS3QSj4U-EBwQaejCG-GzxQcEmSP-2Bf056RhZgpEeLkp9KRB_2cpTLBK7jamY1AF05Y4UZIrZGQ9uC8xY_aoVzHok5jfZHVD4YICIrU/s400/IMG_0145.JPG" border="0" /></a> This was such a pretty area.<br /><br /><br /><br />11.1.07<br /><br />Sorry we haven’t blogged lately. We have been at campgrounds with tall trees so our satellite can’t get out and they don’t have Internet. We’re at a computer store now where we are using their connection. Today we drove around Lake Tahoe. It is very pretty. The Panama Canal is 700’ wide and 50’ deep. Lake Tahoe could fill a canal that big if it was all the way around the earth plus another one like it from San Francisco to New York.<br /><br />Wow, November is here already. Yesterday was Kim’s dad’s (Maurice’s) b-day. We called him and wished him a happy day. The months seem to be speeding by. Yesterday we drove 90 miles from Grass Valley to Lake Tahoe. Kim and I are thinking this may be the prettiest place we’ve seen and we haven’t been all the way around the lake yet. Coming here on 89 south we came along the top of a mountain. We were driving on the mountain ridge and looking down both sides was just beautiful. Lake Tahoe is the third largest lake in the USA and it is 600 feet deep. The water in Lake Tahoe would cover all of California with 14 inches of water. I think we are at 6400 feet elevation. Yesterday when we left Grass Valley we reduced the air in the air mattresses to 20 pounds and when we got here they had 100 pounds of air pressure. Potato chips in a bag are blown up and pressurized because of the altitude. <br /><br />Another symptom of higher altitude (besides getting tired sooner when walking) is that it is colder here. Yesterday wasn’t bad but this morning the furnace is running. I often get up at 3 or 4 AM and write the blog because that is when I think best. This morning at 3 I heard the furnace running. We set the heat pump to heat but when the temps get 35 – 40 degrees it is no longer efficient and automatically switches over to the LP gas furnaces. The only downside of this is that I have to pay for the gas myself where the heat pump runs off the campgrounds electricity and doesn’t cost me any money. We have 2 space heaters at home we used last winter in Indiana. They also are powered off the campground’s electricity. We may buy one today. LP isn’t that expensive but sometimes it is a hassle to get to a place we can get the rig up to the LP fill. When it is this cold I also open a sink faucet to a very slow trickle so the supply hose doesn’t freeze.<br /><br />Yesterday afternoon we took a drive in the car and stopped by Taylor Creek. This is an interesting stop that would have been easy to miss. The man at the info center had just bought a larger RV and pickup to pull it as he will be retiring next spring and will be traveling more. There is a nature walk behind the info center and there we saw hundreds if not thousands of salmon. Taylor creek is one of the 63 contributing waterways to Lake Tahoe. Interestingly enough, Lake Tahoe only has one exit for water. That exit is rare in that the water that leaves the lake on it never reaches the ocean. Therefore they believe the salmon got here by the ocean at a time when there was a waterway open to the ocean. The salmon are totally fresh water salmon and are locked into this water system. There is a walkway along the stream where we viewed the salmon and also there is an underground observatory where they built a glass sided room beside the creek. The windows are about 5 feet tall and about 40 feet wide. From there we watched the salmon. It is a really unique opportunity to see the fish up close. We also learned that grasslands like those in the Taylor Creek area are a natural water filter that keeps Lake Tahoe clean. They say you can see 63 feet down in the lake.<br /><br />10.29.07<br />We got the new air mattress for our coach Monday and installed it. It took an hour to put it together and get it ready – and then we couldn’t find the TV remote control. After searching 15 minutes, we opened the air mattress and it was in there. We have no idea how it got there. We found a good Chinese restaurant called Wonderful three a few days ago and went back tonight. We had a good talk with David, the owner’s son. He said he works there 12 hours a day, six days a week and on his off day he goes to Sacramento for supplies for the restaurant. He said he really enjoys working there. His parents are Chinese but came from Vietnam 25 or so years ago.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-55620164531695551342007-10-29T12:43:00.000-05:002007-10-29T13:00:54.369-05:00Grass Valley, CA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PTw5UdsvVfc5TP2LyjfJ1juKeuj-FnCiD-p9zOFGb0rri2kj-RyNnwiWjjhuhBfp9pLcUfw9BWDja5cbdzNj8H2hpVR6FNdUi_NIzO0X0DgEB72SQXR9CNPJPrtn9cUUppmpIBe0yvAV/s1600-h/PICT0002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126819046510274002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PTw5UdsvVfc5TP2LyjfJ1juKeuj-FnCiD-p9zOFGb0rri2kj-RyNnwiWjjhuhBfp9pLcUfw9BWDja5cbdzNj8H2hpVR6FNdUi_NIzO0X0DgEB72SQXR9CNPJPrtn9cUUppmpIBe0yvAV/s400/PICT0002.JPG" border="0" /></a> Redwoods and Douglas Fir trees dominate much of the landscape.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFR6eTS6FGuruyYgkfrTAlw3wM3FKqOSHCXU6CFg84zd8YN3-PIBhcLpPMarnC4rN9w6HHnBpPmJjGGllTt5IjCxNglZsy2Iyu154bky1-ZICYa7nQ4WuCw-Zr-XsNvdVW7yCGCEYKe78/s1600-h/PICT0020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126819063690143202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFR6eTS6FGuruyYgkfrTAlw3wM3FKqOSHCXU6CFg84zd8YN3-PIBhcLpPMarnC4rN9w6HHnBpPmJjGGllTt5IjCxNglZsy2Iyu154bky1-ZICYa7nQ4WuCw-Zr-XsNvdVW7yCGCEYKe78/s400/PICT0020.JPG" border="0" /></a> We passed miles of these piers. Notice the lockable gate at left.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QsY4yaPni4F6XAZFpMoC0vBg0KcAEoRM8tunIJN_y6Pr1wO2qGLEC1BAv8h4HFIYgq1jtTIep5VysmrixNjBcjYKSBNFhp6CLC7ChF9A5FdfLeTpKyEeruUWa_71sqUkSAG9Zv_sf1wi/s1600-h/PICT0023.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1IiFJDCTwhNCZC7MBeISy7-jJXYY36oxeMOVFK8_i7gGgSXG_RLzlrDCkSvAOrZG5ndu4BCjGzpjLmyDXS9vw5uJnKkd2X-n-ZL1-JeNtHuy8Q4gfbcFFjqXxXIzrYCUBHAf2_6H6dQn/s1600-h/PICT0043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126819136704587266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1IiFJDCTwhNCZC7MBeISy7-jJXYY36oxeMOVFK8_i7gGgSXG_RLzlrDCkSvAOrZG5ndu4BCjGzpjLmyDXS9vw5uJnKkd2X-n-ZL1-JeNtHuy8Q4gfbcFFjqXxXIzrYCUBHAf2_6H6dQn/s400/PICT0043.JPG" border="0" /></a> This was the place where they have cabins to rent and you have to cross a foot bridge to get there.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxD8r-nWayqPAF_GwaTOTSe3L-yfTQBDxTJH8Vqb-O007Hqt3q0kNALg-EWkeXNY09-7pgobhJWbClP7iM9HOGkHn6aqtXwaWCFNnqr1J6_ohBLiI0zh7KnbyC2vM0ZDu_NTiqzVv_J-5z/s1600-h/PICT0018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126819222603933202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxD8r-nWayqPAF_GwaTOTSe3L-yfTQBDxTJH8Vqb-O007Hqt3q0kNALg-EWkeXNY09-7pgobhJWbClP7iM9HOGkHn6aqtXwaWCFNnqr1J6_ohBLiI0zh7KnbyC2vM0ZDu_NTiqzVv_J-5z/s400/PICT0018.JPG" border="0" /></a> There are lots of pretty lakes.<br /><br /><br />We can’t get a satellite signal at our campground so we are posting this at a coffee house. We should be on the road again Wednesday. Saturday we took a 120 mile scenic drive. We took highway 49 north and east and came back on 89, 80 and 20. It was a great day. Our Miata is really at home on twisting mountain roads and it was a lot of fun to drive. We came across a place where you can rent cabins, but you have to walk across a foot bridge to get there. You park your car and grab an industrial version of a little red wagon and put your luggage in it to get across the river. While we were there we also noticed a mining claim posted. This is something we don’t usually see in Indiana. Before we left on the drive we went to a farmer’s market beside us at the campground we bought a loaf of garlic bread and some really good toasted French bread. They sliced French bread thin then put butter and garlic on it and toasted it. It is addictive!<br /><br />Friday we visited DeMartini here in Grass Valley, CA. We bought our coach from their dealership in Wakarusa, IN. Their sales and service departments here in Grass Valley are at two different locations and both are quite crowded. They are having a new building constructed that will house both sales and service. We saw it from the road and it looks very nice. <br /><br />Friday night we went to a model of the temple in the Old Testament. It was at the fairground right next to where our RV is parked. We walked to it in a minute. It is a full sized replica of the portable temple used in the desert after the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. It was informative to hear how they did the sacrifices and also how everything in the temple points to Christ. We just never know what we will see next!<br /><br />Our neighbors include a man who lives in Mexico and is will be headed back shortly, a Canadian couple who are very nice to talk to. He has dual citizenship in the USA and Canada and has to go back to Canada every 6 months to keep his Canadian health care active. Often campgrounds have a host. This person is in charge when the office is closed and has various duties such as making sure campers have paid and so forth. Most campgrounds give us a paper to place in our windshield that had our checkout date written in marker. We are staying at the fairgrounds here in Grass Valley and they gave us a small round sticker that we put on a tail light. The host told us that it rains every day all winter here – no exceptions – and get this – it never rains all summer – no exceptions. Interesting. We are here before winter I guess because it hasn’t rained yet. <br /><br />Our mattress is the standard variety and is getting a few lumps already so we called Monaco and they are upgrading us to a sleep number mattress for a very fair price. Monaco has been good to us. Yesterday at DeMartini, Lonnie a service manager warned us to deflate the mattress to 20 PSI while traveling in the mountains or the mattress could burst from the thin air. We have noticed plastic bags of food expand and pop or water bottles have more pressure at high altitudes, but hadn’t thought of the mattress.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-46115899480151659632007-10-25T10:14:00.000-05:002007-10-25T10:51:03.399-05:00Eureka and Ferndale, CA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL0LOLcWLbt2njzk98qLlObdbG8ZVvGsXS4kZLjH0TXTmypm0GV7lzTxed8PcHqhyphenhyphenuqnUO_Gev6sBXp_vbsSuzYMFj0WpmbIYtT6rpKh9jKRRycOsTC0UNil19dCCxqbn-TYXLRAka9lW/s1600-h/PICT0004-1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125294182796338402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL0LOLcWLbt2njzk98qLlObdbG8ZVvGsXS4kZLjH0TXTmypm0GV7lzTxed8PcHqhyphenhyphenuqnUO_Gev6sBXp_vbsSuzYMFj0WpmbIYtT6rpKh9jKRRycOsTC0UNil19dCCxqbn-TYXLRAka9lW/s400/PICT0004-1.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim at the Samoa Cookhouse<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_eADY1953Rr64J1UXb0wpkixNhEb1yvOK7Fs8VObChwQ5KoNmZL6mlEVC-hu9f8qgozVaM7gAOfAPz4HCAkj_l2cB-lwBX6WaVq9L-ZmXv_Pb-rOtFJMX5xmMTOIO2OtQV5MAorwFrtE/s1600-h/PICT0006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125294204271174898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_eADY1953Rr64J1UXb0wpkixNhEb1yvOK7Fs8VObChwQ5KoNmZL6mlEVC-hu9f8qgozVaM7gAOfAPz4HCAkj_l2cB-lwBX6WaVq9L-ZmXv_Pb-rOtFJMX5xmMTOIO2OtQV5MAorwFrtE/s400/PICT0006.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is one big chainsaw!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw2gQj666ayB7ZD820M8mnmW7_MPeerlGsYJscELlQz8faFxE3Yc7xvuvp_umu-q2wp54EcXqiooSUQEsOSmyja31fnVQlTlCXio0vhU6-yKZdvQ8FnEWpyx7A_SII7GWMSI6GfpcQzmt/s1600-h/PICT0003-1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125294212861109506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw2gQj666ayB7ZD820M8mnmW7_MPeerlGsYJscELlQz8faFxE3Yc7xvuvp_umu-q2wp54EcXqiooSUQEsOSmyja31fnVQlTlCXio0vhU6-yKZdvQ8FnEWpyx7A_SII7GWMSI6GfpcQzmt/s400/PICT0003-1.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here are some old chainsaws at the Samoa Cookhouse.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobUEE25vUm_LfTMhDT_mHPCVrZ9gtYcMmrqLchPYGRzzYRYm0CvfOAOfme6E3EKIOa6WiT1WTXHzZ_XPgsdzefXM4bhRfxeFZgAQ85JZW4YHD29YakpUby1U1rqt5Gi1FTt-NT5agbyQz/s1600-h/PICT0010-1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125294225746011410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobUEE25vUm_LfTMhDT_mHPCVrZ9gtYcMmrqLchPYGRzzYRYm0CvfOAOfme6E3EKIOa6WiT1WTXHzZ_XPgsdzefXM4bhRfxeFZgAQ85JZW4YHD29YakpUby1U1rqt5Gi1FTt-NT5agbyQz/s400/PICT0010-1.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a pic of a big redwood. Notice all the horses on top of the log. The glare on the pic is from a window in the background.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKz0lrZcv614TvU5Mx4-a6OG3oXVKcOSsWvrJgiNhJb9SRAjUDf32zakGRz_P-5sPn8u_RDpZhH7CnWhgIwpcwyPili5YG5TrC0tuqD-OjYKjX844ZvxG_fy_REkL_AsA1qKGvIqrHSpF/s1600-h/PICT0012-1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125294230040978722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKz0lrZcv614TvU5Mx4-a6OG3oXVKcOSsWvrJgiNhJb9SRAjUDf32zakGRz_P-5sPn8u_RDpZhH7CnWhgIwpcwyPili5YG5TrC0tuqD-OjYKjX844ZvxG_fy_REkL_AsA1qKGvIqrHSpF/s400/PICT0012-1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is the home of William Carson. He was a lumber baron who built this home in 1885. Kim and I have been looking to get a small home. Wonder if it's in our price range.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Yesterday we went to Eureka and Ferndale and had a good time. In Eureka we went to a Lumberjack restaurant called Samoa Cookhouse. It is an interesting place to see – and eat at. The restaurant has long tables and they just seat you next to other people. After Eureka we went to Ferndale. It is a nice little Victorian town that is worth a visit. We were walking down the sidewalk with our matching outfits (matching T-shirts, bibbed overalls and Christian Motorcyclists Association denim shirts). We were holding hands and just window shopping and a lady sitting outside a shop commented on how cute we looked together (we get a lot of that – honestly). She asked where we were from and we told her we had sold everything and were traveling for a year. She reached out and shook my hand. It turns out that she and her husband did that when he was 50 (so am I). They bought a big motorhome and within a few months they found out he had terminal cancer and he died. She said although they didn’t even have a year together in the motorhome, she will always cherish the memories. It is amazing how many people we meet that say they would love to do this, want one of our cards to follow along and sincerely wish us the best. Today we are leaving Fortuna, CA and headed south – we’re not exactly sure where – just south.</div>Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-71275704812830438122007-10-23T20:50:00.001-05:002007-10-23T21:32:35.328-05:00Northern California - Amazing!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNxjwrElvHZLoW04AxTtdOQMnocHkPMsSr2ASAOWil0-DgOCvsBdvKNkmC73IBixTALa40dSvtaqtc71vQpUYfpmVsXVtQ3bmuOH9Ext3yO81fxDCecUQyV353xP5zfax5yWXHb9CdQhN/s1600-h/IMG_0047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124724032028985714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNxjwrElvHZLoW04AxTtdOQMnocHkPMsSr2ASAOWil0-DgOCvsBdvKNkmC73IBixTALa40dSvtaqtc71vQpUYfpmVsXVtQ3bmuOH9Ext3yO81fxDCecUQyV353xP5zfax5yWXHb9CdQhN/s400/IMG_0047.JPG" border="0" /></a> Welcome to California!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHw3sm0zLAAglXgdyePNHLkM_OSCAUVt4So0QPPlFvZhU0znCZ05tcgPmNfjzZKSnOKcy12HgloTKVUMgJC7Vi2RyCcAV95HgyIuCILjT8rjCV52Lsiu_d3gNqTb8k8fC5iGFVdAvSkDV/s1600-h/PICT0011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124724040618920322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHw3sm0zLAAglXgdyePNHLkM_OSCAUVt4So0QPPlFvZhU0znCZ05tcgPmNfjzZKSnOKcy12HgloTKVUMgJC7Vi2RyCcAV95HgyIuCILjT8rjCV52Lsiu_d3gNqTb8k8fC5iGFVdAvSkDV/s400/PICT0011.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kim wanted to stop and see the black sand. She is like a little kid sometimes and quirky things excite her. I wouldn't have her any other way!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdu-agaPmEXVnJtW58it1vJ6ni2XeBATHv3ELeDBaYjJTHdrNg4j5rlhyphenhyphen6A44J5f7K-5t_V-6XiynpWs8x-Cq-5TzSbss49VK3uy8uCKmQpmtM3vFthJbEdKkGqESgB7elXTOwCd0Hiuy/s1600-h/IMG_0048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124724044913887634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdu-agaPmEXVnJtW58it1vJ6ni2XeBATHv3ELeDBaYjJTHdrNg4j5rlhyphenhyphen6A44J5f7K-5t_V-6XiynpWs8x-Cq-5TzSbss49VK3uy8uCKmQpmtM3vFthJbEdKkGqESgB7elXTOwCd0Hiuy/s400/IMG_0048.JPG" border="0" /></a> Lots of pretty coastline.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGg2D02XeskWQ_IDGa7heuEpC1kQGfvIGR7iT5BAsJOoi-DZamwfy4Dvl8NdCK6AYJ0QAaZl22Ho52xWRzsJK_2Np4smTxjSr5FKM8CIFalA6oAcwukFs85_uaKCB3Er7faBMNT9jg90V/s1600-h/PICT0004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124724053503822242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGg2D02XeskWQ_IDGa7heuEpC1kQGfvIGR7iT5BAsJOoi-DZamwfy4Dvl8NdCK6AYJ0QAaZl22Ho52xWRzsJK_2Np4smTxjSr5FKM8CIFalA6oAcwukFs85_uaKCB3Er7faBMNT9jg90V/s400/PICT0004.JPG" border="0" /></a> The power of the waves is just overwhelming.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPveYrGiihrcWwKnvIPXAn6LiavWfVq1wblxdwQLTeTAJokALtoF8mxMQ5LQoe6hk0BhsOikVvT4gpNpYI88r5fkWLHCyqXA3RVF5S7_8kin6cvYRBcLhYGATlSccZIp4SRARgkyeQR-FK/s1600-h/PICT0019.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124724062093756850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPveYrGiihrcWwKnvIPXAn6LiavWfVq1wblxdwQLTeTAJokALtoF8mxMQ5LQoe6hk0BhsOikVvT4gpNpYI88r5fkWLHCyqXA3RVF5S7_8kin6cvYRBcLhYGATlSccZIp4SRARgkyeQR-FK/s400/PICT0019.JPG" border="0" /></a> In the foreground is a freshwater lagoon and just behind it is the ocean (where the waves are). Fresh water and salt water next to each other - interesting and unique.<br /><div> </div><div> </div><div>Today (Oct 23rd) is our son Silas and my dad Bud’s birthday. Happy Birthday!<br /><br />These are some photos of northern California. The people in Montana were great. The folks in Washington and Oregon were friendly and more relaxed than other places. So far our experience has been that California seems to have two kinds of people. The first kind is very friendly. They want to tell you about their state and all there is to see. They have a diverse state and they are proud of it and that is pretty neat. These people are great to be around. We have also met another type of people here. They are the panhandlers or professional askers of money. We haven’t had that on the trip until now. I have a big heart and it is hard for me to say no when they ask for money. I’m glad I spoke with a lady named Gale. She is a fellow RV’er who lives in CA. She explained that many of them make a very good living asking for money. She knew of a man who watched a panhandler all day and estimated he collected $750.00. She also told of a policeman who watched a man who was collecting at an intersection. When he got done he walked over to his Cadillac and drove away. She said many of the people have just burned themselves out on drugs and this is how they choose to live and that the money may very well go toward drugs. She also said that California is a very liberal state to draw welfare so it attracts people who want it. She has a friend who works at the welfare office and she sees people come in with the right paperwork and draw welfare and go out and get into their Mercedes. Yesterday morning at the campground we were at a young girl asked us for money to call her mom. As I was handing her two dollars she stuck out her hand for the bills and she had just rolled a joint and it was in her hand.<br /><br />We are very appreciative of the beauty here and looking forward to seeing more of California. We’ve never been here before and plan to spend five weeks here. We’re also looking forward to seeing the kids next month in San Diego. We really miss them.</div>Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777576589814806296.post-25484750505143918042007-10-23T20:29:00.000-05:002007-10-23T20:49:35.247-05:00Redwoods<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouv4te0OhksJ-uO5TlVDPAlnJNSMnjPv9fKz9QSiiSrrm73egJQGY1OyYe3n4j1bSVvfnpUeBRn5JisgYr_1s_1rN-EUR1jRUnuE5cKD7obKpf6AZSWCrpSgAJCi_XxzNRlCWpJVwXMFU/s1600-h/IMG_0071.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124713024027805954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouv4te0OhksJ-uO5TlVDPAlnJNSMnjPv9fKz9QSiiSrrm73egJQGY1OyYe3n4j1bSVvfnpUeBRn5JisgYr_1s_1rN-EUR1jRUnuE5cKD7obKpf6AZSWCrpSgAJCi_XxzNRlCWpJVwXMFU/s400/IMG_0071.JPG" border="0" /></a>Redwoods are majestic and beautiful.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPc1WkP_bU_j0kWwpf0jvUF1doXO5f8Vg79LfhK54HVSBPWIGi5OoH0BnyFxnGPzVMRnlz2hHuK9KrPPAtPJYzdqnmszLl6UQyoQckGrAjlNf65PekVSR5wvINlJHEkfBa-f3UAxtEyOF/s1600-h/IMG_0077.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124713036912707858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPc1WkP_bU_j0kWwpf0jvUF1doXO5f8Vg79LfhK54HVSBPWIGi5OoH0BnyFxnGPzVMRnlz2hHuK9KrPPAtPJYzdqnmszLl6UQyoQckGrAjlNf65PekVSR5wvINlJHEkfBa-f3UAxtEyOF/s400/IMG_0077.JPG" border="0" /></a> To the left is the type of needles on the top of the tree. To the right is the broader needles found on most of the tree. It is not unusual for redwoods to have their first limb at 100 to 150 feet above the ground.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5staoRw2IPIbfvDUVjSa7MLxjZCa-Jrnu4WgNN-mVmsGxuxD08pnRKPnwaufocxBO5zVSrZ2UaH1h5HDpCwnIKUoiReEvytQYXYXtQRFVkiDZZVmVNiNWq1jw3KJsoOrRm2TQXS0w3iJc/s1600-h/IMG_0092.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124713045502642466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5staoRw2IPIbfvDUVjSa7MLxjZCa-Jrnu4WgNN-mVmsGxuxD08pnRKPnwaufocxBO5zVSrZ2UaH1h5HDpCwnIKUoiReEvytQYXYXtQRFVkiDZZVmVNiNWq1jw3KJsoOrRm2TQXS0w3iJc/s400/IMG_0092.JPG" border="0" /></a> Fallen redwoods are important in that many more plants and critters live on a fallen tree than a live one.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGf8YjftLHShDq2DfRvoIoQvwslZsa4USJT_njBs1OrC9hBM2kEDOLr1EbJfsLXOMNsuK46IKa9S7iEbBKLL5NeN2BxZ4F2yjwOgIXzYaJzDXmYM_ZA-J-KHYluFI3cs6hrAQPoEWCYPN/s1600-h/PICT0049.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124713049797609778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGf8YjftLHShDq2DfRvoIoQvwslZsa4USJT_njBs1OrC9hBM2kEDOLr1EbJfsLXOMNsuK46IKa9S7iEbBKLL5NeN2BxZ4F2yjwOgIXzYaJzDXmYM_ZA-J-KHYluFI3cs6hrAQPoEWCYPN/s400/PICT0049.JPG" border="0" /></a> Drive thru service in this redwood.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZQljcVrFiKu-D8cQcb9pezR9htqWFftSzxP1zzSCotyJTKQZpQmWCJwz1yR0UwFG99sZqTScxVbkEEDk_uslNLFs4b4wVX5yjF3xBYVDavhP2kaoO1EopNhxzKQ0JPfzxicco0DB3VHg/s1600-h/PICT0029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124713062682511682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZQljcVrFiKu-D8cQcb9pezR9htqWFftSzxP1zzSCotyJTKQZpQmWCJwz1yR0UwFG99sZqTScxVbkEEDk_uslNLFs4b4wVX5yjF3xBYVDavhP2kaoO1EopNhxzKQ0JPfzxicco0DB3VHg/s400/PICT0029.JPG" border="0" /></a> There is a belt of redwoods that is approximatly 40 miles wide and stretches from lower Oregon to southern California.<br /><br /><br />Today we drove down the Avenue of the Giants. It is a 32 mile drive through the Redwood trees in northern California. Redwoods have bark that is thick – up to a foot thick and it is wet so forest fires don’t normally harm them – in fact the fires generally help the redwoods by getting rid of their competition for water and nutrients. Today we saw scars on the trees from fires and we saw a few redwoods that have been hollowed out in the trunk area by fires, but are still living. Redwoods can weigh up to 500 tons, and have reached 370 feet tall. The thick bark also helps shield them from insects. It takes a thousand tons (2 million gallons) of water to make a ton of tree. The average tree in the forest we were in is 400 to 600 years old.<br /><br />The forest is damp and cool. The trees can live in three climates at once. The roots in the damp soil, the trunks in cool dry climate and the tree tops in sunny, desert like conditions. The needles are versatile in that if it is dry they can gather moisture from the fog and rain and yet a large tree can put up to 500 gallons of water into the air in a day. The needles on most of the trees branches are broad and flat so they can catch more available sunlight. However, needles near the top have tight, scale-like spikes which reduces evaporative surfaces for the dryer conditions found there. Redwood roots grow only a few feet down into the soil, but they can grow laterally 100 feet or more. They also can intertwine and graft onto one another, thus helping to hold each other up.Mitch & Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08792348192075299346noreply@blogger.com0