Our Los Angeles Experience

Dec 18-22

Anaheim RV Park  
Anaheim, CA

We left our wonderful beach side Santa Barbara boondocking site and drove to the Aniheim RV Park near Disneyland. The drive through LA freeway traffic was better than expected but we ere traveling on a Sunday morning.  The only issue we had was caused by my navigation skills and we had to backtrack through a neighborhood and turn left into the RV park.  Fun times when towing a car.  They gave us a horrid site (half gravel/half asphalt with the sewer connection under the RV) and it took some time to get us shuffled to another site.

We were meeting my brother and sister-in-law there for a brief trip to Disney and Harry Potter land at Universal.  They are seasoned Disneyland veterans but had never been to Harry Potter.  Costco was offering a season pass for the cost of a one day ticket so to Costco we went.

Hit the park running the next morning at opening.  Crowds were Christmas crazy, but we enjoyed Pirates, Haunted Mansion and some dark rides in Fantasyland.  Christmas decorations were out and the holiday overlays for Haunted Mansion and Small World were nice to experience.  Mike and Donna were a great guides.  Had a nap and returned to the park for the Nighttime Parade and fireworks.  We pulled up a curb (great view but standing up was a trial afterwards) and enjoyed the parade.   Found some chairs in Tomorrowland to wait for the fireworks.  Not the best view but the seats were more suitable.  At the last minute the fireworks were cancelled due to wind.

Universal Studios was less crowded and Harry Potter land was wonderful, We did the Studio Tour, a few other attractions and lunch at the Three Broomsticks.  Universal is good, but not Disney.

Note the Ponchos and Umbrellas

Our last day was spent at Disney's California Adventure.  Weather was good for the morning and rainy for the evening.  Tried to see World of Color (45 minutes sitting in the rain) and the wind came up cancelling the show.  The three days we were there...   NO FIREWORKS! NO WORLD OF COLOR!  Sad news!




Moved on to Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails about 6:30 the next morning.  And beat LA traffic again.  From the things I saw we were very lucky.

My brother tells me two days after we left the fireworks resumed...


Highlights:  Spending time with my brother and sister-in-law, Disneyland

Lowlights:  NO FIREWORKS!

Seeking Christmas - the beginning!

December 15-18

Flying Flags Buellton, CA
Rincon Parkway, Ventura CA

We really wanted to see Solvang since we'd read it was a wonderful town around Christmas.  So that's why we stayed at Flying Flags (more than we want to pay but not much else in the area).

It was a nice little town close by Buellton but not what we were expecting or looking for to get us into the holiday spirit.  I think we really wanted a Leavenworth (WA) type place so it's not really the town's fault!

After we left Buellton, we were looking for a place that would get us closer to Anaheim where we planned to meet up with Pat's brother and his wife and stumbled upon Rincon parkway in the forum's and WOW that was so great!  Boondocking (no hookups) but the ocean was outside our door!  Weather was beautiful (earlier in Buellton it rained and the wind was gusty but by Saturday when we were at Rincon Parkway it was GREAT!).  One of our top 10 places so far for sure!

Highlights:  Seahawks won (playing Thursday night against the Rams)!  The view from our door at Rincon Parkway.

Lowlights:  After searching since we started our trip after Thanksgiving and finally giving up, we found the cider spices we had been searching for - the day AFTER we sent the Christmas package!

P.S.  We'll have to post pictures later - the classic problem of slow wifi!  And we're really busy here at Disneyland (visiting the park and taking naps!!) so it's hard to find time to post!

Making our way south

Back in wifi land so catching up on where we've been!

Dec 8-11 Russian River TT, Cloverdale CA

Very hilly campground but pretty!  We took a top "tier" site hoping for wifi but no such luck!

Breathtaking view behind me!

We connected with family in Santa Rosa and got great tips on what to see and do in the area.  Visited Petrified forest for a nice walk-through.  Really looked forward to Goat Rock beach area which we hear is gorgeous!!  But this is what we saw....


Highlights:  Seeing extended family!
Lowlights:  Fog and rain during our drive along the coast!

Dec 11-14 Morgan Hill TT

This campground is in a pretty area but the sites are way too close together and there is a lot of dirt which translates to mud (at this time of year!).  Lots of dog poop in our campsite - never understand how people can be so inconsiderate!

Highlights:  Monterey Bay and Carmel-by-the-Sea!
Lowlights:  Seahawks lost in grand style to Green Bay.  Guess we're glad we couldn't watch it (apparently not an important game to folks near SF?!!)

Soarin'!

I have always loved to crank up my favorite Christian music station while I'm driving (and Pat is usually sleeping or reading!) and I sing my heart out!  Whether I am joyful or troubled, this centers me to what's really important and my heart and soul soars.  To relax into the music and be blessed by the message and this gorgeous scenery around us as we're driving - truly priceless!

We love this place!

We are now at a Passport America RV park (so 50% discount which is good because RV parks in CA are REALLY expensive!).

We're enjoying our one day here because it's SUNNY, peaceful, not crowded, and is a down day for us while we catch up on internet stuff (wifi again - yeah!), laundry etc.

We are on our way south to near Santa Barbara where we hope to spend 3 days and we'll visit Solvang which we hear is a great town to visit around Christmas.

After that, we'll spend a few days at Disneyland (meeting Pat's brother and sister-in-law!).  And probably Harry Potter.

Still what we're wondering:  How do we find time to take pictures, video, and blog when we keep doing so many things?  How do other bloggers do it?!!

Will try to post catch up notes on the places we've been lately!

Catching up!

Whew!  Sure don't like moving that many times in just a few days!


Dec 3 and 4 Cape Blanco State Park, Port Orford, Oregon Coast

It poured here!!  Wonderful, peaceful park.  My walking stick works well for the more rough terrain helping me stay upright!!

Wonderful pics down by the bay of the sun setting (it wasn't really a sunset if that makes sense!!).


Dec 5 and 6 Redwood Acres Eureka, CA

Probably the worst place we've stayed (although the people were really nice!) and we did it for the price.  $17.50 instead of $35 per night.  Basically a gravel and dirt parking lot, sites too close, construction with flaggers right outside the "park", lots of noise and traffic in the city and the frantic pace not expected at the coast!

Added garland and angel topper
and now it's complete!

We did enjoy browsing the shops in Ferndale and are looking forward to the avenue of the giants tomorrow!  Hope to camp there but it might be challenging even for "short" us!  We're still tall and wide!

Highlights:  Found fun Christmas stuff and finished the tree!

Lowlights:  "parking" (aka camping) in the city

Dec 7 Giant Redwood RV park, Myers flat

Spent one night here so we could take a walk in the different groves along the avenue of the giants.  Tried to get into Burlington where the brochure and a ranger told us we would fit but the camp host said no way and sent us here.

Met more fulltimers who were volunteering at the visitor center.  Great to start networking on the road!

Highlights:  We felt the earthquake off the coast near Ferndale!  We were sitting watching the morning news and the RV started rockin' and rollin' and we looked at each other...looked outside and saw nothing then decided to see if there was an earthquake about that time and sure enough - 6.5 (or so?!) off the coast about 100 miles!

 Lowlights:  Luck ran out on the cold and rain but we didn't let that stop us!

Christmas time is here!

I do love Christmas!  The music, the decorations, the lights, the warmth of people.  Celebrating our Savior's birth!

I know it will be a pain to put these away
every time we move but it's worth it!

We did save some decorations when we downsized (the little ones?!) to possibly use in the motorhome.  So we're having fun putting those out (singing carols while doing it of course!).  We are at South Jetty TT near Florence.  Another great Thousand Trails and we managed a spot with all our home amenities (wifi, 4g, satellite, and over-the-air channels).  In a beautiful setting with not too much rain!

We gave our big baby a bath yesterday (for the first time - long over due!).  We're figuring this out but I think the baby shampoo to vinegar to water ratio was a bit off (too much shampoo!).  It looks better but, well, next time we'll do better!

I have been complaining that our RV GPS is "stupid".  Meaning it routes us in weird ways that make no sense.  Yesterday it wanted us to drive back to I5, head south, then come back to the coast instead of going south on 101 which is what we planned to do (it's only an hour south!).  But it wanted us to take 3-4 hours instead!  We discovered about 50 minutes into our drive why it wanted to do that.  It thought there was an 11.5' tunnel clearance and we started to panic when it finally told us what was ahead.  We are 12.5' tall!  So we pulled over, unhooked the car and drove ahead to discover the tunnel was actually 14.5' tall (but to be fair, the sides, were 11.5!).

Highlights:  Getting things done!  Video published, Trimetric battery monitor installed, November finances recapped, Christmas decor, more route planning, laundry.  Been a busy day!

Lowlights:   GPS stress!!

What we're wondering:  Should we pick up the pace to get south faster?  Four nights at a place?  or Two?  We decided on two this time because it's supposed to rain Sunday so we'll leave when it's nicer on Saturday!

Video tour finally available!

Well, we finally posted a video showing our new home.  I'm sure we'll learn a lot about how to do a better job of these videos, but for now it's a start!!


Come see it here...  2017 Newmar Bay Star 3009 tour