Day 14: Palm Springs!!!

So we arrived. It wasn't easy. But then lots of stuff isn't easy. We were glad that we made the decision to stay in Bakersfield an extra day. Driving conditions were reportedly horrible on Sunday and Monday -- sandstorms reducing visibility to nothing, ice and snow on the roads; people made it through, but why? Anyway, we didn't and we're glad of it. And, as already noted, we got in all that geocaching.

So yesterday we drove on down and it was fine. Windy in a few places, but not so bad. Snow still on the ground in the high mountain passes, but not on the road. And we figured out why all the upended vineyards -- solar farms!!! Passed lots of them on the way out of Bakersfield and in other places along the route. Still lots of wind turbines, but solar farms seem to be the new thing. Rows and rows of solar crops in former agricultural fields, even in the middle of the desert.

Solar farm in desert south of Mojave

Also found a nifty park in Palmdale -- thanks to Google Maps, which, with the satellite photo option,  lets you determine details like where playgrounds are located, how they're fixed for teeter-totters, and what kind of parking is available. This park was a 10/10 for kid stuff and came with a skateboard area with genuine trick-laden skaters for those of us who tend to be impressed by stuff like that.

Domenic Massari Park in Palmdale.

And do they have teeter-totters.

And lots of interesting signs along the way.

Not sure what kind of motel this is . . .

Sign of the times. And the location.

Traffic was quite heavy in places and a bit white knuckly in others, SoCal freeways being what they are, but there were no major incidents and all went well.

Took us a while, but we must be here, there's the sign!

A bit startling to realize that coming into Palm Springs was a bit like coming home. Ain't no way I consider Palm Springs home, but here we are again, and glad to be here. It's still a bit chilly around the edges, but A, H, and I were in the pool this afternoon and enjoying every second of it. The skies were blue, there wasn't a cloud in sight, the palm trees were -- palmy, and we are happy campers.

Nothing like a nice cool scoop of applesauce after a day in the pool.

Last night we went to a favourite restaurant -- Grill A Burger -- home of the famous "What a Friend We Have in Cheeses" burger and other clever dishes, and we enjoyed every cholesterol-filled bite. In the morning, for the fourth consecutive day, H hand-squeezed fresh orange juice for us all with great glee and enthusiasm. We're looking forward to unwinding after all that driving and then revisiting some more favourite places and exploring new ones in the next few weeks.

Happy news today from Kathryn that her surgery came with good news -- still some questions and treatment TBA, but so far, so good. We're thinking of you, K.

And we were also glad to hear that you're recovering from your emergency surgery, Jean. We're looking forward to a visit while we're here.

Day 13: Bakersfield continued

The Picker

The crazy weather continues. We were supposed to be in Palm Springs today, but stayed here an extra day because Highway 58 East was closed due to ice, snow, and high winds, and I-5 South had severe weather warnings, particularly for high profile vehicles. Yesterday it just rained and rained and rained here. All Day Long. Non-stop. Without relief. Forever. Have to admit it was kind of cozy in the bus, but it was a l-o-n-g day. Several rounds of Chutes and Ladders. Orange juice making. Long, involved H games with Matchbox cars and various trucks. Showers. Laundry. Hanging from the ceiling. That sort of thing.

But today was bright and sunny. As if nothing had happened. Except the wind warnings were still up. And the mountains are covered with snow. Since we missed our tourist day yesterday, we took the highway cautions seriously and were happy to stay another day. So off we went!

First activity was geocaching. Our first stop was too muddy for words. Well, actually, we didn't know that until we got up to our na-na's in mud, and then we used lots of words. The car looks like Pig Pen slept there. So we gave up on that cache and headed to the next one, further along the same road, but not quite so muddy, where we were successful, after a bit of poking around, and H was beside himself with glee. Then we headed up to Ming Lake, where we found another one, and then Hart Park, where found two more, and it was lots of fun. H is hooked!

Examining the contents of the cache

Delights of cache number 2 about to be discovered

This was a tricky one. Very clever hide.

Site of a cache called Oasis.

At Hart Park we also found the peacocks, who were stunning. Mother Nature just has a way with design. The blues were breathtaking. The blending of browns and greens was stunning. And the little headpiece was tasteful yet cheeky. Don't know why Ralph Lauren even bothers.

We did notice that all the hills were quite green and nearly all the oil wells were still. There also seemed to be many former vineyards that had been ploughed under -- not sure why -- and several crews of pickers busy at work in  the orange groves. The diversity here is crazy. (Still haven't been to Buck Owens C&W Palace.)

Dismantled vineyard and snow on the Sierra Nevadas.

 I of course, forgot the binocs, so birding was minimal. Couldn't believe I did that -- Hart Park is a GREAT place for birding, something one looks forward to, for goodness sake. Even so, we managed, besides the peacocks, to see mergansers, grebes, coots, scrub jays, turkey vultures, a hawk,  a woodpecker, and several feral cats. And we weren't even trying.

We also enjoyed a slightly chilly picnic in the park before heading back to the Orange Grove where R and H picked more oranges and A & M WENT OFF SHOPPING!! And not being much of a shopper, I am now exhausted. But I did pick up a nifty handbag.  R managed to have a bit of a chat with some of the incoming RVers who had travelled over Hwy 58, and got varying reports -- one saying it was dry and windy but not icy, and someone else saying it was wet and icy and they had to be led by the Highway Patrol. Hmm. Anyway, the road is open, but we're not sure what that means. We'll check it all out tomorrow. In the meantime, we are enjoying the oranges and revelling in the geocaching experiences.

Days 11 & 12: "Oceans of Orange Juice"

Many years ago, when we lived in Winlaw, R played General Sigfried Von Konningsvald in "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" by Kurt Vonnegut, and one of his few lines referenced "oceans of orange juice". So today we are in Bakersfield, swimming in that same ocean. There are a couple of really nice RV resorts here, but we like to stay at the Orange Grove RV Park, (nice, but not a resort) so called because it's smack-dab in the middle of an orange grove and one of the perks of staying here is that you get to pick the oranges. H is beside himself. We hadn't even hooked up yesterday afternoon when we got in, and H was busy picking. And then he thrilled himself by squeezing oceans of orange juice. All by himself. Drinks all around! Very cool for a kid from Canada. The oranges are at their best right now and the juice is delicious.

However -- El Nino: 14, Woodwards: 2. It is raining. Again. It truly was a beautiful sunset in Chowchilla, but nothing to get attached to, apparently. It poured that night, then held off long enough for us to get set up in Bakersfield, before pouring again last night, and as I write this, it's pouring some more. AND if El Nino didn't have enough recognition already, there is a HUGE front coming in today that the weather office is predicting will bring high winds, gusting to 75 mph for tomorrow, our travel day. They advise high-profile vehicles to stay off the highways in the desert and mountain slopes. That would be us. Sandstorms can be highly problematic in the desert. Flying debris is highly problematic anywhere. No thanks. So we will stay here tomorrow and swim in the oceans of orange juice.

Our trip down Hwy 99 yesterday was uneventful -- we did note great improvements to the road in most places, with just a few bumpy, pot-holed stretches remaining. Stopped at a very impressive roadside stop just south of Tulare. (Has it come to this, that I get blown away by a Roadside Stop? Apparently. Many pictures. Sorry. I was just so impressed. )

Philip S Raine Rest Area, south of Tulare

OMG! Architecture!

Lots of cool stuff to look at

Really interesting panels on all kinds of subjects

Including this photo on a panel about birds

 Saw some interesting signs: "Prisoners $62,300. Education: $9,100" and "My baby gave me hope and helped me heal" from  a group called Teen Mothers From Assault, and "Railroads or Water?" Also saw three young men lined up against a wall surrounded by cop cars, lots of really barebones housing, lots of feedlots, orchards, and a gigantic Kraft factory. A peek into a culture as we pass by.

The latest in aerodynamic trucking?

After we left Chowchilla, we learned that The Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County lives there and that in the 1990s workers found a mammoth tusk that led to the discovery of 15,000 bones and fossils from animals that lived in the area a half a million years ago. How cool is that? Never thought that Chowchilla would be a destination, but we'll make time for it next trip.

And then there's the underground garden in Fresno. Fresno? A destination? In the early 1900s a man named Forestiere built a whole subterranean enclave based on the catacombs in Rome that included gardens and housing. Gotta see it! Half a million people live in Fresno. I think we'll be stopping there next time, too. Turns out, what with this ugly windstorm forecast, we could have stopped there this time. But. We didn't.

So, as I write this the rain is lightening up. We have peacocks to see. Geocaches to find. And then there's that ocean of orange juice.

Day 10: We're in Chowchilla!

OK, I've lost track. I'm behind on my blogging. I don't really know what day it is unless I look it up. My photos are in disarray. But here's the thing. It's been raining. Almost every day since we left home. Not all the time. Not most of the day yesterday. But a lot. And we're in California. Think drought. Except it's not all that dry anymore. And, I know, it's a good thing. We passed a sign today -- large red letters -- "PRAY FOR RAIN". It's serious, I know. So I'm being selfish when I wish it wouldn't rain so much. But there you have it. I'm glad for the farmers. And the people of California in general. Even the ones with swimming pools. But I have been thinking that just a teensy bit of sunshine would be nice.

AND, as it happens, we are in Chowchilla tonight, and although the day began with a rainstorm, there is actually a sunset to behold. Imagine! Yes, Toto, there really is a California.

We left Clear Lake yesterday -- scattered rain showers, of course -- and, I have to say, we left a bit sadly. H definitely wanted to stay longer. After all, he found his first geocache here!! Yay! Just down the road from our RV park, at the front of a unique B&B where guests sleep in railway cars.

Hayden's first geocache find! Unique, for sure, but a cache!

He really liked it there, and so did I. So did all of us. There is nothing like, as I have said before, a summer resort area in the winter time. You get a feel for the bones of a place without all the mad boaters and wild partygoers, without all the shouting and too much beer, without the trinket sellers and sashayers. We didn't get to delve in too deep -- okay, not deeply at all -- in fact, all we had was a shallow, skim-the-surface kind of impression -- but Clear Lake has a nice easy-going feel to it. A lot of funky mobile home parks, a lot of vineyards, lots of stilted docks yearning out into the water -- reminding me of the Bayou, even though I've never been there. You know, we just liked it. It's a place where you could spend some good time.

Clear Lake

Dock on Clear Lake

More docks on Clear Lake

Fishing

But onward and southward. So we took Highway 20 east over to the I-5, through rolling hills with acres of seriously burned out trees from wildfires past, scattered ranches and on to Sacramento. Big mistake, Sacramento. If you have a few days, Sacramento is definitely worth a stop, and we did that once in the past when we did some great birding, saw the Old Town, had a nice walk along the American River. But for a one-nighter -- bad decision. The freeway traffic is unbelievably horrendous. Even at one o'clock in the afternoon it was bumper to bumper on our route to the Cal-Expo RV Park, which is a gravel parking lot with hookups, (and hot showers, I have to admit)-- so, great if you like that sort of thing, but absolutely no charm or personality. And it rained. Enough said.

We headed out this morning -- traffic wasn't quite so bad, but still thick and fast. We didn't like it, again. Headed south on the 99, through Stockton, Modesto and Merced. I guess everybody knows this, but you get the sense that people here do an awful lot of shopping driving -- lots of malls and crowded freeways with just a smattering of farmland --vineyards, orchards, feedlots -- on that route. The highway seems to have been repaved in many places, so the potholes are fewer, which is good. But, oh my. A lot of small towns that look beat up and defeated, signs from farmers demanding water justice, no birds at all -- it's a little unsettling.

Water!

For the past few days we have been trying to connect with Time-Warner Cable to arrange for wifi in Palm Springs. A big company, right? Unbelievably difficult to buy what they're selling. If anyone needed proof that the Trump is right when he talks about America falling apart, this would be a good one. Took A & H three days of tag teaming, on the phone and on the internet, talking to several people, some of whom did not speak English very well, none of whom were actually in Palm Springs, to buy service for a month. And every rep they talked to had a different story about what was possible. Incredibly frustrating. But amazing that a corporation that large could be running so poorly on the ground. Makes ya wonder. Finally, today, they ended up talking to two different guys, one in Texas, one in Colorado, and were able to order the service. We'll see what we get. But, c'mon . . .

Chowchilla is about half-way between Sacramento and Bakersfield. When we pulled in, the sun began to shine. There are birds here, and palm trees, and an actual sunset. We're smiling.

Our first genuine California sunset -- in Chowchilla.

Days 8 & 9: Clear Lake, CA

Our stay in Fortuna was brief -- the Riverwalk is a nice enough RV park, close to the river, and a great jumping off point for exploring, but we didn't.

Yesterday we drove from Fortuna to Clear Lake, a fairly easy day down 101 through redwood groves and small towns, often along the Eel River.

The Trees of Mystery roadside attraction on Hwy 101.  Paul and Babe still pulling them in, a bit of nostalgia.

The Eel River along Highway 101.

Our destination this day was yet another last-minute change, made on the fly -- to Nice on Clear Lake, instead of Ukiah -- but a good one. We found ourselves at the Aurora RV Park in Nice, at the northeastern end of Clear Lake. We've heard lots about Clear Lake, but never stopped here before. This is the largest freshwater lake that is entirely in California. (Tahoe is bigger, but shares shoreline with Nevada). A very popular place in summer, it's a nice place to visit in the winter.

Our park is under renovation, so a bit funky in places, but we are right on the edge of the water so the view is lovely and the manager is wildly enthusiastic. And the birds! The birds!!!. On a walk over to the playground nearby we saw coots, some strange geese, pied grebes and a pair of Western Grebes engaged in an amazing dance -- like a ballet, in perfect unison, long necks weaving and turning together. Loved it.  Later just a few steps from the RV there were mergansers, more grebes, and buffleheads.

A dock in Nice.

I think this may be Mountain Mahogany, embellished by lichen.

R & H at a playground just down the road from the RV Park.

Clear California skies!!

Friendly tree at the playground in Nice.

We decided to spend the day here and we were rewarded by a beautiful sunny day, temperatures in the 60s. We drove part way around the lake, stopping at Rodman Nature Preserve and on through the small town of Lakeport and pretty farmland -- lots of vineyards -- to Clear Lake State Park where we had a lovely walk. We saw an amazing array of birds including western bluebirds, ruddy ducks, acorn woodpeckers, turkey vultures, pied grebes, yellow-rumped warblers, coots, buffleheads, and I think a few I've forgotten, as well as many Western pond turtles. Altogether a fine day of nature stuff.

Acorn Woodpecker at Clear Lake SP

H checking out the osprey nest at Rodman Nature Preserve, Clear Lake

Western pond turtles, Clear Lake SP

 We did make our first attempt at geocaching in a while, which H was very excited about. I think he was hoping for a pirates chest of gold buried in the sand. Unforunately, not only was there no gold, no chest, and no sand, but we couldn't find the altoid tin that was the geocache. We were within 10 feet of it according to the GPS, but going the extra 10 feet either led us into traffic or down the steepside of a garbage-strewn embankment to the lake. We gave up. Still, it was cool to dig out the geocaching GPS and try to remember how to do it -- not completely successful, but we'll get there. Fun to see H so keen as well.

The name of this geocache site is "A Perfect Place". Couldn't find the cache, but perfect view of Clear Lake.

 This definitely a place to return to -- lots more to see and do.

Day 7 Crescent City to Fortuna

Now that we're in semi-Rush mode, I'm having to live with the disappointment of missing out on some of the things I've been looking forward to, such as the beaches and some birding spots at Crescent City, the elk, and a visit with Annie in Arcata. Originally we were going to spend 2 or 3 nights in an RV place near Orick, where the elk are abundant and there are several lagoons, redwoods, and untold delights. However, we gave up that stop when we decided to go with the five-hour-two-hour day. So when we left Crescent City we were headed to Benbow, CA, a little further down the road.

The stretch of 101 between Crescent City and Klamath is a little hairy, winding through redwood forests and up and down grades at the edge of high drop-offs with rocky ocean below. They're always working on this stretch of road it seems, and it's the only part of the whole trip I've been a little nervous about, what with all the weather. This day many signs saying "Sunken Road", many crews  out in force, shoring up road that had fallen or was about to fall into nothingness. A white knuckler for sure. But the fact that the crews were there gave some assurance. Someone knows about this. Someone is taking care of it. We hope.

Lots of "Sunken Road" signs and lots of crews.

But past Klamath the road is wide and friendly, even though the sunshine we started out with had disappeared, and we were into misty rain.

Del Norte Coast

 We started seeing lots of signs about elk and just before Orick, we stopped at Elk Meadows, where we have often seen elk grazing. Today, alas, there were none, but we stopped anyway and had some lunch and went on a little walk around and about. Saw many robins and many northern flickers and beautiful mossy trees and a pond -- perfect for elk, but still no sign of the furry ones.

Trilliam Falls creek,  Elk Meadows

The photographer

Redwood hiding in the woods at Elk Meadow

H tries to convince us that following a wet, narrow, rock trail up the hill is a good idea.

So back onto the 101 and then just around the next bend -- elk!!! In the trees. Lounging about. Nibbling. Chatting and laughing amongst themselves. Hahaha, silly tourists. We were over here the whole time! See ya! Wouldn't want to be ya!

This is a great area and on the original itinerary we were going to spend several days here, exploring trails through the redwoods, birding at the lagoons, being one with the elk. However.

On down the road, catching glimpses of buffleheads and others on a lagoon, surf pounding on the other side, more elk, and then -- adding insult to injury -- even more at the Elk Country RV Park, where we were once, sigh, slated to stop.

The elk at Elk Country RV Park -- from the bus as we drive by.

But after spending all that time waiting for elk to show up at Elk Meadows, we decided that our  Benbow destination was unreasonable, and so decided to stop at Fortuna after all. Even though Arcata is only a half hour away, it was late when we got in, and so still didn't get to visit with Annie. "Next time."

And now it's the next morning and we're trying desperately for that elusive "early start". On to Ukiah!