Travel Day from Hell

Oh My What a travel day!!!
The day started out gorgeous as we all pulled out of Benbow about 8:00 am. Ed started out driving and we switched and I got about 82 miles in. I asked about the road and was told it was so/so… well it was a curvy road but for some reason did not bother me that much. We stopped for lunch in Brookings where the entire group caught up. The restaurant where some remembered from trips past was no longer so we picked another and had lunch on the deck. A bit chilly but we enjoyed the meal. All was well until this point then all hell broke loose. There was a detour sign on the road for motor homes and RV’s to take. George who was in the lead missed the detour but we took it with Ken and Betty, Dave and April following. The road got worse and worse and down to a one lane road. Dave and April turned around as soon as they could because of fuel issues; we stopped just before the one lane road. We had to unhook the tow vehicle then get the rig turned around. Ken and Betty had not come back yet so we went in search for them and found them heading back. Whoever was the idiot that put up those detour signs should be hung by the you know whats!!!! Finally back on 101 we decided I would just drive the smartcar and Ed would follow. We tried to reach Dave and April but no response so assumed they were on the road ahead of us. By this time it was late afternoon and nerves were rattled and Maureen was getting very bitchy. YES, I admit it!! Even after we took the turn off from 101, Ed hit a branch that he thought tore the side of the rig, in the meantime dropped the two way radio and therefore could not answer Maureen. After several calls to George we made it in to camp. We found out Dave and April were still out there somewhere. They finally arrived about 7:00 pm. What a day….
The group were in Yurt with snacks and adult beverages. We had a meeting to discuss the agenda for the week. After that a nice walk on the beach that soothed the soul… I sure needed that.
More adventures tomorrow and I will try and get some pictures on the blog soon. So glad that everyone is here safe and sound and cheers to a great week.

Benbow August 8, 2009

Some of the gals

Some of the guys

Betty and Jane having tea

Benbow Inn

What gorgeous country here in Benbow. The weather is perfect and the company is awesome. The day started out with several of the fellows venturing off to the golf course. I have not heard any bragging so guess it was a so/so day. Some of the ladies drove into Garberville to check out the local sites. Ed and I went into Garberville to have lunch with Cousin Steve and Annie. Cute town and the food was good at the local cafe.

This afternoon, Rosie, Betty W., Jane, Betty F. and I walked up to the Benbow Hotel for tea and scones. A beautiful historical hotel with lovely grounds. We had a pleasant afternoon and just nice to relax and visit.

Tonight we had a Burger BBQ with Chef Butch and Mike. Everyone pitched in with go with's and side dishes, and of course dessert. We always have a great time and tonight was no exception. Thanks to the chefs of the evening, was really good.

Seems we are leaving tomorrow morning at various hours, Butch and Betty said 7:00 am and most of us are talking about 8:00 am. If Ed had his way it would be noon... It is about a 5 hour drive but with pit stops and a lunch stop it will take about 7 or 8 hours. Looking forward to meeting up with the rest of our group in Coos Bay.

Having trouble with the photos tonight so I will add more to this blog tomorrow.

Back on the Road Again.. Coos Bay here we come!

Sugar Max

Buddy Benbow Campsite

Back on the Road Again…
Fantastic!! Seems like such a long time but the SIIRS 15 RV group is on the first trip of the year. The trip “officially starts” Sunday in Coos Bay Oregon, but as usual some of the group took off a day or two early. The commuters on Highway 16 (Jackson Highway) probably groaned when they saw seven rigs in the Scales area ready to pull out at 8:00 am. The advantage we had as travelers is it was Furlough Friday so the traffic was not as bad as it could be at that time of morning. Butch and Betty (hey Butch it was 8:00 am right) Rosie and Mike, Arnie and Marilyn and of course Sugar, and Lenard and Paula, were the firt group to pull out, they were going a different route than the other three rigs, George and Bev, Dave and April and Ed and I followed. There were a few tense moments with idiots trying to pass our caravan. Butch and company went down Highway 80 through Vallejo then up the coast, from what they said it was a hell of a ride, lots of traffic, lots of construction and major bad roads. I doubt any will return that route. George and company went up I-5 to William then around Clear Lake and Lake Mendacino which is a pretty lake. Ken and Betty met us at the restaurant where we all had breakfast, so our group was a party of four. We also ran into quite of a bit of construction but lucked out getting through without too much delay until we hit Willits. Oh boy!!!!! WHAT A MESS!!!!! We drove about 265 miles today and I got in about 80 miles.. While we were stuck in Willits Ed and I switched and he drove the rest of the way. I managed to get around the Lakes on those winding roads without incident, did not hit anything and pretty sure I did not scare Ed. Can’t say that for other drivers on the road but hey what the heck!! Our group was the first to hit Benbow RV park, and glad to see it, we were on the road almost eight hours with a stop for breakfast. Pat and Jane, Gary and Phyllis were the next to arrive and I am not sure what route they took. Butch and company shortly arrived after that. After many hugs and stories about the adventures of the road, it was 5:00 somewhere. Cocktail time…. It was great to see some of my adoptive dogs, Max of course who traveled along with us, my sweet Sugar who I have not seen in quite a while and a new dog Buddy traveling with Dave and April. I do miss my pooches. The RV park had a Mexican dinner for those that wish to participate and then had a Bingo game that night. Betty F. Betty W and I were the only brave souls to attend. I think half way through we wish we were tucked away In our rigs but we stayed to the end. Betty W won a game for her grandson, I won a Snickers Bar, real high stakes!!!!

A big welcome to Dave, April and Buddy, this is thier first trip with the RV group.

One of the highlights for me here in Benbow, I was able to spend some time with my cousin Steve and wife Annie. It was so good to see them and makes me appreciate the extended family I have even though we all do not get together often. Hope to spend some time with them tomorrow before we leave on Sunday.
I am having problems getting on the blog site but will get the posts up as soon as possible. Not sure what is on the agenda for Saturday, but with this group it will be fun!!!! Travel Day on Sunday morning August 9th to meet up with the rest of our group. We have 16 rigs meeting in Coos Bay with many adventures and lots of laughs!! Safe travels!!!

SIRS 15 RV BBQ JULY 25, 2009

July 25,2009. The SIRS 15 RV BBQ was held at The Nunnally’s with an attendance of 27 guests. The menu was BBQ Steak and fantastic side dishes and salads provided by the ladies of this fine group. George was the bartender and made some amazing mudslides. Ed really liked them and said they tasted like milkshakes. I said they sure do honey, how about another? the cooks Butch and Ed R. did a fine job of cooking the steaks, everything was so yummy. Eventually some of the guests ventured into the pool which was a perfect temperature. A very pleasant day and it was a pleasure to host the event.

Attendees

Ed and Maureen
George and Bev
Ed and Dorothy
Butch and Betty
Mike and Rosie
Gary and Phyllis
Ken and Betty
Leonard and Paula
Arnie and Marilyn
Darrell and Jean
Stan and Patty
Ed and PatL
Pat E/ Jane was on a flight home.

A huge thanks to everyone that attended all the support and help and of course the great food, but most important the great people..

Happy Mother’s Day May 10, 2009

Happy Mother’s Day May 10, 2009

We have been in the desert a little over a week. The connection was not cooperative the entire week but today I am hoping to get something on the blog.

We arrived May 1st after an 11.5 hour drive in the Smart Car. We stopped often and shared the driving. When we got to the Motorcoach Resort, wow what a difference, maybe only 100 coaches here compared to 400. During the last week many more left since the temps are in the triple digits. Ed has been dealing with getting the final done on the Casita, something we should have had in the contract, and we know how much ED hates dealing with building inspectors. We are still trying to get the gas hooked up but have three things that needed attention. One completed and two to go; hopefully have the inspection done by Tuesday or Wednesday. We are having some pavers put down for a patio area and hopefully that will start end of week. Our planned ten day stay is stretching to far more time.

We did take a side trip to Laughlin to visit Trish and Tom who traveled from Oregon on a month long trip. We did not take the coach, stayed at The Aquarius formally the Pink Flamingo. They have decent rooms and what I like about this place is the outdoor amphitheater. We missed the Beach Boys by one day. We also played on Aquarius funds.... that is always a plus.

Denise is doing well, she sounds much better this week and will know next week if she has to do any radiation treatment. I think she is planning on going back to work next week.

I was trying to get tickets to American Idol on Friday because of being a member of Ticketmaster and something else I had an early opportunity, but my connection even at the hotel could not get online, anyway long story, short version, I had Denise get the tickets on Saturday and gave her the info etc... I think she found out how frustrating this process is to get decent seats. At any rate she did well and we have seats very close to the stage. Way To Go Denise!!!!! We are fans and have attended all but one tour I think.

Today, Ed is going to finish the nuisance projects for the inspector, we will probably go to the pool this afternoon and just have a kickback day. Not sure when we will be home but I am getting homeanitus!!! Have a great day and will post some pictures when they start tearing the place up..

A Long Day Home March 21, 2009

We left Indio about 7:15 am and the smartcar was full, some of my clothes, two laptops, two camera bags, a canvas bag with miscellaneous stuff, Ed's briefcase and a small ice chest. It took 11.5 hours to get home but we did stop quite often. Ed's back was bothering him and my leg was bothering me so what a pair we were. We split the driving so it was not too bad. Actually the car is comfy and a bit cozy. I would find myself between two semi's and that was a little intimidating so would pass. The car did surprise me, I would be going 70 mph without a problem. Ed drove the speed limit. When we got home Ed did open the house for me before jumping on the tractor, both lawns were cut, the last part just about in the dark. What a guy!!!! Ed is now washing the car, I think we hit every bug from Indio to Ione.

Everything is fine here at home, the cats are ignoring me but what else is new. RayMona took care of the place and all is well in Ione. It seems strange to have the pellet stove on today, two days ago we were sitting by the pool.

Good to be home, looking forward to going back to the desert in a few weeks... anxious to see my friends here at home... Until next time......

March 18, 2009 Almost Over..

We have been down here in Indio almost three weeks and time sure has flown by. I have been negligent on the blog but I do have a good excuse.. for the last week the allergies hit and oh my, I am not a happy camper. Finally easing up and able to enjoy the last couple of days. Believe it or not, I was not even in the mood to shop.... The weather has gotten warmer and of course Ed has gotten his pool time in and 101 miles on the bike so he is happy. He also has his summer tan off to a good start. We did get to the driving range one day and I have concluded I need lessons badly. Hopefully when we are back down here I can get some lessons in.

I mentioned on my last entry that we were in a business deal down here. After visiting this resort for the last five years, we bought a lot in the Signature Resort Motorcoach Country Club. Because Monaco filed bankruptcy and had about 12 lots left, the price was reduced enough to be a good investment. It is what they call a water lot meaning we are on the water rather than a golf course lot or privacy lot. We should close on the deal in the next week but we do have possession of the property. We have a Casita... some have suggested we downsize our living quarters so from 5200 square feet to 117 square feet would be downsizing ? We are not giving up the house though... The Casita is pretty nice, it has a washer/dryer, dishwasher, microwave and bathroom, some storage. We do have one minor problem.. trying to convince Ed it is a Casita and not "The Tough Shed"

This is the Yacht Club that is across from our lot. We have a dock, not sure what we will do with it yet but electric boats are allowed on the waterways.

This is our Palm Tree and flowers in front of the coach.


This is view from our lot.

Looking from the street onto the lot.

We will be driving the smartcar home, leaving the coach as we should be back in a month or so. I am now trying to figure out how I am going to get the clothes I need to take home and two laptops plus all the little stuff that must go home... should be an interesting trip..

Thanks to Sue and Gary for many answers to questions and hope to see you soon.

Time Slips Away March 11,2009

So much for keeping up with the blog everyday. We have had a great week since my last post. Last Wednesday we went to Palm Springs to get tickets for the Follies, the matinee was just about to start and two gentlemen were outside selling tickets. They were with an RV group from the San Diego area and we got a bargain $80.00 tickets for $25.00. We sat with this group and a lively bunch they were. If you have not seen this show, it is a must do if in the Palm Springs area.

Thursday and Friday cooled down here in the desert and that gave time for Ed to get over the sunburn. He is now patiently waiting for it to warm up enough to go back to the pool.

Saturday we went to the Craft Fair in Palm Desert, Ed was a good sport walking around as this is not his thing. We picked up a few items and then headed to the airport. There was a tribute to the Canadian Armed Forces and an air show which of course Ed did enjoy. Here again is a neat place to visit in this area. The air museum is very nice and quite a few planes to see. The volunteers are extremely nice and ever so helpful.

Last night we had dinner with John and family at an Italian restaurant in Palm Desert. Have known this guy since he was a year old and now a family of his own. He is in a blended family and ten kids between them, some are grown but the ones still at home range from five years to eighteen years.

These ducks would show up every morning and take a swim in the neighbors pool.

Ominous sky

We are in the middle of a business deal down here and there will be more on that later. For our friends still traveling, drive safe and for those at home, we will see you soon.

Ed is Red March 3, 2009

Good evening,

We have been here two full days and really not a whole lot going on. Relaxing is the main objective right now. Ed made his way to the pool the last two days and now we can call him RED. I mentioned yesterday, Ed you are getting red, response was I always get a little red.. hmmm crispy critter comes to mind. He is glowing. I think our pool time will be on hold for a couple of days. The weather will be changing with cooler temps and wind. The YELLOW TEAM arrived today and now the rig and smart car are nice and clean. The price was considerably lower than last year.

How many does it take to wash a SmartCar?

Ed checking the rig and approves.

Just talked to Butch and Betty and they are not planning to go home via Indio, however they were not going to stay in Arizona this long either so all travel is subject to change. They have seen Mike and Claudia in Mesa and reports they are very happy working and playing down there.

A couple of view out our front window.

Road Runners are playing outside our rig

I understand it is storming back home, guess all we had to do was leave to get the much needed rain. The gal that is taking care of our house is giving us updates on the rainfall.. 14.72 inches and still raining..

Indio California March 1, 2009

We left Orange Grove RV Park about 9:30 am, drove to 4 Corners, all the RV folks we travel with know 4 Corners, and had breakfast there. I took over driving for the next hour and got 68 miles in today. We drove a total of 247 miles in about five hours with time out for breakfast. When the road started to get narrower and narrower and curvy, I decided I should go back to reading my book and let Ed take back the wheel. The spot we are in this visit is not as nice as the last one, the view is not as spectacular and we are further from the pool. It is nice though and I am sure we will enjoy it. We got about a half hour bike ride in after getting set up.

Sue stopped by and said hello with a mutual friend of Pat and Jane Ellis.
We ran into Gary later in the afternoon on our bike ride. The weather is gorgeous and 87 degrees when we arrived. It is suppose to stay nice until Wednesday when it will cool down a bit. We are looking forward to visiting with friends we have down here, enjoy the pool and maybe get some time at the driving range.

Navigation system is cool has four screens so I can see the left side, right side and the rear with the tow car and the navigation system. It is great when we finally read the manual.

This is our spot in Indio, it was getting late when I took pictures and will have better ones during the week.

I have more pictures but the connection is not allowing me to upload them tonight.. So until tomorrow............