Off to the Sun Again

I see that I am at it again. Writing, that is. It’s been a while. Haven’t really felt like it but for some reason the need has arisen. Maybe it’s because we are traveling again? Maybe…

After spending the holidays at home with family and friends and then turning the house over to son, Chris we’ve hit the road to find sunshine, palm trees and the joint loosening heat we crave during the Northwest’s damp gloom.

 

A visit with great-grandson, Liam on the way south.

Leaving the RV in Redding, CA in October was, we thought, a brilliant plan to avoid driving through slippery mountain passes in a behemoth. As it turned out, there was no snow, no ice, no frost, no temperatures below 40. Huh. When we arrived, “Trudie” was waiting just where we’d left her, a bit dusty but clearly anxious to get on the road since all her batteries were good and she started right up.

Our first stop was a short 30 miles down the road in Red Bluff. Organizing and provisioning were the big agenda items so we paid for 3 nights. Our last day brought torrents of rain so we stayed two more. We are nothing if not flexible! Besides, friends from Portland were in the area so that gave us time to get together with them.

Bakersfield was our next, very long leg. Our reward after a 7-hour drive was a stay at one of our favorite RV parks. This place has a great restaurant that delivers to your site at no charge and who in their right mind feels like cooking or even getting in the car to go out for dinner after that?

We are in Desert Hot Springs now - for a whole week. This is a lovely park that is new to us but I wouldn’t be averse to staying here again. This is clearly a place people stay for extended periods of time. Among the many amenities is the natural mineral water. We are apparently sitting exactly on top of the San Andreas Fault (hmmm) and the water in the pools and hot tubs comes directly out of there. When it gets to the surface it is so hot that they actually have to cool it down before it goes into the pools. Yesterday the temperature in the upper pool was 94˚ and the hot tub was 104˚! Chris & I have yet to try out these mineral baths but we intend to do that before we leave…maybe today.

 

Beautiful view of the mountains to the NW (Santa Rosa?)

Ducks, turtles & Bluegill are in this lovely pond in the RV Park.

FYI: You know you are in California when you see a billboard advertising Brazilian Butt Lifts for $6600…and a road sign for the 1^st Atheist Church on the next exit!