We arrived at the  Morgan Hill Thousand Trails preserve on Monday, with a fourteen day reservation. We expected it to be busy with the holiday weekend and all, but we had no problem finding a nice, level site with a good shot at the sky for our TV dish. I wasn’t impressed that the air conditioning in the Adult Lounge wasn’t working, making it too hot to be in there, but that wasn’t a deal breaker.

As expected, the campground filled up over the next few days, and by Friday morning it was packed. A large crowd of young people were parked on both sides of us, in front, and behind us. They were having a good time, and we had no problem with that, except that they kept walking through our campsite.

But then they brought out a boom box that was so loud that, sitting inside our RV with the windows closed, air conditioner on, and TV on, we had to turn the TV almost all the way up to hear it. Somebody must have complained, because a ranger came by and talked to them, and they turned it down for about 20 minutes, and then had it at full blast again. Finally, late in the evening I walked over and told them to turn it down or off, and they did.

About mid-day yesterday the power went off, and since it was in the high 80s, we opened our windows and turned on our exhaust fans, but it still quickly got to 93 degrees in our motorhome, according to our digital thermostat. I called the main office number, and the ranger station, but nobody answered the phone, so after a half hour or so I went looking and found an employee, and told him about the power. He said “If all of you people wouldn’t have your AC on during the heat of the day, that wouldn’t happen.” Huh? When should I run my AC, if not during the hottest part of the day?

Meanwhile, back at our RV, the fellow next to us, part of the party crowd, had fired up a cheap construction type generator, which was very loud, and was right under our open window, so the fumes were coming inside our rig. A few minutes later the worker came by and said he had reset the breaker for our area, but to expect it to go out again pretty soon. Terry complained about the generator, so he went across the street and found the owner, and had him shut it down. As predicted, the power didn’t stay on very long, and we were back to sitting in a sauna.

Apparently these were local people, because several cars came in on day passes to party with them, and it kept getting louder. No power, a loud noisy crowd with no regard for other people and no respect for their space, and a campground staff that didn’t care. That was enough for us.  Our bullshit tolerance level had been exceeded.

One of the great things about the RV lifestyle is that, if you don’t like the neighbors, you can move. And that’s just what we did! We left Thousand Trails and went to the Elks lodge in Gilroy, about twelve miles away. They have eight back-in sites with 50 amp electric and water, on a hill with a great view.

The place is almost full, and though the RVs are parked pretty close together, we still have as much or more room than we did at the Thousand Trails, and it is nice and quiet. We’re much more comfortable here, and glad we moved.

When we left the Thousand Trails, Terry stopped at the guard shack to tell them why we were leaving early, and that we were unhappy, but the ranger just said “Okay, have a nice day.” As we were leaving, a sheriff’s car was pulling in with lights flashing. I don’t know what happened, and I don’t care. We won’t be back again.

Bad Nick doesn’t let trivial things like obnoxious neighbors and power outages get in his way. He posted a brand new Bad Nick Blog titled Happy Birthday To Us. Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. – Theodore Roosevelt

Click Here To Register For Our Eastern Gypsy Gathering Rally!

In spite of the fact that it was windy and chilly yesterday, we just couldn’t stay inside when we were this close to a beach. We started out by dropping off bundles of sample issues of the Gypsy Journal at some of the local RV parks between Oceano and Pismo Beach. They sure cram a lot of RVs into small spaces here on the central California coast, where land is at a premium!

Then we spent some time walking out on the Pismo Beach pier, stopping to watch surfers trying to catch just the right wave. Those kids have more energy than common sense! That water sure looked cold!

Further out the pier, there were a few folks fishing. No license is required, and you can rent a rod and tackle from a vendor on the pier.

As much as we enjoyed the pier, the cold wind drove us off after a half hour or so. We did some browsing at the shops along the waterfront, then drove to a used book store in Grover Beach, where the pickings were slim.

Blog reader Levonne Gaddy had suggested we try Mama’s Meatball, a block or two from the Elks lodge campground, for pizza, so we stopped there and it was very good. The crust was super thin, but the blend of cheeses was delicious.

The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is within walking distance of the Elks campground, but we chose to take the van and stay out of the wind. We parked near the entrance to the fee area and spent the afternoon watching all of the activity on the beach. We love people watching, and a day at the beach can be more entertaining than an afternoon matinee.

This is one of the few places where you can drive on the beach, and people come here from hundreds of miles away to drive 4x4s, ATVs, motorcycles, and even family cars on the sand.

If you drive on the hard packed sand, you are usually okay, but if you get stuck (and a lot of people do), the local tow trucks are equipped to pull you out, for a price.

Some folks get carried away having fun and get stupid instead. This is the end result when that happens. Whoever was in the cab of this truck must have had a terrible headache, if not worse.

You can even camp on the beach, and though we would not have considered bringing our Winnebago out there, we saw a lot of RVs coming and going.

If you get your fifth wheel or motorhome stuck here, you’re really stuck!

Some people choose to get back to the basics when it comes to horsepower. These may not be the most comfortable ride on the beach,  don’t at least they get stuck very often.

We also watched windsurfers zipping up and down just offshore. It must take a lot of arm strength to hold onto those things!

Some of the acrobatics they were doing were fascinating!

We returned to the Oceano Elks campground about 7:30 p.m., and the place had really filled up while we were gone! I don’t know how they squeeze so many RVs into such a small campground, but like I said, space is at a premium on the coast.

We spent the rest of the evening inside, not doing much of anything. It was a wonderful, relaxing day, in spite of the wind and cold, and we are feeling more relaxed than we have in months. We really needed this time. We love our family and friends, and we cherish being with them. But sometimes we just have to have some “us” time, away from everybody. It’s our special reward to ourselves.

Bad Nick has been lazy lately, and we haven’t heard much from him. But yesterday while we were out playing beach bums, he was at the computer posting a new Bad Nick Blog titled What About Them? Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – The things that come to those who wait may be the things left by those who got there first.

Click Here To Register For Our Eastern Gypsy Gathering Rally!

Terry and I did a lot of exploring along the central coast yesterday, but rather than post one super long blog, I’ll break it up into two or three shorter blogs over the next few days, since the weather is turning colder here, and we probably won’t be out playing as much.

One of our favorite places in the world is Morro Bay, California. I first discovered this charming little town back in the mid-1970s, and I said then that if it wasn’t in California, I’d move there. Even with the state’s drawbacks (flakey politics, taxes, over-population), I’ve still seriously considered it a time or two. When Miss Terry and I got married thirteen years ago, I brought her to Morro Bay for our honeymoon, and she was just as taken by the place as I was. I think Terry said it best yesterday when she said her soul is at peace here.

The town takes its name from its famous landmark, Morro Rock, a 576 foot high volcanic plug that stands at the entrance to the harbor. Morro Rock was named by Spanish adventurer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, when he explored the coast during the 16th Century.

Morro Bay is a working fishing village, and you can watch commercial fishing boats unloading their catches at the docks along the Embarcadero every day. The town is also a tourist destination, with dozens of shops and restaurants lining the waterfront and extending up the hill from the harbor.

In spite of the current cold snap we are experiencing, overall Morro Bay has mild weather all year long. Terry and I commented yesterday that we had better weather during our honeymoon, which was in January, than during this late June visit.

Besides shopping and dining, you can book a charter fishing trip, take a whale watching expedition, a boat tour of the harbor, or rent a kayak and explore on your own.

Terry and I wandered up and down the waterfront, poking our heads into the shops, admiring some of the crafts on sale, and watching harbor seals swimming along and bobbing their heads out of the water.

Now, while Morro Bay has not changed much over time, I do have to say that I noticed one major difference. I used to love to go to Crills II Bakery for their cinnamon rolls, and sitting at one of the outdoor tables along the waterfront, eating one and watching harbor life go by, was always a treat. But, after all these years of eating the wonderful cinnamon rolls that Miss Terry makes, Crills just didn’t hold up yesterday. That lady has spoiled me in more than a few ways!

It was a weird day yesterday – for much of the day a heavy cloud cover obscured parts of Morro Rock, then it would suddenly clear up for a while to give us a nice view, and then just as quickly the shroud would drop back down.

After a while, it became a little too cold to be comfortable on the waterfront. We visited a few RV parks in Morro Bay, dropping off bundles of sample copies of the Gypsy Journal, and then we drove up the coast to check out some other places.

We returned to Morro Bay for dinner at The Galley, an upscale seafood restaurant with a wall of large windows overlooking the bay and Morro Rock. Terry had the sautéed scallops, while I chose the fried prawns. Both were good, but the place is out of our price range for frequent visits, and we’ve had better meals for less money.

When we got back to the Elks lodge campground in Oceano, we discovered that a small Class C had arrived and was parked on the other side of us from the RV that came in the day before. Our new neighbors have a couple of young boys with them, and at 10:30 p.m. they were still outside making a lot of noise. I don’t think we’ve ever had any neighbors with kids at an Elks lodge before. We don’t mind kids; heck, we used to be kids ourselves once. But now we’ve become grouchy old farts, and we’re not thrilled with people who allow their kids or pets to disturb others. 

Thought For The Day – By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he’s too old to go anywhere.

Click Here To Register For Our Eastern Gypsy Gathering Rally!

We spent yesterday playing tour guide, showing our pals Greg and Jan White around our former home, here in Arizona’s White Mountains. It was fun seeing some favorite old places we have not seen since we hit the road eleven years ago through their eyes.

A lot of people think of Arizona as all sand and cactus, but the White Mountains rise over 10,000 feet, and this is a land of thick Ponderosa pine forests, sparkling lakes, and one of the best known snow skiing areas in the Southwest.

We started our day with a stop at Anasazi Trading Post in Lakeside, where Jan and Miss Terry did some browsing while Greg and I sat outside in the truck and solved most of the problems in the world. Then we stopped at Pinetop Sporting Goods to introduce Greg and Jan to my good friend Lyle Worman, and Terry popped into the locksmith shop next door to get an extra set of door keys to our motorhome made, so we will not find ourselves locked out again, as described in yesterday’s blog. 

Then we stopped at Pinetop Book Exchange, owned by another longtime friend, Jim Lewis. Greg and Jan bought a few books, and we had a nice visit, even though it was short. By then it was early afternoon, so we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at Red Devil, which is a small restaurant that serves excellent Italian food and pizza.

About halfway through our meal, I realized that I did not have my Blackberry with me, though I knew I had it earlier in the day. I used Greg’s phone to call my own number, and it rang twice before Jim answered. Just as I had suspected, I had left it at the bookstore. Fortunately, we were only a 1/4 mile or so away, so we went back and I ran in to fetch it.

We drove out through the White Mountain Apache Reservation, where Greg and Jan admired the beautiful forests and lakes we passed by. We took a side trip off of State Route 260 onto State Route 373, for the short drive to the little mountain hamlet of Greer, known as “The Town at the End of the Road,” because the road literally ends five miles from the main highway. 

We were amazed at how much Greer has grown since we were there last. For years the only things there were a few scattered summer cabins, a couple of gift shops, and the historic Molly Butler Lodge. Now there are several huge lodges, beautiful log homes that serve as “summer cabins” for flatlanders, and the place was packed. Greer is no longer the sleepy little community we once loved. It has grown up.

From Greer, we drove to Springerville, where we stopped at Western Drug, one of my favorite stores. Western Drug is kind of like an old time general store. You can buy cooking utensils, fabric and yarn, fishing supplies, guns and ammo, medicine, clothes, boots, and just about anything else your heart desires.

Standing on the corner near Western Drug is this Madonna of the Trail statue, one of 12 identical monuments located from Bethesda, Maryland to Upland, California, along the route of the National Old Trails Road, established in 1912.

We returned to Show Low by way of US Highway 60, completing a circular route of about a 115 mile loop, including the detour to Greer and back. While State Route 260 traverses pine forests most of the way from Show Low to Springerville, US 60 travels through open high plains and scattered juniper, where we saw a lot of antelope standing a hundred yards or so off the highway.

Back at our motorhome at the Elks lodge campground, Greg fiddled with some settings on my RV blog and website to try to resolve some problems people are having trying to subscribe, and then we polished off the last of Miss Terry’s wonderful cinnamon rolls before we called it a night.

In yesterday’s blog I told you about WalMart Bingo, and in response, my friend Joyce Space sent me this link to a fun little You Tube video about RVers and WalMart. 

The video may be fun, but Bad Nick has some not so funny things to tell you in his latest Bad Nick Blog post titled Our Tax Dollars At Work. Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – It is never too late, unless you’re dead. If you’re not, go ahead and try for your dream.

Click Here To Register For Our Eastern Gypsy Gathering Rally!

We have visitors! Yesterday afternoon our dear friends Greg and Jan White arrived at the Elks lodge campground here in Show Low, on their way south to Austin, Texas for the daughter Brandi’s wedding later this month.

We last saw Greg and Jan when we spent two weeks in Las Vegas with them in March, where we had more fun than four old farts should be allowed to. Greg and I agree that it’s probably a good thing that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

While Greg was hooking up their utilities, Jan and Miss Terry went inside our motorhome so Terry could show Jan the new window blinds she installed. We’re not sure how it happened, but when they came back outside, our entry door got locked, and both sets of our keys were inside the RV. (Note to self – get a set of spare keys made and stash them in the Hide-A-Key box with the van key.) 

Since we had the air conditioning on, all of the windows were closed, so I called Coach-Net, our roadside service provider. Coach-Net has bailed us out several times over the years, and I would not start the engine of our motorhome or van without their coverage. Our service package includes free lock out service, so I gave the nice lady at Coach-Net our information, and she dispatched a locksmith, telling me that they would be there in less than an hour.

But as it turned out, we didn’t need them. While I was on the telephone, my daughter Tiffany and her family pulled up, and son-in-law Jim found a window he managed to get open, then he boosted seven year old granddaughter Hailey inside, where she quickly opened the door for us. I was still on the phone with Coach-Net, so I told the lady to cancel the locksmith, and thanked her for her assistance. Then we profusely thanked both Jim and Hailey for their help.

After visiting for a while, Tiffany and Jim left, and by then it was dinnertime. We drove into Pinetop to introduce Greg and Jan to our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Rancho, where the food and service suitably impressed them. We had a great meal, and a good time comparing notes on our travels since we were last together.

The restaurant also has a catering service, and we thought the name was so funny that Terry took a picture of it.

When Miss Terry learned that Greg and Jan were coming to Show Low, it gave her an excuse to make a batch of her delicious cinnamon rolls. No prepackaged mixes for her, my wife is a from scratch cook, and the night before, she made the dough and added pecans, then set them out in a pan in the refrigerator to rise overnight. After we got back to the campground and had time for our dinner to settle, she baked the cinnamon rolls, and the four of us stuffed ourselves all over again. They were wonderful!

After our snack, we sat around visiting for a couple of hours. Here are Greg and Jan, and that’s my iPad he’s checking out. Great T-shirt, Greg! It sure is nice to have our friends here with us for a few days!

Before I leave you, I have to tell you about something funny that Tiffany shared with us. Do a Google search for the words Walmart Bingo and print out a couple of the game cards, then take them with you the next time you go to everybody’s favorite superstore. I wonder how many you can find in one shopping trip. Now, that’s as funny as the photos on the  website peopleofwalmart.com!

Thought For The Day – Ask people why they have deer heads on their walls and they tell you it’s because they’re such beautiful animals. I think my wife is beautiful, but I only have photographs of her on the wall.

Click Here To Register For Our Eastern Gypsy Gathering Rally!