Writing this from the Starbucks in Eureka which is on the main street, also known as Highway 101.
We’ve travelled about 275 miles from the Bay Area so far. Today we are heading up 101 to Crescent City, then across into Oregon to Ashland. That’s about another 250 miles and should take us around 6 hours if the traffic stays light. So far we have added only one scratch to the RV – from a campground branch – and had no near misses on the road. Hubby even successfully got the van level yesterday by using the two wedges provided, and is generally feeling quite cocky about the whole thing.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
In the Land of the Giants
And here’s our blog entry for Monday August 24….
The day started bright and chilly with the RV windows fogged with condensation and Little Starlet climbing into our bed complaining of cold toes. We spent 50c each on a shower in the campground facilities and it was money well spent (especially for Little Starlet’s feet).
Today was a hiking day. Over the course of five hours we walked a mile of the Bull Creek Flats Trail, then across the creek onto Mattole Road, up the Addie Johnson Trail (and back, as that isn’t a loop), and returned to Albee Creek campground via the Homestead Trail. Our route took us through silent groves of old growth redwood trees, where there were few birds or tourists to interrupt the solitude. We practically had the place to ourselves. Unfortunately, Little Starlet would not stop yakking, which really spoiled the almost creepy stillness of the forest; so Deep Thought and I pressed on ahead, leaving her with Hubby and his new camera to take many, many, many photos of tall trees.
Most overused sentence of the day: “Look, there’s a big tree.” It was one of those places that made you feel privileged to be there. There’s something about a tree that is so straight and tall that you can hardly see where the canopy begins that makes you feel insignificant. Some of these trees are 50+ feet in circumference, and 350+ feet tall. Some are thought to be well over 1,000 years old. It’s strange to think of a living thing that was already growing when the Vikings were looting and pillaging our Anglo-Saxon ancestors.
We were perhaps even more impressed by some of the fallen trees, many of which were real giants in their prime. When the trees fall, they pull up their root balls. They seem comparatively small for such large plants, but leave large holes in the ground, and tower above us like great tufts of ossified Medusa hair. Deep Thought was impressed from the start, and even Little Starlet stopped her chatting to focus on the incredible things around us.
Our walk up Addie Johnson Trail was a diversion, aiming to give us a bit more exercise. We climbed to the top of a steepish hill – Little Starlet shamelessly got her Dad to carry her part of the way on his back, while Deep Thought practically sprinted up in a display of Mom-shaming fitness – to arrive at a view and the grave of Addie Johnson. When she died in 1880 at age 27, she was the first white woman to do so in the area. We didn’t learn anything else about her, but an information board close to the Big Tree Area told us that pioneer homesteading began in this area in 1870. It’s amazing to think of European settlers coming to farm this land as recently as that.
By the time we got back to the campground, we were all quite exhausted and had a collection of over 200 photos of redwood trees between us. We finished the day with board games by the fire and some star-gazing. It’s been a perfect visit to a beautiful area. We would thoroughly recommend it.
The day started bright and chilly with the RV windows fogged with condensation and Little Starlet climbing into our bed complaining of cold toes. We spent 50c each on a shower in the campground facilities and it was money well spent (especially for Little Starlet’s feet).
Today was a hiking day. Over the course of five hours we walked a mile of the Bull Creek Flats Trail, then across the creek onto Mattole Road, up the Addie Johnson Trail (and back, as that isn’t a loop), and returned to Albee Creek campground via the Homestead Trail. Our route took us through silent groves of old growth redwood trees, where there were few birds or tourists to interrupt the solitude. We practically had the place to ourselves. Unfortunately, Little Starlet would not stop yakking, which really spoiled the almost creepy stillness of the forest; so Deep Thought and I pressed on ahead, leaving her with Hubby and his new camera to take many, many, many photos of tall trees.
Most overused sentence of the day: “Look, there’s a big tree.” It was one of those places that made you feel privileged to be there. There’s something about a tree that is so straight and tall that you can hardly see where the canopy begins that makes you feel insignificant. Some of these trees are 50+ feet in circumference, and 350+ feet tall. Some are thought to be well over 1,000 years old. It’s strange to think of a living thing that was already growing when the Vikings were looting and pillaging our Anglo-Saxon ancestors.
We were perhaps even more impressed by some of the fallen trees, many of which were real giants in their prime. When the trees fall, they pull up their root balls. They seem comparatively small for such large plants, but leave large holes in the ground, and tower above us like great tufts of ossified Medusa hair. Deep Thought was impressed from the start, and even Little Starlet stopped her chatting to focus on the incredible things around us.
Our walk up Addie Johnson Trail was a diversion, aiming to give us a bit more exercise. We climbed to the top of a steepish hill – Little Starlet shamelessly got her Dad to carry her part of the way on his back, while Deep Thought practically sprinted up in a display of Mom-shaming fitness – to arrive at a view and the grave of Addie Johnson. When she died in 1880 at age 27, she was the first white woman to do so in the area. We didn’t learn anything else about her, but an information board close to the Big Tree Area told us that pioneer homesteading began in this area in 1870. It’s amazing to think of European settlers coming to farm this land as recently as that.
By the time we got back to the campground, we were all quite exhausted and had a collection of over 200 photos of redwood trees between us. We finished the day with board games by the fire and some star-gazing. It’s been a perfect visit to a beautiful area. We would thoroughly recommend it.
Children Can Surprise You Sometimes
Little Starlet turned to us on our first day out and asked if she could please have a chore to do? Deep Thought didn’t rush forward similarly, but it seemed like a good idea, and how often do the little darlings actually ask to be given work instead of being waited on? So they have been assigned the job of washing and drying up after each meal, taking it in turns to do one half of the task. Hubby and I are pleasantly surprised by how eagerly they’ve taken this on, rejecting parental guidance and almost managing to be civil to each other while contributing to the trip. It’s helped make this more of a team event, all to the good. We should definitely assign jobs to all the kids on future camping trips.
Into the Land of Trees
We are getting connectivity so infrequently that you’ll have to put up with long, late entries. Here’s the report for Sunday, August 23….
North of Ukiah we chugged through some road works, then it was onwards along 101 to the redwood coast. The traffic has been very light since we got out of the Bay Area. It is only since Ukiah that we’ve really started to notice our fellow RVers (and the RV size seems to be increasing too, must be the clean air helping them to grow). Some of the roads were a bit too twisty for Little Starlet’s taste, but it was all very picturesque.
The vineyards continued into Sonoma. We stopped for a few photos at the side of the road in Alexander. Little Starlet inspected a Merlot vine and asked “Are these blueberries?” We rolled through a bunch of little towns including Legget, Willets, Laytonville, Garberville, Weott, Mercer, and Myer Flats on the way to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. None of them seemed particularly large or remarkable. Hubby refused to be diverted by a side trip to the “Drive Through Tree” in Leggett.
A couple of times we drove past tiny beat-up middle and high schools, which made the kids go “whoa” in appreciation of what it might be like growing up in these kinds of rural outposts. (It was good to know that they did occasionally look out of the window. Much of the time they were glued to the DVD player – we could tell because they were singing along to the “Annie” soundtrack.)
At Willets, we felt that we’d entered logging country. That was roughly the point where the vineyards gave way to the redwoods. The road follows the Russian River, and then the Eel River, some of which seems little more than dry river bed. All the tributaries seem to be dry, with some pretty dramatic rocky beds and craggy hillsides. We passed several amazingly big piles of logs too. Some of the small towns up here have a “wild west” feel, with wooden store fronts complete with hitching posts. We thought Geyserville was a particularly pretty example (which also had an interesting mix of artsy-crafty stores, Victorian bed and breakfasts, and fancy hotels).
We came off 101 at Phillipsville to follow the Avenue of the Giants into the State Park. They aren’t kidding either: There are some truly giant redwoods trees along this route. We stopped to admire one that must have been 25 feet in circumference, and another fallen tree with an exposed root system that dwarfed Hubby. In fact we stopped so often to admire trees and take photos that the kids started to complain we’d never arrive. So Hubby reined himself in, and we pressed on to the campground.
The last five miles to Albee Creek were along a stunningly bumpy road, so narrow in places that the RV only just went through (Deep Thought likened it to the Knight Bus breathing in to squeeze in between the London buses in HP3); and so uneven that at one point the food cupboard burst open, showering the kids with bagels and cheese crackers.
The campsite is really pretty, shaded by second growth redwoods, with a meadow leading down to a creek. We’re looking forward to a hike tomorrow back towards the Avenue of the Giants.
Notable moments of the day:
1) The Avenue of the Giants – a “must see” if you are in this area - something that, for once, merits the word “awesome”.
2) Following a deer through a field on the edge of the campsite: Amazingly, the deer had appeared even though Little Starlet was entertaining us with a very loud rendition of “The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow”.
3) Seeing a frog jump into the creek, watching huge water boatmen on the water’s surface, spotting a red-headed vulture sitting in a dead tree, and picking up a stone that might contain a fern fossil.
4) Deep Thought’s second birthday cake in one weekend – because today was actually her birthday. Double digits!
5) The kids declaring that McDonalds was only just acceptable as a lunch place, and they’d really prefer to go to a proper restaurant. Progress!
6) Hubby refusing to let me stop at the Starbucks in Ukiah. He says he’s making me go cold turkey. What a meanie.
7) Little Starlet panicking at bedtime, fearing that a bear was going to come into the RV. She’d been worrying about a displayed photo of a bear in the campground taken in June, poor little thing. We had to lock the kids in so that they’d feel safe while we drank our tea by the fire.
North of Ukiah we chugged through some road works, then it was onwards along 101 to the redwood coast. The traffic has been very light since we got out of the Bay Area. It is only since Ukiah that we’ve really started to notice our fellow RVers (and the RV size seems to be increasing too, must be the clean air helping them to grow). Some of the roads were a bit too twisty for Little Starlet’s taste, but it was all very picturesque.
The vineyards continued into Sonoma. We stopped for a few photos at the side of the road in Alexander. Little Starlet inspected a Merlot vine and asked “Are these blueberries?” We rolled through a bunch of little towns including Legget, Willets, Laytonville, Garberville, Weott, Mercer, and Myer Flats on the way to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. None of them seemed particularly large or remarkable. Hubby refused to be diverted by a side trip to the “Drive Through Tree” in Leggett.
A couple of times we drove past tiny beat-up middle and high schools, which made the kids go “whoa” in appreciation of what it might be like growing up in these kinds of rural outposts. (It was good to know that they did occasionally look out of the window. Much of the time they were glued to the DVD player – we could tell because they were singing along to the “Annie” soundtrack.)
At Willets, we felt that we’d entered logging country. That was roughly the point where the vineyards gave way to the redwoods. The road follows the Russian River, and then the Eel River, some of which seems little more than dry river bed. All the tributaries seem to be dry, with some pretty dramatic rocky beds and craggy hillsides. We passed several amazingly big piles of logs too. Some of the small towns up here have a “wild west” feel, with wooden store fronts complete with hitching posts. We thought Geyserville was a particularly pretty example (which also had an interesting mix of artsy-crafty stores, Victorian bed and breakfasts, and fancy hotels).
We came off 101 at Phillipsville to follow the Avenue of the Giants into the State Park. They aren’t kidding either: There are some truly giant redwoods trees along this route. We stopped to admire one that must have been 25 feet in circumference, and another fallen tree with an exposed root system that dwarfed Hubby. In fact we stopped so often to admire trees and take photos that the kids started to complain we’d never arrive. So Hubby reined himself in, and we pressed on to the campground.
The last five miles to Albee Creek were along a stunningly bumpy road, so narrow in places that the RV only just went through (Deep Thought likened it to the Knight Bus breathing in to squeeze in between the London buses in HP3); and so uneven that at one point the food cupboard burst open, showering the kids with bagels and cheese crackers.
The campsite is really pretty, shaded by second growth redwoods, with a meadow leading down to a creek. We’re looking forward to a hike tomorrow back towards the Avenue of the Giants.
Notable moments of the day:
1) The Avenue of the Giants – a “must see” if you are in this area - something that, for once, merits the word “awesome”.
2) Following a deer through a field on the edge of the campsite: Amazingly, the deer had appeared even though Little Starlet was entertaining us with a very loud rendition of “The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow”.
3) Seeing a frog jump into the creek, watching huge water boatmen on the water’s surface, spotting a red-headed vulture sitting in a dead tree, and picking up a stone that might contain a fern fossil.
4) Deep Thought’s second birthday cake in one weekend – because today was actually her birthday. Double digits!
5) The kids declaring that McDonalds was only just acceptable as a lunch place, and they’d really prefer to go to a proper restaurant. Progress!
6) Hubby refusing to let me stop at the Starbucks in Ukiah. He says he’s making me go cold turkey. What a meanie.
7) Little Starlet panicking at bedtime, fearing that a bear was going to come into the RV. She’d been worrying about a displayed photo of a bear in the campground taken in June, poor little thing. We had to lock the kids in so that they’d feel safe while we drank our tea by the fire.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Heading North
Two discoveries: (1) The RV toilet flushes, it isn't a horrid chemical toilet after all and (2) the shower in the RV runs scalding hot, freezing cold, scalding hot, freezing cold, etc. So we won't be using that much. Hubby took a shower in the park's coin showers this morning ($1 equals 2 minutes), but the kids remained filthy.
At 10am, we headed out of the Napa State Park on highway 29/highway 128 towards Ukiah. The drive across to 101 took about an hour along twisty narrow roads through lovely vineyards. Hubby particularly liked driving the twisty bits. We stopped to take photos in Sonoma, then at a gas station in Hopland, and here we are at the McDonald's in Ukiah.
Notable moments so far today:
1) the Hopland gas station's counter display of condoms and vitamin supplements "to give your lady pleasure all night."
2) Egg, bacon and sausage for breakfast.
At 10am, we headed out of the Napa State Park on highway 29/highway 128 towards Ukiah. The drive across to 101 took about an hour along twisty narrow roads through lovely vineyards. Hubby particularly liked driving the twisty bits. We stopped to take photos in Sonoma, then at a gas station in Hopland, and here we are at the McDonald's in Ukiah.
Notable moments so far today:
1) the Hopland gas station's counter display of condoms and vitamin supplements "to give your lady pleasure all night."
2) Egg, bacon and sausage for breakfast.
24 Hours in Calistoga
We're in Ukiah, and this is our first connectivity since setting off from home, so here is my blog post for yesterday...
We finally got away from the house at 10:10am, though not for long. A quick trip around the block and we were back, picking up the bag we’d forgotten. Then we were off in earnest, over the Dumbarton Bridge and up I-880 to Oakland, Berkeley, and beyond. The traffic was heavy, but Hubby did a splendid job of steering Big Bertha. Her acceleration is non-existent, and he says the steering is “casual”, but we mostly stayed in one lane, and we didn’t hit anything – not even close really.
After initial pleas to be allowed to watch a DVD – if they watch a movie for the 2 hour journey, how are they going to cope on the 6 hour one? - the kids settled down in fairly good humor to look out the window and sing all the snatches of Beatles songs that they knew. After forty minutes, they plugged themselves into the iPod, and that was the last we heard of them till lunch, which we ate at a Marie Callender. (We love chain restaurants: The law recently changed so they now have to show nutritional info for their food, which means we can find out how many carbohydrates Deep Thought will be eating, and also tremble at the fact that my chicken pot pie had 1370 calories in it, whilst Hubby’s burger gloried in 1850. Didn’t stop us eating them though.)
After lunch, Little Starlet decided to entertain us with a song of her own devising about how Santa Claus met the Green Cheese People, a rhyming ditty spontaneously composed in honor of St Agur blue cheese in which the word “peas” appeared quite frequently.
It was obviously time to arrive at the Old Faithful Geyser of California in Calistoga. We dutifully paid our $9 adults and $2 children. (Having read online reviews in advance, I had thriftily printed out the $1 off voucher from their website so it would feel better value.) We watched the geyser for about half an hour. It must have erupted about a dozen times, including the advertised 60 feet high, 3 minute spectacular. Pretty impressive.
We arrived at the Napa State Park at 3:50pm. Ours is site 22, a partial shade RV site surrounded by scrubby chapperal, California oaks, and madrone trees. Very dusty, but okay. We finished off Deep Thought’s birthday cake, then Hubby and the kids went off on their bikes to the campsite swimming pool to cool down. I don’t have a bike, so I was left behind. Dinner was pre-made chili and more birthday cake. Hubby and I ended the day with The Economist, tea and crisps next to a fire.
Notable moments of the day:
1) Little Starlet wandering round the parking lot at Marie Callenders looking for the restroom because she had misinterpreted the instruction to “head for the entrance and turn left.” (Not *through* the entrance, you nitwit.)
2) The town of St Helena, very pretty and quaint, with white fire trucks and a Robert Louis Stevenson museum, which we didn’t visit.
3) Making tea using my tiny new kettle and discovering that Hubby had only packed the giant camping mugs.
4) Little Starlet touching a gecko that was sunning itself on the picnic table.
5) Deep Thought wrestling with Hubby’s new camera, a gadget which is obviously going to become a feature of the trip.
We finally got away from the house at 10:10am, though not for long. A quick trip around the block and we were back, picking up the bag we’d forgotten. Then we were off in earnest, over the Dumbarton Bridge and up I-880 to Oakland, Berkeley, and beyond. The traffic was heavy, but Hubby did a splendid job of steering Big Bertha. Her acceleration is non-existent, and he says the steering is “casual”, but we mostly stayed in one lane, and we didn’t hit anything – not even close really.
After initial pleas to be allowed to watch a DVD – if they watch a movie for the 2 hour journey, how are they going to cope on the 6 hour one? - the kids settled down in fairly good humor to look out the window and sing all the snatches of Beatles songs that they knew. After forty minutes, they plugged themselves into the iPod, and that was the last we heard of them till lunch, which we ate at a Marie Callender. (We love chain restaurants: The law recently changed so they now have to show nutritional info for their food, which means we can find out how many carbohydrates Deep Thought will be eating, and also tremble at the fact that my chicken pot pie had 1370 calories in it, whilst Hubby’s burger gloried in 1850. Didn’t stop us eating them though.)
After lunch, Little Starlet decided to entertain us with a song of her own devising about how Santa Claus met the Green Cheese People, a rhyming ditty spontaneously composed in honor of St Agur blue cheese in which the word “peas” appeared quite frequently.
It was obviously time to arrive at the Old Faithful Geyser of California in Calistoga. We dutifully paid our $9 adults and $2 children. (Having read online reviews in advance, I had thriftily printed out the $1 off voucher from their website so it would feel better value.) We watched the geyser for about half an hour. It must have erupted about a dozen times, including the advertised 60 feet high, 3 minute spectacular. Pretty impressive.
We arrived at the Napa State Park at 3:50pm. Ours is site 22, a partial shade RV site surrounded by scrubby chapperal, California oaks, and madrone trees. Very dusty, but okay. We finished off Deep Thought’s birthday cake, then Hubby and the kids went off on their bikes to the campsite swimming pool to cool down. I don’t have a bike, so I was left behind. Dinner was pre-made chili and more birthday cake. Hubby and I ended the day with The Economist, tea and crisps next to a fire.
Notable moments of the day:
1) Little Starlet wandering round the parking lot at Marie Callenders looking for the restroom because she had misinterpreted the instruction to “head for the entrance and turn left.” (Not *through* the entrance, you nitwit.)
2) The town of St Helena, very pretty and quaint, with white fire trucks and a Robert Louis Stevenson museum, which we didn’t visit.
3) Making tea using my tiny new kettle and discovering that Hubby had only packed the giant camping mugs.
4) Little Starlet touching a gecko that was sunning itself on the picnic table.
5) Deep Thought wrestling with Hubby’s new camera, a gadget which is obviously going to become a feature of the trip.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
And We're Off!
It's been a frenzy of packing this morning - fridge stuff, extra books, lost iPod earphones - but we'll be off in about 10 minutes. Watch this space for more reports!
Whispering Sweet Nothings
Bedtime chat:
I comment that the RV is very similar in size to a Luton van that we hired to help us move house one time, and that Hubby drove that from Ashwell to Birmingham just fine.
Hubby reminds me that the first thing he did in that van was to crash into the jetty on the side of our 16th century timber framed house and pull some of the plaster off.
We decide to go to sleep.
I comment that the RV is very similar in size to a Luton van that we hired to help us move house one time, and that Hubby drove that from Ashwell to Birmingham just fine.
Hubby reminds me that the first thing he did in that van was to crash into the jetty on the side of our 16th century timber framed house and pull some of the plaster off.
We decide to go to sleep.
Itchy and Scratchy
It's 6:30am on Saturday. I already have a bug bite on my arm, and we haven't even set off yet.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Dinner's in the Freezer
Seems like cheating really, but I've got six meals tucked away in the freezer ready for our trip. I foresee complaints from the small set, as three of them are bolognese sauce, and three of them are chilli with beans. That's a lot of ground beef. But it will make a nice change from tomato sauce and grated cheese or beans on toast. At least I hope so. Could turn out to be one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time...
Almost Packed and Ready to Go
Hubby and I watched the Camping World DVD of how to use your RV. It was spookily like the Dharma Initiative videos from "Lost" - and just as complicated.
We've spent a big chunk of the day packing things into the van (now officially, though unimaginatively, christened Big Bertha) and generally admiring all the cupboards and knobs and such like, and starting to feel quite at home in our tin can. But having watched the "instructional" DVD with its many directions regarding the propane gas, the detailed commentary on the tanks and battery monitoring panel, and the discussion of different kinds of hose, we are now feeling a bit less cocky about it all.
Looking on the bright side, we've packed a substantial cross section of our belongings into the van with room to spare. All that needs to go in now are my clothes and the fridge items. The interior has nine cabinets, six drawers, a medicine cabinet, small wardrobe, and a bookshelf. There is additional storage space on the exterior of the van (good for wood and walking shoes) and inside the van under the dinette seats (though that's a bit dusty, so we might skip putting something in there unless we have to). We've been wondering how to stop everything rattling and falling about inside the cupboards, so we've adopted a slightly haphazard but hopefully effective packing technique of putting squashy things next to hard things. So, for example, the jar of salsa and the can of beans is wedged in behind a pack of bagels, while the saucepans are cushioned by multiple plastic bags and a kitchen roll. (Hubby said that the interior rattled quite alarmingly on the drive down the peninsula to home, even when it was competely empty.)
While Hubby took charge of packing the exterior storage, I was in charge of the inside. One consequence of this is that I will be the only one who knows where anything is. Ah ha, power! (Evil cackle.)
We've spent a big chunk of the day packing things into the van (now officially, though unimaginatively, christened Big Bertha) and generally admiring all the cupboards and knobs and such like, and starting to feel quite at home in our tin can. But having watched the "instructional" DVD with its many directions regarding the propane gas, the detailed commentary on the tanks and battery monitoring panel, and the discussion of different kinds of hose, we are now feeling a bit less cocky about it all.
Looking on the bright side, we've packed a substantial cross section of our belongings into the van with room to spare. All that needs to go in now are my clothes and the fridge items. The interior has nine cabinets, six drawers, a medicine cabinet, small wardrobe, and a bookshelf. There is additional storage space on the exterior of the van (good for wood and walking shoes) and inside the van under the dinette seats (though that's a bit dusty, so we might skip putting something in there unless we have to). We've been wondering how to stop everything rattling and falling about inside the cupboards, so we've adopted a slightly haphazard but hopefully effective packing technique of putting squashy things next to hard things. So, for example, the jar of salsa and the can of beans is wedged in behind a pack of bagels, while the saucepans are cushioned by multiple plastic bags and a kitchen roll. (Hubby said that the interior rattled quite alarmingly on the drive down the peninsula to home, even when it was competely empty.)
While Hubby took charge of packing the exterior storage, I was in charge of the inside. One consequence of this is that I will be the only one who knows where anything is. Ah ha, power! (Evil cackle.)
The RV has landed!
You might be saying 'that doesn't look so big'. Well you're wroooong! 25 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 11 feet high, it's massive!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Feeling Petrified?
We're heading to Calistoga on Saturday. Our first dilemma is whether to visit the Petrified Forest or the Old Faithful Geyser, or whether to give them both a miss and go for a walk instead. The problem is that we are likely to arrive in the Calistoga area several hours before we can check into the Bothe-Napa State Park. So we need to do something, and lunch at Denny's is not high on Hubby's list of wannados.
We have friends who've seen Old Faithful and describe it as "interesting but not life changing." The online reviews of both are dire, mostly along the lines of "They charged me $10 to see a pile of logs" and "They charged me $10 to pat a goat and see a not-very-impressive squirt of water after a 20 minute wait." So, as you can see, we are torn. That's California for you, so many wonderful choices.
We have friends who've seen Old Faithful and describe it as "interesting but not life changing." The online reviews of both are dire, mostly along the lines of "They charged me $10 to see a pile of logs" and "They charged me $10 to pat a goat and see a not-very-impressive squirt of water after a 20 minute wait." So, as you can see, we are torn. That's California for you, so many wonderful choices.
Dumping Heaven
Our neighbors are having their house remodeled. Yesterday, Little Starlet and I paused to watch the man empty the workers' mobile toilet ("porta-potty"). With eyebrows in her hairline and a flamboyant toss of the head, she declared that she NEVER wanted to be that man.
So it was with mobile poo on my mind that I discovered a wonderful website designed to put all your sanitary fears to rest, www.RVdumps.com, a noble website created by something called Roundabout Publications. Yes, listed in one easy directory state by state, all the dump stations available for your "black water" tanks, complete with reviews. "This one might be a bit tight for large units" says one reviewer. "Nice people, but it's all self service," sighs another. "This one provides a clean hose and everything," enthuses a third. Gosh, I can hardly wait.
Fees for getting rid of your sewage seem to range from about $2 to $20 per dump, with most commentators feeling anything over $10 is extortion (especially if it doesn't include a free refill of the water tank or another RV specific service).
And that reminds me, must remember to put "rubber gloves" on the final shopping list for tomorrow. Little Starlet might not be planning to be the Porta-Potty Man, but I know a man who is.
So it was with mobile poo on my mind that I discovered a wonderful website designed to put all your sanitary fears to rest, www.RVdumps.com, a noble website created by something called Roundabout Publications. Yes, listed in one easy directory state by state, all the dump stations available for your "black water" tanks, complete with reviews. "This one might be a bit tight for large units" says one reviewer. "Nice people, but it's all self service," sighs another. "This one provides a clean hose and everything," enthuses a third. Gosh, I can hardly wait.
Fees for getting rid of your sewage seem to range from about $2 to $20 per dump, with most commentators feeling anything over $10 is extortion (especially if it doesn't include a free refill of the water tank or another RV specific service).
And that reminds me, must remember to put "rubber gloves" on the final shopping list for tomorrow. Little Starlet might not be planning to be the Porta-Potty Man, but I know a man who is.
And When They Were Up, They Were Up...Except When They Couldn't Make It
Hubby has delegated all activity and route planning to me, so I have spent several evenings glued to the computer trying to work out ways to get back to nature, etc, without any of us keeling over. Analysis of the trail maps for the State and National Parks where I've selected our camp sites reveals an alarmingly large number of trails marked "strenuous" and very few marked "easy for people who haven't done any exercise in the past month."
I presume Deep Thought will be fine, with a week of soccer camp in her back pocket, following hard on the heels of her two weeks at away camp where she was board diving, rock climbing and so on. Hubby seems to maintain some residual level of fitness even when he is a total couch potato - and he has managed a few cycling outings recently, so he's not so bad. I'm a bit concerned about Little Starlet - whose weekly gymnastics class makes her very red and sweaty - and perhaps a little more concerned still about me, a person who needs to take a rest on the sofa after carrying in the shopping bags.
Hubby reminds me of an incident in our younger days, when we were walking in the Peak District and, in an attempt on a steep slope, I sat on the floor and refused to go any further until he gave in and allowed us to retreat downhill to the nearest pub. He seems to think that now I am older and wiser, and a mother, I might be shamed by such behavior (at least in front of the smaller set). How little we get to know our partners, even in two decades. Besides which, nothing about my lack of enthusiasm for exercise would surprise our two.
That said, I am eager to get out into the redwood forests and enjoy some nature, maybe even a bit of solitude. That might be asking a bit much for a family of four travelling by RV, but who said wishful thinking isn't allowed?
I presume Deep Thought will be fine, with a week of soccer camp in her back pocket, following hard on the heels of her two weeks at away camp where she was board diving, rock climbing and so on. Hubby seems to maintain some residual level of fitness even when he is a total couch potato - and he has managed a few cycling outings recently, so he's not so bad. I'm a bit concerned about Little Starlet - whose weekly gymnastics class makes her very red and sweaty - and perhaps a little more concerned still about me, a person who needs to take a rest on the sofa after carrying in the shopping bags.
Hubby reminds me of an incident in our younger days, when we were walking in the Peak District and, in an attempt on a steep slope, I sat on the floor and refused to go any further until he gave in and allowed us to retreat downhill to the nearest pub. He seems to think that now I am older and wiser, and a mother, I might be shamed by such behavior (at least in front of the smaller set). How little we get to know our partners, even in two decades. Besides which, nothing about my lack of enthusiasm for exercise would surprise our two.
That said, I am eager to get out into the redwood forests and enjoy some nature, maybe even a bit of solitude. That might be asking a bit much for a family of four travelling by RV, but who said wishful thinking isn't allowed?
Shop, Shop, Shop!
Today we went shopping for food. We filled up two trolleys and had to have help back to the car. And we still didn't buy everything!
(This is a photo of part of our shopping.)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I Was Too Far Out All My Life, and Not Camping but Shopping.
I think it's fair to say that we are now in a total frenzy of planning. With the help of numerous books and websites, and with many contributions from Deep Thought, we have at least three lists under construction - gear, food, and clothes, with a lot of focus on gear.
As always, travel, and especially camping, seems to involve a great deal of shopping. I've made trips to REI for water purification tablets and emergency ponchos (in case we get caught up in an earthquake), to Target for plastic bowls and a very important new box of My Littlest Pet Shop gear (Little Starlet's choice), and to Books Inc for many new books. Several new travel games have been bought, including a Klutz book which promises to entertain us with 15 of the best board games ever created. I am about to download a couple of audio books from iTunes (if only I can find some acceptable voices reading the books that the kids want to hear - too many of them make me want to run screaming from the room, and that's before I'm trapped in a tin can with them for 6 hours). I've even purchased a new pair of sneakers today, with special sporty socks. Deep Thought examined them closely and commented "You like these?" - which I took to be approval.
As always, travel, and especially camping, seems to involve a great deal of shopping. I've made trips to REI for water purification tablets and emergency ponchos (in case we get caught up in an earthquake), to Target for plastic bowls and a very important new box of My Littlest Pet Shop gear (Little Starlet's choice), and to Books Inc for many new books. Several new travel games have been bought, including a Klutz book which promises to entertain us with 15 of the best board games ever created. I am about to download a couple of audio books from iTunes (if only I can find some acceptable voices reading the books that the kids want to hear - too many of them make me want to run screaming from the room, and that's before I'm trapped in a tin can with them for 6 hours). I've even purchased a new pair of sneakers today, with special sporty socks. Deep Thought examined them closely and commented "You like these?" - which I took to be approval.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
We Love Lists
Despite what cheeky Deep Thought says, we began our planning in earnest last night. Hubby, Deep Thought, and I spent an hour on the sofa with a pad of paper, pen, and our enormous brains. So far we have a list of 68 items, not including foodstuffs, which are the subject of a second list. I feel it necessary to keep saying "We only have limited storage space, you know."
Monday, August 17, 2009
Time To Plan! :-O
We've decided it's time to start thinking about our trip - maybe a little late but oh well. Dr. Mom has bought a kettle and is looking very pleased about it. She's kind of pretending that she did all the planning by buying a kettle. Anyway, wish us luck with the planning!
Oh. I forgot to say Dr. Mom is feeling a lot better.
Oh. I forgot to say Dr. Mom is feeling a lot better.
Trying to Engage the Troops
All the books say that you should make sure to involve your kids in the planning process for any lengthy trips such as the one we are about to do. What the books don't say is how to get them to show any interest at all. I've tried asking what they think will be interesting or surprising, what they're looking forward to or not sure about. I've tried spreading the maps across the living room, and leaving heaps of guide books on the sofa. I've tried saying things like "Gosh, there looks like there might be a good beach here, or do you think we should try to get to there for the lunch stop?" But all to no avail. Little Starlet gives a theatrical sigh and says she really doesn't mind what we do. Deep Thought takes a quick look before going back to her book or whatever is clearly more interesting than interacting with her mother.
Perhaps they'll want to engage more when we are actually on the road, or is that just wishful thinking?
Worryingly, the thing that has fascinated them most so far is choosing a portable DVD player and five brand new DVDs to take on the journey. Not quite what I had in mind.
Perhaps they'll want to engage more when we are actually on the road, or is that just wishful thinking?
Worryingly, the thing that has fascinated them most so far is choosing a portable DVD player and five brand new DVDs to take on the journey. Not quite what I had in mind.
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