Short move to Sacramento

Saturday was extremely windy.  How windy was it, you ask?  Forty mph north winds with 50+ mph gusts.  When we went to the store and John opened the truck door, a wind gust blew the door out of his hand.  Luckily, the truck is substantial enough that it didn't break the hinge but it certainly took John by surprise.  The rig shook and rocked for hours making sleeping difficult for me (not so much for John) lol.  The wind was still blowing in Woodland Sunday morning but had lessened to only 15 mph so as planned, we headed down to Sacramento.

The drive from Woodland to Cal Expo RV Park took only 45 minutes .  We had coordinated with Tom from Weigh to Go, LLC to get our truck and trailer weighed upon our arrival at Cal Expo.  Tom was there waiting for us and got right to weighing both vehicles.  The good news is that neither the truck nor the trailer exceed any weight limits.  We've done well at keeping the weight down which for full-timers is quite an accomplishment.  We've wondered where we have stood weight wise for almost two years now.  It is a relief knowing our true weight (total, by axle, and side to side) - information all RVers need to know about their rigs.

After getting weighed and set up, we were starving and headed out for a bite to eat.  When we returned, there was a used Gel packet stuck in our door.  Now who would do that???? Oh yeah, John's cyclist friend Clyde must have stopped by and left his calling card.  We got a good laugh at that realization.  John gave Clyde a call and yep, Clyde had stopped by while we were gone.  No paper or pencil to leave a note so he did the next best thing to let us know he had been here.

Something comfortable about being back in familiar territory.

Thanksgiving - Sacramento, CA

We joined our family and friends for a wonderful Thanksgiving feast at John's sister and brother-in-law's home.  Thanks again, Bonnie and Butch, you out did yourselves again.  So very much to be thankful for and blessings to be share today and every day.

To all our friends and family, we hope your Thanksgiving was a joyous one.

Catching up with Melissa

I'm still recovering from my cold and barely drug myself out of bed at 9 a.m. which is very late for me.  After getting cleaned up, we headed to the grocery story to buy supplies to make my spaghetti meat sauce.  Melissa had made a special request, so trying to be the good mom, I decided to make it sooner than later.

By the time Melissa came by, the sauce had been simmering for a couple of hours and made the rig smell delicious which did not go unnoticed by her.  How wonderful to get to spend time with her laughing and talking.  After dinner, we played a game of Wizard.  Melissa won so she was especially happy about that.

Soon it was time for her to head home.  It is not nearly as sad to say goodbye when you know that in a few days you will be seeing her again.  Ah, the great thing about being back in the Sacramento area.

Staying in Woodland, CA

We made it to the Yolo County Fairgrounds on Wednesday.  Nothing fancy but we have 50 amps and full hook-ups for $25 a night.  The good news is that this location is only 16 miles from Melissa.  We will be here until the 29th when we can move over to Cal Expo RV Park that will have us centrally located in Sacramento. 

The drive from Lost Hills was an uneventful one other than having a head wind all the way up the valley.  The  trip was a miserable one for me as I have come down with a cold.  This cold took five days to develop and after getting only 3 hours of sleep Tuesday night, it hit me with a vengeance.  My only hope is that John doesn't catch it.

Last night, we were able to coordinate a dinner date with Melissa when my doctor's appointment finished up earlier than anticipated which put us close to her workplace.  It was so wonderful  to see her in person and be able to give her a big hug.  I just hope I won't be sharing my cold with her!

Today, a "big" storm was suppose to hit the area so John and I decided to just hunker down.  However, the "big" storm didn't ever really appear where we are but the Sierra's are certainly getting a good amount of snow. 

On the road again

It was 7:40 a.m. when we pulled out from the Avi.  The goal was to drive to Bakersfield and spend the night.  When we got to Bakersfield, it was so smokey (from the Orange Co. fire) that we decided to keep going.  We called it a day in Lost Hills, CA.  It was a long driving day for us - 340 miles.  The Lost Hills RV Park is rather expensive for what you get but there isn't much to choose from in the area.  We aren't so sure that we will stay here again.

John and I were happy to get back out on the road.  Tomorrow we will head out for the Yuba County Fairgrounds - another long day but closer to our beloved daughter.

Staying flexible

We were suppose to move today to begin our journey back to Sacramento by way of the coast near Bodega Bay.  When we discovered that Doran Beach had no sites available that would accommodate us, we tried calling some RV parks near Bodega Bay.  What we learned is that they are ridiculously priced!  A coastal fix isn't worth $41 to $60 a night to us.  So being flexible on to Plan B.  What we decided was that the weather here is lovely and we are enjoying ourselves, so why not just stay another week so that is what we are doing.

Today, we made a trip over to Laughlin, NV.  We went through the antique car collection at the Riverside (free).  Must say, there are some really nice cars on display.  While at the Riverside, we played a bit on a penny slot machine called Deal or No Deal and had a blast.  We actually got to play for almost two hours on a small stake.  Won't win big that way but we also won't lose big . . . works for us.

Came home to enjoy the afternoon and discovered that the cording on my lounge chair needs to be replaced or part of me will be sitting on the ground.  We headed off to some places in Bullhead City but weren't able to locate any shock cord in town.  I was able to locate some on the internet so I will get a roll ordered so my chair can be restrung when we are back in the Sacramento area.  Until then, John modified the chair with bungee cords.

Settled in for a little TV, internet, and computer games.

Visiting with Michelle and Steve - Bullhead City, AZ

Michelle and Steve stayed at Fort Welikit over the summer while Steve worked with the railroad out of Edgemont, SD.  When everyone was going their separate ways, Michelle and Steve told us that if we ever got to Bullhead City area to let them know.  When we knew we were heading to Laughlin/Bullhead City, I sent Michelle and Steve an email.  Michelle was very gracious with providing us a list of some possible places to stay in the Laughlin/Bullhead City area.  We decided on staying with the known factor by staying at the Avi.  Once we got settled in, Michelle and Steve extended an offer to have us come over to visit with them.  We went over to their RV park yesterday for a BBQ, great company, and a game of Mexican Train.  Michelle and Steve reside in a large gated park with a golf course, lots of park models, RV sites and very nice amenities.

We got a tour of the the park's facilities which are very nice.  You definitely can do as little or as much as you want to do right within the park's boundaries.  Michelle and Steve have a RV site and a park model that backs up to the golf course.  It was very nice sitting out on their screened patio looking out on the green golf course.  One wouldn't know from that view that you were surrounded by the desert.  Given a bit more time, I think that I could adjust to such a setting.  Steve still works for the railroad and was telling us that there still are train robberies.  Funny, we thought that was something from a past era.  Steve can work in Bullhead City for the fall, winter, and spring months and then work out of Edgemont, SD for the summer.  Actually, for having to work, they've got a sweet arrangement and a lot more flexibility than most.  Steve and Michelle hope to be full-time RVers within the next year or so.  We had a good visit and hope to meet up with them again before we head towards Sacramento. 

Beautiful sunset at the Avi

John had some work to do on the kayak rack so I went for a walk around the perimeter of the RV park.  Boy, they have a lot of sites; most of which are empty.

True to his word, Bret showed up to install the relay.  He was here maybe 10 minutes.  He checked to make sure that the relay was working correctly and then he was on his way.  I must admit it was really nice taking a shower in our rig this morning rather than in a RV park's bathroom.

Just a week ago, we were freezing our tushes off with a high of 44 degrees and today, it got into the high 80's.  We got some shopping done at Target and the grocery store.  It is always a pleasure to have access to a nice grocery store when you've gone without for a week or two.

One of the unique things about staying in Laughlin, NV but doing most of our shopping, etc. in Bullhead City, AZ is the one-hour time change every time we cross the Colorado River in either direction.  Our cell phones are going nuts keeping up with the different time zones.

Late afternoon brought in some clouds and humidity.  The clouds provided some beautiful sunset shots we hope you enjoy.

Avi Casino Resort KOA - Laughlin, NV

We left Kingman, AZ shortly before 10 a.m. for Bullhead City, AZ (just over the Colorado River from Laughlin) as we had a 1 p.m. appointment at Roadrunner RV in Bullhead City.  We arrived at Roadrunner RV around 11 a.m.  As we were early for our 1 p.m. appointment, we asked if we could just unhook the trailer, go get some lunch, and return by 1 p.m.  It wasn't long before Brett was looking at the burnt wiring of the water heater.  Bret contacted Peterson Industries for an authorization number and was on his way to fixing our water heater.  Bret was able to replace all needed parts except for a relay that had to be ordered.  We had hot water on the propane side but the electric side would have to wait for that relay.  Bret asked where we were staying and he said that he would come over to our site on Wednesday to replace the relay as it would save us a trip back into town.  Wow!  What an offer.  We jumped at his offer and we were on our way to the Avi Casino RV Park.

Getting settled in to a site is never particularly easy when you are thirsty and hungry.  So once we were level, slides were out, and windows were opened, we headed down the road for a Mexican restaurant we remembered from 2008 when we where here.  We enjoyed our meals . . . not sure if it was because the food was good or because we were starving or both.

Once back home, we settled for a nice quiet evening.

Kingman, AZ

We left Meteor Crater RV Park this morning after saying our goodbyes to Rick and Y.  They are headed south and east slowly making their way back to Bastrop, TX for Christmas.  They are good company and we have enjoyed our time with them.  Our paths will most likely cross again in Tucson early next year.

In our slow trek back to Sacramento for the holidays, we are making our way to Bullhead City, AZ and pulled into Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel just east of Kingman for the night.  A very nice park with easy freeway access that is big rig friendly.  We would definitely stay here again.  Loving the temperatures - 83 degrees with a slight breeze.  First time in a long time that we will be able to sleep with the windows open.

Tomorrow a short drive to Bullhead City - roughly 63 miles.  Love those short travel days.