747 March 9, 2022 Great Horned Owls

Before my walk this morning, I went to look for the nesting female great horned owl.  I could only catch a glimpse of her eyes and horns. 

She is sitting in a honey mesquite tree.  At the point where the elbow just out to the right, a bowl of sorts has formed in the junction of the branches and here she sits. Soft downy feathers coat the inside of the nest.

Several days ago, she pushed a “bad” egg out of the nest.  Yesterday, it was still up in the tree but today, we found it in the grass.  It was a creamy color and about the same size as a chicken egg.  This pair of owls has been nesting in this campground for years. 

Great horned owls eat rodents and also birds including pigeons and ducks and geese.  One woman has been staying here every winter for the past 26 years.  She told a story of a picture that she took of the nesting owls many years ago.  She used her cell phone.  She could see that there was something white laying in the tree outside the nest.  She put the picture on her computer in order to enlarge it and saw that the owls had killed a cat.  These owls are 18-24 inches tall and have a wingspan of 4-5 feet. 

Tim captured this picture.

I saw a brilliant vermillion flycatcher.

I also saw a coyote walking in a hayfield but he was very far away.

Tim did his stretching here and then went back to the gym.

We did a couple of errands.  We have been getting purified water in a 5-gallon jug for our drinking water.  The water here in the desert comes from desalination plants…water harvested from the ocean and made drinkable.  This tap water contains salt and so we go to water stations to fill.  We found a Mexican food market and got a couple of new things to try.

We both took bike rides and enjoyed a quiet and pleasant afternoon.  The day was warm and sunny and it was nice to have the windows open. We could occasionaly hear the hooting of the owls.

This evening we went to town to try Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant.  It was a very busy place.  We had delicious food!

746 March 8, 2022 Big Maria Mountains

I had a great morning walk from the campground and along the farm fields.  Tim did his stretching and yoga and then headed to Body Zone, the gym we found yesterday.  The owners gave Tim the senior citizen rate.  For $20.00 he can go every day this week! 

We went to run errands.  Our first order of business was to drive 4 miles into Arizona to get gas for the Jeep.  In Blythe, California, regular unleaded gas was $5.89 a gallon.  Just over the line, in Ehrenberg, Arizona, gas was $4.49!

This afternoon, we took a Jeep ride on gravel roads into the Big Maria Mountains.  We were looking for potential camping spots for an overland adventure later this week.  It sure is pretty there!

For dinner, we tried the brand-new restaurant in town.  Stacy’s Kitchen features down home southern cooking.  Tim loved his collard greens.  The dirty rice and green beans were tasty too. 

745 March 6-7, 2022 The Road From Mojave To Blythe

We left Spaceport RV Park early on Sunday morning.  It was very cold and blustery and we just decided to move forward!  We drove through scrubby desert and we were surrounded by chocolate, mocha, and caramel-colored mountains. 

Tim drove for 3 hours and we arrived in Needles, California before noon.  The KOA there was able to accommodate us.  Tim watched the race and I walked and found lots of other ways to stay busy. This RV park sits right on Historic Route 66.

Sunset.

On Monday, I took a walk along the road to the campground.  Here someone has erected monuments made of stone and honoring the various branches of the military. 

Tim drove a couple of hours through the desert. It is so pretty here. When we are on the coast…we love it there…when we are in the mountains…we love them too…and the desert…we love the desert! I guess it is a good thing that we can find beauty wherever we go!

We got to Blythe in early afternoon.  We are staying at Mayflower Regional Park right on the Colorado River.  We have stayed here before and we like it a lot.  It is peaceful.  Shirley at the front desk set us up with a full hookup site.  We were thinking we might stay for 4 nights but she said if we stayed for 5 nights…we could get two more for free.  When she went to charge our card, the rate came up even better than that…7 nights for $210.00. 

After some quiet time, we took the Jeep into town to find a carwash.  We scoped out restaurants and found a gym for Tim to use this week.

This evening I grilled fish and peppers and onions for tacos.  There is a pair of nesting owls here and I spotted one on the tree next door.

A nice walk by the river at sunset with my best friend.

744 March 5, 2022 The Road To Mojave

I had a peaceful walk in the Hanford Cemetery adjacent to the fairgrounds. 

Afterward, I wandered through the Saturday swap meet.  There were lots of people selling all kinds of odds and ends and there were several produce vendors with beautiful citrus fruits and chilis and dried beans.

This morning we took one last look at the weather.  In Three Rivers near Sequoia National Park, it was sleeting.  In the Sierras, there was snow and a forecast for more.  In Yosemite it was 16 degrees with a forecasted high of 23 today.  After considering all this data, we conformed our decision to go south and east. 

We drove on Interstate 99 through the heartland of America’s breadbasket past vineyards and farm fields and orchards.  We passed oil fields as well.  There is lots of wide-open space in the valley but it is all being used to harvest something.  We stopped for a break and I walked to the nearby orchard to use my app and identify the trees…peach trees…miles of peach blossoms!

Bakersfield is a trucking hub and train station.  There are all manner of industries and businesses to support the farming community.  There are lots of cold storage facilities and packing plants.

In Bakersfield, we turned onto Route 58 toward the Tehachapi Mountains and drove up and through the Pass.  At 3,793 feet, we saw snowcapped peaks.  Tiny snowflakes splatted on the windshield. 

We emerged on the other side of the mountains.  The wind had been a factor all day.  Here, there was a overhead road sign with a message for all campers and trailers to exit the highway in the next two exits because of high winds.  We knew better than to ignore this sign!  We exited and pulled over on the side of the road to make a plan.  Fortunately, there was Spaceport RV Park just 3 miles away.  We had phone service and we were able to call and they had two spots large enough to accommodate us…we went straight there.  The wind is supposed to blow strongly until 2am.  Meanwhile, we are safe and have a home for the night.

This afternoon we went to explore the town of Mojave.  We had seen a bunch of airplanes sitting in a large field and we went there first.  Mojave has the nation’s only inland Spaceport.  In this industrial complex, lots of businesses coexist to further the idea of space travel.  There is also a test pilot school and dozens of other enterprises to repair and construct aircraft.  The schools here in Mojave have a comprehensive educational program promoting aeronautics and engineering.  This begins in preschool and older students are able to apprentice or intern in the various aerospace facilities and at nearby Edwards Air Force Base.  

We went to see the wind turbines.  Apparently, Mojave is one of the windiest places in the WORLD!  Now we know.  This makes it an ideal location for windfarms.  The Mojave Desert has over 5,000 turbines.  The farm here in town is the third largest in the country. 

This town is also a mining town, a trucking center, and a train junction.

743 March 4, 2022 Curves and Hills

We had light rain this morning which made it really hard to go out and walk…but I did.

It was moving day again.  Our journey today took us through the fertile Salinas Valley past hemp fields and new cauliflower fields. 

We could also see red strawberries on the vine for acres.

We took Highway 101 to 198.  This is a scenic route.  We have never seen landscape like this before, rumpled hills, the Cholame Hills.  It was very pretty even on this cloudy drizzly day.  It was very curvy and hilly and the driving was intense for a while…but well worth it!

We passed lots of cattle ranches.

As we approached the town of Coalinga, the terrain changed again…more trees, rockier, and more mountainous.

Just before the town, there were a bunch of oil rigs.

We crossed Highway 5 and we entered the San Joaquin Valley.  This is another huge commercial agricultural area.  Lots of America’s produce comes from right here. 

We passed miles of pistachio trees.

Grape Arbors.

Rice fields.

Orchards in bloom…not sure what grows here.

And lemon groves and onion fields and lots of other stuff as well!

There were large solar farms, though today, they were not harvesting any sunlight.

We are staying at King County Fairgrounds.  We walked the property late this afternoon.

This evening, we went into the town of Hanford where we found Zaytoona, a Mediterranean restaurant.  Tim enjoyed lentil soup and a vegetarian platter with stuffed grape leaves, Fattoush salad, falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj, and tabbouleh.  I had a gyro with tzatziki sauce and Fattoush salad.  Really tasty food and again…something different!

742 March 3, 2022 Point Lobos

Happy Birthday David!!!  We love you and we are so proud of you!

We woke up before the sun this morning.  We watched the sky turn pink.  The valley was dense with fog.  The forecast for today was for clouds and rain.

I got out early to walk…these hills!!!  I walked around the racetrack and just when I was on the last portion back to the campground, I ran into a locked gate.  I turned back and walked the way I had come!

Today was our last day on the California Coast.  We have spent the last two weeks wandering along the water’s edge.  This part of America is very beautiful.  If you haven’t seen it…put it on your list!

We wanted to return to Point Lobos.  Last time we tried to go it was crazy busy.  Today was the perfect opportunity to see the park.  I think that the weather forecast kept people away.  First, we hiked the Cypress Grove Trail.  The Monterey Cypress trees only grow in two places in the world; here and Pebble Beach. 

The trees are battered by salt water and wind and here they thrive.  Biologists have tried to grow these trees elsewhere but they succumb to a fungus…they only grow here in this harsh Pacific environment.

The cypress trees drip with lace lichen.

This is a Natural Reserve.  The park service is very serious about protecting the natural beauty of this place.  Roads and signs are kept to a minimum.  There are severe penalties for breaching the fencing.

There were danger signs on the cliffs.  Visitors were advised never to turn their back on the ocean; to be vigilant and to watch for large waves that could sweep you out to sea. 

Next, we walked on the North Shore Trail.  Here we saw a group of harbor seals leaping through the water.  We sat to watch.

Old Veteran.

In the next cove, we saw a sea otter mom and her baby.

We stopped at the Jeep for a snack.  People always stop to ask where we are from.  They marvel at the fact that we have traveled across the country to be here.  There are not too many East Coast visitors out this way.  We get lots of questions about our roof top tent.  When we talk about selling our house and living our dream, we hope that we inspire others to follow their dreams.  Everyone says that they want to be doing this…we wonder though how many people will seize the chance and make it happen.

We took the Sea Lion Point Trail.  We could hear the sea lions barking no matter where we hiked.  Their noise could be heard over the roar of the crashing waves.

We also saw these pelagic cormorants nesting in the cliffs. 

The waves here are particularly violent.  I am not sure if this is normal or if it was exacerbated by the incoming storm.  The Devil’s Cauldron is an area of especially turbulent water.

Deer grazing in the nearby meadow.

We got back to the RV and just a short time later, light rain began to fall.

We are not entirely certain where we will go tomorrow.  We are going to head east and south.  We had hoped to go to see Sequoia National Park and the Sierra Nevada Mountians but the weatherman has forecasted 12-18 inches of new snow there.  The roads are likely to be closed and we are ready to go somewhere warm.

741 March 2, 2022 Monterey Bay Coastal Trail

My morning walk was down the hill from the campground to Route 68. The grade on this park road is 16% for 1 mile.

Once I was at the bottom, I turned around and walked back up. It was very hard work but it felt great!

We packed lunch and took the Jeep with the bikes to Lovers Point. This is the southern terminus for the Monterey Bay Coastal Bike Path.

We passed Cannery Row and the Monterey Aquarium. Steinbeck lived here in Monterey. His novel Cannery Row, is set here during the Great Depression.

A divers memorial. Fishing divers were instrumental in helping to pump sardines from the bay to the canneries.

The marina.

We had beautiful views of the bay as we rode on.

We had our lunch in a small park away from the wind.

We took the path, 5 miles, all the way through the town on Monterey. We stopped at a small produce market and found some dried figs and a papaya.

We cycled down the commercial wharf where the working boats were docked.

We walked our bikes on Old fisherman’s Wharf.

A statue dedicated to the fishermen whose labor made Monterey the “Sardine Capital of the World.”

We could hear the sea lions barking from benaeath this seafood processing plant across the water.

As we biked back, we saw harbor seals. There was an aqaurium volunteer answering questions and providing education. He said that it was almost pupping season. The females are nocturnal and fish all night. During the day, they rest on this beach.

This was a great place to ride and we enjoyed our day in Monterey!

Sunset.

740 March 1, 2022 Shopping Adventure

First thing this morning, I was walking along the beach in Marina.

I was walking by the water in the firmer sand, chatting with my mom on the phone, when a rogue wave crashed onto the beach and soaked me from the knees down…drenched shoes and socks and pants. Time to turn back. Everything was caked in sand by the time I walked the mile back to the RV. I met a couple walking the other way. They noticed my wet clothes. They told me that there were rough surf and high wind advisories today. Gotta laugh…always an adventure!

Today we moved again. We traveled just a short distance to Laguna Seca Recreation Area. On the way we passed trhough the very fertile Salinas valley.

This is a huge complex. It is most famous for the race track.

The campground sits on top of a hill. The views are incredible.

This afternoon, I set out for Monterey with the mission of looking at Macy’s for a gown for Kyle and Allison’s wedding. I always feel good when I navigate on my own in a new place. I found a beautiful dress! Remember when you could go to a nice department store and get really good care? I had great customer service from Linda and Cheyenne and they both worked in the luggage department!

I picked up salads from Chipotle and got back to the campground at sunset!

739 February 28, 2022 Marina Dunes

One last walk among by the Big Sur River, among the redwoods.

We moved today to Marina. This was a short drive north on 1. At several points, there was roadwork that stopped traffic. Near Bixby Bridge, the site of the wildfire earlier this year, we were waiting. We had a very close view of some of the fire damage.

We arrived in Marina early in the afternoon. Tim rested and I went to gather some groceries.

This evening, we packed our dinner. I walked to the beach using the access trail. It was 500 yards to the beach. I met Tim at the Marine Beach State Park.

We had quinoa bowls with purple sweet potatoes.

We walked on the beach and sat on a log to watch the tide.

We waited until sunset before heading home.

738 February 27, 2022 Partington Cove

I started some laundry and then walked in between switching loads from washer to dryer. It was a very effective use of time! I wanted to be able to play the rest of the day!

Today we went south on 1, again on the snake shaped road. We stopped at an overlook. The crystal clear shimmering water that gradually changes from turquoise to green and then out further to navy, the spouting whales, the bobbing and floating otters, the craggy cliffs, the evergreen fragrance, the churning sand and smashing waves, the buzzards and hawks and ravens soaring, the cormorants and gulls feeding…this is a very special place.

We have passed many elegant homes on these bluffs. I wonder who might live in these houses. The compounds are fenced in and gated with warning signs and security cameras. No matter what I imagine…there is no one living there that has a better life than I. I am so grateful. I have always wanted to see this part of the California Coast. We have spent days exploring and we are still not tired of it. We spent some time hopping from one overlook to the next.

We drove to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We walked along McWay Creek and through a tunnel under Highway 1. We took the short walk to the overlook at McWay Falls. The water falls 80 feet to the beach below.

We drove again, back to Partington Cove Trail. This is a hike into a canyon that leads to the beach. It begins at 300 feet of elevation and descends for 1 mile.

We walked through a grove of redwoods.

This tunnel was constructed about 100 years ago by John Partington. The tunnel was used to transport tanbark trees from the nearby slopes down to waiting ships in the cove. Tannic acid was derived from these trees and was used to tan leather.

We spent time just sitting here…watching the waves coming into the cove.

We traveled back through the tunnel and down to the bigger cove.

We hiked the mile back up and out of the canyon without any trouble!

Another excellent day trip!

I