NORMANS on the HORIZON: CA

Showing posts with label CA. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

June 20, 2017 - Redding CA - Redding RV

HOT

The previous few days we have been getting ourselves and the Horizon ready for the annual trip north to Port Susan. The heat has be miserable hot, in the 90s.

Today we got on the road just five minutes past the target time of 9:00 am. It was an uneventful drive up to Redding other than the temperature kept rising higher and higher. The air conditioning was on full blast all the way and kept us comfortable until after we reach the campground. The temperature reach 113 degrees outside and 96 inside. We survived, barely.

Redding RV Park was a great stop. Pull through site, level, quite, easy in and out. Good 50 amp electric. Pleasant, friendly staff. The WiFi is one of the best we have experienced in an RV park.

No picture, too hot. 92 at 9am the next morning.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Our Backyard View–Reminiscing

Before we left Concord for a summer Port Susan, WA. I took a picture of our back yard. The normally golden hills turn green every spring. Actually, our property ends at the bushes at the bottom. Beyond is Walnut Creek open space which we back up to.

If you look close, near the center, at the edge of the yellow line of mustard flowers, the small speck is a hiker walking on a trail.

At the upper left corner you can just see the north peak of Mt. Diablo. This is a view from the lower yard where the Horizon is parked. From the upper yard and the main level of the house you can see both peaks.

These photos were taken with my iPhone. I was figuring out the easiest way to transfer them to my Windows laptop. Below is our outdoor kitchen. The quality the iPhone produces is surprising.

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Palm Desert–What Site Was That Again?

It was another sunny day as we prepared to leave. The slides and jacks performed as they are supposed to and we reluctantly leave the beautiful view site #30, at Malibu Beach RV Park this morning.

The traffic across LA was not too bad but the opposite direction was stopped for miles.

On our way into the desert we see a golden oasis, the Morango Indian Casino. We stopped there and fueled up.

We arrived at the Emerald Desert RV Resort around one o'clock. After checking in at the office we proceeded to the assigned site, 95, the same one we had last year. When we arrived at #95 we found it already occupied by another motorhome. Nobody was home so we contacted the office and after a lot of confusion and back and forth we just pulled into site 93 and the office blessed our decision. The sites are all mostly the same but this site was a better one as it had some shade from some large trees.

We are here for a month.

We had some gorgeous sunsets.

We went on a bus tour of Palm Springs and learned a lot about the stars who use to live or visit the area. Had a great time.

A special surprise, my sister Jan and her husband John visited for a few days.

While we were here we had Horizon and the jeep washed and waxed.

At San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Debbie is looking at the information board and hasn’t seen this information sign.

We started to walk along a trail with Debbie keeping a sharp eye out having seen the sign.

The only wildlife we saw were these cute little guys who said they hadn’t seen any rattle snakes.

Debbie decided to wait at the car.

Along the trail, a view of the Palm Springs valley.

Looking back at the visitor center.

Monday, January 07, 2013

Santa Monica

We’re still overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean from the Malibu Beach RV Resort. Today we went sightseeing around Pacific Palisades / Santa Monica area.

The iconic Malibu Fishing Pier, a café at the end.

Walking to the pier from the parking lot.

Santa Monica Pier has more than fishing, boating and cafes.

As we were leaving for Palm Springs, Debbie noticed this humming bird feeder. I always thought humming birds were very territorial but here are seven that seem to be sharing.

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Malibu California

The sunset view standing in front of our Horizon.

We are in the Malibu Beach RV Park on the edge of a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Horizon is behind another RV. The Jeep is parked next to it.

Horizon front end sticking out high up on the cliff as seen from the Pacific Coast Hwy.

Debbie is standing in the parking lot of Paradise Cove where Jim Rockford’s house trailer which used to be parked when they were filming the TV show, Rockford Files. We were unable to find the trailer but we did find the Paradise Cove Beach Café and had a great lunch. Some of the outdoor part of the restaurant is in the background.

A view of the Paradise Cove Beach Café from the beach.

I know this looks familiar but its not the same photo. Note those are different shirts. (same cat)

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Replaced Rear Bedroom Thermostat

The motorhome has two propane forced-air heaters. The main and larger one has registers on the floor running the length of the motorhome and heats both the bedroom and lounge.

The smaller heater just serves the bedroom and to a lesser degree, the bathroom. It works great but the thermostat is hard to set accurately and has a wide temperature range where it gets too hot and then too cool. We like to sleep with the bedroom window open, so the thermostat couldn’t be turn on at bedtime or the furnace would run all night. This meant I had to hop out of bed to turn it on in the morning. I know!

So I replaced the original mechanical thermostat with an electronic one.

Now it stays very close to the easily set temperature. As a bonus it can also be set to turn on and off at desired times. No more popping out of bed to turn on the heater in the mornings.

Installation was a bit of a puzzle. The mechanical the thermostat only used two wires. The electronic one’s installation manual gave directions for connecting, using four to seven wires. In an internet search I didn’t find a two wire example, only a three wire solution. Using the best guess method, I connected the two wires I had to two of the new thermostat’s wires and it works perfectly. With only two wires there is no power but the thermostat has a battery for backup and it seem to work ok on battery power. We’ll see how long battery last.

Old on the left and new on the right.

Friday, January 04, 2013

Jocko’s for Dinner

Last year we stopped at a Country Kitchen in Florence, OR for breakfast. It was a great meal and we were surprised to learn it was a chain. It look so country homey. Well we found another one here in Santa Maria and so off to breakfast at Country Kitchen close by on Broadway.

This restaurant was completely different with a local flavor. Still good, but not as great.

We also had dinner a Jocko’s. Learning from past mistakes we made a reservation. I think the only thing a reservation does is give them your name. You still are going to wait a half to one hour on a normal night.

The outside is not very impressive. As usual the meal was to die for.

We’ll be headed to Malibu in a couple of days.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Happy New Year 2013

We left the Vinyards RV Park late morning after brunch and headed to San Juan Batista, a good start towards Pismo Beach. We had a reservation at Betabel RV Park here.

Originally we were going to drive down to Pismo in one day but that was a long day. Also we wanted to go back to Dona Esther Mexican Restaurant. We ate there last year and thought the meal was really good. So called a few weeks back to make sure they would open on New Years day and here we are.

As it turned out the meal wasn’t so good. Debbie’s soup had a small pebble in it which she crunched down on. Fortunately she didn’t damage any teeth but it ruined the meal. The restaurant’s response was a insincere apology. Although the restaurant had poor reviews in Yelp, we thought it was pretty good until this incident.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Getting Ready to Head South

Christmas is over and the new year is nearing and so is our departure south for the winter. We plan to join the other ‘snowbirds’. We’ve planned as far as Padre Island, TX. Our first stop will be in the wrong direction, up to Vacaville. We’ll be meeting the Concord Caravaners for a New Year’s outing.

One of the thing I needed to do before we got away from the house was clean out my closet and store the unneeded clothes in the garage. I stacked them on the bed but before I got the clothes moved Ty decided to take a nap on them.

Later I got the clothes moved to a recliner in the front. And still later I noticed Ty had also moved following the stack of clothes.

He’s such a good sleeper. Even with his lower lower than his butt.

I’ll eventually get the clothes out to the garage without the cat.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Babysitting

Debbie gave Claire a bowl of kitchen stuff to play with. Ty kept a close watch on her, I guess, to make sure she didn’t touch any of his toys.

I guess she only likes to play with the keyboard is when you are trying to do something on the computer with her on your lap.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Home for Christmas–2012 cont.

Christmas afternoon at Blake, Stacey and Claire’s house.

Merry Christmas!

Just a minute, I need to check this text first

Mom and dad are making something for me

See what they made. Neat huh?

Here’s a present for you Brad

End of the day and mom’s tired, but not me

Now we have just a week to get ready for the road.

Home for Christmas - 2012

Home from our North Carolina visit we now hurry to prepare for Christmas. This year Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning with Brad, Amy and Angela. Then Christmas Day with Blake, Stacey and Claire.

Christmas Morning

Up early and up to the house to enjoy an early morning Christmas.