Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Last night was a tad chilly in our little aluminum home due to the elevation and proximity to the lofty Sierra Nevada near Lone Pine, California. Still, we just huddled together (since I was too cold to get up and go to the front part of the coach and retrieve the comforter) until dawn at which time we jumped up, threw the thermostat into high, and got back under the covers until things thawed out.

Later, after some hot oatmeal and coffee, we cleaned up our campsite and headed for the open road. The camp ground at Boulder Creek is wonderful, for those of you headed in that direction, and we encourage everyone to give it a try. But, as always, the open road beckoned and we answered the call.

The Tioga is a very smooth-running coach and I really enjoy driving it. Most times, I just set the cruise control, Concetta puts the latest book on CD into the changer, and away we go. We've found that it's absolutely lovely having everything you need right there, whether it's water, a snack or a bathroom, it's never very far away. I just love it when we're rolling along and decide it's about lunchtime. We just scan the passing scenery for a spot to pull off and moments later we're having our sandwich and coffee with a new and different vista out the window.

Today we stuck mostly to Hwy 395 through places like Cartago, Olancha (where they used to have a killer Art Deco filling station long abandoned), and Victorville. Long about Victorville we really noticed the increase in traffic headed towards San Bernardino and soon we were hemmed in by 18-wheelers, speeding compact cars, and other motor homes and fifth-wheels. It was surely exciting since we don't ever see that kind of traffic in Nevada.

The freeway signs turned out to be pretty understandable and it wasn't long before we had merged onto the 215, the 15, and then the 10. Route 10 was our final interstate for the day as our destination was the city of Banning where we hoped to find the local KOA nestled under a forest of trees as advertised by the brochure. The KOA brochure hit the directions right on the money and by 4:00 p.m. we were rolling up to the office.

Our campsite is absolutely wonderful. The park is only about half full and very quiet. And the mountain vistas to the south and to the west are just awesome. This time I got the truck leveled on the first try and we were having our afternoon walk scant minutes later. Once we returned to the coach, Concetta whipped up a great Southern Comfort and cranberry juice cocktail to hasten our pre-dinner relaxation. Later I discovered that I did forget to put the rear jacks in place and turn on the gas for the stove, but I'm blaming the alcohol for that.

Today, I spent some time tracking down all the things we forgot to bring along. Concetta needed wooden spoons and some Dixie cups, while I needed a handy Best Buy so I could remedy the missing camera memory card reader that ended up who knows where in the packing process. Probably still sitting on my desk at home. But thanks to our sojourn through Victorville we came away with everything we needed.

So, here we are just 25 miles west of Palm Springs, watching Dancing with the Stars, and planning for our final California leg of San Diego. In San Diego we are hoping to visit a number of relatives including Concetta's sole remaining uncle, Tony Montisano, who is not doing too good right now. We'll also be visiting Angie Malcangio, a recent transplant from Arlington, Virginia, who has always been one of our favorite family members to hang out with for our many shared interests.

So, tomorrow we're headed for Palm Springs, a place I've never seen, the Salton Sea, ditto on the previous visits, and then on down to Route 8 at the bottom of the state before we head back west for a bit to San Diego. We have no idea just what we might experience on this route, but we're hoping it's exciting. Until then, I'll say Ciao for the evening.