Munday's the Arizona Roadrunners

This park is located about 20 miles south of Tillamook very close to the pacific ocean... lovely spot really and we have always enjoyed our visits to this park. For 1 thing they have wild bunnies and deer which adds a special flavor! Then they are right across the street from a very cool beach with tide pools... their very own 'haystack rock' which they like to boast about in town.. the park is on a hill and densly wooded which adds a bit of privacy... WHEN the weather is nice, it's a great place to have campfires... this year however our timing was off and we hit a very rainy, windy time! goodness the wind and rain pelted down on us and we stayed pretty much holed up inside..ha! Left today (the 29th) and had every thing hit us from rain, wind, hail, snow and finally sunshine! Lovely.. now at Long Beach, WA until Friday!!!

Always enjoy our time in Florence, Oregon. This is the heart of the "sand dunes" and a very popular area for dune buggies... We enjoy the area because we have good friends Barb and Bob Fileatreau here so always love to see them. Good spot to make a run over to Roseburg to see Cyn's ex-in laws! Have to stop at the "Sugar Shack" in Reedsport. This place is a wonderful little hole in the wall bakery that we found by accident once now always make a point to stop in there when in the area. Noticed that last year and this the fuel is cheaper in Reedsport than in Florence and Florence is the larger of the two towns.. go figure.. A little wet this time but we did not awaken to the white stuff we saw last year when we came thru a month later...

Myers Flat, CA was where we parted ways with brother John. We had traveled together since December and now we were continuing north and he is going to work his way back to Reno for some doc appts. etc... we are scheduled to report for work at Wish Poosh again in May so want to get back a little earlier to get a few things done before we go over the hill. Our planned stop was at Humbug State Park about 80 miles north of the Calif border - a little niche of a park with a wonderful hill for hiking and beach for beachcombing... we have always enjoyed this park very much, until now.... The day we left Myers Flat is was raining the 15th of Mar.. and a bit windy at times but we didn't think too much of it.. then as we were nearing Humbug I noticed the culverts were running pretty full with rushing muddy water.. still did not think too much of it. It was getting later in the day and we were looking forward to getting to a campsite and getting set up before dark - we pulled into the campgro

Our son Alex and his friend Katy drove down to join us while in the redwoods. She had never been there before. We gave here the whirlwind tour and one of our stops was a hike through the Rockefeller forest... there you find the "Giant Tree" which is supposed to be about 2400 yrs old! This tree is soooo BIG!! It was so thoughtful of these two to make this long trip ---- we just loved having them join us and share our time there...

There is a very little town on the coast about 20 miles west of Garberville in the Humboldt Redwoods called Shelter Cove. Had never been there before so took the winding road over to the coast on a very pretty day and had a look see... a nice black beach - very quite and private and wonderful for walking... just a little south was the very small town of Shelter Cove tucked in the hills with a few houses built on the bluff and a wonderful little park with a pathway down to the rocks and beach... there we found a few sealions and birds basking in the sun on the water splashed rocks. Very pretty setting to say the least... love this sort of place. The tidepools must be too cold since we did not find any treasures among them. We did come across deer roaming freely through this very small town.. I say that because we did not find a store or eatery. There was a restaurant in a hotel but we were looking for a coke or something like that and not a meal at the time. This would be a very cool ge

Back in the 1950's there was a campground called "Williams Grove" where Earl and his family used to camp as they were growing up. The campground is on the side of the road right next to the EEL river.. This river flooded big time twice - once in 19 50's and then again in 1964 when they had the BIG flood. The campground was washed out and never rebuilt. Since then it has been day use only - These trees are so tall - if you look closely you can see where the flood water left it's mark by the discoloration on the bark and even now you can look between the bark and see new darker colored bark starting to come thru... that was back in 1964! The flood waters wiped out roads and bridges and towns... it was a BIG deal back then. Can't imagine our country ever addressing another catastophe like California addressed this one back then. That is another story but one they love to tell at the Visitors Center. It was a nice reminecent time for these guys...

The "redwoods" are one of our favorite spots in the country! There is nothing quite so peaceful and magnificent about these trees. These are mainly the coastal redwoods - the tallest trees in the world and this is pretty much the only place the grow! They are so tall the water from the rain rarely reaches the earth and because they are so tall they cannot suck up the needed water as most trees to feed their branches above so their needles catch the much need moisture through the fog from the pacific coast! Amazing really how they survive - and yet they have been so heavily logged there are only like 2% of the old growth forest left! They are worth the time and effort for a visit!

Big day driving from Cloverdale, to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, then to Camping world in Vacaville for a new towbar for the car (other one died as we came into camp) and then stopped at Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory in Petaluma on way home. The guys gave me a bad time about this one but I know they enjoyed the tour too and learned something about stickers! Who would have ever thought it would take huge machines and many hours and hours of planning to make a sticker, much less produce them in huge rolls and have a market for them all? My girls used to collect them as youngsters and I never gave it much thought. Now I use them myself and enjoy having them but goodness what a business. We were quite taken with the measures this person has taken to keep her employees "happy" and the environment clean. She could be an inspiration to others... They recyle all their waste from the processing of the stickers and the water that is used to clean everything is also ru

As many times as we have been through here we FINALLY made it to the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield. Quiet a drive from here but how FUN!!! We all enjoyed it very much even though the visit to the store afterwards could have broken the bank. We did get a few free samples of various jelly belly's and learned something too about this candy factory. We tagged along with a large number of children who LOVED being on tour as well. These kids were so funny... one little boy wanted to jump into a pool with jelly bellies and eat them all... I was laughing most of the time... intersesting how they make jelly beans... fun field trip for the young ones and old alike..

One of our magazines told us "Bodega Bay was not to be missed" so off we went to see this charming bay. We chose the right day as far as sunshine, it was a cold wind blowing though.. saw this sail boat that had an oops! not sure they were aware there could be such a low tide. This area is a charming enough setting with a park down on the water and very small marina. Did not find a place to park and just walk the town (not that there really is one). Many others have found this place charming or something because houses dot the cliffs above the bay. Not sure what their view is since tide was out and we were a little below their view line. Of course we always love to see the water and can appreciate others loving it too.

Thousand Trails has a lovely little park here along the Russian River that is a good stopping place between Morgan Hill and the Redwoods (our next destination)... It is set up on a hillside among old madrona trees and it's cousin manzanita as well as the old knarly oaks and evergreens! Love the setting although am sure it gets very, very dry here in the summer! Spring time here is lovely with the hillsides all covered with bright green grass and dotted with touches of wildflowers here and there. There are so many acorn woodpeckers here as well as the scrub and stellar jays, towhee's, quail and a number of other birds. Too early for the hummers I think but the little finches found us. While here we managed to get out a bit to see some of the surrounding area, more to follow...

How can I express how much we appreciated and enjoyed our visit with nephew Tom and his children! They are always so great. We love them all so much. A little disappointed Grace was not able to join us but we still made the most of the day. Played mini golf and even a game of war with Tommy IV. Fun to see Rachel who is so pretty and sweet turning into the "dreaded" teenager - ha! She is lovely and sure will be a challenge to some extent but Dad seems to have a hold on the situation. Her hand is constantly moving over that phone though - wonder what children ever did before they had phones they could "text" on?? too much!!! Each generation has its own challenges I guess. Had a late BBQ and wonderful visit and am so thankful we had this time together.

Guess we could not leave San Francisco without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge! It is a lovely site although there are so many bridges built more spectacular all over the country... this one just steals a little bit of your heart I guess. ha! Always love seeing it... would not recommend spending the time or money to cross it since it is always so congested but otherwise a lovely site. There are so many fun pictures from this few hours here guess I'll have to make another web album but that will have to wait for another day... that all takes so much time...

Yes, there is a store for "left handed people" called Lefty's.. here are two of them.. ha! We enjoyed looking at the list of all the famous lefty's and looking at all notbooks, scissors, pens and other misc items. Fun to see and more than a little surprised at all the famous lefty's.

There is something wonderful about San Francisco on a clear, sunny day along the wharf! Our planner picked the perfect day and we had a delightful time (all be it very short - a few hours) down on Pier 39 and along Fisherman's Wharf. Son Earl III and his friend Carmelia came down to join us which made it all the more special. Window shopping and seeing the sights of fresh crab and stopping for a nice seafood dinner too couldn't be beat.. not to mention the chocolate stores and other delightful goodies!

We have been to Morgan Hill many times but this time we were treated to a flock of turkeys who visited us each day and the "Toms" were in their "strutting" mode. Loved all these turkeys as they roamed through the campground. There seemed to be a few separate groups and the Toms acted as though they each had their own harem. Not sure if that is true about turkeys but that was how it looked to us. Were only here a week and it rained most of the time we did get to visit with nephew Tom and his children so that was GREAT! Always love seeing them and did take a day trip into San Francisco. Will have to do that one separately.

One of the prettiest drives in all of the United States has to be Hwy 1 in California... not to say it is the easiest or nicest of roads.. many folks are too scared to ever take an RV over this highway with good reason! The road is high on the edge of cliffs in some spots and a bit scarry but other sections make it all worthwhile! We love this drive and this is the best time of year when the wild flowers come out in profusion on the hillsides. We were a little early for the flowers this year but did see evidence of them starting. The weather cooperated long enough for us to get from San Simeon to Morgan Hill before the rain moved back in for a few more days of drenching weather! Doubt if John will chose to go this way again but at least he can say he's done it once. ha!

Could not come to San Simeon without visiting the elephant seals. After all they travel all over the world during the year to come back to these beaches just to give birth and procreate. It's always fun to see these guys. This time of year there were mostly babies and a few larger ones. Not sure if they were mom's or dads but quite a number of dead young on the beach. Asked about that and was told they ususally have a 95% success rate and this year was average to guess it was ok. As you can see by this picture this guy was voicing his concerns. Although these seals are quite large they don't seem to be near as noisy as their cousins the California sea lions. Now they know how to make noise.. Don't think this guy was quite. I love all this and enjoyed our stop here as I always do when we come this way in our travels.

Although we have visited Hearst Castle in the past, we chose to visit it once again with brother John in tow. He had never been there before and it is fun! The weather was not looking so good and this is one place you want a nice day.. the castle sits on top of a hill and you want to be able to see the ocean from up there! Very nice to say the least. The tour really begins at the entrance Visitor Center where there is a short film about Wm. R. Hearst and how the castle came to be ... very interesting history there.. Then a tour bus gives you a lift up the hill and being a wet springtime all the hills were bright green dotted with new wildflowers.. I love that sort of thing you know. We took the general overall tour which covers both pools (inside and out), a few of the guest rooms and a few of the main rooms in the house. Can't help but pass through some of the gardens and lovely landscaping around the place. This home was given to the State of California State Parks to operate

Upon leaving Santa Barbara we headed north on Hwy 101 to San Simeon. Okay, so we planned our escape to beat the incoming storm that was due and were rolling along just fine when some lady flagged Earl down that we had flat tire on the car! How can this be when these tires are relatively new.. just purchased a year ago in OR from Costco... Tire was flat and we thought punctured altho that turned out to NOT be the case. Knew there was Costco in San Luis Obispo but that was a distance away so brother John and I watched as Earl dutifully changed the tire and put donut spare on... then we found a Costco about a mile away in Santa Maria. Counted this a real PLUS and yes, they honored their warranty and we now have a new tire... Rest of trip fairly uneventful and we counted ourselves blessed and very happy that no damage was done on car as very well could have... Although the campground was very wet when we arrived we found our favorite site open with all around views of hillsides and y

When in Santa Barbara on a pretty day it is a good idea to visit the Courthouse! We have been there a few times... not built on a square like they are in some parts of the country but lovely grounds - perfect for a picnic if so inclined or just to watch the butterflies and enjoy the lovely fauna! The inside of the courthouse is open for tours or just to walk around.. and yes you can get up in the tower above and look out in all directions. A lovely view of the ocean from up here as well as the hills. Of course the hillsides are all dotted mostly with houses but still fun to go up there and look around. There is a "mural" room and spiral staircase that are fun to see.

Upon recommendation we took a drive out to Jalama Beach which is a dead end west of Buellton.. lovely drive through the mountains and expect we picked the right time of year! The hills were all green with new growth and hillsides dotted with cattle and sheep... lovely drive really but not the best for a motor home! Glad we just took day drive in car! They do have camping however down there but wouldn't be worth it unless you were going to stay a while... ha! We just walked out on beach and took a good look around. Bet this place is hopping in the summer even if it is an out of the way beach...

Santa Barbara is a fun place but best when the sun is shining. Our 1st ride into town we took brother John up on bluff (park overlooking city)... A little cool and not nearly as pretty as when everything is shining in the sun so gave us an excuse to come back another day. ha!

This goes back to Feb. 17th now but here is our acorn friend getting into the finch feeder... greedy guts! Loved these birds though. We had so many birds and a nice variety too. This is a very different park... down a long windy (not very good road) and tucked away in the hills around Santa Barbara. Location is wonderful because you are so close to town and a few miles in other direction takes you to Solvang and Buellton and out that direction. Lovely horse farms in area and of course Lake Cachuma which is a very pretty lake (very large) and some of the higher mountain peaks around us had the dreaded white stuff on them which made them very pretty! Besides, the State of California is hurting for all the moisture it can get! They have had rain for weeks and are off water restrictions for now (in this area anyway for the next 6 weeks - this area being Salinas)... And it is only the 1st of March today...

This picture was taken about two weeks ago when we were in Rancho Oso just a little north of downtown Santa Barbara. Did we have fun or what... this crazy bird is just that.. crazy! People might not think much of bird watching but when you see the antics of this character you can't help but love the birds.. ha! 1st off we set out a few peanuts to draw them to the campsite... no need really, he is everywhere up there. They have a number of "acorn" trees - trees that are no longer alive but still standing and actually drilled with holes and a lot of those hills filled with acorns these little guys put there and forgot! We had the hummers feeder on window on side of our rig along with the finch feeder also on the side of our coach and they got into that too.. also regular bird feeder and we set peanuts on ledge of windows for them... greedy little guys. of course they had competition with the scrub jays! We enjoyed every minute of it though and had neighbors coming by