Rushed Return back to Washington State

A couple of days later, we pulled up stakes to head back to Washington. Michael's father was in hospital in serious condition. At 94 years of age, the prognosis was not good. 
We took three days to make the trip north, the route and road familiar now: straight across the valley on Rt 41 to connect with I-5 all the way to Seattle. 
Heading out of Pismo, the clouds hung low, matching our mood and concern about whether we would make it in time.

crossing the valley along Rt 41, it was a very different scene with grasses sprouting
and the desert looking lush and verdant after the recent rains

Our first overnight stop was in Patterson, right along the California aqueduct that makes agriculture possible in this desert terrain. The wide ribbon of blue continues for several miles parallel to I-5.

That evening on our stroll around the campground, the cloud patterns were strange and spectacular. 

The next day we were back on the highway early, making it all the way to Seven Feathers in Canyonville, Oregon by late afternoon. It was a straight run, northbound on I-5, uneventful and smooth with the exception of a few instances of strange weather. I was convinced the elements matched our emotions and mood as we continued along to whatever awaited us in Washington State.
We left Patterson under mostly sunny skies.

 Beyond Sacramento, the clouds became thicker.

Past Redding as we made our way through the Shasta Trinity National Forests, the clouds seemed to roll in from the east.

We marveled at how full Lake Shasta was now with all the recent record rainfall. Just two years ago, the water level was so low that we could see several feet of the exposed ochre banks rising from the lake. Today the water was heavy and grey, inching close to the tree line, leaving only a small band of red shoreline visible. 

Mt Shasta, usually visible, was completely hidden today. And as we approached the town of Mt Shasta, it began to rain quite heavily.

Suddenly we found ourselves driving through hail, followed by sleet, and then just as suddenly it cleared up.

 Black Butte had a fresh dusting of white powder on the top.

 Entering Oregon over the Siskiyous, we drove through more rain sprinkles and wet patches.

In one section, the road looked quite eerie as heavy mist curled and rose upward along the slopes.

 Then just as suddenly we entered thick fog.

The Seven Feathers exit was a welcome sight after a long day of driving with its weird weather patterns. In one day we saw it all: sun, rain, hail, sleet, and fog.

Seven Feathers is one of our favorite RV resorts. Always popular and often fully booked, it was fortunate we were able to secure a spot for the night.

We were back on the road after a restful night. Oregon has pretty scenery, no matter the time of year. It's always green with plenty of forested areas.

Closer to Portland, the grey clouds appeared. It's not unusual to have cloud cover once you are in the northwest. Today they were somber and hanging low but it remained dry. 

 The cloud cover continued once we crossed into Washington. 

Along various sections there were interesting cloud formations.

We were back in home territory after six months. Tomorrow we will drive the last short distance through Tacoma and Seattle traffic to Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell. And we will stop in at the hospital to visit Dad who is doing a little better. 

Next stop: Pismo Beach via Casa Johnson

After the Chula Vista Rally, we spent a couple of nights at the Johnson's. The Figges and the Eggs joined us for dinner one evening. We sat outside on the patio, relaxing and enjoying our time together. 
The two of us often remark how California is so conducive to year-round outdoor living. We enjoyed the same while growing up in South Africa. Of all the places to live in the US, California definitely comes closest to weather and a lifestyle we remember. Now that we have our home on wheels, we plan to spend more time here.

Willy, Bill and Patti

Vic and Michael

Patti, Debi and Sandy

We ended up staying one more day after Sandy noticed that one of the tires on the Jeep was flat. It must have happened just as we pulled off the highway into the neighborhood. As Michael turned the Alpine engine off, he heard a beep from the tire monitor but assumed it was the low battery signal. In fact it was more than likely the tire monitor alerting us to low tire pressure in the Jeep tire. There was quite a large bolt that punctured the wall and couldn't be repaired. 

An extra day at Casa Johnson simply gave Debi and me one more day to spend time at her favorite local quilt shop. We spent a pleasant afternoon sewing and chatting with the other ladies there. 

Afterward we had dinner at the Johnson's favorite Tai restaurant, Bamboo Cafe, then popped into Sprouts for a couple of bulk items that needed to be replenished. I discovered that they also carried bulk licorice. The real stuff, just like I had while growing up. And yes, there is only one type of licorice, the black kind. The red so-called licorice is simply a fake. I stocked up! It's not easy to find real licorice.

The next morning we were off down the road, heading to our favorite beach, happily anticipating spending at least a couple of weeks in Pismo. Our route took us from Simi Valley along coastal Route 101 through Santa Barbara.

The section of highway hugging the coast is always pretty. This time the hills were aglow with flowering grasses.

Eventually we headed inland and at Orcutt we joined Route 1, also known as El Camino Real with its signature bells marking the historic highway, the original path traveled by the Spanish padres between missions they established in the area.

Vic, Willy and Michael

This time we decided to stay at the Elks in Oceano, immediately south of Pismo Coast Village. 
The Eggs were here too. The day we arrived, we all had dinner at an Italian restaurant in downtown Pismo, followed by a stroll along the beach. It felt good to be back, sand under our feet, waves tumbling to shore. 

The sandpipers were busily scurrying about, entertaining us along our walk. 

We hung about to watch the sunset. 

SoCal 15th Anniversary Rally in Chula Vista, California

This special 15th anniversary SoCal rally lasted just three days, from Friday March 31st through Sunday April 2nd. And what a celebration this was! 

Many of us arrived on the Thursday before the rally and several of us lingered an extra day, extending our fun. 

There were 36 coaches and several more couples who joined the celebration without their coaches. Our rally hosts, the Prodanoviches and Giddens, planned a super party. It was in fact a blast.

Chula Vista RV Resort is a terrific venue, right on the water at the marina, about 10 miles south of San Diego. 
Sunny, warm skies, and pleasant evenings added to the perfect time.

The very first rally we ever attended after purchasing our Alpine two years ago in Virginia was the SoCal rally in Pismo Beach. Back then, we arrived at the Pismo RV Park after our long cross-country trip and received a warm welcome from the SoCal group. They became our first Alpine family, and without a doubt they remain as warm and welcoming. We always look forward to the SoCal rallies.

This rally included the usual events: breakfasts, Happy Hours, dinners, planned outings, and free time to explore the area or visit with friends. In addition, this rally's focus was specifically on celebrating 15 years since the association formed and on honoring the founding members. And we certainly partied. 

The first evening of the rally officially kicked off with an Adult Pinata event.... there were whispers among us as to what exactly an Adult Pinata was all about. The Prodanoviches created an "Alpinata", a pinata in the shape of an Alpine. 
Watching adults take turns whacking at this creation with great gusto was hilarious. Eventually, as with all pinatas, the contents poured out onto the grass and it was even more hilarious watching adults dive in for the kill which in this case was chocolates and miniature bottles of liqueurs.

mad scramble for pinata spoils

Happy Hours and dinners were the time for us to gather, renew friendships and meet new folks. We personally caught up with folks we had not seen since the first rally in Pismo. The clubhouse swelled with happy chatter and laughter every morning and late afternoon into the evening. 


Dinners included a pot luck, a catered authentic street taco fest, and a catered fine gourmet buffet. We never go hungry at these affairs.

Perhaps the fondest memory for me was that every evening after dinner, folks shared their stories about past rallies and Alpine escapades, some of which were very funny. It was a walk down memory lane for the folks who have been with the group since it began 15 years ago.  But what became evident to me is that there is a bond between all these people that goes back many years, of friendships and camaraderie and a common interest. And although I wish we could have had an Alpine coach a lot sooner to have shared in this group's decade-and-a half of gatherings and outings, it is wonderful to be embraced by them and to know that the group is still going strong. We hope to foster friendships of similar closeness and duration. 

Of course, there were the inevitable repairs that the guys seem to enjoy. Or at least some seem to enjoy giving expert advice.

I too had my turn to give Michael a helping hand one morning. But not because I am an expert on matters that are technical. He wanted to check the axle tag that shows the load carrying capacity on Jack's '99 Alpine. However he can't see as clearly close up as I can, so I offered to scoot under the body to read the numbers. The guys standing around were quite amused but were also kind enough to withhold comments!

he sees far and I see near...we make a perfect team

poised to look out for whales as we leave the San Diego harbor

Most of the group took the metro rail into San Diego to enjoy a great day of whale watching.  We boarded the boat and secured our viewing spots on the top deck.  But the outing turned out to be a bit of a fiasco when the boat developed some mechanical troubles and had to return to the dock before we had even left the bay. So instead of spending the next several hours spotting whales, all we got was a great view of the harbor and the San Diego skyline before the boat turned around and limped back to port.

However, all was not lost. The USS Midway aircraft carrier was right next door and several of us took the opportunity to tour this gargantuan instead. It was the first time I have been on an aircraft carrier and the size of the vessel is almost too much to comprehend, let alone that this 69,000 tons of steel actually floats in the water. Commissioned in 1945, a week after WWII ended, the USS Midway operated for 47 years, was decommissioned in 1992, and is now a floating museum in the San Diego Harbor. You can't miss her! The carrier overpowers the dock area.

ready to tour the Midway, audio-tour devices set to "play"

We first watched the excellent movie about the Battle of Midway, the 1942 battle after which the carrier is named. We went to the flight deck next, where my plane crazy hubby (plain crazy?!) could well have spent at least another day looking over the various planes and helicopters on display. 

With what time we had left, we toured the living quarters below deck. It was all very interesting and I especially enjoyed learning about the day-to-day life on board the ship. Below the 4.02-acre flight deck, there was an entire fully functioning city, consisting of a crew of 4,500 of whom 600 were engineers, 225 were cooks, 200 men were pilots supported by the 4,300 others on board, 40 were corpsmen, 5 were physicians, 3 dentists, and 3 chaplains. 
The galley staff of 70 Mess Management Specialists and mess cooks prepared 13,000 meals daily. Imagine that grocery list! There were 24 convection ovens, 6 eighty-gallon kettles, 4 deep fat fryers, 2 pressure cookers, and 2 griddles the size of dining tables. 

ship's galley

imagine stirring the stews in these 80-gallon kettles

We poked our heads into the mess hall, the officer dining room, and officers' quarters.

The laundry had super-sized washers and dryers and must have been in operation 24/7.

There was a barber who did brisk business with 4,500 heads of hair. And, oh joy, there was even a sewing room on board! 

It was perhaps no surprise to discover that there would be mending to do and someone to operate sewing machines.

For more mind-boggling statistics on various aspects of the USS Midway, here is a great link: http://www.midway.org/files/USS-Midway-Statistics.pdf

We stayed an extra day and took a drive to Imperial Beach. When we did our Journey to the 4 corners of the US in 2002, Imperial Beach was our southwest "corner", and we spent a night at the Silver Strand State Beach campground before making our way back north to Seattle. For old times' sake, we took a walk along the beach. 

Here are a couple more photos from SoCal's terrific 15th Anniversary party.

the cake was yummy

the tables were decorated with flowers from the Giddens' garden and each couple
got to keep a glass hummingbird ornament

story telling to a rapt Alpine audience by Dave Fernandez, one of the founding fathers

SoCal Alpine founders in front and happy So-Cal rally members