It's all about the beach

Time sure seems to fly when you are having fun.  We have been in Pismo Beach for a whole week already and have enjoyed every minute of being here.
Our daily routine is predictable but never boring  - we begin each day with a daily morning walk for me and alternate morning run for Michael.  After breakfast we sit outside under the awning.  He reads, and I read, crochet, or struggle with my Sudoku puzzle of the day.  I am now totally hooked on this numbers game, even if I did discover it a little late.  Later in the afternoon we go for another walk along the beach, and then watch the sun going down.
A  couple of times, I set up my machine in the afternoon and finished a baby blanket.
There are also house chores to be seen to like laundry, and some house work, plus meals.
And so our days speed on pleasantly by.

My camera is my trusty companion, recording the things we see and do.  Here are several "Pismo postcards" from this past week:

view across the dunes towards Psimo

pretty flowers blooming along the dunes

you know who, on this foggy morning walk

a graceful pelican swooping over the waves

Eucalyptus grove in the state park next door

time to read and relax outdoors

the lagoon we cross from the RV resort to access the beach in one direction 

view south towards Oceano Dunes across the lagoon

surfers in the waves, Pismo Beach and the velvety hills above    

on the pier

our walk north  towards the rocks

the water feels cool but good

view of the pier   

tide coming in on our walk to the rocks 

white cliffs of Pismo    

the main square in Pismo Beach

walking back to the RV resort along the boardwalk

leisure time in the Alpine with my machine

my buff hubby on his morning run

on this morning, there were dozens of plovers looking for breakfast and
were fascinating to watch as they darted away from the incoming wave
then as the wave receded, darted back out again, their tiny legs speeding along

a close-up of these busy little birds

a typical scene of a surfer running into the waves 

fishing must have been good this morning, as humans and birds
seem to be hoping for a catch of something                 

along the stretch of beach just south, vehicles are allowed, and it seems that
size is not an issue as this little toddler takes a spin in her very own jeep

Rv's are a typical site here south of us, and this one was deflating
tires to make it easier to drive across the sand

sometimes we see horseback riders here too

walking back "home", we saw this American beauty

followed shortly after by another California beach icon  

I hate crows!!!

I have never been a fan of these noisy, cacophonous creatures.  I know that crows are supposed to be quite intelligent, and I read about how they can be trained to help the police with face recognition. But after several of these beady-eyed birds literally tore our picnic tablecloth to shreds, I detest them and feel a strong urge to wring their little black necks.  Well, obviously I won't do that, but I sure would like to.
I remembered to bring along a piece of flannel-backed plastic fabric that is ideal for outside tablecloths.  And I happily covered our picnic table at our site, even remembering the clips that hold the cloth down in wind (and every afternoon it can get breezy here at the beach).  Well, later in the afternoon we were inside and I was probably working on my post when I heard scratching sounds outside.  Eventually when I got up to take a look, there were three black crows on the table, busily pecking at the cloth and tearing it to shreds.
Michael said later that I missed a good photo op.
Ha!  I flew outside and was dismayed to see how much damage these stoopid birds had already done. There was nothing to salvage - the entire cloth was destroyed and I had to toss it.  It had not even been outside for more than a few hours.
Needless to say, the birds heard exactly how I felt as I angrily shooed them away.  The rest of the campground possibly heard me too.

A day or so later, as we were on our way to the beach, we walked past the dumpster to toss our garbage.  We noticed a red and white checkerboard picnic tablecloth had been thrown out....and wondered if the same hateful crows had attacked that one too.

Back in Pismo

Those last 217 miles to Pismo Beach always seem to take forever, my impatience rising at wanting to be there.  But first, we made a quick stop at Costco in San Louis Obispo to stock up on essentials. We are not towing a car yet, and the two grocery stores in Pismo Beach are a good two mile walk away.  This is not a bad thing, and we have walked the distance when necessary.  But it is a lot warmer now, so dairy and frozen items would probably not do so well during the half hour return walk under a blazing sun.  It is a lot easier to stock up on perishables in the Alpine because the fridge is sufficiently large and there is plenty of storage on board.  A definite plus.
We arrived in the early afternoon and set up, made a fruit & veg smoothie for lunch, then went down to the beach for a lovely long walk.  It feels wonderful to be back here  - it's only been about four months since we were here for the SoCal Alpine rally.

Here are a few glimpses of that final leg to this glorious destination -

there were several patches of bright yellow wildflowers

happy cattle munched the day away in the verdant pastures, which
just four months back were brown and dry

the California aqueduct followed the road for several miles, a reminder
that without this precious commodity, none of this would be possible
in this dry desert-like valley... and the billboards along the way are a
further reminder of the political wrangling that goes on here for water rights

vineyards are a common sight

as are various orchards

around Kettleman City, we veered off I-5 to head west to Paso Robles

after the recent rains, this normally dry stretch looked lush and
a lot more hospitable

out of the blue, we noticed patches of bright orange on the hilltops
which looked stunning, as if the hills were ablaze...they too are widlflowers,
the names of which I need to discover 

the hills were ablaze in gold and rust

a pretty pastoral scene

the final descent towards the coast (unfortunately it was also
a mega-bug-splat event on the windshield)

first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean

I could go for any one of these homes....

approaching our exit  - finally!

downtown Pismo Beach and boardwalk

it's Easter clam-bunny season in Pismo

parked, set up, and enjoying a smoothie 

here's to many more daily walks and runs on the beach

the white cliffs of Pismo

view from the pier

The Oregon to California Stretch

California is a long state.  Last night we were in Red Bluff in northern California and tonight we are in Patterson, south of Sacramento and Stockton.  Pismo Beach is within easy reach now, and I can't wait to feel the sand beneath my feet and hear the waves crash tomorrow.

Before heading out from Seven Feathers, Michael stopped at the truck scales to weigh us.  I held my breath.  Compared to our previous trip, with just the bare essentials on board, this time there is a lot more stuff traveling with us (and yes, I did bring one sewing machine and a few projects  but "he" also brought more tools and other stuff that is in the basement). We were about 400 pounds heavier at the back and only 40 pounds heavier in the front, so not too bad.  There is room for a lot more that this Alpine can haul.  In fact, Michael referred to Alpine as being an "ossewa", which in Afrikaans means "ox-wagon", the type that the Boers (his people) used to make their Great Trek into the interior of the land and away from British rule.  
We had a good chuckle.  Alpine is indeed both ox and wagon.

The stretch from Seven Feathers went smoothly, weather perfect, skies bright, not a fleck of snow in sight.  In fact, as if a switch had been turned on, it was suddenly shorts, sandals and t-shirt weather.  And a good thing that there is plenty of storage on board for summer clothing and several pairs of sandals (for me of course) .  
    
We made our way across the mountain passes, chugging up the inclines, coasting down the 5% and 7% grades.  We breezed through the inspection stop as we crossed into California  - I had a list ready for the "fruit and vegetable border patrol" and they waved us through wishing us a good trip.  We made sure to eat or cook the "contraband" ahead of time so that what was left is legal.

The I-5 corridor is pretty familiar by now. After crossing the mountains, we dropped down to the valley and through the "fresh produce aisle" of California, with its abundance of fields and orchards.  It is also the "meat and dairy section" with its numerous cattle and sheep ranches.
The only difference from a few months ago is the bright green new spring growth that is bursting through.  Just four months ago the scenery was pretty dry and brown.  Now you can see the new growth on the trees, replacing the white and pink blossoms that carpet the ground below.  
Under bright blue skies, the snow-capped volcanic peaks were clearly visible, towering above the landscape.  All three, Mt McLoughlin, Mt Shasta and Lassen Peak further east of us, were spectacular sights. 

Alpine makes the drive comfortable and smooth.  Ginny, our GPS lady, is our companion, making sure that we find our way to our RV parks and any fuel stop along the way.  Since the software update, she now makes a "ding-dong" sound, like a front door bell, as we approach a turn-off.  It has come in handy when there are a couple of turn-offs within yards of each other.  

These are a few of my most memorable moments along the Oregon into California leg:

first view of  Mt McLoughlin, over 9 thousand feet high,
east of Medford Oregon

at a rest stop just over the border into California, along
the Klamath River

Mt Shasta, all 14,162 feet visible, as we crossed over the passes
into California

Lake Shasta wilderness area, with the lake at the lowest level
we have ever seen, and the remarkable colors of the soil exposed

driving through the valley, the hills of the Diablo Range flanking us
in the west

green fields and hillsides

new leaves appearing, replacing the blossoms
 (sorry about the reflection from the glare)

right before our turn off to the RV park in Patterson, we passed
acres of pink blossoms - a pretty sight

another Alpine passed us and we waved at each other...this is what
we look like driving down the highway

On the Road Again

It feels wonderful to be back in the saddle again. Alpine's nose is pointed due south, taking us to California where we will join two rallies after a sojourn at Pismo Beach.  The first rally will be in Valencia with the SoCal Alpine group (Southern California) we met last November.  From Valencia the plan is to caravan together to Pomona for the FMCA rally (Family Motor Coach Association), which is for all makes and models of coaches. This will be our first FMCA rally and I will be reporting on everything once we are there.  It will certainly be another new experience.

We started our adventure this past Sunday, spending our first night along the Columbia River in southern Washington at the aptly named Columbia River Waterfront RV Park.  It was a pleasant setting, and one worth repeating.
The next night we were at the  River Life Resort along the banks of the Willamette River in Harrisburg, Oregon.  That put us within a short distance of two places where we had appointments scheduled this week, at a custom cabinet business and the Cummins Coach Care Center.  We are looking into removing the second couch and building a desk area for computers and my sewing machine. The two guys who run the business came highly recommended and it was a good opportunity to meet them and chat about possible designs.  The Cummins service center is also close by and Alpine had a "spa day" with an engine service and a few other things taken care of as well.

Yesterday we arrived at one of our favorite stops along the way, Seven Feathers RV Resort in Canyonville, Oregon.  The weather here is wonderful, sun shining brightly and perfect temperatures for being outside.  Not too hot, not too cool, just right.
Tomorrow we cross the mountains into California, heading to Red Bluff for our next stop.

The stretch from Seattle to California along the I-5 corridor is quite familiar.  The scenery around us is always pretty driving through Washington and  Oregon.  Here are a few pics from the past few days:

view of Mt St Helen's from I-5 southbound

crossing the Columbia River into Oregon 

sunset along the Willamette River in Oregon

also along the Willamette River at the River Life Resort

a birch grove adjacent to the River Life RV Resort where we stayed

we watched the moon rise over the mountains last night at the Eugene RV resort 

Michael enjoying a well-deserved smoothie after arriving at Seven Feathers
in Canyonville, Oregon