The last thousand miles

First the stats on the trip northbound to Bellevue - 

First leg 191 miles: Pismo to Santa Nella for an overnight.
Second leg 282 miles: Santa Nella to Redding for an overnight.
Third leg 210 miles : Redding to Seven Feathers in Canyonville, Oregon for two nights.
Final stretch 295 miles: Canyonville to Centralia, WA (to Brazels to have a wire replaced in the Jeep) and then a short hop of 85 miles further to Safegard Storage in Bellevue.

The first leg was relatively short compared to the others. The reason is simple: we were dragging our heels to leave the beach! So we squeezed in one last morning beach walk and left after 11 AM.

All in all, the drive north along the I-5 corridor was a good one. We had good weather and light, flowing traffic. 
The "jacks down" alarm sounded once the first day, then again on the third day,predictably within the first hour of driving. Thankfully, both times the alarm was immediately silenced after pressing "store." 

Although we have traveled this route numerous times and know it well, this time the scenery looked very different. The typical dry, desert landscape through the Central Valley on previous travels is currently very green and bursting with pink and white blossoms. Reader boards still announce that California is experiencing a drought, and to conserve water. However, the scenery surrounding us belies the fact. Everything looks lush, verdant, bursting with new growth. 
Beyond Corning, Mt Shasta loomed above the highway to the north and Lassen peak was visible to the east. The route across the Siskiyous is always scenic, the granite mountain peaks imposing. Thankfully, the passes were clear, not a flake of snow in sight except high up on distant peaks. As we crossed into Oregon, the raindrops appeared. We were back in the NorthWET, as I like to call this region. The predicted rain appeared off and on, none of it too bad, with plenty of dry sections in between.

Long drives in Alpine are surprisingly comfortable and less tedious than in a smaller vehicle. We entertained ourselves by listening to our next audio book.I pulled out my knitting to occupy my fingers. Photos along this stretch are by now redundant, and the numerous bug splats as we whizzed past the blossom-laden orchards, as well as the raindrops further north created less of an incentive to click away.  
I did,however, capture a few scenes that caught my eye.

Shasta Lake, notably fuller than when we last saw it

in the Siskiyous, dry today

the fascinating red soil, a hint of snow on the mountain tops

Mt Shasta looming over us

Black Butte ahead

looking back towards Mt Shasta

winding our way between the peaks

entering Oregon

creeping back down on the other side

outside Roseburg, Oregon, meandering between the hills

a wet patch around Eugene

grey northwest skies

we're back in evergreen forested areas, and also a lumber industry

crossing the mighty Columbia River into Washington

close to our exit in Centralia, we saw a double rainbow.... I took it as an auspicious
sign that more Alpine travels are in our future.... perhaps even full-time travel...

Mountain Gate RV park ablaze with blossoms

We tried two new RV parks. The one in Santa Nella was OK, good enough for a quick overnight stop, the only negative being the highway noise. 
Mountain Gate RV Park just north of Redding is pretty, but also close to the highway, which though noisy is at least convenient. The spots are large and level.

Seven Feathers is one of our favorite stops, as I know it is for most of the folks who travel the I-5 corridor. We decided to break up the tedium of the long drive and stay two nights. We try to stick to our rules of 2's and took breaks after driving for 2 hours, depending on how conveniently spaced the next rest stop was. However, taking a two-night break didn't make sense until we got to Seven Feathers, which is a great spot to stay over. Historically, Canyonville was a rest stop for pioneers traveling to California and Oregon. Today it continues to serve RV-ers and truckers. The casino across the highway is also a great excuse to enjoy a buffet dinner for a change of pace.

at one of the rest stops with the trucks

At Seven Feathers, Michael tried a different tack to extend the room slide. He had me pretty rattled when he tried a method recommended by another Alpiner of letting gravity help. He proceeded to lower the right-side jacks and then deflate the airbags so that Alpine tilted precariously (my interpretation) to the left. Next he extended the slide (which slid out without a problem). 

the 10-10-10- Seven Feathers RV Resort

With Alpine tilted to one side and the slide out, all I could envision was gravity doing the rest and our Alpine lying toppled on its side. Thankfully that did not happen, and he proceeded to level the coach. I think DH has now come to the conclusion after looking at my panicked face and huge eyes that this method perhaps ought not to be repeated. 

We felt rested after our day at Seven Feathers and ready to tackle the rest of the long haul. We arrived in Centralia around 3PM, pulled in at Brazels RV and plugged in. We will spend the night here and in the morning Alan will replace a Jeep wire after which we will be off again on the last 85-mile stretch. 

It's been yet another terrific Alpine adventure. We spent time at our favorite beach, explored the desert, dry-camped for the first time, met more Alpiners, and more full-timers. With every trip, the question: Why must we go home? echos louder and louder. Most of our Alpine friends have remained in the desert and are enjoying the sunshine and good weather. Perhaps next year we will be joining them too.

And so, after our 3,144-mile Beach-to-Desert trip, I am signing off until we are back on the road again. The next Alpine rally we plan to join is the NoWACA Sisters/Bend Rally in Oregon in June. 
But, we may take a side-trip or two before that, to our other favorite spot on the water - Anacortes. 
Or.....

Heading back to Bellevue

Sigh! The time has arrived to face the long trek back to Bellevue. We leave with a heavy heart, not ready to go back, wishing we could extend our travels. In fact, we wish we could just keep on traveling like so many of the full-timers we met and have chatted with. I guess we need to be patient a little longer for that to happen.
We have had a great time here in Pismo. We always seem to. 
While here, we have been busy doing "house" chores. A home on wheels requires cleaning and maintenance like one bolted to a foundation. Regular home living continues. It's just the scenery that changes as we bring our home along with us. 
The inside of the coach is now desert-dust free, the laundry washed and put away, and the larder re-stocked. Michael cleaned the outside and took care of another couple of items on his Alpine To-Do list. When Alpine is in storage, there isn't much room between sites to be able to work on things. Here at Pismo, with electricity and space to access the bins, it makes it a lot easier. The good weather helps too. 
It appears that the leak into the storage bay is still there. The day after we arrived in Pismo, there was a torrential downpour. He checked the following morning after the rains, and it appeared to be dry. It wasn't until he later pulled out the ladder and a couple of storage bins that Michael realized that it was wet under there. So perhaps the furnace vent with its deflector did not solve the issue and rain may be getting in at the refrigerator vent.  So he got a can of expanding foam sealant and sealed some suspect areas in the fridge vent. The problem solving continues until this is resolved. 
We also have another issue that developed on this trip with the room slide. When we were at Emerald Cove, for the first time ever, the room slide would not extend evenly. The first site we were assigned was quite sloped and the slide jammed along the top and would not go out. We moved to a more level site, but it took several helping hands to push the slide out from the inside while I operated the slide switch. The slide seems to retract OK but ever since then, it will not slide out without Michael pushing at the top. It's perplexing and there are multiple factors that could be contributing to the slide's behavior. He is trying to problem-solve that issue now too, one possible cause at a time. So far he has re-glued the strip of rubber seal along the inside top of the slide that had become detached. He has cleaned the exterior top & sides of the dust and grit from the desert stay, and lubricated the rubber seals in case that had dried out in the sun. Maybe that will solve the problem, maybe not, but they are all useful maintenance procedures anyway.
While this was a work week, doing chores and maintenance which are necessary to complete before returning Alpine back into storage, we did make time to do other things too. Every morning we have enjoyed our beach walks. We arrived here just ahead of full moon which has created extreme tides and also high surf warnings. Some mornings we have had to run to avoid incoming rogue waves, and once we had to scramble up a bank as the section under the pier filled up while we were walking under it. We have still not been able to walk beyond the large boulders at the north end of the beach. The beach remains eroded and there are even more rocks exposed now. 

we recognize these sour -fig succulents from South Africa, which are all in bloom now;
they grow along the banks of the dunes 

I have never yet seen a parrot going for a beach stroll - this one is an African Grey
with a pretty red tail

every other day we walked south towards the dunes; this is the section where
vehicles are allowed to drive on to the beach at not more than 15 MPH

We stopped at the monarch grove  a couple of times and by now the majority of the butterflies have moved on. Those that remain are still active though, and folks still come in droves to see them.

We explored further afield and took a drive to Avila Beach one day. We also drove to Oso Flaco Lake near Guadalupe. It's an area of dunes and riparian habitat with a long, pretty walk to the beach. From a pathway through a forested area, a bridge takes you across the lake and then along a boardwalk that crosses dune scrub. There is an overlook at the end that has a good view of the bay and beyond. We could see Avila Beach from there. We continued along the short stretch on to the beach where there were dozens of anglers lined up along the shore line. This seems to be a popular fishing spot as we passed many folks with fishing poles during our walk. There were many families here too enjoying an afternoon picnic in the dunes. Behind us and a fence, we could hear the ATV's buzzing about noisily across the Oceano Dunes Recreational Area.

Oso Flaco Lake with dunes in the distance

The meaning of Oso Flaco comes with a story attached. The story goes that in 1769, Spanish explorer Portola landed in the area. While hunting for meat, his men shot a bear at a fresh lake and named the lake Oso Flaco, which means 'skinny bear.' Thankfully we didn't come across any bears, skinny or otherwise.

Prior to the Spanish arriving, the Chumash lived here, making their huts out of willow branches, covered with tule reeds. In 1895 the Southern Pacific Railroad came through the area and over time it attracted more and more settlers.  

bridge across the lake

board walk across the dunes

the beach area, which was quite windy this day, but still a popular spot for fishermen
and families

farmland and dunes  - we crossed a valley of farmlands leading up to the dunes

In the late afternoons we returned to the beach for another walk and to watch the sun setting. Each sunset is different and pretty in its own way. Tonight was our last one, for a while, and tomorrow we begin the journey north along the I-5 corridor towards cool and rainy Washington. Wish we could stay longer... perhaps next year we will.

Completing the circle: back to Pismo Beach

We began our trip to the Alpine desert rallies with a stop in Pismo Beach for a few days. It seemed fitting, therefore, that on our way back north to wet and chilly Washington we ought to complete the circle by heading back to Pismo again. Here, back in civilization, with full hookups and good Wi-Fi, we could re-group, re-energize, catch up on blog posts, and take the opportunity to clean the Sonoran Desert dust that has coated both the inside and outside of the coach. And we could once again enjoy our daily beach walks.

Pismo to overnight in Riverside; to Quartzsite; to Earp; to Parker; to Lake Havasu City;  overnight in Tehachapi;  and back to Pismo

Once Winter Blast ended and we said our adieus to everyone, we headed westward, making our way to Tehachapi the first night, a distance of 298 miles. From the rodeo grounds at Lake Havasu City, the route took us north on 95, connected to Interstate 40 across the Colorado River into California, and all the way to Barstow where we connected with route 58 across the Mojave Desert to Tehachapi. We have traveled through this desolate wilderness corner before. I now recognize the wilderness recreation areas and dune sections as well as certain landmarks like the lava flows and ancient volcanic mounds. The sparsely inhabited region is also the training ground for the navy, army, and marine corps. 

Interstate 40, approaching the Colorado River

crossing the Colorado 

back in California

desert wilderness and long trains

volcanic remnants and  historic Route 66 remnants
that can be seen along some stretches of the highway 

just a long straight road through the desert wilderness

on and on for miles

another section of Route 66 running parallel to the highway

lava beds

driving through the Mojave Desert

out of the blue, close to Boron, Joshua trees began to appear  - they typically grow
at elevations above 1,800 feet up to about 6,000 feet

We know we are getting close to our destination when we are in view of the Tehachapi Mountains and the wind turbines. 
Thankfully we were spared the gale-force wind gusts that side-swiped us on our maiden trip in Alpine from Virginia back in October 2014. Back then the wind was whipping so fiercely the morning we drove this stretch that it started to unfurl the awning and sheared off the refrigerator and bathroom vents. 

A short distance beyond Tehachapi Summit (elevation 4,064 feet), we arrived at our destination. Our overnight accommodations were most definitely the best we have ever experienced, with an exceptional view and friendly, welcoming Alpine hosts, our friends Katie & Paul Lisec. And considering that they themselves had just arrived back home a couple of hours earlier from the Winter Blast rally, they are more than accommodating. 

perched high above the valley floor at the Lisecs' mansion... with 30 amp electric
AND
in the morning we had four-footed visitors checking us out curiously..

The next morning,we said our goodbyes to Katie and Paul, and were off on the last leg towards Pismo Beach, only 204 miles further. We took route 58 west to Bakersfield, then route 99 north, connecting to route 46 to Paso Robles, and eventually to 101 and our exit. 
It was another good travel day, sunny and clear, the road a familiar one again. Ginny (our GPS lady) is becoming redundant along this section, for we are beginning to know it well. The drive from Tehachapi to Bakersfield winds through the Sierra Nevadas and is one of my favorites. It takes you between velvety hills, high above pretty valleys, as you twist between the folds to the other side.

the orange on the hillsides, I believe, are the wild poppies in bloom

Approaching Bakersfield, we began to see mile after mile of orange groves. The orange trees were heavily laden, and on this trip we have indulged in California sweet oranges. Our favorites are the scarlet red blood oranges.


The scenery was pretty, particularly because the trees were in bloom. The leg along route 99 and through Wasco along route 46 looked like an explosion of pinks and whites to the horizon, a completely different picture compared to a few weeks back when the trees looked stark and skeletal in their winter garb.

the pink and white corridor along Rt 99

California oranges in transit

As pretty as the drive was through the section with the orchards in bloom, the resulting bug splats were not. It was unpleasant hearing the loud squelches, and troubling to know that we contributed to the demise of the busy little bees and other hardworking insects without which there would be no fruits. It was difficult to find a clear area on the windshield to take photos too. And of course the other consequence is that once we arrived in Pismo, the first chore was to clean the splats before they harmed the paint on Alpine. Leaving any insect debris for too long, as I learned in one of the seminars, damages the paint finish.






There is one section that pops up surprisingly in the middle of this farming region. For a few miles through the San Joachin Valley, we passed oil derricks and a refinery. It looks completely alien and out of place among the orchards bedecked in their pastel blossoms.There are oil fields close to Lost Hills, and there is more about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Hills_Oil_Field

Were these the inspiration for Star Wars creatures, I wonder...

Next, we passed a solar farm, a sign of the times where our increasing need for energy and the abundant sunshine in this region merge successfully.

this one's for you Gold Coast Jan!

We drove through almond country further along route 46. I happen to love almonds, particularly the ones coated with dark chocolate. I wonder if there is a Trader Joe's close to Pismo Beach... that's where we buy ours.

pretty scenery, lush green fields, almond trees heavy with blossoms and the
Diablos in the distance

happy California cows munching sweet California grass

Closer to Paso Robles, the vineyards started to appear.

The best part of the trip is the steep descent into San Louis Obispo because we are only a few miles from our destination now. A couple of miles later the Pacific pops into view and we take the exit to our favorite beach town. We have finally arrived, completing the circle of our beach-to-desert-and-back-again trip.

Pacific Ocean in view again (pardon the glare on the windshield on this sunny day)