Campgrounds by Julian, CA

A big WELCOME to Levonne from A Camp Host Housewife's Meanderings: An RV Adventure.  I appreciate you following along with us on our dream to RVing full-time.  You are staying in a beautiful place, Monterey County, I've been there many times and have always loved it.

So...  when Katie and I drove up to and through Julian, I decided to check out a couple of campgrounds nearby.  Here's Katie, in her car seat (well, it's really for grand kids, but Katie loves to sit in it and then she can see out the window).  She loves a road trip!

On the way to the campground there was a "view" turnout, and we pulled off and parked to see the view.  It was beautiful, with rows and rows of mountains going back as far as the eye can see.  I took lots of photos, but they don't show the beauty of the landscape like being there.

We were headed toward Lake Cuyamaca Recreation & Park District, which boasts fishing, camping, hiking, etc. in the literature I printed from the Julian Chamber of Commerce website.

Cute sign as we entered the parking area.  No ducks on the road, though.

 Here were the ducks - swimming around in the lake.

 Some of the trees in the park were changing colors, beautiful.

I could not find any camping areas, so I stopped and asked a ranger doing some clean-up in the parking area by the store.  He pointed out a few areas, and said there were two camping areas marked down the road further.

First I checked the area "at the end of the parking lot" - I didn't see anywhere I'd want to camp. I guess it was better than a WalMart parking lot, but I assume people pay to camp here.  Next we drove out - back onto the road and visited the first campground he mentioned.

I didn't take photos of the signs for these campgrounds, or make a note of the names, because I was so under impressed I'm sure I'll never camp here.  This one is right on the road, and that's someone's house across the street.  Hilly, rocky, not many trees, windy.  Where would you put a tent?  Or an RV?

This one at least had some trees, but the campsite was right out in the open and the wind was blowing, I can't imagine being comfortable camping here, at least on the day I was there.

The one that looked best to me was Ramona Canyon RV Resort. We pulled into their parking lot on the way home and I visited the office and asked if I could look around.  The very nice lady there told me it's a membership campground, Western Horizon Resorts.  It had lots of trees, a lake, swimming pool, a long list of amenities and looked really nice, but I couldn't go past the entry gate.  I checked their website at home, and that location does let non-members camp there and shows the fees for non-members, so I don't know why she wouldn't let us in. : (

That was our last stop, and we were tired and ready to drive home.  

I love it when the sun comes out and shines through the clouds - this was taken through the open window as I was driving:

This is a photo across the mountains from a trail head, Clevenger Canyon North and South Trails.

I hate to say this, but I think I'm a camping snob.  That's all we did for vacations when I was growing up (until Disneyland opened).  We went to either Big Basin or Yosemite.  Huge redwoods, lots of shade, very forested, creeks, simple gorgeous areas.  That's what I think of when I say "camping."  Of course we always tent camped. (My parents met at Big Basin while vacationing with their families when they were in high school, so it was a favorite place for them.)

I think there was an area in Big Basin where they were just starting to make places for RV's about the time we stopped camping.  My dad doesn't consider RV owners to be camping.  He's always said that.  What's funny is that we stopped camping because as we kids grew older, we started complaining a lot about how cold we were.  Big Basin is in Santa Cruz County, and under those big trees it could get cold if we didn't pick a hot week to camp.  The people in RVs, of course, were nice and toasty in their rigs, and I'll bet their kids weren't complaining about being cold. (I think he was just too cheap to even think about buying an RV!)

The last year we camped was especially cold, and we complained a LOT, and my Dad said, That's it!  This is the last time we camp!  The next year Disneyland opened and then we went there every year. 

That's one of the reasons I want a small Class C with no toad - the places I want to park (I hope) will have a lot of trees, and with a smaller, narrower vehicle I should have no problem staying in that type of terrain.  Of course if I'm at the beach or in the desert I don't expect forests, but... that's what I envision when I think of camping.

Obviously I have a lot to learn, and will probably be eating my words in a year or so when I'm trying to save money by overnighting in flat, dry, windy parking lots! 

It was a great day, easy driving, not much traffic, and we zipped on home.  By this time, Katie was laying down and trying to sleep.  Enough scenery already, Mom!

From me and Katie, have a great Wednesday evening, everyone! : )

Our road trip to Julian, CA

WELCOME to two new followers, Roxi and Annie, and John and Judy.  Thank you for following along on our journey to a new lifestyle - which seems like forever away, but I'm sure will be here before I know it.  Hope to meet you all on the road in the future!

Katie and I had a great road trip to Julian on Saturday.  It's amazing the things we saw on the way!  We traveled up Highway 78, and there were tons on things to see right on the highway.   We stopped at a few:

Would you believe a camel dairy?

 

A zebra? He was corralled with some donkeys, one of whom let out the loudest, longest braaaaaaaaaaaay when I went up to them.  I was afraid the zebra police were going to come and get me. 

And a kid - baby goat - from a Petting Zoo that was part of a bunch of things to do at the Julian Mining Co.

There were lots of goats, and when Katie and I went up to their fence, they all came running.  Very friendly group.

 There was Panning for gold:

 And settings from the gold rush days.

Next door on the highway was this old school - it was in excellent condition, and looked like a neat place to go to school.  Very old fashioned. 

 

This is the back porch of the school - looks like only eleven students in this class, if you count the names over the hooks.

There was so much to stop and see just on the way to Julian.  I kept passing things and then turning around to see something we missed.  Traffic was pretty light, but I wanted to go slower than most drivers, so I kept pulling over to let cars pass.  Felt like I was driving an RV.

When we finally got to Julian after about an hour's drive, it was sooo crowded.  I didn't know what was going on, but we didn't stop.  The main streets were completely filled with parked cars and the side streets were all filled, too.  People everywhere.  Millions of motorcycles.

I checked the Julian Chamber of Commerce website for November today, and this is what was going on yesterday in this small town:

Every Sunday (weather permitting): Julian Doves & Desperados  – historic comedy skits at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3 p.m

Every Sunday (rain or shine): Julian Certified Farmers' Market 

November 1-30: Fall Arts & Craft Show – Town Hall – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

November 6: Christmas Gift Fair – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Town Hall

November 6-7: Tour de Julian – Road & MTB Rides – Based out of Menghini Winery – R&B Bicycle Club

NO WONDER IT WAS CROWDED!  How can they have all that on the same day?  It was a beautiful day, though, and perfect for all the people attending everything in town.

I had planned to stop and have lunch in Julian, but there were literally lines down the sidewalks for each restaurant, and I had grapes, apple slices and trail mix, coffee and water (plus baby carrots for Katie) in the car, so that was our lunch as we drove along enjoying the view.

 

Surrey with the Fringe on Top

Miniature Horse and Carriage

I kept driving and we stopped at a couple of campgrounds to see what they were like.  I'll tell you about them in my next post. 

From me and Katie, have a nice Sunday, everyone! : )

Saturday misc.

WELCOME to our new Follower, Ed!  Thanks for joining Katie and Me as we plan and prepare for full-timing.  If you have a blog, let me know so I can follow along with you, too!

WELCOME also to Gail and Rick of Gypsy Turtles - great name!  I'll read along with you as you get started full-timing.  (Glad you got the red wine stain out of the carpet - lots of good suggestions in your comments, too.)

Remember I told you when I give Katie a treat she puts it in her mouth, gets a ball and walks around with them for a while?  She always has to show me and will stand there like this until I tell her what a lucky girl she is.

 She's so proud of herself and her treat!

It's the funniest thing - I've never seen a dog do this before. 

Yesterday I went out  to shop - groceries, etc.  Went to Costco first and got the sweetest strawberries and grapes.  They also had blueberries - not so sweet but not bad.  Then went to the grocery store for the things I didn't want to buy in bulk.  My Dad's birthday is the 10th, so I got him a present to mail today, and made him a birthday card.

I decided to look later for camping things.  I've gotten so frugal I'm not sure I want to spend the money on equipment I won't use in a year or so.  I used to be a shopaholic - whatever I wanted I got.  Now that I've reversed things it's hard to spend money on something I don't NEED.  I have a tendency to get into activities, buy everything I need and then some, and then not really use them.  I did that with skiing, backpacking, fishing, crafts.  All expensive hobbies and although I really enjoyed doing them, I didn't do enough to justify the money I spent on the equipment.  Last time I moved I had a huge garage sale, and sold most of the backpacking and skiing things, but not the fishing and crafting stuff - I still have those and hope to use them when full-timing.

Last night I did some research on-line for some of the things I'd need to camp.  Comparing prices, re-thinking if I really need them.  Stove, headlamp, tent (I LOVE the SUV tent, but a standalone is 1/3 the price).  Other things in the "camping" section of Costco, Walmart, Target, REI. 

I'm thinking now that I should take Katie for an overnight at first - just in the car.  I can bring food and drinks, we can do a little hiking, see what's what.  I've always done this kind of thing with a boyfriend or husband.  Love the outdoors, but haven't gone alone.  I am never bored - I've always enjoyed my own company, but that's at home where I have all my stuff to keep me occupied, and the TV the rest of the time.

I don't know what's holding me back - I think about it, and plan where I'll go, make lists of what I'll need, do all the research, got the CampBook at AAA, printed out hikes nearby, etc., etc., etc.  Then I put it on my desk and let it percolate in my brain for a while. 

I think I'm going to wrap my Dad's present, drop it off at the post office, and take Katie to Julian - a nice drive - and we can check out some things on the way.  At least it's a start.

Opps - thought I posted this  before we left - We DID go to Julian. I got some interesting photos, which I'll post tomorrow. 

For now, I've ordered takeout Fish House Vera Cruz for dinner and I'm going to pick it up and have a fabulous dinner at home and upload my photos.  A nice dinner to top off the day.

From Me and a very tired Katie, have a super Saturday evening, everyone!  : )

My Escape RV

Turn your SUV or truck into a tent camper - Check this out:

Suanne's blog is about her travels in a Prius - she calls it her Prius RV. She left her husband at home and took off alone, visiting National Parks from April till October in her car.  That started me thinking...I have a small SUV.  Why couldn't I use it as my RV until I buy my Class C?  Suanne, I hope you don't mind me copying your terminology and calling  mine "My Escape RV"?

I was telling my neighbor about this, and he mentioned car/SUV tents.  It's so amazing the things you learn when you talk to people, things you would never have found out by yourself. 

So, I did a little research yesterday, and here's what I found. 

The sleeve on the tent goes right around the opening at the back of the SUV.  You can set up sleeping quarters in the car and use the tent for the "living" room with chairs, table, lamps - whatever.

At night I'd put my electronics in the locked car with me, and along with Katie, I'd feel very safe.

If you want to drive off somewhere, just take the sleeve off the car, and the tent converts to a regular tent until you re-attach it upon your return.

There are four models for station wagons and SUVs - this one has an attached sun room. You can also purchase the floor for the sun room for around $30 extra.



This tent fits on the back of a truck - is this cool, or what?!?

These photos are from Sportz by Napier.  I found a few others, but these looked the best and on Amazon.com, they had all 5 stars in the reviews. They recommend using a sealant of some kind for the seams in case of rain, I think they recommend what to use.  I would probably do that, especially this time of year. One reviewer said he got the sealant at Walmart "as recommended by Napier."

This weekend I'm going to break down and spend some money - I'm going to see what I can get as far as camping equipment goes.  I've been putting that off, thinking I should save my money for the RV Fund, but since that's a year to 18 months away, I think I'll do some looking now.  

I already have a sleeping bag, flashlights, bug spray if needed, cooking stuff (extras from when I lived in that horrible cabin in Georgetown - I HAD to replace the kitchen pots and pans and dishes, etc.  They are in a box in my carport storage area and I'll drag them out tomorrow to see what I have.)  I have two battery operated lamps.  I need to see if I have a car charger for all my stuff :  Kindle-Yes, MP3-Yes, Camera-No, Computer-?  What else?

It's not an RV, but...   I'd have the room provided by the tent, and the safety of sleeping in the car with my car keys close, and doors locked.  That's about the best thing I can think of to get me out there for now.

The weather in the San Diego area has been nice and warm lately, so I might actually be able to do some camping with Katie in a few weeks, after I get all my gear together. There are lots of campgrounds nearby. 

I was talking to one of the guys at work about a campground near his house - he lives on the beach. It's at Solana Beach and he said this time of year (off season) it's not as crowded.  Might even have lower prices. He said dogs are allowed on the beach there.   I drive by it on the way home from work and it looks small and crowded to me, but I'll have to check it out.

Pretty neat, huh?  Now I'm getting excited again. !!! 

From me and Katie - have a great Thursday, everyone! : )

Taking a small break

After blogging every day since the first, suddenly I keep saying to myself, "I got nothing!"  Can't think of anything for the blog, and I'm not doing anything interesting, and don't have any ideas.  Writer's block?  Dull life?  Not really, just needing a break, I think. 

So, everything is well, and I'll probably post something tomorrow or Friday.  I have a couple of things I wanted to post, but will wait till then.

So, don't worry.  In case anyone besides my daughter noticed I'm not blogging, I'm okay, Katie's okay.

From Me and Katie, Happy Wednesday, everyone!  : )

Happy Halloween!

Happy Sunday, and...

Happy Halloween

I blogged every day in October - Here's my Badge!

I live in a community of mostly seniors, but a family with two kids moved in right across the lawn.  My front door faces their patio and living room window.  They are the first kids to live near me in six years.  What to do on Halloween?

For six Halloweens, and there has never been a knock on my door from trick-or-treaters.  Sometimes I go to my son's house to see the grandkids in costume, but tonight I plan to stay home.

Katie is driving me crazy - she keeps putting her paw in my hand while I'm trying to type.  She must be desperate to go for a walk.  I'll be back....

We walked for quite a while, up and down different streets in the area.  Here are some photos:

This orange tree, on my street, still has oranges at the top.  You may have to click to see them.

These two old pine trees were just trimmed. They will look neat when more growth fills them in.

Beautiful day at the lake.

The Pyracanthia are all full of berries now.  Really pretty.

"Okay, why aren't these ducks running from me?"

Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, little breeze, perfect day for a walk.

Every time I walk down this streeet I wonder how these two palms got so curved.

The dad from the new family was playing ball with his dog on the lawn, so Katie and I went out to visit.  I asked where they were going to trick-or-treet. He said they were going over to Encinitas, about 3 towns over (it's where my son lives). I told him about my son's last neighborhood, which was super for trick-or-treating. Lots of kids, very well lit, everyone decorated their houses, really friendly. I sent him an e-mail with the address and mapquest map.

When Katie and I came back into the house, their dog, a big black lab, tried to follow, and BOY, was Katie NOT letting him into the house.  Very territorial little Miss.  She bared her teeth and growled like crazy, and he backed off. 

Right after I came back into the house, my son called and invited me to go with them - guess where? The old neighborhood! I'm not sure if I'll go or not, but it's nice to be invited.

Hope the gouls and goblins are good to you tonight, and that you get lots of treats.

From Me and My Dog, Katie, Happy Halloween everyone!  : )

Halloween Eve, a "do nothing" day

I mentioned a day or two ago about not being able to become a follower on other blogs by clicking the Follower button.  Yesterday I tried again and it didn't take - again.  I use Firefox, but also have Internet Explorer that I use for some things.  So, I clicked on Internet Explorer, brought up my blog, clicked on another blog I was trying to follow, clicked on their

 
button and it worked.  I went down the list of blogs I couldn't "follow" and they all worked. So, I guess if something doesn't work on-line, I can try another browser and maybe that one will work.  I can live with that work-around.

First Camellia bloom from my little backyard tree.

Nothing much going on today.  I slept in a little, fixed breakfast and coffee, and have been following up on my TV shows on Hulu all morning.  When I'm done with that, I'm going to find a good book on my Kindle.  I had to charge it this morning.  It's been sitting for quite a while, and since I'm still using the original battery, it always needs a charge when I don't use it.

It's cloudy/sunny here in San Diego today.  I woke up to rain.  It's been dry for hours now, but still wintry outside on and off.  I'm still in my sweats and actually turned on the heat for a while this morning.

I've got some frozen "spring rolls" in the oven for lunch, and that's about it.  I don't plan to do anything else today. 

 Katie Mouse

My neighbor and I always talk about how guilty we feel when we have a "do nothing" day, but hey, we're old enough to be retired - and still working.  We deserve "nothing" days if we want them. It's just hard not to feel like we should be doing something.

From me and Katie, have a nice Saturday, everyone. : )

Double, double toil and trouble

I don't have much to write about today - so here's a jumble of stuff.  I almost have my October badge for blogging every day, and I made my own this month (it is allowed).  It's very cute for October, the theme is "Play."  I'll put it up on the blog on Sunday.

      

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

              - William Shakespeare

We're getting close to Halloween!

Is anyone else having trouble signing up to follow other bloggers?  I can't get the Follow button to work.  It was giving me trouble last week, then it worked for one day, and now it won't work again.  Has something changed?

My weekend has started. I'm not driving to Boulder Creek this weekend, so I have lots of time on my hands.  Right now I can't think of a single thing to do with all this time.  Not complaining, not complaining.  I'll come up with something.  : )

I've seen it explained many ways, but this is the best answer I've found:

You're trying to fool people with redundant information and somewhat faulty math. Yes, the three men paid 27 dollars in total but that is not part of the problem. The problem is who is actually holding the money in their pocket.

The three men gave the manager 30 dollars. So the manager has 30 dollars. The manager took 5 dollars and handed it to the bellboy. The bellboy handed 3 dollars to the three men, and kept 2 dollars for himself. 25 (held by the manager) + 3 (held by the three men) + 2 (held by the bellboy) = 30 dollars, therefore there is no missing dollar.

It'll help you to wrap your mind around this one if you picture one man instead of three doing the transactions, and forget the 27 dollars paid.

Remember these?

Why can't a man living in the USA be buried in Canada?

If there are 3 apples and you take away 2, how many do you have?

One big football fan claimed to be able to say the score before any game. How did he do it?

 Answers

Because you can't bury a living man. 

If you take two apples, than you have, of course, two.

The score before any football game would be 0-0, right?

Another Katie Costume: 

Bumble Bee

Today I'm sending in my documents to Santa Clara County to request Certified copies of my Marriage Certificate and Divorce Decree.  I have the forms I need all filled out, and I'm going to a Notary Public this morning to have my signatures notarized.  Should get them back within 14 days at the most, then I'll take them to the local Social Security office and they will complete my application. 

I learned that my ex-husband took his Social Security benefit at age 62, so I won't be bothering with the Widow's benefit if he predeceases me. He has other income, so he used his as a supplement to what he already has.  If I work for another year or so, my benefit will be more than what he's collecting, so I'll continue collecting mine. I actually feel better about that, so everything is good.

From Me and My Dog, Katie, have a great Friday, everyone!  : )

Halloween town

WELCOME to Cruzin2some!  Thanks for becoming a Follower, I've been reading along on your blog, too.  Lately you have had questions that I'm definitely going to have in a year or so!  Hope you enjoy coming along for the ride!

 

Halloween Town

So... about the Boulder Creek property.  I made some phone calls yesterday - first to the county assessor.  They said the property is still in my name, I still don't owe any taxes, and it is still not buildable.  I'd need an acre, and it's 1/5 of an acre.  I told her about seeing the house on the Google Earth map and she said the satellites are so far up, they are often distorted when you are looking at specific properties. She said to call the planning department about parking my RV on the property.

So I called the planning department.  She said technically I am not allowed to park there.  I can only park an RV on property that has a building on it.  But she did say they are a complaint driven department.  If I parked there and no one complained, I'd be okay.  If someone complains, I'd have to move.  Good to know.

I told her about thinking someone put a house on the land, and out of curiosity she looked it up on their satellite program and this is what it showed (I went on their website and could pull it up, too): 

 Do you think the satellites could be off that much?

The blue outline is the property - see the house in the upper left corner?  There is actually another in the lower right corner, too.  That makes me think it might be off a little.  The woman at the zoning planning department said there have been no permits pulled for the property, so if there is something on it, it is definitely not legal.

I then called a Realtor I talked to in August 1994 when I was going to sell it (if it was worth selling), and she is still with the same real estate office.  There is a house in foreclosure next to my lot, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the structure that seems to be on my lot.  She took the information, did some checking and called me back. She said she gave both APNs to a local title company, and they are going to check on it.  She will call me back with information by Friday, or early next week.  Just in case someone had their lot lines wrong.  She asked me exactly where the lot was, and I gave her the "Beer Pub" location right next to me, and I'm hoping she will actually drive out and see for herself.  The lot is 4.5 miles from the town of Boulder Creek, so it would only take a few minutes.  It would be nice to have an "eyes on" opinion.

I really want to see the property, but it's an eight hour drive each way, and I don't know if I want to make such a long drive over a weekend.  I think I'm going to let the experts do their research, and see what they say.  If there is a problem, I'll go next weekend, maybe take off Monday so it will be a Friday through Sunday trip with Monday to recover. If it looks like everything is okay, I'll probably wait until I go up to Vacaville again to visit my daughter and her family, and we can take a day trip to see it then, walk around Boulder Creek and have lunch there.

After I wrote the above, I pulled up my condo address in Google Earth.  And you know what?  It has me two blocks over from my street.  Interesting...  Maybe it really is off that much. 

Maybe this is all much ado about nothing.  If so, at least I learned I can park my RV on the lot as long as no one complains.  I'm going to have to knock on some doors when I go up there and make some friends. : )

Boooooooo!

PUZZLE:   Here is a puzzle I have always liked.  It was in the San Francisco Chronicle when I was in high school, and I cut it out and saved it for years (and years and years).

Three people check into a hotel. They pay $30 to the manager and go to their room. The manager finds out that the room rate is $25 and gives the bellboy $5 to return to the guests. On the way to the room the bellboy reasons that $5 would be difficult to split among three people so he pockets $2 and gives $1 to each person. Now each person paid $10 and got back $1. So they paid $9 each, totaling $27. The bellboy has another $2, adding up to $29.

Where is the remaining dollar?  I'll have the answer tomorrow.

From me and Katie, have a great Thursday, everyone! : )