Back in California and Time with Family
Katie (17), Me, and Helen (14) on top of Barnabe Peak.
We arrived at South Carlsbad State Beach on Saturday, November 19, 2022 and would stay there one night before picking up Katie, age 17 and Helen, age 14, on Sunday afternoon. This was Katie and Helen's first visit to the U.S. without their parents. They visited with friends for two days in Orange, California before we picked them up to take them north to visit their California family. They had looked forward to doing some travel with us in the RV, so they joined us for the rather monotonous journey north on I-5.
Early morning eastern sky at South Carlsbad Beach.
See the waning crescent moon in the top right corner?
Sun reflecting on the Pacific waves.
A Pelican fly by.
Our beach front property.
After picking up the girls we were eager to get over the Tejon Pass, the area we've always called the "Grapevine," before dark. It was strange to me that the parents of the family Katie and Helen stayed with did not know where the "Grapevine" was. But that is understandable since the old road that wound like a "grapevine" was long gone before the family arrived in southern California. We made it to Lost Hills KOA just north of Bakersfield about 6:00 PM on Sunday evening, November 20.
The waning crescent moon in the early morning sky on Monday, November 21, 2022.
Sun rising in the east at Lost Hills, California.
We planned to arrive at our son Shawn's house in Richmond on Monday night where the girls would spend the night and do something fun with their uncle and young cousins, Sophia and Naomi, on Tuesday. Since Shawn didn't expect to be home with his daughters until late in the day, we needed to take our time making our way north. Anyone who has traveled I-5 through the Central Valley knows there is not a lot to see or do along the way. I Googled, "Points of Interest Near Me," and BravoLand came up, so what the heck, we stopped there. It's just a big tourist trap, obviously created for folks like us who don't know what else to do as they travel through the valley, but it was a fun diversion for an hour or so. The billboard for BravoLand says, "BBQ for Him, Shopping for Her, and Fun for the Kids."
Helen and Katie in front of BravoLand
Helen and Katie in BravoLand's tree house.
Rob looking at a shooting gallery with a gum ball machine to his left.
Katie was delighted to get a gum ball out of the machine.
They don't have such things in Cyprus!
The old truck in the shooting gallery.
A little bunny outside behind BravoLand.
We made it to Richmond in time to share dinner with Shawn, Sophia and Naomi. Katie and Helen slept in the house and we slept in LesThora before heading to Colfax the next day. And I of course went for an early morning walk and hike before everyone else was up.
The sun coming over the mountains in Wild Cat Canyon, part of the Berkeley Hills.
I suppose most people drive to the trails there, but I love being able to walk out of the door in town and walk the mile and a half or so to get on the trails.
Looking out across Richmond with Angel Island behind and one Golden Gate Bridge Tower beyond.
Erin's house on Angel Island is visible in this picture.
We arrived to our "home base" in the Colfax area on Tuesday, November 22, where we parked LesThora in her designated RV spot, and where we would stay over Thanksgiving and until Wednesday, November 30, when we would head to Samuel P Taylor State Park in Marin County for five months of camp hosting.
We needed to widen the drive into the parking spot, something we've kept putting off.
There is not a lot of extra room here, with a tree to the right of the picture and ground that slopes so that while I guide Rob backing into the spot I cringe as I watch the top of the RV come really close to the tree.
It's much better now!
A neighbor's tree near our Colfax property in full fall color!
You don't have to go to New England to see pretty leaves!
Katie and Helen's 23 year old brother Jacob was in the area too, having spent some time on Angel Island with Erin. Jacob, who had been in Maine when we were there in October and rode with us for two days in the RV before heading back to Maine by bus, had since then gone to South Carolina to visit friends, bought a car there, drove across the country and met friends at the Grand Canyon and eventually ended up in Northern California. On Wednesday, all of our California children and grandchildren met in Folsom for ice skating at their seasonal outdoor skating rink. Some of us went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Folsom before hitting the ice. I chose not to ice skate - it's something I've done in the past and never really enjoyed, and I figure the ice gets harder the older I get so I opted to take pictures and walk around old town Folsom a bit while the others skated. After skating all headed to Colfax for Thanksgiving the next day.
Sophia and Avi thought it a great treat to have a table of their own for dinner.
There were too many of us to sit at one table so the waitress invited the two girls to have their own table.
Sophia and Helen skating.
Katie Skating.
Naomi skating - it was hard to catch a picture of her as she raced past!
Shawn in the front with Erin and Katie behind and Sophia further back.
Avi being wise and cautious.
Jacob, Avi and Ruth.
Jacob and Erin.
Shawn, Erin and Helen.
I didn't manage to get pictures of Chris and Alana.
Shawn, Erin, Katie and Helen singing Thanksgiving morning.
Many of those gathered made things for the Thanksgiving feast, but Ruth did most of the cooking of the turkey and trimmings - delish food that lasted us a good part of the weekend. One family member had cold symptoms and ended up testing positive for COVID. They remained isolated for the rest of the weekend and no one else ending up getting it, but we pretty much quarantined ourselves for the weekend, scuttling the plans to take Helen and Katie to visit my sister Elizabeth and her family in the Ukiah area. The girls were disappointed about not getting to see that part of the family, but we all ended up having a very relaxing few days playing board games and just hanging out. After we all tested negative for COVID on the fifth day and no one had symptoms the girls joined Erin at Angel Island for most of the week after Thanksgiving. Rob and I left early Wednesday morning, November 30. Our first stop was a tire shop in Auburn to get an alignment on the front end of LesThora, and then we headed to an early afternoon arrival at Samuel P Taylor State Park.
The mountains to the east as seen from the top of a morning hike I took with Helen.
Helen blading at a Skate Park in Auburn.
Helen is an avid and accomplished roller blader, and brought her skates with her from Cyprus.
On Monday, November 28, after a COVID testing "party" where all tested negative, I headed to Tiburon with Katie, Helen and Jacob where Katie and Helen would meet Erin to take the Ferry to Angel Island to spend several days with Erin. Then Jacob and I headed to Shawn's in Richmond where I would drop Jacob off before heading back to Colfax. On Wednesday morning, November 30, Rob and I left Colfax with LesThora and our Subaru, headed to Samuel P Taylor State Park in Marin County but first stopping in Auburn to get the front end of LesThora aligned. I took advantage of the wait for the alignment to walk in the nearby Regional Park. We arrived at Samuel P Taylor State Park in the early afternoon where the Ranger who met us, had us sign the necessary paper work, gave us the keys and told us when we asked what he wanted us to do and when to start, "You're seasoned Camp Hosts - do whatever you want."
The little lake/big pond at the Regional Park.
Shawn once won a fishing derby here when he caught the biggest fish of the day.
In a tree overhanging the lake.
Two geese on the shore.
Two ducks on the shore.
Arrived in the Redwoods! Where I immediately went for a short walk.
Looking downstream at Lagunitas Creek.
Looking upstream at Lagunitas Creek.
Our home until May 1, 2023.
The morning of December 4 we released this little guy from the dumpster.
Last year we saw multiple young raccoons each morning in the dumpsters, but so far this year this is the only one we've seen and rescued.
The Salmon have arrived with us!
I think this is a Chinook.
And here is a Coho on her side clearing the gravel of silt.
Some of the few mushrooms I saw during our first week.
The trail into Wildcat Canyon on the Pioneer Tree Trail.
At home again in the beautiful Redwood Grove.
My morning spot where I walk each morning before doing camp check.
I love doing jigsaw puzzles, and while in Colfax I helped Ruth with a Christmas puzzle and wanted to do one for myself. It's a bit cramped inside LesThora to do a full size puzzle. In the past I have done 1000 piece puzzles outside on the picnic table under cover of our screened in tent, but we haven't put it up yet because of the rain when we arrived, and it's a bit cold any time of day right now to be outside even with our Little Buddy Heater under the table. I found a mini Charlie Brown, Christmas themed 180 piece puzzle at a local bookstore and had fun putting it together on our dinette. I found an old picture frame at the thrift store in Point Reyes Station for $1, so now we have some Christmas decoration - along with some Christmas lights we strung outside.
My 6" x 7 1/2" Christmas puzzle.
On Saturday, December 3, I went over to our daughter-in-law Lindsey's house in El Cerito to join several grandchildren and other family members for a gingerbread house making party. Everyone got more than their fill of candy! But we all had a good time.
Avi in the purple sweater and Sophia in the green sweater.
Over the past three months while riding as passenger in LesThora I have been knitting on what I called the "Cousin Sweaters" for the youngest of our grandchildren. Naomi, who was very excited to get her yellow sweater decided to be camera shy so I don't have a picture of her sweater.
Ruth with her "topsy turvy" gingerbread house.
Sophia and Avi working on their houses in the background, Jacob on his in the front.
Katie under the base of some Redwood trees in the campground.
Katie inside the tree famous for Naomi encouraging me when she was 4 to go inside the tree by saying, "You won't know unless you try!" That phrase has encouraged me to try other things since.
Helen and Katie on a huge fallen Redwood tree.
Mushrooms in the crack between parts of a fallen tree.
Helen and Katie in front of one of our big, old growth trees.
Some red mushrooms.
The girls kept noticing mushrooms before I saw them.
I think many of them were just popping out for the first time on the day we hiked the Pioneer Tree Trail.
Helen crossing the creek by my "morning bench."
Katie taking a picture of me taking a picture of her through this "window."
Here is the "window" where Katie stood to take my picture.
This is across from my "morning bench."
There is a large "room" behind the window.
Helen's beautiful braided hair.
She had this done at the Dickens Fair in San Francisco on Sunday where Katie and Helen went with Chris and Alana who were performing with a choral group. Helen was determined to keep the braids in place as long as possible. She flew home to Cyprus in them, and I wonder how long they lasted.
Katie admiring mushrooms - just like her grandma!
These looked like seashells.
Katie is pointing at ones that look like butterflies.
The midst in the trees that especially caught Helen's attention.
A newt that Helen noticed along the trail.
An overlook on the side of the Pioneer Tree Trail.
Yes, that is a cliff in front of Helen!
In the background is a hill in front of Barnabe Peak where we would hike to later.
More mushrooms.
These are green and purple.
The three of us at the top of Barnabe Peak, standing in front of the rocks where we ate our lunch.
Tomales Bay and the Pacific Ocean are in the background.
We were about to take a selfie when Dale, a man who was working on a radio transmission system at the lookout area on Barnabe Peak, offered to take our picture. After chatting with us for a bit he invited us to go up in the lookout which was open because of the work he was doing. What a treat for the three of us! Over the past two years I have been to the base of the old fire lookout many times, but never got to go up in it. When we got inside it was evident that the lookout is being used. I asked a ranger about it later and he said that yes, it has volunteers during the summer season. We had learned at Palomar Mountain that our fire lookouts, so vitally important in the past before the plethora of air traffic and population spread had mostly been shut down, but now they realize that some fires are still best spotted by human eyes surveying the landscape.
Looking out of the lookout towards the Pacific Ocean.
Thank you Dale for the invitation to visit the inside of the lookout.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022.
Katie and Helen waving a tearful goodbye in the security line at San Francisco International Airport.
The girls had a wonderful visit in California, and we so enjoyed having them here.
It's always hard to say goodbye, especially when we don't know when we'll be together again.
And on Angel Island:
Jacob visiting with Elsie.
Katie with Straus.
Straus and Elsie together on a favorite chair.
the place where you stopped on I-5 whose name I've already forgotten looks like an interesting tourest trap... as to that gumball machine, I've had lots of giumballs out of lots of different machines but never out of a gas pump... well done restoration (I hope) or recreation.
ReplyDeleteWhat an idyllic family! All the relatives make my head spin but I love your report of adventures with them. You are blessed ! Thanks!
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