July 2018 - Lassen National Park

Our trip for July had some last minute changes.  We originally were booked to go near Yosemite, but a fire had started the previous Friday and was no where near containment (actually grew from a few thousand to nearly 20,000 acres.  The area we were going to (Groveland) wasn't directly affected, but due to the heat (95+ degrees F) and the excessive smoke pouring into Yosemite Valley, we decided to swap our September trip to Lassen with the Yosemite trip.  One note, the two sites near Yosemite were unsympathetic to the fire and smoke issue.  Since we were cancelling just a few days before, the cancellation charges would be steep (from $25 to full price).  So we rescheduled for September without a charge.

We had been researching locations in the Lassen area for September and quickly made some phone calls and found one site that had two nights available - Hat Creek Hereford Campground.  The reviews were good and we set out on Wednesday 7/18, during very hot weather (about 105 on the way up).  It was a good test of our rig's capabilities driving up a mountain in very hot conditions.

We arrived at the campground around 5:15pm, after a 3.5 hour drive.  When we checked in, the attendant stated she only had two left and checked us in.  I walked back to the rig and told Holly "well, this will be an adventure".  While we are relatively new at the RV experience, we have done enough to have some sort of expectation.  First of which is a pad (either paved or gravel) perhaps with a little grass area or picnic table or something.  Not this time.  Our site was just off the main entrance, near the office and we had to parallel park to get to our hookups.  We had a little area just outside our RV on which we could setup our chairs, etc.

So - we settled in, hooked up, and started prepping for dinner.  It was about 95 degrees outside.  We started having a power problem immediately.  We had the A/C running (obviously), but when Holly tried to use the microwave our power would cut out for a few seconds.  Then turn back on.  We managed to get dinner done by waiting during the power interruptions.  I walked over to the office which had the "closed" sign but saw the attendant who waived me in the unlocked door.  I asked if they were having power issues.  She said, "not that I know of...I know that we are full and sometimes you can't run the A/C and the microwave at the same time".  Fortunately, I purchased and use a power surge protector on my rig.  It is likely that it is the surge protector that was cutting off the power when there was a problem.

As we settled in for the night, the A/C continued to have interruptions.  Finally, it cooled down enough outside to shut off the A/C and use the vent windows and the house fan.

The property was nice.  There was a lake area, a grassy area for volleyball, etc.  There were many families with multiple generations fishing, swimming, etc.  Everyone seemed to have a good time.  But - with the location of our spot and the power issues, we left in the morning (even though we were paid for 2 nights) and went looking for something else.

We had been researching another place in the Burney area (Burney Falls Trailer Resort).  We also wanted to hike to Burney Falls or some other hiking trail in that area.  We found a trail near Baum lake, but decided against it as the trail didn't seem well maintained and full of stickers and fox tails.

So - we headed to look at the RV Resort.  As we pulled in, it was unclear where the office was.  It was 11am.  The obvious choice was a house at the entrance, but there was no signage.  I did see some brochures sitting outside so I tried the door.  A nice lady met me.  The office was her house.  No counter, no business setup.  Just her living room.  I asked if she had a spot for the night.  She checked and found that she did.  She went to her kitchen to get her cell phone to setup the Square device to take our payment.  After I paid the $35 for the night, she handed me a cut square of paper on which I filled in my information.  She gave me another cut piece of paper with the WiFi password.

I left the office and drove around to see the location.  We didn't get a good vibe about the place.  There were obvious long-term residents (which isn't a problem for us normally).  But the area didn't seem well maintained and there was literally no where to walk our dogs or hike.  We would have been relegated to another night of just staying in the RV to avoid the heat.

Holly had been reading about another resort called Lassen RV Resort.  We called to see if they had a spot, they did.  So we kept driving (another 30 minutes) into the wilderness near the Lassen National Park.  We turned off the main highway and drove another few miles until we found this very remote Resort.  We were impressed right away.  The gravel roads were well maintained, there was very good signage.  I checked in, and the attendant was very helpful.  He then escorted us (via golf cart) to our spot.  We had full hookups with the closest occupied spot a good 50+ yards away.  We were sold.

We made camp and hooked up.  The power was perfect, water pressure great, and the area was remote and quiet.  They had WiFi, but only near the clubhouse (which was fine - we were disconnected but could check in whenever we wanted).  After lunch and a little nap, we took the dogs for a hike around the vast property.  After dinner and a movie we settled in for the night.  Very happy with this place!

The next morning we made the 4 hours drive home before it got too hot!

Take away's from this trip:  We need a smaller frying pay (probably 8").  Our new "movie" setup worked fabulously.  We now have access to all of our movie library on the road.  While we like that we have a fold-up bed in the back (queen), we will probably keep it down and made for most of our trips (the front full-size will be put up every day).  While we have blinds for the cab windows, we will order a custom cover for the windows on the outside to help with heat/cold in the cab area.  We learned that we can access our back storage from under the seats in the back (surprise!  I actually complained about no access to the manufacturer and dumb me didn't know I had access).  This will change how we store our linens.

June 2018 - Point Reyes

This month, we decided to go to the California Coast (Northern).  We found an RV park in the Point Reyes area, Olema RV park (just about 2 hours from home).

We arrived at the park around 5pm, and did an "after-hours" check-in.  We found our spot easily.  It had power and water but no sewer (which was ok, as they had a dump station).  The area was quiet, but it was a little windy.  Lots of families enjoying the cooler coastal weather.  We made camp, dinner, and settled in for the night.

The next day, we broke camp and headed to the coast to go for a hike.  We took the Kehoe Beach trail with the dogs (fitted with their new packs and leashes.

After the hike, we took the long, slow, bumpy ride to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.  It was very windy, so not as enjoyable as we would have liked.  After seeing the lighthouse, we headed back to the RV park, made camp and relaxed for the evening.  The next morning we set out early and headed home.

May 2018 - Lake Shasta

We decided that in addition to our 2 longer trips each year (about 2 weeks), we needed to do a short trip each month to "get to know" our RV.  In May, we booked 2 nights near Lake Shasta, CA at the Mountain Gate RV park.

We figured our short trips would be 2 to 4 hours radius.  We learned a lot from our first official trip.  We started to identify what we needed, what we didn't, how to cook, sleep, live, etc. in the rig.  The dogs took to the rig famously.  In fact, while driving, they even assumed the same positions that they do when we are driving (Lula behind Holly, Dexter behind me, and Atticus in the middle - the baby).

We broke camp after the first night and went for a hike with the dogs at the Flanagan Trail.  We only hiked about 5 miles and were ready to head back to relax.  There was a dog run at the Mountain Gate RV park, which worked well.

The next morning, we headed home.  I then got to learn about all the plumbing, tanks, etc. and prepped it for storage (we rented an indoor storage unit to keep her in between trips).  All-in-all, a good first outing.

April 2018 - Las Vegas/Arizona

It's been a while since we've blogged.  Our aforementioned RV was finally ready for us in April.  We drove to Las Vegas to complete the transaction and take delivery.  In the meantime, Holly's mom had a recurrence of esophageal cancer (she beat it 9 years ago); same cancer, same place.  We set her treatment in motion and set off for a quick 3 day trip to Las Vegas (with a stop at my mom's in Arizona).

We couldn't be happier with our new rig.  We christened her "The Lula Mae" after our 13-year-old Poodle, Lula (as she love's to travel and is nearing the end of her life).

So - back to the trip.  Or - let's regress and talk about the scheduling of the delivery.  In December, when we purchased the RV (or put a deposit for it being built), there were two rigs to choose from.  One had a standard be (didn't want that) and the other had a power-fold-down bed (that's for us).  We chose the latter and were told it would arrive in late March.  So - we started planning our March pickup as well as our April vacation to take our new rig to Washington State.  However, as we got close, and no word of delivery, we were informed that there was a miscommunication.  The "standard" bed RV was delivering in late March and ours was delivering in April.  So - scratch Washington.

But - we had 2 weeks of vacation in April booked.  So - no problem going to pick it up.  However - at the end of the first week, still no work on when it would arrive.  On the Sunday in the middle of our 2 week vacation, as we are at my in-laws following her port-a-cath placement, we got the call "it's here!!".  Oh bother.

So - called Avis, rented a car and set out the next morning for the 8 to 9 hour drive.  Arrived around 1pm, went to the bank for a cashier's check for the down payment, and finally arrived at the dealership (with all three dogs in tow).  Very hot, so Holly waited in the care while I did my part of the paperwork, then we switched.

After all was done, we went to the Oasis RV resort near the dealer.  The site was nice, very large, and packed.  The amenities (restaurant, store, etc.) were perfect.  So we slept the first night in our rig.  The next day we returned to the dealer as the door was sticking (house door).  The fixed it very quickly.  Then we returned the rental car, and headed back to the park for a nap (still tired from the previous day's driving and purchasing activities).  But - around 3pm or so we were ready to move on.  We left and headed to Arizona (about 4 hours).  We had dinner with my parents, spent the night in our rig (my dad had setup a 30amp plug just for our rig).  We had breakfast the next morning and started the 11 hour drive home.

The delivery was confusing and exhausting.  But - the dealer (despite the miscommunication) was awesome (Wagon Trail RV - think they might have changed their name recently).  The RV itself....how do I say it....we LOVE it!  Everything we wanted and more.

So - stay tuned.  We plan to use the heck out of this thing.

RV Owners!

It has been a busy winter.  Not with travel, but with our pursuit of an RV.  We've done copious research, have rented RV's (as evidenced by our previous blogs).  We know we like the RV experience (at least for the road and an occasional overnight).  We know that we like the Mercedes Sprinter chassis for the handling and the technology.  We know we like a dry-bath.  We know that we like a little bigger version than the straight van model.  We know we like the best quality and rarer vehicle.

All of this lead us to looking at the Leisure Travel Van Serenity.  We were planning on renting a 2015 version through Outdoorsy.com, but the price per night (and the deposit) was cost prohibitive.  Plus, the thought of driving to the East Bay to pick up and drop off wasn't appealing.  By the way, why would an owner charge a $3,000 deposit?  There is insurance!!

At any rate, we decided to start looking for our own Serenity.  The problem we found with the 2017, is the table.  It is not removable.  Granted, it moves in many directions and can be moved out of the way to get from the front to the back, but it is always there.  We only use the table one (or maybe two) times per day.  Having it always there was an issue.  They solved this in the 2018 model.  A removable table!!

We found that getting one is harder to come by than we thought.  There were only a handful of 2018 models throughout the country.  We found that they don't make a ton of them (which is a good thing).  Also - we found that the re-sale value holds very well.  Go to RV Trader or RVT websites and look at the pricing for used models.  We found a new 2017 in Davis CA for the same price as a new 2018.  I think the reason is the low supply and the fact that some do not want to wait 9 to 10 months to order one.

We know that we want new.  If we are seeing $140k for a used one and can get a new one (customized to us) for about the same price (or even $5k more) we are doing the latter.

We have one dealer near us.  La Mesa RV in Davis, CA.  Not impressed with our interactions.  In fact, on one occasion I stopped by to look at the Serenity referenced above.  Nobody greeted me.  I walked into the showroom, walked around, sat down and played with my phone.  Still nobody noticed or paid any attention to me.

So - we looked at other dealers.  The closest are near Portland OR, or Las Vegas (plus some in So Cal).  I found a 2018 on the Wagon Trail RV site in Las Vegas.  It was perfect.  But - apparently they have multiple dealerships across the US and this unit was in St. Louis.  We started looking at the logistics of flying there and driving the nearly 2,000 miles home.  But, alas, it was sold.

But - they had 2 on order that would be coming to Las Vegas (a much more manageable drive).  And - we can customize it how ever we wanted as it wasn't built yet.  We get the advantage of a custom order without the longer wait.  We chose one that is due in late March.

We customized it and put a $2,500 deposit to make it ours.

Now - we wait.  Well, actually we finalize the payment/financing/etc.

More to come in March.  Here are some stock photos that represent what we are getting.

October 2017 - RV Trip

RV Trip Through Oregon - October 2017

In April, we decided we like using an RV.  The one we rented then was too big and unwieldy.  So - we went a little more upscale and rented a B-Class RV (RV Van) built on a Mercedes Sprinter.  So, basically, we were driving a Mercedes Van that was converted into an RV.  I'll review the RV later.  First - the trip.

Day 1 Thursday 10/5- pick up RV

We had booked the RV for Thursday 10/5/17.  We booked through Outdoorsy.co (which became Outdoorsy.com while we were on our trip) and happened to pick the RV that was rented by one of the founders of the rental website.  I'll review the rental website later.

The website had the pickup/drop-off in Mill Valley.  However, when we finally were able to speak with the owner the day before, it was changed to San Francisco....downtown San Francisco....around noon.  This was 104 miles from our home, which is about the same distance as Mill Valley, but with much, much more traffic.  The drive in took more than 2 hours and the drive home took 3 hours.

We arrived home and cleaned the RV that evening (more on that in the review).

Day 2 Friday 10/6 - Drive to Myers Flat

We had booked an RV park in Myers Flat California as our first stop.  See my review of Giant Redwoods RV Camp on Tripadvisor.  We stayed the night in the small RV and it wasn't too bad.  Definitely at least as comfortable as the previous one.

But - the drive was a night-and-day difference.  The Mercedes (2017) chassis was a dream to drive.  It handled like a nice truck, had lane-assist and all the bells and whistles.  We had cut the drive times down considerable but probably didn't need to.  We decided right then to only consider the Mercedes Chassis.

This was basically just a stop over until we got to Oregon.  Decent place, but not much to see.

Day 3 Saturday 10/7 - Drive to Reedsport, Oregon

From Myers Flat, we were along the coast the entire way to Reedsport.  The coast drive was beautiful.  The weather was clear and sunny.  The drive took a little longer than expected due to at least 6 times we had one-lane traffic due to construction/repair of bridges along the route.  No matter - the driving was easy and the scenery divine.

That night we had our one night out for dinner.  After checking into the Best Western Salbasgeon Inn & Suites of Reedsport (see our review on Tripadvisor), we were given a tip about a restaurant nearby, Harbor Light Family Restaurant.  It was great (see review on Tripadvisor).  We had decided that since we gained 5 pounds on our last trips in April and May, we would eat sensibly - which entailed bringing our own food for the majority of our meals.  Holly prepared our sandwiches in the RV just like at home.  And she brought our Home Chef meals for dinners (minus one, which was when we ate out tonight).  We did have Subway for lunch twice too, but still ate sensibly...and...no weight gain!!

Day 4 Sunday 10/8 - Drive to Vancouver, Washington

We departed Reedsport and the coastal area of Oregon and headed toward I5.  We began through the Umpqua River Valley and as we drove we both uttered "Wow" at nearly the same time.  It was a beautiful area of river, rolling hills and valleys, mist on the hill tops, Elk grazing.  This is they type of area we are looking for - lush, green, interesting.

Once on I5, the drive allowed us to see the central area of Oregon.  We stopped in Eugene, drove through Salem and Portland, and landed in Vancouver.  We stayed at the Double Tree for the night.

Day 5 Monday 10/9 - Drive to Bend

We left Vancouver early, went on Highway 26 through the mountains into the high-desert area of Oregon.  Before getting to Bend we drove to Prineville to look around.  We then headed to the Bend/Sister Garden RV Park (see review on Tripadvisor).  We loved this place (had a RV spot and a fully-furnished cottage adjacent where we had a real kitchen to cook our meal).

Day 6 Tuesday 10/10 - Drive to Medford

We left Sisters, OR and drove down 97 toward Klamath Falls.  We took a detour and went to Crater lake (added about 90 minutes to the drive - at least, as we drove around the east rim.  Very beautiful.  We stopped in Klamath Falls for lunch and headed across 140 to Medford.  We detoured near Medford to look at some areas we had seen with property for sale.  We finally arrived at the Comfort Inn & Suites for the night.

Incidentally - it was at this time that I learned of the fires in Northern California (Santa Rosa and close to my work town - Fairfield, CA).  It was a terrible time back near work.

Day 7 Wednesday 10/11 - Drive Home

We left Medford and began the drive home.  We took 99 through Chico to avoid the fires on I5 (weren't sure but had heard that parts of I5 were involved.  We found out later that this was erroneous information).  We stopped in Chico for lunch and made it home in the early afternoon.  We emptied out the RV and cleaned it.

Day 8 Thursday 10/12 - Return RV

On Thursday we arranged to return the RV in San Francisco.  We went to the gym in Vacaville to work out (by the way - we were able to get a work out most days on our trip utilizing each hotel's gym - minus the Myers Flat and Bend//Sisters RV parks).  We spent 2.5 hours driving into San Francisco (caravan with RV and Prius) and 3 hours driving home.  The smoke in the bay area made it look apocalyptic - very surreal as the smoke blew south from the Santa Rosa area.

Overall Impression of Oregon

We had seen much of Oregon on this trip (except for the extreme East and North-East corner (Joseph - which is more for an Idaho or Washington trip).

We loved the areas just off the coast, in the river valleys.  We did not like the high-desert areas of Bend and Klamath Falls - reminded us of High-Desert in Arizona.  Our next trip will narrow down the search of a place to live (if we decide Oregon is for our retirement).  But who knows - there is still Washington to survey.

RV Rental

Rental website - Outdoorsy.co(m)

After our last rental in April (see our blog), we found Outdoorsy.com.  The website is very well done, showing private RV rentals similar to AirBnB.  We had been looking at the B-class Mercedes models online and found one in Mill Valley.  The booking was very easy.  When we booked, it included insurance (liability) as well as roadside assistance.  Very turn-key experience.

The RV - 2017 Mercedes Coachmen Galleria.

We really liked the driving experience of the Mercedes Chassis.  The only thing that took away from this was the actual RV part of is.  The drawers in the galley would not stay shut.  The first good turn I took, a drawer slammed open and broke my cocktail glass.  Later in the trip I stopped by Walmart and bought some suction cups and bungee ties to secure the drawers.  Also - the lav doors would rattle if you didn't shut them just right.  The bed was a twin in the back with boards to put down with cushions to make a full-size.  It was an awkward setup with the boards down (one was broken and taped).  We definitely found we don't like the bathroom in the mid-area and we don't like a marine bathroom.  This means we will have to look at the B+ models with a dry bath.  We also found that the sliding door was not to our liking.  If you didn't open all the way and catch, it would come sliding closed on you.

At least 10 days prior to the pickup, we began to IM the owner through the Outdoorsy website.  No response until literally the day before our rental.  We were trying to plan when we would pick it up (and where).  When it was changed to SF, that was a big let-down due to the traffic we knew would be there for us.  Also - we had to meet in the parking lot of the Best Buy as there was little room elsewhere to pickup the RV.  Not a pleasant area.  Finally, the RV was 45 minutes late getting there.  Apparently, on the last renting there was an issue so they took it to the shop to have it gone through.  Understandable but annoying.

As I drove it home, I could smell the refrigerator (that unplugged, moldy smell).  When I got home, I realized there was mold in the refrigerator.  I had to take out all the railings and holders to wash, then thoroughly clean the entire RV (it was dusty, dirty all throughout).  We took all of there "extras" out (bedding, dinner ware, etc) and used our own.  After this cleaning, careful use, and another thorough cleaning afterward, the RV was definitely better when we returned it.

2017 - Houston Space Center

In May, Holly had an ICU nursing conference in Houston, Texas (NTI for her CCRN certification).  We took the opportunity to visit with my parents just outside of Houston.  We had a wonderful visit, seeing their new home in Fulshear.

After our visit, we checked into our hotel downtown (Hilton Americas) and Holly commenced with her conference.  We were, however, able to squeeze in a visit to the Houston Space Center.  We booked a VIP tour and my parents were able to join us for the tour.

We stumbled onto the VIP tour by accident, but couldn't have been more pleased.  Rather than joining the masses (including lots and lots of school children) and piling into a crowded, open-air tram - we were part of a group of 9 people that had a nice, air-conditioned coach and a private guide for nearly five hours.

The tour started in a hanger in which a full-size Apollo Rocket was on display.  After this we traveled off-property to the underwater training facility.  Interestingly, there were two astronauts training in the water while we were there!  It was a great experience.

Next we went to the current day Mission Control, where the were monitoring the space station.  We were told that one of the astronauts had just completed an unplanned space walk to fix a faulty device outside the station.  We then went to the historic, 1960's Mission Control area, replete with the exact equipment used in the 60's to monitor and control the Apollo missions.

Finally, we were treated to a rare chance to visit the Shuttle Simulator.  It was an actual-size, fully functional Shuttle in a hanger.  If it had wheels, it could fly.  We were told that every astronaut had to train on this device prior to going into space.  Also, when a shuttle was in space this simulator had a crew operating the entire time, mimicking the actions and trying solutions prior to the actual shuttle in space trying them.  We were able to sit in the cockpit and see all the controls used to fly the shuttle!

I was born in Houston.  I have visited my parents many, many times.  This is the first time we had visited the Space Center.  A great trip!!

Here is a slideshow I made of our trip, including footage of the Apollo missions from the 60's to start it off.......