More on Victorville

Victorville was the site of George Air Force Base from 1941 to 1992-a front-line United States Air Force base until its closure.  The federal government in an effort to help Victorville recover from the base’s closure, helped to create a logistics center here on the base, which is now called the Southern California Logistics Airport or SCLA.  The center was designed to provide major corporations who have logistics needs, access to a global intermodal logistics gateway to the Western United States.  Train facilities and Interstate 15 are readily available to the multitude of warehouses situated here on a 5000-acre complex located only twenty miles away from San Bernardino.

Additionally, the airport runway at 15, 059 feet is the second longest public-use runway in the United States.  Only Denver International Airport has a longer runway.  Troops en route to the Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin are brought through SCLA-the main transportation hub for 70,000 troops per year.  The airport has proven to be the safest and most efficient site for this military activity.  This is also home to a heavily modified McDonell Douglas DC-10 Air Tanker used to fight forest fires any where in California.  There is also an aircraft “boneyard” located here. 

Not far away down the street is the United States Penitentiary at Victorville for around 960 high-security male inmates.  In 1984 parole for Federal inmates was abolished for anyone convicted from that date forward.  The prison houses murderers, gang members, a body guard for a Mexican drug lord and a leader of a spy ring to describe just a few of those housed there.

As of last year there was an unemployment rate in this town of 12% and we have seen numerous homeless encampments.  But there are also beautiful new housing developments and a large, newer complex of mall shopping options along Interstate-15 just a few miles southwest of us toward a town called Hesperia.  So far our experiences here have been pleasant and we are looking forward to getting inspections here done tomorrow and Tuesday before heading up the road to Barstow.    

High Desert - Victorville

Victorville, eighty-one miles northeast of Los Angeles at the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert, is our destination today and the first stop in our assigned territory of Central California.  Leaving from Mission Bay in San Diego at 10 am, we cover the distance by 1:30 pm including a stop for diesel fuel.  California poppies (the state flower) bloom by the highway in shades of orange and yellow swaying gently in the breeze.  After a slow climb that includes a view of snow-topped mountains in the distance, we reach Cajon Summit at 4,190 feet and the road levels off just sixteen miles from Victorville.  Puff the Magic Green RV has just completed her highest climb up hill yet and she performed superbly!

The difference between the lush green landscape, abundant flowers and water views at sea level in San Diego versus the barren vistas of rocks and cacti of the high desert of Victorville is readily apparent as we get off Route 15 and turn into our “home base” for the next four days at Shady Oasis Kampground.  We check in with Marge who has worked the front desk here for over thirty years.  It is early in the season here in the high desert and the park is relatively quiet with just a few overnight type campers and a back section of long term seasonal campers.  We wave at those we pass on the way to our site responding to their typical RV etiquette of a welcoming nod or wave as we pass by.

 Victorville was created 1858 as a stopping point for supplies for those migrating from the east to San Bernardino.  The original settlement was situated on the Mojave River where Route 15 crosses the river today by a veteran of the Mexican-American War named Aaron Lane who called it “Lane’s Crossing” after learning he could make more money selling supplies to miners and travelers than joining in with the California Gold Rush crowd.  In 1926 the building of Route 66 commenced passing right through Victorville.  Today there is a small museum commemorating the famous Route 66 just three miles from our campground.

We are lucky to have good Wi-Fi service here and I will get caught up on events and interesting subjects of the last few days.  The plan is to drive around a little bit today and Sunday as a “tourist” to get a feel for the area and prepare for visiting parks starting on Monday. 

Balancing Act

Snoopy's Corner:

Dad and I work well together.  Although I have to admit balancing on the back of his chair can be a challenge, especially since I don't have claws on my front toes anymore!  I just jump onto his shoulder if I get into trouble and then Mom laughs.

It was a good thing I wasn't trying to do this when the earthquake came to San Diego tonight.  I was asleep and did not feel a thing.  You know the air suspension on Puff is really quite good!  Anyway, Mom and Dad were driving their car home from Aunt Teri and Uncle Bob's and missed the whole thing!  We would not have even known if Aunt Teri hadn't called us right away.  She said their apartment really shook.  (Mom says she would have liked to feel it and get the "first one" behind her, but I think she is nuts.  I don't want to ever feel one!)

That's the third one since we've gotten to California and Los Angeles has gotten the worst of it.  We won't be back over there for a couple of weeks.  This better not be the year California falls into the ocean.  I have no desire to go swimming!

Fitbit

Technology can be pretty amazing sometimes.  For anyone with a continuing quest to lose weight, I have run across a nifty little device that does everything but audibly speak to you.  (Well, it does give you typed motivational messages to encourage you in your efforts on its miniature screen.)  It is called a Fitbit.  This computerized pedometer is sold at Brookstone and Jim’s sister introduced us to it.  She’s been using Fitbit for some time and swears by its tracking abilities.  She’s also lost over twenty pounds.

So what does it do?  Fitbit measures steps taken, calories burned, distance covered and stairs climbed.  Tell it when you go to bed and wake up and it will tell you when you fell asleep, how many times you awoke during the night and the quality of your sleep versus times when you were restless.  If that isn’t enough, there is still more!  You can input the food you eat and it will calculate the calories you’ve consumed.  It gives you the amount of calories left over that you can still eat for the remainder of the day or warns you if you have gone over your calorie allotment for the day.

Best of all by tracking how much I am moving and eating, I am more motivated to keep both in line.  Now in just two days I have not lost a pound and probably not even an ounce, BUT I am certainly more aware of what I’m eating and how much I am exercising.  I have adjusted both to get results I want sooner rather than later. 

Shown above, the Fitbit is only about two inches long and fits in a rubber case that clips to a pocket or shirt or bra.  You wear it on your wrist at night in a clever pouch that holds it in place in a bracelet -like band.  It "talks" to your computer to track your statistics via another USB type of connection whenever you pass within 20 feet of your computer.  All and all it is very simple and fun to use.  So, check it out the next time you are in Brookstone at the Mall.  You'll be amazed and even happier if you make the investment in yourself and start tracking what you are doing.  I figure it is cheaper than prescriptions or doctors in the long haul.

Infusion Delight Breakfast

Eclectic Cuisine Bar & Bistro

Our Sunday breakfast on 30th Street in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego...

Croissant with two eggs, avocado, tomato, Muenster cheese with maple sausage gravy and crispy bacon.  

Avocado Benedict with chile burnt caramel hollandaise sauce, buttermilk toast, and bacon. 

Blood Orange French toast stuffed with blood orange and cream cheese topped with candied ginger and maple syrup.

White chocolate hot chocolate with homemade marshmallow.

Need I say more?!
(This will require an extra walk at the end of the day to offset the calories!)

A Walk through Balboa Park

Balboa Park in San Diego is a serene and expansive park in the midst of the city used as a retreat to nature by great numbers of the city's residents and visitors alike.  Huge trees surround buildings that date back to the early 1900's with architectural details seldom seen in buildings of a more modern construction.  That detail along with abundant water features, flowers, reflecting pools filled with fish and fowl all make for a refreshing venue to walk, sit or imbibe in the pleasure of photography.

I imagine my maternal family who spent time here in the 1940s walking these paths and sitting at these fountains under the palms.  After enjoying several visits here over the years myself, it is satisfying to walk the same paths, cross beneath the same arches and marvel at the sight of water fountains sparkling in the sun.

A stroll followed by a carmel latte from the vendor in the courtyard at the Prado Restaurant in the park all complete the traditional experience I desire at this venue.  Like Tevye singing "Tradition" in Fiddler on the Roof, I feel like singing to the sky with my arms extended stepping back and forth to the rhythm this place creates in my mind.

 

Tale of the Whydah

The story of a slave ship named Whydah, commandeered in February 1717 by pirates near Cuba in the Caribbean is the basis of a National Geographic Society exhibition called “Pirates” at the Natural History Museum located in Balboa Park, San Diego.  After its capture the pirates subsequently sailed their new flagship up along the Atlantic coast with its crew plundering a dozen more ships and collecting 4.5 short tons of gold and silver along the way before running aground and capsizing off the coast of Cape Cod in a gale force storm from the northeast.

The captain of these pirates, Sam Bellamy, was seeking his fortune in order to marry the lady of his desire, Maria Hallett.  During the course of merely a year from the Caribbean to Cape Cod, he achieved great infamy as “Black Sam” and acquired his fortune.  Alas, his dreams of wedding his sweetheart was not destined to come true as his ship sank beneath the waves taking down its entire cargo and all but two of the crew with it near the place where they would reunite. 

In 1984 in just fourteen feet of water and five feet of sand the wreck was discovered and ultimately excavated by Barry Clifford-the first ever pirate ship found and retrieved.  Shoes, belt buckles, rings, cuff links, the ship’s galley bell, birdshot and musket balls along with cannons have been recovered.  Exotic African Akan gold jewelry and coins are included in the displays that were also retrieved from the site along with pewter plates, forks, spoons and knives used by the pirates.   Currently, the recovery continues on an annual basis adding more artifacts to the over 200,000 pieces already recovered to date.

More of this interesting tale can be found in Wikipedia along with a few photos of the artifacts which we were not allowed to photograph at the exhibit.

A very real looking "pirate" hangs from the roof of the museum in the photo below.

Life size "pirates" at the museum above and below were on display.

Sweeeet Moment

Sweeeet Moment!

Don’t you love it when you buy something and it out-performs your expectations?  My sister-in-law shared with me the function of the  “tool” in the photograph above for the kitchen.  For a dollar at a swap meet, I decided to try it.  It was an OMG (oh my goodness) experience! 

So what do you do with this device that resembles a crochet hook in the kitchen?  You peel citrus-pure and simple.  The hook end slices the skin of the orange.  You just press it through one end or the other and pull forward down along the orange. 

Repeat a few more times and you have the skin ready to peel off the orange.  The shape of this tool keeps the cut above the flesh of the orange.  The other end has a flat edge for persuading any peel loose that wants to be belligerent.  Slice and dice your orange and it is perfect for breakfast or a snack without any mess in just a couple of minutes.  Any citrus should work the same way with this tool.  In an RV, this is a perfectly sized tool to slip into your silverware drawer too!  

And that will entice me to eat more oranges.  I’m happy, my doctor will be happy (more fiber, less fat in the diet) and Jim will get to eat a lot more oranges now that preparing them is a pleasure rather than a pain.  A big thanks goes out to my sister-in-law for the hint.

And that is helpful hint #2.

Hotel del Coronado

We drove over to Coronado crossing the bridge to the peninsula high above the sailboats and water view of San Diego to see the waves at the beach today.  This is a must-do trip whenever we visit San Diego.  We park at the Hotel del Coronado, which has been enthralling visitors since 1888 when it was built.  At that time it was the largest resort hotel in the world.  The waves were indeed worthy of the trip-not astounding but certainly pretty late in the afternoon with the sun to the west creating a silver sheen on the surface of the water mixed with the frothy white of the breaking waves.

We poked around in the tidal pools after crossing a sandy section of the beach where multiple people were settled on blankets, a towel or merely the seat of their pants.  Seagulls were patiently awaiting potential food from their beach co-inhabitants.  No matter that the surf was up and the water is cold, children run to and from the water’s edge with endless energy.

Someone has constructed a sand castle for Cinderella and her prince and now lies beneath a beach umbrella while those passing by circle his creation photographing it and admiring his three dimensional talent created over nine hours.  He has plied this trade or hobby for 26 years and a tip jar is offered up for spectators so inclined to reward his efforts.

 

Up in front of the hotel the staff is preparing for an evening, outdoor gathering.  White tablecloths cover long tables with plates, flower arrangements, and candles with seating arrangements consisting of cloth ottomans set upon the grass at the edge of the beach.  Is this a wedding reception or a business conference buffet?  We have no way of knowing.

The hotel ground floor opens to the beach onto patios from a restaurant, a Starbuck’s coffee stand and a bar.  We choose comfortable cloth lounge chairs around a table inside the bar with the same view and enjoy a snack of roasted pecans, cashews and almonds, each with a different spice flavoring.  Guacamole, salsa and chips along with a chocolate éclair finish off our selections turning our stop into a British teatime of sorts.  Well, I had hot tea to complete the effect while Teri and Jim enjoyed soft drinks.  We “people-watched” leisurely while the sun slipped down into the silver sea beyond.

Driving home past million dollar plus homes on Coronado Island and parks with people still outdoors enjoying the mild weather convinces me we are indeed fortunate and possibly on the edge of Heaven.

Earthquake

This morning at 6:22 am there was a 4.4 earthquake centered in Los Angeles near University of California Los Angeles.  This is the second earthquake we've seen on the news since arriving in California a little over a week ago.  In neither case did we feel anything and for that I am grateful.  I am not keen to experience my first earthquake at any time this year while we are in California.

Today was laundry day and the theory of getting shirts that wash and then hang to dry without the need to iron them proved to be a good decision.  Washer/dryer combinations in coaches are notorious for not drying clothes well.  The dryer portion takes forever.  One of these days I fully intend to upgrade our system by purchasing a separate dryer at Camping World, but in the meantime it is amazing how well drying the cotton/polyester collection of shirts on hangers that we wore at last week's meeting worked out.  Yippee!  My Monday wash day brings me back to Lancaster, PA last September where we saw so many lines of laundry strung across the porches of Amish homes on Mondays.  We are not allowed to have laundry lines in an RV park.  So the solution became hanging shirts on every cabinet door handle up and down the interior of the coach, throwing open the windows for the sun and breeze to come in and presto-laundry done!  This is just another way to make a full time RV lifestyle easier and more cost effective than pushing multiple quarters into a dryer.

For the second evening in a row, we walk tonight along the shore of Mission Bay through the mobile home park that fronts it.  Crickets chirp and birds begin settling down for the night along the water's edge.  Lights begin to twinkle across the hills of San Diego to the east as the pink sky turns to gray tones and then darkens.  There is a peacefulness even in the midst of the still busy city that brings another day calmly to an end.  The air smells fresh and its dampness carries a chill that makes us wish we had worn coats.  We return to the coach with Snoopy watching for us at the door.  This is the good life of being on the road.  

L.A. to San Diego

Today is a travel day and we get on the road early with the coach to avoid getting caught up in a traffic delay while going around a St. Patrick’s Day parade planned for Main Street in Ventura.  Two floats pass us traveling in the opposite direction and they are the only evidence of the impending parade.  We will plan more time to explore Ventura on our return trip here sometime during the next few weeks.  Now we are focused on getting to San Diego to see family and spend two weeks getting our paperwork ready for the job in our new territory.  We cruise by the beach and gentle waves come ashore at Ventura's pier.

Passing through Oxnard, we head easterly for a while into the sun on this clear, blue-sky day along US 101 South.  It isn’t long before we reach the San Fernando Valley and connect to Interstate-405.   Going south, we pass through Studio City where Hollywood films and TV sitcoms have been made in various studios located here for over ninety years starting with silent films in the late 1920’s and continuing right up until today.  At one time in the sixties, Jim could see a hill from the highway we travel now that was fully engaged in a Roman battle scene with chariots, horses, soldiers and banks of lights all in the process of being filmed.  Now all we can see are buildings as we pass through the same stretch of highway.  We cross “The Hill” above Los Angeles and down into the Los Angeles Basin passing UCLA, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, and then Los Angeles International Airport.  Traffic is getting heavier by the mile even on a Saturday and in spite of the combined lanes in each direction doubling and then tripling.

The road turns a corner at Long Beach and continues down through Orange County to join Interstate-5 for the final stretch into San Diego.  Along the way we pass the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant’s reactors, two of which are called “Mae West” by local pilots.  Currently the reactors are being permanently retired following a malfunction in their steam generators occurring in 2010.  The Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton follows situated along the coastline on either side of the Interstate with Navy facilities located here as well.  No evidence of last summer’s fires here are visible from the highway.  Strawberry and raspberry fields now surround the bunkers of Camp Pendleton. 

Learning how to pronounce Spanish names like Calabasas are the current challenge for me but Jim finds it easy after living in the L.A. area for many years.  For example, what does Tamarack mean when we see it in the name of a street?  It means, “A coniferous tree with bunches of deciduous bright green needles, found in cool regions of the northern hemisphere.  It is grown for its tough timber and its resin (which yields turpentine.)” according to the New Oxford American Dictionary.  It is fun to learn the definition and realize the connection early, Spanish settlers made in this area to indigenous trees and other natural phenomenon when naming their streets, towns and rivers.  Now I feel I want to learn more Spanish.  We note that even this far south from Los Angeles, road crews are building more freeways in Orange County where 18 lanes are already in place!  Gold colored, metal sculptures of swallows adorn a wall along the highway as we pass through the city of San Juan Capistrano.  Finally we arrive in San Diego and settle into Mission Bay RV Park where we will spend two weeks.  An evening walk in the balmy weather along a paved path fronting the bay assures us this is as close to Heaven as one could wish for in the middle of March.

Snoopy’s Corner:

“Do crows flying in pairs represent mates?” was my question of the day.  I asked Mom and she looked it up.  Now we know a whole lot more about crows.  The crows we have been seeing are called American Crows.  We found out they are highly social birds, and like to be in groups rather than alone. Several will roost and forage together and crows often stay together in year-round families.  We discovered the parents often have their offspring around for up to two years. The whole family cooperates to raise the new youngsters.  Crows are very intelligent and often will work together in devising solutions to particular problem such as recognizing and acquiring an unusual source of food.  They also work together to harass or drive off predators.  This is called a behavior known as mobbing.  Wow, I am impressed!  I sure don’t want them mobbing me.  I think I will stick inside the coach and admire them from afar.

P.S.  I really like it here at Mission Bay too!  Mom has the windows open and I can hear the birds and nap directly in the sun!  They walked to this view last night and I did not go.  Actually, I am pretty happy with my view right from the coach. 

Helpful Hint #1

Recently I wanted to clean a few pairs of silver earrings.  With limited space in an RV I had not brought along a jar of silver polish.  What to do?  Well, after some research I discovered that the solution was really quite easy using items I already had on hand that are always available in the RV:  Water, Aluminum Foil, Salt and Baking Soda.

I took a pan and heated up some water to almost a boiling temperature on the range.  Then I added a sheet of aluminum foil to the bottom of the pan.  Don’t worry about trimming the foil.  Just fold it so you can get it to about the size of the bottom of the pan you are using.  Carefully push the foil down to the bottom of the pan with a spatula or spoon to avoid burning your fingers in the hot water.  Finally, add a couple of tablespoons of both baking soda and salt, stirring them into the water until dissolved. 

You are now ready to clean your silver.  Place the silver pieces (earrings, flatware, necklace or whatever items you are working with) into the water.  Let them sit for several minutes until the tarnish disappears.  You may have to wait longer depending upon the amount of tarnish to be removed and in some cases repeat the process one more time.  (For larger pieces, use an 8”x8” or larger baking pan, cover the bottom with aluminum foil, pour your heated water into the pan with the dissolved salt and baking soda.  Again place your silver pieces into the water until clean.)

Remove the cleaned pieces from the water, rinse them and pat dry with a dishtowel.  Presto!  Your silver is clean and you did not have to buy any special products to do the job.  This is a “Simple Solution for the simple lifestyle of traveling in an RV.”

P.S.  I have also learned that you can place your silver pieces into 7-up if they are mildly tarnished.  Again, wait for the liquid to work its magic, rinse, dry and enjoy your silver, but toss the 7-up!

 Snoopy’s Corner:

I’ve been waiting for Mom to get me a silver dish for my cat food.  I’d really enjoy the elegance of eating from a silver plate.  She bought me stainless steel bowls and a plate for the trip with rubber bottoms so they don’t slide all over the floor when we are going down the road.  Well, I can pretend, can’t I?

Hide and Seek

Snoopy's Corner:

This week I have been on my own most of the day and sometimes at night too.  I had forgotten what it is like when Mom and Dad go to work all day.  But I have gotten caught up on my naps (which is wonderful) and there is a lot to watch here at the park.  They are cutting down pine trees all over the park we are staying in and replacing them with palm trees so trucks and workers are all over.  There are some pretty big, black crows hanging out here on our picnic table too.  Across the way from me there is a coach with two Siamese cats.  They are pretty cute and I wouldn’t mind getting to know them but they seem more interested in sitting in the sun on the dash of their coach.  Someone came in with this huge (and I mean REALLY huge) dog down the street.  The first time I saw him I ran and hid in our bed behind the pillows.  Boy, I am glad he can’t get into my house!

Tonight, the door latch on our coach broke when Dad and Mom came home.  Dad had to climb through the window to get the door open.  Now we have to get that fixed when we go down to San Diego.  I sure am glad Dad figured out how to get the door open and then closed and locked with the deadbolt that still works.  Now I don’t have to worry about anyone coming in over night while we are asleep.

Well, it is getting cool, so I think I will go hide behind the pillows again until Mom and Dad come to bed.