Back to California for a While

Hello again, welcome back to our story. Our last chapter concluded on Wednesday, February 25^th, when we left Yuma, Arizona and headed west to El Cajon, California, near San Diego. On Thursday we headed out of the RV park at about 10:00 a.m. with the Bullocks in our car and drove to downtown San Diego and the Sea Port Village shopping area. This area is right on San Diego Bay with great views of the water and Balboa Island and the naval base. We walked around for a little while and did some window shopping. We then went to the San Diego Pier seafood restaurant for lunch. I really like this place because it is built out over the water so you get great views. I had a fish panini that was wonderful. Jackie and Vernon had fish and chips and Peggy had a seafood mix. Everyone enjoyed their food and our waiter Ryan was very nice too.

After lunch we spent another hour or so walking around shopping and getting a couple of geocaches that were hidden in the area. We got three new finds. About 2:00 or so we got back in the car and went back to the RV park. We rested for a while and had cocktails at 5:00 with the Bullock's. Jackie's brother came by about 5:30 for a visit after work and we talked before heading into our coach for dinner. Jackie made an oriental chicken casserole for dinner and everyone enjoyed it, including Dennis. Everyone headed home around 8:00 and we watched TV until bedtime.

Friday, February 27^th, we again left the coach about 10:00 with Peggy and Vernon and headed out for another day of being San Diego tourists. We drove to downtown and then over the Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island. This is a very upscale area between the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. The north end of the island holds North Island Naval Air Station which is also the home port for two aircraft carriers, the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Carl Vinson. The Reagan was in port and tied up at the base. We drove through Coronado and stopped at the Beach south of the Navy Amphibious Base on the Silver Strand. This base is where the Navy Seals are trained. Peggy wanted to walk on the beach and put her toes in the ocean. She did that, but the rest of us watched.

We then drove down to the bottom of the bay to Imperial Beach, the last town before Mexico, and then back up to San Diego and into Old Town. We had lunch at the Casa De Reyes restaurant in Old Town, a very nice place on an outdoor patio. It was a little cool, but the food was good and we had some heaters near by. After lunch we walked around the shops for an hour or so before heading back to the RV park. We had cocktails with the Bullocks at 5:00, but by 6:00 we were back in our coach. No one wanted dinner because of the big lunch. We watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, February 28^th, Happy Birthday to my brother Russ who lives in Las Vegas. Today was another travel day for us, we had to leave El Cajon and drive about 80 miles northwest to the little town of Menifee and the Wilderness Lakes RV Resort. The weather gurus had been talking about a rainy weekend for the last few days, and they were right. We woke up to wet ground and spotty showers. We managed to get packed up and hooked up without getting too wet and were on the road about 10:00 or so. We arrived at Wilderness Lakes just before noon and got settled into a spot right next to the Bullocks, who also came up here. The trip was uneventful with only the occasional light shower.

Since the rain was supposed to keep up on and off until Monday, we decided to just veg the rest of the day. At 5:00 we had cocktails at the Bullock's, and then Peggy served a wonderful meatloaf dinner with potatoes and gravy. We all ate our fill and had a great time. We left around 8:00 and went back to our coach for the rest of the night.

Sunday, March 1^st, it rained most of the night and the forecast was for off and on rain all day. We had a stay at home day. I did go out first thing in the morning and get a Sunday paper. I got some work done around the coach as did Jackie. Peggy and Vernon came over to our place about 4:30 and we watched couple of TV shows that we had saved on our DVR for them to see. One was a funny stand up comic and the other was a documentary on the desert. We had cocktails and then Jackie served chili relleno for dinner. We had a great time and after the Bullock's left we watched TV until bedtime.

Monday, March 2^nd, we on and off rain for most of the night, and it was supposed be the same for most of today. This is also supposed to be the last day for the current storm. We went out after lunch to do some grocery shopping. It was cold, but the rain held off. After shopping we went back to the coach for the remainder of the afternoon. We went over to Peggy and Vernon's for cocktails and dinner later. Peggy made mac and cheese that was VERY good. We chatted for a while and then about 7:30 went back to our coach for the rest of the night.

Tuesday, March 3^rd, we went out to have lunch and do our laundry. We stopped first at a Five Guys hamburger place that was not too far from the RV park. We have heard a lot of good things about Five Guys, but had never tried one. The burger was huge and, to me, very tasty and good. Jackie and Peggy thought it was tasteless. They also thought the fries were soggy and bland, while I liked them. About the only thing we agreed on was that they were playing the rock music too loud for the size of the restaurant. Jackie complained to the manager, but was told that this was the way it was at all the stores. I enjoyed the meal.

After lunch we went to a laundromat and both the Bullock's and us got all our laundry done. Once the laundry was done we went home for the rest of the evening. The lunch was big, so we didn't do any dinner, but we did have cocktails with Peggy and Vernon.

Wednesday, March 4^th, we left the coach about 12:30 and drove to the other side of the freeway to Ray and Suzie Babcock's house. We have been to this house, which is only a couple miles from the RV park, but Peggy and Vernon hadn't. We visited for a half hour or so and then we all drove to a nearby Mexican restaurant, Carnita's, for lunch. I had the chili colorado, which was very good, although it could have used a little more spice. We had way too much food and left quite full.

After lunch we drove to the next town north to pick up our mail at the UPS center, then drove to the Walmart in Hemet because we needed some things. Peggy and Vernon were riding with us and they needed to go to Walmart too. After shopping we went home and later had cocktails with Peggy and Vernon, but again no dinner because of the large, late lunch.

Thursday, March 5^th, we left the coach about 11:00 with Peggy and Vernon and drove down to Temecula, about 15 miles south, to have lunch with Tammy Kight. Tammy and her husband Pat are old friends of Peggy and Vernon whom we have met several times. They spent a couple weeks with our group in Yuma before we came out this way. They have a house in Temecula. Pat was playing baseball today, but Tammy wanted to have lunch with us. We met at PF Chang's and had a great lunch. The food was wonderful, although the service was a little spotty. We spent about 90 minutes at lunch before Tammy left to go home and we headed out for some shopping.

We did a Costco run because the Costco was just around the corner from the restaurant and we needed some things. After Costco we went back home and stayed around home until cocktail hour. Peggy and Vernon came over and we had drinks and then a light dinner of appetizers. Peggy made some pate and some tuna spread and Jackie did some escargot. I don't eat the snails, but I like the garlic butter to dip bread into. We had a great dinner and, after Peggy and Vernon went home, watched TV for the remainder of the evening.

Friday, March 6^th, we left the coach about 12:30 and drove the couple of miles to Ray and Suzie's house for lunch. We were having a get together of some of our motor homing friends at their house. Gary and Ramona Wilson, Jerry and Bev King, and Peggy and Vernon were all there. We sat around and talked for a while and then Suzie served pizza and lasagna for everyone. It was a great get together and we sat and talked and drank a little until almost 5:00, when everyone headed out for home. We had cocktails with Peggy and Vernon later at the RV park, but no dinner because everyone was still full from the late lunch.

Saturday, March 7^th, we left the RV park about 10:00 with Peggy and Vernon and drove to a nearby restaurant, The Breakfast Club of Menifee, for breakfast. We had a half hour wait, but it was worth it since the food was very good. I had some homemade corn beef hash that was very good. After breakfast the four of us did a couple hours of geocaching and were able to get 14 new finds and no DNFs in that period. It was good to get our caching again.

After caching we went back to the RV park and relaxed for a few hours. About 4:30 we left again, with Peggy and Vernon, and drove to Temecula for dinner with Pat and Tammy. We had some drinks and talked for a while and then they served a nice dinner with tri tip and the fixings. The food was very good and we had a nice visit. A little after 9:00 we decided we probably needed to head on home, where we settled in for the night.

Sunday, March 8^th, Spring Forward day, change the clocks again. We had a relaxing morning with the paper and a quiet early afternoon. About 4:30 we went to another area of the RV park to visit with Pat and Jim Goetzinger, some friends of ours with the Full Timers Chapter. We have known Jim and Pat since we first got involved with FMCA chapters and we cross paths with them from time to time.

Pat had a batch of her brother's Louisiana style gumbo and she invited us, the Bullock's and another couple in the RV park that they knew for dinner. We sat and chatted for a while and then dinner was served. The gumbo was outstanding and Jackie and Peggy were both asking for the recipe. The other friend of Pat's had also made stuffed mushrooms, and everyone wanted that recipe too. We had a great time and hung around until after dark when it started to get cool. We went back to the coach and watched TV the rest of the night. Jim and Pat are also going to the various rallies we are over the next three weeks, so we will be seeing more of them.

Monday, March 9^th, our last full day here at Wilderness Lakes. After lunch Jackie and I went into town so she could get a pedi and then we went to the grocery store. After we got back to the coach we relaxed for a while. About 5:00 Pat and Tammy Kight came over to the Bullock's coach and we went out and had cocktails. A little later Jackie made up a big batch of risotto with shrimp for the whole gang. We had dinner in Peggy and Vernon's coach and talked until about 8:30. After Pat and Tammy left we went back to our coach and watched TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, March 10^th, another moving day. Today we are moving from Menifee to the Three Chapter Rally in Hemet, a distance of only about 13 miles. Because it was so close we didn't need to be in a hurry to leave and didn't get out until about 11:00 or so. We arrived in Hemet at the Golden Palms Village RV Resort before noon. We are here for a rally put on by the Full Timers, Veteran's and Elk's Chapters of FMCA. Although they had sites for 30 attendees, they were only able to get 19 rigs to sign up. We have been to this resort a number of times in the past, many from back before we went full time. The Southern California Elks Association used to hold their annual rally here and we would come with our Elks group.

After we got setup we relaxed for most of the afternoon. At 4:00 we went to the clubhouse for happy hour with the rally group. We know all but a handful of the people who are here and had a great time visiting with some of those we haven't seen in a while. The Babcock's are signed up for the rally, but they didn't bring their rig since they only live about 15 miles away. They bought the meal package, so they were here for happy hour.

After happy hour they served a catered dinner from a local company that was quite good. They had tri tip BBQ, potato salad, cole slaw and rolls and it tasted great. After dinner they were going to have card bingo, but Jackie and I didn't feel like playing, so we went back to the coach and sat outside with the Bullock's and Babcocks for a while. Around 8:00 we went inside and watched TV for the rest of the evening.

We have now reached the two week point as well as the beginning of this spring's rally season, so it's a good time to get this chapter posted. We will be here in Hemet for three days, then on to Pahrump for a week long Monaco rally, then back to Pomona for the big FMCA bash. Until the next time, remember that being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections. See ya soon.