Monroe, Washington – Day 5 (GA625)

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.
Because we have 5,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.
Sadly Mary is struggling with health issues. To see the latest about her situation, click here

To view past blogs, scroll to the bottom of this page and use the menu.

I’m currently in my 24th year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click here

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The motorhome is parked in Thousand Trails RV Resort in Seaside, Oregon. I’m scheduled to depart here June 2nd.

 

 

Since my RVing life is changing (see above), I’m starting to re-visit previously visited places. So rather than constantly re-blogging past entries, I’ve decided to do something different.

  In 2011-2013, Mary and I did a 682 day, 12,679 miles in the motorhome and 8,000 miles in the Bronco, circumnavigation of the United States, which I called The Great Adventure. I called it so because other than my oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation in June in Connecticut, I didn’t know where we would be going or when we would be there!

So, unless I do something really different and unusual warranting a new blog entry, I’ll be posting entries from that trip.

This entry was posted September 29, 2013…

 

 

The motorhome is currently parked at Thousand Trails Thunderbird RV Resort in Monroe, Washington.

 

 

 

 

 

My weekend plans were for my friend and mechanic Kenny to do some work on the Bronco and motorhome. Unfortunately he does not have a garage in which to do the work. The weekend forecast is for heavy rains. My location is marked by the yellow dot…

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday it rained steadily and hard at times. High temperature was 57 degrees…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I occupied my time with computer work, reading and watching movies stored on my computer. All were from the 1930’s and excellently done…

1931 – Captain Blood with Errol Flynn

1933 – King Kong with Fay Wrey

1935 – Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde

 

Rain, heavy at times is forecast through tomorrow. Will my mechanical get done today? We’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I’m dry, warm and comfortable!  🙂

 

Enjoying Thousand Trails RV Resorts is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

 

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary did not post a blog this date.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos.

Forecast for today is light rain and 55 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Oregon. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

“Let me recommend the best medicine in the world: a long journey, a mild season, through a pleasant country, in easy stages.” –James Madison

 

 

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” —Mark Twain

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2019

San Bernardino To Acton, California – The Longer Way

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.
Because we have 4,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

I’m currently in my 22nd year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click Here

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Yesterday I drove the motorhome 104 miles from San Bernardino to Acton, California. The longer way.

 

My normal route would have taken me via California Highway 138, a drive of 69 miles. There is an unusual cold weather front in the area. Highway 138 crosses Mountain Top Pass at 4,810 feet of elevation. Because of the cold front chains were required yesterday morning. I have no chains and really have no interest in driving the motorhome in snow.

 

So instead, I took the longer routes of Interstate Highways 210 and 5 and California Highway 14 for a total of 104 miles. 35 miles longer than my normal route. The last 10 miles of the trip, I traveled on Soledad Canyon road which is very scenic and contains a number of commercial movie ranches and filming locations.

 

In 2015, I published a blog entry about Soledad Canyon Road which you can view by clicking this link…

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/soledad-canyon-california/

 

 

Here are a couple of photos on Soledad Canyon Road I took yesterday morning…

 

 

 

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then arrived at Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon RV Resort…

 

 

 

My parking spot…

 

 

 

And the usual dinette window photo…

 

I expect to depart here April 3rd.

 

 

 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

 Forecast for today is partly sunny and 53 degrees. At 5 AM, this morning it’s 33.8!  Brrrrr!

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of California. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 700 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://get.google.com/albumarchive/110455945462646142273?source=pwa

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2018

GARY ALLEGRETTO AND IAN ESPINOZA

A concert featuring cowboys, Gary Allegretto and Ian Espinosa both songwriters and musicians who love the blues and western music put on an outstanding show at the Arts Center in Angels Camp yesterday.  But the standout performer, Allegretto, is not a guitarist, but a harmonica virtuoso.  Never in my life could I have imagined the sounds and range of “vocals” that come out of a simple  carry-in-your-pocket, harmonica.  After the show, the duo sold and autographed CDs.

A “people” person, Gary posed with a local admirer, Chris Doty. Some of the music he has written qualifies him as a comedian. His range of music from the foot stomping, “This Ain’t My Last Rodeo,” (number one on the charts for three years running) and a sing-a-long number, “But You Can’t Stay Here”, reflect his days as a bouncer in a Santa Fe bar. He reminds us that Santa Fe, when he worked there,  wasn’t all “pinky boutique” but a pretty rough shod place full of hard drinkin’, fists ready cowhands. His music is difficult to describe, a blusey-western mix; throw in an African American spiritual, and something akin to dance with Ian’s singing and playing on a guitar older than anyone in the audience, and you have a rave collaboration.

Allegretto is internationally known for his humanitarian work with children. He brings to kids- be it Indonesia, Africa or Wales-the universal language of music. He can talk through that harmonica and leaves each boy and girl with a harmonica of their own with which they can play four songs. Now that is peace making on a very basic level.

Calaveras Arts Council Director, Mary Jane Genochio brought them to Angels Camp and then on stage, gave a tearful farewell. Her house was destroyed in the Butte Fire and she said, “I am building a house and I must turn this job over to another.”  We will definitely miss her.

Equally loved, former Director, Penny West, who held the reins for at least 20 years brought us Mary Jane. We in Calaveras County owe so much to the wonderful leadership provided by these two amazing women. Our Arts are strong, and we are so lucky and grateful.

Another arts venue is involved in the simple act of story telling, poetry, writing and critiquing new writers. A powerful group also in Angels Camp under the Arts Council umbrella. Here Joy Roberts recruits wanna be writer, Lizz Emerson. The Arts Council begins its free music in the parks concerts in early June, just a mention here while I’m at it. But, back to Allegretto. You can listen to a sample of his music on this website:  garyallegretto.com. But more than that, this is one of the finest accolades I’ve ever seen:

“I cannot express enough gratitude for what you have done for the harmonica and for Hohner. 
Without you, we would be less of a brand.”
~ Clay Edwards, CEO, Hohner Harmonicas Inc.

You gotta see this guy!

COMING TO GRIPS WITH GRIEF.

We all lose loved ones and we know it is hard to bear.  My friend Sharon lost her husband, mother and sister in a period of six weeks. She meets with a grieving group. She has many friends in her church and several nearby family members. Those connections play a huge part in healing. Some people have more difficulty than others and have fits of despair. I try to keep her laughing. We went to what she heard was a good movie, thinking funny and full of laughter. It was a good movie, full of dysfunctional family, struggle for achievements and in the end a success story. The name of the movie was Joy, about a woman inventor. Empowering in its way, but funny  it was not. Still, stepping out, enjoying a burrito bowl afterwards at Firewood in Murphys, certainly entertained both of us enough to decide we should do it more often. I’ve promised myself.  Ciao

SHUCKS, WE ARE STILL QUAINT

The local News comes in my mailbox and the front page feature story from Oct. 2nd, was: Jamestown sidewalk project dedication slated for Saturday.

Whenever I have out-of-town guests, I like to take them to Jamestown because they have  wonderful antique stores, a great ice cream stand, and a couple good restaurants. And, during the summer tourist season, the townsfolk put on a parade and other events. I’ve been there many, many times and never gave the lack of complete sidewalks a second thought. Part boardwalk, part asphalt, part sidewalk, some areas on the edge of town are dusty ground in front of buildings that you can walk on, drive on-to,  or even park willy-nilly. When I saw the headline I realized how quaint we still are. A little bit of Maybury, USA.

Murphys used to be the same way. We once had an old dusty barn right in the middle of town with a blacksmith shop in it. And, horses shoving noses over the fence on the corner of Church St. and Main. Some vacant lots have been marvelously transformed. The businesses have taken great pains to clean things up, modernize a lot. But it isn’t a big improvement. Now, businesses come and go. The wine people have taken over the town and there isn’t much of interest anymore until a parade or event takes place. Well, I’m being harsh. The Park with a creek running through it, is still unique and attractive. I’m sure the business association would disagree with me.

The Jamestown Area Planning Committee connected Railtown with Main St. with guided walk displaying medallions of all the movies filmed in Jamestown. And a new mural will be up soon. Very fashionable. It may be a huge success.  I think I’m turning into a crabby old codger. I liked both towns better the way they were.

 

 

 

Soledad Canyon – California

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon RV Resort in Acton, California. I will depart from here later this morning.

Mary continues to be occupied with personal business. I am now not expecting to see her again until I arrive at her home in Murphys, California about the third week in April. It’s just the way things are and we just have to deal with it.

I’m now in what I’m calling my “pacing mode”. Last October I had cataract surgery at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, California. My surgeon wants me back in mid-April for a six-month post-operative eye examination. Palo Alto is only about 400 miles from my current location. So, in the meantime, I’ll “pace” my forward direction travels hoping stay in 65-75 degree temperatures all the while.

Today, my three-week visit in the Soledad Canyon comes to and end. Soledad in Spanish means solitude, lonesome, loneliness. The Soledad Canyon Road is about 30 miles long. During that time I’ve taken a few photos in the area and here they are…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

It’s a scenic drive…

It’s a favorite area for move-makers. There are a number of movie ranches along Soledad Canyon Road…

Some old buildings…

Unusual rock formations…

The Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Soledad Canyon Road..

Here’s the trail head…

And there is goes up and over the mountain…

You already know my current location at Thousand Trails is here in the Soledad Canyon…

A few days ago a film production company set its base camp here right across the railroad tracks and to the right…

They were here for three days while they did their filming about one mile away…

I inquired and found out they were doing a TV series called Scorpion which is seen on CBS on Monday evening at 9 PM. I’ve not seen the program. In a nearby parking lot in the park there were about an additional 200 private cars. Shuttle vans carried the workers to the filming location…

And finally…a tunnel…

It’s been a quiet and peaceful stay here…except for the occasional train whistle. 🙂

You can read all about the Soledad Canyon by clicking this link…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soledad_Canyon

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Yesterday was sunny and 76 degrees. Forecast for today is cloudy/sunny and 72 degrees.

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of California. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 500 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/110455945462646142273?authkey=Gv1sRgCKrvzqm8-IKGdA

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2015