December 21-January 3, 2009 San Benito TTN (Holister, CA)

N36°41.467 W121°18.024

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At the Pinnacles National Monument

December 28: Today, bright and sunny, inspired us to make an outing to the Pinnacles National Monument near here.  Managed by the US Department of the Interior, this is an excellent hiking area, formed by volcanic and earthquake activity.  Very strenuous and a rewarding view once we completed a mostly uphill hike which included a trek through a very dark and tight cave.  A flashlight was required in order to get through the cave.  I am left with the opinion that this is a place all should visit, and it would be preferable to do it at a much younger and fitter age!

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December 24-25 We locked up the trailer and drove to Fresno to spend Christmas eve and Christmas morning at the home of our nephew and his wife. We joined Ray's sister Carole and her husband Jim for an overnight stay. Christmas eve was enjoyed along with at least 20 other people who gathered for a Cuban Christmas eve dinner of, among other things, roast pig, rice and beans.

We arrived back in San Benito about noon Christmas day in time to experience another one of the many earthquakes (minor ones) that happen here daily. Many are a 3 or 4 magnitude on the Richter scale. Others are as low as 2 or 3. It seems to be something that the locals pay little attention to. 

Seismically, this is a very active area. Where the San Andreas fault heads NW, it intersects with the Calaveras fault,which goes NNW from there. USGS map covers a fairly large area, and shows 60 earthquakes in the past seven days. Almost ALL of these are along the San Andreas Fault, SSE ofHollister.

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December 21: We left Manteca, CA after an enjoyable breakfast with Wilhelmina and the gang (I say "gang" because there are sooo many people who attend the weekly Sunday breakfasts.) Wilhelmina's kids, grandkids, great-grandkids all gather and enjoy each others company. We left in the rain and arrived in the rain at San Benito TTN which is near Holister, CA and about 100 miles southwest of Manteca. We'll be here through January 3.

December 17-20 Turtle Beach TTN (Manteca, CA)

N37°46.396' W121°18.087'

We moved to Manteca, CA today and will be here until Sunday.  Ray's sister and husband will be arriving on Friday from Indiana.  The four of us will spend time visiting with Max's widow Wilhelmina and their children and grandchildren.  

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December 12-December 16 Lake Minden TTN (Nicolas, CA)

N38°54.085' 121°33.951'

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December 12:Our short relocation today finds us at Lake Minden TTN near Nicolas, CA. There is certainly a dramatic difference between the mountain region of Northern California/Southern Oregon and here in the low area near Sacramento. Our current elevation is 14 feet. It is still cold, but at least we see orange and palm trees.

December 11 Rolling Hills Casino (Corning, CA)

N39°52.314' W120°12.192'
We used the parking lot of of the Rolling Hills Casino as our campsite. (http://www.rollinghillscasino.com/) Just us and about 30 other freeloaders. We make it a practice to frequent the business of the parking lot we use, so into the casino we went for dinner and some games. It happened to be Senior day so we got buffet dinner for half-price. They also gave us $5 free slot play and I got really lucky. With their money, I cashed out with $180. So here is an accurate statement: Sometimes it pays to stay for free.

December 10 - Seven Feathers RV Resort (Canyonville, OR)

N42°56.163' W123°17.730'
We spent a pleasant 5 days in Washougal sitting the pets and Christmas shopping, but today it was time to make 200 miles south. We have stopped for the night at the Seven Feathers RV Park in Canyonville, OR. (http://www.sevenfeathersrvresort.com/index.php)
We will probably spend a short amount of time at the Seven Feathers Casino across the road, but will continue traveling tomorrow morning.

December 4-December 9 Gary's and Samm's House

N45°73.731' W22°15.005"
We had a slight change in plans and came from Pacific City TTN directly to Gary's and Samm's house in rural Washougal where we are currently tucked away on our spot next to the shop. We are here enjoying dog Bobbitt and cat Winnie while Gary and Samm are at Disney World with Samm's parents and her sister Dawn and Dawn's husband and their 2 kids. Dawn should win a prize for keeping a secret as she was able to plan and execute a secret trip for the kids. When they started out in Walla Walla, the kids were told they were going for a drive. When the drive became lengthy, they were told they were going to Portland for the weekend. Then it was a night in a hotel and off to the airport this morning. I will be anxious to hear the reaction when Anna and Ryan became aware that they were bound for Disney World. And of course, a part of the surprise was to find that Gary and Samm and the grandparents also flew to join them in what should turn out to be a magical vactation.

November 30-December 3 Pacific City TTN, Cloverdale, OR

N45°13.962' W123°58.092

Ferocious Guard Rabbits

We left South Beach yesterday and made a short relocation trip about an hour north to a Thousand Trails park near Pacific City, OR. We're having a bit of trouble with the internet, so I am writing this from the clubhouse which overlooks the Pacific. It's a bit windy and misty today, but fantastic view nonetheless. We'll only be here a few days, and then back up to the Seaside Thousand Trails Park. In case anyone is wondering: We will eventually start south in earnest, probably December 11 or so.