Author: mchazen

We must be getting old.  A few late nights of partying and we spent the last three days dragging around.

The passenger side of the coach is fitted with a 20 foot awning we regularly use in hot weather.  It shades most of the side of the coach and makes it noticeably easier to keep the inside cool.  However, when the sun gets low the awning looses its effectiveness.  These roll-up sunshades can be fitted with a sort-of see-through curtain that provides shade when the sun gets low, but they are expensive.  Jeanne has been lusting after one for some time, but just can’t part with the money.  In Carson City she cooked up a scheme to use make one using a plastic-mesh material available at Home Depot for outdoor use.  The stuff is lightweight, loosely woven, UV stabilized, rot resistant and perfect for the intended application.  Jeanne bought the material in Carson City and planned to sew it together during our stay in Southern California.  She spent almost a whole day sitting at the sewing machine, but finally got it done.  Unfortunately, the spot we’re in is too small to deploy the awning, so we will have to test it later.  There is no doubt it will work.

CHFC sent some financial information and spent I spent an afternoon playing accountant.  There is a certain satisfaction in entering transactions, generating statements and reconciling accounts.  Hopefully the club will wisely use the data to manage their financial affairs.  In the end, I’m glad to give them a hand with this.

Working with the computer I got interested in XML, which is a type of data format originally designed to send information over the internet.  Thinking that it could be used if this web site was ever rewritten, I began to read about it.  Bottom line: Its a cool technology that is still evolving, but I don’t think it is a good choice to serve this triplog.

We were so tired from the late nights that we skipped a workout.  When I finally forced myself to exercise, it was not pretty.  In fact, it hurt.  But as ugly as it was, we got it done.  We must be getting old.

With our departure only a day away, one afternoon was spent preparing.  Jeanne did the laundry, I drained the tanks, we went grocery shopping.  If all goes according to plan, we will be ready to pull out on Thursday.

Today was a full day.

Under somewhat unsettled and threatening skies, we got the workout out of the way early.  Around 10:00, Frank and his fiancee Sonia stopped by.  After a 25 cent tour of the coach, we headed to the Santa Paula airport cafe to visit over breakfast.  We talked a long time and caught up on the happenings in their life.  Both are working towards life and career goals and are planning to get married in June 2006.  They will make a great couple and we look forward to attending the big event.  We very much enjoyed the visit and wish them good health, happiness and success.

Frank and Sonia.

Jeanne and Marty.

Later in the afternoon, we traveled to the home of Ed and Nancy for dinner and a long visit.  I worked with Ed years ago at 7up and we kept in touch these many years past.  They have a beautiful home in a quiet rural setting.  We talked for hours, catching up on work, family, friends, co-workers, hobbies, etc.  Around dusk, four steaks were ritually sacrificed to the BBQ gods.  The steaks, cooked to perfection, were a real treat for us.  There are few things as satisfying as grilled New York steaks.  Mmmmm.  The conversation stretched late into the night.  It was a perfect evening spent with good friends.  Close to midnight, we headed for home.

We finally got back close to 1:30 AM and headed straight for bed.  All in all, it was a great day.

The past few days were spent running errands and visiting with family.

As we were heading south to Southern California, Andy and Dannette let us know they wanted to buy the sofa and love seat we had in storage.  This worked out great, since we had to get into the storage area anyway to swap mattresses.  Setting aside an afternoon, Andy came by with the pickup truck and off we went.  After 90 minutes of lifting, pushing, shoving and rearranging, the sofas were loaded and the mattress was securely tied to the top of the Jeep.  As a bonus, now there is plenty of room to move around in the storage space. Hopefully, we won’t need the space much longer.

Another afternoon was spent completing the renewal for our Florida Concealed Carry Permits.  The permit in not cheap.  The application fee is $107, the passport photos are $12, the fingerprint fee is $15 and the notary fee is $10.  First-time applicants must take a class, which cost us $65 five years ago.  Anyway, we finally pulled it together and mailed it off.  Hopefully, our renewals will arrive in about three months.

Heather, Tyler and Josh at Heather's birthday party.

Marty and Andy.

Marty and Danny.

Heather and Marley.

Heather, Jeanne and Erica with half of Carolyn in the background.

Heather cuts the birthday cake.

The birthdays for Andy and Heather are just a few days apart and happen to coincide with our visit.  For Heather’s birthday, the family gathered at El Torito for dinner.  With so many little kids, any family gathering borders on chaos and the restaurant had the good sense to seat us in a semi-private area.  A good time was had by all, but our sleep suffered from eating so much Mexican food late at night.

Santa Paula is near sea-level and our workouts are much, much easier than they were in the thin air of Carson City.  In just a few days, we are back to our normal times and distances and there is an added bonus of running on gentle grades.  The warm sunshine and soft breeze is perfect for a morning run.

Jeanne got to spend a lot of time with her new granddaughter Erica, who is now almost five months old.  The baby is healthy in all respects and is now easily three times her birth weight.  If I gained weight that fast, I would weigh 500 pounds by October!

As much as we enjoy the family, we are looking forward to getting back on the road to look for a place to live.  To that end, Jeanne worked out our travel schedule for the next two months.  We are scheduled for a mid-May Monaco rally in Texas, which will be our first Monaco rally.  (Monaco is the manufacturer of our coach.)  I’m looking forward to comparing notes with other Monaco owners.

True to our plan we were rolling down the highway by 6:30 AM.

The route passed through some rugged mountains and promised to be slow-going.  It is a long, steep climb out of the San Joaquin Valley and we crawled up the hill with the rest of the trucks.  The descent was also steep and we had to use the engine brake (Jake Brake) to hold us back.  Taking the rig over steep grades requires concentration since 33,000 pounds of vehicle can quickly get out of control!  A word to all you automobile drivers out there: stay away from trucks.  Especially on hills.

After stopping to fuel the coach, we pulled into Santa Paula about 10:30 AM and set up.  The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting family.  I got away for a few minutes to update the computers, which we hadn’t done for a few days.

We received an e-mail from a friend, Bob, who is currently living in Denver.  Bob and I grew up together in Los Angeles (Van Nuys) and managed to stay in contact.  The friendship stretches back 45 years.

Apparently Bob is a Triplog reader and the 4/7/2005 entry about Winnemucca must have caught his eye.  I’m not sure what prompted it, but he decided to write a fictitious newspaper article about our Winnemucca experience.  Clearly, the article is something Triplog readers may enjoy and I offer it without comment.  So, here goes:

News Flash!

City Slickers Visit Winnemucca, Leave in a Hurry
Winnemucca, NV (Winnemucca News Service)

Lou and Cindy Tomas of Winnemucca waved off the receding tail lights
of a large motor home late Wednesday night after an ugly incident
involving two tourists from southern California. "They seemed nice
enough when they rolled into town," explains Cindy, "strolling
around downtown, taking in the sights, buying this and that for the
kids back home. They even had dinner at our local Basque restaurant
and told the waitress how great the food was." At this point Lou
interjects "That's when the trash talk about our fair town started,
with the big bald guy saying loudly there ain't nothin' in this town
and no need to ever come back." "Guess some of the boys next door
overheard that remark, decided he was probably right and they oughta
help them on their way". According to Elko County Sheriff Tom
Sanchez, at this point several patrons of the adjacent Red Light
Lounge started mixing up a batch of Winnemucca's famous "sheep dip",
offering to "clean up" the trash-talking city slickers before they
left town. "I reckon they saw what was happening and decided to
high tail it back for the border, at least they jumped in this big
ass motorhome and tore outta town like there was no tomorrow", says
Sanchez, "if Billy (referring to Deputy Sherriff Bill Frank) had
been on radar duty that night out on the west end of town I figure
we'd a-got them for at least a $200 speeding ticket!". 

Seeing their quarry leave, the crowd quickly dispersed with hearty
laughter, most retiring back to the Red Light. Gloria "Hot Mama"
Flores, owner of the Red Light Lounge, allegedly was so impressed by
their job defending the town's honor that she had her girls offer up
a round of "two-fers" on the house. Flores later was quoted as
saying "I'll tell ya, my girls sure were sore in the morning but it
was worth it. We just gotta support our troops no matter where or
how they do battle." She then quickly added "Don't y'all worry, my
girls are professionals- they'll be back on their backs tonight
serving our boys".

Fred Smith, proprietor of Winnemucca Ace Hardware, held a midnight
madness sale on pitchforks and torches later that evening.

Since we planned to stay in Lodi for only one night, we arranged things for a quick departure.  After a quick breakfast, we hit the road early.

The drive was easy and the miles rolled by.  As we neared the small town of Lost Hills, we had a decision to make: should we spend one more night on the road or drive all the way to Santa Paula?  After some discussion, we decided to call it a day after 220 miles and stay in the small town of Lost Hills, which is really nothing more than an intersection of two highways in the middle of nowhere.  Fuel, food and the KOA.  That’s it.  And, the KOA was little more than water and power hookups in the middle of a sandlot.

We grilled some fish for dinner and went to bed early.  The plan was to pull out early in the morning.

At this point in our travels, we were dangerously close to the town of Bakersfield, California.  Over the years, much as been said and written about Bakersfield; none of it is good.  If you try to imagine a gritty oil town in the world’s worst location, you would visualize Bakersfield.  Over the years I was compelled to travel there on business (nobody would go there for pleasure)  and I found there were no redeeming qualities.  None.  In fact, Bakersfield has the worst of everything.  Avoid this place.

With clear skies and cool air, it would be the perfect travel day.

After a quick breakfast, we finished getting ready to leave.  The guy from the RV park read our electric meter and to our surprise, we received a $12 refund from the $50 deposit.  We disconnected from the water, sewer, cable TV and power.  Jeanne aired up the coach suspension, raised the stabilizers and pulled in the slides.  I put away the wheel blocks and hooked up the Jeep.  One last check and we were on our way.

We traveled north on US-395 to Reno then transitioned to the I-80 west.  I-80 is one of the few all-year routes over the Sierras and uses the famous Donner Pass.  Readers of this Triplog may recall that a group of pioneers (known as the Donner Party) were trapped at the pass during a terrible snowstorm.  When the food ran out, the survivors resorted to cannibalism.  It is not hard to see how this could happen.  The route passes through some rugged country and even in the middle of April there was still deep snow in areas.  Clearly, there is nothing growing or moving around.  Unless you can digest wood, you’re out of luck.

Just west of  Reno we noticed the truck lane was deeply rutted, which Jeanne concluded was from trucks using tire chains in bad weather.  It got worse as we gained altitude and when we crossed the border into California, it got much worse.  In fact, parts of the road on the California side were not much better than driving on a dirt road.  The road surface was broken up, uneven, deeply rutted and without painted lane-lines.  Without a doubt, this is some of the worse road we’ve seen.  The fact that this is an interstate highway is shameful.  It damn near shook the fillings out of our teeth.  The road didn’t improve until we got near to the small town of Auburn.  Welcome to California.

Before stopping for the night, we fueled the coach at a Flying-J.  We used about 21 gallons to travel 220 miles over some terrible roads.  Not bad at all, although most of it was downhill.

Our destination was the KOA in Lodi, California.  The grounds are nice, but it is located directly beside a frequently used railroad crossing.  About every 45 minutes, all night long, trains would signal at the crossing and the rumble of the freight cars would shake the coach.  It was disappointing, since this was the first time in weeks that we could sleep with a window open.

We were running dangerously low on propane.  Of all the things you don’t want to run out of, propane is high on the list.  Especially in a cold climate.  The KOA sold propane and although it was a little expensive, it was a convenient opportunity.  21.3 gallons and $52 later, the tank was full.  Let’s do the math.  The coach has a 32 gallon propane tank, but the tank can only be filled to 80% of capacity or 25.6 gallons.  This means we had only 4.3 gallons of propane left in the tank, or less than most people have to fire their backyard Bar-B-Que.  We cut it close this time, especially in a place like Carson City where it drops below freezing at night.

So, today we bought and loaded the coach with over 42 gallons of flammable hydrocarbons.  If it catches on fire, move a safe distance and watch it burn.

One final note.  After we set up for the evening, we noticed our surroundings had changed.  Unlike the high desert this time of year, the air was warm, things were growing, animals were moving around and you could go outside without layers of clothing.  Even the air felt alive.  Carson City is off the list.

It has been about a week since the last update.  I wish there was something interesting to write about, but we spent the past week quietly trying to stay warm and thinking about our future.

We hoped the weather would begin to warm up, but it was not to be.  The cold weather persisted and even the locals were grumbling.  One morning we were at the gym doing our workout when it started snowing.  One night it got down to 20, which was the coldest night since we arrived.  I had to take in the water hose so it wouldn’t freeze and we piled blankets on the bed.  The wind constantly blew, sometimes strong enough to rock the coach.  There was no way we could use the grill or play outside for any length of time.  Compounding the problem, we started running low on propane.  We didn’t want to move the coach to fill the tank, so we decided to closely monitor our propane use, which means lowering the thermostat.  At least the coach is well insulated.

Our trip to Carson City was not wasted.  Our stay here turned out to be a test of living in a cool climate and we learned it is not for us.  This particular spot is very cool, dry and at altitude.  The surrounding area is nice to look at, but we don’t want to live here.  Talking with a local real estate broker confirmed our decision.

So we started wrestling with the “What Next” question.

We concluded that if the purpose of the trip is to find a place to settle, then traveling further north is pointless — unless we just want to do some sightseeing.  Well, after we settle somewhere we can always go sightseeing; the immediate issue is finding a place to live.  After much discussion, we decided to head back to the two areas we liked the most, Texas and Arkansas to look for property in earnest.  We feel good about the decision and look forward to getting on with the plan.

Jeanne wanted to see the grandkids again so we plotted a route that will take us back to Santa Paula, where we plan to spend about a week before heading east.  Once we make it over the Sierras, the weather should warm up and travel should be easy this time of year.  The trip to Santa Paula should take about 2 1/2 days.  We leave Carson City tomorrow.

Usually our meals are prepared in the coach but during this last week in Carson City, we decided to try some of the local restaurants.  Some were good, one was disappointing and none were memorable.  The Basque restaurant in Winnemucca was our best meal in Northern Nevada.

Eventually the replacement hinges arrived and repairs were completed to the overhead storage compartment.  We appreciated the coach manufacturer, Monaco, sending two extra hinges for future repairs.  Problem solved, until next time.

Jeanne’s sister, DeeDee, is getting married and Jeanne finally finished the wedding gift she was working on.  For obvious reasons I can’t reveal the nature of the gift or post a picture, but trust me when I write that it turned out beautifully.  Pictures and description will be posted AFTER the wedding.

Years ago, while living in Florida, we applied for and received our Concealed Weapons permits.  The application process involves taking a class, demonstrating firearm proficiency, fingerprinting, photos, a background check and a three month waiting period.  Our licenses expire at the end of June and the renewal process requires, among other things, new passport-type photos, which we had taken at the photo kiosk in Walmart.  We were shocked.  Who were these old people in the photos?  How did this happen?  After some discussion, we decided these were poor quality pictures.  The ultimate irony is we don’t even own a pistol to conceal.

Our final day in Carson City started on a cold, clear morning.  Leaving for the gym, I noticed something hanging from the bottom of the coach.  Closer inspection revealed it was an icicle.  It seems the hose connection was slowly leaking during the night.  Thankfully none of the other water lines were leaking and the drip stopped when the connection was tightened.

The rest of the day was spent doing the usual get-ready-to-leave things.  We look forward to getting back on the road.

Contemporary Note:  Jumping ahead in the story, we eventually did settle in a place that was cool, dry and at altitude.  Never say never.

We were tired from the Winnemucca trip and woke a little later than usual.  After our morning cup of coffee, we headed for the gym.

We completed our usual workout, cleaned up and were ready to face the day.  As we left the gym, it started snowing.  The snow showers kept up all day, heavy at times, kept us close to the coach.  Luckily not much of it stuck until later in the evening.

Jeanne still wasn’t feeling 100% so our only outing was a quick Walmart run for groceries.

The rest of the day was spent quietly watching the snow, reading and watching movies.  Hopefully Jeanne will fell better tomorrow.

The past two days will always be thought of as our Winnemucca trip.

Winnemucca is a small town in northern Nevada in the middle of the state and about 90 miles south of the Oregon border.  For the curious, you can find it at the intersection of Interstate 80 and where US 95 heads north to Boise, Idaho.  The town is just about as remote a place as you can find in the contiguous 48 states.

I always wondered what was in this part of Nevada and now I know.  To the casual observer, there is nothing here.  In fact, parts of the drive made West Texas look like the Garden of Eden.  This time of year the snowcapped mountains and endless views are dramatic, but I’m sure in the summer the region is a furnace.  It seems like the only economic activity out here are a few scattered mines and a few head of cattle.  There is a good reason that settlers passing through this area didn’t bother to stop on their way to California and Oregon.

About the only thing interesting was the history.  Immigrants passed through Winnemucca on their way west.  They generally followed the Humboldt river until it dries up at the edge of a huge dry lakebed.  This dry lake is a 40 mile long by 40 mile wide barrier the settlers had to cross.  In the comfort of a modern automobile, crossing this area was tedious.  I can’t imagine how hard it would be to walk across this wasteland.  At the eastern edge of this area, the settlers could either head west towards Reno or south to Fallon.  Either route was dry and dangerous.  In summer, movement was only possible at night.  On our return trip, the winds howled across this open area kicking up clouds of dust and blasting us with gravel.  For three hours it was a scene from Lawrence of Arabia.  We were glad to get back to the coach.

In all fairness, Winnemucca is a nice town in a remote area.  The folks there were friendly, the town was clean and we had an outstanding Basque dinner at one of the local restaurants.  It was more food than we could possibly eat.  Overall, Winnemucca is a nice place, but not for us.  I’m glad we made the trip; I know know what is there (nothing) and there is no need to ever go back.

We woke to a beautiful clear day and the weather report promised it would only get better.  This was the first spring-like weather in weeks and we wanted to take advantage of it.  So after a quick breakfast, we headed up the hill to Lake Tahoe again with the goal of seeing the north end of the lake.

There wasn’t as much snow along the road as last trip, but we were surprised at how much was still around.  In fact, it was still very deep in areas and it was like driving through a trench of ice.  We stopped several times to view the lake, play in the snow and take pictures.  We decided to head back through Reno and the road took us over the 8,900 foot Rose Summit, which is the highest year-round Sierra pass.

View from north end of Lake Tahoe.

Jeanne in front of some very happy manzanita.

Jeanne and Marty pose of picture with Lake Tahoe in the background.

We were lucky enough to catch the manzanita in bloom.

One of the many coves along the shore of Lake Tahoe. Notice clarity of the water.

Try to find the Jeep in this picture. Hint: look for the red tail lights.

Jeanne near the 8,900 foot Rose Summit, the highest year-round pass through the Sierras.

Marty in the snowfield.

View of the south end of Reno with the Sierras in the background. This was taken from a lookout along the old road to Virginia City.

Jeanne on the boardwalk in Virginia City, Nevada.

It was still early in the day and we decided to drive through Virginia City on our way back.  Yes, it was a tourist trap but we had a good time walking around, looking through the shops and stopping at the Bonanza Casino for lunch.  A highlight was looking at a gold and mineral collection at one of the shops.  We took side roads back to Highway 50, which was the way back to Carson City.  All in all, we had a good time exploring the area.

We finally got back to the coach in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day quietly.

The weather looks like it will hold and we plan to make the drive to Winnemucca tomorrow and probably spend the night there.  We have no idea what is there, but I’m sure we’ll find out tomorrow.