A Rock and a Castle

No, the title is NOT our nicknames, read on...

Leaving Simi Valley, we had only an hour and a half drive to our next destination in Morro Bay, California: the Morro Dunes RV Park.  We stopped along the way to get gas and propane; the latter especially because we would continue to be in weather that was cool at night creating the need for us to run the furnace, which operates on propane.  Our ride up U.S. Highway 101 was beautiful with mountains around one curve and the ocean around the next, repeating again and again.

When we arrived at Morro Dunes, we were awed by Morro Rock that gives this town such a unique view.  Morro Rock is 576 feet tall and is the last in a chain of long-extinct volcanoes known as “The Morros.”  Morro Dunes RV Park is located just north of Morro Rock, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean and Atascadero Beach.  The RV Park is separated into various cul-de-sacs, each of which have gated walking exits steps away from each RV that led directly to the sandy dunes of the beach.

Turning left after exiting that same gate, crossing a bridge, and walking about a mile, we encountered various shops and restaurants in the heart of Morro Bay.  We walked into the village to explore the menus at the various restaurants and enjoy the sea otters we saw playing in the water next to boardwalk.  The views of the water and Morro Rock from the marina were spectacular.  We decided we would have lunch there the next day.  We returned to the RV park and Pat did some laundry while Tim caught up on writing blog entries.

The next day, we walked back to the village and ate lunch at a restaurant called The Galley Seafood Grill & Bar which was surrounded by views of the bay and the Rock.  We shared our appetizers: Clam Chowder and a Caesar Salad.  For an entrée, Pat had Blackened Pacific Rockfish (caught locally) and Tim had the Alaskan Halibut (we also shared our entrees).  Our sides included wild rice pilaf, crispy fries, and garlic mashed potatoes.  

That afternoon, Tim did some laundry and read the manual and watched a video on how to install our new tire pressure monitoring system; EEZTire T515 TPMS System 720.  Tim had learned about the importance of measuring tire pressure for the RV when he went to RV Boot Camp.  In fact, it was recommended that RVers should check their tire pressure each time they leave a campground and get back on the road.  Blow outs are a common occurrence for RVs if your rig is overweight or the tires are over or under inflated.  Because of the way our hubcaps fit on our front tires, we have had issues trying to use a manual tire pressure gauge.  Shortly after attending Escapade, we finally ordered and received an automated tire pressure monitoring system.  The monitor sensors are fixed to the air pressure valve on each tire and send a signal to a monitor located in the cab of the RV about the pressure and temperature of each tire.  After we set up the tire pressure monitoring system it worked perfectly.  Our tire pressure is good for now, but we probably need to get a little bit of air put into them soon.

At the same time, Pat installed an iPhone holder (that he bought for Tim) on the dashboard on the driver’s side, so Tim could see the GPS directly in front of him when he is driving.  Prior to this time, Tim had been putting his phone in a cup holder located near the floor of the cab.  All in all, a very productive afternoon.

Later that afternoon, we walked out of the gate next to our RV, to the sand dunes across from us, and out on the beach.  At the end of the day, we watched the sunset from the bridge leading to the village where we had lunch that day.  A very fulfilling day.

The following day, we drove the RV about 30 minutes north on California Highway 1 to San Simeon, California, to tour Hearst Castle.  We started by watching a 40-minute film at the Visitor’s Center that explained William Randolph Hearst’s background and how he came to build the castle.  The film was a high-quality film with beautiful panoramic views of the landscape surrounding Hearst Castle; not surprising that Hearst owned a movie studio at one point.  The film included moving pictures of some of the guests at Hearst Castle during the 1920s and 1930s, such as Winston Churchill, Calvin Coolidge, Hedda Hopper, Howard Hughes, Charlie Chaplin (apparently a frequent visitor), Joan Crawford and Bette Davis (but not at the same time), Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, and Harpo Marx.

Then, a bus took us on a 15-minute trip up the winding road on the mountainside to Hearst Castle (no cars allowed).   It is magnificent; very difficult to explain so we took many pictures for the blog.  We took the Grand Rooms tour that takes you to the façade of the guest house (with 18 rooms, including 8 bedrooms); the outdoor Neptune pool; and Casa Grande (where Hearst stayed when he was there).  The Casa Grande included a tour of the assembly room (walnut paneling, Renaissance and Baroque tapestries and masterpieces of neoclassical sculpture); billiards room (a 15th century Spanish ceiling painted with scenes of courtly life, in addition to a Flemish tapestry from 1500); refectory (high windows, bright silk banners, and gleaming silver candlesticks convey the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, but the long dining room table has antique mustard and ketchup bottles on it to show that Hearst liked to keep things informal); morning room (with more gorgeous tapestries); indoor Roman pool; and indoor theatre.

After the tour, we drove the RV about 10 miles south on California Highway 1 to Cambria, California, where we stayed at the San Simeon Creek Campground at the Hearst San Simeon State Park (the Hearst family donated land to the State of California to create this park).  This was the fourth state park that we’ve visited since we started our full time RV traveling.  Our RV site was in the middle of a loop and may have been the most secluded site at the campground.  Our RV site was cement, with a fire pit and picnic table located on the grass behind the cement site.  It was a bit unlevel, so we took our time manually leveling the RV.  This campground has no hookups, so we had to use our water pump for fresh water from our tank onboard.  The house batteries allowed us to have the use of some power outlets and the tv without the use of the generator.  The house batteries also provided enough power to keep the refrigerator working without the use of the generator; although, we did turn on the generator for a half hour in the evening and an hour in the morning.  In addition, the house batteries allowed us to use the furnace sparingly without turning on the generator; the temperature was dropping to the low 50s that evening, but the campground did not permit the use of generators between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.  We did not want the furnace to turn on too often anyway because it was a huge drain on the house batteries (it operates on propane, but the blower requires electricity), so we set it at about 60 degrees; put on warm clothing; and crawled underneath the blankets to keep warm.

San Simeon Creek Campground was just a place to spend the night before moving on to our next destination, so we didn’t do anything while we were there.  We got there late afternoon, fixed some dinner, watched some tv, and went to bed.  

Review of Morro Dunes RV Park

Morro Dunes RV Park, located in Morro Bay, California, is a terrific location to relax.  There’s the beautiful view of the Morro Rock; the sand dunes, Atascadero Beach, and the Pacific Ocean just feet away from your RV site; and restaurants, bars, and shops a short walk away from the RV Park.  

Morro Dunes has 139 full hookup RV sites, along with some partial hookup and tent camping sites.  Many of the RV sites are set up in cul-de-sacs adjacent to the sand dunes and beach across a small road.  This provides easy access to the beach.

Morro Dunes has a small store onsite with a few groceries and other items; however, there are shops within walking distance.  The RV Park also has several restroom/shower areas with a laundry facility in each.  There are group picnic areas and a “horseshoe pit.”  The Hearst Castle is within driving distance; about a 30-minute drive from Morro Dunes.  There are also golf courses within driving distance.  We really enjoyed our short stay at Morro Dunes and would definitely consider staying again.

Review of San Simeon Creek Campground at the Hearst San Simeon State Park

San Simeon Creek Campground is part of the Hearst San Simeon State Park.  The land was donated by the Hearst family to the State of California, which runs the campground.  It is located about 10 miles south of Hearst Castle.  The Hearst San Simeon State Park has two campgrounds: Washburn Campground and San Simeon Creek Campground (which is where we stayed).  

The Washburn Campground is a primitive campground with 68 sites for tent camping or RV boondocking; it has no hookups.  It is located farther inland.  

The San Simeon Creek Campground has 134 sites for tent camping or RVs; it is located within walking distance of the beaches on the Pacific Ocean.  There are no hookups to electricity, water, or sewer (there is a dump station for sewer).  The maximum length for an RV is 35 feet (ours is 31 feet).  Each campsite has a fire pit and picnic table, but no grill.  

There are restrooms located at San Simeon Creek Campground.  There is also a shower facility, but you must pay for warm water for your shower with tokens you can purchase in the bathroom.  There are no laundry facilities or any other amenities.  You can purchase firewood from the campground host for your fire pit. 

Campers can hike, fish, picnic, surf, bird watch, and whale watch (the ocean is nearby).  There is a 3.3-mile hiking trail that runs through parts of San Simeon Natural Preserve and the Washburn Campground.  The San Simeon Natural Preserve consists of vast wetlands, riparian areas, and several undisturbed native plant communities; it is also a wintering site for monarch butterflies.  There is a viewing area for elephant seals located on a boardwalk 9.3 miles north of the San Simeon Creek Campground.  Additionally, it is located just 10 miles south of Hearst Castle.

We are not big boondockers (camping without electricity, water, or sewer), but we were willing to do it for one night to be close to Hearst Castle.  It was a cool night, and we were definitely cold since we had to run the furnace sparingly to not run out the house batteries.  We would rather have stayed an additional night at Morro Dunes RV Park and driven to Hearst Castle if we had a car (but that’s not our approach now).  We probably wouldn’t return to San Simeon Creek Campground unless someone wants to guarantee us mild weather.

 

more Hearst Castle photos...

...and even more are unpublished 

Another Presidential Library to Check Off the List

Leaving Anaheim, we had to drive through Los Angeles to get to our next destination.  The traffic was almost as bad as its reputation, but we made it through reasonably quickly.  Just outside of downtown Los Angeles, we stopped at a Blue Beacon Truck Wash to get all of the red dirt from Arizona cleaned off of the RV.

Since our drive was shorter than usual, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant that served Guatemalan food, called Antojitos Tacaná in San Fernando.  Pat had one of the restaurant’s special dishes called Garnachas, which was composed of several bite-sized fried corn tortillas topped with spicy ground beef, shredded cabbage, and cheese. Tim had Pollo Asado, with rice and beans.  It was a small restaurant with great Yelp reviews, and the owner/waiter was very friendly and she made excellent suggestions for lunch.  

We had a beautiful drive to our next campground, Tapo Canyon Regional Park, located in Simi Valley, California.  Tapo Canyon is a county park run by Ventura County, California.  We were camping in this park for a few days mainly because we wanted to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.  

The campground was beautiful, with the Santa Susanna Mountains in full view, along with fields of blooming wildflowers which were extra beautiful this year from California’s superbloom.  We even got some visits from the peacocks that wander around the park. 

The day after we arrived at Tapo Canyon, we took an Uber to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley.  The Uber took approximately 10 minutes to arrive, cost $26, and the drive was about 20 minutes.  As we stated in our previous post regarding our visit to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, we want to visit as many Presidential Libraries as possible regardless of whether we like or agree with the person or their politics.  

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum included exhibits on his childhood in Illinois; his early career as a radio announcer and then as an actor; his tenure as Governor of California (including his sending of national guard troops to U.C. Berkeley to quell protests there about Vietnam touted as one of his “accomplishments”); and his tenure as President (including the assassination attempt, his efforts to get the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall, and an agreement with the Soviet Union to reduce nuclear weapons caches).  Interestingly, Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court; the first woman on the court.  The museum also included the actual Air Force One Jet that he used while President (and you can go inside); an F-117A Nighthawk; F-14 Fighter Jet; Abrams Tank; and the burial site for President Reagan and his wife, Nancy. 

 

The Museum only briefly mentioned or did not cover at all controversial issues like how the release of the Iranian hostages suspiciously took place on his inauguration day rather than before the election while Jimmy Carter was President and running for a second term (conceivably, the hostages could have been released months earlier); the Iran-Contra affair (his authorization of a secret deal to sell antitank and antiaircraft missiles to Iran in exchange for Iran’s help in the release of American hostages from Lebanon, and the diversion of a large sum the U.S. received from Iran to purchase weapons and supplies for the Contras in Nicaragua); his order to invade Grenada; or his bout with Alzheimer’s Disease while apparently still President.  The exhibits touted as his “accomplishments” massive tax reductions for wealthier individuals and corporations; large increases in military spending; significant cuts in education, food stamps, low-income housing, school lunches, and Medicaid; cuts in budgets of federal agencies; reduction of enforcement of regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Justice; and reduction of regulations governing the savings and loan industry (which later was a significant cause of the bank failures of the early 2000s).  And of course, the 89,000 men, women, and children who died during his administration’s indifference (and even jokes in the public forum about those who were gay and dying) to the AIDS pandemic.

After our visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, we took an Uber home and spent a quiet evening in the RV catching up on blog entries for you.  It was a short stay in Simi Valley, as we were off the following day to our next destination.  

Review of Tapo Canyon Regional Park

Tapo Canyon Regional Park, located in Simi Valley, California, is a county park run by Ventura County, California.  Tapo Canyon has 16 full hookup RV sites.  Our site was paved with concrete, with a dirt area adjacent to the site that had a picnic table and a firepit, but no grill.  The site was a little unlevel, but we managed to get the jacks in the proper position to level us off.  

The campground has almost no cell reception, so we had to rely on our Starlink for Wi-Fi for our phones and laptops.  We had a lot of space between our site and our neighbors, which made it seem more peaceful; and our site backed up to a creek, which provided a constant tranquil sound.

The park also includes picnic areas; a playground; bathroom/showers; and an equestrian arena.  There is no laundry facility or store.  Although the park is beautiful, there isn’t much to do there.  The city of Simi Valley is not within walking or biking distance; rather it is at least a 15-minute drive to the nearest restaurants or shops.  Given these drawbacks, we likely would not stay at Tapo Canyon again in the future.

LA: Friends, a Presidential Library, and the Happiest Place on Earth!

From San Diego, we drove a short distance north to Anaheim, California, and stayed at an RV Resort called Anaheim Harbor RV Park.  The best thing about Anaheim Harbor is that it is located within walking distance of Disneyland (about a 20-minute walk).  Our RV site was gravel, with a small green artificial turf area adjacent to the RV site that had a picnic table (we had one of the few sites with a grassy area and picnic table).  Our site did not have a grill or fire pit. 

The RV sites are located extremely close together and most (including ours) are located on a very narrow roadway within the park.  This was by far the most difficult backing-in we had to do into an RV site because of the narrowness of the roadway and the unfortunate parking of the travel trailer on the other side of the road from our RV site (it was way too close to the roadway).  Usually, Pat backs the RV into RV spots, but when Pat had a follow-up with his ophthalmologist that afternoon, he had his eyes dilated and couldn’t see to back up the RV.  Instead, Tim backed up the RV (only the second or third time he has done it) and it happened to be the most difficult backing-in job yet!  He did an excellent job though!

After parking and setting up the RV, Pat did some laundry while Tim caught up on emails.  Later that night, we went to dinner at Shakey’s Pizza, which was located next door to Anaheim Harbor (we hadn’t been to a Shakey’s since we were kids).  We both had individual pizzas: Pat had pepperoni and Tim had pepperoni, ham, and mushrooms.  The pizza was as we remembered it; good enough (which had been okay for us BEFORE we lived in Brooklyn #pizzasnobs)!

After dinner, we returned to the RV and were in for a treat as we could hear (very loudly) and see the fireworks show from Disneyland.  We think we were closer than the park guests.  It was a magical moment that only Disney could provide.

The day after we arrived at Anaheim Harbor, Tim took an Uber to pick up a rental car from Avis Car Rental located not too far way.  The Uber only took about 8 minutes to arrive, it was about an 8-minute ride to Avis, and the cost of the Uber was only $8 (8-8-8, that sounds lucky). 

In the afternoon, we picked up packages we had ordered from Amazon.  We also did a little grocery shopping.  That evening, we drove approximately 25 miles to Mission Viejo to have dinner at the home of our very good friends, Jack and Paul.  We have known Jack and Paul from our Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC) days in Dallas, as all four of us sang in TCC together (Paul even worked for TCC).  Tim and Jack knew each other first and met approximately 30 years ago.  All four of us had a lot of great times together in Dallas, inside and outside of TCC activities.  We reminisced about how Jack and Paul told us that the first time they appeared in public together as a couple was when they attended our Holy Union in Dallas in 1998; Jack was one of the readers at that ceremony.  Jack and Paul moved to California in 1999, but we never lost touch.  

Once we arrived at Jack and Paul’s beautiful home in Mission Viejo, Jack made special martinis for us; gave us the tour of their home; grilled salmon, corn, and potatoes; and we had cake and ice cream for dessert.  We spent hours catching up and remembering all of the fun times we had together.  We hope to see Jack and Paul again soon. 

The following day, we made our second visit to a Presidential Library.  One of the things we wanted to do while full-time RV traveling was to visit Presidential Libraries.  We want to visit as many as possible regardless of whether we like or agree with the person or their politics.  This time it was the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California, his hometown.  

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum includes Nixon’s boyhood home; the Marine One helicopter used by several Presidents, including Nixon; replicas of the Oval Office and White House East Room as these were decorated when Nixon was President; and the final resting place for President Nixon and his wife, Pat.  Exhibits include information about Nixon as a child growing up in California; his service as a U.S. Representative and Senator; his Vice Presidency under Eisenhower; his tenure as President; the Watergate scandal; his resignation; and life after his resignation. 

The information on his tenure as President focused on Vietnam and the re-opening of relations with China. The information on Watergate provided a detailed chronology of what occurred before and after the Watergate break-in; Nixon’s role and attempted coverup of his role; and the fates of players in the scandal.  A plaque with Nixon’s “legacy” included that he created the Environmental Protection Agency; increased funding for cancer research; signed Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into law, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs, most notably sports (this is also one of the regulations that Tim enforced during his career); signed the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age to 18; and ended the military draft for the Vietnam War.

On our last full day at Anaheim Harbor, we went to Disneyland!  Pat and Tim are both Disney fans, but Pat is truly a fanatic.  We almost didn’t get reservations because when we first tried to make our reservations the previous evening, the website stated that there were no more reservations available for the next day.  Tim kept checking throughout the night though, and finally around 11:00 p.m. the website allowed Tim to make our reservations.  

We had been to Disneyland (and Disney California Adventure) in 2019 when the Star Wars attractions first opened, but a new attraction had been added since then: Rise of the Resistance.  So, that was our priority!  We paid the extra “lightning lane” fee to skip the line for this ride, as it is one of the most popular rides and has the longest wait times. 

The other new ride for us was Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway which we got to early to avoid its long lines.  Of course, we rode our other favorites as well, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad; Haunted Mansion; It’s a Small World (the entrance indicated it was a 25-minute wait, but we waited over an hour for this one); Jungle Cruise; Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run; Pirates of the Caribbean; and Splash Mountain (we did this one just before we walked back to the RV for lunch because we knew we would get a little wet – and we did).  Tim also did Star Tours (Pat doesn’t like that one).  The only ride that we both wanted to ride but didn’t was Indiana Jones Adventure because it kept breaking down and then the wait times would be crazy long.

We also watched the afternoon parade and the evening light show.  There were lots of decorations celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney, "100 Years of Wonder," and we felt quite lucky to have been there at this special time! 

We were thrilled that we could actually walk to Disneyland from Anaheim Harbor; however, our legs and feet were so sore from walking around Disneyland all day and the four 20-minute walks we made to and from our RV to Disneyland (we walked back to the RV for lunch and a nap, then returned to Disneyland afterward).  We may need to take more breaks in the future cause we aren’t getting any younger! 

The next morning, we overslept because we were so tired and had to rush to check out of Anaheim Harbor on time at 11:00 a.m.  We might have overstayed about five minutes but soon we were on our way down the road.

Review of Anaheim Harbor RV Park

Anaheim Harbor RV Park is located in Anaheim, California, literally a walk away from Disneyland (there is a shuttle bus provided by Anaheim Resort Transit that you can take from Harbor Road in front of the Anaheim Harbor RV Park if you don’t want to walk; or take an Uber or Lyft).  It is also only a few minutes away from Angels Stadium and the Honda Center (where the Anaheim Ducks play).  There are numerous restaurants and shops within walking and biking distance of Anaheim Harbor, and some a bit farther away but within driving distance.

Anaheim Harbor has 177 full hookup RV sites that can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet in length.  Many of these RV sites are for permanent residents though.  Amenities include bathroom/shower facilities; a laundry room; and a Gazebo picnic area with grills.  It is not too far from I-5, but we really couldn’t hear the traffic at night.

As stated previously, the RV sites are located extremely close together on narrow roadways.  Accordingly, it is difficult to get in and out of the RV site.  We managed it though.  And again, as stated previously, the best thing about Anaheim Harbor RV Park is that it is within walking distance to Disneyland.  We would definitely consider staying here again if we were visiting Disneyland, but we might choose a different RV site within the park if available.

Friends Make San Diego Fun!

After our 25th Wedding Anniversary trip, we took a red-eye from Kauai, Hawaii, back to Phoenix, Arizona (for pictures of our trip to Kauai, see our Facebook posts), and arrived in Phoenix early in the morning on April 6th.  Our ultimate next destination was to visit our friends, Tim and David, who live in San Diego, California; however, it was over a five-hour drive to San Diego (374 miles), so we needed to make a stop along the way.  That stop was in Yuma, Arizona, where we stayed at a place called Del Pueblo RV Resort.   

We rented a car at the Phoenix airport and drove back to Picacho Peak State Park to pick up the RV.  Since Pat only slept a few hours on the flight and Tim did not sleep at all (Tim cannot sleep in moving vehicles), we slept for about two hours in the RV while at Picacho Peak before driving on to Yuma.  When we arrived at Del Pueblo RV Resort, we quickly began our setup, but had a little mishap when we hooked up the water.  We were both distracted outside checking the pressure gauge (rather than the usual one inside and one outside), so unbeknownst to us, the faucet in the bathroom had been left open and the stopper was down in the sink, and by the time we made it indoors the water had been overflowing down the bathroom cabinets, onto the bathroom floor and even into the outdoor storage bin located directly below the bathroom.  Needless to say, this was not something we wanted to deal with on the little sleep we had, but we had to dry and clean everything in the bathroom and the outdoor storage bin immediately so it wouldn't rust or mold.

Once we completed that task (the arid climate accelerated the process), we still had the rental car, so we went to Whataburger to eat and then to Walmart to restock food and supplies.  Afterward, Tim returned the rental car, and we settled in for the evening.

The next morning, we began our drive to San Diego, stopping to fill up our gas and propane along the way.  By mid-afternoon, we arrived at Campland on the Bay, our RV park in San Diego.  The RV Park was full (probably for the Easter weekend and spring break) and RVs at Campland are parked close together.  The driver's side of our RV was mere feet away from the picnic area of our neighbors, who had set up a tent and doggy cage adjacent to where we connected to electricity, water, and sewer.  Luckily, we had chosen a site with a street on the passenger's side of our RV, so we had no neighbors adjacent to us on that side.  

Campland was full of families that weekend.  The two RVs across the road from us on the passenger side of our RV seemed to contain about a dozen people including children.  They played loud music all day and into the night until quiet hours, which began at 11:00 p.m.  We took all of this in stride though; and once the weekend ended, many people (especially those with children) left the campground, including our noisy neighbors, and it was a lot quieter for the rest of the week (we stayed until Friday).

The weather was cool during our stay, so we didn't take advantage of the pool or the beach.  We had a lot of laundry to do after our trip to Kauai, so the first day at Campland we did some laundry.  On that first night we also took advantage of the café that was at the resort; Tim had teriyaki wings and Pat had a burger.   In addition to the food, we had Hurricanes from the bar, and Jello shots that were available only on the weekends.  There was a DJ playing music at "Central Park," the campground's large park located adjacent to the café and bar.  We tried to get in on the bingo game but were a little late and it had already started. 

The next day was Easter, and we were prepared for our traditional feast!  We had purchased a Honey Baked ham to freeze before we left for Hawaii.  In Hawaii, we bought a small rum cake (along with a couple of other bottles) at a rum tasting.  We cooked our traditional sides of green beans, boiled potatoes, and deviled eggs; we even had some Hawaiian dinner rolls.  The meal was just like the big productions we usually put on for holidays…without the crystal and china.

On Monday evening, our good friends, David and Tim M-S came to Campland for a tour of the RV.  That same evening, they took us to a place called World Famous Restaurant for dinner.  The two of us had prime rib and…fish & chips (Pat always gets fish & ships when it's on the menu).  We spent the evening reminiscing about all the events/milestones that we had shared in the last 30 years.

Tim B-M first met Tim M-S at a March on Washington in 1993.  The two Tim's struck up a conversation at a bar in D.C. and hit it off immediately.  They met up several times that weekend during the March, where Tim B-M met Tim M-S's boyfriend of two weeks, David.  David and Tim M-S later moved to Dallas and lived in the same apartment complex as Tim B-M.  Tim M-S, David, Tim B-M, and Pat later started the LGBT film festival in Dallas called "Outtakes Dallas."  Fast forward 30 years later and we are all still friends, even though David and Tim M-S moved to San Diego, and we moved to New York City (and now fulltime RV traveling).  

David and Tim M-S had us over for dinner at their place the next evening, along with another San Diego friend, Greg, who we all knew from Dallas.  Tim M-S fixed roasted chicken, potatoes, and green beans; with pecan pie for dessert.  We brought a bottle of Pino Grigio from our favorite winery in upstate New York called Billsboro Winery.  Two days later, we had David and Tim M-S over for dinner at the RV.  We grilled burgers and cooked fries, and Pat made sopapilla cheesecake for dessert.  We were lucky to have spent three evenings with David and Tim M-S while in San Diego; it is always so great to spend time with them.  No matter how much time goes by, it's like we were never apart.

During our stay at Campland, David and Tim M-S were also kind enough to lend us one of their cars for a few days.  Pat had been having an issue with one of his eyes, so he made an appointment with an ophthalmologist, and we used the car for that visit.  Turned out that Pat needed to have some laser stitches in his eye because it appeared to be vulnerable to a detached retina.  That put Pat out of commission for the remainder of that day, so Tim did some grocery shopping and picked up dinner for the two of us at a place called Roberto's Taco Shop (recommended by David and Tim M-S).  Tim had a grilled chicken burrito and Pat had two soft tacos (Carne Asada and grilled chicken), which were delicious.  The second day we had their car, we drove to Balboa Park and walked around to see all of the museums and other attractions at the park. 

We took our time disconnecting and leaving Campland on our last day at the resort, as checkout time wasn't until noon and Pat had a follow-up appointment with the ophthalmologist at 1:00.  After Pat's appointment, we drove on to our next destination.

Review of Del Pueblo RV Resort

We only stayed one evening at Del Pueblo RV Resort in Yuma, Arizona, so it is difficult to provide a review; however, we will provide some basic information about the RV Park.  Del Pueblo is a resort for those 55+ years old and is located in Yuma, Arizona, not far from the Mexican border.  Del Pueblo offers move in ready small homes in addition to RV sites.  The RV part of the resort seemed very empty while we were there, and the camp manager said something about it being the end of the season when we checked in (the website says that high season is January to March; mid-season is April and October to December; and low season is May to August).

Our RV site was gravel, with a cement area adjacent to the site for setting up lounge chairs, a grill, or other items.  The RV site did not have a picnic table, fire pit, or grill.  Since there weren't many RVs at the resort, we had no close neighbors.  

Amenities at Del Pueblo include a billiards room; bocce ball; tennis, shuffleboard and pickleball courts; café; fitness facility; clubhouse; library; card room; crafts room; woodworking room; hot tub; swimming pool; and laundry room.  Uniquely, the resort also has a beauty salon.  The resort website states that it has events like movie nights; happy hours; catered dinners; musical guests; and pool parties.

In addition, the website states that attractions nearby include the Colorado River State Historic Park; a museum and ghost town; golfing; river tubing; a wildlife refuge; and Gargoyle Canyon.  None of these attractions would be within walking or biking distance (between 10 and 65 miles from the resort).  We didn't get to see much while in Yuma, but we would definitely consider returning to Del Pueblo for a longer stay.

Review of Campland on the Bay

Campland on the Bay in San Diego, California, is literally located right on the shores of Mission Bay.  It offers beachfront and bay view RV sites, but we were parked just slightly off of the waterfront.  Campland is touted as a "family friendly" resort, and it was certainly full of families during the weekend of our first few days staying there.  There is also free public access to the beach at Campland during the day.

Our RV site was made of dirt, with a small paved area adjacent to the site for lounge chairs, etc.  There was also a picnic table and fire pit located at the site, but no grill.  Campland is a huge RV Park, with 562 campsites.  Campland offers full hookup and partial hookup RV sites, dry RV sites with no hookups, and tent sites.

Amenities include a large playground for the kids; two large pools; hot tubs; fitness center; sports court for tennis, basketball, or other sports; ping pong tables; skateboard park; horseshoes; arcade; cantina; bar; market; and laundry facility.  Campers can also rent bikes, surreys, golf carts, pedal boats, kayaks, pontoon boats, ski boats, and wave runners.  There is a walking and biking trail just outside of the campground.  Campland also offers planned activities such as bingo, ping pong tournaments, yoga, soccer, capture the flag, bean bag tournaments, and dodgeball tournaments.  In addition, there is a large park in the middle of the complex called Central Park, where campers can have picnics or play sports; Campland also has musical guests and other events in Central Park.

Campland is conveniently located close to restaurants and shops that are not quite within walking distance but certainly within biking distance.  In addition, Campland is located within driving distance to the most visited sites of San Diego, such as Gaslamp Quarter (9.3 miles); Balboa Park (8.6 miles); Crystal Pier at Pacific Beach (2.5 miles); Sea World (3.2 miles); and the San Diego Zoo (8.6 miles).

We enjoyed all that Campland had to offer; however, we did not enjoy how crowded and noisy it was during the first few days of our stay.  We also did not like how close our RV site was to our neighbors. Despite the drawbacks, we would consider staying at Campland again for all that it has to offer, especially the market (that was as large as any convenience store), the pool, the beach, the café, and the bar.