Monday, April 30, 2012

Getting Ready To Travel Again

Crescent, City, CA.

52 deg. overcast, S. wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Overcast with rain, then rain showers in the afternoon. Fog early. High of 55F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.


Not much to report on today, so this will probably be a short post.

It's hard to believe that we've been here for almost a week already, but we're leaving here today to continue our wanderings up into Oregon, so both Jim and Linda worked on getting me ready to travel yesterday. Jim went over and thanked our neighbor for the crabs, did the normal pre-travel checks and chores on me and cooked a couple of burgers out on the grill for dinner.

While he was doing that, Linda started putting stuff away inside of me, and put together the rest of the dinner inside of me.

Of course, they both read some, watched TV and took naps during the afternoon. ; )

The plan for today is to head up into Oregon a ways. Jim's been researching RV Parks along US101 and has suitable parks picked out all along the route. Depending on where we end up for the nights, I may or may not have Internet connection, so again, don't worry if you don't hear from me. We'll be moving along slowly as we're not scheduled to get to Portland until a week from Tomorrow.

That slow pace will also allow us to stay in one place for a few days if we run into some nasty weather. (Which is always a possibility along the Oregon coast at this time of the year.)

Did you know that the Coast Redwoods grow only in a narrow strip along the Pacific Coast of California and southwestern Oregon?





Sunday, April 29, 2012

I Forgot, An Un-Dissapointment and Craby

Crescent City, CA.

45 deg. clear, no wind

Forecast = Partly cloudy in the morning, then mostly cloudy. High of 57F. Breezy. Winds from the NNW at 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%


Boy!!!! Did I ever blow it yesterday. I forgot one of the highlights of the day!!!   OK, it may not be real exciting, but Jim and Linda really enjoyed it.

When Jim paid for 3 more nights here at the Shoreline RV Park and Campground he asked the CG host if there was a restaurant in the area that he would recommend. Without hesitation, he said  "The Chart Room Restaurant" . So, about 5:00 they headed over there to see of they could get some Seafood for dinner.

Well, as far as Jim and Linda are concerned, it was great!!!! Jim had a coup of clam chowder and then their "Famous Fish-N-Chips" and Linda had the Shrimp and Chips. They both thought the food was excellent, the service was very good and the view out over the bay was super!!!

As you can probably tell, they really liked it!!! ; ) 

Oh, and the sea lions over by the restaurant liked the dock too!! : )
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Now, for yesterday's activities.

It was sometime in the morning when Jim was outside that he talked to Ed, (My neighbor who's RV you saw in yesterday's post), and mentioned that they tried to take that scenic drive through the Jedediah Smith State Park, but couldn't because the road was closed. Well, Ed said that he and his wife had just been to the other end of the road and it was open far enough that you could go at least as far as Stout Grove, and that's where most of the biggest trees are at.

So , , , , ,after grabbing an early bite to eat for lunch, they took CLT and headed to the other end of the scenic road and enter the Redwood forest from there!!! : )

The photos below are of the 1 lane gravel road running through the forest. CLT says that there are a lot of wide spots where you can pass another vehicle, should you meet one.

The photo below shows how large the trees actually are. That's a full-sized SUV coming toward you.

CLT waiting in a parking area while Jim took a few photos.

Photos, like this neat mountain stream.

The Smith River also runs through the park, and CLT says, "Yes, the water really is that color"!!

It was around 2:00 by the time CLT brought them back here to the CG, and from what I overheard, they really enjoyed their excursion. : )

Oh, one more thing. During the day yesterday, the man from the RV, (kind of behind me), knocked on my door and brought Jim and Linda 4 nice sized crabs that he had caught with his crab nets. Jim had been talking to him the other day, and he had asked Jim if he and Linda liked crab? Well to make a long story shorter, yesterday he went out crabbing and caught a whole bunch, so he brought some over here. All cleaned and everything!!!

Wasn't that nice of him?

Linda had never cooked crab before, but the man told her how to do it. So for dinner, Jim and Linda had crab!!! Both of them really enjoyed it and today, Jim will be going over there to return the man's pot and thank him again for giving them the crabs.

You meet the nicest people in Campgrounds and RV Parks!!!! ; )

Did you know that the Coast Redwood Tree grows from a seed that is about the size of a tomato seed?



Saturday, April 28, 2012

Staying A Little Longer, Photos and A Dissapointment

Crescent, City, CA.

49 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 55F. Winds from the SW at 5 to 15 mph shifting to the NW in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20%.


Thursday was a day where at times it was bright and sunny and then a shower would come through and it would rain fairly hard for awhile. In between showers, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to Walgreen's and picked up their prescriptions and a few other items. When they returned, they paid for 3 more nights here at the park and then Jim took a few more photos of the park.

This first one is of the road coming into the park.

You can see the puddles of water from the rain. Also, the berm in front of me that protects the shoreline.

The view from the top of the berm looking back towards the entrance.

And a view out over the bay looking towards the harbor to the South at low tide.

After a shower went through Jim caught this photo of a rainbow right over my neighbors RV. I don't know if you can see it or not, but it was actually a double rainbow, with the top one being quite faint.

Yesterday, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park which is only a short drive from here. There's a neat road that goes through the Redwoods, (that Jim and Linda found the last time they were in this area), that they wanted to drive on, but when they got over there, the road was closed! : (   (They really wanted to drive on that road as it goes right through the Redwood Forest).

So, instead, they just drove around town a little and then came back here.

The rest of the day was spent watching the fishing boats go in and out of the harbor, watching the people walk up and down the beach, and doing normal things like watching TV and reading.

Did you know that on this date in 1914 - W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner?






Thursday, April 26, 2012

Fuel Prices and Depends On The Weather

Crescent City, CA.

47 deg. light rain, no wind.

Forecast = Overcast with rain showers. High of 54F. Breezy. Winds from the SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.


I received a comment yesterday about the price of the fuel that Jim and Linda bought for me the other day. Well, yes, it was high, but you must remember that we are out along the coast on US 101, and the stations where you can buy diesel fuel are not very plentiful. Plus, this is a "tourist" area, so that also adds to the price.

If you want to get an idea of what the prices are going to be in an area of the country you're going to, you may want to check out this site. Diesel Boss    Once the page opens, click on one of the Truck Stop logos at the top, and the current prices for fuel at all of their stations across the United States will come up.

Even if you don't buy fuel at one of the Truck Stops listed, you can still get an idea of what the cost will be in the state or area that you will be passing through.

Jim and Linda actually paid around 20 or 30 cents more per gallon than it would have been inland, but like I said, "along the coast" and "in a tourist area", so what you gonna do?

Since we've been here, Jim and Linda have gone to the post office and picked up their mail and have taken their prescriptions into Walgreen's to have them refilled. The prescriptions should be ready today, so if the weather clears a little this afternoon, they'll head back to pick them up.

It rained most of the day yesterday. Not hard, but just light rain most of the time.

What happens today will depend a lot on the weather. There are some things that Jim and Linda want to see and do, but if it's raining, I doubt if they'll go. The weather forecast for tomorrow and the next 5 days is much better, so I'm thinking we'll probably stay a few more days.

Did you know that on this date in 1941 - An organ was played at a baseball stadium for the first time in Chicago, IL?





Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Heading Further North

Crescent City, CA.

54 deg. overcast, N. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Overcast with rain showers. High of 55F. Breezy. Winds from the SW at 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100% with rainfall amounts near 0.3 in. possible.


I knew Jim and Linda were getting ready earlier than usual, but I didn't know why. It turns out that Jim had found out that there was a gas station just a few blocks from the Riverwalk RV Park in Fortuna that I could get into, and he wanted to buy a drink of #2 diesel fuel for me before we hit the road.

So, at about 9:40, we pulled out of the CG and headed over there.

I didn't realize just how thirsty I was, but come to think about it, the last time that Jim bought me a drink was way back on the 9th of April as we were leaving Bakersfield!!!! After filling my tank with about 75 gallons of the funny tasting #2 diesel that you get out here in Califorinia, at $4.69 a gallon, we got back on US 101 and continued heading North.

For the most part, the first section of 101 was 4 lane and in pretty good condition. It was after we got North of Trinidad that things started getting interesting. Up in that area, the road drops down to mostly 2 lane and it starts getting very curvy with some pretty steep hills. In fact, there were a couple places where we went from sea level to around 1500' and back down in just a few miles.,

And this was on a narrow section of 2 lane road with 30mph and 35mph curves!!!!!

Needless to say, we didn't make very good time. We traveled exactly 100 miles and with stopping to get my drink and drive up here, it took us almost exactly 3 hours!!!!

I am now parked in a site that is about 50 yards from the water at the Shoreline RV Park and Campground in Crescent City.

Here's a photo Jim took out of my windshield late yesterday after it started misting, so the quality isn't too good.

As you can see, Blain seems to be enjoying the view and I know that Linda is!!  ; )   The grass you see in front of me is actually on a berm that is about 4' tall, so the water looks like it's further away than it is.

This is a city owned park and it's another one of those parks that I call "rustic". There's no trees, the sites, for the most part are pretty long and fairly level. They are quite close together though, so if you were here when it's busy, it could feel crowded. Most of the sites have full hook-ups with 30 amp electric, and there are quite a few of them that have a view of the water.

Jim has paid for 3 nights here and I wouldn't be surprised if we stay longer. We were going to stay for about 3 nights at a park up in Oregon, (that Jim and Linda had stayed at before), that is right on the ocean, but a few days ago, Jim did some research and found out that they had raised their prices to $80 per night!!!!!

So, rather than pay that exorbitant fee, I'm pretty sure we'll stay here for 2 or 3 extra nights and just by-pass that park.

A Point to Ponder : Why doesn't a chicken egg teste like chicken?




Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Didn't Travel Far Yesterday

Fortuna, CA.

57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Fog early. High of 64F. Winds from the SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


We didn't have far to go yesterday morning, so I was kind of surprised when we left the CG in Garberville as early as we did. In fact, it was only 10:10 when we pulled out of the park, just 10 minutes after our usual departure time.

Once back on US 101 and heading North, I saw some of those huge Redwood trees that CLT had talked about. In fact, just North of the CG, there were some that were right on the edge of the road and I was glad that we didn't meet another large vehicle. 101 is quite hilly and curvy in this area, but is a 4 lane road most of the way, so it's pretty easy traveling on.

The drive was very scenic and by 11:15, we were pulling into the Riverwalk RV Park here in Fortuna. We only traveled 55 miles, but there was a reason for stopping here after just 1 hour and 5 minutes.  You see, from here North, much of 101 is 2 lane, twisty-turny road and the pace is sure to be very slow. Also, the next stop is way up by Klamath and Jim just didn't want to go that far on those kind of roads in one day. ; )

This is a very nice park, (it should be for $35 per night). : (  The lady in the office was very nice and helpful, all the roads and sites are paved, the sites are full hook-up with 50 amp electric, cable TV and free wi-fi, (that works very well). There's a picnic table at each site, there's lots of grass and trees, and except for the grass needing mowing, it's very well maintained. They have a well stocked camp store, a pool and a spa.

Jim took a few photos, so I though I'd post them here. This first one is of the sign out by the road.


The office.

View of a few of the sites

My site #7

You can't see him, but CLT is still hooked up behind me. The site was just long enough.

For dinner, Jim cooked some burgers on the grill. The evening was spent watching TV and getting caught up on blogs from the last 3 days.

A Point to Ponder : Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquest of it.









Monday, April 23, 2012

I Warned You

Fortuna, CA.  Posted Monday, 4-23-2012 Mid afternoon.

64 Deg. partly coudy, NW wind @ 6 mph.

Forecast tonight = Overcast with rain showers. Fog overnight. Low of 52F. Winds from the South at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


Well, I warned you that I may not have an Internet connection while out here along the California Coast, and sure enough, that's just what happened. I've kind of kept track of what happened and when it happened by writing it down on a word procesor, and so now, I'll try to copy and past it here.

Oh, and when I opened Blogger today, It informed me that it now had the "new and imporved look" and everything was going to be easier to use.

We'll see about that!!!! : (

Well, here goes. !!!

Saturday, 4-21-2012

Nice To Garberville

We left the Aurora RV Park in Nice  about and continued West on Rt 20. 20 West of Nice wasn’t nearly as hilly and curvy as it was to the East, but we still didn’t make very good time.

Once we got to US 101, we turned North and followed it up here to Garberville, and the Richardson Grove Campground and RV PK.

Oh, by the way, 101 wasn’t much better than 20 except some of it was 4 lane. That didn’t help too much though because there were still 30 and 35 mph curves along it, and there were some pretty steep climbs and descents.

Needless to say, we didn’t set any speed records and it was when we pulled up in front of the office at Richardson Grove, and we had only traveled 97 miles!!!! : (

This campground is “rustic”.  It’s pretty well maintained, but there are some things that could be done to make it better. The grass is mowed, but not under the picnic tables. The roads and sites are gravel, but with a little work, they could be smoother. I have a full hook-up site, but only 30 amp electric.  


But, the gal in the office is very nice and helpful and the whole staff will go out of their way to assist you.

Oh, and did I mention, it’s a Passport America Park, so I’m staying here for $16.50 per night?????   ; )   Or, that we’re in Redwood country and there’s huge Redwood trees all over this area???

Yeah, this park isn’t prefect, but then for $16.50, Jim and Linda didn’t expect it to be. We’re far enough away from any large cities and surrounded by mountains, so there’s no antenna TV, and as expected, there’s no AT&T service out here either.


Sunday, 4-21-2012

Garberville, CA.


Friday night, I heard Jim and Linda talking and they were saying that they were planning on going to see some Giants on Saturday, but that’s about all I could make out. I was wondering what kind of Giants they have here in this part of California, and I didn’t really find out until CLT brought them back here, Saturday afternoon!!!!

They left a little after 10:00 and CLT said that he took them North for a few miles on US 101 to near the town of Phillipsville, where they turned off of 101 and onto a road called “The Avenue Of The Giants”.  Just a little way down that road, they came to some signs telling them about the road and they even got a map.



 
CLT said that the road was awesome!!!  : O   It’s 31 miles long and it winds its way through many groves of Giant Redwood Trees. He said that sometimes the road was narrow and the giant trees were right at the edge of the pavement, making it necessary to hug the center line, so his right side mirror wouldn’t hit the tree as he drove by!!


Now, these Redwood trees are not to be confused with the Giant Sequoia trees that CLT took Jim and Linda to up in the mountains. These trees are not quite so big around, but are taller than the Sequoia trees. And for the most part, they are not as old either.

Jim took some photos, but because I don’t have an Internet signal here in Garberville, I don’t know if I’ll be able to post them or not. I’ll have to see how much time I have when we get someplace where I do have a signal, but I’ll try.


Being that the road was narrow and very hilly in places and it wound it’s way in between the trees, CLT said that it was slow going. Especially since Jim  pulled him off to the side of the road from time to time to stop and just admire these huge trees that were towering over them.

Oh, they also stopped at a little store along the road that had all kinds of Redwood gifts. Linda bought a few items, some of which will end up being presents. ; )  

Once to the North end of the Avenue Of The Giants, they brought US 101 back here to the park. It was almost by the time they returned.

The rest of the day was spent working on the computers, taking naps and reading.

Another great day and a very scenic road that both Jim and Linda highly recommend.

Sunday, nothing at all happened. Linda read quite a bit and worked on her crossword puzzle book. Jim worked on trip plans for the return trip back East and they both took cat-naps durning the day.

Did you know that the California redwood trees are among the largest living beings in existence, and one of the oldest to boot? They can reach heights of more than 350 feet, and some specimens have been alive since the days of the Roman Empire.


Friday, April 20, 2012

Doing Stuff, Groceries, Food, Weather and Heading Farther West

Nice, CA.

50 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 81F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 10 mph.


Not much happening. Linda has been doing some laundry the last few days, Jim has been out and about talking to whoever he could find to talk to, ; )  and in between, there's been naps, sitting and watching the fishermen on the lake, and kicking back.  : )  Then, yesterday, they headed to a Sentry Grocery Store that's about 2 miles from here to restock some of the food they've eaten since the last shopping trip.

You know, just doing stuff.

Wednesday evening, Jim cooked some burgers on the grill while Linda put together salads and a vegetable inside.  Then, last night, they both decided that they wanted breakfast for dinner, so they headed back to the Marine Grill and had eggs, sausage and potatoes.

The weather here has been just great. It gets down into the 50's at night and warms up into the 70's during the day, with a nice breeze blowing. And, for today, they're forecasting temps in the 80's!!!!

Today, we'll be leaving here and heading West to US 101. Once on 101, we'll head North, but for how far, is any one's guess. Jim has researched RV parks all along the route and when he or Linda decide they want to stop, we'll stop at the nearest CG that can accommodate me.

Ahhh!!!! This full-timing thing is really nice. ; )

Did you know that Clear Lake is believed to be one of the oldest lakes in North America, due to a geological fluke? The lake sits on a huge block of stone which slowly tilts in the northern direction at the same rate as the lake fills in with sediment, thus keeping the water at roughly the same depth. Core samples of the lake's sediments, taken by U.S. Geological Survey geologists in 1973 and 1980, indicate that the lake is at least 480,000 years old.

Oh, in case you don't hear from me for a couple days, don't worry. I understand that AT&T doesn't have many towers out along the coast, so unless I can get wi-fi at a CG I probably won't be able to post. : ( 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Wandering North And Then West To Another Great RV Park

Nice, CA.

42 deg. cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 72F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 15 mph.


Jim woke up earlier than usual yesterday morning, so instead of just sitting around, he woke up Linda and we left the Dos Reis Park at 10 minutes after nine, (almost an hour earlier than usual).

Once back on I-5, we continued heading in a northerly direction, through Stockton, Sacramento and up to exit 578 at Williams where we turned West on Rt 20.

Now, I'd like to make a comment about a comment I received yesterday from Paul and Marsha Weaver, I don't know about the condition of I-5 through the whole state of California, but the section that I was on, (exit 403 to exit 578), was in good condition with only a few rough spots. There were a few construction areas but nothing that even slowed down the flow of traffic.

Anyway, after turning off of I-5 onto Rt. 20, our average speed dropped considerably. You see, 20 is a 2 lane road that heads up into the mountains. As you might suspect, it's a twisty route that is very hilly with lots of sharp turns, so it was slow going! : (   It was about 50 miles from I-5 to Nice, CA and the Aurora RV Marina & Park and I'm not sure, but I think that section took us close to an hour and a half.

It was 1:35 when we pulled into the park, so it took us 4 hours and 25 minutes to travel 167 miles.

As we were pulling into the park, both Jim and Linda remarked that everything looked very familiar, and sure enough, I looked it up on the computer and they had been to this park before, back in November of 2003!!!!  In their comments about the park back then, they said how much they liked this park, and I can understand why.

As soon as I was parked in my site, Jim got out his camera and took some pictures. The first 3 photos below were taken out of my windshield just after we arrived here. It was kind of overcast and there were bugs on my windshield, so please excuse the quality, but I wanted to show you the view of Clear Lake that Jim and Linda have from inside of me. 

And, what a view it is!!!! ; )

View straight ahead.


View off to the right.

View to the left.

As you can see by the photo below, there's only a few trees on the shore of the lake, so the view is almost unobstructed.

Jim took this photo from near my site, looking across the lake.

Oh, as soon as Jim found out that we were going to get a site overlooking the lake, he payed for 3 nights, so we'll be here until Friday. : )

For dinner last night, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to a little restaurant in town called the Marina Grill, which the campground host said was a good place to eat. The restaurant is nothing special, but both the food and service were good. Jim said that he thinks it's one of those places where the "locals" go to eat. ; )

When they returned, they watched TV, played with the computers and read until bedtime.

Did you know that Clear Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake entirely in California, and has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake entirely in California?

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

More About The Dos Reis Park

Lathrop, CA.

54 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 73F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 15 mph.


While Linda was doing some laundry, Jim was out and about taking some photos and talking to some nice RVers who were staying here at the Dos Reis Regional Park. This 1st photo is what you see as you look off to the left as you enter the CG section. The 5th wheel that you see in the photo belongs to a full-timing couple who are heading up to the Escapees Park in Sutherlin, OR.  It's on a site that is probably one of the longest sites in the park.


This next photo was taken from my site looking towards the berm that separates the CG from the San Joaquin River. The berm is not really necessary right now, but during certain times of the year, it stops the CG from flooding.


This one is taken from the top of the berm. You can see the river on the left and the CG on the right.

This is taken from the top of the berm looking down on the CG. You can see a few of the back-in sites.

This is, of course of me in my site as seen from the top of the berm. Jim had to unhook CLT from the back of me because he was sticking out onto the road behind me.
This park gets pretty busy on the weekends, but during the week, there's always been sites available when Jim and Linda have been here.

Like I said, this is a neat little park that is far enough from the Interstate so you don't hear any traffic noise. It has a nice "feel" to it and if we're ever back in this area, I hope Jim and Linda bring me back here again.

Today, we'll leave here and continue heading towards Oregon. We'll continue NNW on I-5 for a ways and then head West, towards the coast. Jim's got another RV Park spotted  on the way out to the coast that looks really interesting.

If it's as nice as it sounds, we'll stay there for 2 or 3 nights.

Did you know that California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine each year?

Monday, April 16, 2012

Wandering Farther North

Lathrop, CA.

47 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 73F. Winds from the West at 5 to 15 mph.

Being that I didn't have a sewer hookup at my site on the river, (none of the sites right along the river have sewer hookup), we had to stop at the dump station on our way out of the park.  So, by the time Jim was done with that, it was about 10:25 before we pulled out.

From the park, we headed back to CA 99 and then headed NW on it for about 35 miles where we turned West on Rt. 152. 152 is a 4 lane road that took us over to I-5, where we turned Northwest again and headed up to Lathrop, which is just South of Stockton, CA.

Now, it would have been shorter to just stay on CA 99, but there are some very congested areas up in the Merced / Turlock / Modesto area and some of 99 up there is not Interstate type road. So , , , , Jim made the decision to take the longer route, rather than deal with all of that.

Anyway, once we got to Lathrop, we turned off on exit 463, followed some narrow local roads for a few miles and arrived here at the Dos Reis Regional Park, which is a San Joaquin County Park.

This is the park I mentioned yesterday. Jim and Linda found this park many years ago and have stopped here every time they've been in the area since then. It's a nice quiet park away from the city, it's well maintained, and the camp hosts have always been friendly and helpful. It is a small park though, and it's really not designed for a MH as large as I am. In fact, there's only 4 or 5 sites that I'd be able to get into, and the turns are really tight for me to get around.

I'm sure Jim will take some photos today, so I'll try to get some posted here tomorrow.

It was 1:35 when we pulled into the park so we had traveled 157 miles in about 3 hours and 10 minutes.

We'll be staying here for 2 nights. Nothing planned in the area, but Linda wants to catch up on some laundry and since I have full hook-ups here, (with 30 amp electric), it's a good place to do it.

Did you know that there are more than 300,000 tons of grapes grown in California annually?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Some Shopping and Getting Ready To Wander

Kingsburg, CA.

51 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 72F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the NNW in the afternoon.


Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda decided that it would be a good idea to go into town and buy some groceries, so about 10:30 they left here and headed out.

They found a Save Mart Supermarket and by about 12:30, they were back here putting the groceries away. : )

After the groceries were put away, both Jim and Linda took naps before starting to get me ready to travel. Jim went out and checked my fluid levels, tires and made sure everything in my basement compartments was stored properly, Linda started putting stuff away inside of me, did some organizing, and then read some and did some crossword puzzles.

For dinner, she heated up some roasted chicken that they had bought at the store and that, along with some potato salad and bread seemed to fill up their tanks. ; )

The water from the storm that was standing in the park is all gone. There were only a few small puddles yesterday morning and by noon it had all soaked into the sandy soil.

This morning we'll continue wandering. There's a park about 150 miles North of here that Jim and Linda have been to a couple of times before and I think that's where we'll be heading.

I hope we have an easy travel day.

Did you know that it was on this date in 1912 - The ocean liner Titanic sank at 2:27 a.m. in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening before? 1,517 people died and more than 700 people survived.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

A Little Rain

Kingsburg, CA.

46 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 61F. Winds from the NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


We had a little rain here in Kingsburg yesterday. : O   As you can see by the photo below, I was thinking that I was going to have to go swimming!!!! The way it was, I was standing in about 4" of water and it was still coming up as Jim took this photo!!!!


I really didn't have too much to worry about though because the water in the park, at that point, was starting to drain into the river which is about 5 or so feet below where I'm parked.

It was kind of weird feeling though, sitting right in the middle of that huge puddle.

It all started early in the morning. The rain wasn't too heavy until the afternoon, and then it came down in buckets!!!! It was coming down so hard that I couldn't see across the river and that's not very far.

I just checked Jim's rain gauge and there's 2 and 1/10 inches of water in it!!! And, that's just from yesterday. We had about 1 1/2 inch in the 2 days before that!!!!

The water in the CG is almost gone now. Just a few puddles standing here and there, so I'm not anticipating a problem when we go to leave here tomorrow.

Needless to say, Jim and Linda spent the whole day inside of me yesterday, just doing the normal things like reading, watching the TV, watching the weather on the computer, and taking naps when it wasn't storming.

Other than getting me ready to travel, I don't know of any special that's happening today. I'm sure Jim will be out and about some, he's been inside for almost 2 days now and I think he's getting cabin fever. ; )

Oh, one other thing about the rain. Just the rain that we had yesterday is more than this area usually gets in an entire month at this time of the year.

Very unusual.

Did you know that Kingsburg, CA. is the headquarters of Sun-Maid Growers of California, a producer of raisins and other dried fruits?

I heard it on the grape vine. ; )

Friday, April 13, 2012

Big Rigs

Kingsburg, CA.

47 deg. rain, SE wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain, then a chance of a thunderstorm and rain showers in the afternoon. High of 55F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 15 mph shifting to the NNW in the afternoon. Chance of rain 100% with rainfall amounts near 0.2 in. possible.


I've been sitting here thinking.  Yep, I know, it's dangerous when I start thinking, but I did it anyway. ; )

What I've been thinking about is "big rigs".  I'm wondering just what a "big rig" is?

To the guy in the little pop-up trailer, a 25' trailer or MH may seem like a big rig. The people in the 25' RV may think that a 30 or 35 foot RV is a big rig. And yes, the family in the 35' RV may think that the 40' MH parked next to them is a big rig.

Now, I'm 45' long and so I'm pretty sure that I'm considered a "big rig", but who decides what a "big rig" really is? The CG directories say which RV Park or CG is suitable for "big rigs", the web site that Jim uses to see reviews of parks specifies which parks "big rigs" can get into, but who decides, and what size RV is actually a "big rig"?

Now, I know I'm not alone trying to figure this out. In fact, I know of an instance where a lady called ahead to an RV park to find out if they could get in with their "big rig". When they got there, their MH was less than 35' in length and they were not pulling a toad!!

But, to her, their rig was a "big rig".

Now, the reason I started thinking about this is when it says in the CG directory or review that a park is OK for "big rigs", are they talking about the 35' MH, the 40' MH or me at 45'? Can I get into any park that says that it's "Big Rig" friendly?

I seriously doubt it.

So, what do you think? Is your 35' MH a "big rig? Or, how about you with your 35' 5th wheel pulled by a medium duty truck. Is your rig a "big rig"?

Inquiring minds want to know!!!!!  ; )

Did you know that the bark on a Sequoia tree can be as much as 31 inches thick?

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Kings Canyon / Sequoia N.P

Kingsburg, CA

46 deg. clear, SE wind @ 5 mph.


Forecast = Overcast with a chance of rain, then rain in the afternoon. High of 66F. Winds from the SSE at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.



It was about 9:45 when Jim and Linda drove CLT (Cute Little Truck), out of this park Tuesday morning and headed for the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. Jim had talked to the owner of this park and had asked him which was the best way to get there. He not only told Jim the best way, but drew him a map too.

That was sure nice of him. : )

The route from this park to the North Entrance of the N.P. was to leave the park on Rd 28. Take it to Rd 400. Turn Right on 400 and take it to Rd 120 and turn left. Follow 120 (which joined up with CA 63) until it comes to CA 180. Then, turn right on 180 and follow it right into the N.P.

On the way over there, they had to stop and buy CLT a drink of 87 octane because there are no gas stations inside the park. So, they stopped at Squaw Valley and filled him up.


Shortly after leaving Squaw Valley, they came upon a pull-off where Jim got out and took this photo.
They had already climbed to almost 3000' by this time, (the park here in Kingsburg is at about 300'), and were looking down on the valley.

CLT said that from that point on, he was never out of 3rd gear all the way up to the turn-off for the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, which is at 6589' !!!!

After Jim presented his "Old Foggy Card" , they were given a tag to put on CLT's windshield and proceeded into the park. The Ranger gave Jim a newspaper and a pamphlet that showed what attractions were in the park as well as a driving map.

The main reason for coming to this park was to see the giant redwood trees, so from the Visitor's Center, they drove about a mile to the General Grant Grove.

There are a whole bunch of the giant redwoods there and the parking lot was right in the middle of the grove. Linda said that no matter which way you looked, you were looking at some of the magnificent trees.

CLT said that Jim and Linda both got out and just stood and looked at the trees.

They're so big that it's almost impossible to describe the feeling you get when surrounded by these huge trees. It was such an emotional experience for Linda that at one point, she told Jim that she felt like crying.

The photo below may give you some idea of the size of these trees, but pictures don't really show it well. This is another one of those things that you just have to see for yourself to really appreciate it. (That's Jim standing in front of the trees).

After spending almost an hour looking at the trees, both Jim and Linda decided not to go any farther into the park. The Generals Highway is very long, twisty, hilly, and right now, is also under construction, with up to 2 hour delays.

What they really went there to see was the giant sequoias, they saw them, and that's what counts.

It was about 2:30 by the time they returned here to the park and they were both still talking about their experience.

As for CLT, he just wanted to rest. Going from about 300' to over 6500' and back down again almost did him in. ; )

Oh, when they returned Jim walked over by the river and took this photo. There was no wind and hardly a ripple on the water. I think it's kind of neat so I though I'd share it with you.

It rained all day here yesterday and at times it really rained hard. In fact as of last night, it rained over an inch and a half. (Jim had put his rain gauge out the night before).Being that it rained almost all day, about the only thing that happened was that Jim went up to the office and paid for 3 more nights.

All the weather forecasts are saying that it should clear up by Sunday.

Oh, one more thing. Jim talked to Jeff on the phone and it was decided that we would get to Portland on the 8th of May. We'll stay for 3 weeks and will leave on the 29th of May, the day after the Memorial Day Holiday. Because we're going to be there for 3 weeks and Jim wanted to make sure we had a site for that period of time, he has already called the park and made reservations for me.

So now, for only the second time on this trip, (The first one being the CG just outside of Death Valley), we're locked into a date. That's OK though. I would sure hate to get to Portland and then not have a place to stay.

Did you know that the General Sherman Sequoia Tree in Sequoia N.P is the earth's largest tree? It's estimated to be 2,200 years old, its largest branch is almost seven feet in diameter and every year it grows enough new wood to make a 60-foot-tall tree of usual proportions.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Club Royal Oak RV Resort

Kingsburg, CA.

53 deg. light rain, SE breeze at 2 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain, then a chance of a thunderstorm and rain showers in the afternoon. High of 63F. Winds from the SE at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.


I'm getting a late start this morning, so I'm going to just show you a few photos from the park here in Kingsburg.The photo below is of the sign you see as you come to the entrance.

After driving just a short way down the paved road, you see the office ahead. To the left of the office you can see the entrance, which is through the gate I told you about.

There is a call button next to the gate if there's no one to let you in, and once you register, you are given a card that us use to open the gate.

As you drive into the park, there are sites on both sides of the road. The sites on the left are the "river front" sites and that's where I'm parked. All the sites are on the grass and most appear to be fairly level.

Below, you see me in my site, (#12), and it is quite level and long enough for both me and CLT with room left over.


This photo shows how close I am to the river. The river is kind of low right now because they've not had much rain here. There are however people using kayaks on the river, so there's evidently enough water for that.

Being that I was able to pull in, Jim and Linda have a great view of the river, and especially, Linda, really enjoys that.

It's nice and peaceful here. Many of the sites are empty at this time of the year, but those sites will probably fill up when the weather gets warmer.

Jim and Linda did go into the Kings Canyon / Sequoia N.P. yesterday, but it's getting late and I'm starting to have trouble loading photos with this slow Internet connection, so I'll save that for tomorrow's post.

I'm pretty sure we're going to stay here awhile longer, so I should have time to get you caught up.

Did you know that on this date in 1921 Iowa became the first state to impose a cigarette tax?

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Not Far To Go, A Drink Of #2, and A Site With A View

Kingsburg, CA.

46 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy in the morning, then overcast with rain showers. High of 77F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.


I knew we didn't have far to go yesterday, so I wasn't surprised that we didn't leave the Bakersfield Palms RV Park until 10:15.

From the park, we headed to a Shell Truck Stop along  Rt. 58, that Jim and Linda had found, to get me a drink of #2 diesel fuel.  It had been awhile since I had a drink, so I was pretty thirsty, and at $4:13 per gallon, my bill was pretty high!! : (

From the Shell station, we continued West on Rt.58 for a few miles and then tuned North on Rt.99.  99 then brought us up here to Kingsburg and the Club Royal Oak RV Resort.

Even with stopping for my drink, it still only took us 2 hours and 15 minutes to travel the 99 miles up here. Not really too bad considering that there was a lot of traffic on 99 and the road itself was not in very good condition.

Oh, I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but in California, (at least on the roads that I've been on, including Interstates), if you're towing anything, the speed limit is 55mph. This includes all semi trucks, and all other vehicles who are towing.

Evidently they enforce the law because almost all of the trucks and vehicles pulling trailers are traveling right a that speed.

The Club Royal Oak RV Resort seems to be really nice. There's a fence that has one of those electric gates all around the property, and it seems like the park is pretty well maintained. As promised, I have a site right on the Kings River and have a great view of the water. Jim took a bunch of photos yesterday, but didn't get them downloaded to this computer yet, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try to get them loaded onto the blog.

The weather forecast for this week is not too good, so today, Jim and Linda are going to take CLT and head to the Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Park. The forecast is for rain coming in this afternoon, so I think they're going to try to head over there fairly early this morning.

Then, the forecast is for rain for the rest of the week, finally ending on Saturday. So,  ,  ,  ,  , even though Jim only paid for 3 nights here at the Royal Oak Park so far, he's now thinking that we may stay here until Saturday or Sunday.

A Point to Ponder : Experience tells you what to do - confidence allows you to do it.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Just About Ready and A Great Easter Dinner

Bakersfield, CA.

49 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 84F. Winds from the SW at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the WNW in the afternoon.


I'm just about ready to leave. We've been here for over a week now, and I'm ready to get back to some wandering. : )

The weather today is supposed to be really nice, but by Tuesday they're talking rain which is supposed to last all the way to the weekend. They're even forecasting snow at the higher elevations, and that's where it may cause some problems for Jim and Linda's plans.

Right now, we're in the San Joaquin Valley, and the next RV park is in the valley too. But, Jim and Linda want to go into the Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Park and the elevations there are well abovt the fore casted altitude where they're forecasting snow. : (    There is a chance, however, that tomorrow the rain may hold off until the late afternoon, so that may be an option.

This park was pretty empty in the short term section yesterday, but in the afternoon a few RV came in and another 3 or 4 in the evening. Still not full by any means.

Linda baked a ham in my convection oven yesterday. It sure did smell good and from the comments I heard, it tasted really good too. Of course, the cauliflower, scalloped potatoes and deviled eggs that Linda made to go with it, made it even better. : ) 

I hope all of you had a nice Easter too.

Did you know that on this date in 1953, the TV Guide was published for the first time?

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter, A Trip To Camping World and More Trip Planning

Bakersfield, CA.

52 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 84F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the WNW in the afternoon.

Happy Easter!!!! I hope all of you have a great day!!!

After Linda got up yesterday morning, Jim suggested that they head over to a Camping World store, not far from here. The main reason for going was to buy a new sewer hose connector to replace the one where one of the "ears" had broken off of awhile back. I also think he just  wanted to get out of here for awhile.

So, about 10:30 he and Linda took CLT and headed over there.

CLT said that it was about 11 miles over there, and it was a pretty nice drive because Jim had programed "least use of freeways" into Mabel , (their GPS unit) and she took them through a farming area on the way there and back.

Jim found what he was looking for, (and of course a few other items that he just couldn't live without), and by about 12:30 they were pulling up behind me in CLT's parking spot.

The rest of the day was spent working on the computers, watching TV, and trip planning.

Speaking of "trip planning", Jim has been working on finding suitable RV parks and Campgrounds for me to stay at on our way up to Portland. The plan is to head out to the Coast once we get North of San Francisco and then follow US 101 up into Oregon. There seems to be enough RV Parks that I can get into, but the spacing of the parks along the route leaves something to be desired.

Also, there's the question of Fuel Stops along the way. I'll have to get a drink somewhere along the coast, and if you look in the "Truck Stop Directory", that Jim has, there's not much along there. Many times there are regular stations that sell diesel fuel though and it will be just a matter of finding one that I can get in and out of.

Today, Linda is planning on cooking an Easter Dinner. She bought a ham the other day when they went to the grocery store, she's already made some deviled eggs, and is planning on having scalloped potatoes and a vegetable to go with it.

I really like it when she cooks a large meal like that, it makes me smell so good inside!!! : )

Did you know that the name Easter owes its origin from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes hare and egg?

Please have a safe Holiday.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Staying Here Until Monday and Plans For Next Week

Bakersfield, CA.

43 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 77F. Winds less than 5 mph.


This is probably going to be another short post. Nothing much happening around here to write about.

Jim went over to the office and paid for 3 more nights so that I can stay here until Monday. Jim and Linda learned a long time ago that it's usually not a good idea to be on the road on a Holiday weekend, so that's why we're staying here as long as we are.

Jim also called an RV Park about 100 miles North of here to make sure that they could accommodate me, and made arrangements to go there on Monday. The park sounds really nice and it's one of the parks I talked about that is right on a river. The lady that he talked to, assured him that she had a "riverfront" site available that I would fit on.

There's actually 2 reasons that Jim and Linda want to go to this park. The first one is, of course, is the attraction of having a site overlooking the river. The second reason being that this park is not far from the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, and they can use that RV park as a base to go into the N.P. to see the big Redwood trees. 

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  I'll be here until Monday. It'll be interesting to see of this RV Park will be busy or not for the Easter weekend. There's not many RVs in this short term section again this morning, and I'm beginning to think that this section of the park may be pretty empty on Sunday.

Did you know that when it comes to eating of chocolate bunnies, the ears are preferred to be eaten first by as many as 76% of people?

Friday, April 6, 2012

A Little Shopping, Empty Sites and RV Park Research

Bakersfield, CA.

39 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 64F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the NW in the afternoon.


Not much happening around here the last few days. Yesterday, Jim and Linda did hop into CLT and head to a Walgreen's Drug Store to pick up a few items and then head back to that Food Max Grocery store that they had gone to when we first got here, to buy a few things.

Other than that, not much else going on.

As you probably remember, I'm parked in the new section of RV sites here at the  Bakersfield Palms RV Park .  This section is for RVs that are staying for shorter periods of time. In fact, it is kind of interesting how it empties out every morning, and then almost completely fills up in the afternoon and evening.

Take Thursday for instance. By about 11:00 there were only 3 of us RVs here in this section, but by 8:00 pm, it was almost completely full. That has been the norm ever since we came here a week ago, but yesterday something changed.

Hardly any RVs came into the park!! I don't know if it's because of the upcoming Easter weekend, or if it's just a normal thing, but it sure seems strange to have so many sites empty this morning. All along, I was thinking that the Easter weekend would be busy, (like it is up and down the I-95 corridor on the East coast), and that's part of the reason we are staying here until Monday, but I may have been wrong.

It's going to be interesting to see how many RVs come into the park during the next few days.

Jim's been doing a lot of research of RV Parks along our planned route from here to Portland, OR., and he's found some that sound really interesting. There are a few that are supposed to have sites right along rivers and a few others that are supposed to have ocean views.

Now, if the weather only co-operates.

Did you know that The custom of giving eggs at Easter time has been traced back to Egyptians, Persians, Gauls, Greeks and Romans, to whom the egg was a symbol of life?

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

May Have Found The Problem

Bakersfield, CA.

55 deg. clear, NW wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 72F. Winds from the NW at 10 to 15 mph.


About 10:00 yesterday morning, Jim raised my front end with my leveling jacks so that he could get under me to check out my electric steps. Once under me, he started by checking wire connections, and one of the first ones he checked, he found a corroded pin in the connector.

After checking other connections, and cleaning the corroded one with contact cleaner, he put it back together. When he came out from under me, he opened and closed my door a bunch of times, and the steps worked every time.

I think he may have found the problem! ; )

As long as the front of me was raised up, he decided to lube all the pivot points on the steps right away too. It had been quite awhile since that had been done.

After finishing with the steps, he opened my generator compartment and checked the fluid levels on the generator. Then, as long as he was at it, he checked my engine levels too.

The rest of the day was spent just doing "stuff". You know, doing laundry, reading, playing with the computers, taking naps and taking a walk around the park.

Did you know that in Los Angeles it's against the law to lick a toad?

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Don't Know What To Write About

Bakersfield, CA

48 deg/ clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 77F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the NW in the afternoon.


Today is one of those days when I really don't know what I'm going to write about. Probably, I should just skip posting, but if things happen as in the past, as I start writing, things just come to mind.

Jim didn't sleep well Sunday night, so he was tired all day yesterday, that is until he took an almost 2 hour nap. : ) After that it seemed like he was doing better cause he went outside for awhile.

Maybe it's because we're in the "city", but for the most part, the people who are here don't seem to be real friendly. Oh, they'll say "Hi" or wave when Jim says something or waves to them, but most of them seem to be on their guard.

I've noticed this before, when we're close or in a highly populated area. : (

My steps didn't get checked out yesterday, but Jim seems to be determined to check them out today. He'll need to raise my front end a little with my jacks so that he can get under me better to see. Hopefully he'll be able to find the problem and won't have to call the repair guy.

CLT took Jim and Linda to a Denny's restaurant near here last night for dinner. Jim had the pot roast and wasn't very impressed. He said that it was OK, but not the best he's had. Linda had the chicken fried steak and said it was good.

After they came back here, they watched TV until the early (10:00 pm), news was over, and then went to bed.

Oh, Jim did work on the trip plan from here to Oregon. He's now working on an alternative route that we could take if the weather doesn't co-operate out on the coast.

I guess that's about it for today. Maybe I'll have something more interesting to write about tomorrow morning. ; )

A Point to Ponder : Goals are dreams with deadlines.

Monday, April 2, 2012

More Trip Plans and Steps Working Now?

Bakersfield, CA.

46 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecasts = Clear. High of 68F. Winds less than 5 mph.


Jim has been refining our trip plan from here up to Portland, Oregon to see Jeff and Heather. (Jeff is Jim's son). 

As you can imagine, seeing Jeff and Heather is the main reason for this whole trip.  The last time Jim and Linda have seen them was when they were out here way back in 2008 and both agree that it's been way too long!!!!!

The trip plan right now, shows us heading North from here, then somewhere North of San Francisco, heading West over to US 101. Then, following it North up through the Northern part of California, into Oregon and all the way up to Astoria, where we'll turn East and head to Portland.

Now, that's the way Jim and Linda would like to go. That doesn't mean that that's the way we will go. A lot will depend on the weather along the coast. In 2008, they were going to come South on 101, but the weather was so bad out there, that they ended up heading inland to I-5, and heading South on it.

The weather right now is not too good out there, but the hope is that by the time we get up there, it will improve. We're actually too early in the year though, so it's hard to tell what it'll be like. : (

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I've never been out there along the coast and I hear it's beautiful, so I'd really like to go.

Jim watched the NASCAR race on TV yesterday. I think he enjoyed the race, but was kind of disappointed in how the last few laps turned out. : ( 

Then, when it was over, he took a nap.  ; )

Oh, I don't think I told you, my electric steps started working again!! There's evidently a bad connection or something and today, Jim's going to try to find out what the problem is. If he can't find out what's wrong, he got a recommendation for a mobile RV repair service from the gal up at the office, and will call them to see if they can come here to the park to find the problem and repair it.

On another note. I received a comment the other day that the park looks empty. Well, lots of people stop here for the night. That photo was taken in early afternoon and the overnighters hadn't come in yet. Usually this part of the park is about 1/2 to 3/4 full by the end of the day, but then clears out in the morning again.

Did you know that Bakersfield is one of the cities with the most number of clear days in the U.S. (averaging 191 days a year)?

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Grocery Shopping and Some Rain In Sunny California

Bakersfield, CA.

47 deg. scattered clouds, W. wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast =  Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 63F. Winds from the NW at 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


Although they were forecasting rain for yesterday, most of the day was just great. The rain didn't move in until the evening, and then it got really nasty with rain and strong winds with gusts around 40 mph. : (

Being that it was so nice earlier, Jim and Linda decided that it was time to find a grocery store and buy some groceries. It had been a long time since they had done any major grocery shopping, so I knew that whey they returned, they'd have lots of stuff.

And, I was right!! Bag after bag after bag!!!!  : (

But, in a short time, they had it all put away, and were relaxing.  : )

Oh, Jim also took some photos of the Park yesterday. I've got a few more than I've posted here today, and I'll post some more of them here soon.

This first one is of the sign you see as you approach the park. If you look closely, you can even see CLT and me.

This next one is of the area where you park as you come into the park and the office.

This is the new area of the park where I'm located. All the sites are pull-through and it's intended for RVs that are staying for a short time, (Less than a month).

This photo, taken from the rear of my site, shows the cement pad I'm parked on, the utility hookups, and the patio area of the site next to me, which is the same as mine.
Like I said yesterday, this is a nice park, however it does have some drawbacks. Probably the one thing that would bother the most folks is that about a block off to my left, there's a railroad track and there are lots of trains running on it. They almost never blow their horns though, but you do hear the trains as they rumble past.

Don't know of any plans today. Jim wants to watch the NASCAR race on TV, but being that we're 3 hours behind the east coast, where the race is being held, the race stuff starts here at 9:30 AM and by 2:00 PM it'll probably be over already.

That's OK though. That way Jim can get his nap this afternoon. ; )

A Point to Ponder : The most important thing about goal is having one.