September 15 - Days 93 -95 - Las Vegas

Monday was a day for viewing our surroundings - PLUSH! and catching up as I said. Then, we headed off to tour "The Strip." We did the mandatory "drive through" and noted vast number of magnificent casino/hotels. Wow! Has Las Vegas changed since I was last here!

With time running short, we stopped at the Luxor for a tour of the casino and facilities - quite something to say the least.

We decided to have a drink in one of the lobby bars thinking Las Vegas drinks would be "cheap" - wrong, they are only cheap if you are gambling, and then the cheapness is only illusory, if you catch my drift. Since we aren't gambling, a Vodka Tonic and a Miller Lite cost a cool $16 with tip! We left for a more affordable location, and found a local pub to finish our happy hour. Back at the coach, we had dinner and watched Monday Night Football - until I fell asleep that is.

Tuesday the two fellows arrived right on time to wash the coach, and since I had not been able to wash the motorcycle, and the "el cheapo" car wash did a lousy job of cleaning the car, I talked them into washing the coach, including the roof, car and bike for $90 - a deal to say the least. With a $15 tip, all the toys are now sparkling!

Then it was off to take a walking tour of "The Strip". We started with lunch at the Harley Davidson Cafe, where we ate next to a 1926 Harley. Lunch was fine, and it gave us a 10% discount on a Las Vegas Harley Davidson shirt!

Next we hit Paris, a grand casino/hotel to be sure. the enclosed shopping mall resembles a French street scene. Next, it was across the street to Bellagio, another grand casino/hotel. From there it was over the sky ramp to Caesars Palace, a grand spot as well. From there we crossed Las Vegas Blvd. to Planet Hollywood, not as grand, but it has a great shopping mall.Then on to the Flamingo, an older hotel/casino, and it shows.
One thing all have in common are the massive and ubiquitous casinos with electronic slots everywhere! From 1 cent to many dollars - choose your poison. Then there are the tables with blackjack, Texas holdem, poker, craps, roulette, sports betting, you name it and they have it!

Thoroughly walked out, we headed back to the Harley Davidson garage and headed back to the coach. We will complete the tour of other fine casino/hotels tomorrow! Now it is time for happy hour - at Applebee's, where else!

Wednesday, I took the bike for a short ride into the Las Vegas hills - beautiful. Then we headed back onto the strip for some additional touring. We had lunch at Tropical Island at Kahunaville and then toured the casinos. Quite frankly, they are all the same, so we decided to terminate our casino tour and find a Costco to do some shopping and head home. Unless you gamble, the casinos don't have much allure.

We found a Costco in Summerlin, a very upscale residential area, and got our supplies. Then it was back to the coach. From there we headed to - where else - Applebee's! Suzanne made the choice since it is her birthday. We had been there before and met a great bartender - Val. Drinks, conversation and dinner and it was back to the coach to get set for departure in the morning. We are going first to the Freightliner shop for an assessment of the overheating problem and then it is off to Utah to visit Zion and Bryce National Parks over the next four days. I will post photos and commentary. Until then, Cheers!

John, Suz and Dixie the Wonderdog

September 12 - Days 89 - 92 - Yosemite

We left Petaluma at 9:00 am on our way to Yosemite. Specifically, Indian Flat RV Park just outside the entrance to the park. From 101 we turned onto I 580 East and passed through Berkley and Oakland. From there we headed South on US 99, the original North-South highway on the West coast, toward Bakersfield. At Merced, we headed East on Cal 140 into the Sierra Madre mountains – and mountains they are.There is one section that was made impassable by a massive rock slide, so it is one land with a stop light at each end of the detour and a very temporary bridge.

The two lane road is deceptive in the extent of elevation change, about 30 miles outside Merced; we are merrily rolling along at about 55 mph when the engine temperature warning alarm went off. We pulled off the road and let the engine cool, then resumed, keeping our speed down. Nonetheless, after another few miles, the alarm sounded again, and again we pulled off.

This time, I was on the phone to Cummins and was told not to drive because my coolant was probably low – get more coolant (Fleetguard, which I don’t have, but soon will have!). The question is where? I checked the coolant WITHOUT TAKING THE CAP OFF, and couldn’t tell whether I was low or not.

So I called CoachNet for roadside assistance. They told me that since it was an engine issue, they couldn’t help since they had been instructed by Freightliner that they, Freightliner, would have to take care of any such issues during the warranty period. Sooooooo, they put me on to Freightliner.

There, a tech went through the issue with me and we discovered the problem. I had been given the impression by a Cummins rep at the rally in Harrisburg that overheating should be dealt with by keeping the RPMs and speed down. Wrong! The tech told me to do just the opposite, get the RPMs up over 2,000 and keep the speed up to force more air through the radiator.

With that information in hand, and an hour sitting by the roadside fretting, we started up and finished the last 25 miles to the RV park without further incident. We arrived at 4:00 pm. Lesson well learned. I will listen more intently at seminars too!

Once parked at the RV park, and engine cool, I took the cap off the reservoir and lo-and-behold, a full level of coolant. Glad CoachNet didn’t send roadside assistance!

Set up at the RV park, which is a virtual dust bowl, we learned that they did not have WiFi, nor was there any cellular reception – not Verizon or AT&T. Dilemma indeed since Friday is a work day for me! They did say that the hotel 7 miles up the road had WiFi for $9 per day, and that Verizon worked there. So, after dinner it was off to bed at 6:30 local time so I could get up at 1:30 to drive to the hotel parking lot to try connecting to Verizon. Arriving, the hotel manager was just locking up the lobby, but said I was free to sit on a bench outside, which I did.

I then proceeded to try to connect to Verizon for and hour and a half, no luck. But I could get voice, so I called Verizon and we went round and round several times about the problem – to no avail. About that time, I got the night manager, who agreed to sell me a one day subscription to their WiFi, but I would have to work on the outside bench. An hour of so later, he took pity on my and asked if I would like to sit in the lobby, which I did since I my cold fingers would no longer function on the keyboard! My work finished at 4:45 am, it was back to the coach for some much needed rest.

When we got up and got going, around 10:00, it was off to see the wonders of Yosemite Park, and wonders they are. Highway 140 to the park is a virtually a constant upgrade, in some places 8 degrees, with the Merced River running alongside. It is a beautiful emerald green river with huge boulders filling its bed. Entering the park, the first thing you see is a rather broad valley with huge vertical cliffs rising on both sides. The largest and most impressive is El Capitan, famous as a place were VERY experienced rock climbers enjoy their sport.

But there are many equally impressive rock faces dotting both sides of the valley. And the views were being enjoyed by an incredible number of people for the Friday following the Labor Day weekend. All the parking lots were full of cars. We took in all the sights, including Bridle Veil Falls. We even saw a Coyote, which made Suzanne happy – she wanted to take it home, but I told her it would eat Dixie.

Returning to the coach, we had a late lunch and I tried (at the hotel again) to connect to Verizon. But no luck. I couldn’t even make voice calls this time! It seems that the cellular service is provided by Golden State Cellular, and my Verizon number was not “authorized” for data OR voice. How I got through on voice calls at 3:00 am I’ll never know. But you can bet Verizon will hear of it (they subsequently did and I got a 10% discount for six months on my bill!)

Later in the afternoon, I went back to the hotel to use some of my 24 hours of WiFi time getting it on with Verizon, gathering news for Monday’s publication and putting material on the Web for the Blog. Then it is into the local pub for a much needed happy hour with out new found friend, bar tender Dean Seal, a local with Navajo blood and a degree from Berkley and no desire to live anywhere else by El Portal in the Merced valley!

Saturday was a day to rest. We did some stuff around the coach and got it ready for an early departure. I went down to the river and spent some time remembering the good times on similar rivers during my youth. I was tempted to try a little fly fishing, but without a license, I thought better of it!

We had intended to head over to Las Vegas via the mountain route - up over Cal 120 and the Tioga Pass, approximately 9200 feet. Suzanne had other ideas - NO MORE MOUNTAINS!

So instead, at 8:00 am Sunday morning we headed back down Cal 140 to Merced, then South on 99 to Bakersfield. We had intended to spend the night in Bakerfield, then travel to Las Vegas on Monday. However, we arrived in Bakersfield at 12:30 and decided that we would just continue on to Las Vegas instead, since we had been told that it was only about a three hour drive through the sometimes scenic scenic Mojave Desert - NOT!

Out of Bakersfield we headed on Cal 58 West. The first obstacle was a climb back over the Sierra mountains - a long continuous climb to about 3,000 feet in above 90 degree temperatures. Of course, the coach had heating problems again and we had to pull over three times. I tried a number of strategies to overcome the problem - fast, slower, higher RPM, etc., none were too successful. Once over the top, I thought we were on our way - until we got to Barstow and turned North on US 15.

Then came the next fun experience. About 88 miles outside Las Vegas there is a climb from Baker California know as the Baker Grade. This is a doozie. You climb from 950 feet at Baker to over 3000 feet at the first summit, then drop down to 2000 feet for 10 miles or so, then climb to 4730 feet before dropping down into Las Vegas. The total distance traveled is around 35 miles, 25 of it a 2 to 4% upgrade. We had to stop two times on the first leg, and hoped for more success on the second.

For the second uphill, I decided to just take our time and try another strategy. I shifted down to 3rd gear and set the cruise at 38 mph at 2300 RPM - Voila! We only had to make one stop. Once at the top, we headed onto US 15 North and into Las Vegas with no further problems.

We arrived at the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort around 6:00 pm - more than a little worn out. The entire trip had been over 500 miles, much more than we had been told it would be. But at the same time, I gave thanks that we did not try Tioga Pass on Cal 120. The uphill climbs there are even tougher - we could still be there!

Oh well, we are here now, settled in and we have cellular service, great cable TV and the satellite works too! The resort is among the nicest we have ever stayed at - comparable to Lake Toxaway in North Carolina and Blue Water Key just outside Key West.

Monday morning was spent, cleaning up a lot of odds and ends. the mail. arrived from St. Brendan's Isle and there were a number of matters that required attention. I also called Freightliner and arranged to have the coach examined on Thursday. The tech and agreed that the heating issue is not normal, given what we are carrying and what we are towing. We think it might be either the clutch on the auxiliary fan or a bad thermostat, or both. We will find out!

I also arranged to have the Yosemite dust washed off the coach tomorrow morning. Now it is off to the car wash to get the toad cleaned up. Then it is off to the car wash to get the motorcycle cleaned up. After that, Suz and I will begin our tour of Las Vegas! I will post photos and commentary later on that. Until then, Cheers!

John, Suz and Dixie the Wonderdog

September 8 - Days 86 - 88 - Petaluma/San Francisco

The trip to San Francisco from Crescent City down highway 101, some 354 miles long. We left the campground at 8:00, heading down highway 199 through the redwoods to highway 101. From there, at least half the trip was two lane and twisty, the other half was off and on 4-lane highway. It was an arduous trip to say the least. One of the two lane stretches passed through Willits, CA, where there are three non-synchronized traffic lights. As you can imagine on a Labor Day Monday, the traffic was backed up at a 5 mph crawl on highway 101 for at least 10 miles by late in the afternoon.

After Willits, the progress was a bit faster. We arrived in Petaluma, 35 miles shy of San Francisco, around 3:30 and got set up in the San Francisco North/Petaluma KOA. A nice park with lots of stuff for kids - of which there were many. Our next stop was the local Applebee's for a light dinner and happy hour - both much needed! Returning to the coach, we lit a fire in the adjacent fire pit and enjoyed the Boise State - Virginia Tech football game on the outside TV.

Tuesday, we decided was the day to see San Francisco. We left the coach around 10:00 and headed down 101. It is 35 miles to San Francisco, and the sun was shining with temperature around 78. As we approached San Francisco, we could see the fog building. By the time we got to the Golden Gate Bridge, you couldn't see the top of the bridge and the temperature had dropped to 53.

Our first tour took us through the Presidio. A beautiful enclave on the North shore of San Francisco. We then passed through the Marian district where you get a great view of Alcatraz. Next was Fisherman's Wharf, where we had lunch at Aligoto's, the oldest restaurant on the wharf, and where I had eaten with my parents some 51 years ago.

The lunch was great and the view was magnificent. We watched a sea lion catch and eat several fish in the harbor. After lunch, we headed up to Lombard Street, the twistiest street in America I am sure. We did the mandatory drive down the hill amidst numerous other tourist taking photos. Then it was up and down the hills observing the various cable car runs. I showed Suzanne the high end Mark Hopkins Hotel "Top of the Mark," and the magnificent cathedral on the top of the hill.

With the fog not improving, we headed back to Petaluma around 2:30, stopping along the way at the Costco in Novato. Suzanne asked why most of the towns had Spanish names? I reminded her that California, and most of the U.S. Southwest was originally Spanish (Mexican) territory, and was taken over by the U.S. through conquest.

Wednesday, the day before departure for Yosemite, is the day for preparation and cleaning up bills, laundry, etc. I also have to wash the front of the coach. Then it is off to Safeway for groceries. Back from that, we finished the prep work and headed for Applebee's for happy hour. Now home, we will have a few oysters and some shrimp from Coos Bay, then a couple of frozen pizzas from Costco, watch some baseball and hit the rack. I expect we will be on the road by 9:00 tomorrow, and be in Yosemite by 2:00 or so. Until then, Cheers!

John, Suz and Dixie the Wonderdog

September 5 - Days 82 - 85 - Crescent City

We departed Coos Bay around 9:00 on Friday, September 3, heading down highway 101. We got to 101 by going into Coos Bay, a bit of a detour, but one that avoided either Libby Lane and Shinglehouse Road, or the equally twisty alternative of Seven Devils Road.

The trip down 101 is slower than I 5, but it is so much more enjoyable. The road winds its way down the Oregon and California coasts and passes through numerous small towns and villages. First was Bandon, where golfers will know the famous Bandon Dunes golf course is located. If I had realized I was this close, I would have visited the course - it is magnificent. We stopped for a rest and some photos further on at Port Orford, Oregon. Suzanne was totally enthralled by the "huge rocks" in the ocean.

Passing through Gold Beach and Brookings, we wound our way down the coast with breathtaking scenery at every turn. Then it was into California and our destination for the next three nights - Hiouchi Hamlet RV Park. Hiouchi is just outside Crescent City on the edge of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Jedediah Smith is one of a chain of state and national parks where redwoods are protected that extend down the California coast for 40 to 50 miles. The protected land is being added to over time as more land owners donate their redwood forests to the preserve and more land is purchased by various foundations.

To get to Hiouchi, one has to travel inland 9 or 10 miles on either highway 197 or 199, and you guessed it, the roads are twisty - fun for a motorcycle, but not so much fun for a motorhome. The RV park is nice, bit a bit barren for being in the midst of the magnificent redwoods. We got set up and took a tour of the local area. Crescent City is not much. There is fishing, surfing, logging, and alternative lifestyle types by the score. The folks here take pride in distinguishing themselves as part of the "Jefferson Republic" of Northern California and different from the Californians to the South. There are very few restaurants in town, so we headed back to the coach for the old standby - Bubba Burgers!

Saturday morning, I was up early in order to hit the road on the bike, but the fog was in so I had to loaf for awhile. Oh well, loafing is good too! With the fog gone, I hopped on the bike and headed further inland on highway 199 (the route to Grant's Pass, Oregon). After 15 miles or so, I retraced my steps heading into Crescent City through the magnificent redwoods. Unfortunately, Crescent City was still enshrouded in fog, and was COLD, so I headed back to the coach on highway 197. At the coach, the sun was shining and Suz was up and around. Before heading out for a tour of the redwoods, Suz and I had lunch (Coos Bay crab meat sandwiches!). then I cleaned the front of the coach - again!

Our tour of old growth redwoods took us inland on highway 199 then onto the Douglas Hill/ Howland Hill Road and through the most pristine part of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Here one sees old growth redwoods that are hundreds of years old and stand more than 300 feet tall. They are truly awe inspiring. Within the park is the Stout Grove, probably the best preserved stand of old growth redwoods in the world. More information and a closer look is available at http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Jed%20Smith/Stout%20Grove.html.

We took a walk through Stout Grove and were enthralled to say the least. It is simply magnificent with its majestic redwoods and ground cover of waist-high sword ferns. Everyone must see this wonderful place. The road through the park is not paved and is NARROW. The dust is pretty bad, but the experience is well worth the trip.

Exiting the forest at Crescent City, we headed South along highway 101 to visit the "Tour-Through Tree" in Klamath, a redwood carved to allow cars to pass through its trunk. It's a tourist trap I know, but .... However, while we fell for the Tour-Through Tree, we passed up the "Trees of Mystery" attraction with its gondola ride through the redwoods. Back in Crescent City, we stopped at a local watering hole for happy hour, then headed back to the coach for a couple of filets. Life is good!

This morning was the time to get caught up on email, take care of bills, and generally put the house in order for our departure tomorrow. Around noon I hopped on the bike for a last ride through the redwoods. The twisty roads are great, and the scenery can't be beat.

The Smith River runs through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park and is a beautiful emerald green. I can't help but imagine how it would be to fish this river! But, maybe next time. One thing for sure, we will stay in nice places a lot longer next time than we are this time.

Now its time to head into Crescent City for our last happy hour. Then, tomorrow, it is off to San Francisco! Until then, Cheers!

John, Suz and Dixie the Wonderdog

September 2 - Days 80 and 81 - Coos Bay

Wednesday arrived to a rainy morning, but the promise of a sunny afternoon. I took the opportunity to tour Coos Bay and North Bend and to acquaint myself with the local roads and the location of the local Walmart Super Center and to fill the car with gas - learning in the process that it is illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon. Returning to the coach, Suz and I headed back to Walmart to replenish supplies. We then took a tour of Coos Bay and North Bend as the rain slowly subsided.

We then headed back to Charleston and out Cape Arago Highway to the state parks area. There we found beautiful sandy beaches at Sunset Bay, a beautiful view of the Cape Arago Lighthouse and hundreds of sea lions, harbor seals, elephant seals and other varieties on the rocks at Simpson Reef (much better view with our binoculars!).

Back at the coach, the rain had stopped and the clouds were parting. As happy hour neared, we headed back to Charleston and the Portside for their wonderful calamari and nicely priced drinks. To my surprise, Suzanne suggested that we go blackberry picking on Thursday - something she had never experienced. Being an avid blackberry lover, I quickly agreed!

As we enjoyed the view at the Portside, the fog started to roll in and by the time we left, it was hard to see the road back to the coach (because of the fog!). Once there, we enjoyed ice cream and, what else, blackberries!

Thursday arrived to beautiful sunny skies and comfortable temperatures. While Suz snoozed, I cleaned outside of the coach and checked out where we might find blackberry patches. Around 10:30 we headed South on Seven Devils Road, where I had been told blackberry patches were to be found. The road is an excellent motorcycle road with twists and turns in the extreme - and there were blackberry patches!

With bowls full of blackberries, and Suzanne having learned that blackberry vines have VERY sharp thorns, we headed back to Charleston and lunch at the High Tide Cafe. It was low tide and out on the flats, people were clamming while we ate. We next crossed the street to Chucks Seafood to buy some local fare. What a wonderful store. They have everything that is locally caught, from tuna to clams. We bought a range of products, including fresh shrimp, a pint of raw oysters, and canned smoked salmon, smoked tuna, Dungeness crab, shrimp and smoked oysters. We will feast for weeks!

Later at the coach, we started our happy hour with raw oysters and shrimp, then we headed back to the Portside for calamari and drinks - so much for dinner! What a wonderful day! Tomorrow we head down the coast to Crescent City, California to see the marvelous Redwood forests. Until then, Cheers!

John, Suz and Dixie the Wonderdog