Mammoth, McGee & Convict Lake, CA - Oct. 9-12, 2014

More photos here!

Many experiences are worth repeating on this trip (luckily!) and the Westin in Mammoth was certainly one of them.  As we were celebrating our 14^th wedding anniversary, we treated ourselves to two nights in a Heavenly Bed and dinner out at The Tamarack Lodge.  Both proved to be as exceptional as our first experience of them. 

These two nights involved a lot of sitting in a Jacuzzi, gorging on NY style bagels from The Old New York Deli & Bagel Company and dogs sleeping on their own Heavenly Dog Beds.  But we did do one hike:  Up from Horseshoe Lake (half dry) to Mammoth Pass (not as scenic as you might imagine) and over to Lake McCleod (gorgeous.)  A short hike day, but enough exercise to completely enjoy an entire bottle of wine during dinner! 

Having eaten fresh-caught trout every night since we arrived in the valley, we ignored all the fish options on the Tamarack Lodge menu and opted for Venison Osso Buco and Angus Ribeye.  Delicious.  And prepared by someone else.  And cleaned up by someone else.  (And, let’s face it, killed by someone else.)  A perfect treat.

                                                                      

But soon enough we were ready to hit the open road; we hitched up Salt (the Westin graciously allowed us to park her in front of their hotel in the Valet Only area) and drove a whopping 20 miles back south on 395 to McGee Creek.

The USFS McGee Creek Campground is lovely, each pitch with a built in shade shelter and asphalt pitches!!  Yahoo!  I forgot the thrill (and cleanliness) of having Salt perched on asphalt rather than dirt.  The creek behind the campground is a lovely fishing area (even better than Rock Creek in my opinion) with a lot of pools and, now, a few less fish (Alan, of course, caught dinner each night.)

We hiked up McGee Creek Trail which was enjoyable for its incredibly colorful mountains (rivaling those found in the Artists Palette in Death Valley) as well as the fall leaves.  Sadly, the trail did not follow along the creek as we had hoped and it was terribly hot.  So we kept it a short two miles in and out.

The next day we upped the ante heading up Convict Lake Trail and attempted to make it to Mildred Lake.  After about four miles of a gentle but constant climb and a half mile of scrambling straight up over rocks, we threw in the towel.  No Mildred Lake for us.  The best views on this hike are about one mile passed the trailhead at the back of Convict Lake.  So stop there if you are after a scenic hike and not a strenuous one.  We figured our total hiking mileage to be over eight miles that day.  Rosco did about half of that (which is great for him.)

Next stop is the June Lake area; despite having been up and down Highway 395 numerous times in our past, we have never even driven the June Lake Loop.  Here goes!

-K

Return to Rock Creek (Owen's Valley, CA)

More pictures here!

I was going to label this, “Return to Paradise” but realized I have to leave that title open in case we ever get back to the French Alps.  Back in 2011, Owen’s Valley in California and specifically the Rock Creek area was our definition of paradise. Revisiting a dreamland is not always the best idea so it was with some trepidation that we aimed The Shaker (replaced Pepper in 2013) west, three years (and, as some of you who have been reading along know, a lot of experience) later. 

There are plenty of differences between this trip and the last, the largest being that now we are on vacation and in 2011 we were beginning a life on the road.  What remains the same is the beauty of the Eastern Sierras, near empty campgrounds and lots of off leash hiking—or riding in a backpack as is Rosco’s version (he is now 13 and can’t keep up all the time.)

This year, the weather is warm (started in the upper 80’s but has dropped to a comfortable upper 70’s now) with no rain or snow in sight; a big difference from three years ago when a snow storm in October chased many people out of the valley and closed most campgrounds.  Unfortunately, due to the almost chronic draught of California, many streams are barely flowing and, much to our dismay, some alpine lakes have dried up.  (Not what you want to see after hiking uphill for two miles—more on that later.)

We were anxious to get to our first hike; up Onion Valley, a spot missed back in 2011.  We opted to stay two nights at Upper Gray’s Meadow campground, in the same pitch as three years ago.  We arrived nice and early at the trailhead and started the relentless uphill climb toward Lake Gilbert.   While you hike the well maintained trail, the sun shines almost continuously on you and the scenery is not great:   The trail winds up the hill, your only view being back down to your increasingly smaller car in the parking area.   But make yourself continue past the small backwater known as Pothole Lake and you will reach Lake Gilbert, a gorgeous alpine lake full of trout.  We fished, and Alan caught his usual two fish. 

That hike not being as wonderful as we remembered for the area, we opted to leave after two nights and head to French Camp at Rock Creek.  We have fond memories of staying in a rare full hook-up site there and drove in hoping against hope that it would be available (this particular pitch is not reserve-able.)   Indeed, there is one full hook-up site (not the same one as years ago, this time number 62 ½) but it was taken.  We opted for the lovely pitch #65, dropped Salt, then hustled over to the creek where Alan caught two Rainbows before we lit a campfire and settled in for two nights.

In 2011, one of our greatest joys was hiking to the Little Lakes region of Rock Creek.  Hoping that was still as gorgeous as ever, we opted to leave that location for a day and try a new hike up the valley to Kenneth- and Dorothy Lake.  It was at Kenneth Lake, after hiking uphill in the hot sun for two miles that we discovered the depth of the California draught; Kenneth was bone dry.  Sharing our water with The Noses, we continued on to Dorothy Lake where we happily discovered the lake half full.  We enjoyed a lovely lunch but did not fish as we figured any fish left in that lake should be left for the few water fowl diving around.  Rosco was having a hard time on the way back (after three miles) so we put all Alan’s gear into my backpack and Rosco into Alan’s and set off back down.  (Rosco was quite content to bob around behind Alan; his eyes halfway closed the entire time.)

And so the day came:  To relive the Little Lakes hike.  On October 7, we set off and were not disappointed.  As gorgeous as ever, although much drier than our last visit, the lakes and hiking up that valley are amazing.  The hiking is quite easy (hiking at elevation has become even easier now that we live at 7,800 feet back home in Colorado) and the views phenomenal.   This remains a hike not to be missed if you are in the area. 

Also not to be missed, but we keep doing so, is the homemade pie at the Rock Creek Lakes Resort across the road from Rock Creek Lake.  Three years ago it had closed by the time we discovered the area (they close mid-October) and this time we stopped in twice to no avail:  The first time they were sold out and the next day we came too early (10:30.)  Pies aren’t available until 10:45 or 11:00, one never knows exactly when.  Personally, I have found these pies to be a little high maintenance (with their highfalutin names like “Cheddar Pear”) but since one still has not crossed my lips, I cannot fairly judge.

Upon arriving home to pitch 65 (I was so desperate for a shower!!) we were over-joyed to find that the people in the full hook-up site were leaving the next day; we immediately hunted down the host and asked to move over for two nights.  As if a shower the next day wasn’t enough to make me sing out loud, the fact that we were moving over in the morning meant we had plenty of space in our grey water tank to shower that night.  With a razor.  Ahhhh.

Now the part for which you all have been waiting; the major difference between 2014's vacation and 2011's life.  For one, our current life in Colorado looks an awful lot like camping:  Wide open space around us, a gorgeous valley with views of mountains, small cabin, wood fires on demand, only seeing people when we want to, dogs running free.  Compare that to what we left in 2011:  A 4,000 square foot house in Laguna Beach which, despite its size, offered zero privacy from your neighbors (a mere 10’ away) and constant noise and traffic from the busy PCH below.  Not to mention our stressful software jobs . . .

And so it looks like we discovered our true selves back in 2011 and, after a year and a half on the road, returned to build that paradise in Colorado.  For now, it is two more weeks of vacation; more fishing, more hiking and enjoying the 70 degree weather.  By the time we get back to Colorado, it will likely be snowing.

Heading north . . .

-K

Musings – On Returning to the USA

As John Denver would say, “Gee it’s good to be back home again”, if only we had the farm that he sings of in the next sentence we would be in absolute heaven.  But with no farm and, as of this writing, no Salt & Pepper, we find ourselves at the Comfort Suites on Amelia Island, Florida awaiting US Custom’s release of our beloved rolling home.

The flight back came off without any trouble despite the stress and panic clearly reflected in both Rosco’s and my eyes.  If you ever get the opportunity to fly Air France La Premier out of Charles de Gaulle, by all means take it.  The exceptional service starts upon your arrival at the terminal:  Before you even check in, they have a lounge waiting for you where they sit you (and your dogs) down in plush leather chairs (ok, The Noses remained on the carpet) while they arrange your boarding passes and check in your luggage.  If you happen to have Tax Free items that need to clear customs, they walk you through the back doors and into a private Customs office where your documents are all stamped post-haste.  This is the way to travel!

The flight seemed to take forever as I was worried about Rosco, but eventually we landed in Atlanta and they delivered the Alive (!) But Shell-Shocked Noses to us near the baggage carousel.  Atlanta is a wonderful place in which to arrive from an international flight:  The customs and immigration lines are almost non-existent (unlike, LA, San Francisco or NY) and the southern hospitality simply engulfs you as you disembark.  Indeed, our luggage porter knew just where to take the dogs for agricultural clearance and then led us directly outside to the pet area.

As the old New Austerity hadn't caught back up with us yet, we stayed two nights at the Westin in Buckhead getting a quick but deep dive back into the commercial aspects of living in America.  With streets full of Porsches and sidewalks full of people with large shopping bags we knew we were home.  Being all shopped out from Paris, we saved our money for Manhattans and wine in the lobby bar where The Noses were a huge hit and the wine was over $15 a glass.  Au revoir vin du maison at $2 a glass! 

One five hour drive later we find ourselves on the aforementioned Amelia Island in the delightful small coastal town of Fernandino Beach, just 30 minutes from the docks where Salt & Pepper await Customs clearance.  With any luck they will clear within a day or two, then it’s a quick jaunt into Camping World for the installation of new LP cylinders (had to remove them for the shipment home) before heading to Colorado.

And more John Denver:  All together now, “Colorado Rocky Mountain hiii-yiiii.”

-K

PS:  As expected, The Noses weren't even examined upon our arrival into Atlanta.  The officer looked at their Pet Passports, specifically noting the rabies vaccination, and that was the extent of it.  Likewise, we slipped right on through Passport control in France despite our Schengen violation.  

Austin, TX, USA – Feb. 19-21, 2012

A couple more pictures

Texans will be the first to tell you that Austin is different than the rest of Texas.  So let me be the second; Austin is different than the rest of Texas.  It is a healthy lifestyle mecca for people who love themselves as much as they love the freedom promised (and fulfilled) in Texas. 

If you can imagine the active people of Colorado decked out in the freestyle clothes and hair preferred in Seattle but spending money like they do in Orange County (I have not seen so many Cayennes in one place since leaving Laguna) then you will have a good idea of the Austin folks.  Of course, all this comes with the friendly hospitality only found in Texas.    

So how did we come to spend three nights in Austin?  On the journey to get The Noses paperwork completed for the crossing, we needed the final documents to be stamped and signed by the USDA’s APHIS department certifying the dogs as being ok to export.  Don’t get me started on this incredibly ridiculous requirement particularly when it all needs to happen ten days before your flight and most states only have one local office.  (Oh no, I got started!) This means you have to visit your vet ten days before the flight, get the documents typed up, send them express to the APHIS office, they work on them for 24-48 hours before express mailing it back to you hopefully in time for your flight. As you can see, ten days goes very, very quickly.  (For more information on traveling with your pets overseas, please see my previous posting US2UK – Transporting The Noses.)  In any event, being only three hours from Austin and hunting for something to take our mind off the masses of luggage we are trying to pack, we opted to take the papers to the APHIS office ourselves.

With Salt & Pepper queued up for loading onto the freighter in Galveston, we really had no choice but to spend our three nights at the Four Seasons, Austin.  Although the building is old and the rooms are much closer to Manhattan size than Texas size, the property is gorgeous with lush grass leading down to Lady Bird Lake and the miles of walking/running/biking trails at hand.  To top it off, a friend of ours mentioned the off-leash area; just a quarter of a mile down the path and across one bridge starts what Rosco and River named Dog Heaven—miles of off-leash trails along the water. 

Upon arriving in town, two new to me (but not Alan) friends treated us to dinner at Eddie V’s where, despite the tempting steaks listed on the menu, we all enjoyed a variety of delicious seafood.  From baked salmon and sole to raw- and baked oysters and a delicious crab salad our table was a seafood sampler.  It was a lovely evening and such a pleasure to meet Jay and Oksana, who I have to thank for introducing my body to P90X.  All I can say is, “Superman Banana.”

Monday being a federal holiday we could not turn in our dog papers so we set about exercising our memories of how to spend money.  We were quite successful at Lululemon and St.Bernard Sports stopping just long enough to enjoy a delicious lunch at Lambert’s BBQ.   Although the menu boasted such lovely items as cold smoked trout, I opted for the house made charcuterie (featuring duck prosciutto) and cheese plate while Alan tucked into some BBQ brisket.  He just can’t get enough of this Texas BBQ.

We didn’t think we would be hungry again, but 7:00 found us out at The Clay Pit, for some tasty Indian food.   If you dine here, I’d recommend using their take-out option.  The restaurant is poorly lit (too bright) and noisy. 

Finally Tuesday arrived and we drove up to the APHIS office.  Summoning all my charm, I went to turn in the papers and beg for a 24-hour turn-around.  Did I mention this was a federal office?  I came out of the office in a charm deficit with no assurance that the papers would be ready any sooner than the 48-hours they promise.  Nothing more we could do with that so we stopped for a coffee and then set about finding some new athletic shoes for Alan.  After a nondescript lunch at Taco Cabana we let The Noses run free in the park for a bit before returning to the room for a quick nap and some long yoga. 

The time had come for our romantic dinner out; in over five months we had never once worn our “fancy clothes”.  We had each packed one really nice outfit but they had never made it out of the Thule compartment on the Pepper.  So we decked out as well as we could (both of us have lost more weight so the clothes were quite baggy—particularly mine so this outfit will need to be replaced in Paris, but really, what won’t?) and headed to the lobby bar for a martini before setting out for Congress.

Incidentally, for those of you following more of The Noses than The Bryants, in order to enjoy a cocktail in the lobby bar (where dogs are not allowed) we had the valet pull up Snowball, our white rental Escalade, and we stored the dogs in there, parked just outside the front door, while we imbibed.

Dinner at Congress is an experience.  The exterior promises an edgy contemporary environment that is not fulfilled by the off-white chairs and booths of the interior.  However, the seating is warm and comfortable with only a dozen or so tables.  The wine list is extensive but the restaurant lacks a sommelier.  Left to our own devices, we opted for a wonderful Margaux.  The food, however, was unbelievable.  French in size and sauce, American and Asian in ingredients with a presentation worthy of Michelangelo, it was a real treat.  Sadly, I was too full to try the egg cream dessert—the one item that drew me to the restaurant in the beginning.

But back to work!  Having not heard from the APHIS office by 9:00 on Wednesday morning, we thought we might have to spend another night in Austin.  As Wednesday dawned warm and getting warmer, the thought of lazing by the pool all day sounded quite nice.  So I only half-heartedly walked up to the APHIS office to check on the progress of our papers.  Turns out, the papers would be ready by noon so I returned to the room in time for our P90X workout and a quick shower before being pulled away from the peaceful Four Seasons.

We are now only days away from The Crossing.  All the papers are in, flights are booked, even Salt & Pepper are loaded on the freighter. 

Really?  Isn’t anyone going to stop us?

-K 

Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) - Jan. 22-24, 2012

More pictures here!
Concerned that we were getting too soft, we decided to start doing mini-Salt trips in between Alan's knee treatments.  Since he has to have a shot once a week for five weeks, we have a lot of opportunity to explore the Gulf coast of Texas, three to four nights at a time.  


Truth be told, we were a bit anxious about how we would feel living in Salt after three weeks (yikes!) of luxuriating in a condo, but it felt wonderful.  Our adventuresome spirit was in high gear as we navigated Salt onto a ferry and began the short drive out to Padre Island National Seashore (PINS.)  True, PINS is only about an hour's drive away, but we still felt like we were "back at it."  


PINS is a remarkable place:  A 60 mile long, skinny piece of land, with a near empty beach on the east and the calm waters of the Laguna Madre on the west. It, like a lot of the areas around the Gulf, is heaven on earth for fishermen and bird-watchers.  


There are a lot of options for RV'ing, from the full hook-up sites found at Mustang Island State Park (on the way out to PINS) to camping right on the sand at PINS (courage not included.)  We opted for a middle-of-the-road solution; Malaquite Campground which does not offer any hook-ups but has potable water, cold showers and a dump station on site.  


Having returned to relatively warm and sunny weather, we are back on solar power (yahoo!) so we were good for 3-4 nights.  Sadly, not everyone loves solar like we do and the campground allows people to use their generators all day and until 11:00 p.m.  I can't figure out what these campers were doing all day (watching TV?) but it was irritating to listen to the generators.  (I am sure our P-90X work-out was equally irritating to listen to, not to mention the wonderful views offered by our contorted bodies, but at least that was over in 60 minutes.)


We drove over and fished in the Laguna Madre without any luck.  Clearly, the fishing to be done is right in the surf of the Gulf where multiple fisherman were pulling out multiple fish (and one over 20 lb Grouper!  )


There are two great highlights of the Malaquite Campground:  The number of pitches and the access to five miles of "No Vehicles Allowed" beach.  Many of the campgrounds we have seen in Texas are enormous and one, on South Padre Island, boasts 400 spaces.  That is not what we are after, so finding Malaquite with only two rows and maybe 40 spaces was refreshing.  Topped off with morning walks down the beach with The Noses and we too were in heaven.


-K

Local Lessons: Filleting & Netting - Jan. 19, 2012

As I have mentioned, here in Ingleside by the Bay hospitality is a way of life.  So when Captain Joe offered his help with "whatever we might need" we knew just where to go for our fish filleting lesson.  


The day we caught our first edible fish, we jumped off the boat and into the Pepper, me driving while Alan held the iced-down Spotted Seatrout and Flounder.  Unfortunately, Joe was out on his aforementioned 30-mile bike ride and, as it was getting dark, his wife Polly told us to put the fish on ice and leave them until the morning.  Bright and early the next morning Joe stopped by (bright and early for us is 8:00 a.m. -- remember, we are not working anymore!) but Alan was still in bed, so Joe and I made plans to meet him at his house at 9:00.


Leading a life of the leisurely unemployed, it doesn't take a lot of appointments in a day to feel fully booked -- one or two does it.  This day we had planned a day of really important errands like visiting the UPS customer service office in Corpus, picking up our mail at the post office and going to Starbucks.  So I was a little anxious to get the filleting lesson completed and get on the road.


Joe met us outside and led us down to his fish cleaning station conveniently located next to his dock.  He proceeded to sharpen his fillet knife, something that has to be done quite often during this process.  He then gave us an expert lesson on filleting both fish.  I can see the benefit of filleting the flounder as it has such fine bones however, the trout?  I would have just cleaned the insides and put the entire thing on the grill like we did in California.  (If--I mean when--we ever catch another we will give this a shot.)


When the lesson was done, Joe offered to get us some mullet to use as bait for our next expedition.  Being now a little pressed for time (see?) I thought to myself, "We don't have time for him to fish the mullet out of the channel."  But what can you say to such wonderful hospitality?  


So we walked over to his dock and Joe proceeded to pull out a big net with weights on the end.  Never missing a beat of his story telling, he tossed the net into the channel as I thought, "How long will we have to stand here?  We have so much to do today!"  


Less than a minute later (yes, less than a minute) he pulled the net up and lo and behold there were six mullet flopping around!  


You can't get a tall, non-fat, extra-foamy latte from Starbucks any faster.


-K

DITL - Fishing Ingleside, TX, USA

Finally a look at our fish!  A Day in the Life of Salt & Pepper Adventures brings you to Ingleside Cove in Texas for some fishing (and catching!)

Hope you enjoy - it is a bit long, but covers three days and three fish!


-K

(More) Fishing Ingleside, TX, USA - Jan. 8, 2012

"You won't go hungry in Texas", Captain Joe said as he hauled six netted Mullet onto his dock; and we sure won't.  Between our newly acquired ability to actually catch rather than just fish and the Texan hospitality evinced when our neighbor introduced himself by bringing over two pounds of freshly killed wild boar loin, not only will we not go hungry, but we might get a little hefty while we are here.  (Don't forget it all started with Michelle's rum cake!)


Our host, Clark, was concerned that our lack of catching was going to give his bay a bad name.  So despite being on a cruise ship, he asked Captain Joe to  stop by and see if he might be of some assistance.


Captain Joe is one of those people who inspire you to live a healthy life as long as possible:  A former marathon runner (raced all over the world) he has taken up bicycle riding (to the tune of 30 miles at a pop) in order to help his 74 year old knees last longer.  He is also the local fishing expert (and gardening expert--I warned him that when we were done with the Aventura, we would be back to have him teach us how to farm) so when he stopped by with an offer to give us some pointers, we paid heed.


We headed off in the boat armed with Joe's instruction and our own learning experience with regard to large freighters (see previous posting.)  Both came in handy.


We headed to a part of Ingleside Cove that I call the "pretty area".  Any fish in their right mind would want to live there.  After about 20 minutes Alan landed a barely legal (14.5") Spotted Seatrout.  We plopped him in the bucket (see how much we are learning?  We brought a bucket this time!  No more smashing the fish into the live bait box) and kept on fishing.  


A storm was blowing in and it was getting quite rough so we decided to head back across the cove to an area that Captain Joe had mapped out for us, using his oar handle, in the dirt of our driveway.


As we were turning around, I noticed a large freighter coming right toward us.  We were quite sure we could outrun it and cross in front but we had to get a move on! So we put the pedal to the metal and headed across.  We did make it, although it was a bit close for my comfort (plus, with the choppy water Rosco and I got drenched again.)


In Joe's spot, just before we were going to call it a day, I landed a (also barely legal at 14") Flounder!  Again with the ugly looking fish, but this time I knew it was going to be tasty:  I had seen it many times on fish house menus.


Feeling quite proud of ourselves, we headed in for our celebratory sun-downers.  As we were passing by the marina, a dog ran out to bark at us and River, who we all know isn't the sharpest terrier on the boat, decided to chase him.  Right off the front of the boat.


Everyone was startled, including River as she plunged under the water and came up sputtering.  I was trying to stop the motor before she got sucked under the boat and (ahem) suggested to Alan that he jump over to rescue The Roo.    I'm sure being in thigh-high water helped with his quick decision and over he went gathering up the dripping 30 pounds and plopping her back into the boat.


And we thought life in a 19' Airstream was a challenge with two terriers!


-K


P.S. Due to the aforementioned drenching of the Nikon D90, there are no pictures of our first edible fish.  But they will be in the Fishing movie, coming out soon!

Fishing Ingleside, TX, USA – Jan. 3-7, 2012

More Pictures Here!

I believe there are boating people in the world; people who have an innate knowledge of the wind, tides, the steering of a boat and don’t seem to mind the lack of control. We are not two of them. But since that didn’t stop us from renting a boat in Switzerland and boating across Lake Lugano into Italy (by the way, there is a universal language and you don’t need to hear it to understand—but that’s another story) why should it stop us from taking out a flat-bottomed outboard for a little fishing in Corpus Christi Bay? We were hesitant at first but after two days of fishing from kayaks we did what any self-respecting almost-fisher-people would do and blamed the lack of fish on our vehicle. So off we went in the boat.

The first day went well enough, we even managed to dock at what we thought was the bait shack and pull up onto a small island for the dogs to stretch out a bit. We enjoyed a picnic lunch, lots of fishing but no catching.

The second day, however, became one of those times that, although I am thrilled to have Bloggie to record our Day in the Life videos, I am grateful we are not being filmed all day long.

It started out nicely enough, floating around Ingleside Cove casting out and drifting our lines along. I even saw a fish follow my line once, so that gave us hope. Then a stand-up paddler came by and said he had seen all kinds of fish just outside the bay in the Corpus Christi Channel and suggested we head that way. Off we went, stopping briefly on the island for a quick dog run.

We got out into the channel and enjoyed watching a giant freighter cruising out of Corpus Christi—not close at all, but I did admire the giant white-capped wake it was leaving far behind itself. He blew his horn a few times as he headed up the channel but, just like in Switzerland, we did not recognize the sound as something that mattered to us. So we continued fishing.

Soon, however, it became apparent that the freighter’s giant wake was about to overtake us. So Alan turned us back toward the cove and we tried to outrun it. No such luck, the waves were approaching too fast. So we slowed down, turned around, and faced the on-coming waves as bravely as possible. I had a dog in each hand as we went over and down the first wave. Not too bad. Unfortunately, the nose of the boat didn’t quite make it back up before the next wave hit us, so it came right over the top. Oh. Yes. It. Did.

Our backpacks (including our fancy Nikon HD camera) and the lunch cooler got washed to the floor of the boat where they were floating (and sinking) into 12” of water. The dogs and I got drenched. River, who was becoming quite a good boat dog before The Incident, retreated underneath Alan’s legs. Rosco hung tough with me in the front as we rode out the next few waves.  (Sometimes I imagine Rosco on a talk show where they are showing Stupid Human Tricks – he would certainly trot out this as an example.)

Eventually the waves lessened to the point where we could turn and high-tail it out of the channel. I made my way to the back of the boat where I unplugged two holes so the water could drain out. (For the life of me, I cannot understand the two holes at the back of the boat: If left unplugged, the boat fills with water when you aren’t moving forward. So I MacGiver’d them with some dog bags to keep the water out.)

And this was only the first time that day I had been thankful we weren’t constantly filming the Aventura.

After many deep breaths we gained enough control to start fishing again. So we started in an area that looked quite promising, keeping a look-out for any more freighters. We weren’t having any luck so Alan suggested we try another spot. As I reeled in my final cast, I fealt a dead weight at the end and said, quite despondently, “Well, I have something – probably a piece of wood.”

As it got closer, it looked almost round and quite white so I thought it was a shell. As it came up to the boat, Alan said, “You caught a fish!” and sure enough, there was a fish at the end of my line. His many, many fins were spread out as far as possible making him appear almost round. He had the ugliest face I have ever seen on a fish; a large, fat head with bulging eyes, bumps and little horns out the side. He was so unsightly I whined, “But I don’t want to keep him, he’s so ugly!”

And that’s the second time I was glad we weren’t filming all day.

-K

P.S. The local expert reports that the fish is a Searobin, “either big head or barred.” I couldn’t decide if “big head” or “barred” fit him better, he has so much of both.

DITL - Sailing Corpus Christi Channel

Starting 2012 right with A Day in the Life movie!  Sailing in Corpus Christi Channel with Clark, Michelle, Mark, Christi & Bart.

-K

Ingleside on the Bay, TX - Dec. 31 - ?, 2012

More pictures here!

One of the great pleasures about traveling across the U.S. before heading to Europe is that we get to meet up with friends around the country. (And one of the interesting parts of our former careers: They enabled us to connect with people well beyond the local office.) You know we headed here for Clark's birthday, but I am not sure I reported that they offered up their water-front condo for our use "as long as we want it". (Note those quotation marks, Clark and Michelle!)

It is delightful - not only the ability to spread out and stay still for a week but the sun is shining, the air is warming every day (low 70's today), there is a tennis court and a Lowe's in town. What more could you ask for?

As for our hosts, they took us on a great sailing trip on the first day of 2012 (what a way to start!), introduced us to their friends Bart, Christi, Deb and Mark (the latter two hosted us for dinner after the other four had left--have to love this Texas hospitality!), gave us a quick lesson on fishing in the bay then had to return to their lives in San Antonio. The worst thing I can say about the Haleys is just before driving away they had left half a (delicious) rum cake in the condo. You see what I am talking about.

So here we will rest for awhile. This stay might be a Trip Saver as you all know I was getting close to having enough of Salt. But being back in the sunshine, with the dogs tied up outside and all kinds of outdoor activities to entertain us, Salt's not looking too bad anymore.

Particularly when I view her from the sun deck of the condo.

-K

Crossing Texas – Dec. 27-30, 2011

More Pictures!

There is nothing quite like receiving an invitation to a birthday party in Corpus Christi, Texas (sunny and 72 degrees) to make you jump up, dig yourself out of eight inches of snow and skedaddle out of New Mexico!  It was for this reason that we skipped our drive down to the Carlsbad Caverns and, instead, headed directly to Forney, Texas for a couple of nights.

Forney is a nice little suburb of Dallas (22 miles east) and we enjoyed staying at the Plantation Place RV Park for two nights while visiting family.  The RV park is on a 40-acre parcel (complete with a southern plantation mansion) but you wouldn’t know that from the lack of space between pitches.  More on the park can be found here on RV Parks.

Other than visiting our dear family members there were two other highlights of this area:  The Hole Thing Donuts and 4T’s BBQ, both family-owned businesses located in Forney.   The donuts are simply amazing with varieties like Maple Bacon (yes, you read that correctly) and S’mores as well as your old favorites.  While there, I sampled a pulled pork roll made from 4T’s barbequed pork and The Hole Thing’s dough which was a taste sensation.  The Hole Thing is thinking about adding this to their menu and I hope they do.  The meat was so delicious that I stopped by 4T’s on my way home and picked up some brisket for dinner.  (Both restaurants are reviewed on Yelp!, click here for The Hole Thing and here for 4T’s.)

In other news:  A slight update to our General Plan (map on the tab above):  We have decided to leave for Europe out of Miami rather than NY, thus saving us a trip up the eastern seaboard in the mucky spring weather.  This also gives us more time to enjoy the sun and sea around the south and down into the Keys.

-K

DITL - First Time Driving in Snow Chains

Also known as the First Time Alan Speaks!

Enjoy!

New Mexico, USA – Dec. 21-26, 2011

More pictures! 

(Including campground pictures)

If you can risk getting the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas stuck in your head just one more time, ours picks up at #5: 

On the first day of New Mexico, Mother Nature gave to us . . .

          Five Days of Snow [which lead to];

         

Four short walks, three other campers, two Lomls sniping, and a dinner with only four items.  (And that includes the cranberry sauce!)

As previously reported, we knew a storm was coming to New Mexico and so we plotted and provisioned ourselves enough to hole up at the Bottomless Lakes State Park outside of Roswell, N.M., for what we (and the weatherman) thought would be a one-to-two day storm with little accumulation of snow.

Now, there are parts of New Mexico that routinely get buried in snow – Roswell is not one of them.  So when the snow started on the 23^rd and kept falling on the 24^th and 25^th, to the tune of over 8” accumulation, the already quiet area became paralyzed.  They do not plow the back roads in this area of New Mexico, so getting the campground plowed was out of the question.  But that didn’t stop us!  On the 24^th we wanted to pick up a few more items for our Christmas Dinner, so Alan hooked up the chains and we attempted a ride into town (Pepper only, naturally.)  A short video of this will be coming out soon – a drive so pumped with adrenalin that my SP finally spoke!  (I know, I know, I am working on it as fast as I can!)

Unfortunately, we did not make it into town:  The chains worked great, but the snow was still coming down and, not knowing the road at all, we were concerned that we would drive off into the ditch—it was that difficult to tell where the road ended and the snow drifts began.  Hence, our dinner was down to only four items:  A Diestal turkey breast, fresh cranberry sauce (because I had carpe cranberried while at Whole Foods and made the fresh sauce a few days ago), stuffing and roasted beets.  But it was plenty, most notably as we had started the day with home-made cinnamon buns (in the pictures above – unfortunately they proved more photogenic than tasty.)

The Noses and I were thankful that the park had access to a nice hiking trail and we took off on that every day—sometimes just River and I as the snow had become so deep that Rosco’s (ahem) stomach dragged through the snow which he did not appreciate.  As we were one of only three campers in the park (and the only hikers), the dogs enjoyed a lot of time off leash which at least tired them out enough to enjoy the long hours laying around inside Salt.

The weather did not warm up as fast as promised, so we decided to stay an additional night (the 26^th) which gave us time to go into Roswell, have a delicious lunch at El Toro Bravo, do five (yes five!) loads of laundry, visit the UFO museum and buy some LP.  It is the latter that led to the Two Lomls Sniping.

I don’t want to even count the weeks that we have been in the Inclement Weather Experiment, suffice it to say that it has been long enough for Alan to hitch a ride with me on the Stir-Crazy Wagon.  The sniping began when I suggested we take our empty LP tank to Roswell for filling (we have two) but Alan thought we could last on our second tank one more day. (The worry of this second tank running out added to my sleeplessness of the night before.)  So we began our drive, without the tank, over the icy and snow-filled road out of the State Park.  After four slow and stressful miles, I said, “I think we should go back and get the empty tank.”  This started the sniping—I am sure you don’t need the details.  It was just a little sniping for which we each apologized over cervesas at lunch.

As you may have surmised, we did return to camp for the second tank.  However, we have yet to run out of gas in the first tank.  Is that called a win-win?

-K

P.S.  A special note of thanks to Bennie and Debra, the two camp hosts at Bottomless Lakes State Park.  They each provided just the right amount of assistance, local knowledge, and care.  Please see the Campground page at the top of the blog for more information on the (delightful) park.

Colorado, USA - Dec. 18-20, 2011

More Photos!


Oh Colorado!  I wish we could stay forever and maybe someday we will - it is definitely on the list of Future Farmland!


Unfortunately, our travel here hit during week six of the Inclement Weather Experiment.  The weather has beaten us down, more or less, ever since we left Oregon's Umpquah Lighthouse State Park (see postings labeled Oregon or November 2011.)  I suppose I should just speak for myself, although maybe a posting like this one will finally get my Silent Partner (SP) to speak up!


If we had come to Colorado during the early weeks of the Inclement Weather Experiment (like weeks 1 or 2), then we would have undoubtedly lasted much longer.  But my tolerance for freezing pipes, unreliable fresh water, waking up 6,000 times a night because the heater turns on, and cramming two people and two dogs into 19 feet day and night had me at my wit's end far before we landed in Colorado.


Thus, despite our love for the area and all its natural beauty (and the people!  Wow!  Healthy, happy, active people everywhere!) we were only here a few days.  Of note here:  Timing is everything - if we had come in week 8 of the Inclement Weather Experiment, I probably would have voted to buy a house and stay forever--but I still have the Aventura spirit in me.


During our short time we managed to stay in one County Park, Horsetooth Reservoir, (Fort Collins) one State Park, Cheyenne Mountain, (Colorado Springs) and, thankfully, no RV parks.  (Pictures of the parks are in the link above.) Both parks had full hook-ups even in the dead of winter (treat!), although Horsetooth's water froze on day two in the park which created the driving force behind us leaving the cold once and for all (until Switzerland!)  Both parks have easy access to miles of hiking trails although Cheyenne doesn't allow dogs on the trails.


We received fantastic service from the folks at Ed Carroll Porsche who took us in, fed the dogs cookies, and fixed up Pepper in half a day.  If you ever find yourself hungry in the Fort Collins area try Cafe Mexicali -- fast, delicious, Mexican food and they make the tortillas right in front of you!


After that it was Whole Foods (ahh, such at treat, but there goes Alan's bonus check!), REI and PetsMart before stopping in at the US Forest Service--our favorite stop anytime, but especially in Fort Collins where the helpful lady first asked what we were after (unlike the Visitor's Center where they just pummeled us with brochures about museums [ick] and guided tours [double ick] without even asking where our interests lie) then provided great information, complete with maps and a recommendation to cross-country ski at Eldora outside of Boulder.  (Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned Escape we did not stop to ski.)


Warm weather is what we are after (I cannot wait to sleep without the heater and I am sure my SP can't wait to leave the fresh water hose hooked up without worrying about it of freezing) so New Mexico here we come!  It promises to be 60 degrees on Boxing Day (that's 12/26 for all you Americans) - time to haul out the bikini!


-K


P.S.  Since Alan's last installation of the Heat Rope, Salt has functioned without fail despite the below-freezing weather.  Our trouble in Horsetooth was the Park's water spigot--but my breakdown paid no heed to which device was failing, it was simply the snowflake that broke the Kloml's back.

On The Road Update - Colorado, USA - Dec. 19, 2011

That's right folks, we're in a Porsche dealership!


We left Great Falls, MT with one focus:  Get Pepper to a Porsche dealer.  I didn't report ALL the issues we had coming down from Canada:  Not only was Salt frozen in some very unsightly places, but Pepper was having a system meltdown.  


The heater worked great for the passenger, but while it was on, it blew ice-cold air all over the driver.  The cigarette lighter (e.g., phone, computer, Simon charger) wouldn't charge so Simon quit working just south of the border, leaving us with just old-fashioned maps (difficult for our old-fashioned eyes!)


Our choices for a Porsche dealer were Salt Lake City, Utah or Fort Collins, Colorado.  We opted for Colorado as it ranks high in the Future Farmland listing.  So we hurried through Billings (Yellowstone River RV Park), Montana and Douglas, Wyoming (both RV Parks are on our listing) to a county park spot at Horsetooth Reservoir, just a few miles west of downtown Fort Collins.  We are so happy to be back in a campground and not in an RV Park!  (Full hook-up site with a view of the reservoir is only $20/night!)


I won't attempt to describe the beauty of the drive -- I thought Wyoming was fantastic until we hit Colorado.  There is so much beauty out here.  As soon as the Pepper gets fixed, we will be out taking some pictures.


-K


P.S.  Pepper is getting a new battery and struts to keep the hatch open . . . to the tune of $1,200.  Still better pricing than in Orange County!

Great Falls, MT, USA - Dec. 12-17, 2011

Having over-estimated our ability to live in below freezing weather for more than a week, we decided to head south ASAP after Calgary, but along the way I had a demo to perform so we had to stop for a few days in Great Falls, Montana.  Thus began Salt's second foray into a foreign land.


It was like we landed at the gas station in a spaceship:  First they see Pepper (i.e., not a Ford F-250), then Salt, then out jumps a short-haired woman in bright red snow boots (despite it "only" being 20 degrees outside) followed quickly by two pure-bred terriers and, the pièce de résistance, a man without a cowboy hat and it was like we were the only people capable of moving:  People just stopped and stared.

But despite their curious stares, the people were friendly and welcoming starting with our hostess at Dick's RV Park.  (Please see the Campground page at the top of the blog for more details, but here are photos of our pitch, the grounds, and the store/bathroom/laundry.)


With the weather so cold (finally above freezing during the day -- barely -- but dropping to the teens again at night) we had to park Salt at Dick's RV Park so she could be plugged in to run the heater.  We stayed at the Hampton Inn (excellent service) for my two demo nights before returning to Salt for the remainder of our time.


While I was busy preparing and performing my demo, Alan had his work cut out for him defrosting Salt:  Our night in Lethbridge, Alberta, (at the Bridgeview RV Park), where the low was 6 degrees overnight, left Salt with frozen fresh water lines inside the coach as well as the two exit pipes.  (We had shorted out the heat tape plug in Calgary while trying to defrost the black tank valve--something we discovered when we attempted to activate the tape [in the freezing and dark evening] in Lethbridge.)


But Alan had the fresh water running (hot and cold) the first day, and on the second he fixed the heat tape plug with one of his "just in case" supplies that I use to give him such a hard time for packing.  (Oh yes, he's not letting me live that down yet.)


However, the exit on the black tank was still frozen.  So Alan spent the final full day un-installing the original heat-tape (and insulation), applying a blow-dryer to the pipe until it was flowing, and installing the new rope-style heat "tape" (and insulation).  All with the cold wind blowing on him as he lay under Salt.  But Salt was once again fully functional!  (We will be writing up an article on the winterization of Salt but, in the meantime, if you are interested, click here for some photos of the heat-tape and heat-wire insulation work as well as the insulation we put underneath the bed.)


Our two nights at the hotel provided us two dining out opportunities.  The first night we had pizza delivered to the room from Howard's Pizza (reviewed here on Yelp), and devoured it while each sitting on our own queen sized bed drinking scotch (our idea of luxury has changed quite a bit in the last four months!)  The second night we drove out to The Cattlemen's Cut Supper Club (reviewed here on Yelp) whose idea of a "Lighter Side" menu can be seen here:

Deep Fried Half-Chicken is "On The Light Side?"  You get the idea . . . but it was good, hearty food.  It was quite busy, and a Wednesday night no less, so I asked the waitress if it was always so busy.  She replied, "Not really, but it's Cowboy Christmas."  Always eager to learn the ways of a foreign land, we asked just what was Cowboy Christmas?  Her reply, "It's just a night all the cowboys come out and get drunk."  


'Nuf said.  Time to giddee up and head south!


-K

Scenic Drive - Coulee Corridor, WA, USA

A brief look at portions of the "Coulee Corridor" along Highways 17 and 155-N in Washington, USA.

Also posted on our Movies! Page

DITL - Hiking Potholes State Park, WA, USA

A Day in the Life movie!

Moses Lake, WA, USA to Grand Forks, B.C., Canada – Dec. 1-2, 2011

Such amazing scenery!  We have travelled from Seattle to Canada many times before but never have we come this way—it is highly recommended!  We selected this route in anticipation of 1) enjoying the sunshine of Eastern Washington and #2) seeing the Grand (emphasis intended, as Alan keeps reminding me) Coulee Dam.  What we didn't anticipate was the beauty of the drive from Moses Lake to Grand Forks.

Starting out in Moses Lake, we hopped on the “Coulee Corridor” (Scenic Drive Movie coming soon!), Highway 17 North toward Soap Lake.  The beauty really does start at Soap Lake—driving through the coulee (which Alan learned is an ancient river bed formed by melting ice from the Ice Age) is quite impressive.  Just open, rolling hills above you as you drive near the bottom of the coulee—it’s like driving through the bottom of the Grand Canyon but on a smaller scale.  A must stop is Dry Falls, and you all know me, I am not fond of tourist-y stops, but it really is something to see.  (It is filmed as the ending of the Scenic Drive, but the light was getting low so I don’t know how much of the grandeur made it through the lens.)

After all this natural beauty, the Grand Coulee Dam, although enormous, was a bit of a let-down for me.  It is not pleasing to the eye like Hoover Dam, having at least four different sections with variable-looking concrete finishes.  Not pleasing to the eye at all.  But the Visitors Center is worth a stop to see all the photos from the 1940’s and the equipment used to build the behemoth.

After that man-made marvel (ahem), we set out along Highway 155 north to Nespelem where Simon (our GPS unit) directed us onto a questionable looking road:  The cut-through to Highway 21 (cuts through the Colville Indian Reservation.)  This stretch was sketchy—a nice road, but this time of year it held a bit of ice and snow so it was slow going.  But I love, love, loved the area leading out of Nespelem:  So gorgeous with their soft amber hills beautifully defined by the occasional copse of pine trees. 

Once we joined up with Highway 21 North, it became quite tree filled (i.e., can’t see much) until you leave the Reservation, then you are treated to some of the most gorgeous river-side farm land I have yet to come across.  There is not much in terms of services up this way, so make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave the Grand Coulee Dam area.

Our second day (Coulee City to Grand Forks, B.C., Canada—my homeland!) we drove 120 miles, arriving around 3:00 p.m. at the Victorian Motel and RV Park, whose highway-front sign promised, "The most friendly staff.”  They did not disappoint (although try finding an unfriendly Canadian!  Even the border patrol was nice.)  The water is turned off at the pitches this time of year but the electricity, showers and bathrooms, as well as the fly-fishing store, are open year-round.   

Since we left Coulee City with a full tank of water and an empty grey tank (yes, we are learning!  See Carpe Diem posting) we were good to stay with just electricity.  We pulled in (over the ice and snow berm), turned the heater on, took the dogs for a short walk (along the Trans-Canada Trial in which Alan refuses to believe--yes, despite signs--won't he be surprised by that link!), then returned to a toasty Salt for sun-downers and chips to celebrate Salt's foray into a foreign country.

I do love my homeland.  I’m just saying.

-K