Donner Memorial SP

I hoped for snow and got my wish!  I was shocked to see SO MUCH snow this morning as I figured there would be just a light dusting of snow.  We were told it is 6-10 inches and it looks like all of that much if not more.  A truck came through just before 10am and scraped the road so we could easily get out of the campground, but then what?  Weather advisory says it is rough going over the pass and we called the Shell station and they said it was still snowing with a lot more snow at that higher elevation.  We called the park ranger first and they were not sure about the pass (sort of strange) and they suggested calling the Shell station.  I also tried CalTrans information but even though it was “updated at 10:30am” they only mentioned delays in Sacramento area, so that wasn’t much help!  We decided to stay put for the time being and called Mom to let her know we probably would not be arriving today.  I told her if we did decide to leave we would let her know.  It really doesn’t feel as cold as it is.  We enjoyed the view for a couple of hours and then decided we would check on the pass again.  The truck that scraped snow earlier came by and stopped, the guy was so nice he said he was sure we would be able to get over the pass as it is clear for now.  We decided to make a run for it and quickly put things away and took off.  We filled up with gas on the way out of town and the girl at the station also confirmed the pass was open.  It was clear as could be on the east side of the pass but we encountered snow and rain from the summit on.  However, the road was clear and we are happy to be here in Napa with Mom tonight.  Further snow was expected in the Sierras tonight.

John and Tony taking a walk

Leaving the park

Entrance sign

Donner Summit

Leaving Marsing, ID

We didn’t get an early start but we had no real plan, just taking our time.  It was sunny and not too chilly when  we left.  Before we got to Winnemucca, actually around Orovada, NV the wind started to pick up.  It was brutal part of the way.  It was hard to breathe at times and our eyes were irritated even with using only inside air.  We could have stopped and parked sooner but somehow I felt safe heading to Donner Memorial SP.  We also didn’t want to face the same winds tomorrow.  We have spent so many wonderful family times here at Donner it is almost like “coming home” for a visit.  However, this time we arrived in the dark and found we were the only ones in the park.  It is self-pay and not a ranger in sight!  That’s fine, we feel safe, and of course we have our guard dog to protect us (John is still laughing)!  It was 41 degrees when we arrived.  The weather forecast said snow by 1am but right now it is 10:25pm and it is snowing!  Delightful to see since we are warm and toasty in the trailer! If it snows too much we will simply wait it out as it is supposed to be sunny again by Wednesday.  I suspect it will be melted and gone by tomorrow afternoon.

Blowing sand just outside of Winnemucca, Hwy 95

Blowing sand and dust Hwy 80 NV

The only sunset we’ll see with sand and dust Hwy 80 NV

Snow! Donner Memorial SP

Joseph’s Birthday

Today is the big day!  Joseph Silva Smallwood turns 1-year-old today.  We took him into Nampa and he got his first haircut.  His Vovô (Grandpa) really needed one too so it was a sort of fun thing to do.  Not sure Joseph really enjoyed it too much but he didn’t cry, he just wiggled in his mama’s lap a LOT.  We went to his birthday party hosted at his Great Grandparents home where we were served pizza and salad.  We furnished the cake and ice cream.  It was very nice of them to host this party.  Joseph finally got the hang of opening gifts when he was almost done.  May God bless Joseph with a full, happy, and blessed life. 

The other people in the Casita left today.  John did end up talking to them but they didn’t offer to show us the inside, nor did they ask to see ours.  That’s fine, we know by description it is a 17’ Spirit and ours of course is a 17’ Liberty. (ours in the one with the awning out)  There were even tent campers on the grass last night.  Tony sure loves to walk down by the river, though he seems a little startled by the water every time he sees it up close.  The nights have gotten cooler and rain is expected as soon as tomorrow, so good thing we are headed out. 

Marsing and Boise

Off to Boise today to see some of our travel friends Stuart and Darlene.  We first met them on our Rick Steves tour in 2009, but also traveled with them since that trip.  We left Marsing early so we would have time to stop at Wal-Mart and order a cake for Joseph’s Birthday on Saturday.  With that done we looked for a few happy hour foods.  Nothing much to be had there!  We did get a couple of pretty red and orange bell peppers along with some snow peas.  So off we went toward Boise to find the Whole Foods store.  I know our friend Darlene eats gluten free and I was in search of crackers.  Of course they had some good choices along with a LOT of other delicious things.  I can’t recall everything but there was plenty and even plenty to share with their delightful daughter Adrianne (sp?) when she arrived later on.  We reminisced about past travel times and shared current travel events, then went on to think about and begin to plan for a Panama Canal cruise around Sept/Oct 2014.  It has to be on Princess because John and I have that credit from our last cruise to use up. It was a lovely evening.  At least Darlene is feeling pretty well after both a broken wrist and a subsequent surgery… That’s why we didn’t go out to dinner.  I’m sure we wore out our welcome since it was around 10pm when we left.  We got back to Marsing in good time and drove in to see another Casita trailer parked just a few rows from us.  What a surprise!  We don’t see that many Casitas on the road!

Looking good Darlene and Stuart!

 

Marsing and Meridian

I have been waking up every day very stuffed up with a sore throat. It is gone after I am up and around, and have my coffee. I think it is allergies. Today I have a headache to go with it.  Ugh.  I rested and relaxed around the trailer while John went and made some further repairs at Tara’s apartment.  I contacted Jeff and Danette, who we planned to meet for dinner, and warned them of my drippy nose… they are still for meeting so we drove east to Meridian and met them at Gino's for a delicious dinner and fellowship.  It was so good to see them.  They have been in Meridian for about 8 years now and they love it here.  It was a short drive (30-40 minutes) back to Marsing and off to bed for us. 

Golden Corral

The highlight of the day was watching Joseph eat and eat and eat at Golden Corral in Nampa, Idaho.  Tara was right, he likes everything.  He ate:  Chicken, meatloaf, rice, macaroni and cheese, green beans, carrots, corn, peaches, pineapple, and more.  Such a pleasure to see a child who loves all sorts of food. He liked the little pumpkin cookie but lost interest.  Believe me, it was Tara who wanted the cotton candy, her favorite!  I wish they still had a Golden Corral in Clovis.  They have a lot of healthy choices now, as long as you stay away from the carbs at the bread station and the desserts!

Arrival in Marsing, Idaho

It was 20 degrees when we woke up in Winnemucca today but we were warm enough in the trailer.  I think Tony got cold and ended up in bed with John (he was invited)!  It was an uneventful drive on Hwy 95 from Winnemucca, though a portion of Oregon, and then right into Marsing, Idaho.  We forgot about the 1 hour time difference so we were running a bit later than expected.  We stopped in a little wide space in the road and ate our lunch, leftover KFC.  We arrived at River Haven RV Park, (6920 S Bruneau Hwy, Marsing, ID 83639, (208) 896-4268) and after setting up we were to Tara’s place around 4pm.  We didn’t have much time to check out the RV park, in fact we didn’t even pay yet because they were busy.  There are full hookups here but no table or fire ring at our site.  It is a simple, gravel, pull through, but the price is right.  There is a group area and fire rings about the park itself.  They also have laundry, LP Gas, Maximum Amps, showers and the allow pets.  Anyway, we had a couple of hours to visit with Tara and then we headed to Wal-Mart for a few things.  We will be back to see her in the morning and decide what to do for the day, maybe a picnic or something.  Joseph is adorable and he ran right to us.  He is a sweet little thing with an infectious smile. 

Folsom, CA to Winnemucca, NV

We had an uneventful drive to Winnemucca and made good time.  We stopped twice for gas because when we have just a half tank left we like to refill.  We also stopped to stretch twice, along with the stop to take a picture of Donner Lake.  There was road construction in several places but nothing slowed us down for more than a few minutes.  We planned to stay at an RV park in Winnemucca but instead we pulled into Wal-Mart and we will have a free night here.  We only planned to sleep and leave right away in the morning so it is perfect for us.  Well us and the 15-20 other RVer’s who had the same idea.  We stopped for KFC right before parking at Wal-Mart so that was  our dinner.  The moon was so beautiful coming up over the bare mountains.  My photo does not do it justice. 

Donner Lake

Nevada Moon

Tony is having a good time so far!

Visiting Janice

We arrived at Janice’s just as she was getting home from a meeting.  We had a brief visit and then went to happy hour at Ruth's Chris in Roseville.  We had a nice time and the food was delicious.  Janice and I had a Crab BLT with zucchini fries.  Definitely a place we would return to!  We spent the rest of the evening visiting and having a glass or two of wine at her house.  Good times!  Tony (our dog) was not a very good house guest as he kept barking at Kitty Boy (her cat).  I’m sure they could be friends if there was more time…

In Napa

We arrived as expected in Napa, it’s so good to see Mom.  We were comfortable in the trailer overnight.  It was cold in the morning but we have a heater so no problems.  We did a few things around the house for Mom and then her aide came to give her a shower while we finished up a variety of little things.  Mom felt rested and well enough so we took her out for Mexican food for lunch, shopping at Trader Joe’s, then back home.  For dinner we were really too full to eat a meal so we had cheese and crackers along with a delicious bottle of Belle Glos Pinot Noir.  Recently Mom’s first cousin Lorna Belle Glos-Wagner passed away.  She was given the lovely bottle of wine from Lorna’s family at the services. We toasted Lorna and enjoyed a quiet evening. 

Tomorrow Morning…

We will leave for Idaho with several stops along the way.  We plan to leave about 9:30am and visit with friend June in Waterford (near Modesto) and then arrive to Mom’s house in the mid evening.  We will stay with Mom until Wednesday, take her to some appointments and do anything she needs done.  From there we will head to Folsom (not the prison) to visit my sister and spend one night.  Then we will turn our attention toward Marsing, Idaho to see our grandson Joseph for his 1st birthday.  Since we haven’t seen the little family since last November in Georgia we are eagerly anticipating this visit!  On the road again!!!

Sunset Campground August 2-6, 2013

Deb and Sam were coming up with Frank and Vira, plus family and invited us.  Why not?  It is hard to remember I am retired and have no looming obligation at the moment!  Anyway, they came up Thursday afternoon and managed to secure some good sites for all of us.  We are in campsite #60.  The weather is perfect of course.  There are really a lot of people on the weekend and the campground was full when we arrived on Friday about 1:30pm.  We took a quick drive over to Azalea to see if it was full, just curious, and it was!  Sam does most of the cooking but others help set up things too.  Good thing we don’t camp with them all the time because we would really gain weight!!!  Frank and Vira had a raccoon visitor in the night as their dog food was not locked up.  Other than that we didn’t see any evidence of other wildlife this trip.  All of them left by noon on Sunday as did a lot of campers.  We did some walking around the campground until we got tired, watched some NCIS on my laptop, played cards, and read.  Most of the sites in Sunset seem to be less level than the ones in Azalea.  However, there seem to be more trees in Sunset.  Really both campgrounds are nice.  By Sunday evening we turned on the Hotspot for internet because we had some email from Airbnb about our NYC accommodations that I could not really take care off on the phone.  Come Monday, it’s like a ghost town!  We had a nice lunch, walked, read and enjoyed the nice cool day.  Later in the day a man and two boy arrived to set up in the site across the way.  They came over to ask questions saying it was their first trip to America.  I thought I recognized the accent, they were from France, Paris and Nice, so I helped them fill out their envelope and gave them directions for the places they wanted to go.  They are in a car with a very small tent.  They pulled out early I guess as they were gone when we got up. 

We were packed and ready to go before noon.  We went down to the dump station at Princess but seems our gray water tank would not empty right.  John will have to check that at home.  At least the black water emptied well.  The place is on a bit of a slant so maybe that was the problem. 

We’re Home…

The last couple days since the kids left haven’t been too much fun.  I’ve had some gastric upset and spent most of the two days right near the trailer and in my bed. It was nice having the laptop and the generator to watch some DVDs anyway.  I am better now despite arriving to 107 degrees here in Clovis!  Phew…

This morning we got up and packed up things and decided to drive the six miles down the canyon to use the dump site at Princess Campground.  As we were leaving and ready to turn onto Hwy 180, we saw a large brown bear cross the road entering Crystal Springs Campground.  We scrambled for the camera and despite his slow movement he was into the woods before I could get a really good shot of him.  He was totally uninterested in us, that’s for sure.  On our way out of the park we stopped at Grant’s Grove Village and split a hamburger for lunch and showed the ranger our bear photo.  They have seen this bear around the village many times.  Anyway, it was fun for us to see it.  I forgot to say they have finished the new entrance to the park.  Here is a photo of it upon our departure. 

We aren’t sure where our next trip will be, maybe just back up the mountain to get away from this heat…

July 6, 2013 Azalea Campground

Our day began with a delightful breakfast prepared by the DeLa Peña’s.  Deb and Sam certainly know how to spoil fellow campers!  Pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs… delicious!  Once we were all stuffed we headed out to the General Grant Trail to take that little walk.  They have new signs up just since last year, along with a new brochure to go with the numbered trail.  It was pretty exciting to see a deer resting the the shady shadows right below the General Grant tree!  (Third largest tree in the world) When we got back from there Steven and Saira started packing up to head home. They had a quick snack with us before leaving.  John and I relaxed most of the afternoon while the rest of the family went to the visitor’s center and looked around up there.  Dinner was grilled chicken done by Sam and Deb, along with corn on the cob done by Jeff on our fire pit, salads rounded out the meal.  During our campfire a raccoon came to the table by the grill and got on it’s hind legs and brazenly stole a bag of chips!  He scuttled off pretty fast and was only a blur in my attempted photo.  However, he came back for MORE and I at least got a photo if his eyes and this one of this one of his back side at that time.  Our went into the night and we had a great time.

 

The Family Arrived

We awoke to another beautiful morning.  So happy the rest of the kids will join us today.  Steven and Saira went for a long bike ride and then went up to Grant’s Grove Village for a shower and to get supplies like ice, etc.  Deb and Sam with kids rolled in before 2pm and we relaxed a bit with a cold drink before they set up.  The decided to turn their tent trailer around to have the opening where it was more convenient, when suddenly the trailer started to drift down the slope.  Woo Hoo… it was saved easily enough but got the adrenaline pumping for sure!  As Sam said, “We had it under control.  We’re men, even if we don’t have it under control, we have it under control.”  Hahahaha…  Jeff and Miranda arrived about 6:30.  The rest of the day was mostly spent in archery lessons for everyone.  Steven brought his bow and arrows and even Miranda gave it a go with her daddy’s help.  Deb and Sam grilled burgers for dinner and we enjoyed the campfire with S’mores for those who wanted them.  John and I were tired and went to bed shortly after Miranda and Julie,  close to 11pm.  Most of the others talked until about midnight.  A great day, especially to me such a blessing… because I cannot recall a time the kids were camping together and having such a good time. 

Independence Day 2013

John and I had a great night of sleep but too bad for Steven and Saira their mattress went flat.  We had our coffee and used the trailer for washing up.  John and I washed our hair at the bathroom wash tubs in cold water, but it actually felt refreshing and good.  We headed up to Grant Grove Village to see the parade.  We went up early so we would be sure to find a place to park so we had time to go through the visitors center as well.  We had a burger in the village at the café because hunger over came us.  The parade was nice, short and fun to watch.  It was an afternoon rest for all of us.  Steven and Saira took a bike ride.  Then we played cards and that was followed by a Taco salad for dinner.  I took a ride around on the bikes as well, John needed to rest.  He still doesn’t have all his energy back from the surgery.  We took a walk around the campground in the dark to see the stars…So beautiful. After that we were laughing and having a good time when some lady came and “shushed” us.  Gosh, it wasn’t even 10pm yet… but we apologized and went to bed shortly after that.  It’s not like we are really rowdy!!!  Oh well.  

July 3, 2013 Azalea Campground

We woke to such a lovely and quiet morning with birds chirping, we just listened to that for a while before we got up and had our coffee.  We went for a nice walk this morning and saw remnants of the that must have been beautiful a few months ago.  Steven and Saira showed up about 2pm and were busy setting up their tent, pumping up the mattress, erecting an umbrella, chopping wood, situating their ice chest and generally setting up.  Of course after that Steven was starving so they had left over ribs I brought along and an assortment of veggies.  We took them for a quick trip up to the area of the Visitor Center just to see the options there and what’s available in the market. We played a few games of Chinese Checkers and had grilled cheese sandwiches for our dinner. John and I are tired but Steven and Saira have energy and made a fire to roast marshmallows.  It was a lovely day.  It was fun to see Steven enjoying this after 4 years with no real opportunity to go camping.  We think the campground it full, but not entirely sure.  A lot of people came in today.  I’m glad we have a space secured for the rest of the kids!