Mar 19, 2013 - Visiting a dear friend

On our way back to Carlsbad, we stopped in Huntington Beach to visit with Liz, Liz and her husband owned the home Reggi and I bought in Highland Californian in 1985 and they gave us the gift of a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend. We had not seen Liz in a few years so it was great seeing and visiting with her. We drove the Pacific Coast Highway and in Laguna Beach, we saw the statue of the Greeter, a bearded man who would stand on that corner greeting all who passed. Great tribute to an Iconic personality associated with Laguna Beach.

Jul 4, 2012 - From the Coast to the Mountains to the Desert

We left Anaheim on Sunday and headed for the mountains. Since then we have not had wifi service so I have fallen even further behind on this journal. So I'm going to condense this edition to get caught up. Friday, June 29 – Huntington Beach. We hung around the hotel in the morning and in the afternoon headed to Huntington Beach. We are still surprised that the beaches along the California coast are cold. It was a crisp, breezy 72 but the sand was nice and toasty so as long as you were lying in the sand it was ok. But of course Nic wanted to...

Dec 31, 2011 - Monday, Dec. 26, 2011

Monday, December 26, 2011 It wasn’t quiet as cold last night, but the heater did come on three or four times. I got up and spent the morning updating the blog, which I’ll post when I get to my sister’s today. It is clear and sunny, with the temperatures already in the 70s, and a light onshore breeze. I will get ready and head to my sister’, seeing what she would like to do today. She had mentioned something about Brie, her oldest granddaughter, coming over to learn how to make turkey noodle soup from scratch. Sharry makes it like my mom...

Dec 31, 2011 - Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 Up at 8 O’clock this morning, after having been awake for almost 30 minutes, as people talking outside kept me from sleeping in. It didn’t seem as cold last night, with the heater only coming on a couple of times, but a check of my temperature gauge showed that it was 36.1 degrees for the over night low. It is quite a change from the mid 70s during the day, but a soon as that sun goes down, it gets chilly. Many of the campers around me have a fire in their fire rings in the evening, sitting outside and roasting...

Dec 27, 2011 - Friday & Saturday, Dec. 23,24, 2011

Friday, December 23, 2011 When we got home from Sharry and Don’s last night, I fed Zack, but he only took two bites and then went straight to my bed and fell sound asleep, totally exhausted from the days activities. I knew he was hurting and had given him an aspirin earlier, and now a pain pill that I had my vet prescribe. I felt sorry for him, allowing him to sleep with me the whole night. Zoey had pulled her usual escape routine as soon as I opened the door, so was out for the night. I got up around 3 AM and quietly called her, but she...

Dec 22, 2011 - Thursday, Huntington Beach Dog Park

Thursday, December 22, 2011 - Laguna Beach, California I was lazy this morning, and after not getting into bed until after midnight, I dozed off and on until 10 AM, and then finally got up. The house batteries were totally dead, so the water pump wouldn’t, so no running water. I jumped the batteries and started the generator, so they would charge while I got organized. I realized that when I filled the fresh water tank yesterday, I forgot to turn the valve back, so the water pump ran the entire time I was gone, killing the little...

Aug 11, 2010 - Beaches and Beverly Hills

The plan today was to explore the area beaches and drive the Pacific Coast Highway for a while. So we jumped on PCH down the street from our hotel and drove to Venice Beach. I was surprised that this route took us through LAX..this part of the PCH was not very scenic I have to say. We got to Venice Beach and explored the area and finally settled on the beach for little while. Elizabeth loved the waves and water and Becca loved just getting some color. This was definitely not Rick's favorite stop. The air was pretty cold only about 70 at...

Aug 10, 2010 - Made it to California!!!

OUR GOAL WAS TO MAKE IT TO HUNTINGTON BEACH BY APPROX 5PM (EASTERN TIME) ..WE MISSED BY ONLY 3 HOURS!!! We woke up early and toured Vegas today. The thing that struck me was that it really was only a more glamourous version of Mohegan or Atlantic City. I'm really glad I saw it and experienced it but nothing overly special about it for me! I put 20 bucks in a few slot machines and left with 20 bucks so no loss there!!! At about noon (after riding the monorail...lol..had to do it)we left and hit the road for our final destination. Rick drove...

Jun 10, 2010 - Bike Tour Balboa

We left at 8:30 AM for our grand bike tour of Balboa Island and the Newport Nature Preserve. The nature preserve is an estuary. An estuary is a place where salt and fresh water meet and mix. It is one of only a few remaining estuaries in southern California. It is the home to nearly 200 species of birds as well as numerous species of mammals, fish, and other critters. There is also an incredible variety of plant life. Street drains, streams and other runoffs carry pollutants as well as sand and silt into the fragile ecosystem. Currently...

Jun 9, 2010 - Kayak Newport Harbor

The day began with a heavy marine layer and a misty rain. We delayed our Kayak departure to late morning as the weather began to clear. The breeze was brisk and cool. We kayaked Newport harbor as we circled Balboa Island. Newport Harbor is a principal Pacific coast yachting center. Numerous channels provide for numerous estates with yachts docked behind-much like the waterways of Fort Lauderdale. Some of the homes are palatial estates with yachts to match. Even the most humble are quite luxurious. There seems to be a cult of homeowners who...

Jun 8, 2010 - San Diego to Huntington Beach

We hated to depart Camping On The Bay--but new horizons await us. We drove the 88 miles north along the coastline to Huntington Beach. We passed Capistrano and Camp Pendleton,the famous marine compound. The RV park is just to the east of famed US1 and but a few hundred yards from the Pacific. We look out at the Pacific from our RV windows-a grand sight. Huntington Beach is reputedly the surfing capital. The beach is broad, sandy and scenic and immediately north of Newport Beach. We did not stay at Newport since the fare was $200. a...

May 26, 2009 - Knott's Berry Farm

Today we decided to try the park that has the most 'exciting roller coasters than any of it's rivals'.... Knott's Berry Farm. And they weren't wrong! We've never seen so many roller coasters crowded into one park. 8 in all and we did 7 of them (the 8th was closed..). The new ones include the Xcelerator and Silver Bullet which were immense. You sat with your legs dangling on the Silver Bullet as it went through a series of loops and corkscrews, we managed to get at the front on this one on our second go and it was amazing, it felt like you...