From California to Oregon

Yesterday we bid farewell to California to continue the journey to our final summer destination.  Before leaving CA we did some touristy things.....

The sundial bridge at Turtle Bay that goes over the Sacramento River......it was pretty hot so we only stayed a short time.  The intention was to return at night to see the lights....they light up the tiles that make up the walkway....but we didn't make it....

The tiles that get lighted at night

The Sundial Bridge.....

.....across the Sacramento River

The next day we drove out to the Shasta Dam and did the guided tour.....which amazingly is complimentary!  The dam is the 2nd largest in the US  (Grand Couley in Washington State is the largest) and an incredible engineering display. It is overwhelming!  As a sign of the times, the security is very high....no purses, backpacks, etc.  They actually had us take a picture with our camera to confirm it was a real camera.  Our guide was very knowledgeable and very excited about her job and getting to share the dam with visitors.  Part of her excitement was that her grandfather has actually worked on building the dam.....which by the way was begun in 1938....

view from the top

Mt Shasta as seen from the dam

Tobi & Guide

**Note the incorrect date on the sign....should be 1938

As we were leaving the Dam we had to stop and get a picture of the sign.....have never seen one like this before!

Interstate 5 to Oregon from Northern California was about the windiest interstate we'd ever been on....with steep ups and downs.....and lots of construction!  It was one of our shortest travel days but the most stressful!  On a positive note....the scenery was beautiful!

Sacramento River....it begins in the area of Mt. Shasta

Mt. Shasta

another mountain dwarfed by Shasta but beautiful too

Got settled into the RV park in Phoenix, Oregon....not without a challenge!  The GPS direction to the park was a little off....we wound up in a mobile home park with very narrow streets!  A call to the RV park got us back on track.  After naps we met Dean's cousins for dinner and drinks....cousin John lives nearby by and cousin Carolyn and boyfriend Jerry are in town visiting Jerry's Mom....

The 3 cousins

Carolyn & Jerry

Cousin John

 

Cousin John is a professor at the local college and an artist....take a look at his work at roguemosaics.com

Tomorrow we head to Dayton, Oregon where we will be for 3 months.....

Namaste,
Tobi

The past several days....

So, I last posted about a week ago.....we were in Vacaville.....

As some of you know Dean and I belong to a wine club....Naked Wine....we had an opportunity to visit their tasting in Napa last Tuesday....it's actually a wine tasting and yoga evening.  I opted out of yoga and just did the tasting.  If you're not familiar with Naked Wine and you like wine, visit their website....www.nakedwine.com... it's a very cool organization.....

Naked Wine Log

The Tasting Room

The Naked Wine Guys...Steve & Dana

On Saturday we went to the winery in Sonoma for a barbeque and tasting......

Actually two Wineries....and 2 tastings

 

The patio overlooking the vineyard

The Happy Taster

On Sunday we journeyed to Sacramento.....and Rancho Cordova....to spend some time with Irma & Paul (part of our "adopted family").....had lunch and sat around chatting....it was a good day!

The Capitol Building-Sacramento

Irma & Paul

Just had to snap a picture of the street where our campsite was for the week.....

On Monday we packed up the house and headed to the next stop on route to Oregon.....Redding, California......the ride was interesting....mountains on both sides of us and acres and acres of olive groves.....at least we think they were olives.

On Highway 5 to Redding, CA

Olives?

Mt. Shasta

As I've mentioned before, it's hard to get clear pics from the window of a speeding vehicle....but that white sort of pointy part of the picture actually is Mt Shasta....

Till next post, Namaste.....
Tobi

And the road goes on forever....

Our last night in Las Vegas we were in Sam's Town hotel and casino....noticed this building across the way that was all lit up with multicolored lights.  Got my phone out and snapped this picture....didn't know that the lights change.........

 We were leaving Sam's Town headed back to the RV when we came upon this waterfall and laser light show in Sam's center lobby.....it was pretty cool.....unfortunately the pictures didn't come out so good.........see the bear on the far right?

Sam's Town Casino waterfall and laser light show

More of the show

The Bear

Left Las Vegas, spent one night in Bakersfield and then yesterday arrived in Vacaville.  It was one of the worst travel days.....rough roads and heavy traffic for 6 hours! 

On the road to Vacaville, CA

Windmills everywhere!

Thousands of them!

Flowering bushes all along the highway

And the road goes on forever.........

...........And ever.............So, here we are in Vacaville for the week.....Tuesday we'll head to Napa (about 35 miles from here) and visit the wine club that we belong to....they have a yoga and wine tasting.  Dean has a golf date on Wednesday.  The rest of the time he's working and I'm making jewelry.....trying to get enough pieces photographed so that my website can go live soon.

 

 

 

You Know You're In Las Vegas When.......

There are slot machines in the grocery store!.....seriously!

..........and you know you're not in Florida when it's 93 degrees outside and it feels lovely!

Today was supposed to be the Hoover Dam tour....well, what is the expression?  "The best laid plans....."  Dean's ankle had been bothering him, making it somewhat painful to walk.  I woke up the other morning with some weird right chest pain.  By today Dean's pain was worse, as was my chest pain. Dean dropped me off at the local ER (with chest pain my PCP would only authorize ER) and went across the street to the Walk-In clinic.  The folks at the ER were fantastic....got in right away, hooked up to the EKG, Pulse Oximeter, etc....and pronounced my pain as musculoskeletal and sent me home with a Rx for ibruprofen.  Dean didn't fair so well at the Walk-In.....$130+ later he had nothing but a referral to a podiatrist.  Apparently the urgent care doctor is not in on Thursdays.  He saw the PA who couldn't get an x-ray, prescribe meds or give a shot.....and seemed to not give a sh#@* either.  Better luck at the podiatrist....she was awesome....explained everything, made some recommendation.....and wrote them down!  So, back to the RV for lunch and both pretty much exhausted!....I got to nap but Dean had to work! 
Sorry to miss the Hoover Dam but the important thing is that we're both fine....

Namaste,
Tobi

Settled in at Las Vegas RV Resort

We got into the park yesterday afternoon....got set up and Dean went to work.....for those of you who don't know, he has an office in the back of the RV.  This park is very nice.....and conveniently located next to Sam's Town Casino!  We've discovered that apparently the RV parks in the Southwest gave up the battle of trying to grow grass in the climate.  All of the parks have blacktop or gravel at the sites.  Mischka is very unhappy navigating on gravel....he tries to get on the blacktop under the RV.....came in the house the other day with a rather large black grease spot down his back!  This park has a "fitness center".....which consists of a treadmill, stair stepper and bowflex machine but, hey, I've got to get back into my routine.  They have a yoga class on Tuesday afternoons so I'll be headed to that.
Sometime this week...not sure which day yet....depends on Dean's work schedule....we'll do the Hoover Dam tour.

So, getting back to the Grand Canyon and Sedona pictures that I promised......

The colors and textures of the Grand Canyon are amazing.....and the rock formations.....

The Duck

The Agave Plant....Tequila anyone?

And Sedona...................

Chapel of The Holy Cross...built into the mountain

Yes, that's snow!

 

 

Namaste,

Tobi