Category Archives: California

Ski Trip to Lake Tahoe

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As we left Tiburon early in the morning, we couldn’t help but feel excited about what lay ahead. Our destination was Lake Tahoe, and we knew we had to make it there before the major winter storm hit. With adrenaline pumping, we raced against time and successfully crossed Echo Summit pass. As we entered South Lake Tahoe, we saw traffic going east being stopped due to the impending storm. Our relief at having made it to our hotel just in time was a great relief.

We settled into our room at the Forest Suites Resort, and watched the storm rage outside. Our relief, however, was tempered by the fact that our friends from the Chagrin Valley Ski Club (CVSC) were due to arrive that day. We kept our fingers crossed, hoping that their flights wouldn’t be delayed. After much drama including being rerouted and missing baggage, they finally arrived around midnight, exhausted but happy to have finally made it. Continue reading →

Trip to San Francisco Along California Coast

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Embarking on our trip to Lake Tahoe to meet the Chagrin Valley Ski Club, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a scenic drive up the California coast. Our first stop was none other than the stunning seaside city of Santa Barbara, where we planned to catch up with an old high school friend, Rick Hannay.

Rick welcomed us with open arms, and we spent the evening reminiscing about old times over dinner at a cozy little restaurant in town. Afterward, we decided to head over to the Rosewood Miramar Hotel for some after-dinner drinks.

As we walked into the hotel lobby, we were immediately struck by the hotel’s luxurious ambiance. The interior was tastefully decorated with elegant furnishings, and the soft lighting created a warm and inviting atmosphere. We settled in at the bar, for a leisurely drink and more reminiscing. Continue reading →

Joshua Tree NP

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During our stay at Borrego Springs we made a day trip to explore Joshua Tree NP near Palm Springs.. The park, which spans over 792,510 acres, is a breathtaking natural wonderland that boasts a rich history and diverse array of flora and fauna. The park was established as a national monument in 1936, and later designated as a national park in 1994. The park gets its name from the Joshua tree, a species of yucca that is native to the Mojave Desert. The tree was named by Mormon pioneers who were reminded of the biblical figure Joshua, who reportedly lifted his arms in prayer to guide the Israelites to the Promised Land.

Upon arriving at the Cottonwood Visitor Center, we were greeted by a friendly ranger who provided us with a list of must-see attractions within the park. We quickly made my way to the Cholla Cactus Garden, where we were absolutely amazed by the sheer beauty of the desert landscape. As we walked through the fields of Cholla, the sunlight shone through the cacti, creating a stunning backdrop for some unforgettable photo opportunities.

Next, we made my way to Skull Rock, where I embarked on a short hike that led me through a maze of towering boulders and unique rock formations. The scenery was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and I was blown away by the sheer size and scale of the landscape around me. Continue reading →

Borrego Springs

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After leaving Flagstaff, we journeyed south to Phoenix and Tucson to get some annual maintenance work done on the RV. With the RV tuned up and ready for the road again, we continued on to our next destination: Borrego Springs for a three week stay and our last stop before returning to Oceanside CA for the winter.

Nestled in the heart of the Anza-Borrego desert, Borrego Springs is a hidden gem that offers a unique blend of natural beauty and modern amenities. As we checked in at the luxurious Springs of Borrego RV Resort, We love this park for its peace and quite as well as great pickleball and great people. This is a perfect spot to stay and explore the natural beauty and sights in this part of California.

To fully appreciate the area’s rich history, I took some time to explore the surrounding landscape. The Anza-Borrego desert has a long and fascinating history, dating back thousands of years to the indigenous peoples who first called this rugged terrain home. Later, the area was a major hub for Spanish explorers and missionaries, who established settlements and missions throughout the region. The blooming wildflowers in the desert park made it even more special for us. Continue reading →

Northern California

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On May 13th, we arrived at Redding, staying at the Mountain Gate RV Park, near Mt Shasta. We drove to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park and explored beautiful Burney Falls. Burney Falls, called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by President Theodore Roosevelt, falling129 feet, is truly magnificent. In March 2021, a National Geographic article declared the site to be one of “northern California’s most spectacular waterfalls”. The water comes from underground springs above and at the falls, which are 129 feet high, and provides an almost constant flow rate of 379 million litres per day. Several movies with scenes filmed at Burney Falls include, Stand by Me(1986), The Parson and the Outlaw(1957), and Tarzan’s Fight for Life(1958). Click on thumbnail to view image Continue reading →

Santa Catalina Island

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The Green Pleasure Pier, built in 1908

On January 5th, 2022, we decided to take a trip to Santa Catalina Island for three days to explore the island on our E-bikes. We boarded the Catalina Express from Dana Point and had a blue-bird day crossing the sea to the town of Avalon. We saw whales and dolphins on the way. We checked into the Atwater Hotel just a short ride from the ferry terminal and after joining the Catalina Island Conservancy in order to be able to ride on the roads, we started to explore the Island. We rode our bikes up to the Airport in the Sky Restaurant at 1,600 feet elevation. We rode over 2,000 feet of elevation gain to get there, thank god for E-bikes, and the views were spectacular. Great lunch on the deck with a huge view, before descending back to Avalon, big downhill ride. The sun was beginning to set as we rode down the hill with a beautiful soft, pink, glow over the ocean. Click on thumbnail to view image Continue reading →

Death Valley NP, California

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After leaving Seven Feathers RV Resort we drove to Lone Pine, CA, and we stayed at the Boulder Creek RV Resort for two nights. Death Valley National Park was established in 1994, enlarging the park by 1.3 million acres. We have never visited here before and we were excited to spend a day exploring some of the Park. Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous US, and the hottest, driest and lowest of all the national parks in the US. It is this unique combination of low elevation and dryness that makes Death Valley the hottest place in the USA and one of the hottest on earth. On November 1st, we visited the Park, on a beautiful sunny day, not too hot. The road into Death Valley, SR 190, was narrow, winding and steep in some places.

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Winter in Oceanside CA

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Arrived in Oceanside on November 1st at Paradise by the Sea RV Resort and we have are favorite site again. Immediately we got back into pickleball at Melba Bishop and joined the Bay Club Carmel Valley, hoping to get back into shape. We also bought e-bikes and had so much fun riding to pickleball and around Oceanside. We did some  new fun things with the kids this year after a wonderful Christmas with the whole family. Continue reading →

Yosemite NP, California

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On our way south we stopped to visit Yosemite National Park. We stayed in Chowchilla, off of Hwy 99 at The Lakes RV and Golf Resort. October 31st was a beautiful fall day to drive to Yosemite for a wonderful hike in the Park. When we headed up the Valley where we stopped to watch the climbers on El Capitan. The we headed further into the park and did the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls, a 3 mile hike featuring approximately 600 stone steps, some up to 1 foot high. The Mist Trail is one of the most popular short hikes in the Park following the Merced River, starting at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley, past Vernal Falls and Emerald Pool, to Nevada Falls, a 7 mile out and back hike. We hiked along the Merced River, a tumultuous mountain stream, with enormous boulders, some the size of a house. As we climbed the 600 stone steps we were awarded with fabulous views of Vernal Falls. Continue reading →

Mammoth Mt Ski Trip

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This year the Chagrin Valley Ski Club went to Mammoth Mountain in January from the 27th to Feb 3rd. Bob and I drove to Mammoth from San Diego, a six hour drive and we arrived at the Condo before the bus did. We were staying at the Juniper Springs Lodge with our roomies Karen and Bruce, within walking distance to the Eagle lift. Unfortunately, the bus with all the Chagrin Valley group hit a rock and broke the transmission, and had to get towed, the group got another bus but they were delayed by about 4 hours. We finally met everyone at the wine and cheese party that night and collected our passes for the week. The next day was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and we took Karen and Bruce all over the mountain.  The conditions, however, were not the best as the mountain was lacking snow and chair 9 was almost bare in spots. We had fun going to the summit and seeing the view of the mountains, then skiing down for lunch at the main lodge. Where we sat outside in the warm sunshine eating lunch and watching the snowboarders in the half-pipe. For dinner we went to a sushi restaurant in Mammoth Lakes. Continue reading →