Author: Easin' Along

We’re home now.  The original itinerary for our trip to the west coast called for us to be in Seal Beach, California for three weeks after spending time in San Diego and Temecula, California with our grandchildren, then another week north of Malibu, again with our family. We would then embark on a slow drive home. Those plans went awry early in the journey. I’ll have more about that later.

Helen and I had a wonderful time in San Diego.  Fiddler’s Cove Campground at Coronado Beach is about as good as it gets, and the weather was perfect. I would love to report that we saw everything and did everything there was to do in and around San Diego, but that didn’t happen.  Instead, we enjoyed the area around Coronado, sat beside the beautiful bay, and relaxed. We cooked a few meals and spent some time with friends and family.  Again, it was wonderful.

When we checked out of Fiddler’s Cove, we drove the short distance to Temecula to meet up with our son and grandchildren for four more days of family togetherness. We stopped in Escondido, California to patronize Peterson’s Donut Corner en route to Temecula. While in San Diego, we saw a news item on local television about the famous shop that specializes in raised and glazed donuts, apple fritters, bacon maple bars, and Butterlogs, a bear claw glazed doughnut filled with butter and cinnamon. Helen located the store on Google Maps and we loaded up.

Our family arrived at the Temecula KOA a few minutes before us and waved us down as we circled the campground.  Our site was next to theirs.  I’m so glad we made it or else Helen would explode she was so excited.

We spent the next few days doing family things.  Carter, our only grandson spent time showing everyone the intricacies of Hold ‘Em Poker.  I’m not sure where he learned it, but he would play with anyone at any time.

Abby, our granddaughter brought along Honey, her beautiful Golden Retriever, and spent a lot of time walking her through the campground. I insisted that Abby take a picture with me during the weekend because I have a picture of her sitting on my lap taken almost every year since she was born. I posted this year’s image with one of the first from thirteen years ago.

We cooked, played games, and cherished the moments, but the weekend came to an end all too quickly. We watched them roll out of the campsite to return home…sadly, we had to do the same.

Helen and I left Knoxville on January 12^th.  As with any extended travel, we both had a lot to accomplish before we hit the road.  Helen had her annual mammogram scheduled for the 11^th, but she was busy and planned to reschedule after our return.  Her sister, Cammy, insisted that she go ahead with the scan.  “Your health comes first,” she said emphatically. Helen went ahead with it.

We were on the road about two hours the first day of the trip when Helen received a call from the Breast Center with the news that the radiologist noticed a difference in this year’s scan from one the previous year. They wanted her to have a second, more detailed examination as soon as possible.

Helen insisted that we continue through Gulfport and New Orleans while she attempted to schedule an exam in San Antonio.  I won’t elaborate on the extensive effort required to accomplish this, but, with the help of our insurance provider and a friend in San Antonio she managed to obtain another scan, an ultrasound, and a biopsy from some remarkable, caring, professionals on the one day we had in that town. The results were sent to our doctor in Knoxville, who had also been involved in the process. We were somewhere in New Mexico when Dr. Adams called with the news—breast cancer, stage two.

Dr. Adams recommended strongly that Helen return to Knoxville as swiftly as possible to meet with an oncologist and discuss a plan of treatment. After trying mightily to meet by Zoom, her only option was to fly from San Diego to Knoxville to meet with the specialist.  She returned to San Diego three days later.

Helen is a remarkable person, blessed with a gift that God doesn’t give to many people. Helen doesn’t worry. Also, she genuinely lives in the moment.  To her, the past is forgotten, the future will be here soon enough so, let’s enjoy today.  That gift and deep and abiding faith in God will sustain her through this process. She returned from Knoxville, not at all panicked or in fear—she was just mad that four more weeks around her grandchildren would have to wait for another day.

We left Temecula and began a grueling eight-day trek across the country. We left Phoenix with a bad tire on the only rainy day there in months.  A blinding dust storm in New Mexico almost derailed us it was so thick.  We did enjoy a lovely campground in Little Rock where I continued to work on my night photography.  We spent our last night on the road in Parker’s Crossroads, Tennessee, at the sight of a major battle during the Civil War. Helen finished another puzzle.

We’re home now and working out the details of the next step.  There will be surgery but we’re comfortable that Helen is in great hands. We’re sharing this information for one reason—we want your prayers.

I’m not sure when we will travel again and Easin’ Along may take a break for a short period.  To my blogging friends, please know that I will continue to stay in touch and may take part in a few blog challenges to keep my fingers occupied. Would love to hear from all of you when you have time.

We’re Easin’ Along in uncharted territory for us, but, gratefully, we know we’re never alone.

Helen and I are settling in nicely at Fiddler’s Cove RV Park on Coronado Bay.  The view is remarkable, and the weather is even better. We’ve had nothing but clear skies and temperatures in the mid-’70s. Of course, we have the added benefit of no humidity in Southern California…quite a change from Eastern Tennessee.

Another benefit of camping in Coronado is that our son and his family are about two hours north of us.  We will spend much time with them in the coming weeks, but we couldn’t wait that long, so we arranged to meet for a full-day outing in Oceanside, CA, about halfway between us. 

Justin (son), Abby, and Carter drove down early on a Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, Wendy, our daughter-in-law, had to work that day and could not join us.  We met up at the Oceanside Pier, then walked to “Hello Betty” for an early lunch. It was fantastic to see the grandchildren—they have grown so much and too fast!

Lunch was fun but filling.  We decided to walk back to the pier to rid ourselves of a few calories.  A beautiful day is not something to waste, and the surfers were out in force, taking full advantage.  Fishermen were out as well, and a huge Pelican kept tormenting them.  Each time a fisherman tried to put bait on a fishhook, the big fellow would try to snatch it away.  Attempts to move him along were futile.

The day got away from us too soon, but Helen and I wanted to visit Camp Pendleton with the kids before they drove home.  The vast Marine Base is a few short miles from Oceanside, and we wanted to see the RV Park for future reference. We found the campground and hiked around it. After we finished our walk, Carter played us a few tunes on his saxophone. We hated to see them drive off.

In Coronado the next day, Helen touched base with Ann and Joe, friends from Knoxville who were in the area visiting their daughter.  Before leaving on this trip, we discovered that we would be in San Diego at the same time and agreed to get together while there. They came to the campground the next day. We chatted away in our trailer before driving into Coronado for drinks and dinner at Coronado Brewing Company, a favorite Helen and I discovered on our previous visit here. We had a delightful evening and made plans to meet the next day.

Ann and Joe’s daughter, Catherine, lives in Solana, a very scenic beach town near La Jolla. We met them at the train station, jumped in their car, and rode with them to Catherine’s lovely home atop a peak overlooking Solana with a view of the Pacific beyond. In addition to the fantastic views, Catherine’s home is a gardener’s delight, complete with fruit trees and terraced vegetable gardens.  She even has banana trees producing fruit.  We captured a picture of the family under the banana tree.

Before returning to the train station, Ann and Joe took us by the condo they rented while staying in Solana.  They rented well.  The view from above the beach was outstanding.

I couldn’t live in California…but I love visiting there.  We have another week to enjoy ourselves in Coronado before Easin’ Along to Temecula. Stay with us.

After a restful visit, Helen and I pulled out of Tucson, AZ.  We toured Saguaro National Park and slipped into Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for a much-needed couple of hours in the laundromat. We drove to our next stop at Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, AZ, east of Phoenix, with fresh minds, fresh coffee, and fresh laundry.

We camped at Lost Dutchman once before and loved the experience.  The elegant beauty of the Superstition Mountains hovers over the campground and provides a fantastic backdrop to almost every campsite. I booked the reservation several months ago and obtained the last site available at the time…I soon discovered why.  Our campsite had no electric or water hookups. We don’t roll that way.  I have sleep apnea and MUST have electricity. I carry a portable power bank for emergencies, but it only has enough stored power for about five hours. It was a long night.

The following day, we called Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, AZ, to see if a campsite was available at Saguaro Skies RV Park on the base.  We were living right.  One site was open for the next two nights, and we arrived before noon. The staff at Saguaro Skies were so helpful and welcoming, Helen and I couldn’t feel more at home.  The RV Park was clean, well-landscaped (we had a desert garden at our front door), and the pads were large. Luck was with us on this one!

During the planning stage of this trip, I reached out to a blogging friend, Ingrid (Live, Laugh, RV), to see if she and her husband, Al, would be around when we got to the Phoenix area. I knew they were in the process of moving out of their full-time RV life and into a new home, so the timing might not be good. She replied that they would be around and contact her when we reached Phoenix.

Ingrid was one of the first blogging “pen pals” I made when Easin’ Along got up and running. Whenever I researched lifestyle blogs, Live, Laugh, RV always appeared on the list. It also seemed that every blog I read included Live, Laugh, RV on their blog roll, so I began to follow her website around the time she and Al were wintering over in Texas.  I became a fan of her blog and her incredible photography. We corresponded through the comments section of her blog and eventually met when Helen and I camped at Lost Dutchman in 2019.  Ingrid and I had similar cameras, and she came to help me learn the ins and outs.  Al joined us, and we enjoyed a delightful afternoon hiking and taking pictures.

On this trip, Ingrid and Al invited us for lunch. Although they have only lived in their home for a few months, they have done a lovely job with what Ingrid described as a mess.  Her choice of colors and her decorations are beautiful. It seemed that they had lived there for much, much longer. After lunch, Helen and Ingrid went into the citrus grove in the rear of the house, where Helen filled a bag with Naval oranges, tangelos, and ripe grapefruit.  The time passed quickly, and I can’t thank them enough for sharing their day with us.  I hope I can repay the favor at some point in the future.

The next evening, we visited a local casino…Helen cashed in for $450, which doesn’t happen very often. She was kind enough to share.

Next up on the itinerary was the El Centro (CA) Naval Airfield, the winter home of the Blue Angels, the Navy’s precision flying team. We camped at El Centro in March 2019, but the Blue Angels had moved out by then, and we missed their training flights…not so on this trip. The roar of jets overhead became part of our daily life at El Centro, and I loved it.  I captured a picture of two aircraft flying near the campground one morning.  I put the camera in burst mode and barely got them. These jets are FAST!

On our second day, the winds reached gale force and remained that way for the entire day. El Centro is in the heart of the Imperial Valley. Enormous agricultural fields are in the tilling and planting stage now, and it is scorched there. A dust storm kicked up in the windy conditions, and we could barely see beyond our trailer. I have a picture of the dust in front of us and a picture of the following day.  It is an excellent example of what was around us.  I also captured sunset in El Centro.  The image is the real thing; I only made one adjustment to the contrast

From El Centro, we drove about two hours to Fiddler’s Cove RV Campground on the Navy Base in Coronado, CA. Fiddler’s Cove is an exceptional campground in the military inventory.  Our campsite is within fifty feet of the waters of Coronado Bay.  Sailboats are moored in front of us, and San Diego’s skyscrapers form the backdrop. We couldn’t ask for a more beautiful setting.

Yesterday, I took a picture of the view from our trailer (above). After dark, I captured the same view with the skyline lights in the background.  This shot stretched the limits of my camera, but I’m proud of the results (f/8, 1/3.2 sec, ISO 800).

We’ll be in Coronado Bay for two weeks of relaxation and exploration and we’ll post an update next week. Thanks for Easin’ Along with us…it’s gonna be fun! Helen and Joe