Category: Fun

Helen and I left San Diego after almost two weeks of “glamping” at Fiddler’s Cove RV Park on beautiful Coronado Island.  Although it was tough to say goodbye, we were not sad because our next stop included a weekend camping with Justin, our son, and his family in the wine country around Temecula, California.  Our home for a long weekend was Vail Lake KOA.

We made good time because of the light traffic on the freeway. The California Poppies covered the hillsides and made the one-and-a-half-hour drive delightful. In the distance, heavy snow blanketed the mountaintops to the east (above). More was predicted in the days ahead.

The drive to Temecula included one stop—a repeat from last year’s trip to the area. While in San Diego, we caught a local news program that included a piece on Peterson’s Doughnut Corner in Escondido. A second visit was a must. We stopped and shopped. Helen stood in line and filled three boxes with Bear Claws, Cinnamon Twists, Doughnut Holes, Glazed Doughnuts, French Crullers, and two varieties of filled doughnuts. Every item was as good as we remembered. We were glad to help out the local economy.

We checked into the KOA and followed a young man in a golf cart to our campsite.  Vail Lake KOA is enormous, with over four hundred campsites. Our site was in the rear, about as far from the office as possible. There were few campers in that part of the campground when we pulled in, but before dark, the entire area filled up with families and large groups, and music filled the air. Justin, Wendy, our grandchildren, and granddogs arrived soon after us.

As campgrounds go, this one is not a “glampers paradise.” There are no concrete pads for camping equipment, only sand…a lot of it. There are some excellent features, including a pickleball court and a restaurant and bar area featuring live music, but the roads are in bad repair, and the recent heavy rains washed out some of the curbs and drainage troughs.

However, the two dogs loved the place and were a delight.  Honey, a beautiful Golden Retriever, stayed close to the campsite but preferred to sit in the car when waiting for her next walk. Todd, the young, very light-colored daschund, didn’t venture far either—he was always in someone’s lap.

Carter, our grandson, loves to play games of any kind–board games, video games, card games, and sports. In the picture below, he explains a game on his phone to a befuddled grandfather. Helen pulled out her pickleball equipment, and Carter immediately challenged her to a match. Wendy and Abby, our granddaughter, joined in.

Abby is a dancer and practices four days a week in four-hour sessions with a dance group.  She is passionate about the art and hates to miss a session. Thankfully, no practices were scheduled for the weekend, and she joined us willingly. Abby often listens to music and lets me share an earphone occasionally.  I can’t remember the song names, but all have a catchy beat (I’m such an old fogie).

At one point during the weekend, we had a visitor. Bo, an English Bulldog puppy, strolled by our campsite on a walk with the owner. I almost dog-napped the adorable fellow but thought better of it. I LOVE English Bulldogs and vow to have one as soon as we give up the RV lifestyle. Helen is still thinking it over.

I wish I had more to report, but this was a casual family weekend, and relaxation was the rule of the trip.  We only get a few days a year with our California kids and wanted to make the most of our time. We enjoyed time around the campfire, cooked some great meals, and watched Helen complete her latest puzzle (Picture above). Everything went by quickly, but we still had two more weekends to spend with them before returning to Knoxville.  They pulled out on Sunday afternoon—dogs and all—it was sad to see them leave.

To console ourselves, Helen and I jumped in the truck later that afternoon for a trip into Temecula.  Somehow, we ended up at Pechanga Casino. Life is grand, and we’re still Easin’ Along.

Helen and I are very fortunate to have access to the campgrounds on military installations. They are very reasonably priced, well-staffed, and secure. We have used them all over the country, so choosing a favorite is difficult, but I have narrowed my choices down to two. Cliffside RV Park at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Island, WA, is in second place. The setting is lovely, and the sunsets are staggeringly beautiful. In addition, a horticulturist serves as a camp host and plants gorgeous flowers in every spot available. I have a link to our visit to Whidbey Island here.

Fiddler’s Cove RV Park and Marina, operated by the Navy in Coronado Beach, CA, tops my list of favorites. We have camped at Fiddler’s Cove for the previous three years and hope to return often in the years to come. The campsites are spacious concrete pads, and every site has a view of Coronado Bay. A reservation is not easy to obtain, so we call six months in advance to secure a spot for as many days as possible, then build a trip around that reservation.  We had eleven days this year.

Driving to San Diego from El Centro, CA, takes a little over two hours, which is manageable and offers some fascinating scenery. The desert sands of Southern California are intriguing and always filled with dune buggies and dirt bikers. Helen captured the picture below while driving through.

As we neared San Diego, the now-green landscape began to fill with California Poppies lighting up the hillsides with brilliant colors of yellow and orange. Entire mountainsides were covered along the highway. We didn’t have this display on our previous visits and were delighted with the show.

After checking into Fiddler’s Cove, we were assigned a middle row with an unobstructed view of Coronado Bay. The image below is the view from our front bedroom window…it was now time to relax and let the fun begin.

Helen and I can set up our trailer and connect the utilities in less than thirty minutes.  The nice weather facilitated things considerably, and we completed the task quickly.  I needed to stretch my legs after the drive and was eager to work with my new camera, so I grabbed it and searched for photo opportunities. It didn’t take long. The mountains and flowers overlooking the bay were easy to target, as was the view of the Marina (image at top).

A few nights later, I wanted to try again to capture a night shot after my frustrating attempt in Las Cruces, NM. I mounted the camera on a tripod, attached a remote, and aimed the camera at the lights of Coronado and San Diego across the water. The result is shown below. The daytime image of that view is posted below the night shot.

Downtown Coronado Beach and the Coronado Hotel are charming, and we took advantage of the accommodating weather to stroll the town.  Helen found bargains along the sidewalks and walked away with a new jacket and a colorful top.

The beach is across the highway from the campground and usually has no beach walkers late in the afternoon when the temperatures drop quickly. Once again, I grabbed the camera and walked over to capture a sunset.  Unfortunately, we arrived a little too late for sunset, but the beach was scenic enough by itself.

The charming town of Imperial Beach is about four miles south of Fiddler’s Cove and sits right on the border with Mexico. We decided to visit the city after a couple of our neighbors told us about the lovely time they had walking on the Imperial Beach Pier. A walk along the pier takes visitors to the most southwesterly point in the continental United States…and we were there. 

Readers have probably heard about California’s incredible snow over the past few weeks.  The many feet of snow have overwhelmed many mountain towns, and snow was recorded as far south as San Diego County. We experienced several days of heavy rain while at Fiddler’s Cove, and when the skies cleared, we could see snow on the mountains to our southeast. Although the snow caused much disruption to everyone except the ski resorts, it was a welcome site to the farmers and city managers because extreme drought conditions had prevailed for most of a decade, and water shortages were severe. Californians may now get relief from rationing.

Thanks to the many following us on this journey and kindly commenting. If anyone wishes to reach out, feel free—the comment section is below. Please stay with us—Temecula wine country and Seal Beach are up next, and we want you Easin’ Along with us.