Easin' Along

July for us began in California. California, as a whole, was enjoyable, pleasantly cool, and comfortable. Barstow, CA, was hot and dry, but still the best place for us to spend one night on our way to Las Vegas for six nights. Our home for those nights was Desert Eagle Campground at Nellis Air Force Base. The heat followed us there—-110 degrees (or higher).

On our first full day at the campground, we hardly left the trailer except to take Mortimer for walks and to finish setting it up for a six-night stay. Late in the afternoon, we decided to drive to the Las Vegas Strip to try our luck. Helen did well, and that’s all I’m saying. We stayed home on night two to do some cleaning and organizing for the long trip home and to watch some World Cup Soccer.

On night three, I felt brave enough to venture into a casino once more, but I wasn’t going back to the Strip. It’s too busy, and I thought a new location might improve my odds of at least breaking even. We decided to try the area around the Fremont Hotel and Casino in the older section of Sin City.

The Plaza in front of the Fremont stretches for several blocks and offers covered space and access to many bars and entertainment venues. It’s also a fun place to spend an evening away from the heat. The Chippendales were performing near the Fremont. I offered to purchase Helen a ticket, but she passed. The gaming tables were a bigger draw.

We did passably well that night and returned for one more during our stay so I could give it all back. Despite coming up short, I still had fun and learned that Fremont Plaza is a good alternative to the famous Vegas Strip. I recommend it to anyone planning a trip.

In the campground, we were treated to a brilliant Fourth of July sunset and watched the Washington, D.C. fireworks display on television for an exciting conclusion to our time in Las Vegas.

Our route home usually follows the same path along I-40. We drive to Flagstaff, AZ for two nights, then Albuquerque, NM for two more. Next comes Amarillo and Oklahoma City. On previous trips, we have followed Oklahoma City with a night near Ft. Smith, Arkansas, but we learned that the electricity was out at that campground, so we drove a bit further east to Edens RV Resort in Pottsville, Arkansas. The reviews were very good, and we agreed with everything that was said. Edens was a new campground, but the owners were doing everything necessary to make it successful.

From Pottsville, we made it to Parker’s Crossroads in West Tennessee for one night before the long drive to Knoxville. We were home on July 17. I was pleasantly surprised at how green everything was. After spending three months without a drop of rain after leaving in April, Knoxville appeared green and lush. I later learned that a lot of rain had worked its way up the Tennessee Valley.

Shortly after arriving, word came from Carter, our favorite grandson, that his volleyball team won the AAU Under 15 national championship in Orlando, FL…quite an accomplishment. They never lost a match throughout the tournament.

As soon as everything was put away and our fifth-wheel camper returned to storage, I made time for my exercise class. It felt great to stretch my legs after so much driving.  Helen returned to her pottery class, her pickleball pals, and the church choir. Mortimer gathered his treasure trove of Teddys and assumed his favorite position under Helen’s puzzle table.

We had a wonderful trip, but there’s no place like home. Thanks for stopping by.

Helen and I agreed that we had taken our RV to California enough over the last few years and wanted to plan a trip across another part of the country. Nevertheless, we learned early this year that Bennett, our granddaughter in Charleston, SC, would play with her team, Low Country United, in a National soccer tournament in Norco, CA, in June. Since our oldest son and his family live within an hour of the tournament site, we saw it as a chance to spend some family time and agreed that an RV trip elsewhere would have to wait. We went all in.

After eight lovely days in Coronado, CA, we moved to the Navy campground at Seal Beach, CA, where we have camped many times. Our son and his family live about 20 miles north in Redondo Beach. Carter, our grandson, was scheduled to play in a volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles Convention Center over the weekend we were there, and we attended his matches on Saturday and Sunday. Carter played very well, and his team won all of the matches with BeBe and Big Daddy in the stands. We also squeezed in a trip to the Long Beach Farmer’s Market on Sunday—always a treat.

Collin and Bennett arrived in California the following Wednesday and joined the family at Hennessey’s Tavern, Hermosa Beach, my favorite pub in the South Bay area. Emily, my niece from Knoxville, attends law school at USC and joined us there with her friend, Olivia. We had a large amount of fun on the patio next to the Hermosa Pier. The breeze coming off the Pacific was delightful.

The soccer tournament began on Thursday, and Low Country United faced off against a team from Murfreesboro, TN. United took care of business, 5-1. Bennett, a center midfielder, played great and got an assist on the first goal. Over the weekend, United played in two more matches against teams from California and North Carolina. Wins in both matches sent our girls into the semifinals. United flashed “W” signs, as did a bunch of very proud parents.

Between matches, Helen and I hosted the family at our campsite in Chino, CA, in the very lovely Prado Regional Park. Bocci Ball, Frisbee games, and Cornhole kept everyone entertained. Pancakes and bacon kept everyone fed. Justin and the family camped next to us. We don’t get opportunities like this very often.

In the semifinals on Monday, United was matched against a team from New York…it was not a game for sissies. Both teams played a hard-fought, physical match, but alas, with five minutes remaining, the New Yorkers scored the only goal, sending United home with a 1-0 loss. Many of Bennett’s teammates had played together since early childhood, but many of them were moving on to other teams or other sports, so this was the last game they would play as a group. Tears were shed by several.

After the game, many of the team members and parents gathered at Honors Sports Bar for dinner and to watch World Cup Soccer. The place was packed. Bennett and a few of her teammates climbed a small mountain overlooking Norco and snapped this picture. The sting of the semifinal loss had abated by then. The flight home was good as well.

Helen, Mortimer, and I had reservations at Prado until Wednesday, hoping for a shot at the finals, but most of the team rescheduled flights a day early. We canceled our last day as well; packed up, and drove to Barstow, CA for one night on our way to Las Vegas for six. Saying goodbye was tough, but we had a wonderful experience saying hello on this trip… it doesn’t happen often enough for these two bi-coastal grandparents.  It’s on to Vegas, baby! Join us there.

Helen, Mortimer, and I scampered out of the heat in Arizona as soon as we could. We canceled the last two days of our reservation at Lost Dutchman so that we could get to Fiddler’s Cove Marina and RV Park earlier than planned. We would have canceled more nights in Arizona, but Fiddler’s Cove was full, and I understand why.

We have four Military campgrounds at the top of our list of favorites, and Fiddler’s Cove on Coronado Island is at the top. Whidbey Island, WA, is a very close second, but I doubt we’ll get there again. We reserved 10 nights in Fiddler’s Cove—four nights in a middle row and six nights on the waterfront. When we arrived, the temperature was in the low 70s, with a soft breeze coming in from the Pacific. It didn’t take long for us to shake off the desert heat and settle in. We had a catfish fry for dinner.

We have camped at Fiddler’s Cove at least five times previously and have completed most of the “tourist things” in and around the San Diego area, so we felt no urge to move around much. Sailboats were racing throughout Coronado Bay (picture at top) and provided some entertainment while we read books from our perch just above the water.

Helen and I enjoy visiting some of the many piers along the Southern California coast. The Imperial Beach Pier is about 10 miles south of the campground and is a place we visited one afternoon. Again, the weather was delightful, but the crowd was light. Fishermen along the pier rail were in a school of small fish and stayed busy pulling them in. Helen tried to befriend a large Pelican, but he just wasn’t into it. The locals kept throwing their fish at him, and he needed to concentrate.

The beach across the highway from the campground gave us an opportunity to get some exercise walking, and we took advantage. Shore birds gave us some company. The flowers just off the shore were in full bloom.

Coronado hosts a Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays in the summer and lured us in. We picked out six nice-looking ears of Peaches and Cream corn to take back to Gracey (fifth-wheel). We picked up a few ripe tomatoes as well.

For our one night out, Helen and I drove to the other end of the Island to Coronado Brewing Company for dinner and a sampling from their large selection of craft beer. We like to sit at the bar in pubs like this one and chat with the locals. We met a young man named Ben who peppered us with questions about the RV lifestyle. His parents were newly retired and needed something to fill their time besides golf. We gave him our best. We also met a fellow named Bill, a regular customer and a Coronado native. He described Coronado as “Mayberry for the wealthy.” It’s an apt description. Coronado is clean, quaint, and charming.

During our time in Coronado, the Navy moved a large ship into North Island Naval Air Station to serve as a grandstand and broadcast booth for a NASCAR race being held over Father’s Day weekend. I wished we had tickets, but this small island was filling up fast with cars, 18-wheelers, and people. I’ll have to watch it on television.

Speaking of watching…Every evening, the sky over Coronado would put on a stunning display of color during the twilight hours. I had to share.

Our campsite was perfectly positioned to view the San Diego skyline at night. I waited six nights for the winds to die down enough to capture a bit of skyline reflection on the water. (picture below). I didn’t have that opportunity again; the water was always too choppy.

It’s time for my nap, and I feel certain I have lulled you to sleep as well, so I’m going to sign off.

We will be in Seal Beach, CA, next to watch our grandson play volleyball. I’m excited, and we’re Easin’ Along.