Author: Easin' Along

Although we wanted to spend two weeks at Fiddler’s Cove in Coronado Beach, we could only reserve a space for six nights. Our time there was lovely, even with a heavy marine layer on us every morning. So, at the end of our time there, we moved to Del Mar Campground on the Marine Base at Camp Pendleton, near Oceanside, CA. We reserved six nights there also.

Del Mar Campground is a beach with full hookups, and we parked Dora on the sand. We spent our first three nights in a campsite on the third row, and Helen complained the entire time that she had no view of the water. That would not do so; she marched into the office to ask for any vacancies on the front row. Without checking, the attendant told her that there were no open campsites. Helen had noticed that no one had camped in site 14 when we were there, so she waited until the attendant was on the phone and asked someone else, telling the new person that site 14 appeared vacant. New person checked–we moved to site 14 on the front row.

Our new campsite was about 100 yards from the water. We kept the windows open and let the waves lull us to sleep at night. Our beach vacation began at Del Mar. Neither of us is a beach sitter, but we love beach views, and the front row filled the bill.

We did little during our stay except relax. Finally, we knew we had to move around, so we went into Oceanside to walk the pier and catch the sights. As we looked for a parking place near the pier, we learned that the Race Across America was about to take off from below the pier, and the cyclists lined up for the race in pairs (two if by land—get it?).

We asked an event volunteer for information on the race’s details and learned that the first leg began in Oceanside and ended in Durango, CO. That portion of the competition is called Race Across the West. From there, the cyclists, participating in the entire race, travel across 13 states and finish on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The race takes from nine to twelve days. Except for an occasional stunning sunset, viewing the start of the race was the most exciting thing that happened to us all week (by far). We’re a wild bunch!

From Del Mar, we moved to San Onofre Beach, another campground on Camp Pendleton, where our beach vacation would continue for two more weeks. For reference, San Onofre is on the coast and about eight miles south of San Clemente, CA. Our campsite was about fifty yards from the surf’s edge and had a spectacular water view.

On our second day there, Helen, Mortimer, and I loaded up and drove about an hour north to meet our son, Justin, and drop Mortimer off with Abby, our granddaughter. Our grandson, Carter, played in the SoCal Cup Volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles Arena the day before, and we wanted to attend the second day’s matches. We entered the arena, and volleyballs were flying everywhere. I’m guessing there were nearly 1000 participants on over 80 volleyball courts. Carter’s team won the first match, winning both games.

Almost as quickly as the first match ended, the second began. Carter’s team also won that match in two straight and remained undefeated for the day. Because Helen and I had to retrieve Mortimer and return to San Onofre, we left after two matches but had a grand time.

I cannot count the times Mortimer, our wrinkle-faced love sponge, has drawn passersby into our campsite. I love how people react to Mortimer, who is always eager for a love pat—sometimes annoyingly. A day or two into our time at San Onofre, Helen and I sat in front of our trailer, reading and watching the surf roll in. Mortimer rested comfortably at our feet. A lady and her teenage daughter passed by and asked if they could pet our pup. Mortimer didn’t wait for the go-ahead; he moved in and fell in love with them both.

We introduced ourselves to the pair, Jenn and Chesney, and learned that Chesney was participating in the Junior Surfing Championship, held about a mile down the beach from us. Helen and I had a delightful conversation with them both. Knowing little about surfing competitions, I asked Chesney how the competition worked and how surfers scored enough points to move up and win. I learned a lot and promised to attend her event the next day. After peeling Mortimer away, Jenn and Chesney moved on to rest up.

Helen and I walked the mile along the beach to the competition and met Jen while Chesney prepared to surf. Chesney is ranked in the top fifteen in the world in her age group (age 15 and under) and is as adorable as she is athletic. When the time came for her event, she paddled her board out with three other competitors for a twenty-minute round in the quarterfinals. Although surfing is an individual sport (one if by sea–get it?), surfers compete in groups of three or four. Chesney gave it her all, but the waves didn’t break her way on this day. She finished third and missed the opportunity to move ahead. Helen and I shared her disappointment, but we know she will have better days in future competitions.

Helen and I returned the next day to watch some men compete. Surfing is a new sport for us, and I found it fascinating. At this level, everyone is good!

This morning, Jenn and Chesney stopped by before flying home. We took pictures, shared contact information, and promised to stay in touch. I hope we do.

We have another week in San Onofre. We might explore the area, but leaving our current setting is difficult. Readers will understand.

Our most exciting moment of the week came when a rocket launched from Vandenburg Air Force Base flew directly over our campsite. I grabbed my camera too late to capture the rocket, but I did get an image of the trail. Again, it only takes a little to get us excited.

We’re Easin’ Along.

El Centro, California, is a six-hour (plus) drive from our previous stay at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, Arizona. I drove, Helen played word games, and Mortimer slept through the entire drive. We arrived mid-afternoon and were assigned a lonely campsite on the edge of the campground on the El Centro Naval Air Facility–winter home of the Blue Angels.

We have camped here before, usually in late winter or early spring. I noticed that most of the campsites were empty for this visit. There was a reason for that: temperatures hovered near 100°. Most of the snowbirds had departed long ago. Thankfully, our air conditioning was in good working order.

One thing seemed wrong, however. My leveling system kept sending me a “low voltage” reading during set-up, so I took both batteries to AutoZone for testing. Both tested at full strength. When I reinstalled the batteries in our trailer, I made a foolish mistake and crossed the battery wires. Huge sparks flew all over the storage cabin, and the wires got so hot I welded the cable nut to the battery post. Thinking that I may have destroyed the battery, I tried to remove the nut for another test, but it wouldn’t budge. I considered cutting the cable but feared I couldn’t repair it, and my only option was to call a mobile repair service.

Two men from D&R RV repair arrived the following afternoon, bringing tools and a fresh battery. They could only pull the post out of the battery and, using brute strength, remove the nut from the cable. The new battery solved my dilemma, but the mistake cost me where it hurts. I hope to learn from this one.

During our downtime, we drove to nearby Westmoreland, CA, the Date Capital of the U.S., so that Helen could buy a “Date Shake.” We also shopped through the impressive display inside the store and picked up a few bags to take home. We drove back to El Centro through a portion of the Imperial Valley where millions of acres are devoted to agriculture and fed by the lower section of the Colorado River.

A sunset that evening capped off a memorable visit (some were better than others).

We only had a two-hour drive to Fiddler’s Cove RV Park in Coronado, CA, so we took it slow. If Fiddler’s Cove isn’t our favorite military campground, it’s in the top three. If we get to park along the water, it’s our favorite. It drops a point or two if we must camp a row back. We got waterfront for this six-day stay where daytime temperatures in the upper sixties greeted us–quite a difference compared to El Centro.

From our campsite, we had a fabulous view of Coronado Bay and the city of Coronado beyond. The famous Hotel Del Coronado was visible in the distance. The activity in the Marina in front of us provided plenty of entertainment, including sailboat races that began in front of our trailer.

Thanks to suggestions from fellow campers and campground staff, Helen and I had good food experiences in the area. Early during our stay, our neighbors suggested we try Don Pancho’s Mexican in Imperial Beach, five miles south of the campground. Don Pancho’s is a walk-up diner, and there was a line in front when we arrived–always a good sign. Helen ordered a Tortilla Plate of some variety, and I ordered a Burrito that was the size of a cinder block. I finished it in three installments.

We also visited Coronado Brewing Company, a choice from previous years at Fiddler’s Cove. The restaurant was bustling, but we lucked up with seats at the bar (always my preference), where the charming bartender immediately handed us menus. In front of the bar stood a menu board loaded with Craft Beer selections. Helen paired her “Taco Something or Other” with a Blonde Ale, and I went with a Mexican Lager for my Pub Burger and Fries. Everything was very tasty.

Later in the week, Helen located some salmon we brought from home in our freezer, and we spent the morning trying to come up with a new way to prepare it besides grilling or baking it in the oven. I researched the Blackstone Grill website and found a recipe for “Lime, Coconut, Curry Salmon.” We decided to give it a go and scurried to the commissary for the ingredients.

The recipe required several steps for preparing the sauce and cooking the salmon on the griddle. I watched the video twice and then scribbled down the steps to carry it to the griddle for reference while cooking. Ultimately, the meal was magnificent, and the sauce was the best part. Let me know if anyone wants the recipe, and I’ll send you the link. You don’t need a griddle; a large skillet will work fine.

Besides the above, we used our time at Fiddler’s Cove to relax. We had spent three weeks driving to the West Coast and enjoyed the journey, but now was the time to unwind—something we do well. Helen puzzled, I read, and Mortimer slept.

I experimented some more with my camera and captured another night shot using the lights of Coronado as a backdrop. I took the daytime picture around 4 p.m. and waited until around nine to take the nighttime image, an exposure of thirty seconds.

After six days, we moved up the coast to Del Mar, CA. Please join us there. We’re Easin’ Along and livin’ a blessed experience!

Helen, Mortimer, and I escaped Texas’s heat (and mosquitoes) and finally found relief in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We found a home for the next three nights at the KOA Journey, a well-run campground we have previously visited on the road to California.

When I made the reservation, I didn’t realize that we would camp in the “Super Site,” which sits on a bluff with a view of the Las Cruces Valley and a grand view of the Organ Mountains in the distance. The site also has a covered patio, a fireplace, and a nice propane grill with a full tank of propane to boot- a super setup for sure!

After setting up, Helen pulled some thick pork chops out of the freezer. We should take advantage of that large propane grill while we have it. We spent a relaxing evening on the patio and enjoyed the fresh, cool air (Las Cruces elevation is 4000 ft above sea level). Dinner was superb!

We spent the third day in Las Cruces doing some light Walmart shopping, but I was also ready and eager to pull out one of the new lenses for my camera and practice on the lovely view of the scenery beyond our bluff. I mounted my Canon 6D Mark II on a tripod with an attached ES 70-200mm f2.8 lens and photographed the scenery across the Valley. The photograph is below.

After dark, I paired a remote control to the camera and photographed the town and street lighting using the same lens. The significant difference between the two images is that I shot the daylight image in 1/4000 sec, while the night shot required 30 seconds to capture. The learning never stops, but the exercise was fun. I also captured a lovely cloud image while waiting to take the night shot (above). We left for Arizona the following day.

With few exceptions, Helen and I follow the same route to California, primarily to take advantage of the affordable and secure Military campgrounds along the way. Nevertheless, an interesting or out-of-the-way campground will pop up on my trip planner during the planning process and catch my eye. This year, the campground at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, Arizona, was that place. I love caves.

The story of Kartchner Caverns is as interesting as the cave itself. In 1974, two avid cave explorers, Ron and Gary, looking for new caves in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona, crawled through a tiny opening in a sinkhole on the side of the mountain. What they discovered was exponentially more extraordinary than they had hoped for. Once through the opening, with only carbide lights to guide them, Ron and Gary crawled on their bellies through deep mud and over large rocks to another tiny hole. They chipped away at the hole until they created an opening large enough to crawl through. What awaited them was an enormous cavern with formations found in only the most ancient caverns on earth. According to Park guides, once inside the cavern, Ron and Gary turned off their lamps and giggled in the darkness-they knew what they had found. Once they discovered the cave in 1974, they worked in strict secrecy until the State of Arizona could purchase the land in 1988. The Park opened in 1999.

Helen and I spent our first full day in the State Park hiking around the Park and touring the Museum to learn about the Caverns. The Museum was small but very informative about the cave’s history and the discoveries made by scientists, biologists, and geologists permitted to perform research. A seven-foot sloth and a Mammoth-like creature once used the cavern as a home. Most researchers believe that another entrance to the cave existed in pre-historic times. We made tour reservations and looked forward to doing something fun and different.

At 11:00 the following day, we met Carolyn, our tour guide, for a brief presentation on what we would see and could not take inside. To preserve the pristine condition of the ancient cavern, we were not allowed to take anything but our car keys on the tour. If anyone had visited another cave wearing the shoes they had on, they had to have them sanitized before the tour. We boarded a shuttle bus with about twelve other tourists and rode the short distance to the cavern entrance. As we walked through the vault door into the cavern trail, a light mist covered us to remove contaminants from our clothing.

The tour was fascinating, and Carolyn gave an informative and delightful presentation of the cave’s features, gigantic formations, and the details of Randy and Gary’s initial discovery. Cameras were not allowed inside, but I “borrowed” a few from Google Images to share. I also recorded a video of about 45 seconds taken from one of Ron and Gary’s initial trips into the cave. Apparently, this was during the “easier” portion of their belly crawl.  

We loved our time at Kartchner Caverns State Park and recommend it highly to anyone looking for an interesting and informative place to visit.

Our thanks to Ron and Gary…because they discovered a cave, we found a campground. We’re Easin’ Along.