Headed South
Oct. 15th - We departed Black Diamond RV Park mid day and headed South West so as to bump in to the Coast (ocean shore) near where we had intersected it when we headed North from the FMCA rally some months ago. We had enjoyed the upper Oregon and Washington Coast for the better part of two months and now it was time to see what the rest of the Oregon and Upper California Coast looked like as we made our way South.
We eventually did intersect with the coast but to see much of it was difficult as it was raining cats and dogs and was from time to time foggy as well. We did get to experience enough of it to know we will return as there are many places to explore.
Our first night was spent at a really nice RPI RV Resort called Neskowin Creek. Kathleen took the following picture of the Resort setting while standing next to our coach while looking toward the Lodge.
Our drive the next day was the spectacular scenery of the Oregon Coast and even though it rained all day and the wipers worked overtime we did enjoy it. Our next stay was at another RPI Resort called Redwood Trails as we were now in Northern California along the Coast. What we didn't know or expect was that this park was overrun with elk as the rut was in full swing and they had come down out of the mountains to do their thing and enjoy what green grass there was in the RV park. It was literally difficult to get to ones assigned space as the elk were everywhere. I might add, once out of the vehicle, elk poop was also everywhere! I got some pretty good pictures of the park and the elk but Kathleen has vetoed putting up some of the more interesting pictures of the elk, doing their thing!
We left this fascinating park and the elk to continue a short way along the California Coast and then decided to head inland "over hill and dale" so to speak, to connect with the I-5, which would allow us to make better time as we had just discovered that our dash A/C wasn't working and we would need to scramble to find a Newmar sanctioned repair facility. With several phone calls and the help of Newmar we made contact with Lodi California RV repair and following two days of repair and waiting on getting parts we were up and running with our A/C working again. We drove a little further than we had planned after leaving Lodi but we were anxious to get back on the road. It was dark when we finally pulled in to our next stop, the Orange Grove RV Park just at the foot of Tehachapi outside Bakersfield California. Even in the dark we could tell it was going to be one of the finest parks we have ever been in. We were literally in an orange grove with trees loaded with oranges on both sides of the coach. We regret not getting a picture of this setting and will have to return in the future just to get a picture, and of course to enjoy a longer stay.
It was very warm as always in Bakersfield and upon turning on the roof A/C for the front of the coach we discovered it was not working. What next. Early the next morning I made a call to our final destination, Beaudry RV in Tucson Arizona and got the earliest appointment I could get to have them look at this A/C problem.
We drove as far as we could and our stop put us at the North Shore Resort along the Colorado River at Needles, California. This was a nice park but with the wind howling at a constant 30 mph and gusts to 50 mph it was a bit dusty. Had it not been so dusty we might have stayed a couple of days because we had plenty of time to make our final destination for this leg of the journey, Beaudry RV in Tucson and the rendezvous with our Mexico traveling companions. We pulled up stake early and drove along the Colorado River through Lake Havasu City (the London Bridge), and then the desert areas of Southern Arizona around Quartzsite, before deciding that we could easily make it to Tucson and the Beaudry RV Park.
We are here to meet with our fellow traveling companions. There are to be 29 coaches and or 5th wheels, or other modes of vehicles that will be traveling together under the direction of the Bell's, Bill and Dorothy. Bill and Dorothy are noted authorities on RV parks of Mexico and traveling in Mexico. As this all comes together I will report on each aspect of it.
Beaudry RV Service was able to move up our appointment and I am happy to report our roof A/C was fixed with a $25.00 part. The labor cost however was another matter, but then isn't it always.
