In Corona del Mar

 

The last leg of my journey to California was long but still interesting. There were drastic changes in landscape, cities traveled through and drivers now on roads they call "Freeways." I left Blythe, CA, at 11:30 a.m. with the temp at 85° and arrived in Corona del Mar at 5:00 p.m. with the temperature dipping down to 65°. I did lose some time driving a few miles back into Arizona to pay $4.49/gal of diesel rather than the $5.79 that greeted me in California. In addition, I stopped at "Little Sister's Truck/RV Wash" to give Winnie a well deserved wash.

Cost was $2.00/per foot for a simple wash and dry vs.

$10.00/foot a paid in Florida.
(But...to be fair, that included waxing and cleaning the awning)

My home away from home for the next week looking down the street from the upper deck at the Newport Harbor jetty just beyond the Corona del Mar State Beach.

Looking northwest

A 6 p.m. sunset with Catalina Island to the left.

With tight quarters for parking in this residential section, son, Chuck, made arrangements with next door neighbor who would be away, to have Winnie squeeze into his driveway.

With a 30 amp to 20 amp adapter, an extension cord provided
 electricity to be sure my refrigerator maintains proper
temperature for my perishables.

And yes, Jack C., it's gonna be all about food. Remember

as you enjoy the meals with me, that they comprise

the main and many times only meal of the day for me.

After getting settled, a wonderful dinner completed my

day. And always, a healthy salad at each meal.

My buddy, Bruce, was my shadow. He remembered which pockets contained treats from Thanksgiving when I was here last.

.

Chuck prepared Lemon shrimp and pasta

Delicious dinner topped off with
Amaro Lago Maggiore.

Savoring a bitter liqueur after dinner in Italy is an Italian family staple. This drink is viewed as both a tradition and an herbal remedy for healing and digestive purposes. It has a long history going back to medieval alchemists who thought that these herbal infusions were useful for healing all manner of maladies.

One day, down the street in the Corona del Mar State Beach Park, a film crew looked like they were filming a segment for the Food Channel (guessing) with 9 Food Trucks in the parking area.  Three members on each team stood for the longest time listening.

Friday night's dinner....

Silvia prepared shredded chicken over Quinoa with Masala sauce
accompanied by...

...my purchase from Grape Creek in Texas. Very nice.

Saturday night, Chuck and I WALKED the mile and met Beca and Rob at El Cholo Restaurant. Lots of history with this restaurant. It originated in Los Angeles in 1923. The grandson, Ron Salisbury now runs the chain of six restaurants. When a guest wandered in for dinner and while waiting, he drew a figure of a man (now the one found on their menu).  He called him “EL CHOLO”.  In those days EL CHOLO was the name given by Spanish settlers in California to their field hands. In 1925, the Sonora Enchilada restaurant became El Cholo. 

Beca, Poppa Charlie, Chuck and Rob.

Coconut Margarita
Blended. Served in an old fashioned Margarita glass 
with toasted coconut rim

Toasting with beautiful granddaughter, Beca
(Before haircut)

Chuck and Rob

I tried A Taste Of History (1996)

Cheese Enchilada, Rolled Beef Taco, Chile Relleno and Pork Tamale

accompanied by a side of Spanish Rice and Refried Beans.

On Sunday, another at home, made-from-scratch pizza.
Mine topped with sautéed onions and olives.

Monday evening, Breaded Rock Fish

Topped with bread crumbs, chopped walnuts, olive oil, lemon,

rosemary and touch of Pepperoncini.

Pop, Silvia and Chuck
(After haircut)

Tuesday night's dinner was a trip up the road to the Tommy BahamaRestaurant in Newport Beach. It was my way to thank my very special hosts for providing me with a week of relaxation, good food and terrific experiences and views of the Pacific Ocean with a taste of life in California. I enjoyed a FILET MIGNON topped with a demi glaze, Trumpet Mushrooms, Feta Cheese, Cauliflower-Potato Mash and Lemon Arugula greens.

To conclude my blog, my dear readers should know that it was not all about wonderful culinary experiences. 

Silvia and Elisa

We went to Mass on Balboa Island. I did my restocking marketing at Ralph's. I got a haircut at Mar's Barber Shop with Alyssa. I met Silvia's friend, Elisa who visited Winnie and, natch, got herself a spot on my Wall of Fame. We caught a glimpse of a couple of whales way out blowing spouts of water. I walked the neighborhood with Chuck and saw incredible homes and their landscaping. 

The breezy days were chilly but relaxing on the deck with cloudless, sunny skies made the day toasty warm and I've got a nice color as a result.

   

The lemon tree on the deck provided a
'fruitful' harvest.

Orchids in full bloom

            

And so, I come to another one of those endings...along with the same feelings I had leaving Florida, Texas and now California. All those good things must come to an end. The memories are many and varied and I've tried to capture them in both pictures and in words; which is the purpose of this blog. Now begins the journey back east.  Here's a peek at what's to come, at least to Joplin, Missouri by March 22nd. I'm still reading about the nasty weather that continues to plague the northeast. My path home will probably experience some of the same. So stay safe wherever you are. I'll see you in Nevada.

Seven stops to Joplin, MO by March 22nd.

Hidden Beaches River Resort

Another long driving day but one that continued to fascinate me with it's, by now,
familiar landscape. The questions continued: How did they make this trip in a covered
wagon; put up with the heat, hostile Indians; how did they know where they were going
or what lie ahead? You just looked around and marveled at their courage.

 

Yes, the scenery was the same as the previous days drive.

Time and time again, I marveled at the geologist's playground
appreciating what Mother Nature took so long to accomplish. Yes, man
exposed this creating a road, but what lay beneath was the work of Mother Nature.

Rolling hills became more common. With cruise control, Winnie
hummed along maintaining a constant 70 m.p.h. going up and
down 6% grades. At the crest....

...another horizon beckoned. Eventually, I reached Needles, CA
and left I-40 to head south on SR-95. This road with absolutely
nothing on it except call boxes seemed like it would never end.
My entertainment on this highway was the frequent warnings of "DIPS."
Dips were undulating, wavy sections of highway that rose and dipped so close
together I finally had to capture the experience. I call the following video, "Riding the Ribbon"
because I kept thinking of ribbon candy available around the Christmas holidays.

Dips were common throughout the 93 mile drive to Blythe, CA. 

Finally, as I approached Blythe, I caught my first glimpse of 
the Colorado River.

I was on a drive forward site 110 my first night and moved the next day to site 111 where
I had to back in.

The next video is one of those, "a picture is worth a thousand words." My view from the patio.

The current was impressive. The Colorado River is impressive. I will have encountered it three times in my journey. 

1. Starting at La Poudre Pass Lake in the Colorado Rockies some 9,000 feet above sea level,

the 1,450 mile long, 50 million year old river whose name is derived from the Spanish for "Red River" averages 7 feet to over 100' in depth at some places. Before it empties into the Gulf of California, it will have flowed through seven states, supplied water to more than 30 million people and provided irrigation water to more than 4 million acres of land.

2. I've seen it flowing through the Grand Canyon a mile below my viewing at the south rim. The Grand Canyon is one of eleven National Parks that border the river.

3. I'm camped on its shores in Blythe, CA and 

4. I will view it again when, on my return home, I'll visit Hoover Dam on March 11th.

And so, after another long day of driving, a G&T on the
Colorado River once again let me know how blessed I am
to enjoy life traveling and what nature has to offer.

The next day, my eyes opened at 5:50 a.m. and when
I asked Siri about sunrise, she answered, 6:06.
Voilà, my day started in earnest.

Got it! Another one under my belt....

....although the chilly 48º drove back inside for my hot
cuppa Joe. A great way to start the day.

"Buddy" belongs to my fifth-wheel neighbors next door, Teri and Larry, from 
Bakersfield, CA. They spend their summers here each year.
Yup, ol Buddy has severe arthritis and gives a few non-threatening barks when
anyone approaches their rig. He wasn't too interest in my MilkBone.

One of Teri's bird feeders drew a lot of action during the day. Larry
has given names like Red Riding Hood to the red crested frequent visitor. 

Late afternoon, Mother Nature afforded me yet another special viewing. Excuse the brown spots...dirty lens.

In this arid part of the country, the campground lacked green grass and was dusty. The registration office/camp store was impressively well stocked and the gals working there very pleasant and accommodating.

Sites along the river are not allowed to have sewers, so Mike will come by tomorrow before I leave with the "honey wagon" to empty my black water tank. That service comes with the site at no charge. 

On Wednesday and for the first time since leaving home on
1/6th, it was time to turn on the AC. 

Poof, three days have slipped pleasantly by and I'm ready to roll again. I'll stop at "Little Sister's Truck Wash" on I-10 and give Winnie a well deserved washing to get the road grime gathered from the time we left Florida. Heaven forbid I pull into Corona del Mar dirty. Yes, my next stop for a week will be with my No. 1 son, Chuck and wife Sylvia. I was there for Thanksgiving with family. Sadly, it marks the half way point of my travels in terms of distance. To bring you up to date, here's my progress.

Boy, in the past few days, I've cranked out a lot of blogs. Guess I planned okay by taking some extra time to gather thoughts, photos and research to keep track of my wanderings. I have no ideas who's reading them but, as you know, these blogs are for me. Yes, the time may come when I won't know that I've done such things but I have the proof and I love to write. Most of my readers have real lives/work or more important things to do than spend time on the ol' Internet. But, I hope you'll continue to join me and thanks for your comments. Remember, if you've made any, be sure to check back to that blog a few days later and read my replies to you. I answer everyone. Till next time, take care, stay safe and be happy.