Some New Finds

 

COFFEE ..... I HAVE COFFEE!!  How could that be you ask?  Because I'm home again, home again.  Well that was a short trip.  Truth is it's a very popular spot for Elks campers, most staying the maximum two weeks in one of only 11 available spots.  You can dry camp, but it's VERY unlevel, not to be confused with the unlevel spot I had.

This was an interesting find you may or may not know about.  I set my i-phone down on the table with the hold-it thingy on the back sticking out.  It fell sideways and this popped up.  Woohoo!!  A clock that I can see in the dark to know how many times I woke up.  It's actually a good thing so I know not to let Cooper hang out too long before going for a walk.  A nice find!!

He was a very good boy this entire trip, even if I did have to lift him up on the couch.  Though I have a step for him (and a ramp), the couch is taller than at home, so he is hesitant.  Getting down ... same problem.  Getting in and out of the van?  Same problem.  Not that he wouldn't jump, but I'm very leery of his bad eyesight and his age, which will be celebrated in a few days.

He dealt with all the cussing and water cleanup well, and stayed on his side of the bed at night.  Mom just has to move in slow motion to allow him time to get out of the way.  As you can tell, he was happy just to snuggle.

Early morning brought fog.  Though July and August are their usual foggy days, this year is different everywhere.  In no time we were socked in with no sun in sight.  

My plan to hit the coast for some gorgeous ocean pictures went in the dumpster.  Though I tried several times to re-up for another day, it was not to be.  Even though there is a camp host here, you are required to make reservations on-line.  AND ... they must be paid in advance, no refunds for any reason.  Not a single spot was available.  

Most folks stay for the two week maximum and make reservations 6 months in advance.  I'll remember that next time.

Why so popular you ask?  Well for one, it's Monterey ... Carmel ... land of the rich and famous with gorgeous ocean views and amazing food.  The lodge also has a pool, a huge and complete gym, an inside hot tub and a SAUNA!!  This picture from when I did a walkthrough of the not new but very fancy building.

I was sad to be leaving, but WAIT ....... did someone say QUILT SHOP?  We packed up in no time, put everything away and headed out about 10:30.  It's a good thing I hit the navigation button.  I would have completely missed not one, but TWO turnoffs!  So easy to get IN, but so difficult to get OUT of that area.

I was headed for San Juan Baptista, home of a gorgeous mission.  I didn't stop there, but headed straight to the quilt shop.  I was in HEAVEN.  Sometimes you walk into a store and say ... ugh, I don't care for these fabrics.  Then sometimes you walk in and say THIS IS MY STORE!!  It was the latter.

The Owner showed me around while I oohed and awwwed at the gorgeous fabric.  I should have brought a pattern book with me.

No problem ... I'll just buy one!!  So here's a book, a Halloween kitty panel, three different pieces of fabric and my favorite find ..... a fold up bag for all things hair and makeup to hang on the bathroom door.  No more deodorant hitting the floor and living there.  All the pockets are see through, so I know where stuff is.  Hopefully this will be a time/space saving addition to the van.

With my wallet a little lighter, we drove home through a construction zone that went on for 30 miles.  Whoever is selling round-de-rounds just needs to stop.  Here we were, out in the middle of farmland for as far as the eye can see, and they put in TWO with another one on the way.  The worst part is big truck traffic.  There's no way they can get through them without taking up both lanes and half the concrete center.  Traffic was backed up for miles.

At long last we pulled into the driveway and backed up straight as an arrow.  But just to be sure, as we pulled underneath the cover, I opened the drivers door to check.  YIKES!!!  There was a jolt and the engine just died.  WHAT THE HECK?  

Apparently you are not allowed to open ANY door while backing up.  It jammed it in park and shut it down.  There will be NO backing up while looking out the door.  Okay then ..........

Mr. Cooper, though he was happy to be OUT of the van, was acting a little weird.  I opened the house door and he refused to enter.  He ran straight back to the van.  I guess he thought I might leave again without him.  A little later, he finally crashed on the couch.  

And so ended my second trip in the camper van.  The best part was only taking out TWO loads of stuff instead of twelve, most of which was food.  Apparently I took enough for ten days instead of three.  It could have had something to do with the clam chowder, which I finished off for dinner.  YUM!!

I've come up with a few more ideas for storage that should help on my next trip, all of which involve Amazon.  

The main thing I learned this trip is that RV'ing without a tow vehicle will be a different animal.  Instead of stopping at noon and sightseeing the rest of the day in my truck, I will be checking things out as I go, scheduling stops along the way, then stopping in the late afternoon to spend the night.  It's not bad ... just different from what I'm used to.  I'll remember that for the next trip.