Old Notes, Fresh Memories
My notes from our travel west pulling our fifth wheel RV are now three years old. However, reading them again to share a memory with those who will read this post to my blog, I am reliving that memorable day.
It was November 14, 2017, a Tuesday, a day we had set aside to go see Big Bear Lake, which lay about 7,000 feet above sea level.
As we left our base camp at the Catalina Spa and RV Resort, near Desert Hot Springs, CA, at 8:30 a.m., we would venture out to terrain that would be totally new to us. Our destination was about two hours away.
We took Interstate 10 west and then northwest toward San Bernardino, taking the exit using CA Highway 330, to Big Bear City, which is on Big Bear Lake.
We drove past an Outlet Mall along the way. We decided that we might go there, the next day.
A New Driver, Please
Perhaps it was the lack of sleep or the view from the highway running along a cliff overlooking a sheer drop, with vegetation and a view of the sharp climb of the highway ahead of us, but I got light-headed and a little anxious. So, I pulled over at an overlook stop and asked Connie to take over driving.
She has no problem driving with such scenic views before us. As she drove, I took a few pictures. What a view!
Big Bear City
We looked for the library, first, to try to conduct some business online. However, in a senior moment, I forgot my password book and we could not get connected.
Then, we went to the Visitors Center, near the old town shopping area, with local gift shops, which got Connie excited! So, I let her walk and shop while I took an hour nap. That helped a lot.
While shopping she sniffed out a BBQ place for lunch! She had pulled pork and I had chicken with sweet potato fries. We had enough left over for supper. Plus, we bought a half pound of brisket and a pint of slaw for later. The slaw was cut very fine with orange zest mixed in. Very tasty, as was the BBQ meat!
It Was My Bright Idea
I was a little nervous about going back down the way we came up. So, I had the bright idea to take the back way out of town on a trail that looked less dramatic on the map. I guess I was up for an adventure into more unknown territory.
We took CA Highway 18, which ran north, away from our camp, about 20 miles to Lucerne Valley. The hope was for a milder ride home, which it was, except for a short VERY steep decline over a very short distance. I had to use the engine back pressure for most of it, except for a run marked as a 10% grade! I get anxious with a 7% grade! I was so glad I was NOT towing the RV! After that stretch, we had to pull over and let the brakes cool down!
I got much better at using the diesel engine back pressure as we made our trip back to camp. We caught CA Highway 247 at Lucerne Valley, that took us back east and south toward Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. The terrain was mostly dessert. From there, we could take CA Highway 62 back down into the valley where Desert Hot Springs was located.
From a Stalled Car to Big News!
As we got to our exit to Desert Hot Springs, we saw smoke from a fire south of town, not far from Interstate 10. As we got closer to town, we saw the smoke get much bigger. Luckily, it was south of our exit to the RV park. However, we got close enough to see the smoke was coming from a burning field with grass and fallen palm trees.
Our camp was less than three miles away from the fire. There was some concern that the wind would blow the flames toward our camp. There was a news helicopter overhead, fire trucks coming in, and other types of equipment gathering to contain the blaze.
The event made the evening news, where we found out that a stalled car had started some grass on fire, which spread to the field nearby. Eventually, it would burn over 50 acres, with the fallen date palm trees had provided most of the fuel and required bull dozers to help contain the fire. Luckily, the wind died down and it did not pose a threat to our camp. However, we stayed up late to make sure!
The Calm After the Fire
The next day had a much quieter plan of events. This was SSA Day, our pay day! And, after a healthy breakfast of a fruit smoothie, we headed to the Outlet Mall to look for a new swimsuit for Connie, some vitamins, and a light lunch.
The plan included doing laundry, swimming, and paying some bills when we returned. However, we could not find a swimsuit or vitamins. We did eat lunch, get some fuel, and took some photos.
Back in camp, Connie found a flyer about a swimsuit shop in Palm Springs, which we would try to find, the next day. That evening, I did 20 laps in the pool, while Connie did some laundry. During that time, we met and visited with more of the campers and have ascertained that we live on the low end of the RV totem pole!
Later, we paid some bills and now have some money in the bank for a while. The TV reception was good which made for a fun evening.
Make the Most of Today, We Move Tomorrow
This was to be our last full day at Catalina Spa and RV Resort. The next day, we would move to near Julian, CA, to Stagecoach Trails RV Resort, where we would leave our RV to visit San Diego and the beaches on the Pacific Ocean!
But, first, we had to go to Palm Springs to find a swimsuit shop called Glossy. They had a full array of swim suits. Connie was able to find two that she really liked.
While she was shopping, I took a seat in a nice little area set up for the husbands, complete with coffee and books to read! I visited with two other husbands while waiting, both were from Canada. One was from Vancouver, British Columbia, and was about my age. He was hoping to retire and travel next year. He had his own security company because someone had asked him to serve in the forestry area to monitor roads and investigate accidents. The other gentleman was from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and into golf and other seasonal sports. In fact, he had played on a minor league hockey team!
We had lunch at Firehouse Subs, a little taste of home! Then, we shopped for vitamins and got some groceries at Walmart. No laundry was done that day as we got back about 3:30 p.m. and the new swim suit had to be tried out at the pool while it was still light!
This had been a pleasant day and we were ready for our next move and a new adventure as we moved closer to the coast! Until my next post, safe travels!