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                                                                                                                        Author: Wolfgang

Travel-Journal

January 05 - January 19,2004

Today is Sunday in Sun City….and tomorrow morning we’re leaving for the TTN Preserve “Pio Pico” in San Diego.  Tomorrow is also a holiday in the USA – ‘Martin Luther King Day’.  Holidays usually mean…heavy traffic on the Interstates.  Better be ready…

Since arriving here in Sun City on Jan 05^th we had nothing but sunshine, - just like those previous two weeks in Palm Springs. Temperatures were in the mid-eighties just about every day …and at night in the mid-forties.  We spent nearly every afternoon poolside, - it was just like in summer.  We even had to turn on the air-conditioners inside our unit.  And all the while we learned through the News about the Deep-Freeze back East.  Are we Westerners lucky ….or what???

… arrival in the early afternoon….                       …our spot in Sun City                        

But many things did not go as planned.  First, - we did not get our new Satellite Dish at ‘Camping World’ in San Bernardino.  The unit with my name on it had by mistake been sold to someone else…..and it was the last one in stock.  Apparently they are selling like hot-cakes …and now we have to wait a while longer to get the new unit.  The shop did also not have enough time to fix all the plumbing needs on my wish-list.  But at least ….no more leaks…. 

We have been on the road for over a month now and in the meantime have settled in comfortably.  Even Blackie has returned to her old routines and is very content.  Me?  I’m happy alright….but I have not as yet started with the “Atkins Diet’ as was resolved on New Year Eve.  Dagmar’s deadline, - Pio Pico, lol.  We did also not drive to any Hollywood Studios while in the vicinity of L.A. ….because the bus tours leaving from this Resort had been discontinued.   But we did many other things….like visiting the famous Railway Museum and riding the old trains in Parris CA. - spending an entire day at the huge Air-Force Museum at nearby March Airfield - and making outings to nearby attractions like the Indian Casino in Temecula. 

Yesterday we visited the nearby “Diamond Valley Lake”, - Southern California’s largest fresh water reservoir covering 4,500 acres. This artificial lake is trapped between mountains and is four and a half miles long and two miles wide. The last time we visited here they were still blasting an entire mountain-side to get the material necessary for the construction of three huge earth dams. The largest being the West Dam …where one can drive up one side of the mountain to a visitor centre overlooking the entire lake. The West Dam stands 2,000 feet wide at its base and the west side of the reservoir is also the deepest at 250 feet. The Water arrives via canals from the Colorado River and is then pumped into the lake.  When Southern California needs water from the reservoir, the 12 pumps work in reverse and create 40 megawatts of electricity, - enough juice for 40,000 homes for a year.  We asked the staff if those many old farm houses and other buildings we saw in the valley were removed before flooding began and were told that not all had been removed …and that the telephone poles were also still down there.  Wonder what those people who grew up there feel when they come to visit ….

BTW, we had a great dinner tonight.  One of my neighbors caught a six pound catfish this afternoon in the canal right behind our unit. 

So he invited us to his barbeque. Those black folks from Mississippi sure know how to cook catfish……delicious.

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January 19,2004  -  February 02, 2004

Again as I write this ….it’s our last day here in Pio Pico. Tomorrow we’re leaving for Quartzsite, AZ.  And its perfect timing because for tomorrow (Monday) evening the weatherman is predicting heavy rains which could cause some problems here at the resort.  Since the surrounding mountains have lost all their vegetation during the fire, heavy rains might cause land-slides.  And the South Section of the Resort is prone to flooding…therefore some people have already left for the more secure North side ….which does not have all the services and is therefore people’s second choice, - but it’s on higher ground.  I have seen flooding here in the past and know what it can do.  The riverbanks do never look the same afterwards and you better have a 4x4 even to chance driving through the wash-outs on the roads.  I have done it a few times in the past with my ‘Chevy-Tracker’ ….but without Dagmar, - she would have told me off for sure, lol…..

Anyhow, - we had a great stay here in San Diego as usual.  But there was suddenly also a dark cloud hanging over us.  When Dagmar contacted her parents to congratulate them on their wedding anniversary, she received the message that her father had passed away the previous week.  Some of her relatives had tried to get in contact with us ….but were unable to reach us.  Although at his age this was to be expected sooner or later, Dagmar was nevertheless devastated by the news and went for a few days into seclusion by vanishing into the (burned out) hills.  She really did love this grumpy old man…..

Here are some more pictures….

…waiting for the restaurant to open                     ….ditto

..Dagmar shaking Mascot's hand                         ….Arizona here we come

Well, this storm arriving here tomorrow is catching up with us in Arizona as well since it is a big one reaching into the South-West as far as Texas.  So we’ll get at least the tail end of it.  We are driving to Tecate Mexico (20 minutes from here) and travel along Highway 2 to Mexicali.  If Dagmar sees too many dead dogs and cats along this stretch of the highway, she’ll make the case to turn back to the States right there.  I know this…..   If she is not too upset, we continue on to Algodones and cross the border there into Yuma.  From there we take the Hwy 95 to Quartzsite AZ where at this time of year you will have the biggest gathering of RVers anywhere in the world.  Some estimates go as high as two million RVers from all over the world who gather there annually around this time of the year.  We have been part of this extravaganza before and can’t wait to spend time there again.  More on this later….    

..making friends with the Ranger         ….outside activity centre

…watching “Super Bowl”                                  ….things to do around here

…burned hills in the background                      ….snow covered mountain in back

..coming back from shopping - and from watching the game       …our camp-site

….Blackie having “Miller Time” too                    …..family pool waiting for Dagmar

…our neighbor                                                  …..friend from Vancouver with his ‘fifth wheeler’

….part of the Pio Pico south side                     ….adult pool with kiddy pool in foreground

…Dagmar under the awning                             ….and relaxing

…standing beside the car                               …view from our door

…. the oasis of TTN Pio Pico                           …amidst the burned out hills

….all around the Resort                                    ……me starting “Atkins”, lol

…..bye until next year…

Like I mentioned before, - we always hate to leave this area.  In my opinion San Diego is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  Balboa Park is a must see and so is the world-famous San Diego Zoo. And Coronado cannot be bypassed either.  Tijuana yes….it was on our list …but at the low end of the scale.  Perhaps next time ….

Finally, get a load of this picture.  That’s how close those guys fly to do their job.  You find a lot of local heroes in bars around here …and I met a few.  Unsung heroes indeed….

 

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