Secret Path

 I happened upon a secret path while walking the dogs near a campground in Bellevue, WA. Well, maybe it wasn't that much of a secret... but it is was an interesting transition from an urban campground next to I-90 to a neighborhood above the hubbub and noise with lovely, lush plantings. I almost felt like we had entered a different universe - perhaps Narnia of the Northeast!

Beauty can be found... 

Even in a concrete jungle!

Delta Breeze

We first learned of “The Delta Breeze” when we were looking at California property in June. We were exploring 55+ communities near San Francisco. The communities were all inland from the Bay and we were told the climate was much warmer, well, to be honest, they were much hotter. But… the Trilogy community in Rio Vista assured us that despite the high temperatures, “The Delta Breeze” tempers the heat and makes life in the town much more comfortable. While visiting the community and standing on an empty lot, dreaming of the home we could build there, we Dreamers noticed the trees on the verge of the golf course. The trees that were all leaning 30° to the left. The trees that were shaped by the “breeze”.  

This tree at the campground is similar to those we saw on the golf course.

To understand the “breeze” one needs to know a bit about the topography of this area in California. To the west we have the huge bay in San Francisco, with the cold, Pacific Ocean feeding into it. Then we have a large delta area surrounding the Sacramento River and other tributaries on the east side of the bay, all surrounded by hills. As the sun beats down on the inland hills it warms the land, and the air. The hot air rises. As the hot air rises, it leaves a vacuum and pulls surrounding air into the area. The air along the river delta funnels into the void, creating a breeze. The breeze made up of cooler air from the bay funnels through the hills along the delta…. thus the name. 

From the Internet

We have been hop-scotching from campground to campground in the bay area. I originally made reservations at three of the campgrounds just north of San Francisco figuring we would use the campgrounds as a “jumping off” points for exploring communities in the area. Recently we stayed at a beautiful park on Sherman Island, just north of Antioch and a good bit south of Sacramento. The reviews for the park were all positive… with the exception of comments about the wind:

• If you like the wind this is the place for you
• It can get very windy here
• For starters, yes, it is very windy here

There are wind farms across the river, and watching the blades slowly turn is relaxing. 

The park is remote, and yes, the road to the park is very narrow and bumpy, but it is also rarely traveled. We love the park, which has roomy sites and roads covered in pavers. It is quiet… well, except for the wind and the flapping of the toppers over our slide-outs! 

Mr. Dreamy has an anemometer for his phone. This is the screen shot from one reading he took. Gusts up to 30 mph! Generally the wind was anywhere from 10-20 mph. We measured one gust at 41 mph! Wow! After walking dogs in the winds it makes me appreciate just how strong the winds were for Hurricane Irma.

Some Like it Hot

…. but not this hot!

We arrived at the Petaluma KOA for Labor Day weekend, along with a recorded-breaking heatwave and at least one half of San Francisco. Okay, thats a bit of an exaggeration! There were a few empty sites, but not many. There were more than a few sites with more than their share of people on them. There were kids and dogs everywhere. Parents were partying and kids were running wild on bikes, trikes, scooters and battery powered cars. Walking the dogs was an exercise in self-preservation as we dodged toddlers with popsicles, the bikes, cars and other dogs. Tucker was an emotional wreck. The commotion around him triggered his herding and protection instincts.

On Friday the temps climbed toward 100. That was just a hint of what was to come. On Saturday we were at 109, and Mr. Dreamy saw the car thermometer hit 114 on Sunday. Along with the exceptional heat came exceptional use of electricity in the Bay Area. The campground experienced brown-outs, and the aging transformers at the camp began overheating from the load put on them. Power (and water) came…. and went off. On Sunday the campground shut down power for 30–60 minutes in different areas of the campground, rotating from one area to the next so no one went without for extended periods of time. This area of California is known for its cool nights. Most homes don’t have air conditioning. There was a run on air conditioners and fans and local stores ran out by mid-day Friday.

On Monday the temperature dropped into the high 80’s, the campers packed up their bicycles, coolers, sleeping bags and kids, and began the trek back to their homes. By Monday evening we Dreamers were among the few campers left. We enjoyed sitting outside and listening to the quiet, broken only by the songs of the birds.

A Horse Lover's Dream

Topiary Horse at Entrance

While visiting in Asheville (in April) we were told a number of times that we should visit the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

Yeah, I said, we've driven by the Tryon center many times. It didn't seem to be all that impressive.

No, they said, it isn't the same place at all. It's a different place. You gotta see it.

Yeah, I said, I've seen bunches of barns and horse places. So what. Big deal.

No, they said, you won't believe this place. You gotta go look.

So, having a bit of time on our hand, Mr. Dreamy and I made the drive out to the Tryon International Horse Center, which turns out to be in Mill Spring, NC not in Tryon, NC, and it isn't the place I was thinking of, and Oh. My. God! They weren't kidding!!!

Panorama of central part of the complex

We stopped at a model condo that sits on top of a hill overlooking the center. This gave us a sweeping view of the main club house, overlooking the large, central "Rolex" arena and grandstands, a long row of shops and restaurants, a carousel, four huge arenas and warm-up areas and barns lined up on the end of those, campground sites with a row of tiny log cabins, a huge covered arena, and work going on to expand and build on the current facility, all of which has sprung up in the last two years. The place is magnificent. The stuff of dreams for any horse lover.

View from the hilltop:

A screenshot from Google Maps

The clubhouse is in the center, with the large arena behind. The large buildings in the foreground on the left and right appear to be retail centers. The row of buildings on the right,  going back in the picture, are all small shops and eateries. The four large practice rings can be seen on the right. There is one large barn on the left, at the back. There are other barns on the right, towards the back, and more off the edge of the picture.

 Mr. Dreamy checks out the welding on the larger-than-life horse

in front of the club house.

Painted ponies go round-and-round

...for free!

Who says you can't get a free ride?!

Row of retail shops

The main arena

Viewing areas at the back of the clubhouse overlooking

the main arena

One of four other show rings

with a girl schooling her horse

Show schedule for this spring

 We will come back some time. We plan to camp in their beautiful camp ground. They built one loop and quickly realized they needed more spaces, so added two more sections. The campsites don't provided the most space between rigs that we've seen, but shrubbery has been put in on all sides of the parking pads and nice size trees have been planted. The plantings will be magnificent in a few years as they begin to mature.  Perhaps we will volunteer at one of their events. Perhaps we'll simply walk the grounds and admire the horses. Maybe we'll sit in the stands cheering on the jumpers. Who knows? But, it will give me a horse experience that I will thoroughly enjoy.

Homeward Bound

It's April. Heck, it's almost May. It is time to head back to Colorado. Winter is over, and my dad and stepmom would love to have me around to help them now and then. So, Mr. Dreamy turned the wheels of the motorhome toward home. We have driven back and forth, from sea to shining sea, so many times since we moved to Colorado in 2007. We have driven in a car. We have dragged a trailer. We have driven in a motorhome....dragging a car. This year, we promised ourselves, we would not kill ourselves with driving. We would not break the three-thirty rule. Nope. We will drive three hundred, thirty miles or drive until 3:30 PM, whichever comes first. Yeah. It sounds good until you actually get on the road!

Day 1: Jacksonville, FL to Pensacola: 354 miles. Oops. We were a bit over the mileage. But, we enjoyed Avalon Landing RV Resort, and it was just a bit beyond 330. We did get in before 3:30! We stayed at this park at the beginning of our Florida tour in February. I liked their abundant pelicans, who amused us with their "synchronized diving". Come to find out, the pelicans only winter there and they are gone now.

Pelicans at Avalon Landing - February 2016

Day 2: Pensacola to Beaumont, TX: 451 miles. Oops, we did it again. Too many miles in one day. But... we found some sort of justification for this overage. I can't recall what it may have been! But, I'm sure it sounded reasonable at the time. We had stayed at this park before. This park is in crawfish territory, and the dog park has crawfish "chimneys". The dogs weren't impressed. Evidently they don't particularly care for shellfish!

Day 3: Beaumont, TX to Lake Medina, TX: 313 miles. YES! We did it! We stuck by our rules! And, not only that, we planned to stay two nights and really relax. A few years ago we met Carlos and Donna on a camping trip in Colorado. They keep their trailer at Lake Medina. We visited them in 2015, and stopped by again this year. We had a great time and can't wait to visit again.

Carlos is practicing using the selfie stick his kids gave him for Christmas

Day 4: Relaxing at the lake... which is a lake this year! It isn't entirely full, but our friends say with a little rainy weather, it should fill up.

Tucker and Gypsy looking for the lake in 2015

Sitting by the lake in 2016.
The rock they sat on the year before is now underwater.

Day 5: Lake Medina to Lubbock, TX: 354 miles. Oops... we were over. But only by a little, tiny bit! We actually had to stop about 30 miles from our original destination because of high winds and dust storms. As Mr. Dreamy battled the wind, and dust, I looked ahead and luckily found a small campground in Slaton, TX. We pulled off the road and enjoyed a wonderful evening with friends. We planned to spend another day in Lubbock... but then, saw the weather report for home. Uh, oh! We better get going.

Mr. Dreaming measures the wind speed: 27mph with a gust of 48.
I didn't line that shot up very well. You can't see the anemometer in his hand.
It was difficult to see anything in the driving sand!

Day 6: Lubbock, TX to La Junta, CO: 389 miles. Darn, we did it again. Too many miles in one day! Originally we had planned two nights in La Junta, wanting to stop and visit Bent's Old Fort. Because of a predicted "winter advisory", we took off the next morning to "thread the needle" and get home before the snow began to fly.

New snow dusted hills as we drove through mixed rain and snow for part of our trip.

Day 7: La Junta to Parker, CO: 161 miles. Yes! This is more like it! An easy travel day. Well, sort of... we did run into some slushy snow. Luckily, the clouds lifted and precipitation stopped. We finally arrived home just after noon. We had the motorhome unloaded and parked by 3:00 PM. We are both exhausted. Even the dogs are tired!!

Tucker Talks: Tantalus and Torture

I am living the mythical story of Tantalus. It is driving me… and Gypsy crazy! We are being tortured. Someone ought to call the SPCA!
You see, we are at a campground, or… maybe we've gone to Hell. I don't know when we died, but surely this is not where we want to end up. We are surrounded by rabbits… slow, dumb, domesticated, black, white and spotted bunnies… and

we

can't

chase

them!

We spend half our days chasing bunnies at home. I don't understand why suddenly they are off limits. And these guys would be so easy to catch. Darn!

 There are big ones,

and little ones...

brown ones, 

and spotted ones…

black ones,

and white ones…

some with perky ears,

and some with floppy loppy ears…

There are frickin' bunnies all over the place!!

And that Dreaming lady keeps telling us, 

"No! You can't chase them!"

.

.

.

 "Hey, can Tucker and Gypsy come out to play?"

They are bold.

They come right up to the motorhome and stare at us through the window.

They taunt us.

They tease us.

That Dreaming lady keeps us on a leash… a tight one at that. And we almost have to wade through the fuzzy creatures. She says they are cute. Mr. Dreaming says they are a nuisance. Gypsy and I don't care… we just want to chase them!

This is torture… canine style!

Campground Curiosity

A few nights ago we pulled the motorhome into Eagles Hot Lake RV Resort. This had not been our original destination, but our intended destination (and its competitor) were booked because of the annual 'round-up'. So, we looked further afield and discovered this campground. I'm glad we did! I love stumbling upon unique places like this. I founded the history of this area is fascinating!

The campground is just down the road from an imposing edifice with a large sign, part of which shines in bright red neon,  identifying the building as Hot Lake Springs. 

Source: hotlakesprings.com

It all seemed out of place: The building. The sign. The immensity of it all. 

I mean… look at where it is:

Source: Google Maps

Do you even see it in all the nothingness that surrounds it? The building is the complex of connected white rectangles you can make out in the center along the bottom edge of this satellite shot. Do you think anyone would be confused about just where to go, or which building is the correct one?!!

This piqued my curiosity. I had to learn more. When we checked in at the campground (located in the lower left corner of the satellite photo), we were told that the old building was originally a hotel and a sanatorium. It was popular in the late 1800's and early 1900's because of the healing properties of the hot springs found here. (Hence the 'hot' lake!)

Source: Wikipedia

Hot Lake spring feeds the surrounding lakes. The sulfurous water coming out of the source of the spring is almost 200 degrees, and the spring puts out over 2 million gallons of water a day. The water in the lake, and in the canal behind the campground, stays between 70 and 80 degrees. The large structure and the campground buildings are heated with the water. 

I wanted to know more, and found a locally published tract called Hot Lake, "The Town Under One Roof" by Shirley Peters & Sheila Smith (© 1997) in the campground office. The authors did a fantastic job of pulling together all sorts of information regarding the area, the springs and the facility. 
The Oregon Trail ran through this area, and the land opened up to settlers with the Homestead Act of 1850. However, the valley was isolated and the land was very marshy. (It still seems isolated and marshy!) Once the marshes were drained settlers began to raise crops and run cattle on the land. In 1864 a large, wooden hotel was constructed, with bath houses, to entice travelers to take advantage of the medical benefits of the springs. The county convinced the railroad to route tracks through this area and the tracks were complete by 1882, with a siding by the hotel. (Ah, the lovely sound of railroad trains. A campground is not complete unless it has either an interstate highway or a railroad track going by!) The hotel expanded and became a resort destination for the rich and famous. A large, brick addition was completed in 1906. This was used as a hospital, and the facility became known as the "Mayo Clinic of the West". The original wood hotel burned to the ground in 1934. The brick building that still exists has had numerous owners, and has been used as a resort and a nursing home, under several different owners. It fell into disuse in the 1980's. A few different owners have acquired the property with the intent of renovating the lovely old building. It has been a B & B and most recently, a gallery and museum. However, it is once again up for sale. Care to buy a large brick building with a huge neon sign that is still in the middle of nowhere? It is a bargain at just under $8,000,000. 
Click here for the listing for Hot Lake Springs property.

Oh, and the campground? It has a bit of history, too. When the old hospital and surrounding land was purchased in 1985, the new owners created a development plan in an effort to acquire funding. Plans included creating a mushroom and cucumber farm, using the warm waters from the springs. They also considered using the waters for a fishery. They wanted to develop a golf course, a water park and a campground. The only funds acquired were those for the campground, which began construction the following year. 

Do They Remember?

We dreamers often talk about Gypsy and Tucker and wonder just what they are thinking. Oh, how we wish they could talk!

They are both wonderful travelers. They hop up on their beds, which we put on the sofa (the only time they are allowed on the sofa). 

Gypsy usually stays there all day, until we finally park and put the slide out. However, after four long days coming from Alabama, she finally protested and came off her bed during the last hour to complain to us about the conditions she was forced to endure!! She is a little princess, after all!

We finally arrived at the campground in Arizona after 1623 miles on the road. Miles that took longer than expected due to delays for accidents and one stop for diagnostic services. 

Since their eyeballs were beginning to float, the first thing I did was take the dogs down to the little dog park near our rig.

Gypsy walked into the park, stopped and stared at this tree. This is the tree that piqued her curiosity last year because a dove was nesting among the leaves. We were blown away. It is so obvious that she remembers the dog park at this campground. After staring for a few minutes, Gypsy walked off, having lost all interest in the tree. Mama Dove chose not to nest in the tree this year, or at least, not yet.

Well, we now know that the dogs do remember!

Here is a post Gypsy wrote last year about the dove in this tree. 

A Fortnight at the Fort

We Dreamers enjoy staying at Fort Clinch State Park(Florida) when we visit family on Amelia Island.  The park has nice roads and trails for biking, some areas for fishing and a beach to walk on... and swim from, if you are a member of he Polar Bear club! We have not had the opportunity to visit during warmer months, when one might want to swim. We probably wouldn't care to do so in the sometimes oppressive heat of coastal northern Florida! 

The State Parks have a policy that campers may stay for two weeks in any month, and then must move out of the park for 7 days before returning. Thus, we stay for a fortnight. Do you know how that term came to be? According to Wikipedia, the word derives from the Old English: fēowertyne niht, meaning "fourteen nights".

The park has two campgrounds. They are very different from each other. The "river" campground is heavily treed. This area is situated on the western side of the park along the Amelia River. Most of the sites are quite separate from one another and with all of the trees and underbrush there is a lot of privacy. 

Source: Florida State Parks

The sun and wind find it a challenge to make it through the heavy canopy of oaks, so that can be a blessing or a curse. There are a few trails which are nice for walking and biking.  Tucker and Gypsy love this campground, and especially love going for walks at night when the night creatures are out and about. Last year Gypsy discovered a possum. I am not certain who was more surprised!

The Atlantic Beach campground is located on the east side of the park.  If you are lucky you might even see a nuclear sub go by on the way to dock in St. Mary's. 

The camp sites are closer together and the area is very open having only a few palmetto trees. There are pretty dunes between the beach and the campsites. Our fuzzy family is not welcome on the beach, so Mr. Dreamy and I don't take as many walks on the beach as we'd like.

Source

In fact, walking the dogs is a challenge. There are no trails, and there are sand spurs everywhere. Tucker's feet seem to be a bit more rugged and he rarely complains that he has picked up one. Gypsy, on the other hand, (aptly playing the role of the princess) seems to walk less than 5 feet before stopping, holding her paw aloft for assistance from her human. Sadly, no one assists the human in removing teeny barbs in her thumb and fingers acquired from removing the stickers from Miss Gypsy's paw - she must do that herself! But, one shouldn't complain when considering the beauty from which the stickers came.