Mount Palomar General Store

This week we meet several people who have been on the road, and they shared great stories of places they’ve seen, things they’ve done. We maintain our focus of meeting and getting to know wide variety of people, knowing we will also experience those places they share. Dave at the General Store, traveled 17,000 miles on his motorcycle from Florida. Shirley, 85 years young, shares buying a 3 speed bicycle and riding from San Diego to see Mount Palomar Observatory in her younger days, and the wild story of how she met her future husband. Sunday worship in the small church held in the Observatory Community Center was memorable. Met everyone, and they made us very welcome.

View biking in Cleveland National Forest toward Mount Palomar Observatory

Sherry and I star gaze, picking out a constellation new to us. The week in Observatory Campground has flown by, and we decide to move to Dogwood Campground in San Beranardino National Forest.

Bob playing Fender Guitar in Factory

On the way to Dogwood we pause long enough to tour the Fender Guitar factory in Corona, CA. I get to play some pretty cool guitars there.

Fender Guitar Factory, Corona, CA

Fender Guitar Factory, Corona, CA

Thought we would be close enough to visit Aunt Helen several times this week, but the drive up Waterman Canyon is long and steep, so we won’t be seeing her until we leave. The challenge of cell phone and internet access continues, and we use McDonald’s internet and power charging cell phones/laptops for several hours. We NEED to find a better solution!

Dogwood Campground in San Bernardino National Forest, CA

While in Dogwood Campground, we discover the trailer has nearly run out of power. The trailer battery trickle charges while we drive, but we only drive a few hours between campgrounds, not enough to charge. We find other sites that have power (ours did not), but each site is available for only one night each before its next reservation. So we move every day to different sites. We REALLY have to find a solution.

Made great new friends Todd, Jennifer, Penny, and Summer when they were singing praise and worship one evening. They invite us to their church in Acton, and we take them up on their offer in a few weeks.

We talked with campers who use solar panels, and they are pleased with the results. Learning 130 watts solar panel is right for us, 2 deep cycle batteries, a controller to prevent overcharging, and voila! Won’t run any 120 volt appliances, but it will be enough to run LED lights, laptops, cell phones, wifi hotspot: You know, the essentials! <grin>

Showering in coin-op showers is always a new adventure. These showers, we have to press and hold REALLY HARD a button to keep the water running. I wonder how somebody with only one arm does this? Sherry and I shower together when we can, (Lot more fun that way! <grin>) and with both of us we have 4 arms to push the button. At least the showers are clean. No temperature control, so we take some really HOT showers, and skip the really cold showers. Ah, the fun of being on the road!

Palm trees planted circa 1958 by Bob’s dad Wilbur at house Bob grew up in.

  We leave Dogwood campground, stopping to take pictures of the house I grew up in in San Bernardino. The palm trees Dad planted nearly sixty years ago have grown from three foot tall to over 100 ft tall.

Visited with Aunt Helen, Pam, and JR, who always makes great dinners.

Travel to Frank and Debbie’s in Santa Paula. They live on an avocado orchard, and tell us it’s ok to stay for a few days. Santa Paula is a fascinating town with lots of history. Roy’s Rock is solid marble that continually moves on a tiny cushion of water. You gotta touch it to understand. And there’s the Morton Bay Fig Tree, old.

Roy’s Rock in Santa Paula, CA

Morton Bay Fig Tree in Santa Paula, CA

Visited the Arboretum in San Bernardino National Forest, exploring its variety of trees. They even named a creek after Joe!

Joe’s Creek at Heaps Peak Arboretum in San Bernardino National Forest, CA