Russ and Kappys' Adventure 2017

Yes, I missed posting yesterday.  Here's why:  we spent 4.5 hours traveling on the freeway through LA instead of the 2.5 hours it was supposed to take us.  Consequently, we did a little too much wine tasting with our good friends Bob and Brenda Parry and Lisa & Brian Wallach.  Basically, that was all we had time for.  Here's our friends -- just plain proof.  Everytime we go into a metropolitan area like this I thank God that I live in Reno!  The little slow downs during rush hour here are so pitiful -- there are only 2 freeways - 80 and 395.  I do, however, have a tremendous amount of respect for whoever has continued to design the freeway system in this area.  It begs the question, "how do they do it?", even after the population has filled in. Anyways,  this morning we woke up to fog at the ocean.  This is what it looked like yesterday: This morning -- like this: Before we left the LA environs to push...

Yes, it is true.  My addiction to visiting every Franciscan Mission in Alta and Baja California continues.  Today we set out to visit Mission San Luis Rey.  So far this is my favorite.  What a beautiful job they have done of restoring this place.  The museum was so good it actually made me feel like I was one of the friars.  However, it is hard to imagine this place without all these highways and developments around.  Wish I could tho.  Those friars must have loved it. Here are a couple more photos from the mission that I have to share: A statue of Jesus that I have never seen anything like.  Look between the arch and you will see a 200 year old chili tree.  The seeds for it were brought from Peru.  This tree is a fore-bearer of what is now known as the "California Chili Tree." The Wisteria was so beautiful. After a nice birthday lunch at an upscale Italian Ristorante in Carlsbad we returned to cam...

I am going to start with the end of my morning because it is much prettier!  But when you are camping on a Marine Base, this is what you wake up to.  The rumble of: Whatever those things are rolling down to the beach to practice water entry -- whoa.  There is a lot going on at Camp Pendleton. So we took a walk around the area and saw that our guys are fit -- running in nice little shorts, and they are ready to ship out at any time After our little walk, we decided to check out "The Flower Fields."  Located just a few miles from us and well worth the $14 a head to see.  Some fellow named Edwin Frazee started this endeavor in 1922 - way before the hum of freeway noise or any other noise -- when he and his wife planted tons of ranunculus flowers and made this incredible display of color: Here are a few more pictures of the flowers, including orchids, on this beautiful patch of ground: There was a wonderful rose garden and this wa...

Yes, we were out of the trailer by 7:30 am this morning and headed over to this great little restaurant/deli named D. Z. Akin's.  Can't remember who told us about it but Russ remembered it fondly so we had to go.  There were pickles on the table and all the trappings of a Jewish restaurant.  I mean, they did have non-Kosher foods but certainly enough good stuff to advertise.  In fact, here is the invitation that they had on the tables to share Passover with them. Complete with macaroons.  How can you go wrong?  Looks like quite a feast.  Just to keep it on the up and up, they also offered a complete "Easter" Dinner. After breakfast we headed over to the ocean to check out the Sunset Cliffs.  Here are a couple of pictures from there.  Fortunately we got there early, before the Saturday crowds arrived.  We tried to do some more sight seeing but too many people.  Back to the RV park. Oh, by the way, remember ...

Yes, we are here.  Admiral Baker Recreational Facility in San Diego, CA.  Amazing but this place is a great spot in the heart of San Diego where Military rates are $40 a night (full hookups) and if you know about it, the civilian rates are $47 per night.  Not full, lots of green grass. Great showers and laundry ($1 per wash and $1 per dry).  We arrived Thursday night and this morning (Friday) I took a run up the hill where I have in the past.  Up the hill is a golf course which is named after an Admiral Baker -- don't know him.  When I got to the top, near the club house, I was approached by a "course marshal" on a golf cart.  I slowed down and took my earphone out and he said:  "This is a military installation, you can't be here."  I apologized and said "well, I was staying at the military trailer park down below" -- he said, "doesn't matter, can't be here."  So, I said, "well okay, I won't do it again." He see...

Here is where I started this day.  These are 3 white pelicans I saw along my run on the malecon in San Felipe.  I know you can't see that they are white but trust me.  They are.  The first time I have ever seen one and they are traveling in a pack.  Lucky Me! And here is where I am ending my day.  A beautiful and under-occupied camp just along the border with Mexico -- in fact you can see what they have already as a wall from a couple of miles from here.  What a difference 6 hours makes. This is the road we drove on to get here.  We took the toll road MX2D which wends its way westward through the Sierra Juarez mountain chain which stands between the desert and the ocean in Baja.  The climb was incredible and dramatic.  Even though the summit was only 4,000 feet, we attained it very quickly.  This road ran along rocky cliffs.  Everytime I looked up I had to close my eyes for fear of witnessing one of those humongous ...

This morning I had an awesome run with no wind.  I expected to see quite a few folks down on the beach alongside the malecon because today is a Mexican holiday.  The holiday is in honor of Benito Juarez's birthday.  I did not, however, see many people.  After reflecting on this, I believe it was because of the extremely high and low tides.  There was no place to pitch a tent at high tide.  Later on, the folks came out of the woodwork but this is what I saw this morning, 1/2 way through my run: Aren't I lucky? Following a bit of apple and peanut butter breakfast, I got cleaned up and made my way to town with Pat to do -- some shopping!  We had to pick up a few treasures and regalos for friends before we leave MX on Wednesday.  Whatcha think?  No, I didn't get the ponies.  Lunch at Baja Mar -- tortilla soup, a crummy margarita followed up by a beer (did you see -- crummy margarita?), then back to shopping. This evening ...

We left Gonzaga Bay this morning after this beautiful sunrise. Headed back to San Felipe and Club de Pesca.  On our way, we stopped and I got this shot.  Kind of foreboding.   Checked into our site and got a text from our friend telling us that my daughter -- Montana -- had been trying to get in touch with us and that we needed to call her.  Turns out that Russ' brother Teddy got sick last Thursday and things progressed to the point where he died on Friday, 3/16/18.  Teddy, the youngest of the Mann family, had been sick for quite awhile and his life had been compromised by the fact that he had lived with undiagnosed lyme's disease contracted perhaps 25-30 years ago.  He was married to a fine lady -- Micheala -- and they lived in eastern Washington state.  Here is a picture of him -- RIP Teddy.  The kids loved you the BEST.   And, this is so perfectly Teddy. Not much more to say about today.  Praying for ...

Our last day a Gonzaga deserved a 3 mile run so, although the wind was fighting me, I made it out to the road and back.   Coming back was much faster with the wind behind me.   The wind here has been constant but changing.   Last night it blew and blew and blew form the off shore – from the Northwest – or, if you can figure it out, the northern California coast.   They must be having some exciting storms up there.   Then, around 7:30 am when I got out the door for a run, it had calmed itself down to a steady, albeit strong breeze.   To continue the story, around 10:30 am the direction of the wind shifted dramatically and suddenly headed on shore and from the east – pretty strongly, I might add.   So it is still.   It must be Saturday because we also awoke to several other camping parties.   Apparently all of them arrived, separately, overnight.   There is one group of about 8 fellas who brought down 2 motor boats and attempted to ...

! We had planned to drive down to Alfonsina’s for breakfast at the only restaurant in town, so the rest of them did and I walked the 2.2 miles down the beach and met them. My pelicano friends along the way On the way down the beach, I passed another campground where some of the people are permanent.  I had been wondering where the sanitary dump was located around here.  Not that we had to use it, just for my own edification.  I managed to get one of the permanent resident’s attention and through the wind asked him if he knew where the dump was.  At first he thought I meant a trash dump but after making myself clear, he answered that he just lets the stuff leave his trailer into the sand. “ It’s a natural filter,” he says. “ They have been doing it forever.”  Yes, right Mr. Oregon (his plates).  I am sure that the natives of this country really appreciate your dumping your you know what into their said that, of cour...