Feeling safe again....

I've always had a very soft spot for my 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle. Not only did it project my true personality, it brought back nice memories - my son was with me when we bought it, and that evening when we took our new car out for a spin and I turned on the lights, we exclaimed, "WOW!" - the interior lights were a bright combination of red and blue.

I've had many expensive problems with it over the past two years. During my road trip to Arizona six months ago, the persistent "Check Engine" light came on yet again - and I had just paid $2,000 to get it fixed. At the time it came on, I was about to cross the San Joaquin desert with my little elderly dog Missy in the back seat. Poor Missy was violently ill with carsickness - there's nothing like dealing with a dog having bloody diarrhea and vomiting, then having that cheerful little Check Engine coming on. I pulled over, called my mechanic, and after several discussions on the phone, we decided I should get Mr. Beetle to Los Banos, CA and hook it up to a car computer to see what it read.

After two hours at the shop, trying to keep Missy comfortable in the 99 degree heat, and finding out that the Check Engine light did NOT show a really serious problem, I had to decide what to do. I tried to rent a car, but there were none to be found in Los Banos (which means "The Bathrooms" in Spanish, BTW)...so I decided to just keep driving. I figured either my car would do ok or it would break down again in the desert, or it would completely die. By that time I was so fed up that I just didn't care. Luckily everything turned out ok, although the light stayed on until I spent another $2000 to get it fixed (turned out the problem was an innocuous little sensor in the engine that went out).

Two weeks ago my mechanic finally said, "Roberta, it's time to get another car". A part of my heart sank. I'd always enjoyed driving my 2001 New Beetle, especially because it had a turbo engine; I loved its power and passing other cars going up steep hills. But the turbo itself was the cause - it was leaking oil, and it would cost close to $3,000 to fix it. Plus I never knew when it would break down again, and it had cost me a fortune lately.....time to say goodbye to Mr. Beetle.

As usual I did lots of research before my big purchase and I ended up with a 2009 Honda Fit Sport, painted a deep dark purple (Blackberry Pearl) with spoilers on the front and back - rated the best compact car of 2009. It was a smart buy with its good mileage, and it's fun to drive...but I do miss my Beetle.

Living In Paradise

I gazed up at the trail rising above me and thought, "OK, this can't go on much longer....." Although the climb was steep, I was enjoying the sunny day and the beautiful views. I stopped to take pictures of the Half Moon Bay airport and the distant mountains against the cobalt blue sky.

So here I was climbing up, up, up...but where was the top? I crested a final hill and walked a half mile to the cliffs overlooking the ocean…oh my! I really was in paradise!

I had taken my car to be smogged at a small repair shop near the Half Moon Bay airport. Because two people were there before me, I had a wait of at least an hour. I noticed a trail leading up one of the hills behind the building and thought, “Time for a hike!”

I was glad I had my camera with me - when it’s sunny, Half Moon Bay is spectacular. There were wild masses of fiery red and white wildflowers along the trail, and every so often an invisible animal would rustle the bushes as it scurried away. I was at Pillar Point with the large sci-fi-looking satellite dish thingy on the mountain. I’ve always wondered about it, and this was my opportunity to really check it out.

There were no reptilian aliens waiting for me on the other side (bummer!), but there was something even better: a cliff with a fantastic view of the ocean….deep blue, with a shallow shelf of rock under the water that extended for at least a mile. It reminded me of what I’d seen in Hawaii many moons before.

###

When I was laid off from my job at the end of April 2009, I knew I wanted to change my life in some way. I wasn’t happy rattling around alone in my rented 3-bedroom house; my kids had moved to Washington state and I was bored and sometimes lonely. I had a nice severance and thought for several months about what I wanted to do with my life. Because I wasn’t working, I really had the freedom to go wherever I wanted...how about an RV? I’d always considered living in one.

So I’d buy an RV and live in it…the idea was tantalizing, but I had to be smart about it. The timing was perfect because I wasn't working. For weeks I researched RV living on the internet, staying up late at night to read web sites and asking questions on forums. I created a detailed spreadsheet of my living expenses for continuing to live at my rented house, vs. an RV. The result was so startling, I verified the figures with my friends - I’d save close to $1,000 per month in an RV! It was time to get moving, because the longer I stayed in my house, the more money I would spend.

My first step was to research all the RV parks in the San Francisco Bay area on the internet and list their contact information, rent amounts, and negative or positive comments from reviews. I had no preference in regards to location, I was totally open. I considered locales as far as Napa and Marin. Then I chose the three that received the best reviews, and I was left with parks in Half Moon Bay, El Granada, and Pacifica. Time to get in my car and take a good look at them.

After visiting all three, the park in Half Moon Bay won hands down. What did I like about it? I was impressed as I looked around; it was clean, quiet, and the people I talked to said they enjoyed living there. The manager was friendly and we had a good rapport. But what really blew me away was the surrounding area. The park was situated right next to the Ritz Carlton, a luxury hotel at the ocean. I walked along the scenic trails at the golf course adjoining the park and wondered, "Will I ever become tired of this view?" I knew this was the place for me.

I checked out the town and enjoyed walking around Main Street with its antique shops and coffee houses. There was a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings, and numerous roadside stands sold fresh fruits and vegetables (which are my passion). A new organic market a la Whole Foods was open in town.

Everything about it was perfect! I had my answer about what to do with the next ten years of my life, and in June I happily started my new life in the RV park – but that’s another story….

###

I’m working now and I can't wait to get home every day. While driving down the freeway, I look forward to reaching the Crystal Springs Reservoir – it’s the end of the city and the beginning of the mountains that lead to the beach. On a sunny day, the surface of the water looks like it’s dancing with diamonds. My VW Beetle drives over the bridge and I relax with a sigh...I’m almost home.

Ahhhh...Arizona & Nevada :: May 2009

I have always loved the desert. When I was a pre-teen, my step-father owned land outside of Barstow, California and we'd visit it often. Barstow wasn't much of a town at the time. It had a main street and...well, that's about it. Whenever we traveled, my parents would reserve two rooms at the hotel - one for them and one for my sister and me.

We'd drive forever to Barstow, check into the hotel, and my parents would set up their portable bar in their room and turn on the TV. My sister and I happily spent each day in the pool.

Standing in front of the Liquor Barrel, one of our stores in Culver City

Perhaps those early days in Barstow fed my affinity for the desert; on one of our trips I walked alone to the back of the hotel and stood there, listening to the silence of the desert. There's nothing like that desert silence and once you've heard it, you never forget it.

So now was my chance to go back to the desert. I was going to visit a long-lost relative in Bullhead City, Arizona; I hadn't seen her for 30 years, and I was really looking forward to it.

* * *

As I left Bakersfield and drove towards the Nevada desert, I started to remember what I loved about the area. The multi-colored mountains and never-ending roads that you can see forever...the Joshua Trees standing naked against the sky....the brilliant sunsets. I fell in love with it all over again.

Sunset on the river in Laughlin, NV

I was surprised at how quickly I arrived in Arizona - there were a few hours of driving through the Nevada desert, then suddenly I was there!

We did a lot of sightseeing and I had loads of good food - I saw the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, the casinos in Laughlin (just across the river from Bullhead City), we popped into Las Vegas for lunch (only a two-hour drive from BHC) and wandered thru the streets of Oatman to buy ice cream and pet the burros - but more about that later.

Not surprisingly, the casinos are also reflecting the poor state of the economy - we had dinner at the Grand Buffet at the Edgewater Hotel & Casino. The lack of diners was startling. Two years ago there were lines going out the door and down the hall, but when we arrived at the register, we were the only ones in line. Dismal. By the way, the buffet was GINORMOUS, quite tasty, and high-quality. They must be going broke.

The following day was our trip to the London Bridge. I'd seen it before in some old movies (wasn't it in "Waterloo Bridge"?) and I was eager to see how well the old girl survived her journey across the ocean. Lake Havasu was....well, kind of boring. It's a total resort kind of city, lots of shops catering to the filthy rich, fast food joints, coffee houses....the bridge is in the center of town and surprisingly, there aren't any signs directing you to entrance for driving over it. We had lunch in a restaurant right next to it, where I got some fairly good pictures.

Las Vegas was the same ol' Las Vegas, however this time it was spectacular because we had lunch at the Top of the World restaurant, perched like a big cherry on top of the tall spire of the Stratosphere Hotel & Casino. It reminded me of a restaurant - long gone - called the Equinox, at the top of the Hyatt Regency here in San Francisco. It had the same principle - spinning around as you eat....but this was so much better; although the air wasn't as clear as it could have been, we could see California. It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes for it to make a complete turn.

We stopped in the tiny town of Nipton on our way back.

Now for Oatman, which totally deserves a section of its own. Oatman was named after Olive Oatman, a girl from Illinois who at age 14 saw most of her family killed by Apaches and was kidnapped by them. She grew up with the Apaches and then was traded to the Mohave Indians, who tattooed her on her chin and arms, which was their custom - she eventually was returned to "civilization", got married, and adopted a son. Don't miss this fascinating story about her on Wikipedia, which has a picture of her with those tattoos.

Oatman is also the place where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon after getting married in nearby Kingman. You can view the official marital bed for a small fee at the Oatman Hotel, but it was being renovated when we were there so we couldn't get in.

The best thing about Oatman is its wild burros, which come into town every morning and return to the desert at night. They are descended from the old miners' burros and they are absolutely charming and delightful. I was surprised at how pretty they were, with their splotches of white, brown, black and grey. They act very much at home in town and will sometimes walk right into a store to look for food. Just about every store carries bags of carrots which you can purchase for $2.00 to feed to the little critters. Although they act quite tame, there's always the disclaimer that they can come out with some radical behavior (i.e. kick the crap out of you), so you need to be a little careful around them.



It was really difficult to come home this time. I felt at ease in Arizona and my visit went very well. Usually I hate hot weather, but the dry heat of the desert didn't bother me as much as I expected. Missy, who normally takes a while to warm up to people, also was happy there and I hated subjecting her to that long drive again.

Things went well on the drive back and surprisingly, I made it home in 9 hours. This is definitely something I'd like to do again, but perhaps I'll leave Missy home the next time.

RANTS & RAVES:

The Reserve At Fox Creek: The development where my relative lives. Man, I loved it there. I even checked out homes for sale, but realized I'd have to wait till retirement age if I did that. This community consists of modular homes that are lovely and affordable, averaging $95,000. The "space rent" in the park is $375/month. The good: great services for retirees such as a fully-equipped clubhouse, exercise equipment, clubs, two pools, and saunas. The bad: well, the heat, which feels like it's slamming you when you walk outside during the day. Most people hibernate during daylight hours and only come out in the very early morning and late afternoon/evening. Although it's damned hot, those modular homes are easy and cheap to cool. We were in a home that was next to an arroyo, and I'd go outside every morning to watch the little cottontails run around. Sigh...if only I was independently wealthy!

Casa Serrano: If you're ever near Laughlin, check this restaurant out - it's across the river in Fort Mohave, and it's a fairly short drive. Mexican food can be bland at times, but Casa Serrano uses garlic in its dishes - yum! They have a great vegetarian dish, steamed veggies over brown rice smothered with cheese. Highly recommended!

Edgewater Hotel & Casino: The best thing about the Edgewater (and other casinos around it) is the Laughlin Riverwalk outside, which runs the length of the river. You can stand in the warm air and look down at the ducks and gigantic carp swimming in the water. There's a water taxi that goes up and down the river for your convenience, if you don't feel like walking to the other casinos. One of the bigger docks was outside the Edgewater, where people were waiting for the taxi.

I tried to capture the silence of the desert when we were in the middle of Joshua Tree State Park. Unfortunately the wind caused some noise interference on this video, but at the end you can hear the wind rustling in the tree - very cool.

Bakersfield :: May 2009

Bakersfield....ugh. I will, in the future, try to avoid it as much as I can.

I didn't have any kind of traumatic incident there....I wasn't robbed or assaulted in any way (thank God), but as a woman alone, I just felt...uncomfortable and out-of-sorts during my brief overnight stay.

I've always heard bad things about Bakersfield - "the armpit of the valley" is one of them. I'm a pretty cheery gal and I try not to form early opinions.

I was actually passing thru Bakersfield on my way to Arizona and had my long-haired Chihuahua Missy in the car. I would have left her at home, but Missy needs daily sub-q fluids for her chronic renal failure, so she came along. By the time we arrived in Bakersfield, Missy and I were worn out from an entire day of driving and mishaps -the car breaking down near Los Banos in the sizzling hot San Joaquin Valley, waiting for a diagnosis at the mechanic's, looking (unsuccessfully) around Los Banos for a rental car, spending loads of time on the phone with my mechanic, and finally deciding with him that my car would probably be ok for the long drive thru the desert to Arizona as planned, but with the Check Engine light on.

Missy wasn't used to the hot weather or the car and had diarrhea'd all over the back seat in between the events outlined above. At one point I called her vet to ask for advice and was told to give Imodium AD post-haste. This was done and accomplished via a Walgreen's drive-thru, but the medication took its own sweet time to start working.

We finally arrived in Bakersfield at the LaQuinta Inn. I'd stayed in LaQuintas in the past and liked them, so I had high hopes for this one. The hotel itself was nice with an elegant exterior and large tasteful lobby and a cozy breakfast eating area. The room was clean and we were very happy to arrive.

Missy was especially glad to get out of that car.

The bathroom toilet was one of the strangest (and highest) I've ever seen.

The day before I departed, as I usually do, I had checked the regular travel sites such as Yelp.com and TripAdvisor.com for the best places to eat and visit in that area. I didn't come up with very much. I decided that because I was there for such a short time, I wouldn't attempt to explore the city.

The hotel was in a bad area, which was dirty, neglected, and industrial; the local inhabitants looked like escapees from "Deliverance" and were a little frightening.

After getting Missy set up in the bathroom with her food, bed, and heating pad, I left for a short time to have dinner at the Denny's across the street....I skipped my planned swim in the hotel pool and went horizontal in bed.

RANTS & RAVES:

Bakersfield itself - don't bother

La Quinta Inn: Be sure to ask for a room on the bottom floor AWAY from any stairs - those areas tend to be more noisy. They have a good breakfast in the morning. The wireless internet works well.

Food: You can eat at the Denny's across the street. If you're a woman alone, I wouldn't recommend walking anywhere alone at night.

Roberta's Hotel & B&B Awards

1. Bathroom: Tie between the Blakely Hotel, Manhattan & Churchill Manor, Napa

2. Porch for sitting and reading a book: Barretta Gardens Inn, Sonora

3. In-house animal: the marmalade cat at the Georgian House, Portland

4. Outside animals: the carriage horses (they were brothers) and the cattle at the Carriage House Vineyards, Templeton CA.

5. Prettiest sight before going to sleep: the top of the stairs at the Georgian House, Portland

6. Best place to get stinking drunk when alone on Christmas Eve: Steakhouse at the Madonna Inn

7. Innkeepers: Walt & Gina Vickrey at the Pickford House Inn, Cambria

8. Breakfast: 3-way Tie: The Pickford House, Cambria, the Abel House, Elma, WA and the Barretta Gardens Inn, Sonora

Notes on bathrooms in New York & other places

Andrew says I have a bladder the size of a walnut. That's probably an exaggeration, but as a female, I try to know in advance where the bathrooms are.

New York was a challenge and really honed my bathroom-finding skills:

1. THE WINNER: Starbuck's. Lots of them around - I could check my email, get a caffeine jump, and pee all in the same place - and I didn't have to pretend I was a customer to empty my bladder (you should have seen the line at the Starbuck's Empire State Building!).

2. Department stores. I like going into stores that have spas so I can rub elbows - at least temporarily - with the rich. In New York after entering the spa at Saks Fifth Avenue, I was pounced on by a woman who watched me like a hawk and stuck to me like a burr. Me: "Hi, I'm just killing time waiting for my husband but I want to take a look at your facial cleansers - and I also want to use your bathroom."

You really have to be authoritarian with people like that.

3. Restaurants: They all have bathrooms, but just try using one in a tourist town if you're not a customer. When I see signs that warn, "Restrooms are for customers only", I enter the restaurant pretending I'm looking for someone. Looking for that elusive someone, I scope things out with an eagle eye, cock my head, and head back towards the bathrooms. Works every time.

One bathroom in New York had lovely peonies in the washroom area. Nothing like peonies when you pee!

Napa & Sonoma :: November 2008

One of my favorites.....because I was there in the fall, the grapevines and trees were turning brilliant shades of scarlet and orange, and there was a hazy and sleepy element to the air. Although Napa can get quite hot in the summer, in November it was just starting to get seriously chilly - perfect for me, as I avoid hot weather.

I must have been feeling flush financially at the time because I reserved a room at the Churchill Manor, a showcase B&B in Napa that was quite expensive.

I paid $250 for my room for one night - I now consider that to be quite foolish, because of my current circumstances. The room was nice but the bathroom was stupendous and almost as large as the main room. I have this habit of taking a bath in every B&B (I'm normally a shower gal), and in the tub I inevitably think, "Is this worth [insert price of room]?" My mental response will indicate whether I feel I've wasted my money. And at the Churchill Manor, it was an emphatic "YES!"

But the best thing about the mansion was the mansion itself. The owners have taken 20 years to bring it back to its former glory, with museum-quality antiques galore in the main rooms. Every room had walls of polished walnut. There was a large veranda/porch encircling the house and I spent some lovely hours there.

While driving through Calistoga, I came across signs that advertised "Petrified Forest". When my sister and I were small tots, our parents took us on a trip to San Francisco and the surrounding areas. I've always wondered where the petrified forest was, and upon entering the forest, I nearly cried. There was the little prospector, the same little guy I'd been looking at in my pictures for almost 50 years (oh, and if you click on the colored pic below, you may see someone else hiding in a tree).

I did a major amount of driving around the area in this trip, and I had a blast doing it. I'm not a wine devotee, so I didn't visit any wineries. It's really important to get up early to start driving because there's only one main highway thru the valley, and it gets crowded very easily.

I discovered that there was a huge VA-type of place on a mountain above Yountville, where old soldiers went to fade away. As I drove through the property, I noticed empty wheelchairs, sitting there like sad dogs waiting for their owners - and learned later that the residents take the bus into Yountville, drink all day, then return at night to their wheelchairs.

Rants & Raves:

*Churchill Manor: definitely recommended, if you can afford it. There are three floors however and there is no elevator so be prepared to lug your suitcases, which is not uncommon in B&Bs. They have high-speed wireless, but only in the library below and not in rooms. No TVs in rooms but one in library. Very clean, amenities like soap/shampoo are a high-class organic brand that I tried to find when I got home. Beds have down comforters and pillow tops, very comfortable. Breakfast: food was very good and you have a choice of what you'd like to eat from the paper menu, which is handed to youwhen you arrive at the table. But - the portions are much too small - have you ever seen a baby omelet? - something I've run into with many B&Bs - why do so many owners feel it's ok to gyp you with mini-portions? It's tacky, it's bad business, it doesn't cost them much more to give you a full-sized portion, and I don't like it at all. : [ HUMPH! Oh, and coffee was weak (uck).

Surprisingly, Churchill Manor is on the edge (i.e. right across the street) from a bad part of town but if you walk up one block, you're in the good part with some cool mansions. You have to go for a walk if you stay there! I walked into downtown Napa several times which was a good stretch, but perfect as I needed exercise.

*Towns (definitely my humble opinion, others may think very differently):

-Sonoma: very touristy (VERY) - quite crowded on weekends. There is a "square" downtown which is where most people hang out. Lots of restaurants, antiques, galleries, specialty stores. There are two really old hotels directly on the square and one is supposed to be quite haunted. Hotels are expensive and not as nice as the Churchill Manor, but are a kick to walk into and explore.

-St. Helena. Disappointing. There is one main street and that's it. Cute stores, but the main drag (the only drag) gets VERY crowded during the day and it's impossible to find a place to park (I tried many times).

-Yountville. I loved Yountville. It's beautiful, slightly off the main highway, and it has a small-town, homey, friendly atmosphere to it. There is a farmer's market on weekends. Gorgeous area, just below the big VA-type place.

-Calistoga. Really liked Calistoga, although the stores on the main street are a little disappointing. I had fun going into Indian Springs Resort (very hoity-toity). I wanted to see what the women's spa looked like, so I walked in, pretended I was one of their wealthy clients ("Can I help you?" "Oh, I'm only looking until my husband can join me - meanwhile I want to buy some soap"). If you need a bathroom, they have the best bathroom around (and the soap was lovely).

Restaurants: Had one of my best dinners ever at the Ristorante Allergria, which is situated in a former bank in downtown Napa. Here's a link: http://ristoranteallegria.com/ I loved the fact that they turned the vault into a private dining room ; ) The building itself reminded me of a bank my mother took me to in Santa Monica when I was very small. I sat at the bar to eat, mainly because the bartender was sexier than hell.