I Digress

I'd like to take a little diversion here to report on my sister's adventure. She's had a fierce case of wander lust (with a little SADs, empty nest, RV fever and hunger for warmth thrown in). She calls herself the "runaway mama".

She got herself a Dodge van a year ago and a small pull-behind trailer about a month ago. She took out the back seats and replaced them with a twin mattress. Her trailer holds clothes, reading material, food, dog, bike and laundry supplies, etc. With her recumbent bike and a little cooler she's all set. She even has a cool little port-a-potty.

Here she and her dog, "Mr. Lincoln" drop by to say 'good-bye'.


And she's off on her maiden voyage in her new get-up.


It was probably around 11 AM when she hit the highway. She didn't go very far ~ only 223 miles. But she rode her bike and gave Mr. Lincoln a good run. She stopped at the Seven Feathers Casino and just parked her rig in the parking lot. With all the coming and going she felt perfectly safe.

* click on map images from better clarity (this is my first effort with Snagit)


Then it was on to Corning, Ca. ~ at a leisurely pace, replete with doggie walk and bike ride in Caldwell Park, Redding. She camped in the parking lot of the Rolling Hills Casino.


On her third day she cut over to Hwy. 99 so she could see Yuba City and pass by the Women's State prison in Chowchilla. Her final desination was Goshen where she stayed in her first RV park, the Wooden Shoe.



Day 4 took her to Palmdale, where she just drove into a little neighborhood and found a private spot (after checking with the residents that it was okay). This was a pretty drive through the Sierra foothills. She was particularly taken with the area around Keene and the Tehachapi mountains ~ famous for the Tehachapi loop - a well known railroad buff destination.



Last on the southward leg of her trip was a short jog to Palm Springs where she was delighted to find the Happy Travelers RV Park at the base of the mountains on the Taquitz Wash.


She bought up a week's stay and is ecstatic to be thoroughly "amputated from life" and untethered from any obligations or demands. She loves RV camp life (rife with Canadian winter escapees) and forays to neighboring La Quinta and Rancho Mirage.

With her new Eee PC she can get free wifi from the libraries and check her email and the web. This is more plugged in than she usually wants to be however, as she and Mr. Lincoln are too busy exploring new sights and trails.