Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Off we went. Back “home.” It was the Summer Solstice and National Naked Hiking Day. I can’t think of a better place to celebrate both. Clarification: Parfait represented the naked hiking portions.
Yosemite is still beautiful and a place close to our hearts. Perfect weather, manageable traffic and crowds, a substantial walk, conversations with great former co-workers, and knowing where to have a quiet away from the crowds picnic made for a wonderful day.
Today would have been my father’s 100th birthday (Raymond Willard Stone). We lost him February 13, 1996. I still miss him greatly and wish I could have spent a lot more time with him.
One was that he was a radio operator and carried a large radio backpack and when they went out on a mission or patrol, and the enemy always knew where he was because of the long radio antenna
The other story was how after he returned to the states and before he was sent home, he was part of a group sent to Bullhead City, Arizona where he helped build a cattle grate across the main roadway. As we traveled nearby, he took me there once to show it to me.
We planned a fun trip with Seymour to Vegas, and then on to Arizona to visit oldest son Jason and family. More on that later.
Then, just a couple weeks before our planned trip, the wife of one of Kari’s former coworkers, I.P. (J.P.’s wife), invited us to join them and other former coworkers for three nights on a RV trip to nearby Paso Robles—just before our Vegas trip. This meant we had a one day turnaround between the two trips. We took it as a good trial run.
The trip to Paso Robles was fun, albeit, Kari wasn’t feeling the best. We stayed at Cavo Robles RV Resort (a Sun Outdoor operation). It was our first time staying at a Sun Outdoor property, and since we have a planned visit at another location later in the summer, I was really happy to see it was laid out and managed well.
Boy, we really felt small as compared to our friends’ rigs. That’s cool though, we were still very comfortable. Fortunately, our friends are very hospitable when sharing their outdoor setups.
In advance of the trip, Kari made a layered German Chocolate cake for J.P. as a thank you for his kind words at her retirement dinner last year. German Chocolate happens to be Kari’s favorite cake and one of J.P.’s too. She made the cake in advance and froze the cakes, making the frosting separate. She assembled it at the RV park, thinking she might get a slice too. Nope. Yet, she didn’t mind, because he enjoyed it so much.
Even in adventures like this one, Kari has always enjoyed a good meal out at a restaurant. Now that Parfait is in our lives, it has narrowed our selection to dog friendly venues. A small frustration, but workable.
Kari found a restaurant in Paso Robles that had an outdoor dining that is dog friendly, Paso Terra on Pine Street. Reservations were made for when they open for dinner at 5:30 pm. We got a great table at the end of the patio. Parfait was a good puppy during the dinner, and was greeted warmly by staff, other diners, and those passing by on the sidewalk. It was still pretty warm outside when we arrived, but the patio was covered and as the sun set it became very comfortable. Ice water was plentiful. A restaurant across the street had outdoor entertainment, a Nora Jones style singer. Our location lent itself to be a perfect distance from the loudspeakers making for great ambiance.
I don’t remember what Kari had to eat, but I tried the Sand Dabs and asked the server pair a glass of wine with them. Since a child, Sand Dabs has frequently been one of those menu items I rarely order because I think sounds good, but often disappoints. Not this time. They were delicious—as was the paired local wine. The wine was so good, we went to the winery the next day and bought some bottles of it.
Not to spoil the great evening vibe going on (remember, Kari wasn’t feeling 100%), but the fabulous dinner date night was topped be resolving a toilet problem. Earlier in the day, we noticed that there was some type of clog between the toilet and the black water tank. So a stop by Lowe’s hardware after dinner was required. A small assortment of clog resolution tools were purchased, and thankfully a skinny and spiny plastic flex band got things flowing normally again. Not exactly a great way to end a wonderful evening, but we certainly slept better knowing we wouldn’t need to make a pitstop in the middle of the night by leaving the trailer.
The next day I needed some supplies for the trailer, so off for some errands. Strangely, the RV stores were either closed or their parts department were closed. One RV salesman suggested a nearby hardware store, Outdoor Supply Hardware in Paso Robles. I walked into the place and immediately noticed how clean and organized it was, and was promptly greeted by a helpful staff member. It reminded me of another “OSH,” the now bankrupt Orchard Supply Hardware chain that I loved so much. I was able to find everything I needed quickly at a fair price. Only later I learned the new OSH had apparently been created out of many of the old OSH locations. I wish they had retained the one in the Clovis.
The RV park had some nice dog runs, especially the one near the entrance. Parfait had a blast running around in it.
On the way home, lunchtime was enjoyed at a new to us restaurant, Whimpy’s, in Lemoore. Great burgers and delicious fries that we are in the trailer.
It was fun hanging with our friends and may return here with them in October.
(And….I forgot to restart the Relive app when we left Paso Robles.)
We’re celebrating Kari’s birthday month. It’s something we do. Even though it’s a milestone birthday—and maybe because of that—she d...
