November 15, 2005

November 15, 2005

Coarsegold to Tehachapi, California

YEAR 2 DAY 151

 

Today was sunny and very warm, although tonight is chilly and windy where we're camped high in the Tehachapi Mountains.

We took our time preparing for departure this morning, as we wanted to arrive at Chuckchansi Gold Casino & Resort at 11:00 A.M. when their buffet restaurant opens. We pulled out of our campsite at 10:30 and drove to the clubhouse. I dropped off a book at the book exchange in the library, then we paid for our stay and the propane refill. We pulled out of SKP Park Of The Sierras and entered Hwy 41 at the most treacherous intersection I've ever encountered. The entrance / exit to the park is on a section of the highway that is on a curving hill, 1 lane downhill, and 2 lanes uphill. One of the uphill lanes is a passing lane. I had to turn left, against oncoming downhill traffic coming around a curve, and across the passing lane of the traffic coming uphill around a curve, into the inside uphill lane, and try to accelerate uphill to highway speed. Harvey and Dee-Dee do not accelerate very quickly uphill from a stop. Before I could even get the rig up to highway speed it was time to turn into the casino entrance. We parked, and entered the casino precisely at 11:00 A.M.. I thought that the restaurant would be empty at opening time, figuring that 11:00 A.M. was too early for people to be wanting lunch. NOOOOO ! We joined a line up for the restaurant that was about 150 people. Old people. It took us 20 minutes to get seated. And as we were being seated, I noticed that there were probably another 150 people still in line behind us. Where the hell do all these old people come from ?

We had a huge, leisurely lunch. And who said there was no such thing as a free lunch ? Well, we did previously gamble away 3 dollars in the casino. I guess the casinos figure that giving a free lunch to high rollers like us pays off at the slots and gaming tables. HA HA HA HA HA !

We left the casino and headed south on Hwy. 41 to Fresno. We found our way to a Wal-Mart in Fresno. While Joanne went shopping for groceries and supplies, I unhitched Harvey from Dee-Dee, and took her in for an oil change. By the time Joanne was finished shopping, the truck was ready. I paid the bill, hitched up, and we headed through Fresno towards Hwy. 99. We found a gas station with a good price on diesel, so I stopped and filled the tank. We found our way through Fresno to Hwy. 99 and headed south. Traffic was pretty heavy. Los Angeles smog was very visible, even though we were still more than 100 miles north of Los Angeles. I saw a Home Depot right at a freeway exit in Delano, so I pulled off and bought the 3 floor registers I wanted. By the time we got to Bakersfield, we were considering stopping for the night, but it was a bit too early, and we got a late start today, so we continued. It was just turning dark at that time, shortly after 5:00 P.M.. At Bakersfield, we turned east onto Hwy. 58 and shortly thereafter began the long brutal climb up into the Tehachapi Mountains.

We stopped for the night at the Mountain Valley Airport RV Park in Tehachapi. We stayed here in the spring. It is an RV park beside a small town airport, in a valley surrounded by mountains. The town of Tehachapi, and the Tehachapi Valley is noted for produce. We're planning to buy lots of fresh produce tomorrow morning. We registered, parked, and set up the rig. Joanne went to shower while I started working on today's accounting and journal. We were going to boondock tonight, but decided we wanted to stay in a serviced RV park tonight so that we could watch Amazing Race on TV. I set up the TV antenna, found the right network, and have just realized that Amazing Race is pre-empted tonight by the Country Music Awards. PHHHT !

Joanne just opened her hair styling gel, and it blew up all over her, as did her face lotion a few minutes earlier. It's a common occurrence in our lifestyle. You close a container of something at one elevation ( higher pressure ), and then open it at a much higher elevation ( lower pressure ), and the pressure difference causes the contents to blow out. HA HA HA ! I shouldn't laugh. I've been shot in the eye with exploding toothpaste more than once. I wonder if I'll remember that we're at a high elevation tomorrow morning when I open the toothpaste ?

We had a very late, light supper, then watched a bit of TV.

DSK