Coolin’ It In California!

I’m writing this post from the ~~truck, en route to Kansas from Colorado~~ RV in a picturesque RV park in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. (Ha ha, how time flies!)The past couple of weeks I have been ill twice, and this last time was a doozy. According to WedMD.com (currently my on-the-road primary care physician) I might have a had a bout with viral meningitis. Fortunately I started to recover just as I realized how serious it was. So as fun as getting a spinal tap while RVing around the country might seem, I’m happy to have avoided it for now.

California was a dream and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. As I look back at our time there, I am reminded that the coastline was the last time we needed sweaters… since then, it’s been crazy, stinkin’ hot! It was slightly weird – and attracted some odd glances – as we washed our cool-weather dirty laundry full of sweaters, socks and windbreakers in the 110 degree Las Vegas heat.

	Our first stop in California: The quaint town of Truckee located in the Sierra Nevada and home to my Aunt Flori and Uncle Jerry. (Also temporary home to the infamous Donner Party. That reminds me, Auntie cooked a delicious dinner for us that night!)
	Next stop: Sacramento, the illustrious capital and home to the Terminator Governor. We stayed next to the fair grounds in an RV park that was basically a gravel parking lot. It was hot, so we thought. (We hadn’t been to Las Vegas yet.)
	I dragged the crew to my favorite Ca. fast food hangout: El Pollo Loco.
	How can you go wrong with beans, rice, salsa, tortillas, and grilled chicken for fast food?
	Even Doo-Bear chowed down.
	Speaking of chowing down, Aunt Deborah brought us to her country club pool and bought everyone ice cream cones. What she didn’t realize is that she bought herself Clara’s utter devotion for life with that small gesture. Note to relatives: Give Clara a sweet treat and she will instantly love you.
	Papa challenges everyone to a game of Ping-Pong, no matter if you’re an auntie, a grandpa, a toddler, in a wheelchair, blind, and so on… so far, he’s unbeatable with a perfect winning streak.
	In Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco, we visited my Aunt Trula and Uncle Charlie’s beach house. We attended Mass with them and met their priest who was performing his last Mass at their parish after 15 years of service. What an honor to be there with them on this day!
	Having fun in Half Moon Bay with the second cousins. We parked the RV on Aunt Trula’s street and even slept there. (Apologies to the neighbor who bumped into our slide-out at 6:30 in the morning.)