Trip of the Trees

(Archie says, "Dogs love trees - we leave our personal information with trees so other dogs can learn about us - they're kind of like social bulletin boards for dogs.")

“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.” - Psalm 96:11-13a Sometimes, vacations unintentionally take on a theme of their own. Looking over pictures from our July RV trip, I decided this one was all about the trees.

Our first sight-seeing day, when we rode the Sugar Pines Express, we encountered the train’s namesake, said to be the tallest of all pines (around 200 feet). It can live up to 500 years. This tree gets its name because the resin in the bark is sweet. I thought the name came from the short, stiff needles that make the branches look like they’ve been sprinkled with sugar.

Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove was next. These famous trees are Giant Sequoias, quite tall at 290 feet. Many of the trees here are so unique they’ve been given names.

The grove isn’t the only place with trees in Yosemite - there are plenty of trees all around this national park.

 

At Lake Tahoe, there are trees everywhere. I think they were mostly Ponderosa Pines at our campsite, but they were so thick, we had a hard time seeing the stars at night.

Next stop, Santa Cruz, which included a visit to the Redwood Grove Nature Trail in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The trees in this park are just majestic!

Redwoods are the world’s tallest trees and they repel fire and disease. One tree is about 270 feet tall and over 17 feet wide - almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. They only grow in temperate, foggy, moist conditions. You could also see Douglas-fir, Tan Oak and Bay trees on the trail.

We took a drive over to Pebble Beach and, among other impressive sites, saw awesome Cypress Trees.

Then there were some pretty big Eucalyptus Trees at Natural Bridges State Park.

Look at the size of that branch!

During our last stop, in Buellton, we visited the Santa Inez Mission. Perhaps that was where we saw the most inspiring “tree.”

Have a wonderful week!

Our Last Stop

When we left Santa Cruz, I wondered if we were headed home. The motor home door opened and I got my answer - we were in Buellton at Flying Flags Campground. I was surprised because we hadn’t been there in about three years.

Buellton wasn’t on the itinerary at first. After my daughter and I had planned every stop, my husband popped his head in the room and asked, “Hey, is there any chance we could stop at Flying Flags on the way home.” My daughter and I looked at each other and started laughing because we had asked him if he had any requests before we started. Since it would be his birthday the last week of our vacation, we decided to shave a day off of each of the other stops so we could have some time left to honor his request. - D

There had been some upgrades at the park since the last time we’d been there, like cement patios and new tables at the RV sites. The area above the “river” was now fancy tent spots. Park-size trailers had been moved in and, along with new cabin-tents, were available for rent. The grandkids were excited about the playground equipment - all new. My favorite improvement - the off-leash area had been enlarged so now a canine could actually move around in there.

We stopped to see the birds at Ostrich Land and did a lot of shopping in Solvang. We also did a lot of eating in Solvang, as well as at AJ Spurs, Anderson Split Pea (also visited their gift shop) and Ellen’s Pancake House. I think we ate out more times at this stop then the rest of our entire trip! We also visited the Santa Inez Mission since California missions would be coming up as part of Peyton's school curriculum. -D

Then one night, who should come for dinner but Kramer - how did that pup find his way to Buellton? Well, Aunt Lori and Uncle Rick happened to be there, too, so that explains it. Of course, I was happy to see them. In spite of Kramer, everyone enjoyed themselves.

We had a great time visiting and, if Archie was honest, he would admit, he was glad to see Kramer, too. Being on the road is always more fun when friends and family show up. - D

Our summer trip had come to an end and after three weeks, everybody still loved me!

I strained my neck to look out the window and there it was - a fog bank! Cool weather at last!

A quick nap later and we were home. Here I am, back in my favorite “cool” spot.

In case you're interested in the RV spots where we stayed during this trip:

Yosemite South/Coarsegold KOA, 34094 Highway 41, Coarsegold CA 93614

When we arrived, the day before the 4th of July weekend started, we overheard conversation that the owners were new - they did seem to be in a little over their heads. Even so, they were friendly and seemed to be giving it their best effort.  The facilities were nice and Woodall's rating was high. Yosemite's south entrance is about 23 miles away but it seems like it takes forever to get to the national park and even longer to see some of the sites which are all pretty spread out. If you want to visit the Mariposa Grove, at the very south end of Yosemite, or ride the Sugar Pines Express Narrow Gauge Train, which is just outside the south gate of the park, this is a good place to stay.
Archie says, "It was hot for me but KOA people are dog people." 

Tahoe Valley Campground, 1175 Melba, South Lake Tahoe CA 96158

Great place for kids - lots to do at the campgound itself and you kind of feel like you are at summer camp. This campground is large, over 500 tent/RV sites.  It's not right on the lake but the drive is short and the location makes it easy to get to the lake's California shores. Another high rated spot from Woodall's.

Archie says, "It had several nice designated dog-walking spots as well
 as the rest of the campground for dog fun."

Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Kampground, 1186 San Andreas Road Melba, Watsonville CA 95076

Another great campground for kids - so much to do it was hard to pull the grandkids away to go sight seeing. There was miniature golf, a playground, fun train, climbing wall (treadmill style), jumping pillow as well as the pool - the first one on our trip that was actually heated. Besides all that, there were activities for the kids to participate in every day. Pizza was available for delivery on Friday evenings, BBQ lunch on Saturdays and a pancake breakfast on Sunday mornings. Yep, Woodall's gave it a high rating, too.

Archie says, "Their K9 area was nice, too."

Flying Flags RV Park & Campground, 180 Ave of the Flags, Buellton CA 93427

This campground has made a lot of improvements so if you haven't been there for awhile, you might want to check it out. They have a nice pool and two spas, one inside and one out. They also have a nice playground for kids. Gown-up playgrounds are nearby - Solvang and the Chumash Indian Casino.

Archie says, "The improvements at the off-leash dog area are pretty nice, too!"

Our Latest RV Trip - Part 3

We headed to Santa Cruz - finally tolerable weather. See Mike's wearing a sweatshirt so you know I'm feeling so much better. Campground - pet friendly, even had an off-leash area. Lots of my canine buddies were there, even some show-dogs, altho' I never saw them go to the dog park.

They let dogs on the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad - loved that ride on the train.

This was my first train ride and I liked it - I could’ve done without the whistle and steam -  too loud.

The passengers in our car liked having me there, maybe they didn't like that loud noise either and I made them feel better. Anyway, I got a lot of pats and made a lot of new friends that day. It was a great ride through a redwood forest. I even got to walk around among the giant trees and you know how dogs feel about trees!

When the ride was over, Mike and Dana had me sit to the side, so everyone else could get down from the car first. I didn't mind because I got a lot more attention from people as they passed by me. One gentleman gave me a pat and said, "That's a good looking dog. He sure is well-mannered." The best comment of the day!

Another fun thing we did was take the 17-mile driving tour around Pebble Beach. It’s pretty well-known and there were a lot of people out doing the same thing.

There was only one problem, sometimes there is so much to see, people don't pay attention to what's going on...

But sometimes, we just hung around the campground.

Are you having fun, Peyton?

I had fun in Santa Cruz.

Our Latest RV Trip - Part 2

I have been struggling with this for a week! Looks like it's finally going to work. So, here goes...


Our next stop was Lake Tahoe and our first day was not a dog day. Everybody rode the Ducks, so I stayed in the motor home.

But the next day, I thought I heard my name and wondered,

"Am I going somewhere?"

Next thing I knew, we were at Kiva Beach, a dog's paradise. I met big dogs, little dogs, dogs who never barked, fat dogs, skinny dogs, even a lab that let me play with his ball - that was fun. Most of the time, though, I played with the people that brought me.

I found that stick, but everyone else wanted to play with it, too!

After a while, I got tired of the sun, which happens when you always wear a fur coat. Luckily, I found some people who didn't seem to mind sharing their shade.

 

Then again, maybe they never even noticed me!

That was such a fun day, but I spent the rest of the afternoon like this:



That was the highlight of my stay in Lake Tahoe.   ~ Archie

Kiva Beach, one of the few Tahoe beaches where dogs are allowed on the California side is a mile north of Camp Richardson Resort off Highway 89 on the southwest shore. Dogs are allowed only from Tallac Point at the end of Kiva Beach south of the Camp Richardson Resort fence. - Dana

Hanging Around the RV - Part 1

Being furry - I don’t have to worry about clothes - like where to put them. Mike and Dana don’t have fur; they are always looking for clothes hanging places around the RV.

Sometimes their clothes get wet, they never seem to know when it might rain. When their clothes get dirty, they take them off to wash them. When my fur gets dirty, it’s still on me when it gets cleaned but I like water so that’s OK. I’ve heard Dana tell Mike, “Don’t put that one in these dryers - it’ll shrink.” I’m glad that doesn’t happen to me! I don't think I'd like shrinking fur.

Some campgrounds have rules about hanging clothes outside of the motor home; that means they have to find places inside the RV for their clothes to air dry. Other times, Dana has to look for places to hang clothes because, Mike says, she brings too many.

To dry clothes, sometimes, they pop the rod out of the shower, hang a couple of “S” hooks from cabinet handles and set the shower rod in the lower hook. (Dana says you can use a dowel instead.) If your clothes are really wet, leave them in the shower long enough to finish dripping or else the couch or dinette will get wet. When the windows are open, clothes dry even faster.

Of course, if you only have one or two things that need to air-dry, you can just hang it on the cabinet. Another place that works for a hanger is the shelf the TV sits on in our bedroom.

Now, if you’re lucky enough to have two slide outs, which we don’t, you can put a spring-loaded shower curtain rod between them. Then you can hang up quite a few things that won’t be too noticeable when people walk by your RV. Before buying a rod for this, be sure to measure the distance between the two slide-outs to get a rod that’s long enough to work.

This is Genie & Mark's 5th wheel and her idea, actually.

Dana’s nickname is the “Gadget Queen” - Uncle Rick calls her that. She is always finding interesting contraptions and some of them come in pretty handy, even Uncle Rick admitted that. Anyway, here's an umbrella type drying stand that folds in and contracts to a small size for storage. It can be used outside or inside on the dinette table.

When it comes to storing, Dana says the shower works great for a place to “hang” clothes, especially the long ones - until you need to take a shower, that is. I notice Mike and Dana do that a lot. I don’t know how they get so dirty - it seems to take a lot out of their playtime. Anyway, Dana puts the clothes in a garment bag to keep them safe from renegade drips.

If you don’t want to move your clothes around to take a shower, then you can use the TV shelf in the bedroom again, if you have one. Dana says it it comes in handy for extra hanging space. She uses garment bags there to keep the clothes together and protect them from stray golden retriever hairs, although I’m not sure why she cares about that, I think my hair is quite fetching.

Then there’s always the old stand-by, the over-the-door hook. Dana has one on the bathroom door. It can hold an outfit or two, but she usually hangs bags, her camera or a jacket she doesn't want to put away.

As for me, if I can't hold it in my mouth, then it's not worth taking!

Archie's Turn

Dana left her computer on so thought I’d try this.

Let me set one thing straight, I’m not really fat. Now these aren’t my best pics, but here you can see when I’m wet, I’m not that big - I’m just a really fuzzy fellow.

 I like the beach - interesting stuff there, lots of water and it’s almost always cool. If you had fur all over, that would be important to you, too.







I like kids. “Grand” kids think I’m their dog, too. Other kids walk by my front fence on their way to school. When they can’t see me, they yell, “Archie,” so we can walk together to the end of my yard. If kids are out for recess when I walk by the school on the corner, some of them yell “Archie! Archie!” Mike and Dana wonder how those kids know me since they are strangers to them. Sometimes, if the school kids don’t know my name, they just yell out, “Hey, I like your dog!” I like that. When we go in the RV, I always make kid friends. Sometimes, the real little ones are intimidated because I’m pretty big, but once they snuggle in my fur, I have a new friend.

Then there are “dog” kids - puppies. I’m not really fond of them because they don’t have dog manners and humans expect us older guys to teach them. That’s a pain. Specifically, I don’t like Kramer. He lives with some of my other favorite people, Aunt Lori, Uncle Rick and Alyssa. When he grows up he is going to be a guide dog for the blind. Not sure what that means but I do know he always wants to follow me around and do whatever I do - what a pain!

I like water - of course, I’m a golden retriever! Any water will do - ocean, lake, river, creek or a puddle in the backyard. I even like our lawn sprinklers. I don’t get in deep water because when my tail floats, it freaks me out! I can swim, but I like to be in control of my tail.

I like other golden retrievers. That brings me to my friends, Emily and Allie. They are golden retrievers, too. We go on walks together. When people see us they say, "There goes a lot of hair!"

I like to travel in the RV. When Mike and Dana put their clothes in the motor home, I know we’ll soon be heading out and I get excited. When my bed goes in, I relax because I know I’m going, too!

Better go, I hear someone coming…