CAMPOUT CORNER
The Early Days of Yesterday
SJC Campout July 10, 2010
The modern sounds of today quickly faded to sounds of the past as 24 intrepid SRHs took to the streets of old town San Juan Capistrano on a walking tour arranged by Joan Malanosky. Some of us drove and others came by Metrolink train and we were warmly greeted by the SJC Posse made up of the Lasseys, MacBrides, Ryans and the Sheriffs Malanosky.
We toured through adobe homes, heard wonderful tales of days gone by and strolled streets changed very little by time. California history truly came alive. After the guided tour we all did more exploring on our own some the stalls displaying crafts, some to other old homes and some to the Mission to see the Zorro exhibit. Our lunch at Sarducci’s was tasty and we could watch the trains pulling into the station from the windows right next to us. After a brief meeting, we boarded our respective stage coaches, trains and buggies and headed home. The train riders were treated to some “mooners” on the way north but no train robbers. It was a wonderful day with time to visit with friends, learn some history and do some shopping. This could very well be a “do over” another year.
Thanks again to the SJC Posse
Celebrating
30 Years!
June 10,11,12 2010,
Everyone
seemed anxious to get to
On Friday morning Linda asked on the Barnyard Net, “What were you doing 30 years ago when SRH’s was formed?” so we found out about each others past lives. A leisurely and delicious potluck breakfast was followed by the Chapter Meeting. The Ryans had driven in for the day, newer members Rudy and Lucille Leemhuis and Mort and Carol Ericksen were there, and we were especially happy to have Jack Hoke and Maxine Mooneyham back with us. Visitors, Lou (KA6VVD) and Darla Figueroa who had been members during the 1980’s, were introduced and SoCal Good Sam representatives, Howard and Carmela Remson, were welcomed.
After the
meeting we perused memorabilia (Lou
found that he was mentioned in our 1st HOG published in 1989!)
and relaxed until videos of past campouts were shown by
Frank Clements and
Jim Ware.
What fun (and a few tears) to see old friends from as far back as the
early 1990’s. By
Saturday started with a Barnyard Net with
Joan as net control.
This morning’s question was “When and where did you join SRH’s and
who or what influenced you to join?”
Almost all of our members met us in Quartzsite or joined because of
friends in Radio or RV clubs, although several had responded to an ad in
Highways! The usual excellent
potluck breakfast with lots of fresh fruit, a chile casserole by
Ellie and wonderful pecan rolls by
At Happy Hour we were delighted by the arrivals of longtime members Howard and Jean Wedell and Jose Garcia. All too soon it was time to get gussied up and eat an excellent catered dinner. Our hosts had decorated the clubhouse with white tablecloths and fresh flowers and provided MANY bottles of wine. Everyone not only looked their best but felt their happiest.
After dinner Master of Ceremonies Ron Malanosky introduced our past presidents and guests and then called on Past President Bill DeSmith to tell us about some of our earlier members. With the help of beautiful “Vanna“ (Alma), names were drawn form a genie’s basket and Bill told us about their contributions to our chapter. Then Ron recounted some highlights of the past five years and concluded with a challenge to our present members to carry on our chapter’s special- ness. Linda was called upon to read a tribute to our silent keys and a hauntingly beautiful “Amazing Grace” was played by Jim Preston on his trombone.
The formal evening closed with an elegant dessert of ice cream, berries and a pirouette cookie, but many stayed to help with cleanup and chat late into the evening. It was a memorable campout! Thank-you hosts, Jan and Frank Clements and Sally Ann and Karl Lassey.
Submitted by Joan Malanosky KF6SMF
Pechanga RV Park
May 11, 12, 13 2010
Pechanga Happenings
Max & Doris, Bill & Madolyn arrived about 2 hours early on Monday and parked in the lot adjacent to the service station. We had lunch and walked over to the RV Park to peruse the situation. K6BWZ broke the silence and timed it just right. It is time to go in and park. Just as we were parking I heard WA6HGA, Linda and Jim are here. Max and Doris friends and guests Ron and Bonnie had a minor accident, scraping the right side storage door and damaging the right outside dual tire. A little accident can’t keep a real camper down. All this happened before they left home. Road care was contacted and replaced the tire and they were soon on their way.
Day two dawned breezy with broken clouds and cool weather.
SRH campers begin arriving at
We started Thursday with the barnyard net and breakfast
goodies. The Chapter meeting was followed by free time until
The Hosts: The Smiths and the Lacys
Southern California Good Sam Samboree
Lancaster, CA
"Pajama Party" April 14-18 2010
Six RV’s (early birds) arrived in Lancaster Wed. for the "Burrito Brigade," including Roger & Carol Kepner, Phil & Amy MacBride, Glenn & Charlotte Schmitt, Dan & Beverly Rowlan, Bob & Lee Reitzel, and Karl & Sally Lassey, to begin preparing for the Thursday morning start of the Breakfast Burrito sales. The ladies started at 1:30 pm and finished shortly after 5:00 pm. They were all ready to sit, relax and sip a few at our informal Happy Hour, where we also received our work orders for the next day.
The customary early bird dinner was Chile, Salad, and delicious Cornbread Muffins, which were prepared by our own Culinary Queen, Glenda Schnelbach, was served at 6PM. Most of our group was ready to head for the rigs, but a few of us managed to stay for the 50/50 drawing, and several games of SAMGO, the SAM’S version of BINGO. Everyone retired early due to the early Thursday wake up call.
Thursday morning the Burrito sales started at 7:00 am. We had a fairly good day considering the amount of people that were there. Bill Harder joined us in the afternoon, and more Samboree rigs started rolling in.
In the afternoon, and after a brief rest, we formed a caravan to go to the poppy fields that are in full bloom now. We took a slight detour on the way to ride on the Musical Highway. Ask Bob Reitzel to play the tune for you, as he recorded it on his new movie camera.
Dinner was on your own, so four couples went out for a great Chinese dinner, and At 7:30PM the opening ceremony was held. Joann Yett introduced all of our chapters as well as the visiting officers.
Friday we were up and at-um very early again. The Burrito sales were better that day. The count of rigs totaled 87. Usually there are well over a hundred, but not this time. Our chapter lost five due to previously planned functions. The Duncan’s had to cancel at the last minute, as Glad took ill. The ladies enjoyed a Tea, and a lot of the gals were in their Pajamas. There were prizes for the best get up. Vice President Amy held a short Chapter Meeting, followed by Happy Hour
That night the order of the evening was Pizza and Salad. After dinner we played many games that were set up around the perimeter of the hall .The prizes were very nice. Later they had a 25-25-50 drawing and more SAMGO.
Saturday was a very, very busy day
, with Burrito sales, and then the pet show, which Molly, Bob Reitzel’s puppy, took a blue ribbon in both the best tricks and the smallest dog categories. Ron Malanosky won a blue ribbon for his 30th anniversary book. Congrats Ron!! Charlotte and Glen got a red ribbon (2hd place) for the blind rodeo. All in all, our chapter did very well. After all this we had the parade of pajamas. Some were pretty, some were scary and some were weird.It was now time to get ready for the catered dinner. Just before we were to go to dinner, Bob Reitzel went over to the Lassey’s coach in a panic. It seems that Lee was just standing in her coach, when her foot swelled up and turned black and blue. It was quickly decided she need to go to the ER, so Karl Lassey took them and nearly three hours later they returned. It seems that she had a blood vessel problem and it caused a hematoma. Lee has recovered fully since returning home. The bad thing is they had to eat cold dinners. Ugh!
After dinner and during the closing ceremonies, the chapter received two flags for Dogs for the Deaf. One for the top chapter in California, and another for being in the top ten in the USA. We also got a certificate for our thirty years of being a chapter of the Good Sam Club. Quite an achievement! Pictures were taken with our flags, then A Rock and Roll quartet, The Del Aires, played music that everyone seemed to enjoy. Quite a few were out there dancing.
Sunday there was a memorial at 9:00am for the members that are no longer with us. Balloons which were blue, silver and pink were released into the sky. It was a solemn and beautiful sight. With that, most everyone left the fair grounds and headed home after four days of work and play. It was another great Samboree!
Sally Lassey
Bullhead City Campout March 1-4, 2010
The Best Dam Campout in a Long, Long Time!
The first week of March saw the Chapter headed off to
Davis Camp on the
And busy it was! After a
delicious potluck breakfast, thirteen cars lined up for a visit to Katherine
Landing to meet with a Ranger, hear about the area and go on a bird walk
(hike!). The young hi-tech
ranger brought out his I-phone with a bird call app---and the birds came
when the phone called. Amazing!
After lunch and a rest back at the campground and a
challenging time spent programming our radios for the afternoon T-hunt,
Jim Herd, with the help of
Steve Eddy, unloaded his glider
from its trailer, assembled it, and explained its mechanics and electronics.
We were fascinated. The T-hunt
followed.
Jim Ware had hidden a
transmitter. Some of us wandered
around somewhat aimlessly, but first-timer,
Jennifer, headed directly toward it and was the first to locate it.
At Happy Hour time, we emerged from our rigs in full
western gear to find that a special guest, John Wayne, had come to greet us.
We, of course, had to have our picture taken with him!
Rice crackers and “Goldwater Salsa” were followed by a delicious
dinner of pulled pork sandwiches with all the accompaniments provided by our
hosts. The balmy evening closed with a campfire at which a DROID cell phone
identifying stars and constellations was passed around.
After Wednesday’s barnyard net we again indulged in a terrific potluck
breakfast.
Charlotte Schmitt’s cottage cheese egg casserole, and
Dan Rowlan’s blueberry pancakes
were especially noteworthy. The
Chapter Meeting welcoming new members,
Steve and Lindsay Eddy and the
planning meeting for the Chapter’s Thirtieth Anniversary June campout
followed.
The group then gathered for the day’s trip.
First Frank Clements led
us to
Arriving home at Davis Camp we were so full, that Happy Hour goodies were
postponed until the next day and we exhausted campers retired to our rigs
after only a few drinks.
Thursday was to be a day of rest with no scheduled activities, but seventeen
of us went on boat trips through the Topock Gorge which
Sue had arranged. We all
saw birds and impressive scenery, but those in the third trip also saw
several bighorn sheep. Those who
stayed in Laughlin tried their luck at the Riverside Casino and came back
(they said) winners.
The campout ended with a final happy hour, a game of “Arizona Bingo” and a
last mellow campfire.
Thanks to our hosts for one of the most interesting campouts in recent
memory. Thank you
Amy and Phil MacBride, Mary Holzgang, and especially our
After the campout, a half dozen SRH families hung out to further explore the area while waiting for the start of the Nevada State Samboree at AVI Casino the following weekend. - - - Joan Malanosky
New Year’s Campout Dec. 30-31, 2009 and Jan 1-2, 2010
Sam’s Radio Hams brought in the first year of the second decade of the 21st century with enthusiasm and camaraderie. The weather also co-operated bringing clear sunny weather on the 29th and 30th when everybody arrived, cool and light rain for the whiskey crab soup and salad dinner and then clear bright days for the remainder of our time in Santee.
Linda Preston impressed us all on her "maiden voyage" as President. Former members Janet and Alan Broughton were introduced by Ron & Joan Malanosky. For Dogs for the Deaf the Broughtons have donated a complete HF home station which includes a Yeasu transceiver, antenna tuner and power supply. Roger Kepner will conduct the sale; watch for details. Forest Hogue and Dolores were welcomed when they arrived.
Santee Lakes’ campground supplied ham for the New Year’s Eve party. Many of our group attended some even staying until 11p.m.! Others went out to dinner then celebrated separately and still others stayed home and went to sleep.
Everyone brought wonderful items for our New Year’s Day brunch. Janet & Alan made black-eyed peas that they grew in their garden. They claimed that we all needed to have some for good luck during the coming year. I ate mine and so far the luck hasn’t run out.
Twenty nine people brought their baby pictures. Everyone had a chance to look them over and decide who was who. We were all cute when we were young. At Happy Hour we found out that Joan and Marcia tied with 10 correct. Since I only had one prize they each picked a number; Marcia won a picture frame.
The highlight of the campout was the Wahdingers cooked over charcoal on the last night. Some got a big kick out of watching me "massage" the crescent rolls onto the sticks. We found out the hard way (while people were roasting their Wahdingers and they fell off the sticks and into the fire) that the extra buttery rolls just don’t work. Taco meat, shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, diced onions and salsa were supplied for the dinner Wahdingers. Pistachio pudding, chocolate mousse with chocolate chips and vanilla mousse were used for the dessert Wahdingers. Bill Lacy took measurements of my sticks so he can make some. Ron has already put in his order.
I want to thank all the ladies who helped me chop, dice and cook. I could have done it without you, but you all sure made it a whole lot easier. Linda and Jim Preston were the best co-hosts; they picked up the slack so I could cook.
Hopefully everyone had a good time and didn’t leave hungry. If they did they have no one to blame but themselves.
Barbara Schleuse
Hostess with the Mostest (sore feet that is)
HOLIDAY FOLLIES AT EMERALD DESERT
- December
1- 3, 2009
Emerald Desert is a beautiful resort, and Palm Desert brought forth its best
fall weather for our annual holiday celebration.
Almost half of the 19 rigs could not wait and arrived for an early
day of relaxation and some preparation for the festivities.
After HAPPY HOUR a group of 11 visited the nearby Firehouse Sports
Bar where they were escorted to a private room for dinner.
Did
Phil
exert some influence here? The
restaurant is owned by a retired Palm Springs fireman and filled with
firehouse memorabilia and dishes.
And you know how those firemen can cook!
An enjoyable and inexpensive meal was had by all.
TUESDAY
arrival day was equally relaxed.
Rigs started driving in about noon, and were efficiently shown to their
parking space by
Ed, Glenn, Phil,
and others. The afternoon was
spent catching up with the many that most of us had not seen for much of the
year. It was wonderful to see
Max and Doris Smith, Paul and Dalya Collins, Don and Barbara Schleuse, and
Jim and Ellie Ware.
The officers welcomed us to the campout with some wonderful hot hors
d’oeuvres at HAPPY HOUR and many
skipped “Dinner on Your Own” to chat through the evening.
After drinking my wine
Ron
mentioned that he would give $20 for a Rum and Coke and
Don Schluese
immediately called his bluff! (Don
later donated his $20 to DFD).
Alma
gave
Jo Fort
a jigsaw puzzle which was started and engrossed some for a while ‘til time
to retire to our rigs for the busy day ahead.
WEDNESDAY began with a barnyard net at which
Karl
asked “Have you ever been president of any organization?”
We discovered that we have some high powered people among us.
An excellent catered breakfast of eggs, ham & sausage, French toast,
fruit and sides followed, which everyone, especially our cooks, appreciated.
Then
Karl
led his
last Chapter Meeting. The most
important business was to decide whether we would cook Breakfast Burritos at
the April Samboree. We will, and
Roger
volunteered to co-ordinate our members efforts as Burrito Bandido for 2010.
The meeting was followed by ladies crafts and tech topics.
Marcia
taught how to make some clever paper gifts (Do you know what snowmen turds
look like?), while
Dick
administered the Tech License Test to the men.
At 2:00 raffle prizes began to stream into the clubroom while cooks got to
work on heavy hors d’oeuvres for HAPPY HOUR.
At 4:00, we began to eat what many considered to be the best spread
EVER and
Roger
began selling long strips of raffle tickets.
By 5:30 everyone was stuffed and
Roger
announced last call to buy tickets before the raffle began. A bit later a
great cheer went up as
Roger
announced that SRH had surpassed the $5,000 needed to sponsor another
hearing dog for 2009! Two hours
and four ticket readers
(Roger, Linda, Phil & Ed)
later, all 150+ prizes had been claimed and
Charlotte and Linda
served delicious carrot cake and coffee.
Mary
had been the lucky winner of
Carole’s
beautiful queen-sized quilt and
Sally
continued to stock up on
Bill Lacy’s
artfully crafted wood items.
On
THURSDAY’s Barnyard Net,
Linda
asked what our favorite cookie was.
No surprise……Chocolate chip and
Glad’s
Shortbread! Another
delicious breakfast followed with everyone bringing their specialties.
Jeff
even carried his waffle iron to the clubhouse and produced hot and crispy
waffles to order.
Jim Herd
and Jennifer Ware
arrived in the afternoon, having flown their Bonanza to Palm Desert from
Lake Havasu. They were on their
way home from a trip that had taken them as far east as New Orleans.
HAPPY HOUR found everyone slicked up and wearing “Smart Dressy Casual”
(whatever that means). A catered
dinner was served in the nicely decorated dining room and dancing to live
music followed.
Linda and Doris
led a spirited group in a line dance before the group moved to our clubroom
for the installation of 2010 officers.
At the ceremony,
Karl
movingly thanked everyone for their support and relayed that this was the
first time he had ever been the president of any group.
He told how much he appreciated the chance we had given him to serve.
Bill DeSmith
installed the new officers and
Linda
then introduced the committee chairmen for 2010 while “First Dude”
Jim
photographed the event.
Thank you Lasseys, Prestons, Brunos, Schmitts, and Schnelbachs for a great year and very enjoyable campout!
Reporter:
Joan Malanosky
LONE WOLF COLONY CAMPOUT - November 1-3 2009
Ten rigs attended the November Campout; several came directly from the Samboree and others met us there. Thanks to Jeff and Jo Fort the site was a new campground for SRH; the Lone Wolf Colony in Apple Valley. The weather was pleasant; in the 80’s with typical desert cooling at night. We had Happy hour in the clubhouse in the late afternoon and then almost everyone turned in to get some rest after the Samboree.
After our potluck breakfast in the clubhouse on Monday, several campers took in the local attractions; the most popular being the Highway 66 Museum in Victorville. Since most of us had an adventure or two on "The Mother Road", there were a lot nostalgic sighs from the group. Ron found a sign that he remembered from years past.
We all joined together Monday evening for a delicious dinner of BBQ ribs and chicken rendered by Chef Jeff. After dinner a couple of friends of Marcia and Dick came by with their instruments and them, along with Larry Holt and Marcia entertained us with some lively Bluegrass music in the clubhouse.
After Tuesday’s pot-luck breakfast we were treated to a guided tour of the Lone Wolf Colony. We learned that it was established in 1922 as a Health Ranch for fully ambulatory adults recovering from injury, surgery or other non-communicable illness. The colony is still in use for that purpose today. Anyone wanting to stay there has to have a written prescription and they may stay free of charge for up to 2 weeks. The campground is behind the main buildings and is used to subsidize the operating costs.
On Tuesday afternoon several campers ventured off to Forever Wild, which is a sanctuary for large animals. We were given a guided tour and got to see many large cats close up and many other large animals. The facility was featured recently on the Extreme Makeover show and had undergone a major renovation with new cages and better viewing paths for visitors.
By the time the campout was over some brave souls had completed a 500 piece puzzle.
Lone Wolf Colony is a great campground and the hosts make all visitors and guest feel special. A special thanks to hosts Jeff and Jo Fort and co-hosts Flank and Jan for a great job
.
GOOD SAM SAMBOREE - October 28-31
BURRITOS AT THE SAMBOREE
By almost any measure, burrito sales at the 2009 Samboree were a success and at times, a lot of fun too! When the event was over, we had sold some 263 burritos and received numerous compliments each day and many repeat customers. Best of all, burrito sales (and juice) netted $616 profit for Dogs for the Deaf. This was in addition to other proceeds from the book sales and doesn’t include another $62 in direct donations taken in at the burrito sales table.Almost every SRH lady there turned out at least one morning to cook and wrap the daily batch and have them ready for sale by 0700 hrs. I want to thank them all! Many worked more than one morning and special recognition goes to Charlotte who cooked all 3 mornings plus the Wednesday afternoon prep session. In all, we prepared 263 tortillas, 16 lbs of sausage, 12 lbs of bacon, 6 lbs. of onions, 15 lbs. of frozen hash browns, 30 dozen eggs, and 12 lbs. of shredded cheese, Special thanks also go out to Linda and Sally who helped me buy and cart all this food to Lancaster. Linda got 360 eggs from San Diego to Lancaster with only one being cracked – and that one was usable!
Other SRH members also rose early to staff the sales booth for 3 hours each morning In addition to the 263 burritos, they sold 72 bottles of Sunny "D" orange juice drink. My heartfelt thanks to all of them! And finally, I want to thank Roger for handling the people assignments each day and taking care of all the money matters relating to burrito sales.
The Good Sam State Staff could not have been more helpful and cooperative with our Chapter. They granted our every wish, gave us numerous promotional plugs at the gatherings and in the daily publications, and clearly demonstrated their appreciation of us being there. We had reserved parking close to the kitchen since our ladies were rising in the dark before 0600 to trudge over there to cook. And, we had reserved seating at the banquet because we were receiving the Dogs for the Deaf awards for the 7th consecutive year.
The State Staff is at a very difficult cross-roads trying to re-energize a Samboree which has been experiencing declining attendance for years. Sam’s Radio Hams left a very large footprint at this Samboree in many ways and not just in the burrito sales. We conducted two seminars, held the book sale, had the largest turnout in the parade, and accounted for 10% of the total attendance. In my judgment, had we not been there the Samboree would have been negatively affected.
The State Staff’s great hope is that moving to April in 2010 will increase the number of vendors and eventually increase the number of attendees, thus reviving the Samboree. I know the new date has conflicts for some of our members (including us). But both Ron and I hope that our SRH Chapter will find some way to support the coming April Samboree to the same extent that we supported this one. We might dispense with the book sales without hurting the Samboree but the burrito sales are felt to be essential. To not support the 2010 Samboree will make the State Committee’s job very much more difficult.
- - Joan Malanosky
2009 Burrito Bandito
BOULDER RV PARK - LONE PINE NO REPORT
WHITNEY BIKE EVENT NO REPORT
POST OCEANO TRIP BY THE SCHMITTS
started August 15 and will end at Lone Pine Bike Event
REPORT 1
An Interesting 4 night stay,...... We are camped at
Laguna Seca Raceway in the foothills southeast of the
Monterey. It is a internationally known hilly track used for formula 1, hot
car, motorcycle, antique car racing. One climbs his RV up a 16% grade to the
RV area and then climbs even more to park on one of the several high hills
overlooking the course We got a great spot with visibility throughout the
valley. Just luck because there is no race this week.
We took
advantage of the nice weather which is in the 60's to visit the surrounding
area. First was the Monterey Aquarium, world renowned for its large tanks
filled with all varieties of sea life. New to us was the improved Jellies
area. (never say Jellyfish). I got to pet a Bat Ray.There is so much to see
we spent the whole day.
The following
day we drove south along Hwy 1 as far as Big Sur. The road is above the
ocean shore with fantastic views of large rocky
coves , rock formations, and small coves with
sandy beaches. Most have kelp providing habitat for birds, sea lions, Sea
Otters, and other wildlife. There are lots of turnouts on the road filled
with tourists from all countries. Big Sur has a rustic campground with small sites and lots of Poison Oak.
We lunched on a small beach we found at the end of a 2 mile 1 lane road. On
the way back we stopped at Pt Lobos
State park to hike the trails lined with Cypress Trees leading to rocky
cliffs with great views of the ocean. Spotted Sea Lions, Otters, and
Shorebirds.
Today we loaded
our bikes on the Jeep and drove to the Bay. Had a fine 10? mile ride from
Seaside to
Pacific Grove and back hugging the shoreline most of the way. Monterey is filled
with historic buildings remaining from the
old cannery period now converted to tourist
businesses. Afterward we drove to
Moss Landing for a lunch of
Fresh Crab Tostada that was recommended by friends. Worth the drive.
Tomorrow we
drive north to
Bodega Bay
Wish you were
here,
REPORT 2
Bodega bay is a small
coastal town about 50 miles north of
San Fran. Great
enclosed harbor that used to shelter a
fishing fleet
but now is a hot spot for San Franciscans who can drive or bike up on
weekends. Lots of seafood places to eat or buy fresh fish. The long curved
harbor spits house RV campgrounds and
boat docks.
On Saturday we drove south
to
Point Reyes
National Seashore. A large chunk
of land barely attached to the main land mass. It happens to be on the
Pacific Plate while the mainland is on the
North American
Plate separated by the San Andreas Fault. So
Point Reyes is drifting north very slowly. It is noted for its great
coastline, hikes, and a fine lighthouse on its farthest west point. Also one
of the last remaining large herds of Tule Elk live out on a the hilly
northernmost point. We visited them by means of a long narrow road followed
by a 2 mile hike thru the coastal fog. Docents had set up
spotting scopes so visitors could remain at a distance. Good thing as it is
rutting time for the big Bulls.
Sunday was
local visit time wandering up and down the coastline, driving out to the
ends of the Harbor spits where many visitors had set up on cliffs to watch
for whales headed up the coast, and lastly, checking out fish stores for
dinner possibilities.
Tomorrow we
head inland and up 101 to the
Redwood forests
to check out the BIG trees.
Hope all are well, G&C
REPORT 3
Driving north along 101, we camped a night in Humboldt
Redwood Forest which has magnificent stands of old growth trees many over 300 ft
tall. A side road named "the
Avenue of the Giants"which parallels 101 permits slow driving and lots of
stops. The Eel River winds thru the forest, water levels now very low due to
some very dry years.
The next day we
drove the rig north along 101. The road meanders up and down and around the
hilly
coastal range
but fortunately the state has added lots of 4lane and passing lanes making
it a tolerable RV road compared to the old days. Along the way we made a
stop at Fort
Humboldt State Historical Park which contains
a collection of old
logging equipment
including working Railroad
Steam Engines
and many Donkey steam engines which were used to wind large steel cables
that hauled Redwood timber out of the forests.
Got a great
site on a cliff overlooking Agate beach at Patrick's Point SP. The Rim Trail
passes close by which provides access to many neat beaches, lookout points,
and other fun places. The Berries are ripe along the roads so we are
stocking up. The park doesn't seem to fill each night possibly because
CA raised the site prices from $20 to $35 per night in mid august. That's at
a par with many
private RV
Parks.
Early in the
AM at low tide, we hiked the
steep trail down to Agate
Beach hunting agates which wash up each night with the tides. They are hard
to distinguish from other similar colored rocks until you get the hang of
it. (right Gary?) We now have a nice collection. Later we hiked the Rim
Trail stopping at overlooks and rocky beaches.. Fog rolls in so heavy every
night that the moisture collecting on the trees above us drops like rain on
the RV roof but so far the days are OK.
We are drove
south in the Jeep to visit
Arcata and Humboldt
State U. where Char got her teaching degree in 1965. The school has expanded
a lot and is built on a series of large hills such that one can't find a
level spot anywhere and walking between classes is a major effort. Our tour
guide said that HSU stands for Hills, Stairs, and Umbrellas.
Hope all are
well,
REPORT 4
I forgot to mention how much Char has been driving the RV on our trip north.
Normally I do the rugged parts while she takes the freeway sections. But
road conditions near the coast often get you into hilly narrow roads and she got
into some doozys. Like the trip from 101 down to
Bodega Bay and the nasty parts of 101 over the 2 lane hilly sections going
north to Patrick's point. She is getting to be a pro.
After Patricks
point we drove north into Oregon for a 3 day stay at
Harris Beach, a really fine state park on a bluff just north of Brookings.
Short walks to rocky overlooks and also sand beaches. Temps in the low 70s
as this is the
Banana Belt. Oregon has
ensured its parks get funded properly by dedicating a fixed % of its lottery
to fund the parks. Not like CA. The
park roads are lined with
Blackberry bushes so we made a Cobbler for dessert.
Next day we
drove a short way north to
Gold Beach where the
Rogue River meets the ocean. The
Salmon run has started
and the river is wall to wall boats trolling for
Salmon in the 20-40 lb range. We drove up the river road through
beautiful wild country. Then stopped at the boat launch area, found a
fishing store that was BBQing Tri-Tip for our lunch sandwiches, and also
bought some fresh salmon for dinner tonight.
After dinner we
walked to the beach to view the gorgeous sunset.
Next day we
drove up the
Chetco River road into the
coastal forest and hiked the river trails. Beautiful small river lined with
Myrtle Trees, and a fine collection of other native
trees which prefer the foggy conditions along the coast. Then back to the
harbor for more fresh fish
REPORT 5
Had an exciting
ride up CA 199 to our present stop at Valley of the Rogue SP.This up hill
ride along a mostly 2 lane hwy is a 5 star trip for RVers as it is windey,
often so narrow and close to overhanging rock formations that the thought of
passing a tanker or a hay hauler rig at the wrong curve boggles the mind. I
offered to let Char drive to further her skills but she closed her eyes and
hunkered down in the seat close to the floor. Halfway up
the hill, it opened up and we were at one of our favorite places, Taylors
Sausages at
Cave Junction.
They make all there own goodiesand we seldom get out without filling up the
freezer.
Valley of the
Rogue SP is a very well done state RV camping area along the Rogue
River near
Grants Pass on I-5. Beautiful treed grassy area
paved sites, full hookups available. Some road noise but tolerable. $20. It
has a fine walking trail along the river which extends into a fine biking
trail leading to the the small town of Rogue River which we biked too for
breakfast one morning. Lining the trail are endless Blackberry bushes with
ripe fruit for cobblers and our morning cereal.
We called the
nearby Dogs for the Deaf headquarters nearby and arranged for a tour. They
gave us a briefing that included the new Admin area (partially paid for by
SRH support) which was attached to the existing visitors building. Well
done!. Opened this just week. Contained a large room equipped with group
seating and audio visual equipment to brief visitors. We watched a fine
presentation that explained the range of dog related options they provide
including Deaf, Seniors, Companion, and now Autistic support. The crowning
fact is they take dogs left at rescue pounds and rehabilitate and train
them to help people in need. Each dog rescued gets a job, none go back to
the pound.
SRH (our
camping group) should be proud they support an organization that does
a fine job, uses money wisely, and makes so many needy people happier
Our last day at
the state park, we packed some lunch, hopped in the Jeep, and headed
northeast to
Crater Lake
National Park. A scenic 75
mile ride thru forested areas partially along the upper Rogue River. Someone
did it right. The day was cool and light fluffy clouds, light wind. Way
better than the last time we did the park.
The lake was so blue it
seemed it was painted on the floor of the crater. We attended a ranger
presentation and then walked the rim trail to see the recently rebuilt
Lodge. Well done to save the historic look. After a fine picnic lunch on the
high rim we headed home.
On the way back
we stopped at Butte Creek Mill near Eagle Point. This is historical grain
mill operating since 1872 powered by water diverted from a upstream dam on a
small stream. The grinding stones, still used, were brought from France.
The basement houses the stream waterway driving the large belt driven wheels
that power all grinding and distribution equipment. Belts and
driveshafts extend upwards to the main floor where you can watch all the
grinding processes. It's like going back in time. They produce
flour products just like the old days and sell them in a small store
attached to the mill. We filled up the jeep with goodies to haul home.
Thursday, we moved closer to Char's moms house in eastern Medford for a 3 day visit with the Parson's family. Then it's south to good old CA. G & C
REPORT 6 We
completed our 3 day visit with Char's family in
Medford and are
heading south today to the
Mt Shasta area
in CA. Had our first dribble of rain yesterday. Maybe that's it for the
trip.
G & C
REPORT 7 Hi from Lake Siskiyou, Medicine Lake, and Eagle Lake
After 4 days of
fine weather, fishing, and no hookups at Mammoth we relocated 4
mi south and 4000 ft lower to Bishop, lots warmer. The last town
of any size along 395. While the
RV park recharged our
batteries we drove up Bishop Canyon where the
main road splits into 2 roads each heading high up into the Sierra Mtns to
beautiful lakes at 10,000 ft altitude. Some cold weather must
have been there because the Aspen forests were ablaze with color
on the mountainsides. We watched the fishermen trying to get
some trout before the winter arrives and freezes over the lakes.
Afterwards we
drove back down to town to eat dinner at our long time favorite
Mexican restaurant, Amigos, on the main street. They do upscale
interesting dishes at a reasonable price.
Tomorrow we
move 60 mi south to
Lone Pine, warmer yet,
for our RV Club campout and the Whitney Bike Ride.
G&C
PACIFIC DUNES-- MORRO BAY CAMPOUT
August 10-12 / August 13-15 2009
Editor add-on: The DeSmith's and the Schmitt's were the only members who made the after-Oceano trip to Morro Bay State Park. They had an outstanding time but missed those members who had to cancel out.
DANA POINT MEETING- JULY 2009
Cool Lunch at Dana Point
Yacht Club
The July
“campout” was a return to the south coast ocean front at Dana Point
Yacht Club by about 40 members anxious to see their fellow Hams and have a
fine lunch by the beach. The
weather was perfect for watching boats, both sail and “stinky” (Ron’s name
for power boats), heading in and out the channel.
Also passing by were myriads of smaller craft, some as small as
surfboards.
President Karl Lassey
called the Chapter Meeting to order in the Veranda Room and covered a wide
range of topics including the upcoming Orange County Fair where we will have
a Sam’s Hams booth recruiting new members.
Among the attendees, but no longer a RVer, was long time member Gay
James. It was noted that among
past and present SRH members are 6 past commodores of the DYPC with their
photos lining the stairwell of the club.
Only Ron M. has a Halo!
After the meeting the
members moved to the main club rooms where we enjoyed
lots of time to visit with our friends and sip a brew or two before
the lunch orders arrived. All in
all everyone had a fine time.
Thanks to the Karl and Sally Lassey for arranging everything.
Glenn & Charlotte Schmitt
ANTIQUE GAS & STEAM ENGINE MUSEUM
JUNE 18-21 2009
Thursday was early bird arrival, and most of the
attendees were already there when
Our Chapter Meeting was at 9 AM with a neat surprise from our hosts. Bill
handed each father a cutely wrapped plastic baggie with chocolates and a
crisp ten dollar bill in it, which was an appropriately nice Father’s Day
gift. Everyone paid $63.00 for the campout, but after we had all paid, Ron
found a coupon for ten dollars off. He called and negotiated with the
manager for each rig to get the discount.
It was a real nice surprise, and resulted in a very inexpensive
campout.
Sally Ann Lassey
Tucalota Springs
On Thursday April 2nd
the six early bird rigs arrived. By 4 PM all were set up and ready for
“HAPPY HOUR” in our recreation room.
Afterwards we all had dinner on our own.
At
7 PM, Bob Reitzel led us in a fun White Elephant Exchange. The first item
ticket drawn was Jean Wedell, who got a lovely large Candle. She didn’t have
it long as a couple of draws later, it was stolen, much to her dismay.
Jim Preston drew a VINTAGE, VERY HAMMY, HAM Radio. (ask him about
it). Most people chose to pick a new package instead of stealing, until
Linda Preston opened a package that
contained a set of beautiful Bamboo Wind Chimes. Alice Hoke immediately
stole them from her, after which Sharon Meadows, the Prez’s sister stole
them away from Alice. Alice was very reluctant to give them up and began to
relate (in tears) why she wanted the chimes. It seems that she and Marilyn
Thompson had searched for a set of these many years ago to no avail, and the
Wind Chimes had a meaning of sentimental value to her. What Alice didn’t
know was that after she sat down all the gals decided no matter who got them
they were going to belong to Alice. Linda Preston then stole them from
Sharon, and then give them back to Alice, which brought tears to most of us.
By the way, Jean got her candle back, after Howard stole it from Mary
Holzgang. Everyone had a great time, and the weather was very nice, a bit
cool, so we had an evening Finale of a nice roaring Camp Fire.
Saturday after
breakfast, many of the group traveled to Old Town in Temecula to the street
market, while some stayed behind to work on the 1500 piece puzzle that was
set up in the small recreation room. Others just had a relaxing day, sunning
or visiting.
Sunday after breakfast
was the Chapter meeting, where we Introduced
our guest, Sharon Meadows, KC6BBD, Prez Karl’s sister, who might
become a member in the future, and then our latest new members, Don and
Beverly Rowan. We also were happy to see Clarice and Dale Marteeny who live
in Colorado, and don’t get here very often.
After the meeting Alice had her crafts and Bob Reitzel had a drill
sharpening session.
After “HAPPY HOUR” and
dinner on our own, we once again met in the recreation room for Card Bingo
led by who else but BOB REITZEL .It was an hour and a half of happy winners,
and sorry losers. The puzzle had to be put away, tables and chairs stowed
and off to bed we all went after a full day of fun.
Hosts Bob and Lee
Reitzel and both Ed and Glenda who filled in for Don and Glad Duncan, did a
marvelous job. We thank you all for making this a fun filled weekend
campout. We also wish Don, who underwent knee surgery, a speedy recovery. We
hope to see you all at the next campout.
Sally Ann
Lassey
BORREGO SPRINGS 2009
Springtime in the desert can be a wonderful experience and this spring at the Springs at Borrego was outstanding. We had bright blue skies, temperatures during the day in the mid 70’s with a slight breeze and cool at night with a full moon and lots of stars. The resort definitely deserves the 9.5 rating it has received.
Many members arrived earlier than the Tuesday check-in day, but a few stragglers actually arrived as scheduled. When we arrived we were greeted by Phil and a camp host who gave us some fresh picked lemons after he guided us to our site and helped us park on level cement with a cement patio and table. Next to our site was a little yellow headed bird chirping as he built two nests. I looked at him with binoculars and found him in my bird book. The Verdin male builds several nests and then the female decides which one to use. I like that idea. What happened guys?
Our first night was happy hour and appetizers. Afterwards the resort hosted a bonfire with hot dogs and s’mores. Some ate hot dogs and some tried out the local restaurants. I think I should have had a hot dog.
Wednesday was a busy day for the hosts. They led a caravan out to see the desert wild flowers and huge metal sculptures of prehistoric animals and birds in the Galleta Meadows. Then they prepared an excellent Italian dinner for us – Caesar salad with toppings, three pastas, meatballs, marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce with toppings. Amy made brownies that were served with vanilla ice cream for dessert. After dinner we played a new dice game called LCR. Each player started out with three quarters. At the end of the game the winner ended up with all the quarters. It was a fun game that didn’t require any thought or skill as you passed quarters left, right or to the center.
On the Thursday morning net Mary had each of us recall which flower and sculpture we liked the best from our Wednesday trip. The answers made some realize we hadn’t seen all the sculptures. During our monthly business meeting Gene Crabb introduced two sets of guests that were long time friends of his. We hope they enjoyed their time with us.
A short 0.6 mile round trip hike (ha! ha!) up Little Surprise Canyon with the hosts turned out to be a big surprise. The hikers had to traverse some very large boulders on the way to the top of the hill, but the panoramic view of the valley from the summit and beautiful flowers along the way made it worth the climbing effort.
At 1:30 we met at the Anza Borrego State Park Visitor’s
Center for a movie and stroll around the grounds.
The movie was about Marshal South and his family who lived on top of
Our final happy hour was followed by a wine & cheese party hosted by the resort.
A big Thank You to our hosts - Mary Holzgang, Phil & Amy MacBride and Gene & Sue Crabb. We had a great time in a super setting.
Barbara Schleuse
QUARTZSITE 2009
Quartzfest 2009 was a huge success. For those of you that still have $$$ in your pocket we missed you. For those of us that do not have $$$ in our pocket, we had a great time.
The weather was a little of everything, cold am, warm day time and cold pm. We did have some rain, but not enough to keep us from eating and shopping. We had a total of 19 rigs, including a couple of new members and guests.
Our dinner on Thursday night hit the spot. Bear Creek Potato Cheese, Chili and Chicken Noodle soup was served along with the best tasting French bread (from Albertson in Blythe). The best was yet to be served. It was Glad’s birthday and she and Don served this yummy chocolate cake to celebrate her birthday.
Some of our group participated in the Quartzfest activities.
The ladies especially liked not having to make breakfast. All in all it was a very relaxing, and tiring campout.
Our book sale on Saturday (we were up at O Dark 6:00am) was a "Huge" success. People keep coming to look at the books till almost noon, and took home arms full of books. Saturday some of our group left for home and other points close to Quartzsite, while some hung around till Sunday to make the trip back home. As always, a fun time was had by all.
geegee, Donnie, Ed and Glenda
SANTEE LAKES '08 - '09
The vanguard of our SRH gang rolled in on Sunday Dec. 29th and by Tuesday afternoon all 20 SRH families were there and in a party mood. And what a party we had! Our Hosts Linda & Jim, Alice & Jack, and Bob & Carolyn had reserved the well-equipped Club House for much of the 3 days we would be there and we launched into Happy Hour as soon as everyone was settled-in. During
Happy-Hour, guests of the Preston’s, photo-journalist Bob Grieser and his wife Georgia (who is Linda’s cousin) showed a fascinating collection of gallery-quality photographs taken at the 2008 Louis Vuitton International sailboat race in Spain. For the sailors in the Chapter especially, our hearts beat a bit faster. From that we segued (how’s that for a fancy word) into a delicious dinner of Alice’s homemade Chili, salad, baked potatoes with all the fixin’s, and Ice Cream. Conversation was rampant throughout the room and one could feel the electricity of the impending New Year. Then, everyone was invited to a showing of a PBS documentary on the early days of broadcast radio entitled, "Empire of the Air -The Men Who Made Radio". All that and it was only the first day!Days were warm and sunny but the nights were cold - down in the 30’s. It was snuggle-time in the rigs as we dreamed of the coming New Year. Jack Hoke was net control for the Barnyard net Wed. morning and we awoke to his voice. Then, at 0800, it was off to a sumptuous potluck breakfast, chapter meeting, raffle, and a "Crafts by Alice" session. Being both the year-end meeting and the coming year meeting, there were many items to discuss such as DFD results, the 2009 camping schedule, HOG mailing policy, Sunday Net changes, etc., etc., etc. The Chapter formally welcomed new members Jill & Don Stirling whose friendliness and enthusiasm were well-received. Forrest Hogue and Dolores dropped by for the meeting. Prez Karl got off to a loquacious start (another good word!) at his first meeting and a new inter-galactic record for meeting length of 1 h. and 42 m. was set. Alice had to make a motion to adjourn in order to have her crafts session. After that it was noon
so some went into town to try out the restaurants suggested in our packets. One group consisting of the Wares, Ryans, Schnelbachs, MacBrides, & Malanoskys tried Hawaiian food such as Saimin noodles and Spam Musubi. Others shopped or rode their bikes around the lakes. A jam session was going strong near the Holt’s rig. Then we rested up for an outdoor Happy Hour and the rest of the evening activities. Later, the Kepners, Holts, and Brunos were heard on the radio heading out to sample a local restaurant for dinner.
At 1900 hrs, Park Management sponsored a very nice complimentary New Year’s Eve party with hats, noisemakers (besides us), a huge ham, soft drinks and various goodies. We campers supplemented with potluck side dishes and desserts and a very elegant spread resulted. There was a TV tuned to Times Square and some played cards or other games. But mostly we talked, drank and celebrated the end of 2008. Perhaps best of all, it was warm!
After another near-freezing night we awoke to Jack’s Barnyard net with a new topic-of-the-day. The ladies were busy preparing elegant dishes for the coming Brunch which was a fabulous affair at 0900 hrs. After all that food some exercise was indicated. Glenn and a group of women undertook a bird walk and had fun spotting a number of new (to them) birds. Being New Year’s Day there was football in the air and "Ron the Maniacal Trojan" was decked out in full regalia and touting SC in the coming Rose Bowl. And Bob Dahl earned his eternal reward in Heaven by setting up an 80 inch projection TV in the clubhouse. The entire afternoon into the early evening was spent by many watching USC giving the Nittany Lions a demo of PAC-10 football. God it’s great to be a Trojan!
Football was followed by guess what? Happy Hour!!!! Don & Jill brought in a crock-pot lasagna and Sally Ann a plate full of chicken wings, so Happy Hour became dinner. Later that evening, the campout was wrapped up with an authentic SRH campfire circle where members reminisced of campouts past and told stories of earlier good times.
The campout was a marvelous way to bid 2008 a not-so-fond goodbye and welcome 2009, which just has to be a better year. Our Hosts the Preston’s, Hokes, and Dahls really put on one of the memorable campouts of the year. They deserve and have our deepest appreciation.
- - -Joan & Ron Malanosky
PostScript: For you folks that entered the Departure Lottery, the Malanoskys left on Friday morning Jan. 2nd at 0900 h., 17 m., & 23 s. - a full 2 minutes AFTER the Lacys and within 10 minutes of at least 4 others departing afterwards.
Holiday Campout at Golden Village Palms RV Resort
December 2, 3, 4, 2008
Sunny days, cold nights, hugs and holiday fun with friends—a great way to start the holiday season. Over half the rigs arrived a day early, anxious to start the campout.
On Wednesday morning we enjoyed a catered breakfast followed by Crafts with Alice for the ladies and Tech Tricks led by Dick Bruno for the men. That evening we had our catered holiday dinner and as a very special treat Dick and Marcia Bruno arranged to have the well known magician John George perform. He did some amazing card tricks that left both Betty Martin and Sally Lassey speechless, Hmmm? Bob Reitzel was seen shaking his head in disbelief. After the magic show, Bill DeSmith installed the 2009 officers and presented the perpetual presidents plaque with Dick Bruno’s name engraved on it.
On Thursday we held the Dogs for the Deaf Raffle with tables loaded with prizes brought by generous members. All went home with something nice for under the tree and significant money was collected for donation to DFD, thanks to our generous members.
Glenn and Charlotte Schmitt
Mojave Narrows Campout
The Mojave Narrows campout was set up to compliment the Samboree in Lancaster. The campout was from Sunday November 2 to Wednesday November 5. People started to arrive about 11:00 am Sunday and by early afternoon most were there and set up. There were 17 rigs. The campsites were large, level, and paved. We also had 50-amp service. Other than the trains, which came by about once an hour, it was quiet. The sites were near the lake and no mosquitoes. We tried to have campfires each night but it was very cold and windy. People didn’t stay long at the fire. The major activity was going out to eat Tuesday night. Some went for Vietnamese food some went for pizza. It was a very laid back campout to rest from the Samboree and breakfast burritos. We had the SRH meeting with hugs before and prizes afterward. Frank and Jan were the hosts and Larry and Linda were co-hosts.
Larry Johnston K6HLH
Lone Pine Campout --- September 2008
Fourteen rigs were ready bright and early for check in at Boulder Creek RV park. Most of them had worked the Whitney Classic Bike Ride and were ready for a shower, air conditioning, and a nap. It had been a long night for many. And we had to be ready for the Pizza Party in the Park. The last event sponsored by Summit Adventure.
That evening we had a Happy Hour in the campground which gave us time to visit, hear each others account of the ride and just mellow out. It had been very hot the past several days. Howard reported 114 degrees at Stove Pipe Wells, and the MacBrides said it was 102 at Wild Rose… Wes, one of the bike riders (who is also a Ham) joined us too. He was riding in honor of Dick Huddy. Wes is 58 years old and did the entire ride as a solo.
Monday morning we met in the club house for coffee and muffins. Marcia Bruno led the ladies in a craft. We made Christmas Cards and Thank you cards. The day was also spent by some going to the Movie Museum, Mammoth, Whitney Portal, driving Movie Road in the Alabama Hills, shopping, and rig repairing… We had 5 rigs of Sammers join us for Happy Hour in the club house and then afterwards we munched on popcorn and watched the movie Seven Men to Now staring Randolph Scott which was filmed in the Alabama Hills.
Tuesday was our chapter meeting. Following the meeting Les Cobb led a discussion and the critique of the Bike Ride. It was decided that next year we’ll make this a 4 day campout. The hosts prepared a beef stew in a foil packet for dinner and the rest of us filled in with salads and desserts. Bob Reitzel hosted the Card Bingo which was lots of fun, especially for the winners. One table had 5 winning hands. All too soon it was time to pack up and get the rigs ready for the trek home. A big thank you to Karl, Sally, Dick and Marcia.
Amy MacBride
August 9,10,11 2008
BIG BEAR CAMPOUT
Long-time Southern California residents sometimes take the beauty of Big Bear for granted. They shouldn’t! Harry Hinz is right on target when he describes Big Bear as "one mile above the smog and one mile below Heaven". The weather was perfect and the setting was breathtaking. Hosts Harry and Nancy and their Co-Hosts Jeff & Jo Fort did not miss a beat in their planning and execution of this wonderful campout.
Our group was small owing to the current fuel prices but that did not diminish their enthusiasm. Some went up a few days early and stayed at Barton Flats and elsewhere using the time to "rediscover" the beauty of the area and catch their breath from the steep climb up the hill. Jan & Frank Clements had meetings with their architect as a preliminary to rebuilding their burned-out Cedar Glen cabin. The Malanoskys & Duncans lunched with the Hinz’s at their charming "Hansel & Gretel" cabin.
Once gathered in Serrano CG on the lake we enjoyed the customary Happy Hours and Campfires. The town of Big Bear was sponsoring their annual Classic Car Rally and we enjoyed seeing literally hundreds of marvelously restored cars. Later, Nancy hosted a Ladies Tea at her cabin one afternoon with home prepared sumptuous treats that only Nancy can prepare. All the while the men sat at the CG and solved one world crisis after another. There was also the customary 4wd trip to the Holcomb Valley, site of past gold mining activity, led by Frank & Jan. The Bruno’s and Kepner’s drove up to join the group for the Monday morning breakfast and Chapter meeting. Afterward many enjoyed a beautiful and informative tour of the lake on the paddle wheeler "Miss Liberty". One gets an entirely different perspective of the community from the paddle wheeler, especially the lavish mansions dotting the shoreline.
The culinary highlight of the campout was a prepared dinner by Hosts & Co-Hosts served at the CG consisting of delicious meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed veggies, & cole slaw – all topped off with cheese cake. We’re told Harry did most of the cooking. What a feast it was! If you missed the Big Bear campout – too bad! You missed a great one! Thank You so much Harry, Nancy, Jeff. & Jo!
- - - Joan & Ron Malanosky
THE GREAT TRAIN RIDE !
JULY 12, 2008
The July "Campout" was an experimental response to the $4.50 gasoline crisis and it turned out to be a great success. Twelve SRH families boarded public rail transportation and headed for L.A.’s Union Station from all points of the compass and from as far away as Lancaster, San Juan Capistrano, and Upland. Among the intrepid trainmen (and women) were the Abolafia, Clements, Crews, Johnston, Kepner (our Leaders), Lassey, Leemhuis, MacBride, Malanosky, Reitzel (with daughter), Schmitt, and Schnelbach families.
After gathering at Union Station we strolled the two blocks to 100 year old Philippe’s for lunch of delicious french dip sandwiches, cole slaw, potato salad and desserts. After lunch most of us had a few hours before our return train trip. We were in the very heart of olde Los Angeles in easy walking distance of many attractions so we separated into small groups to take in the sights.
Most headed to nearby Olvera Street, home to the Avila Adobe (the oldest building in LA), for
history and shopping, and then headed across the Plaza to museums at Firehouse #1, and the wonderfully air-conditioned Chinese-American Museum located in the only building still standing of Old Chinatown. Then there was time for some to relax watching Aztec Dancers or listening to Andes Music in the Plaza. Others took in the many historical buildings and murals of the area or trekked to New Chinatown to shop for bargains. After strolling through the downtown tourist sites our gang slowly straggled back to Union Station where we assembled to people-watch during the final minutes prior to train time. Watching the passers-by in Union Station was perhaps one of the more intriguing parts of the trip. However, some of them were seen nudging each other and pointing at us. What was that all about?As our group slowly drifted away toward their returning trains we reflected on what a great day it had been. For many it was their first trip on a MetroLink train and they all expressed their pleasant surprise at how clean, comfortable, inexpensive and punctual the trains were. Many remarked on the unique view from the elevated seating in the train cars and the interesting sights not visible from the freeways. For most couples the day’s cost was under $40 for lunch, train fare, snacks, and souvenirs. Roger and Carole did a great job setting up the "campout" and they have all our thanks. We’re sure the Chapter will do it again at some future date.
Joan & Ron Malanosky
BANNING STAGECOACH KOA
JUNE 3,4,5 2008
Madolyn Lacy and Alma DeSmith hosted a great campout at Banning Stagecoach KOA. Their groupies were Bill and T’other Bill. We had the camp’s big room reserved for comfortable breakfasts, dinners, and Happy Hours. Campfires were well attended ….on the nights that the wind kept a low profile. The Boccie Ball tournament was played per “Madolyn’s rules”…she handled the event with a firm hand. I think they are still looking for the ball that went down a gopher hole…Oh Well! The Hosts gave us a challenge by insisting that we work a puzzle sheet before they would allow us to have our Brownie-Ice Cream dessert. Several folks made the obligatory run up the Mountain to Idyllwild; others checked out the Cabazon Mall, and the Casino Morongo. All in all, a low pressure outing with lots of time to socialize and enjoy the view.
T'other Bill, K6BWZ
TUCALOTA SPRINGS
-- May 4,5,6,7 2008
On Sunday 11 rigs arrived early and got parked with time to organized and be ready for Happy Hour. Dinner was on our own. Monday the rest of the group arrived. We were practically the only campers in the park. Happy hour was in the club house and then the hosts served us a delicious dinner of beef stew, coleslaw with Klondike bars for dessert. It was Tom Herren’s birthday and we all sang to him. Afterwards we formed into groups of 4 and tested our knowledge with a game of trivia. The winning team was Glenn Schmitt, Roger Kepner, Jack Hoke and Howard Wedell.
Tuesday’s breakfast was in the club house. Linda led us in a prayer for our secretary Marcia who was having eye surgery. Afterwards we were on our own to explore, visit with friends and family, do jigsaw puzzles, read, play cards or work on RV projects. The hosts had arranged for us to have tour of Callaway Winery and a private wine tasting. It was interesting and very informative.
After breakfast and the chapter meeting on Wednesday Alice provided us with a wonderful craft. We all made glass bead bracelets. One of our very best craft projects ever. The bean bag baseball game was dominated by the men this time. The girls were over matched with the likes of Dead Eye Don, Bulls Eye Bill and Home Run Howard. The final score 35-17. We were all so touched while during Happy Hour Bob Reitzel had Lucky go through her award winning routine. Lucky you will be missed.
A catered chicken dinner with a campfire afterwards made a delightful ending to another wonderful campout.
Thank you’s to Ron and Joan Malanosky and Ed and Edie Ryan.
Amy MacBride
EMERALD DESERT -- MARCH 2008
Ladies ruled this week as Amy MacBride and Mary Holzgang hosted with Phil and Tom relegated to the co-host role. The campout was so successful that this may become a pattern! Eighteen families attended at the beautiful and well-maintained Emerald Desert RV Park. The MacBride’s were showing off "Their Ostentatious Display of Wealth" when Glenn and Charlotte Schmitt showed up in their new and identical 30’ Winnebago Sightseer rig! The park was filled to capacity and when Jim & Betty Martin arrived the office had to scramble to find them a space. At Happy Hour Doris and Max Smith introduced their guests, Ron and Bonnie Dvorak and Jim and Jane Stewart who are their neighbors in Long Beach. The highlight of Day 1 was an arrival dinner sponsored by the Park and consisting of salad, a choice of pasta or a baked potato with various toppings followed by dessert.
Tom Herren opened Day 2 with a Barnyard Net question, "What was your first paying job for which social security taxes were withheld?" Many interesting answers came forth. At breakfast, "The Way We Were" (High School) pictures brought by the attendees were posted and the guessing game began. Later that morning two carloads of folks left for the Pacific Life Tennis Tournament which was just getting started nearby. Others went to El Paseo for shopping or took car trips to Joshua Tree NP to see the abundant wildflowers. Many found wonderful restaurants nearby for lunch or dinner.
Jim Martin opened Day 3 with the Barnyard Net question, "How did you meet your spouse?" The answers were varied and very interesting. Most astonishing was the large number of couples that had been married for 45 to 55 years. Several Golden Anniversaries are coming up later this year. The Hosts and Co-Hosts set out a wonderful Continental Breakfast and we all sat around and chatted through a leisurely morning prior to the Chapter Meeting. At the meeting we welcomed new members Bob & Carolyn Dahl, KA6LSL & KA6LSK. The Dahls live in Yuma and discovered the Chapter at the Quartzsite campout. They are active, avid hams and will be a great addition to the Chapter. Welcome!
The winner of High School photo contest was Sally Lassey, who amazingly identified all 29 pictures. Marcia Bruno was the runner-up. The only two people correctly identified by every single entrant were both Malanoskys (conclusions are left to the reader). After the Chapter Meeting Joan Malanosky led 12 intrepid hikers on a 2 ½ mile wildflower walk off Hwy 74 just north of Palm Desert. Mary Holzgang identified the flowers, as Charlotte Schmitt photographed them. Others chatted as they enjoyed the beauty and sunshine on what turned out to be a very pleasant walk. Returning to the CG in early afternoon the exercisers joined others who were swimming or bicycling or just enjoying the perfect weather.
That evening our wonderful cooks prepared a delicious potluck dinner served in the clubhouse.. There was corned beef and cabbage in honor of St. Patrick and even some stuffed cabbage rolls honoring St Paderewski . The evening and the campout wound down with some playing cards and others sitting around for mellow conversation, not wanting the campout to come to an end! Thank-you Amy. Mary, Phil
and Tom. - - - Joan & Ron Malanosky
QUARTZSITE 2008
Sam’s Radio Hams began arriving at Mile Marker 99 on highway 95 early. Sixteen rigs were expertly parked by our hosts Ed & Glenda Schnelbach and Don & Glad Duncan. So many arrived on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday that there were only 2 or 3 rigs left to arrive on the official first day of the campout, Wednesday, January 23. We received welcome packets with great maps, shopping info and agendas. Happy Hour and a camp fire launched the campout. Ed announced the frequency for updates to the Quartzfest 2008 activities and all were invited to join any program that interested us. The opportunities were endless – donuts, baluns, musical geography, VE testing, antenna walkabout, geocaching, GPS, survival kits, yard sale, etc. In addition to all the ham radio activities, there were endless shopping opportunities at the 25th annual Sports, Vacation and RV Show. People watching and pampered pets mingled with the aromas of cinnamon rolls, Walla Walla onions, Indian tacos and roasted corn. The Thursday Happy Hour preceded a Mexican potluck. Glad promises to give us the recipe for her delicious bread pudding. Yummy, yummy!! On Friday we had Heavy hors d’oeuvres for Happy Hour. The chapter meeting was 1630 on Friday. Several guests were introduced including Dick and Marcia’s daughter Kelly, and Alice and Jack’s son Jim. This allowed us to have another full day for shopping and exploring. Another camp fire brought the official campout to a close. Saturday morning before 7am found several Sam’s Radio Hams setting up the book sale by floodlight to benefit Dogs for the Deaf. We had customers waiting patiently for us to finish. I heard estimates of between 1500 and 2000 books for sale. WOW!! Thanks to all of you who donated books throughout the year to make this such a successful event. There were many happy customers leaving with armloads of books.
Many thanks to our hosts – Glenda, Ed, Glad and Don – for a great campout!!
Roving desert reporter Linda, WA6HGA
NEW YEAR CAMPOUT-2008
OUT WITH '07 AND IN WITH '08
last edited: 07/11/2010
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