CALICO GHOST TOWN (Day 48 July 31)

Calico Ghost Town is an Old West Mining Adventure.

It was extremely hot so John and Dee did not want to carry me....left in the car again to bake.

The place was called Calico because the mountains around there from a distance resembled the colors of calico cloth.

A GHOST TOWN IS......

"any place that has had a markedly decreased population from its peak, a town whose initial reason for settlement (such as a mine or railroad) no longer keeps people in the community"

Nearly 127 years ago, the town of Calico was bustling with prospectors searching for its mineral riches. Silver was king here and the Calico Mining district became one of the richest in the state.

Dee and John said they enjoyed the setting of this ghost town. The view of red rocks, blue sky, and odd mountain formations was beautiful. Because it was soooooo HOT, Dee stepped into the saloon for an iced cold SARSAPARILLA! Nothing for the me but a souvenir bottle.

The Gray Hare with heatstroke

BOB'S BIB BOY (Day 47 July 30)

After our hectic experiences of camping last night, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice breakfast buffet. You will notice another American tradition in the picture of me and Dee. Dee told me she worked at a Big Boy Restaurant in her younger days.

We are in the town of Norco, which seems to be all about horses. I guess that is why "Bob" is wearing a cowboy hat.

We drove a short distance to Victorville, CA and found the SHADY OASIS KAMPGROUND.

The afternoon was spent doing a little maintenance on the RV. Nothing serious this time. Just a little clean up and organization. Dinner was from the refrigerator. The MUST GOES are gone. (For those of you who do not know MUST GOES are the left overs.)

We had a delightful evening visiting with other travelers. Our neighbors were a family from the Netherlands. This is the second time we have met people from Europe. They have 5 weeks of vacation and use this time to come to the States and tour the National Parks in an RV. Lucky people.

The relaxed Gray Hare

SHOPPING IN OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO (Day 46 July 29)

OLD TOWN MARKET

The weather, the food and the history make Old Town San Diego one of the best places to visit. Within walking distance there are a great many places to shop with unique products and a quaint atmosphere. The Old Time Market and many smaller shops offer a variety of uncommon gifts.

Dee had been to San Diego a few years ago. On that trip she enjoyed shopping in the Old Town Market and wanted to return for this experience. John enjoyed a nap in the RV with me while Dee shopped and shopped and shopped. The only thing missing from this day was her sister-in-law and friend, Judi Shopper. We will be seeing Jim and Judi in August in Las Vegas. We all miss you guys. See you soon.

Notice, there are no pictures today because Dee was busy SHOPPING!


Last night we hopped from Wal-Mart camp to Wal-Mart camp to try and get some sleep. What an experience. We went to Vista, CA to a Wal-Mart. We retired around 8:30 as all the shopping had worn Dee out. At 12:30 AM Dee was awakened by a tap on the window. A security guard informed her there was no overnight camping allowed. We through on some clothes and headed East.....120 miles later in Corona, CA we found another Wal-Mart that had a security guard who told us we could stay overnight. A bit of trivia....Wal-Mart cleans their parking lots at 3 AM with street cleaning machines. So much for a good night sleep!

Another learning experience. Ask before you camp at Wal-Mart.

The tired Gray Hare

USS MIDWAY MUSEUM (Day 45 July 28)

MIDWAY MAGIC

This was an unforgettable adventure. Dee and John got to explore without leaving port more than 60 exhibits with a collection of 27 restored aircraft.

Imagine a ship on a 47-year odyssey that stretched from the end of World War II to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. An odyssey shared by thousands of sailors whose average age was 19! No other aircraft carrier served America in the 20Th century as long as the USS MIDWAY. Its track record of humanitarian missions, establishment of new naval aviation standards, and marathon deployments made it one of the most noteworthy aircraft carriers in the history of the U.S. NAVY.

Next to the USS MIDWAY was a huge statue of the famous picture by Alfred Eisenstaedt which portrays an American soldier kissing a young woman in a white dress on V-J Day in Times Square on August 14, 1945. Everyone was taken by this statue and many pictures of young service men kissing their girls was a happy event to see.

Of course, I was left behind!

The disappointed Gray Hare

SAN DIEGO, CA (Day 44 July 27)

After a beautiful drive down the Pacific coast from LA, we are in San Diego. We decided to splurge and camp by the water. We are at CAMPGROUND BY THE BAY. The camp is very picturesque on Mission Bay. This camp ground is very and I do mean VERY family oriented. There must be 1000 kids for me to play with.

Dee and John left me to play and went to a Mexican Restaurant in Old Town. Dee needed a drink after trying to avoid hitting all the children at the campsite. They were everywhere on their bicycles. Dee said her grandchildren would have loved this place.......

The playful Gray Hare

ESCONIDO, CA (Day 43 July 26)

There were such beautiful places to camp along the Pacific. Notice you do not see any of them with pictures of me. Trust me, they were really nice. Most of them were State Parks that were full. It seems a year in advance is necessary for these sites. At one of the Parks, we were given a list of campgrounds and told good luck. We called the Esconido RV Resort and were told they would be open for another hour and that they did have sites available. Trusty cell phone navigator got us there in the nick of time. It was a beautiful 1 hour drive up a winding road past a dam with a nice view of the river.

The RV resort was worth the drive. After a good nights sleep we were off to explore San Diego.

The rested Gray Hare

LEAVING LA (Day 42 July 25)

Dee spent the day getting ready to leave LA on Monday. Her sister Judy had to prepare to go back to work after a 2 week vacation.

We had a relaxing day and Judy and Joe prepared a delicious pork loin on their grill! YUM! YUM! Rabbits do love a good meal.

After dinner, we all took Daphne for a walk. There are so many places to walk around Dee's sisters home. This time we walked to where Judy has her yacht! One can DREAM!

The dreaming Gray Hare

VENICE CANALS (Day 41 July 24)

Dee's brother Richard left today at 6am to fly to his home in Naples, FL. He arrived home safely and called to let us know and to thank everyone for a great vacation. We were sorry to see him leave.

John and Joe tickered with John 's scooter today. It appears the vibration of road travel caused some problems. The Rally is now running better than ever as a few more $$$$$ have been left in LA. Joe has been such a help to John. We all love him. The best thing is he works just for HUGS. See picture of Joe cooking us dinner with his beloved, Daphne.

Dee and her sister, Judy, went for a walk this afternoon to see the homes at the Venice Canals.

These are charming homes not far from Venice Beach. It is truly a unique and beautiful area with quaint homes. We were hoping to win the Mega Million this week and purchase one of these homes. OH WELL! One has to have a DREAM.

The dreaming Gray Hare

TOUR OF LA (Day 40 JULY 23)

Judy and Joe said that they always wanted to travel Sunset Boulevard from beginning to end. They decided today was a good day, so we could all experience it together.

We started our journey at the Griffith Observatory high above the HOLLYWOOD Hills. A bit of recent trivia about the Hollywood sign. It recently needed repair and funds were not available so they were going to take it down. Hugh Hefner, of Playboy fame, donated the money and the sign was saved. BUNNIES! Did someone say BUNNIES! John and Joe were hoping to see the Playboy Bunnies.

The day was sunny and beautiful as we headed out of the park. We took a slight detour along Hollywood Boulevard to see the Walk of the Stars, Hollywood and Vine, Kodak Theater where the red carpet events take place, round Capital Records building, and Mann's Chinese Theater.

Back on Sunset Boulevard we saw the Comedy Store, the Viper Room and House of Blues. We crossed into Beverly Hills and saw the old Beverly Hills Hotel. We passed through Bel Air, Brentwood, Westwood, past UCLA, and the Pacific Palisades where governor, Arnold, has a home.

The Playgirl Gray Hare

'Route 66' California (Day 39 July 22)

Now that we are in Los Angeles, we were able to complete our adventures of Route 66. Beyond Hollywood, all that remains of Route 66 is a few miles of Santa Monica Boulevard whose intersection with Ocean Boulevard marks the official end of the road. WE SAW IT......Nearby in Palisades Park, is a plaque marking the dedication of "the Main Street of America" to Will Rogers in 1952, and a few miles away is the famous Santa Monica Municipal pier, built in 1909, and still one of the area's key attractions. WE SAW IT ALL......

I have now completed hopping 'Route 66.'

The Gray Hare

BASEBALL (Day 38 July 21)

Today was a restful day at my sister's home in Marina Del Rey. Judy is remodeling her kitchen and today the new counters were delivered and installed. Everything is starting to pull together and tomorrow we will have water.

Joe and Richard went to Dodgers' Stadium to see the Dodgers beat the Giants 2-0. Casey Blake, ex Cleveland Indian, was the hero of the day. Who's on first? Not Casey, he is on third. He hit a home run and drove in an RBI.

While the guys were at the game Judy took Dee and John for a ride to the beach cities. We saw Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. And of course the Pacific Ocean. We found a great fresh fish market and restaurant to have dinner. Dee said the shrimp cocktail and clam chowder were both excellent. We all enjoyed seeing the beautiful homes along the coast.

The traveling Gray Hare

PETERSEN AUTO MUSEUM, LA (Day 37 July 20)

Dee's sister, Judy, and her boyfriend, Joe, took us to the Petersen Auto Museum. This museum which is located in the heart of Los Angles famed Miracle Mile is one of the world's largest and most innovative museums. Exhibits follow the history of the automobile and state of the art presentations of race cars, classic cars, hot rods, motorcycles, movie and celebrity cars. Two of the hi-lites were the Bat Mobile and the Green Hornet.

Dee wants to get a turquoise dune buggy. John said NO! Absolutely NO! He is such a meanie.

Everyone enjoyed the museum and ice cream snacks at Johnny Rockets 50's Diner. Dee is strange. She had a root beer float made with orange soda. I thought it was carrot juice???

The thirsty Gray Hare

SOLVANG, CA (Day 36 July 19)

On our way from SF to LA we stayed in the interesting Danish town of Solvang. No passports needed to visit the little Danish replica village. There are gentle rolling hills, windmills, quite streets, horse drawn carriages, wieners, Danish bakeries, and Danish smorgasbord restaurants. You guessed it...... There is also a CASINO!

Solvang is also the home of PEA SOUP ANDERSEN'S. They have been serving their famous soup for over 85 years. We bought soup to go for our lunch. We stopped on our final lag to LA at a park overlooking the Pacific to enjoy our soup. The scenry and soup were sooooooooooooooooo good!

The Danish Gray Hare

LEAVING SAN FRANCISO (Day 35 JULY 18)

After a fun filled week with Ginny and Ron we waved good-bye.

Dee, John, Judy and Richard loaded up the RV and headed down California route 101 to Los Angeles to Judy's home. We had an enjoyable ride. We stopped for lunch on 10th Street and found a very unique adorable restaurant. How many restaurants have the cook come out to greet you and tell you what the menu is for the day. There is no written menu and the choices were limited but very delicious. We had the pork stew and russet and sweet potato combination. Fresh homemade bread was also included with the meal.

Judy showed us a beautiful campsite on the Pacific where she and her boyfriend, Joe, enjoy. It is at Pismo Beach. John and Dee said they would bring me here to camp with them sometime.

Tonight Dee and I are at the hotel in a cute little city call Solvang. The others have found another Casino. Dee wanted to stay home and relax and take a nice hot bath. When she filled the tub she was not able to shut off the water. The water was rising to the top fast. She tried to call the front desk but the phone would not work. She had to put on her PJ's and run up the front steps to the lobby for help. The manager was finally called and was able to turn off the water. As he tried to shut off the water, he turned to Dee and asked her how her stay at the Holiday Inn was so far??? Pedro did have a good sense of humor. Gee! So much for a relaxing evening.

The drowning Gray Hare

SWIMMING AT MIKE AND SUZY'S HOME (Day 34 July 17)

Today we enjoyed a day at Dee's niece, Suzy, and her husband Mike's home in Pleasanton.

They recently added a salt water swimming pool and hot tub to their backyard. We enjoyed a delicious lunch pool side and enjoyed the beautiful California weather. Sue and Mike have two beautiful rescue dogs. The black one is Casey and the golden Shepard is Farrah.

The wet Gray Hare

CACHE CREEK CASINO (Day 33 July 16)

Dee's niece, Suzy, has a wonderful husband named Mike. He drove Dee, John, Judy and Richard to the CACHE CREEK CASINO. Judy and Richard are Dee's sister and brother. They all had the gambling bug and could not wait to get there. Mike drives a very fast truck-so away we went. We had a lot of fun! Because we were new guests at the Casino we received $25 towards lunch. The buffet was great! As usual they forgot me. See me pictured checking their money.

The wealthy Gray Hare

THANKSGIVING IN JULY (Day 32 July 15)

Dee's family is spread all over the country. To honor their Mother who passed away 3 years ago in July they decided to have a Thanksgiving celebration. I was getting nervous because they were having trouble finding a turkey in July. I thought someone said we might have to substitute rabbit stew for the turkey.

Thank goodness they found a turkey. The three sisters prepared all of the favorites their Mom used to make. (It looks like there is wine on the table to me.) Cooking with wine???? Twelve family members were at the Thanksgiving table to celebrate family being together again.

The drunk Gray Hare

SAUSALITO-MUIR WOODS (Day 31 July 14)

Today Dee and John and Dee's sister, Judy, and brother, Richard, went on an adventure. I am happy I am going along. You know how many times they forget me.

We all piled into the RV and headed toward San Francisco. We drove down Van Ness Boulevard to The Golden Gate Bridge. We stopped at the park near the bridge for some photo opportunities. We continued North across the Bridge to two of California's most unique tourist attractions. Sausalito is an alluring village of art galleries, quaint shops and waterfront restaurants with views of San Francisco across the bay. We ate lunch at one of those restaurants and explored the shops.

We continued on to Muir Woods which is home to one of the few remaining groves of Virgin Coastal Redwoods. These redwoods are among the oldest cathedral trees in existence. The "Nature Trail" at Muir Woods leads you into the heart of its Cathedral like groves.

Everyone really enjoyed the day. I was very happy to see a lot of my brohters and sisters in the woods.

The Happy Gray Hare

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME (Dqy 30 July 13)

Tonight the ALL STAR GAME was on TV. We dressed in our Indiana apparel and had hot dogs with Stadium mustard for dinner. Dee's brother Richard is a big baseball fan. He and I especially enjoyed the game. I like all that running and hitting.

The Tribe Gray Hare

Niles, CA (Day 29 July 12)

Today we strolled the streets of the lovely city of Niles. We had a delicious lunch at a quaint little restaurant. We ate in a beautiful courtyard. After lunch we explored the antique shops. Look at the old car Dee purchased!!!!!!

The jealous Gray Hare