Oct. 29-31 Getting back to Eureka

Oct29---we rolled out of our campground at the mining museum in the Mother Lode area of Mariposa, and retraced our steps back to Sacramento. Our little adventure to see Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks before the weather took a dive was a success. We even enjoyed (especially Pam) the time we spent in the snow. I believe the weather in the two parks will now be more winter like for the rest of the year, as ski resorts in that area are starting to open up. We made it just in time. We shut down the KOA in Yosemite, and ushered in the snow at Sequoia. You can't call it any closer than that! Since we are near Sacramento, and one of the few certified AquaHot technicians for the RV, we decided to drive about 30 miles east on  I -80 and get the thing fixed. We camped for free at their parking lot for an early appointment tomorrow.

Oct 30----the antifreeze that emptied onto the road last week was caused by a blown pump in the AquaHot system. There is some type of hose that use the heat from the hot water system to keep the engine warm, for easier starting for the diesel. They do not start too easily when its cold, but I don't plan on it ever getting very cold if I can help it! While we were there, a bank of lights in one of the slides stopped working. We had been having intermittent trouble with it(some lights over 'my couch') since we bought the RV. It took a while, but they tracked it down to a broken ground wire underneath a cabinet in a panel that we didn't know existed. By the time they found it, we decided to spend another night in the parking lot. During the time they were working, Pam and I hit a local Camping World and a grocery store for much needed supplies.

Oct 31----We once again retraced our steps back over I-5 and California 20, to US 101. We decided that we weren't going to take the RV all the way back to Eureka, so we hatched a plan to find a campground about 150 miles south, to save a little wear and tear, and diesel fuel. We ended up in Willits, California, right on US 101. It turns out that the campground is on a ranch where the horse, Seabiscuit, was retired  after his racing days. We dropped off the RV, and hopped into the Jeep to head to Eureka. We had to pick up mail there which Buddy had forwarded, and I also had some Adventure Cycling maps sent there to the KOA where we had stayed before leaving for Yosemite. I thought I needed some help getting through San Francisco, Los Angeles, and possibly San Diego, so I got the west coast trail that they have mapped out in great detail for cyclist who are touring.  We spent the night in a Super 8 motel in Arcata, which is about 5 miles north of Eureka. We got to the KOA at 7:30 in the evening, so the office was closed. We were going to stay in a cabin there, and pick up the mail, which they were kind enough to hold, but they closed at seven, instead of eight, like they did when we left a little over a week earlier.

No pictures to upload!  YEA!!!!  Okay, just one...

This was at Affordable RV Service - someone hand made this wooden rig for them!  The roof comes off and the interior is all complete!