We headed to the California desert in early December and spent a little over three months enjoying the mostly lovely weather. We did get a bit of rain and high winds at times, which is not unusual. Not so typical is the 4.9 earthquake we experienced in January. We were sitting outside the RV at the time. It was a bit disconcerting to see our motor home rocking back and forth after the quake's jolt. We laughed about it and then realized that smarter people would have moved away from the RV in case it toppled over.
It was our second year staying at Coachella Lakes RV Resort and we enjoyed ourselves once again. This time around we were a bit more involved in the resort's activities. We played pickle ball nearly every morning with a great group of people. A weekly pickle ball clinic helped us significantly improve our abilities.
And despite the sharp decline in Canadian tourism this winter due to political tension, trade disputes, and concerns over U.S. policies, Canada was fairly well represented at the resort. We struck up a friendship with a lovely couple from British Columbia, Cal and Shaunti, and partnered with them each Friday for Trivia Night. Having both U.S. and Canadian trivia knowledge on one team proved to be a winning combination.
We spent some quality time visiting our friends Jim and Pam and Phil and Marina. We revisited our favorite restaurants in the area and also discovered a new place in Palm Desert, Piero's Pizzavino, that makes excellent Neapolitan style pizza. We highly recommend both the Bubba-Bubba and the Capricciosia.
A few weeks after we arrived in Coachella, our 15-year-old Honda CRV began to die (failing transmission) so we drove to San Diego and traded it in for a new Ford Maverick hybrid pickup, which is towable behind our rig. All that new fangled technology in the truck made us feel somewhat Luddite-ish. How the hell do you turn on the A/C? How come my iPhone is not working with ApplePlay? We are still adjusting to not having to pull out our keys (it's now called a passive fob) to start the engine. Given the current gas prices, we're really happy we chose a hybrid as it is getting about 50% more miles per gallon than our old car.
Beating the Heat
Our original plan was to spend four months in Coachella, but we cut our visit short by about three weeks when the forecast called for temperatures in the 100's beginning in mid March. So we said "no thanks" to being trapped in a tin can in that sweltering hellfire, pulled up stakes, and headed for the coast.
Santa Barbara
The Ellwood
Well, it turned out our theory of cooler temperatures on the coast was a bit faulty because when we arrived, Santa Barbara (as well as other coastal towns in southern California) was experiencing record-setting heat. It was one of the hottest March heat waves recorded, with temperatures pushing into the high 90s and over 100°F in some areas. Sigh.
But our RV park, Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara, was heavily treed and very near the ocean, so it was bearable. We hadn't been to Santa Barbara in many years, so it was fun to play tourist.
One day, on our never ending quest to find the best clam chowder on the West Coast, we went to lunch at The Ellwood in Goleta, CA, a small town just north of Santa Barbara. Anne Marie read reviews that their chowder is both unusual and flavorful. The reviews did not lie. Their clam chowder is presented tableside with an au gratin pancetta potato cake at the bottom of the bowl and the chowder poured over it. It was rich and satisfying. It is now on our top five list (Note: Anne Marie's is #1 according to Cliff).
Another day we went into downtown Santa Barbara to Stearn's Wharf, one the most visited attractions in the city. At the end of the wharf are many shops and restaurants. We had a lobster roll and lobster tacos at the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. We also checked out some wineries in the Funk Zone, a 10-block district with a mix of galleries, shops, restaurants, wineries, and breweries.
Stearn's Wharf
Buellton/Solvang
Our next stop was Buellton in the Santa Ynez Wine AVA (American Viticultural Area). We stayed as per usual at the Flying Flags RV Resort, which is a beautiful park. The temperatures were a much more moderate mid 80s. Unfortunately, we arrived on a Friday and discovered over 5 million children were there with their parents. It was quite busy and loud until Sunday morning when they all left, taking their their e-scooters and e-bikes with them.
We went into the town of Solvang and stopped at one of our favorite wineries, Kaena. Their Grenaches were superb this time around. The pourer at Kaena recommended several other tasting rooms in the area.
We had lunch one day at Peasant's Feast and then visited Rooted Vine Cellars, where we chatted with owner and winemaker Iaon Pohlit, a very interesting man with an eclectic background as a free diving instructor, fine arts purveyor, and owner and captain of Rooted Vine Tours.
If you've never been to Solvang, it's a fun town to visit. It's known for its Danish-style architecture and many wine tasting rooms as well as Bavarian pastries and cuisine.
Paso Robles
Our final stop was in Paso Robles, which we've blogged about previously. We visited a few of our favorite wineries and went into downtown Paso, which is a cute little square with a large public park in the center. We tried Taste Craft Eatery and enjoyed a Lamb Kofta plate (delicious) and a couple of sliders (lamb, beef, shrimp).
We played pickleball several times in Centennial Park and were pleasantly surprised that we could hold our own on the courts. What was especially nice was how welcoming the locals were to visitors.
On Saturday, March 28th, we joined over 3,000 peaceful protestors at the No Kings 3 rally in San Luis Obispo. The event was marked by speeches, music, and opportunities to get more involved. It was wonderful to be with people who care about our democracy and the constitution.
We are home in Jackson for about six weeks until we go back on the road, this time into the Pacific Northwest and the San Juan Islands.
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Clam chowder with an au gratin pancetta potato cake? God almighty that sounds delicious!
Sounds fun. Congratulations on your new Maverick.
Thanks, Steve! It’s a pleasure to drive and it will work out well for us.
What a nice trip to the coast minus the heat… I love that area! Enjoy reading your adventures, You always meet the nicest people RVing! Welcome home and congratulations on your new ride!! 🌹
Thanks Rosie!
Hello again!! We are missing you both AND the California sun!! Can’t wait to return!! One of the highlights for us was our new friendship. This is such a cool idea, blogging. Yours is excellent and after reading our first one, we continued to read more of them. Lol Bell lady!!! They are everywhere!!! Also loved being able to see how you continued your adventures!! Looking forward to reading the next one!! Safe travels and enjoy your summer season!!
Cal, it was a real treat meeting you and Shaunti. And we all owned the Trivia Nights (until that last one… 😆). We look forward to seeing you next season!
Great post! That clam chowder does sound awfully good. We’re back to somewhat normal temps here in the desert but we all know that’s only temporary. It was great seeing you two.
Pam, It’s always a pleasure spending time with you and Jim!
That clam chowder sounds delicious although the one at Spud Point in Bodega Bay is out of this world! Congrats on your new hybrid! I just purchased a new Forrester hybrid just in time for the high gas prices! Loved Solvang and their ebelskivers! You guys are having so much fun! Great to read about your travels! Keep on blogging!
Jan, Spud Point’s chowder is awesome. The Ellwood’s is even awesome-er. 🙂
love to hear about your travels. I keep threatening to buy a travel van and become a nomad... maybe soon. I will be in and around Joshua Tree NP in early September if you have any "don't miss" ideas I'd love to hear them.
Lauren, If you haven’t been in an RV before, I recommend renting one. It’s a nice way to identify your preferred features and determine if you’ll get frequent enough use out of it to make the purchase worthwhile.
Anything outdoors in early September may be a miss just because the temps can still be in the 100’s. 🔥😎
Taking the Tram up Mt. San Jacinto offers some amazing views and hiking around up there will be much cooler.
I was missing your blogs. Welcome home. Hope to see you soon.
Look forward to seeing you guys! This weekend is a bit busy. So let’s keep in touch. Maybe we can meet at that new restaurant called Crush? 😉
Phil and I really enjoyed seeing you both again. Now you have a new (and cooler) place to visit us in Hollister! We are loving it here and hope to see you on your travels again.
P.S. That clam chowder does sound delicious!
It was great catching up with you guys, again! I’m going out on a limb here, but I predict more wine tasting adventures when we do visit.