Johnson RV Family Vacation number 2!!

[SW_GLASS]

Nobody talked about being in Chino before we left 3 years ago. Now all these people live in Chino. Born and raised at Schaefer and East End. Lived at Oaks and Philly for 7 years before ditching CA.

Maybe we’ll be in town visiting family when the RDP Chino meet happens. lol

I am in the same boat. Born and raised off Ramona and Philadelphia. Lived off Mountain and Walnut from 2015-2017 before we moved to Tucson AZ. Still have family there so hopefully the RDP Chino meetup is next time i go to see family as well hahaha

@Socalx09 now lives in chino too.

 

[RiverDave]

We left and went to twin valley restaurant (pretty good by the way!). And then ran back to the motorhome Just to double check on the puppy and make sure he’s ok..

Getting a late start but it worked well for us in Yellowstone so we are sticking with the program..

The new toad (already sold when we get back) and pics of a steam engine that would drag logs to be harvested back in the 20’s..

Last pic is ohv notices.. pretty cool they have 150 miles Of trails here for utv’s etc
We are about 30 minutes away from the park and heading there now.

 

[RVRKID]

Looks like a good trip so far..
What kind of bug zapper is it?

 

[DWC]

Ok so for stop number two! Greetings from
Sequoia RV park! We pulled up and the guy pretty much said “pick whatever spot ya want”. Thought that was kinda cool.. I picked a giant end spot next to a dry pond.. we have plenty of room and aren’t near anyone.

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Went to the wallyworld in Santa Clarita and ended up buying some magnetic tool holders for the black stone.. glad I did they are handy. Got other Knick knacks as well.. wireless thermometer for 25.00.. not so much for the black stone but for when I get home.



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All you guys keep talking about this new show “terminal list” so I’m trying to put it on.

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Ran into this…. View attachment 1136490

I shit you not Stacy says “ask the kids I don’t know what it is”. Lol. So we had to reset that to something we can remember. The kids won’t be getting it again. View attachment 1136491

Pic doesn’t do it justice but the moon is beautiful here.

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Turned off all the lights except the tv.. this bug zapper could quite possibly be the best thing we have ever bought. I think it was 20.00? We aren’t getting bugs and this thing “zzzzaaaasppp”. Every couple seconds.. there’s a certain satisfaction when ya hear it.. lol. View attachment 1136492

I’ve got one of those and these in Havasu. This one has a fan on the bottom that sucks in anything flying around. It’s crazy how much it catches.

 

[DWC]

I am in the same boat. Born and raised off Ramona and Philadelphia. Lived off Mountain and Walnut from 2015-2017 before we moved to Tucson AZ. Still have family there so hopefully the RDP Chino meetup is next time i go to see family as well hahaha

@Socalx09 now lives in chino too.

You had to live close to the Hensley’s or are one. We moved from LB to Chino in early 80’s. Pipeline and Walnut.

 

[RiverDave]

Alright guys.. Day one at the Sequoias!!

 

[RiverDave]

Hume Lake was beautiful and the water was clear / pristine and comfortable!!

 

[oldschool]

Hope it’s cooling off a bit for you up the hill, it’s going to toasty down in the valley this weekend. With that said it still won’t be Havasu hot. Looks like a bitchen trip!

 

[RiverDave]

So we took some side roads and went out to beoul tree trail (we didn’t hike it).

I am not a tree hugger but you have to realize these trees take thousands of years to grow to full size and assholes chopped a shit ton of them down in the late 19th / early 20th century.. really kinda sad knowing how rare they are and they cut em Just because.. you would think even back then they would know better.


Almost all the roads you drive on are old
Logging trails so the evidence is everywhere.. I stopped at this one and took some pics of the kids to show the scale of these trees.. in the pic the jeep is out front but the tree is actually about the same size as the jeep.

The first pic you can see large (and I mean large) normal trees and then a giant among them.

Note these are what look like “normal”
Size trees in the other pics.. if you look down at the bottom on the road you can see my kids and me and Stacy etc.. lol. You wouldn’t notice unless I told ya. Gives a great example
Of scale.

More pics of stumps

One out of order with the trees

 

[SW_GLASS]

You had to live close to the Hensley’s or are one. We moved from LB to Chino in early 80’s. Pipeline and Walnut.

Nope Hensley is not my last name. The name does sound familiar tho just cant put my finger on where i have heard that name. If you still live off Walnut and Pipeline then you are really close to my two brothers that live off Pipeline and Philadelphia. Small world.

 

[Havasu blue label]

is that in three rivers

 

[RiverDave]

The sights the sounds the smell
Of the pines is absolutely incredible..

If you live in SoCal this place is close and if you haven’t been you are missing the point. Get off your ass and go!! You don’t need a motorhome there are plenty of lodges / inns and yes tent camping everywhere!!

We went pretty far into some trails today and found guys with 24-26’ bumper pulls. I was Off-roading in the jeep and came around a corner to one guys camp and was .. fucking guy has way more adventure in him then me.. lol

Maybe is I had my old 21 nitrous..

Something to point out these guys were camping out on the offroad trails which is genius.. by themselves nobody around.. absolutely epic.

Something I plan on doing offroad in havasu with my pusher this winter..

RD

 

[RiverDave]

Selfies with the family and Stacys soon to be “infamous” glasses.. wait till you see the thread it’s gonna absolutely blow you away and show you one of the the very rare problems with living a public lifestyle and owning rdp..

 

[RiverDave]

Cruising back on the trail..

 

[oldschool]

is that in three rivers

He’s up the 180 Kings Canyon, not 198.

 

[RiverDave]

So these are actually what giant sequoia pine cones look like. They are small compared to normal ones (let alone the giant ones around here)

They have a different look to them.. very cool to see the difference and knowing that someday a couple thousand years from now might be a giant.

 

[RiverDave]

He’s up the 180 Kings Canyon, not 198.

Yep

 

[RiverDave]

Larger pine cones are bountiful and everywhere..

 

[RiverDave]

To walk among giants.. the trees themselves are remarkably beautiful.. they are so old they have outlived our country, our history, they were here when Jesus walked the earth and depending on how ya look at it never knew each other existed..

There is something about them that doesn’t make you feel small in size.. but rather in life. Anyone of us is a “blip” of their time on earth.. if you sit in silence and stare at one they are truly awe inspiring..

Note the size of the cars in the parking lot.

 

[oldschool]

Some of the largest trees in the world. General Sherman is the largest and General Grant is #2.

 

[RiverDave]

Cabin out by general grant which is the second largest tree in the world.

 

[RiverDave]

Couple of giant trees

 

[RiverDave]

Other trees near general Grant.

For those that say everything is bigger in Texas.. they has never been here. Lol.

 

[RiverDave]

Sequoia with a hole In it from fire. It is part of the natural process.

 

[RiverDave]

General Grant is the second largest tree in the world..

(Strangely I thought I saw on fb some tree that was like ten times this size they originally thought was multiple trees but turned out to be one. I dunno. I’m not a botanist).

Extremely impressive in person. The trunk is actually larger than grant but it tapers faster making grant the largest here.

As said before to Just to be by them and know how long they have been here is humbling.

I was here when I was my kids age.. I didn’t get it. I’m older now and completely get it.

Should note that tree is quite always behind us so the scale makes it look smaller. It’s flipping huge. 75’ circumference

 

[RiverDave]

More pics of giants on our way out of the general Grant display..

The kids are standing next to two “normal” trees on the trail. You get used to huge things when everything is huge..

 

[RiverDave]

Went to the gas station to grab some beer and seltzers.. it isn’t Alaskan prices but good lord. I opted for keystone light. Lol.

Cooking corn / teriyaki chicken on the blackstone… came out titties in case your wondering.

 

[RiverDave]

Holiday smokes (menthols) in honor of Frank. Not he smoked Marlboro greens.. but he always bummed these off Tyler and Me so it reminds me of him.

 

[SKIDMARC]

Man I see these pictures and I think to myself ,wtf am I’m doing. Work 12 hours days not done cool stuff like this with the wife and kids. Yeah I got the travel trailer, X3, dirt bikes, boat spent almost a million on a house but not living life.

SMH at myself.

 

[RiverDave]

Stacys pics from the day.. she takes a lot better pics than I do. No words needed they tell the story of the day.

 

[RiverDave]

Stacy’s pics part deuce

 

[RiverDave]

Now dinner is done.. kids are watching a show before bed in the motorhome. The world is quiet with the exception of my tv playing terminal list on the outside tv.. (thanks everyone for the recommendation)

Stacy is entrenched in the show. I want to be but my mind is on Frank and the stars above and all the things that come with that.

The screen is a little blurry so I will say good night.

All lights off but the big zapper and the tv.. no bites for us but there’s a killing field going on in front of us..

 

[RiverDave]

Well today was a total lazy day.. Sierra felt sick so we just stayed in camp and relaxed all day (kinda nice actually)…

We are gonna make a change on our trip and head to bass lake. I have never been there and always wanted to check it out. We are debating on heading there now or leaving in the morning.

RD

 

[Gramps]

leave now and you pull in at the middle of the night. Leave early thirty in the morning, beat the heat and see the sights...your kids look to be having a great time.

 

[RiverDave]

leave now and you pull in at the middle of the night. Leave early thirty in the morning, beat the heat and see the sights

It’s only an hour and a half from where we are at.. doesn’t really matter to me when we leave

 

[Gramps]

It’s only an hour and a half from where we are at.. doesn’t really matter to me when we leave

I thought you were still in So Cal.........I was behind on your posting

 

[stephenkatsea]

Bass Lake is nice. It isn’t big. Ducey’s by the Lake is a good place food and drinks. Believe rental craft are available there also. Watch The Great Outdoors with John Candy. Much of it was filmed there. Yosemite back gate isn’t too far from there.

 

[Marios Metalworks]

Looks like great memories for the fam.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Our first time at Ducey’s was just after their reopening after the fire. Weekday, we had no reservations. The place seemed pretty vacant. They quoted me some ridiculous high price at the front desk. I said thanks, but no thanks. Turned and walk towards the door. The lady said please don’t leave. What would you be willing to pay? I said really? And I gave her a number we were expecting. She said, sure we can do that. We spent an amazing night there. Unbelievable room with a large deck overlooking the lake. Extremely nice people.

 

[HBCraig]

My kids went there every year for 3 years. They loved it

Hume Lake was beautiful and the water was clear / pristine and comfortable!!

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[Luvnlife]

Bass Lake is nice. It isn’t big. Ducey’s by the Lake is a good place food and drinks. Believe rental craft are available there also. Watch The Great Outdoors with John Candy. Much of it was filmed there. Yosemite back gate isn’t too far from there.

Dave you can rent a “Kick ass jet boat”

 

[RiverDave]

Dave you can rent a “Kick ass jet boat”

Like Uncle Roman? Lol

 

[SpectraPat]

 

[gqchris]

Man I see these pictures and I think to myself ,wtf am I’m doing. Work 12 hours days not done cool stuff like this with the wife and kids. Yeah I got the travel trailer, X3, dirt bikes, boat spent almost a million on a house but not living life.

SMH at myself.

You and I both , brother. Everytime Dave posts these, Its another year I have missed. I cant be away from work, bottom line. Being the only provider, I have to figure out a way to make it happen. I just havent found it yet.

 

[Ricks raft]

If your going to bass lake, your 30 mins to Yosemite. Fire is way down. But being federal the park requires reservations. Super Pine railroad is cool(20 mins from Bass Lake). Mariposa is 35 mins, lots of mining history(Ca gold rush started here). The county was called mother of counties, used to be from Sacramento to LA. Because courthouse was so far from many areas they broke it up to make multiple counties. As stated earlier, mining museum, courthouse, gem museum, Catholic Churc(1800’s grave stones), hit the visitors center in town.
Good food at Savoury’s, Charles st dinner house, Hideaway(small unique hole in the wall bar, under downtown with natural stacked rock walls. If you need a place to park we’ve got 6 acres, nothing special, 30 amp hookup.

 

[angiebaby]

In the Calaveras Grove, one of the first trees cut down left a stump so large that they held a ball on top of it in which 32 people danced. The band also played on top of the stump, and a hotel was built in the area. This is ground zero for the battle to save trees for aesthetic reasons so that future generations could enjoy their majesty. It took about 30 years for the grove to be eventually saved. The women's clubs of San Francisco got it to happen. This is part of what my master's thesis was on. It was a fun study on the impact of women's clubs and forest conservation The women fought for the redwoods of Big Basin in Santa Cruz at the same time as Calaveras. Their fight for the redwoods in Humboldt County began around 1908 after their successes further south.

 

[4Waters]

Hume Lake was beautiful and the water was clear / pristine and comfortable!!

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Both my kids were there across the lake at the Christian camp last week, they just got back yesterday.

 

[rivermobster]

"RDP Offroad race team", you say? Tell me more...

Oh hell yeah...

 

[HCP3]

Very cool, Dave. Thank you for sharing

 

[Hava-Schiada]

I also highly recommend Sugar Pine Railroad. Your kids will love it!