Johnson RV Family Vacation number 2!!

[Ducksquasher]

I just did the drive from Morro Bay to Carmel a month ago or so. I thought it would take a hour in my truck. Took almost 3. Took the 101 back to Paso and then the 41 back to Morro Bay it was longer drive but took half the time. Got stuck behind a few motor homes on way up and they were barely moving and not even towing. I wouldn't want to tow up it. It's a nice scenic drive but I was over it quickly not able to pass. It was my first time and probably the last unless I was going to camp in Big Sur I would take the 101.

Big Sur is on the list, as well. How is the drive on Hwy 1 south from Monterey to Big Sur in my set-up? I was thinking 101 to 68 to 1 down to Big Sur.

 

[Ducksquasher]

I have done this as well. It's not in any way "treacherous" I don't think.

RD's drive, from SF to the Oregon boarder, will remove the siding from your RV if you're not paying attention!

Your route is a Fucking long drive too though! Like I told RD, if you are going to break it up into multiple stops, I wouldn't be afraid of either drive at all. You'll see some of the best coast line CA has to offer.

To do either drive in one day?

Hard pass in an RV.

In a Audi A8? Count me in!

P. S. Take your car and stay in B&B's along the way. WAY more enjoyable that way.

Thanks...I like my RV the way that it is...with all of it's parts pieces!

 

[dread Pirate]

I have done this as well. It's not in any way "treacherous" I don't think.

RD's drive, from SF to the Oregon boarder, will remove the siding from your RV if you're not paying attention!

Your route is a Fucking long drive too though! Like I told RD, if you are going to break it up into multiple stops, I wouldn't be afraid of either drive at all. You'll see some of the best coast line CA has to offer.

To do either drive in one day?

Hard pass in an RV.

In a Audi A8? Count me in!

P. S. Take your car and stay in B&B's along the way. WAY more enjoyable that way.

I do Eureka to Santa Nela in a day towing when we race so-cal. I've done Irwindale home in a day but that hurt. It aint that bad, but I guess I'm used to it.

 

[dread Pirate]

Note; From Willits north on 101 its a 65' length limit.

 

[TCHB]

Looks like a nice family vacation!

 

[ltbaney1]

looks like a great time, thank you for sharing.

 

[rivermobster]

Thanks...I like my RV the way that it is...with all of it's parts pieces!

Just to be clear...

SF to the Oregon boarder? It's doable. I've done it. But it is treacherous.

SoCal to SF? Not treacherous at all.

 

[RiverDave]

At the boardwalk today.. kids are having a blast! I walked them through this haunted house thing.. lol. You have to be a parent to understand but them being terrified was absolutely hilarious..

 

[RiverDave]

We all had a great time at the boardwalk!! It’s fascinating to think about how much money that place is making.. lol. Even the shittiest of attractions are five bucks for a minute or two.. every point is a dollar. . The rest are anywhere from 7-12 points depending.. even the sky tram deal was 4 points per person..

The kids were as excited as I’ve ever seen them though and all of them really enjoyed themselves.. Great memories for them! That giant dipper wooden roller coaster I will remember for years to come.. mostly due to neck and back injuries (joke).

 

[X Hoser]

How many times did you check your phone and chuckle at the temperature back home? The beach is always the best place for me this time of year temperature wise!

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Just getting caught up on this thread now. Really loved all the sequoia and redwoods pics. I swear for a moment it almost brought that amazing forest smell back from all of my childhood camping trips. Those are some of my best childhood memories, and I'm sure that your kiddos will remember these trips always - good job, Dave and Stacy!

Have fun!

 

[dread Pirate]

We'll be in Sonoma for the Nationals this weekend, but will be back up the coast on Monday.. There's some street outlaw type racing going on next weekend in Eureka as well. Boddie and others...

 

[Willie B]

…We all had a great time at the Boardwalk…

The kids were as excited as I’ve ever seen them though and all of them really enjoyed themselves.. Great memories for them! That giant dipper wooden roller coaster I will remember for years to come.. mostly due to neck and back injuries (joke).

… I will never forget being on that wooden roller coaster… I don’t know how old I was and I’m going to have to look up to see what year it was …but just as the roller coaster was about to take its first dive there was either a guy in front of myself and my father with a portable radio or I had a portable radio???…but news came on … And the headline was…That Floyd Patterson had knocked out Ingemar Johansson to regain the world heavyweight title… That was a bigger shock than the downhill run… As Johansson was a very heavy favorite…

… looks like it was 1960…

 

[RiverDave]

Fosters.. it’s Australian for “they didn’t have any other beers I liked in the store”. Lol. All IPA’s and fancy stuff here..

Greetings from Petaluma KOA! The kids wanted to come here and take a break from nature for some more refined camping. Honestly we could use the laundry mat and a break as well.. I’m pretty tired and it was only supposed to be 2 hours away.. ended up taking four’ish with traffic.

We will be here for two days.

 

[JB in so cal]

Traffic North of the bay sux! Enjoy the cool nights!

 

[dread Pirate]

Traffic North of the bay sux! Enjoy the cool nights!

Once you get past Healdsburg its gone.

 

[RiverDave]

Stacy got all the laundry done last night.. I got hammered off white claws.. .

We are the infamous “pineapple watermelon” last night! (Never heard of one before). It was delicious!

 

[Singleton]

@RiverDave - was it a hybrid watermelon or just a yellow watermelon. Used to get yellow watermelons all the time with my grandparents and I learned yellow watermelon were actually cultivated first and have grown in Africa for almost 5,000 years.

 

[RiverDave]

@RiverDave - was it a hybrid watermelon or just a yellow watermelon. Used to get yellow watermelons all the time with my grandparents and I learned yellow watermelon were actually cultivated first and have grown in Africa for almost 5,000 years.

The billboards say pineapple watermelon.. I dunno?

 

[RiverDave]

San Francisco today!! Actually had a pretty good time touring the city seeing the sights.. getting chowder at the wharf….

The pics of the houses are the painted ladies.. they are a group of pastel colored houses that were in a ton of movies and sitcoms m.. including full house etc.

Watching the “rolling fog” was amazing

 

[DaveC]

I knew a felt a disturbance in the force…. Yore in my hood now.. I live just down the road. which way did you drive up to Petaluma? 101 or 280? You drove right by me…. Lol

BTW that rolling fog is terrible cuz it’s so cold.

It was a good thing that is was “warm” for you today

 

[RiverDave]

I knew a felt a disturbance in the force…. Yore in my hood now.. I live just down the road. which way did you drive up to Petaluma? 101 or 280? You drove right by me…. Lol

BTW that rolling fog is terrible cuz it’s so cold.

It was a good thing that is was “warm” today for you

We went up the 101 and across the Golden Gate Bridge twice.. Stacy has pics of the bridge and crossing it. Pretty cool deal.

Here’s some pics from the Ripley’s believe it or Not museum.. if you have never gone through one of these I’d recommend it, tons of fun and really educational. That guy loved one hell of a life

All The crazy artifacts and stories from all over the world are epic.. I didn’t take any pics of them I was too busy reading the captions.

 

[RiverDave]

 

[Desert Whaler]

Just Awesome!

 

[Boat211]

Really cool trip Dave.

 

[Singleton]

Your kids will remember these adventures as they grow.
I am still shocked at friends my 10yo daughter has that have not been on a plane or left the state of CA.

As you start RV’ing you learn two things. 1) this country is large and has some awesome sites and 2) the % of folks you get to see those sites is very small.

 

[DaveC]

Did the kids see the dock next to pier 39 that the sea lions take over?

You got all the SF tourist stuff done. Lots more to see….

I could have sent you to more of the (umm how do I put it nicely) “interesting“ sights…. But then again you would not bring the kids there so that wouldn’t work.

 

[RiverDave]

Alright so I didn’t take a lot of pics of Petaluma KOA.. kids loved it.. I’m dead convinced it’s haunted. Both Stacy and I had nightmares (no shit) the entire time we were there.

Mine involved a large party on the water, Chris Griner.. and artillery shooting shit out of the sky and America (the citizens going to war).. lol.

Either way the place was cool
Had a huge pool (didn’t use) petting zoo (used heavily) and a dog park (used heavily). Was surprised to see staff from as far away as Jamaica there Jist to earn money in the on season. Pretty fascinating when ya think about it..

Nice park. Seltzers and fancy beers in the store though so if ya like bud light or coorslight stalk up before ya get there.

If ya want to, not have to work to hard, and make a living.. open a bike shop in Petaluma. Their a dime a dozen and there hours are kinda whenever their hours are. If ya take a bike there for a tube change it’s 40 bucks.. if ya tell them to Just go through it and lube everything it’s considered a service.. that takes the tube cost to 7.00 but the there costs to 180.00’ish dollars.. lol. Quite the hustle for someone that doesn’t need to work too hard.

Best chicken sandwich I have ever had was in Brewsters in Petaluma.. that sums it up we are at a new park with new stories..

 

[RiverDave]

Did the kids see the dock next to pier 39 that the sea lions take over?

You got all the SF tourist stuff done. Lots more to see….

I could have sent you to more of the (umm how do I put it nicely) “interesting“ sights…. But then again you would not bring the kids there so that wouldn’t work.

Didn’t see the dock but we had a good time in SF.. I’d go back with Stacy sans kids.. could be a fun town, a little too much walking for my crippled ass. Last night my foot gave out and was making cracking noises that could only be described as primal. For a minute I thought I was gonna have to call a friend to drive this rig home. This morning it hurts but is good enough to keep on Trump’in

 

[RiverDave]

I’m gonna post the pics but ask to please not derail my vacation thread.. NorCal / Petaluma summed up in two pics.. lol. I had no idea a Libby would even own something monikered jeep.

They are very real.. and this is their norm. Tho shit on the sidewalks wasn’t existent where we went. The shit in the parking garage was very real. Lol. (Wife and kids elected to wait for me outside

 

[RiverDave]

Welcome to Meyers Flat CA! We are basically staying at an RV park in the middle of the “Avenue of Giants..

I know it’s “just trees” but they are absolutely mesmerizing.. the smells the sounds the sheer size of them. Magnificent and again humbling..

The campground is on the Eel river which is a cool and beautiful spot.

 

[RiverDave]

Wild black berries in our campsite

 

[RiverDave]

 

[RiverDave]

One of the fallen giants on the side of the road.

 

[TCHB]

Nice family pics Dave.

 

[stephenkatsea]

No doubt much of CA is one beautiful SOB. Believe you were born there as was I. Once proud to be a native. Very much enjoying your family vacation shots. You guys are doing it well. You may miss it this trip, but the east side of CA, Hwy 395 and the eastern Sierras are also great.

Nice photos. 13 pro max?

 

[RiverDave]

This place Is incredible.. I grew up in San Diego and have never really experienced large growth Forrest’s like these. I could really see having a place or a cabin in some
Place like this. If I did though it would have to be a large far away place where you could still shoot guns, but close enough with a saloon to go have fun at.. lol. Either way I really love it up here. Incredibly beautiful and I can say Stacy and I are absorbing all of it. She said earlier that we are in our 40’s and this is our first time to a place like this.. what have we been doing? I couldn’t agree more.

 

[RiverDave]

No doubt much of CA is one beautiful SOB. Believe you were born there as was I. Once proud to be a native. Very much enjoying your family vacation shots. You guys are doing it well. You may miss it this trip, but the east side of CA, Hwy 395 and the eastern Sierras are also great.

Nice photos. 13 pro max?

12 pro max

I believe we are going to hit the 395 on the way back!

 

[rivermobster]

12 pro max

I believe we are going to hit the 395 on the way back!

Damm I just typed a novel and lost it!

Short version...

Tuolumne Meadows and the Tioga Road, Yosemite National Park, California

Tuolumne Meadows and the Tioga Road, in Yosemite - many glacial lakes, granite mountains and deep canyons, crossed by lengthy trails

www.americansouthwest.net

And...

The Double Eagle Inn on the June Lake Loop for lunch.

 

[stephenkatsea]

12 pro max

I believe we are going to hit the 395 on the way back!

So many great places on 395. Please post where you plan to hook up with 395 south. All the creeks and campgrounds are good. Bodie, outside of Bridgeport is a real ghost town. Mono Village RV camp in the mountains westvof Bridgeport is good. June Lake area further south is also really good. Pine Cliff resort was good when in June Lake. The June Lake loop is very RV drivable and nice. Horseback riding with the kids at Silver Lake is very doable. And I’m much more a crip than you. Bishop, many good RV parks in the mountains. We’re not too big on Mammoth. Lots of people, Going south Big Pine, Independence and Lone Pine are each good. Lone Pine - The Alabama hills and Whitney Portal are a must visit on 395. “Seasons Restaurant” in Lone Pine is hard to believe. White linens, amazing menu and great wines. More of a Mom and Dad’s place. But there’s also pizza and Mac’s.

There’s an Owen Valley museum in Independence. It’s the real deal. Authentic wagons etc. My ancestors settled the Valley, so it has special meaning. For your RV, Lone Pine is likely a more logical stop. Star Wars Canyon overlook is not far. Good side trip for your toad. You can basically view some of Death Valley from Star Wars overlook. Although, could be similar temps to LHC on some days.

 

[oldboatsrule]

Make sure you tell the kids to keep an eye out for Bigfoot !

 

[Havasujaws]

So many great places on 395. Please post where you plan to hook up with 395 south. All the creeks and campgrounds are good. Bodie, outside of Bridgeport is a real ghost town. Mono Village RV camp in the mountains east of Bridgeport is good. June Lake area further south is also really good. Pine Cliff resort was good when in June Lake. The June Lake loop is very RV drivable and nice. Horseback riding with the kids at Silver Lake is very doable. And I’m much more a crip than you. Bishop, many good RV parks in the mountains. We’re not too big on Mammoth. Lots of people, Going south Big Pine, Independence and Lone Pine are each good. Lone Pine - The Alabama hills and Whitney Portal are a must visit on 395. “Seasons Restaurant” in Lone Pine is hard to believe. White linens, amazing menu and great wines. More of a Mom and Dad’s place. But there’s also pizza and Mac’s.

Second this. Lots of cool places to fish in the mammoth and Bishop area. Gotta stop at Bodie and Schats bakery in Bishop.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Difficult to find an old western that wasn’t filmed in the Alabama Hills west of Lone Pine.

 

[RiverDave]

Anyone have suggestions for stuff to see or do in Tahoe? 3 kids one asshole dog

 

[Activated]

Garwoods or Sunnyside for water front food and drinks.
Shakespeare festival in Incline Village is a really good time but I don’t think that happens until September.
Tahoe City for touristy stuff.
Zephyr cove is a cool beach but is packed.

I’d just plan to drive around the lake, stop at some turnouts for the views and see where the day takes you.

 

[JayBreww]

Take that jeep on the rubricon trail. Lol

 

[Willie B]

… Sierra Boat Co. on the north side of Lake Tahoe… If you really want to see some of the old wooden classics… I believe they are still in business… Anybody???…

 

[hman442]

Anyone have suggestions for stuff to see or do in Tahoe? 3 kids one asshole dog

I like to stop at Sierra Boat Co. And look at their vintage wood Chris Craft style boats. The Concours "on the water boat show" is in three weeks, so they might have some wooden boats around. I realize being in a boat isn't anything new for your kids, but Tahoe has a variety of ways to show you the lake. They have sternwheelers, a classic Chris Craft Cruiser, sailboat tours, touristy dinner cruises, all that. Tahoe also has a zipline-giant jungle jim type thing up in the trees, that looks fun for kids.

 

[RiverDiva]

Going to stay overnight in Clearlake tomorrow night then keep moving to Tahoe. Do ya’ll recommend North or South for Tahoe? Looks like South is on our route but we are open to either.

 

[RiverDiva]

If you ever find yourself on Avenue of the Giants make sure to stop into the Daily Grind in Meyers Flat and say hello to my new friends. Excellent service and organic espresso, cute Humboldt clothing and souvenirs as well. They have been in business 28 Years I believe he said. Raised their daughter here and she just graduated from UC Santa Barbara on a full scholarship, I just love the little family owned businesses you stumble across on these adventures.