Fun Times in Riverside Area, CA

We've enjoyed a very relaxing time here in the Riverside area, visiting several friends and family and doing some leisurely site-seeing. In fact, we ended up extending our stay by three nights rather than taking the motor home to Twentynine Palms as originally planned.

We also got caught up on a few chores: Lynda got her vision checked (Rx glasses not needed, but she should consult with an Opthamologist about her pre-glaucoma condition); I finally finished my efforts to reseal the outside of the motor home (yay!); and Sydney and Barley had their 6-month wellness check up at nearby Banfield Clinic.

On Saturday, March 7th we went to a birthday party in Ontario, just a 1/2-hour drive from the base. Ami, a friend we met in Tennessee, was visiting her family in California and invited us to her birthday celebration. We enjoyed ourselves and it was nice to meet Ami's father, brother, and other family members. In the course of conversation, Ami's father offered to make covers for our side cockpit windows. We picked them up a few days later, and they turned out great - these covers drastically reduce that annoying afternoon glare and heat while we're driving!

We visited the California Citrus State Historic Park on Sunday, March 8th. It was interesting (I did not know citrus originated from China) and the acres and acres of Citrus trees were impressive. Unfortunately, the park's volunteer staffing is at a low and the number of guided tours has been reduced. Anyway, we walked around on our own and enjoyed the views and wonderful weather. And the fragrance! There were millions of blossoms across hundreds of acres and the scent was amazing.

On Tuesday, March 10th we went to the University of California Riverside Botanic Gardens. We really enjoyed these gardens and took lots of photos - see my earlier post for more information. Later that day, we went to the University of California Riverside Museum of Photography, which was pleasant and relaxing. Lynda has a stronger interest in photography than I, and she seemed to enjoy the exhibits and information.

On Wednesday, March 11th we drove out to Palm Springs to take the Aerial Tramway up to the Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness, the gateway to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. The drive from Riverside to Palm Springs was very pretty and interesting, and we both enjoyed the experience of the Aerial Tramway. It was still quite cold (with a little snow) at the top of the mountain and, although we dressed for colder weather, I was  uncomfortable being outside. Lynda took a short walk on the paved trail by the Visitors Center, but she did not last long either. We were not disappointed, however, as this was pretty much what we expected. It would be nice to take the tramway up again in May or September, when the weather is warmer but it's not too crowded.

On Friday, March 13th we drove over to Garden Grove to visit Patsy and Bob, friends we made during our trip to Alaska in 2010. We caught up on news and enjoyed lunch in their home - it was a very pleasant visit all around. Patsy is dealing with some serious health issues but both she and Bob have a great attitude and are handling it very gracefully.

A couple days later, on Sunday, March 15th we met some other friends from our Alaska trip, Margi and Neal, for dinner at the Mission Inn in Riverside. They are still RVing and generally enjoying life. Margi and Neal are lots of fun to be around and it was great to see them. I only hope I will be as energetic when I'm in my 80s!

On Monday, March 16th we took a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park and really enjoyed it! See this post for more about this national park. Then on Wednesday, March 18th we drove out to the Coachella Valley Preserve on the recommendation of a friend. Also well-worth the drive, and took lots of photos. See this post for more information.

Earlier today, we went down to Irvine to visit my Uncle Peter and Aunt Clara. We spent a lovely day with them - after 35 years, this visit was long overdue!

We enjoyed lunch in their home (A. Clara's Mexican cactus salad is amazing), and then they took us by ferry to Newport Beach. We enjoyed some gelato and walked around the beach. Lovely area!

We've been staying at the FamCamp on March Air Reserve Base, and it's been fine despite the not-so-great reviews. While I agree that some of the FamCamp policies and procedures could be improved, the campground is clean, the sites have full hook-ups and are generously sized, and the price of $17 per night cannot be beat in Southern California. We would stay here again. The FamCamp is situated only a stone-throw away from the Flight Line and we've been enjoying the comings and goings of C-17 Globemasters, KC-135 refuelers, etc.

Prior to 1996, March was a HUGE active duty base. It was chosen for realignment under Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) III and went through a draw down starting in 1993 to become an Air Reserve Base in 1996. It's been a little weird to see some sections of the base "mothballed" or in use by the civilian community. The atmosphere in some areas is a bit like a ghost town. Never-the-less, there is still a great deal of activity at March, and military customs are still observed: Reveille sounds in the mornings at 0730 hrs, Retreat sounds at 1630 hrs, and Taps (usually) sounds at 2200 hrs. I say "usually" because we noticed a few random instances where Taps was skipped or played late; it made us chuckle to think that some Airman got spanked for missing the Call. Even though March is no longer an active duty base, the Commissary and BX are still in operation and just a 10 minute drive from the FamCamp.

During our stay, Air Force One landed and parked nearby to the FamCamp. We got as close as we could (within about 300 yards) but the secret service guys were eyeballing us and we could only take photos from afar. Yes, there was a second plane that accompanied Air Force One - however, I am not privy to the logistics of moving the President around and therefore not qualified to comment on whether this was inappropriate use of resources. I doubt anyone in the Media is qualified to comment either, but actual knowlege of a situation is not a pre-requisite for media chatter.

We leave tomorrow for San Luis Obispo. Stay tuned!