February 4, 2024: Back with the Whale

 

Landed in Vegas at 10:50 local time (but past 12 in Boston) with a long day ahead

Where it will all be happening on Sunday (for the non-Americans... the Superbowl which will be between Taylor Swift and the heathens from San Francisco)

So flew back to Las Vegas on the 3rd to get the Whale out of storage and back on the road.

After a few sleepless night imagining mice feasting on the RV wiring, people stealing the catalytic converters and the batteries being flat, turns out it was all for nought.  The RV started first time, the converters were still in place and the mice droppings, etc. I had found when I packed the Whale away was old and my theory is that the mice decided to stay at the beach in Ventura rather than spend the winter in Vegas...

Headed for Arizona Charlie's RV park and casino to go shake everything out and stay in one place while the great pineapple express storm system wreaked havoc with California and cause 3 days of (not torrential, but lots) rain in Vegas.

Plans going forward...

Heading out to Lake Havasu on Wednesday as I have the Whale checked in for some TCL - engine checkout, lubes, etc. as it has done over 10,000 miles and except for oil changes has not really been looked at.  I did notice there was some lack of power going up some of those California mountains when I was driving back from the beach, so it is probably time.

Will then spend the next month looking for a toad (a pull-behind-the-RV car) somewhere between Vegas and Phoenix.  On the 16th of March Gene arrives in Los Angeles for 3 weeks to see how remote working is going to work for her in the RV.  We are planning to hook up with Greg and Loretta (locals) in Burbank and then drive up the coast together for a week or so - local knowledge is key.  Biggest problem is going to be how much of the PCH (route 1) has been washed away.  We already know we cannot make it all the way up to San Fransisco as the road is closed about halfway up the PCH.  Fun part is that when we did the 'round America' RV trip in 2008 Route 1 was also closed around Big Sur due to fires... this time it is water.

Any case we will go up as far as we can with Greg before they leave for southern Texas to see the eclipse while we will double back and then go around to Monterey and drive down to the Big Sur areas from there.  Gene flies out of San Francisco on the 6th of April - just in time to see the eclipse in Vermont.

I will then continue up the coast to Crescent City, Northern California and then through Oregon to Seattle.  Hope to get there sometime in the summer.