On arrival at SFO our luggage was all present and correct in the hall just as we got to the carousel. It took ages to get through Immigration. Even though we'd completed the ESTA on-line Visa Waiver form, we still apparently needed the old green waiver form. And had to be fingerprinted, photographed and asked whether we planned on overthrowing the USA by force. There's always a temptation to say yes, but we resisted it…..
We arrived at the pre-booked Coventry Motor Inn on Lombard Street (highly recommended - see my review) in what seemed a very expensive taxi ($50) - although that was to seem cheap later. Had a few hours rest then a light meal at a local bar (too jetlagged to remember the name) before turning in.
After that we had a leisurely stroll along
Chestnut Street and into the Marina District proper, coming out onto
the sea front. The district was really nice - laid back, attractive
houses, well kept gardens.
Eventually we arrived at the Palace of Fine Arts and the Exploratorium.
The Palace itself was quite pretty although a little overblown - the
Exploratorium was quite simply brilliant. Our initial idea had been to
visit the California Academy of Sciences, but after reading reports of
huge queues, expensive ticket prices and less than inspiring exhibits
we had changed our minds, and were very pleased with the decision.
We'd prebooked tickets for the After Dark event but thought we'd spend an hour or two in the museum during the day to get a feel for it - this turned into the whole day. The exhibits are excellent and really well thought-out, the facilitators helpful (although not necessarily experts) and the whole place has a lovely purposeful but fun feel. The only part not to get full marks was the Tactile Dome. I didn't fancy it, being somewhat claustrophobic, but Electra, my partner, gave it a shot. She wasn't very impressed and felt that it could have been quite scary, especially for younger children, as there wasn't any easy way to get out if you were disoriented.
We left for a quick meal at Pluto's restaurant ("food for a hungry universe") in Scott Street. Great salads, good grilled meat and nice informal ambiance. Probably not, however, the place for a romantic assignment. Then returned to the Exploratorium for the After Dark event at 19:00.
This event was slightly confused but very enjoyable. It seemed not to have quite worked out what it was trying to do - there was music, a bar, and tours led by some of the staff. We went on two tours - one was fascinating, meeting some of the exhibit creators and finding out how they approached the task. This must be one of the best jobs in the world. The other tour was less good as we could barely hear the presenter over the music and general hubbub. However, it was an excellent way to spend the evening and we returned to the Coventry Inn somewhat footsore.
Afterwards we walked out onto Fulton Street and caught the No 5 to the beach, which was very bracing with a stiff onshore wind. As it was lunchtime we went into the Beach Chalet and had a good meal with a lovely view over the beach. The WPA murals downstairs were very impressive and worth the visit on their own.
Then the 5 back to Park Presidio Boulevard and the 28 back to Lombard - this gave a great view of the Golden Gate bridge. The $1.50 bus fares seemed very reasonable and had we had more time in the city I'm sure we would have spent more time travelling on them.
After a short break came out of the hotel for another stroll around the area. In the evening we ate at Ristorante Parma in Steiner Street which was OK but nothing special.
We didn't visit any of the frequently quoted "must sees". Partly as the 2 days were just to settle in before our real holiday in the RV; partly because redundant prisons and the like don't have any attraction for us. It was interesting that more than one person we met suggested that San Francisco was like a "European" city (a bit tricky when Europe extends from Norway to Sicily and each region has its own character), but it certainly did feel quite familiar. We definitely enjoyed being there, but would probably not go through the hassle of 12 - 14 hours' flight each way just to visit the city.
We completed the formalities, had a walk round the motorhome (C25) to check for any external damage, then ventured gingerly out onto the freeway heading for our pre-booked site at Half Moon Bay State Beach. I noticed that the engine was a little sluggish to turn over when starting but put this down to the vehicle having stood for a while…. Also, when we had a chance to look closely at the interior, we found it not as clean as we would have expected.
Crossing the San Mateo Bridge, we stopped off at a Safeway to stock up with essentials then continued along a pretty road to the campground. Driving the RV was quite straightforward as long as its size was taken into consideration, but it was essential to have someone watching the back when reversing. It was also sometimes tricky to find a parking spot at supermarkets etc. As we have a touring caravan (travel trailer) at home, and use it often for trips to France and in the UK, we're very used to the life, although must admit the car/caravan combination is more flexible than the motorhome solution. It's a pain having to secure everything for a 10 minute run to the shops. I expect this is why we saw so many big motorhomes towing small (and sometimes not so small) cars.
Having looked at the campground with Google
Streetview, it was quite an eerie feeling to arrive and get a real
sense of déjà vu. The campground was full (Saturday night) but it was
easy to find our site and we soon got settled in. The facilities at the
campground were basic but well maintained, and we spent the evening
strolling around the beach area, watching the pelicans, seagulls and
persistent (but unsuccessful) surfers and trying to get good
photographs of the setting sun. A couple of glasses of Cabernet later
and we were asleep ready for our further adventures.
Our route was back to Interstate 280 and south towards Hollister to see the famous "bent" streets caused by the Calaveras Fault. In passing, we were quite surprised by the poor quality of the Interstate surface, which was even rougher and noisier than many UK motorways.
Hollister was an interesting little place with
wide shady streets and wooden houses. It was easy enough to find the
kinks in the road caused by the fault, and the local children were
fascinated by our photographing every ripple in the road surface and
trying to work out whether they were caused by geological action or
just bad maintenance…..
After a picnic lunch in a layby we continued to
the San Luis Reservoir where we camped for the night at San Luis Creek
campground. Very quiet place with gorgeous views across the lake. As
with all the other campgrounds in State & National Parks and State
Forests that we stayed in, the rangers were very friendly and helpful
and everything was very well kept.
Another glass or two of red as we watched the sunset finished the day off nicely.
The approach to Yosemite along Hwy 140 was
everything we'd hoped - the scenery becoming more and more rugged and
dramatic till finally we emerged into the valley to see Yosemite Falls
on our left, with Royal Arches and Half Dome in front. We were probably
there at just the right time of year as all the waterfalls were in full
flood. Our entry to the valley was slightly spoilt by an earlier
accident in the roadworks, which meant we were stuck for about 30
minutes, but it did allow us to drink in the scenery.
Eventually we were able to continue and find our
pre-booked site in Upper Pines. We'd managed to get one on the outer
edge (234) so were looking out into the trees rather than across at
another RV or tent. All the campgrounds were solidly booked for our
whole time here.
Our neighbours, a couple from San Diego with a pair of magnificent dogs came across to welcome us which was very nice. We were fascinated by the bear-proof lockers, not to mention the little pile of bear droppings next to our fire ring. We weren't fortunate enough to see any bears, but our neighbours with the dogs saw a mother and cub on one of their walks.
We weren't quite so impressed by our lunch at the café but it could have been much worse.
In the afternoon, after a short walk to the Lower
Yosemite Falls, we relaxed at the campsite and watched the birds - very
different species to those we see in the UK. Despite the full
campground, we never felt overcrowded - partly due to our position on
the edge - but we were impressed by the generous spaces allowed,
scattered amongst the stately pines. This contrasted markedly to the
commercial RV parks we saw as we travelled around. On many of these,
the RVs were packed together with barely space to walk between them. We
found ourselves puzzled as to why anyone should choose these over the
fresh air and freedom of the publicly owned campgrounds. Their only
advantage that we could see was their hookups, although even for the
three nights we spent at Yosemite we felt no need for these. We did run
the generator for an hour or so just to keep the battery topped up, but
I was reluctant to disturb the tranquil atmosphere with it unless
absolutely necessary.
We were so pleased that we'd been able to stay in the Park itself, as driving in every day would have been a real ordeal even in a car, let alone a 25-foot motor home. But, as the witching hour of noon arrived, we reluctantly rolled out onto Highway 41 south. A stop at Tunnel View was of course essential, and I can understand those who recommend this as the way into the Valley. The view is so dramatic, although perhaps hackneyed by being reproduced so often.
We paused briefly at the southern edge of the
Park to visit Mariposa Grove and the giant sequoias. These were indeed
giant and impressive, but neither of us felt any particular connection
to them, and were if anything faintly disappointed. We had much
preferred the mixed woodland we'd seen in Yosemite Valley itself.
Then continuing onto Hwy 41 south. There were Forest Service campgrounds indicated on our map at Bass Lake, so we took that option, choosing a lovely spacious campground at Lupine - Cedar Bluff. Our site had a great view out across the lake.
We fell asleep to the sound of light rain.
In the afternoon we walked along the lakeshore and watched anglers setting themselves up for the big fishing contest to be held over the weekend. Then it started to rain, at first light but increasingly heavy. We retired inside the motorhome to read and listen to music, sympathising with the family on the next site struggling with their tents and tarpaulins. We'd been there many times in the past ourselves.
As the rain grew heavier, I noticed a dripping sound. Looking to see what it was, I was horrified to see water running down the curtains inside the RV. Further investigation showed that this was only the first sign of a leak along the whole rear of the side / roof joint. Fortunately we'd spotted it early enough to avoid soaking our bedding. There was no cellphone reception on the campground so we drove down to the ranger station where we could contact Cruise America's helpline. They were sympathetic but could offer no immediate help, as all the depots were closed. We returned to the campsite and spent a rather uncomfortable night in the over-cab bed listening to the drumming of rain on the roof and the steady drip-drip onto the mattress at the rear.
The regulation evening glasses of red wine helped to dull the pain.
On arrival at the depot (shared with a truck rental company), we had to wait a short time while the (only) member of staff dealt with someone renting a truck who wanted every single item demonstrated. However, soon we were able to make the changeover. The delay allowed me to examine the side / roof joint on the RV we were turning in, albeit only from the kerbside. It was clear that at some time a botched repair had been made - including at one point a length of garden hose stuck on with mastic! A fault as major as this could not have been missed in any reasonable inspection. I took photographs in case of any dispute.
Not having learnt our lesson, and being impatient to set off, we didn't check this vehicle over carefully either. It did seem in generally better condition and less tired than the first one, but a number of minor faults did appear over the following days - ranging from an inoperative radio to a cupboard door catch which wouldn't stay closed. None of these caused us any real problem, but again a sign of poor preparation. Given that were renting at a relatively quiet period (borne out by the number of RVs sitting idle when we picked ours up at SF), I would be very careful if I was renting again from Cruise America. Having said that, an hour or so checking it out ourselves would have identified most of the faults. And as I say, it was cheap……
Anyway, we were soon back out on the road and heading south. 30 miles or so of the (again) bumpy I99 was enough so we left this at Visalia and headed for the hills and Lake Kaweah, where another campground was shown on our map. This was another lovely place, although as it was Saturday night was very busy and the site we ended up with was not the best. It did have a great view across the lake though. We had our first attempt at using a fire ring and grill, which resulted in very tasty steak and grilled peppers, even if about an hour after their ETA. Copious refreshments made the wait worthwhile.
To bed, to recover from our adventures.
Electra fell in love with Lake Kaweah. There were so many wild flowers, chipmunks and ground squirrels popping up from behind every rock, and birds of all descriptions. It would have been perfect apart from the person who had fitted a V8 with open exhausts to his small powerboat and insisted on blasting back and forth in front of the campground. I was quite pleased when it started spluttering and eventually stopped. Hopefully with a cylinder full of water….
Because it was so good we had a very leisurely
departure, indeed stopped for lunch at a layby overlooking the lake
only a mile after leaving the campground. Incidentally, we had a call
from the Cruise America helpline later in the day checking that
everything was OK, which was good.
We were now heading towards Death Valley, so were intending to skirt the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada. Lake Isabella looked like a good opportunity for a stop so we took Hwy 155 east from Delano. In retrospect, 178 from Bakersfield might have been a better option. 155 was certainly scenic, but was fairly hard work, with a series of hairpin bends near the summit that slowed us right down. Eventually we arrived at Lake Isabella. All the campgrounds on the west side of the lake were closed, so we ended up on the "lower slab" at Paradise Cove. This had a beautiful outlook across the lake but suffered from Hwy 178 passing just behind us - there was constant traffic which did detract a bit from the otherwise tranquil ambiance.
Ridgecrest itself was not very inspiring, but it is home to the Maturango Museum. This is an independent organisation, although supported by the NPS and others, and gives an excellent introduction to all aspects of Death Valley and surroundings. They had a huge stock of very informative leaflets which we took full advantage of, including one which identified all the points of interest on the route from Ridgecrest up through the Panamint Valley. We recommend a visit.
So, armed with all this vital information, and after filling up with petrol and checking our water supplies, we set off into the unknown up the Panamint Valley. Although we didn't stop, Trona looked like quite an interesting little place, with a lot going on - we'd expected just a drab company town. As we crossed the Argus Range and dropped into Panamint Valley, the scenery became quite other-worldly, with the dry lake in front of us and strange colours in the rocks.
We'd identified Panamint Springs as the best
option for an overnight stay as we'd thought the campgrounds actually
in Death Valley would be a bit too much - daytime temperatures were
currently 110 Fahrenheit. So we rolled in and selected our spot, with a
good view. We were one of only a handful of vehicles on the campground.
Our baggage was still slightly damp after the leakage episode, so we spread them out on the picnic table next to the site to complete drying. After an hour or so, as we walked back from a refreshing beer in the bar, an extremely unpleasant man drove up and told us to move them as it wasn't our table (it was the only one adjacent to our site, and there was no-one else in the adjoining sites). We were rather shocked but did as asked.
This was the only real rudeness we had encountered. It's maybe significant it was also the only non-publicly owned campground we stayed at.
Anyway, after commenting on this strange attitude, we fell asleep.
Stopped at Stovepipe Wells to buy our tickets and
check the temperature - 109 Fahrenheit (43C). Hot but bearable enough
as there was a slight breeze. I wouldn't want to stay out in it too
long though. We weren't too interested in Scotty's Castle or in going
to the lowest point in the USA, so just went as far as the Sand Dunes,
got out and walked across to the dunes and around them. Lots of
interesting desert plants, although we were too late in the year to see
many flowers. Little lizards were running around and doing that trick
of standing on alternate legs - you could feel why if you touched the
sand - blazing! I retreated to the RV for some shade and a/c while
Electra took dozens of plant photos.
We then left the valley and stopped for lunch at
a layby up in the Panamints, with a great view back down across
Stovepipe Wells and the dunes. It was amazing how many different
varieties of plants survived the very hostile conditions, and how
within a few metres there were so many tiny habitats.
Then we followed Hwy 190 westward. The views from Father Crowley Point down Rainbow Canyon and back to the Panamint Dunes were incredible. We then continued along 190 past Owens (dry) Lake (another fascinating sight) and stopped at the Interagency Visitors' Centre. This was another excellent resource, with helpful knowledgeable staff, interesting exhibits, especially about the water schemes, and a good bookshop. We picked up more informative leaflets and drove a couple of miles to Lake Diaz campground.
This was great - almost empty, and we found a
site on the lake's edge with views on one side across the lake to the
Inyo Mountains, and in the other direction to the Sierra Nevada fronted
by the Alabama Hills. Even though Hwy 395 was only a few hundred metres
away, the campground was very peaceful and we spent the evening
watching the white pelicans on the lake, the chipmunks on the ground,
and the changing colours of the mountains as the sun set behind Mount
Whitney.
We spent longer than anticipated in the museum so
pushed on up the Owens Valley, admiring the cinder cones to either side
of the road, to Bishop where we had a (very) late lunch - great
sandwiches from Erick Schat's Bakkery, and the first decent bread since
San Francisco! Sat in the quiet town park to eat them and watch the
birds and butterflies, then visited the Chamber of Commerce and Forest
Service visitor centres. Again, very informative with helpful staff.
We asked about local campgrounds and the ones in the Bishop Creek valley were recommended. This is a fairly steep climb out of Bishop, and the campgrounds were at around 7,000 feet. They were a little exposed, with few shady spots, so we decided against these and, looking at the map, selected Pleasant Valley back on the valley floor as a possibility. Unfortunately when we arrived there it looked rather like a scene from the Grapes of Wrath, with people "camping" in mattresses in the back of pick-ups. It was quite a sad sight and may have been a reflection of how the financial crisis is affecting people. It didn't take us long to reject this for a stop and to continue along Hwy 395.
This proved a good move as we came across the Tuff Forest Service campground which, although just off the main road, was tranquil and peaceful, with a beautiful creek running through it. We found a good site near the creek and with some shade and set up for the night.
These extra days spent on campsites were meaning that our original tentative route was going to be hard to achieve so we looked at the map and decided that Lava Beds NM, one of our initial targets, was probably rather further north than we would achieve, so decided to leave it out for this trip. I'm sure there'll be others.
A short detour to Mammoth Lakes to refuel caused us something of a problem when the RV managed to lock itself with the keys inside. We're convinced that this had been triggered from outside somehow as neither of us ever used the locking button inside the vehicle. Whatever had caused it, we managed to find a locksmith in Yellow Pages, and after a short wait he arrived and picked the lock in about 10 seconds. He also made us a spare key FOC just in case it happened again. I don't know why Cruise America don't provide a spare, as had we been in a more remote spot we could have been in trouble.
We were soon back on the road again and continued to Lee Vining. This is a charming little place which forms the eastern entrance to the Tioga Pass into Yosemite - still closed at this time. It's interesting that we were only about 40 miles or so from our Upper Pines Campground, but it had taken us several days travelling to make the trip. It would be good to return and traverse the Tioga, which looks as though it would be spectacular.
Niceley's restaurant in Lee Vining was well reviewed in the Moon Guide so we had lunch there - rather like being in a Norman Rockwell painting! The food was good and reasonably priced, and we took the opportunity to use the adjacent launderette and to stock up at the little grocery store. Then back on the road.
We didn't stop at Mono Lake but just viewed the tufa formations from the roadside - another future destination perhaps - as we'd decided to try to get to Bodie ghost town. This wasn't the most sensible decision, as we discovered that the last few miles to it were very rough unsurfaced roads, and after our experience in the Alabama Hills the RV would not have liked it at all. In any case, time was passing and we were approaching the park's closing time.
So we turned round and returned to Hwy 395. A few miles north we came to another campground nestling between the road and the Walker River. We did think it might be noisy, as we were only a few metres from the road, but in fact it was fine and we enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep. Even though it was Saturday night, the campground was lightly occupied and there was little traffic on the road.
The style of housing also seemed different. Whereas the towns we'd become used to in California were small and spread out by the roadside, the Nevada towns were much bigger and more obtrusive. We couldn't work out what all these people did for a living, as the only "industry" we could see from the road were car dealers, casinos and "resorts". Anyway, we were pleased to return to California where we were checked out by the CA Agriculture inspection station.
Passing Honey Lake (a dry lake, which probably got its name from its lovely colour, reminiscent of Cotswold stone), we arrived at Susantown. There were a number of FS campgrounds shown around Eagle Lake, a few miles north, so we decided to head for there for the night.
After a very convoluted road through the pine trees, we eventually arrived at the first campground. We spoke to the camp host, who said that the campgrounds weren't open yet - and it was more than his job was worth to let us stay! We did suggest that we could find a hidden corner and he could pretend he hadn't seen us but no dice.
We trundled along the road to the marina, where
we thought we may find someone more sympathetic - which indeed we did.
A very nice lady (who it turned out was the wife of the campground
concessionaire) said that as far as she was concerned she'd never seen
us, and as she was shortly leaving for the day it wasn't her problem if
we parked up for the night. So we found a quiet position in the car
park overlooking the lake and settled down to watch the white pelicans
gobbling the fish which were jumping around the harbour.
After an hour or so a pickup truck arrived driven by the campground concessionaire himself. At first glance, we would have nothing in common - he was an ex-marine with 21 years service including Iraq, had 40-odd guns in his house and believed in small (if any) government. Electra and I are both firmly on the left (in fact one reason we hadn't visited the USA in the last 10 years was its administration). And yet it emerged that our basic values were very similar and although the details of our solutions might be different, there was a lot we could agree on. We had a fascinating conversation for an hour or so. This was to be one of the most serene nights of the whole trip, and we had an excellent night's sleep.
This was one of our "must see" destinations, as
we're both very interested in geology and the huge forces shaping our
world. We did know that the main park road would be closed (another
reason for planning a future trip) but had been told in a email from
one of the rangers before we left the UK that the road would be open to
Sulphur Works. On arrival, we found that this was indeed the case,
although the car park had been carved out of snow drifts higher than
the RV.
As we stepped out of the vehicle the smell of sulphur was very strong and we could see curls of steam wafting across the road. Unfortunately, access to some of the mud pots had been blocked off as the ground was in a fragile state, but the one we could see bubbling furiously was very impressive. That. with the curls of steam issuing from the vents, and the lurid colours of the deposited sulphur, made the trip worth while. A walk of a mile or so up the road gave some impressive views and allowed us to see the remaining peaks of the volcano which had originally covered the site.
Afterwards we spent an hour or so in the excellent visitor centre and watched the very interesting film about the Park, before a night spent in the Visitor Centre car park.
The drive from Lassen saw the scenery changing dramatically, from snowbound peaks to lush valleys then the agriculture of the Central Valley. Interstate 5 took us south to Williams (again we noticed the poor state of the road surface in many stretches) before turning west to Clearlake and south to Calistoga. As we climbed to Clearlake, there were swathes of California poppies and other wild flowers beside the road - the first time we'd seen the vivid orange poppies in any number.
Calistoga had two camping opportunities - the fairground in the centre of town and the Bothe-Napa State Park. We chose the latter, which was a few miles south of the town and arrived ready for a cold beer or two. This was another superb spot, with well-spaced sites amongst the trees (plus lots of poison oak for the unwary - I now know "leaves of three, let them be" off by heart!).
Lunch was a very good steak & chips in the Hydro restaurant. Afterwards we did some shopping at Cal-Mart - we hadn't seen these before and were quite impressed. There was a cheese counter nearly as good as Waitrose!
We had a look at the Fairground RV park and were pleased we'd elected for the State Park as the Fairground was very open and exposed. It might be a good choice as an overnight stop though, as access was easy and it was only a short walk from the main street.
In the evening we burnt the remains of our
firewood in the fire ring and felt the holiday starting to draw to a
close.
One thing that was still confusing us was the reservation system for the State Parks. Apparently, it's possible to reserve only 48 hours or more before you arrive. This could have caused us problems if we'd been travelling at a more popular time, as we rarely knew where we'd be stopping for the night when we set off in the morning. The ranger at Bothe-Napa did try to explain the rationale, but I felt he was as confused as we were.
The drive down to Napa was pleasant, passing the vineyards on both sides. But the traffic was heavy and intensified as we crossed Grizzly Bay, so we were pleased to eventually leave the freeway and head up into the hills.
We hadn't expected very much from Anthony Chabot,
as it was selected on the basis of location rather than any other
criteria, but it was a really nice spot - up in the hills, with the
campground itself surrounded by tall eucalyptus trees. We gathered from
the informative leaflet that the originals were planted at the time the
park was created around 1910. The sites were well separated but it
wasn't crowded anyway. A busy afternoon packing and tidying everything
away before relaxing over a final glass or two of California's finest.
A "taxi" arrived ten minutes after ringing for it. No meter, no stickers on the side and a driver who was frankly quite terrifying. And charged us $90 to get to SFO! We had considered sharing a shuttle with another family but they were headed into the city, and would have spent ages getting to their hotel. It would have been $60 even for this option.
Anyway, arrived at the airport in one piece and got into the surprisingly long queue for check-in. I was slightly concerned that we would have lost our pre-allocated seats, not having had the opportunity to check in online, but there was no problem. Then a couple of hours to kill before embarkation - a final SF Chronicle helped to pass the time.
When we eventually boarded the 747, we realised why the check-in queue had been so long - the plane was virtually full. Even the seat between us had been taken - I did feel a bit sorry for the chap in there because of the restricted leg room. We took off on time and were soon high above the Sierra Nevada.
A welcome meal and glass of Vin de Pays soon arrived, and we settled down to endure the flight. It was made more entertaining by trying to watch Fellini's "Dolce Vita" in Italian with French subtitles. My French wasn't quite up to the task however, so I reverted to "Brassed Off", one of my favourites, whose French subtitles were quite educational. I now know the colloquial French for blackleg and flugelhorn (tuba for some reason)!
Eventually we arrived at Charles de Gaulle, feeling very tired and disoriented. We had a couple of hours before our connecting flight to Birmingham, so Electra managed to sleep whilst I had some overpriced and underflavoured pizza. I really think the airport authorities should insist on a better standard.
A short hop back to Birmingham saw us in the baggage hall waiting for our luggage which duly emerged on the carousel after a short wait. However - no luggage trolleys at all. I managed to find a member of staff (not easy) who told me that the system had been changed from having 2,000 trolleys which were free to use, to one with 500 trolleys which cost £1 each. And, surprisingly enough, they were always running out….. He very helpfully found us a couple and minutes later we were in a taxi on the way home. £25 for a proper black cab was a huge improvement on the SF costs….
Cruise America did offer us an excellent deal - working out at around $1800 for 3 weeks fully inclusive, much cheaper than competitors. But that is no excuse for poor preparation, and definitely not for the water leakage incident.
I have emailed them and received a holding response. We will see what transpires.
Don't be too ambitious with distances
Our draft route was definitely too far. However, it was designed so
that we visited the places we wanted to see early, and allowed for
shortcuts and omissions, and often staying 2 nights rather than one.
And of course gives us an excuse to come back. Hasta la vista……… (and véale pronto).
Don't fly at weekends
Our outward trip (on a Wednesday) was great. However, the return, with
an absolutely full aircraft, was much less so. I believe that was
because we flew back on a Saturday and, in future, would always look
for mid-week flights.
Benchmark Maps California road &
recreation atlas
- excellent maps going down to 5 miles to the inch, and larger scale
maps of urban areas. Also, they show all the National and State Park
and Forest Service campgrounds. We would have been (literally) lost
without them. Bought from Amazon before leaving.
MS Mappoint Trial
A 60-day downloadable free trial (Streets & Trips is also
available). This was vital, together with a laptop and Etrex GPS unit,
in finding the Cruise America depot in Clovis. I also used it before
the trip, installed on my desktop machine, for roughing out possible
routes and estimating distances.
Of course, this is of most value to those visiting the USA from overseas.
Moon Guide to California
by Kim Weir. We'd used Moon Guides on previous trips to the USA and
found them excellent. The level of detail is far better than Rough
Guide and Lonely Planet. Again from Amazon.
Nationwide Flexaccount Debit Card
(UK readers only). Interbank exchange rate, no overseas loading, no
charges for ATM use, managed through Internet. Used to withdraw cash
and sometimes for purchases. Far better than carrying wads of cash
around, but beware - US ATMs always charge a flat fee, generally $2. It
was best to draw $250 - $300 rather than smaller amounts.
Abbey Zero Credit Card
(UK readers only). Interbank exchange rate, no overseas loading, no
interest on overseas transactions as long as fully paid off, managed
through Internet. Excellent for everyday expenses.
AT&T US SIM card
Bought from ebay UK and used in a cheap tri-band mobile (cell) phone
also from Ebay. Saved those horrific roaming charges, and was
invaluable when phoning the UK and the RV helpline.
Google street view
Gave a good impression of how some places looked so that we could check
them out before we arrived.
RVParkReviews
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/: Good reviews of all types of campground
/ RV park.. I downloaded these and hacked them about so we could access
them without Internet access (quite hard to come by in some areas).