Travels of Rob and Cat: May 2024

JANUARY 2022

RZR and Jeeping in Pahrump and through the snow:

FEBRUARY 2022

KING OF THE HAMMERS; Landers, California

Marc, Teresa, Bruce, Debbie, Rob and I with our three RVs and three RZRs and the Jeep.

Richard and Darlene came out to Pahrump for a visit and so of course we had to take the Jeep and RZR out for a run through Death Valley. We checked out some mines and screamed across the dry lake.

A couple days later we joined Marc and Teresa, Linda and Bob; Ted and Helyne; Kiki & Brian in Amargosa Valley; Ash Meadows at Long Street Casino and RV park. There we celebrated Big Ted’s birthday, Valentine’s Day and the Super Bowl.

Later Don, Linda, Rob and I went on a jeep run thru Tie Rod Canyon

MARCH 2022

Bruce, Debbie, Rob and I did a fun mountain bike ride in Blue Diamond. Afterward we had lunch and played with a couple wild donkeys.

On my Birthday Rob and I went to dinner and then went to the Cheese factory for dessert. It was yummy

APRIL 2022

Land Sailing on the Dry Lake Bed outside Pahrump.

We went back to Moab for Jeep Safari week, Such an amazingly fun time;

Poor Bella tore off her du claw. She apparently got it caught on the seatbelt.

Later in the month we joined many of our friends from the Ranch at Jackson Rancheria Casino and RV Park. It is a lovely place. Sally Dunbar and Darlene have worked hard on our itinerary and we were busy, busy busy.

We decided we wanted to buy a boat and do the great loop on the East coast. We figured it would be a while before we would be able to go to the East coast so I wanted to get a boat now, here on the West Coast and learn about boating. so, we started looking for a boat.

We went up to Anacortes, WA to check out a boat show and attend a couple Great loop events.

Nothing for us there naturally,

So, we started looking down in Southern, Calif

JUNE 2022

We found our boat in Newport, Calif. It is a Meridian 490 Pilot House. It has twin Cummins engines; three State rooms, two heads, a comfortable salon and galley and a fly bridge as well as the Pilot house.

FLY BRIDGE

BACK OF FLY BRIDGE WITH DINGHY

COCKPIT

SALON

MAIN STATEROOM

Next was getting a surveyor and mechanic to do sea trials and check everything out.

Out of the water for bottom, Zincs, propeller, etc inspections

All in all its in pretty good shape so we went ahead with the purchase of it.

JULY 2022

Once we purchased the boat we had to hire a training captain to train us on how to use the boat. To begin with we needed to move the boat from New Port to our slip in Cabrillo Way Marina in San Pedro.

Introducing Chris Kehrli Training Captain Extraordinaire!

So the first thing I did was re cover all the seats up in the fly bridge as well as the cushion on the seat up on the bow. They turned out pretty nice if I may say so myself.

There is a building next to the Maria which is like a ware house, but it is all set up with booths where people can sell their wares. I found a couple items that I simply could not live without.

AUGUST 2022

Rob , Bella and I decided to join an organized group of UTVs and do the Rubicon Trail. It was to be a three day event. First day do the first half of the trail then camp at this beautiful meadow where they provided dinner and entertainment and had a bar. In the morning they provided us with a yummy hot breakfast and a sack lunch and we were to do the second half of the trail, plus an off shoot trail then return to the camp for the night for another dinner and entertainment. Then on the third day return to the beginning of the trail.

Well, things didn’t quite go as planned. It started out awesome.

Everything was going as smoothly as can be expected on the crazy Rockie Rubicon…

But then…I broke my left front axel. The cool thing is that they have a maintenance crew there. They took my broken axel off and were going to replace it, but unfortunately the axel they had was for a Turbo RZR and mine is not. So, they ended up just removing the broken axel. That took me from 4 wheel down to 2 wheel.

We were able to make it to the Camp ground. We set up our tent and got it all ready for bed and then went off to the meadow to join everyone else. They had a bar set up; games a yummy Bar B Q and then live music. It was a fun evening.

The next morning we had breakfast with the group. It was really good. It was decided last night that we would not be able to continue with the group. Today they were going to go to the end of the trail, then go off on another trail and then back to the camp ground. Tomorrow they will go from the campground back to the beginning of the trail. There is no way we would be able to do that with only 2 wheel drive.

So, they provided a guide for us to follow, to ensure we made it to the end of the trail which finished in South Lake Tahoe.

Now we have a problem. We are in South Lake Tahoe. Our RV and truck are in Ice house and our Jeep and trailer are at the trail head. My RZR is not street legal in California. We cannot drive it back to Ice House. Instead we made arrangements to leave it in the parking lot in Tacoma Meadows Cottages. We started walking some until we had a decent cell signal and then called an UBER. Did I mention that poor little Bella was with us for all this?

We got picked up by a Tesla Uber. First time I’d ever been in a Tesla. It was really a nice ride and the driver was really friendly. It was an hour drive and cost us $100. He took us to Ice House where we picked up the truck and then went to pick up the jeep that had the trailer attached to it. Rob drove the Jeep back to Tacoma while Bella and I hung out in the RV. He loaded up the RZR and returned to the Ice House camp ground. Crazy weekend.

The rest of August we spent on and off the boat. We but some fun things for the boat and had a boat, candles, coasters, dishes,

And an awesome bed for Bella. It has an attached blanket that she loves to get under and when we are under way we put her in this bed and cover her up and she is not scared.

We had a boat warming party and our friend Cindy Osterhout made us some super cool glasses with our boat’s name “Serendipity” on them.

August 13th we went out in our boat with Cesar (our amazing mechanic). The shaft seals, which had been replaced prior to us purchasing the boat was spraying water like crazy. Cesar brought a couple buddies with him. We went out in the wind and the waves and then we pulled up to a dock. They re- aligned the shafts and they stopped spraying and stopped leaking. Yippee!

SEPTEMBER

We took the RV up to Oceana. We stayed at the Oceana Elks lodge. Why you ask? Because I had my left knee replaced. I had it replaced in Arroyo Grande with Dr. Farro who perfected the Nano procedure. It is less invasive than regular replacement and has a faster and easier rehab.

I had a the surgery September 7th I walked out the same day with a brace and using a walker. We were given a discount at the local hotel for two nights for those having the nano process.

I felt great when I was getting ready to leave the surgical center, but they gave me a pain med in the IV before leaving and by the time we got to the hotel I was feeling woozy and no pain.

Ro9b was so sweet; when he picked me up from the hospital he had a lovely bouquet of flowers in the vehicle for me.

The next day we went to our friend Darrell and Sally’s home. Richard and Darlene were there as well. They came up because of my surgery. Part of my procedure is two weeks of in home nursing care as well as two weeks of physical therapy. The nurse came to their house to change my initial dressing. The surgeon glued the incision shut and put a mesh dressing over the top. Interesting how he drew on my knee where he was going to make the incision prior to the surgery.

I was surprised that the knee it self didn’t hurt, but OMG trying to lift my leg caused a ton of pain to the muscles above the knee. I was also quite surprised at how black and blue I was. From half way up my thigh all the way down to my ankle.

We spent a week in Oceana and then spent the second week at the Santa Maria Elks. I went through all my home nursing and physical therapy and was cleared to go on with my life.

The bruising remained for quite some time, all the way up and down my leg. But….

The x-rays of the knee sure look good. Only problem now is that I can no longer go through the regular metal detectors at the airports. I have to go through the full x-ray machine and then they have to I use the wand.

OCTOBER

I made a very cool wall hanging quilt for Halloween. It actually glows in the dark. It was really fun making it and I am pleased with how it turned out.

October 5 - 9th we took the Boat to Catalina. Marc and Teresa came with us. It was Buccaneer Days which was so fun. Everyone was dressed up like pirates or wenches. It was a blast.

Serendipity from above with all our toys out

October 14-16

I decided I needed to redo my craft/sewing room. I took out the coffee table and couch and ordered some new cabinetry and book shelves. And guess what…..I had to put them all together. No problem, I’m a master builder.

The beginning!….

I also put together two book shelves and got a wonderful expandable table that I can raise and lower to what ever height I need. It’s awesome for doing finger knitting or to stand up and cut fabric.

To celebrate its completion we invited Bruce, Debbie, Marc and Teresa over for Paella. That’s always fun and this batch was especially good.

Later we went back out to our boat; but first I went shopping with Darlene and couldn’t resist the black which cat. Rob thought it was creepy!

And who can resist a beautiful marina sunset!

Sadly; our friend Adam passed away while snorkeling with “Da Boys” in Hawaii. His celebration of life was on his Birthday in November in the Bay Area. Naturally we wanted to attend so we headed up via Tahoe…

Unfortunately due to snow, the fact that we were in the Lexus with no chains and finally the closure of one of the passes, we had to divert. We bought chains, spent the night near Garnerville.