This year we added a house/pet sitting gig to our San Diego layover. After a month at
Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve we headed for Hans' brothers driveway in Poway. While their family spent a week in Utah we enjoyed the perks of a big kitchen, good water pressure and large shower, free laundry and got to spend quality time with Bentley the sweet pit bull and Tabby the kitty who loves to be brushed more than any animal I've ever met.
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| Our home tucked away in a deep, peaceful cul de sac in Poway. |
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| Loads of room for the truck and trailer! |
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| Our morning view includes a flock of Nutmeg Mannikins and Mourning Doves by the dozens. |
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| Bentley is a happy boy and and so good on a leash! |
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| Tabby is a sucker for brushing and massages! |
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| Martin and Estella joined us for dinner and pool one evening. |
Our driveway docking coincided with Christmas and New Years so lots of partying was on the agenda...
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Dinner at Annie's with good friends.
Back to front: David, Hans, Lisa, Annie, Martin, Estella, Mary. |
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| Christmas Eve dinner with Hans' parents |
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Christmas day at Lisa's parents.
Kylie tries on her new dress up clothes while Brother Travis, Grandma Rebecca and Mom Crystal look on. |
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| Hans demonstrates how the tutu should be worn... |
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| Lisa's dad and Hans start the Christmas buffet line! |
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| And a belated Christmas dinner with Hans' family when they returned from their vacation. |
It wasn't all partying during our Poway stay. One day we did a short hike with Bentley at
Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve. This trail system is at the North end of the canyon we hiked from Santee Lakes.
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| Like most San Diego County canyons, Sycamore Canyon consists of rolling chaparral covered hills. |
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| Recent rains have brought out a lovely green palette to the landscape. |
We also enjoyed a walk and lunch at Del Mar with Hans' parents.
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| Hans, Turid and Fritz enjoy a perfect Southern California December day. |
Another day we dropped by our old neighborhood and thoroughly enjoyed the ramen and craft beer at
Underbelly in North Park.
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| Tasty vittles at Underbelly in a stylish, mostly outdoor, venue. |
2014 was a wonderful year on the road, and once again we spent it entirely in the West. We traveled just under 5,000 miles and landed in only six states, with a few one month stays and plenty of one week stays, allowing us to explore many places in depth.
Some of our favorite stops were our month near gorgeous Sedona, AZ in March,
slot canyons and other
natural wonders in Escalante, UT in April,
bubbling pits in Lassen Volcanic National Park, an
amazing bear sighting and
incredible beauty in NE Oregon, and visiting
Mt St Helens up close,
We'll be in San Diego for another month; tomorrow we give up our posh driveway docking site and move on to Mission Bay RV Resort. Beyond San Diego, 2015 promises lots of adventure and new-to-us sights...we hope you'll follow along with our travels!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our readers and friends we've made on the road!
Sounds like a great 10 days, can't beat San Diego! Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteYeah, despite being a big city, it's a beautiful city and you can't beat the weather!
DeleteLooks like great fun staying at the luxury "resort." All is about to change tomorrow:)
ReplyDeleteIt is always a good time to revisit your home area and see old friends. How nice to have both of your families here so you could spend the holidays:)
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!!
Yeah, virtual parking lot tomorrow! But at least you guys will be there!
DeleteGlad you liked Oregon! (But of course I'm partial) And Mt. St. Helens is one of my favorites places to hike. Happy travels in 2015.
ReplyDeleteI do believe OR is my favorite state...I can think of several towns I could easily live in.
DeleteWhat a wonderful little respite from tiny shower stalls and small kitchens. Happy New Year to you and Hans. We are hoping to finally get the chance to meet you this winter.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed our paths will cross this year!
DeleteLooks like you're having a great time. Look forward to see where your 2015 travels take you. Hope our paths will cross again. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteEven though we're spending over 2 months in San Diego, it's nice that we're hopping around to 3 different places during the stay...good variety!
DeleteTho your rig is quite big, it's nice to spread out once in a while. Six weeks home in Lovely Ouray and I'm about ready to get small again…trade in the big dawg house for a long leash and wheels :)
ReplyDeleteBox Canyon Mark…Happy New Year, Hans and Lisa!!!
Yep, there are certain things about a house I really enjoy: garbage disposals, washer/dryer, normal sized oven...
DeleteLooking forward to reading about your adventures!
I sure do miss those long hot showers. So always appreciate those rare opportunities. Hey, anytime they need a house/dog sitter we'll volunteer LOL. Not a bad gig. Looks like your holiday was filled with plenty of family, joy, and laughter - as it should be. Cheers to an adventure filled New Year :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ingrid! It certainly was a nice gig!
DeleteHappy New Year Hans and Lisa, and here's to more great adventures for 2015 which should include a met up somewhere! Cheers
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed we can make it happen!
DeleteI am glad you are moving on, because I don't want you and Hans to get so spoiled that you settle in, and I don't get to meet up with you again on the road! ;-) I think Hans' tutu is perfect for the next Tiki bar visit! And that picture of you and Tabby looks like "from one Cat Woman to another." LOL! Happy 2015!
ReplyDeleteRemember, where ever we land you we hope you will visit!
DeleteHans got a good laugh about your tutu/tiki comment!
Hans calls me the Cat Whisperer! Tabby took a bit of effort to win over...
What a lovely place to spend the holidays!
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed!
DeleteDid you get lost in all that space the first day? What a great opportunity to see so many family and friends - your smiles tell the story :-) I think Hans has the tutu right!
ReplyDeleteThe place felt cavernous!!! My favorite part was the huge yard!
DeleteWhat a beautiful place to spend the holidays and such a fun time with family! Great photo of Hans in his tutu hat. :-)
ReplyDeleteWishing you a year filled with many wonderful adventures -- hope we can meet up with you somewhere along the way!
That's a great picture of you two and Bentley. I'll bet both he and Tabby basked in your attention. Looks like very nice family time over the holidays and a win/win for both Hans and his brother in the driveway docking. Nice digs is right. We need to follow your lead on cutting our miles per year in half and staying longer in each place. We have a hard time finding places we like that will allow us to stay a month. Not much boondocking along the east coast unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI do miss the dishwasher. That's the one thing about a sticks and bricks that I wish we had. That was a great looking house sit! Safe travels in the new year.
ReplyDeletesounds like a good Christmas with family :) Have a great time in San Diego.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the early planning stages for a future in an RV. I enjoyed catching up with your blog and thank you for all the details you wrote about during the early year.
ReplyDeleteMark, thanks for reading the blog! Good luck with the planning and I hope you are able to realize your dream!
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