Santee Lakes, Santee, CA:  Spent the day at the San Diego Zoo today, which did not disappoint.  The habitats are clean and large.  The animals all look like they are shampooed and brushed every day.  The land the zoo sits on comprises three canyons.  Lots of up and down walking, but they have two areas where they have motorized walkways for the steep uphill areas.  And they have busses that are accessible in several areas.  Getting around was confusing sometimes.  We had a great lunch at Albert’s Restaurant high up in the park.  Started out cloudy this morning with temps in the 60s.  Cleared up for a while, but when we left it was even cloudier by the coast.  When we got back to Santee though, the clouds were gone, as if by magic.  All in all, the zoo was great, but the St. Louis Zoo runs a close second.  The San Diego Zoo costs $40 each.  The St. Louis Zoo is FREE.  Need I say more?

Topiary at the zoo entrance

Beautiful peacock

One of the pandas

Adorable koala

Elephant habitat

29 Palms Golf & RV Resort, 29 Palms, CA, to Santee Lakes, Santee, CA:  Left 29 Palms this morning at around 8:15.  I decided to drive, even though I was really nervous about going down Morongo Canyon again—especially with the fifth wheel in tow.  Luckily, we have an exhaust brake on the truck which, when turned on, keeps the speed wherever it was when turned on, without touching the brake.  So I just kept my speed down and the exhaust brake on and had no problem—even through all the twisty turns.  At the bottom of Morongo Canyon we took Interstate 10 west heading toward LA.  Interstate 10 was 4 lanes here in each direction.  Now we’re looking for Rt. 60 south. Unfortunately, the exit for Rt. 60 was on the left, so I had to go over three lanes to get to the exit—with a lot of traffic.  Made it okay and the short drive down Rt. 60 was so nice through the pretty rolling hills.  With real trees and greenness. And the temperature is in the mid-70s.  Things are definitely looking better.  On Rt. 60 for only about 20 miles and then we headed south on the 215.  I thought that would be multiple lanes each side, but it was only two or three lanes on each side.  No problem at all.  We’re seeing a lot of smog.  Hard to see some of the mountains because of the smog.  It’s really funny that California is so adamant about not smoking, and here’s all this smog everyone is breathing.  Such irony.  Anyway after I drove for about 2-1/2 hours and no sign of a rest area or truck stop, I pulled off 215 and we switched and pulled right back on.  Shortly after that we got on 15 south.  This was a three-laner on each side until Escondido.  South of that it blew out to 7 lanes each with about 4 express lanes in the middle of the south- and north-bound lanes.  So glad Mike was driving.  We exited 15 onto Rt. 52 east to Santee Lakes and breathed a sigh of relief.  A friend of ours from the Keys recommended this place to us.  She lives here most of the year.  It’s a pretty place with a chain of about 7 little lakes.  And we’re about 15 minutes from San Diego.  Heading there tomorrow.

Pretty desert flowers--Joshua Tree National Park

Cracked Rock--Joshua Tree National Park

Boulders of all shapes and sizes--Joshua Tree National Park

Our friend, Jo Cryder, with her dog, Suzie.  She's the one who recommended this great park for our stay in the San Diego area.  Thanks Jo!

29 Palms Golf & RV Resort, 29 Palms, CA:  Got an early start this morning and by 8:30 we were headed to Joshua Tree National Park.  What a beautiful place!  I can see how someone could fall in love with the desert.  The vastness and peacefulness gives it an almost spectral aura. The only sounds are the buzzing of the insects, the twittering of the birds, and the gentle breezes rustling the unusual vegetation.  The Joshua Trees are very unusual.  They're actually giant Yuccas. Started seeing them around Las Vegas.  The early Mormon pioneers gave them their name.  The limbs of this tree resembled the upstretched arms of Joshua beckoning them to the promised land.  I can’t imagine the Mormon pioneers coming across this vast desert either on foot or with wagons.  Hope they did it in the winter.   The park is huge and there are lots of places to explore—old mines, ranches, and a dam one of the cattle ranchers built to fill up a reservoir and water their cattle.  Plenty of places to hike, but it was way too hot and we didn’t have enough water with us.  Should have spent two days here.  Had an early dinner at the Carousel Café in 29 Palms.  Our waitress was really cute and friendly.  She used to be in the movie business in LA and was in several movies.  She was fun to talk to.  Came back and the fifth wheel was relatively cool.  It was 103 by now outside and 87 inside. Not too bad.  

The beautiful Joshua Trees

The cell towers in this area are disguised to look like palm trees.

Joshua Trees with a snow-capped peak in the distance.

Pretty flower--but poisonous

Desert bird

Huge granite boulders all over the park.

Cactus garden

Pretty desert flower

View from high point in the park.  Palm Springs off in the distance in a haze of smog, and  that gully-looking thing in the middle of the picture is the San Andreas Fault.

Arizona Charlie’s Casino & RV Park, Las Vegas, NV, to 29 Palms Golf & RV Resort, 29 Palms, CA:  Left Las Vegas shortly after 8:00 this morning.  Took 515 south through the urban sprawl of Las Vegas and Henderson which turned into 93/95 and then we headed south on 95.  Pretty good road until we crossed the California line and the road degraded some.  Just a two-lane road.  When we got to I40 we took it east and stopped and fueled up at a Shell station.  One of the guys there told us the shocks on the RV were bad.  So we had four new shocks put on.  Went across the road to a little restaurant and had lunch.  Walked back after lunch and they had just finished the job.  So, an hour and a half and $600 later we were back on I95 heading south.  Still just a two lane road with quite a lot of traffic.  We’re now in a much more mountainous terrain.  Arrived at 29 Palms and were set up by 3:30.  93 inside the fifth wheel which only came down one degree in an hour.  So, we decided to drive down to Palm Springs and check it out.  A pretty drive through Morongo Canyon.  Huge wind farms around Palm Springs.  I’ve never seen so many in one place.  Hundreds of these huge things.  Drove around Palm Springs for a while and then back to 29 Palms. 

In a high valley between two mountain ranges.  This ribbon of asphalt seems to go on into infinity.  No signs of life out here at all. Not even any road kill.  Not a good place to break down out in this searing heat and unrelenting sun.

Started seeing these odd trees again that we saw in the desert south of Las Vegas.  And, guess what?  They're Joshua Trees!  We're going to the Joshua Tree National Park tomorrow.

Part of the wind farm outside of Palm Springs.  The wind whipping through this valley was daunting, blowing sand across the road and pushing the truck around quite a bit.  Good place for a wind farm I guess.

Arizona Charlie’s Casino & RV Park, Las Vegas, NV:  Up early and back on the strip by 9:00 a.m.  It was fairly cool (90) and not too many people.  Probably because the bars aren’t open yet.  Guess they don’t open until 11:00 or so on Sunday.  Parked behind Excalibur and walked down to Luxor. Then took the tram back up to Excalibur and walked the rest of the way to Paris Casino.  Had lunch there at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, 200 feet up with a beautiful view of Las Vegas.  We started out with a champagne cocktail which consisted of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries soaked in vodka and then covered with icy champagne.  Served in a brandy-snifter-type glass.  Delicious!  For lunch I had parmesan encrusted chicken with vegetables and Mike had a lamb burger.  Then they served these pastry-type rolls which were delicious.  After lunch we walked back to New York New York and played some roulette.  Then back to our parking place and back home.  It’s so dry, my hair is all static.  I look like some scientific experiment or something. Only 99 today.  Tomorrow we leave for Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Paris Casino complex

Eiffel Tower in Paris Casino complex

View from the Eiffel Tower Restaurant--The Bellagio in the background

Ladies Room at the Eiffel Restaurant.  After that potent cocktail I could have taken a nap on that chaise lounge.

Luxor Casino

 

Sat, 6/11/11
Arizona Charlie’s Casino & RV Park, Las Vegas, NV:  Had a relaxing morning and then left for Caesar’s Palace at 4:00.  Did valet parking and picked up our tickets for the Celine Dion show at The Colosseum and then had dinner at The Palm restaurant at Caesar’s.  A great dinner—really expensive.  After dinner we walked around all the high end shops—Dior, Fendi, Cartier, etc.  We decided Caesar’s is very upscale.  Played some slots and then headed to the Colosseum at 7:15.  We had great seats and the show was wonderful.  What a performer! She was accompanied by a 31-piece orchestra.  And the Colosseum itself was beautiful.  After the show we played some more slots and then went home.  As usual, Mike won.  

Arizona Charlie’s Casino & RV Park, Las Vegas, NV:  Up this morning and quickly realized we had ants everywhere.  Discovered a few years ago that if you spray insects with Fantastic or 409 it kills them instantly.  And you clean at the same time. Cleaned up the worst of them and then headed to the grocery store to pick up some groceries and get some ant traps.  Came back, put everything away and set out the traps.  After lunch we headed down to Hoover Dam.  It’s now 102 out there.  About an hour drive from Las Vegas down to the dam.  Pretty impressive.  And the new bridge is finished, which is way high.  After walking around the different vantage points of the dam and the bridge, we headed back to Las Vegas.  It’s now only 100.  Back to our site and walked over to the casino right here in this park, had some dinner, and played some slots.  Ate in the fancy restaurant.  Had the best meal we’ve had since we got to Vegas.  I had surf and turf and Mike had steak Dianne.  Really good.  As usual I lost money at the slots.  Mike was having much better luck, so I walked back. It would be fun to win big—just once.

Lake Mead

Way high bridge on I93/I95--just opened

This bunker is high on the canyon wall overlooking the dam  and was used by sharpshooters during WWII to take out anyone on the dam that shouldn't be there.

High scalers that removed the loose rock on the canyon walls--high bridge in the background.