After the holidays, it became apparent that we needed to get back on the road. This year should be a bit different than our normal ramblings. In the last 3 years, we have had a goal each year and our path was molded to achieve that goal. We have a project, this year, that will be done is multiple pieces but no one goal.

We are planning on using our spring to look around at properties in other locales than California. We are looking at 3-4 places to potentially find somewhere to have a base for our continuing travels. We want to be close to family in California so Nevada and Washington are potentials.

However, before that, we are heading south to get in some warmer weather. We went to Bakersfield for the first week. Yes, the glamor of Bako. It was quite a bit warmer there also. The Bakersfield stop was strategic but we were able to at least wash the trailer:

When our daughter was 12 years old we got her a kitten as a pet. It was a small Siamese kitten, our daughter named her Jewels. Our daughter is now 30 and Jewels still survives. She has known Visalia as her ONLY home for her 18 years. She always loved our trailer and would roam around it when we were preparing for the next trip. She would hop in the truck and act like she wanted to go but we knew from short trips in town she did not like the truck when it was moving. As we pulled away, she would watch us drive away.

Hence the strategic Bakersfield trip. Roxie convinced me to take Jewels along with us. A week nearby would allow us to return her back to Visalia if needed. We got a good litter box for her and keep it in the shower. She did pretty well on the trip down, she crapped in her cat carrier but that can be attributed to nerves.

Where she really does good is inside the trailer. She is either on one of our laps or some other cubby or bed:

We even let her outside on her harness and leash. She doesn’t really walk the ways we want but her way.

With the trial in Bakersfield complete, we head down to Desert Hot Springs for even warmer weather. Jewels again had an issue in the truck, so we have to address that somehow. We got to our normal spot, Catalina Spa and RV park, but it was dark at the time. The spot we got had a depression running through it where some rains had runoff. We had to put quite a few blocks on the streetside and disconnected from the truck.

As soon as the trailer came off the ball it started to move! I was on the streetside and the tongue started moving toward me. I put my body against it to try to stop it, remember this trailer is about 9000 lb! The trailer tongue jack buried itself in the sand and stopped moving.

Swallowing my ego, we contacted the park management and they brought a floor jack. We got it back on the ball and looked at the issue. The trailer pivoted on the curbside wheels since they had wheel chocks between them. It actually rolled backward on the streetside about 3 feet where we had the blocks built up but I chocked the front as it looked like that was the low side. It wasn’t. Point learned. This time, and any future times, I will be chocking all sides of the wheels.

There was another interesting trailer issue that needed addressing in Desert Hot Springs. When we got to Bakersfield the trailer thermostat started reading 32° for the inside temperature. I was unsure if the sensor that was misbehaving was inside the thermostat or in the front Air Conditioning unit. Amazon to the rescue. I got a new thermostat but it turned out not helping. When we got to DHS, I got out the ladder and checked out the AC unit on the roof. A bit of cable jiggling and it started reading the correct temp. Yea!

We still have about a week here then we have to get back to the Sacramento area for the first part of February, but then who knows?