Route 395 to Bishop, CA via Mammoth Lake

Aloha Everyone,

From Carson City, NV, we entered back to California via Route 395. Sections of the 200 miles or so we drove today along the Sierra  Nevada mountains are designated as Scenic Route. Even an overcast day with occasional rain, the drive was beautiful.

At Lee Vining Vista Point, close to junction 120, a road to Yosemite National Park, we stopped to enjoy the view of Mono Lake. There were many stickers from different states and countries left by other travelers on the railing. J.J. added ours, "Live Aloha".

June Lake is one of the places my family used to come when I was a teenager. While mountains and oceans tend to remain the same, lakes and rivers, especially in California, have been emptied by thirsty Californians. Therefore I was relieved to see June Lake as blue and enchanting as I remembered. This town with a population of 613 seemed prosperous, but progress has not spoiled its small alpine village charm.

Mammoth Lake is known for winter skiing and snowboarding. Our lunch stop was at Perry's Italian Cafe. J.J.'s hamburger and my veggie sandwich served with tomato lentil soup were excellent.

After learning that two national parks' camping sites and a commercial RV site have no vacancies, we proceeded to the next major town, Bishop.

Highland RV Park has matured trees offering shade. The site is very pleasant.

After dinner, J.J. and I took a walk around the park and made two canine friends, Max and Ruth.

Aloha -- Cathi

Green Tea and Health Benefits

Aloha Everyone,

It's been hot since we arrived in Nevada. Today the daytime high was 93 degrees Fahrenheit and the high desert heat is dry. 

My favorite drink is chilled water with a slice of lemon. But when the weather is hot and dry, I prefer hot tea. Green or black leafy varieties, which requires a pot to steep to bring out the flavor, are the best.

Traveling in Honu, J.J. and I have to make some compromises. The green tea we drink comes in tea bags. A large box with 100 individual package purchased at Costco is surprisingly of high quality. It contains matcha (a finely ground powder form of green tea specially grown and processed). Matcha is better associated with Chano-yu, Japanese tea ceremony.

Green tea is said to be good for your health as its substances are linked to a lower risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. 

Enjoy a cup of green tea!

For articles on health benefits of green tea go to:

http://www.medicaldaily.com/go-green-6-surprising-health-benefits-green-tea-322422

Aloha -- Cathi

Helpful Service from AT&T and AAA

Aloha Everyone,

J.J. and I spent a productive two days at Gold Dust Casino Hotel & RV Park in Carson City, NV.

We were able to visit the retail store of AT&T and obtain an additional 1GB for our phone plan with no monthly fee increase.

We also joined AAA. We decided on the Premier Membership which will give us 200 miles of free towing service. A little complication as Honu is registered in South Dakota. Debbie Rose, Licensed Sales Associate, was very helpful and initiated a call to AAA South Dakota so J.J. could speak with a representative there to sign up. Thank you so much Debbie for your courtesy and helpfulness.

Finally, we caught up with all our laundry, and spent sometime working on our laptop including uploading my iPhone photos 

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We also shopped at Smith's Supermarket to stack up on fresh vegetables and fruits.

At 4,000 ft elevation, early evening to early morning temperature is pleasant but during the day Honu's AC is working overtime.

Last 3 photos are for Mary and Larry.

Aloha -- Cathi

Baby Boomers Drive an RV Revival

Aloha Everyone,

In today's Minneapolis Star Bulletin, J.J. read a catchy headline which said, "Luxury-loving baby boomers are driving an RV revival". "A new generation of retirees want to bask in nature, but not if it means sleeping on the ground."

J.J. and I have met so many interesting and amazing people who have their own stories as to why they are traveling in their RV. Not all are looking for a luxurious retirement, but all aspire to make each day count. See what is out there, meet new people and learn from their travel experiences.

The article goes on to say that, "RV industry has seen double-digit sales growth during the past 3 years. The skyrocketing sales are fueled by the 10,000 or so baby boomers who are turning 65 every day, plus a large band of fifty-somethings who are planning for an active or early retirement."

For us traveling with Honu puts excitement in our lives. Every day brings new adventure.  

To read the entire article, go to;

http://www.startribune.com/luxury-loving-baby-boomers-are-driving-an-rv-revival/318910171/

Aloha -- Cathi

Double Movie Date: Max and Spy

Aloha Everyone,

Century Theatres, located about 8 miles drive in the direction of Virginia City, is offering several movies we wanted to see.  Based on their show time, we chose MAX and Spy for our "double-movie" date.

MAX is a Belgian Malinois that was trained to assist US Marines in Afghanistan. The story is what happens to MAX when his handler is killed and he is returned to the USA. Good entertainment value and appropriate for the entire family.

SPY is a slapstick comedy about a CIA undercover agent played by Melissa McCarthy.  The premise of this atypical  undercover agent has merits. Over-all, the acting of the main characters was decent. However crude language used throughout the film was very uncomfortable for me. It is not a movie I recommend for children.

One movie that I am interested in seeing is the upcoming Peanuts movie!

Grand Sierra Resort RV Park is located a few miles away from downtown Reno along Truckee River Among many amenities available, the most interesting is Aqua Golf.  Golfers hit the ball aiming it to land on one of the floating platforms in Sierra Bay.

Rick, our neighbor, is from South Dakota. As fellow South Dakotan, we had a very pleasant conversation. With a mischievous smile, he told us that you can always tell South Dakotan men as "we are all tall and handsome."

Aloha -- Cathi

Claremont Hotel Venue for Richard's Birthday

Aloha Everyone,

Our friendship with the Yang family goes back to even before our respective children were born. During our children's early years, we found any excuse to get together.

J.J. and my favorite moment was when Dino on ukulele and his young daughter on violin played "Country Road" by John Denver. This was one of the songs Richard used to play often with his guitar. With audience singing along, I'm sure many of us were reminiscing our once upon a time days.

To celebrate Richard's special birthday, J.J. and I joined his immediate family members, relatives and close friends. We spent a very enjoyable evening sometime nostalgic moments with about 50 other guests ranging from three months young to a couple of Octogenarians.

The Claremont Hotel located at the foot of Claremont Canyon in the Berkeley Hills was a perfect venue for this auspicious gathering.  Opened in 1915, the initial approach to the hotel is beguiling. White and shimmering in the late afternoon sun light, the property appeared like a fairy tale castle.

After undergoing a turbulent period, the hotel was acquired by the Fairmont Group in March 2014. No photos of the historical and beautiful lobby area as it was closed for major renovations.

The party was a huge success with relatives and friends coming from all parts of the world and from many states around the country. Precious moments included songs for the grandfather by three of his six grandchildren, a speech by Angie, the elder daughter recounting how their parents met in Sydney, Australia followed by a song by his three children, Dino, Angie and Tricia.

Needless to say, the food served was wonderful. I was able to take a few shots of the desserts.

To avoid the SF Marathon, Kite Festival and Gilroy Garlic Festival, we took I-80 to Reno, Nevada. Grand Sierra Casino and RV Resort will be Honu's home for the next 2 nights.

Aloha -- Cathi