Tuesday, December 19, 2023
This morning started out cloudy at 57 degrees, but would reach 72 degrees by the afternoon.
Around 10:45 a.m., we drove into Alpine, California and went to Albertson's for groceries. After that we stopped for lunch at the Panda Express, where we each had a two entrée plate. We then drove back home arriving at 1:20 p.m.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
The sun shone brightly today and the temperature was 47 degrees in the morning. By afternoon, the temperature would reach 70 degrees.
Today, we took off at 8:50 a.m. for a road-trip to several casinos. The mountain scenery was spectacular along our drive and at one time we almost reached 5,000 feet above sea level.
We traveled along CA Hwy 79 North. We are now 6 miles from Julian, California, and 13 miles from Santa Ysabel, California.
Julian is located in the beautiful Cuyamaca mountains. Julian is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California, with a population of 1,768. The town is known for its apple pie and its annual Julian Apple Days Festival, which began in 1949. The first European settlers to arrive in this area were "Cockney Bill" Williams from England and John Wesley Horrell, who both arrived in the area in 1850 or 1851.
(Shown above is Drue Bailey, who was born at Dalton, Georgia on May 31, 1844.)
Many confederated veterans from Georgia headed West to seek their fortunes in a new, mostly unsettled land. Among these were cousins, Drue Bailey and Mike Julian, who were passing through the region from San Bernardino en route to Arizona in 1869, in the wake of the American Civil War. Taken by the beauty of the Julian area with a lush meadow between the Volcan Mountains and the Cuyamacas, Drury Bailey interrupted the group’s travel plans and chose instead to settle here. He also chose to name the settlement “Julian” in honor of Mike Julian, who later was elected San Diego County Assessor.
(Shown above is the Wilcox Building in Julian served as a general store, post office, and stage coach stop, ca 1885.)
After the American Civil War in 1869, a cattleman and former slave, crossed over what is now known as Coleman Creek just west of Julian. After seeing a glint of gold in the stream bed, Fred Coleman climbed down from his horse to investigate. Having had previous experience in the gold fields, he retrieved his frying pan and began panning the sands of the creek. He found the first fleck of gold in the creek in early 1870. Soon thereafter, Coleman established the Coleman Mining District. Learning of the find, others rushed to the district and tried to trace the gold to its source. On February 22, 1870, the first "lode", or hard rock mining claim was filed in the Julian area.
(After Fred Coleman discovered gold, many prospectors came to Julian to work in the mines.)
Soon hundreds of anxious men and families rushed to Julian to stake their claims. Julian experienced a gold rush and became a tent city overnight. In April 1870, the area's first sawmill was set up and Julian began to take on a more permanent structure. Attempts to build rival mining towns at Coleman City, Branson City and Eastwood were defeated. Owners of the Cuyamaca rancho Land Grant claimed the Cuyamaca Land, Julian, and its mines were within the Rancho boundaries. In 1873, the courts ruled that the Rancho did not include Julian and the mines.
It was San Diego’s first and only gold rush. The gold rush was short lived, lasting from 1870 until around 1900, with some mining still later on. The pioneers stayed and began farming the rich land. While the miners tried to wrestle the gold from deep within the earth, James Madison brought a wagon load of young apple trees into the mountains. While many crops were planted and animals pastured, Julian proved to be a fine place to grow apples with the fruit trees flourishing in the clear, fresh air.
The plaque shown below told us about Julian in March of 1870. Following the discovery of gold nearby during the winter of 1869-70, this valley became the commercial and social center of a thriving mining district. Ex-Confederate soldier Drury D. Batley laid out the town on his farmland and named it for his cousin and fellow native of Georgia, Michael S. Julian. By 1906 most mines were unprofitable. Since then the area has become more famous for the variety and quality of its apple crop.
We have now entered Santa Ysabel, an unincorporated community in the Santa Ysabel Valley of eastern San Diego County, in southern California.
The 1818 Santa Ysabel Asistencia is located here, a Spanish mission asistencia (sub-mission) of Mission San Diego de Alcalá. The town site is within the former Rancho Santa Ysabel, an 1844 Mexican land grant to José Joaquín Ortega and Eduardo Stokes. In 1878, what began as the town of Santa Ysabel began with a store owned by C. R. Wellington, and grew to include a hotel and a blacksmith. By June 26, 1889, it had acquired its own post office.
Lake Henshaw is now 11 miles away.
Lake Henshaw is now 4 miles away, and we are now entering the Mesa Grande Indian Reservation.
Above and below is the beautiful Lake Henshaw. Lake Henshaw is a reservoir in San Diego County, California at the southeast base of Palomar Mountain, approximately 70 miles northeast of San Diego, California and 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
The lake covers approximately 1,140 acres and holds 55,000 acre-feet of water when full. It drains an area of 207 square miles at the source of the San Luis Rey River. The lake was constructed in 1923 with the building of Henshaw Dam, an earth dam 123 feet tall and 650 feet long.
Pauma Valley is now 17 miles away.
Pauma Valley is now 14 miles away.
Our first stop of the day was to get gas at the La Jolla Trading Post in Pauma Valley, California.
The La Jolla Indian Reservation was established by the President Ulysses S. Grant on December 27, 1875. However, the Payómkawichum (Luiseño People) have a history in this area that stretches far beyond that date. The La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, one of the six federally recognized Luiseño Tribes in Southern California, have always been a strong, resilient, and resourceful people.
In the early 1930s, the Tribe established the La Jolla Indian Campground. The La Jolla Indian Reservation spans nearly 10,000 acres located at the base of Palomar Mountain in Northern San Diego County, California. Much of the land remains undisturbed wilderness, teeming with native plants such as Sage, Chia, berries, oak trees, and game like deer and rabbit. These traditional food sources continue to be consumed by tribal members to this day.
Established in 1995, La Jolla Indian Trading Post has grown from a simple trading post to a fully-equipped convenience store and gas station.
Now Pauma Valley is just 7 miles away.
We have just arrived in Pauma Valley, California, which has a population of 876 and an elevation of 840 feet. Pauma Valley, (in Luiseño means "place where there is water"), is a geographic valley and unincorporated community between Valley Center and Palomar Mountain in San Diego County, California. The name also refers to the agricultural region comprising citrus and avocado groves, and the location of several Indian Reservations, and tribal casinos.
California Route 76 crosses the length of the Pauma Valley and through the community of Pauma Valley, on its route between the coast in Oceanside and California Route 79 near Warner Springs. The valley is at the western base of the Palomar Mountains. The headquarters of the Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians and La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians are located in Pauma Valley.
Pala, Calirfornia is now 9 miles away.
This area grows lots of citrus and right now we are driving through an orange grove.
We are just passing the turnoff for the Pauma Indian Rerservation.
We finally see the sign for our first casino stop of the day -- Casino Pauma in Pauma Valley, California.
The mountains ahead are beautiful.
We went inside Casino Pauma and signed up for the new player cards. Although they didn't give us any free play, they did give each of us $20 in free food comp.
As we walked inside, Casino Pauma we were greeted by a reindeer and Santa Claus (see above and below).
We walked around the casino for awhile and waited until it was around 11:00 a.m. so we could go eat at the Café Pauma located inside the casino.
Shown above is the Café Pauma, while shown below is the menu for bowls and burgers that we ordered from.
Mel decided to get a bowl of lobster bisque (see above) and a Blue Bison Burger -- which was a buffalo patty with blue cheese crumbles, spinach, tomato and onion marmalade on a brioche bun (see below) with sweet potato fries.
While I decided to get the Drunken Bull Burger -- which was a beef patty topped with swiss cheese, crispy prosciutto, sautéed mushrooms, carmelized onions, an a brioche bun with a cabernet demi glaze, and served with french fries (see above and below).
The food was delicious and to think we got all of it free by signing up for new player cards. Woohoo!
After lunch, we left the Casino Pauma and headed toward Pala, California.
We saw more orange trees along the way.
Pala is now 4 miles away.
We ran into a short area of road construction.
We just now entered the Pala Indian Reservation. The Pala Indian Reservation is located in the middle of San Luis Rey River Valley in northern San Diego County, California, east of the community of Fallbrook. Its members, the federally recognized tribe of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, are descended from both Cupeño and Luiseño peoples, who have shared territory since 1903. A total of five other federally recognized tribes of Luiseño are located in southern California and is the most populated reservation in San Diego County.
(Shown above is the Pala Band of Mission Indians reservation is located in northern San Diego County, on a 12,273-acre reservation, home to a majority of the 918 enrolled members – Cupeño and Luiseño Indians, who consider themselves to be one proud people — Pala.)
The reservation has a land area of 20.140 square miles and has reported an official resident population of 1,573 persons, about 44 percent of whom were of solely Native American heritage. The Pala Band of Mission Indians is governed by a six-member Executive Committee.
Pala is now 1 mile away, while Temecula is 11 miles away.
We are now beginning to see the Pala Casino ahead. The Pala Casino Spa is located in Pala on the Pala Indian Reservation northeast of San Diego, California. It is owned and operated by the Pala Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized tribe.
We went inside the Pala Casino and got signed up for new player cards. By signing up, we each got $20 of free play.
And before we left, Mel was a lucky winner and cashed out $16.53 in winnings, me not so lucky!
We are now on our way toward Valley View Casino in Valley Center, California. We have to backtrack somewhat on CA Hwy 76 to get to this casino as it is a little different direction.
We take the roundabout (traffic circle) toward Valley Center Road and Rincon, California.
We turn just after Rincon to the right on highway S6.
And as we approach a little section of road construction, we can see the Valley View Casino in the distance up on the hill.
We went inside Valley View Casino in Valley Center, California and signed up for new players cards. One of our main reasons for coming to this casino was that they were handing out free Christmas t-shirts each week of December.
Inside Vally View Casino, we were greeted by Santa Claus and a reindeer.
Valley View Casino had many exciting perks that we received when we signed up for San Diego’s most generous casino Players Club all with no strings attached!
So as you can see above, we got a lot of free stuff! In addition to the free Christmas t-shirt and the $10 in free play, we each also got a portable bluetooth speaker system. We each also got vouchers for $10 each at Sweets, $10 each at Stix or Snax, $10 each at the Corner Market. (See my vouchers below).
(Shown above is the two blue tooth speaker systems, as well as the Christmas t-shirts we got for free at the casino.)
(Shown below is the two pizzas we took home and only had to pay $4 each for a hand-tossed pizza -- The Works for Mel and Meat Lovers for me -- by using our $10 vouchers at Stix or Snax.)
(Shown below is the Italian sub and chips for Mel and the turkey wrap and chips for me that we took home and only had to pay $4 each for by using our $10 vouchers at the Corner Market.)
(Shown above is the peanut butter brownies that both Mel and I both took home as well as one chocolate chip cookie by using our $10 vouchers at the Sweet dining option at the casino.)
We are now heading back to the Oakzanita Springs Thousand Trails in Descanso, California. There are ominous dark clouds gathering overhead -- it looks like a big storm is approaching.
We are now almost back to Lake Henshaw.
A CAL Fire truck is ahead of us.
The sky sure looks spooky, almost eery ahead.
We got back to the campround around 5:00 p.m. after a casino road trip of 255 miles twisting and turning through the mountains.
*** A big storm did roll in and we had rain -- sometimes heavy rain -- off and on from the night of Wednesday, December 20 through Friday morning, December 22, 2023. Needless to say, we spent most of that time inside the RV.
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Happy Christmas Eve!
It is Christmas Eve today, and we spent the day around the campsite.
Mel was able to get a picture of the moon above the mountain on Christmas Eve (see above).
And one of my favorite things to do as a child on Christmas Eve was to read the poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas".
We want to wish a blessed Christmas Eve to all our relatives and friends!
Monday, December 25, 2023
Merry Christmas!
Today is Christmas Day and the sun is shining brightly at 41 degrees, which would reach 65 degrees in the afternoon.
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I want to tell you a little Christmas joke -- so here goes . . .
Question: WHY IS IT SO COLD AT CHRISTMAS TIME?
Answer: Because it is in DECEMBRRRRRR!
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Mel and I want to wish y'all a wonderful Christmas Day -- no matter where you may be.
We enjoyed our Christmas Day and dinner at our campsite in the Oakzanta Springs Thousand Trails campground in Descanso, California. We ate dinner at around 3:00 p.m.
Shown above is the prime rib all seasoned and on the grill, while below is the nicely browned prime rib rib ready to slice and serve.
Above is my glass of Aldi's in-house brand wine, Winking Owl Sweet Red.
Above is Mel's plate of medium rare prime rib and a baked potato, while below is my plate of the end-cut of prime rib medium well with a baked potato.
Mel is shown above putting the finishing touches of black pepper on his loaded baked potato.
Above is my plate of prime rib with my loaded baked potato all dressed up with sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onions.
Above are both our plates ready to eat -- simply delicious!!!
And after such a marvelous feast as that, we both agree with Santa that it's time for a rest.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from both of us!
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
It's the day after Christmas -- and everyone is chilling, right?
We all know that Santa sure has that day after Christmas feeling.
I found several poems about 'the day after Christmas' that I wanted to share with you (see below).
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So Frosty is having a bit of an after Christmas melt-down. In fact, he is feeling a little soft and squishy (see below).
And we all know how that feels. But cheer up as we still have another holiday coming right up -- in fact in less than a week, we will be wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
It was a beautiful sunny day starting out at 52 degrees. Around 12:10 p.m., we took off for a road trip to the Golden Acorn Casino & Travel Center in Campo, California.
Along the way, we continue to climb in elevation. We are now at the Crestwood Summit -- which is 4,181 feet above sea level. The Crestwood Summit is a highway pass through the Cuyamaca Mountains of southeastern San Diego County, California, traversed by Interstate 8. It is the highest point on Interstate 8.
The highway summit was named after Crestwood Road that runs north from Old Highway 80 and underneath I-8. It continues past the end of the county road into the Indian reservation. The reservation of the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians occupies the summit, and the band maintained the La Posta casino at the summit until its closure in 2012.
That casino has been replaced by the "Golden Acorn Casino" supervised by the Campo Band of Diegueño Mission Indians, also known as the Campo Kumeyaay Nation, a federally recognized tribe of Kumeyaay people on the Campo Indian Reservation.
We turn off the Interstate at Crestwood Road and the Golden Acorn Casino is just ahead.
We have arrived at the Golden Acorn Casino in Campo, California.
We went inside the casino and got signed up for new player cards. We each got $10 in free play.
As we walked into the Golden Acron Casino, Santa greeted us.
My $10 in free play was gone quickly, but Mel seems to be having a little more luck -- or at least the slot machine he is playing on is letting him play on for awhile. However, it finally got the best of him -- and took away all his winnings.
The real reason we came today to the Golden Acorn Casino was for its $9.99 Prime Rib special. It is served fresh every day of the week at the Golden Grill, but you must have a players card and dine-in to get the $9.99 Prime Rib price. It also comes with two sides.
Mel got a dinner salad for one of his sides, while I got a cup of chicken noddle soup (see above picture).
Above is the sauteed jalapenos and onions (chiles toreados) appetizer that Mel ordered. it is simply deep-fried jalapeño or serrano peppers, served in a bed of grilled onions. And boy were they hot -- I took one bite, my eyes were watering and my mouth was on fire! Yikes! Needless to say, one bite is all it took for me -- I told Mel they were his to eat!
Above is Mel giving the thumbs up to his prime rib dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy -- and of course a beer.
Above is my prime rib (end cut piece) with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was good, but I think the prime rib we had for Christmas day was better!
Above is a beautiful pyracantha evergreen shrub outside the Golden Acorn Casino that is often used in landscaping. The shrub typically has plentiful orange-red berries and needle-like thorns. The berries have not been shown to be toxic to animals or humans, although swallowing large amounts might cause some mild stomach upset.
We had noticed some RVs parked out in the parking lot -- so we asked inside if it was ok to park there overnight, and they said it was. This might be a good place to park overnight with our RV and go inside the casino and eat sometime in the future, if we happen to be in this area again.
After we left the casino, we headed back and made one stop in Alpine, California.
Around 2:45 p.m., we stopped in at Mike Hess Company of Alpine. Mel gives it two thumbs up before we go inside.
Mel had a few craft beers, while I tried their craft root beer. It was pretty good, but I have had better.
Friday, December 29, 2023
Today we decided to go run errands in El Cajon, California. The sun was shining and it was 50 degrees when we left at 10:00 a.m.
We stopped at both Aldi's and Walmart for groceries, then we went to Taco Bell for the cravings box. We made a couple more stops -- at Tractor Supply for propane and at Albertsons for groceries -- before going home. We got home at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 31, 2023
Happy New Year's Eve!
Today is New Year's Eve -- December 31, 2023. New Year's Eve always comes with fanfare, but let's take a moment to reflect on the past year before ringing in the next one. This year was no different, but the date of New Year's Eve has a special meaning -- and it's worth taking note before we sing "Auld Lang Syne."
The last day of the year is marked by the date 12/31/23, or as written consecutively -- 123123. The date that New Year’s Eve falls on this year is quite rare, too. The last time the year ended with 123123 was in 1923. The next time it will happen is in another 100 years -- on December 31, 2123. Since a series of numbers only happens once in a century, it has significance in numerology.
So what does 123123 mean in numerology? Numerology is the study of numbers and their significance that dates back to ancient Greece. It's accompanied by the the belief that numbers carry certain energy and can impact our lives. The Farmer's Almanac cites the work of professional astrologer, Narayana Montúfar, who writes about the significance of 123123. To understand the meaning of this sequence, it helps to break down what each digit means in numerology:
*One -- is the very spark of initiation or new beginnings
* Two -- focuses on building harmony, balance and love
* Three -- is related to the concept of creation, creativity, and self-expression
When these three numbers are combined, they create a powerful force to make positive changes in our lives. You'll end up with 12 when you add up 123123. Twelve points indicates spiritual enlightenment, so this is a day you could experience epiphanies or "aha" moments -- or so says the Farmer's Almanac. Twelve is also associated with a tarot card often interpreted as a new perspective, similar to how we look at the New Year as a new beginning.
With its specific pattern, the number 123123 can be considered an angel number. Angel numbers are sequential numbers, like 111 or 222, and are thought to be messages from guardian angels or spiritual guides. Think of them as signs that you’re on the right path, or that you’re not alone on your journey.
But, why does it matter that 123123 falls on the last day of the year? When this date falls on New Year’s Eve, a date associated with making resolutions for future growth and change, and given the numerological significance, the spirit of new beginnings will be all the more potent. It's like the portal for new beginnings (123) and creation (123) is so important because it's being conveyed twice.
So let's toast in the new year as the clock ticks away! Hope you enjoy the poem below:
Mel and I wish all our friends and relatives peace and God's blessing in the new year!
So ring out the old, and ring in the new . . .
And here's hoping you can stay awake until midnight to ring in the New Year -- as we never seem to be able to do!
Monday, January 1, 2024
Happy New Year!
Another year has passed -- so happy new year, happy new year. May we all have a vision now and then, of a world where every neighbor is a friend!
What is the numerology behind 2024? Numerology, like astrology, functions on the plane of the personal and the collective. People have personal life path numbers, derived by reducing a person's birth date and birth year. 2024 will be an "eight year," since the digits add up to the number eight. Within numerology, eight is a powerful number associated with building, doing and creating. So, whatever you start on the last day of 2023, will have room to grow heading into 2024.
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We always have a tradition that we do on New Year's Day if we are home and not on a cruise. We make chili, all because uncle Kendall used to make chili on New Year's Day.
Mel has gathered up the cans of beans and tomatoes that he will put in the chili (see above). Shown below is the kettle with the ground beef cooking.
Shown above is Mel combining all the beans, tomatoes, onions and green peppers with the cooked ground beef. And below is the full kettle of chili simmering on the stove.
Shown below is the jalapeno poppers that Mel has prepared to put on the grill for an appetizer.
So I poured myself a glass of Stella Rosa Peach wine and enjoyed the jalapeno poppers. They were delicious! And then, we each enjoyed a hearty bowl of chili! Bon Appétit!!!
May the new year bring you exciting opportunities, endless possibilities, and the courage to chase your dreams. Happy New Year!
Shirley & Mel
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