Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Today was our "campground move day" as we traveled from Soledad Canyon Thousand Trails in Acton, California to Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails in Menifee, California. We left around 8:43 a.m. to sunny skies and 45 degrees, which would reach a glorious 78 degrees by the afternoon.
We headed out on CA Hwy 14 North toward Palmdale, California.
We followed the Angeles Forest Highway and Pearblossom Highway turnoff.
The terrain is a little different now as we are seeing Joshua trees. The common name, Joshua tree, apparently comes from Christian iconography. It was first formally described in the botanical literature as Yucca brevifolia by George Engelmann in 1871 as part of the Geological Exploration of the 100th meridian.
The name "Joshua tree" is commonly said to have been given by a group of Mormon settlers crossing the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's role in guiding them through the desert combined with its unique shape reminded them of a biblical story in which Joshua keeps his hands reached out for an extended period of time to enable the Israelites in their conquest of Canaan. Further, the shaggy leaves may have provided the appearance of a beard.
Ranchers and miners who were contemporaneous with the Mormon immigrants used the trunks and branches as fencing and for fuel for ore-processing steam engines. Joshua trees are fast growers for a desert species; new seedlings may grow at an average rate of 3.0 inches per year in their first 10 years, then only about 1.5 inches per year. The trunk consists of thousands of small fibers and lacks annual growth rings, making determining the tree's age difficult. This tree has a top-heavy branch system, and a broad root system, with roots in one case found 36 feet from the nearest Joshua tree. If it survives the rigors of the desert, it can live for several hundred years. The tallest trees reach about 49 feet.
We then followed I-15 South toward San Bernardino.
San Bernardino is now 14 miles away and Riverside is 24 miles away.
We next followed I-215 South toward San Bernardino, California.
We are now in San Bernardino, a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city has a population of 222,101, making it the 18th-largest city in California. San Bernardino is the economic, cultural, and political hub of the San Bernardino Valley and the Inland Empire.
San Bernardino was named in 1810, when Spanish priest Francisco Dumetz led an expedition through the area. In 1839, the Mexican government granted Californio ranchero José del Carmen Lugo the right to settle the area, which was formalized when he was granted Rancho San Bernardino in 1842. Following the American Conquest of California, the community on the rancho incorporated as a city in 1854. The city grew significantly in the late 19th century as a commercial hub at the crossroads between Southern California and the American Southwest. Today, San Bernardino is an important hub for the Inland Empire and Southern California.
We continued on I-215 South.
We then followed I-215 South toward San Diego, California.
We must be close to an airport -- see the airplanes along the overhead barrier shown above.
Menifee is now 7 miles away.
Now Menifee is 5 miles away.
We are now in Menifee, a city in Riverside County, California, that is part of the Inland Empire. Named after a local miner, Luther Menifee Wilson, it was settled in the 19th century, and established as an independent city in 2008. Since then, Menifee has become one of the fastest growing cities in California and the United States.
The city is centrally located in Southern California in the Menifee Valley. It is almost 15 miles north of Temecula and just north of Murrieta. Menifee is roughly 46 square miles in size and has an elevation of 1,424 feet.
(Shown above is Luther Menifee Wilson.)
The area was originally inhabited by the Luiseño people, specifically the Pechanga band. In the 18th century, the area fell under Spanish rule and was ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1848 as a result of the Mexican–American War. Farming, which began in the mid-19th century, was concentrated in the Menifee area. Mining began in the early 1880s with the discovery of a significant quartz lode by miner Luther Menifee Wilson, from whom Menifee derived its name. Wilson discovered a gold-bearing quartz ledge near present day Holland and Murrieta roads in 1883, and filed a claim with the San Diego County Recorder’s office for this new “Menifee” mine. At the time, the area was referred to as the Menifee Valley.
We arrived at the Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails in Menifee, California at 11:00 a.m. Once we got to the check-in area, we were told we could not check-in until 12 noon, unless we wanted to pay a $30 early check-in fee. Not wanting to pay the $30 fee, we decided to drive back out and go to the Del Taco located on Newport Road in Menifee to get some lunch.
It's definitely not a "Taco Bell" in quality, so we were somewhat disappointed. After lunch, we drove back to the Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails to get checked in.
We got all set up on site #19 for three weeks (21 nights).
We have a beautiful site that backs up to the man-made canals or duck ponds.
After getting all set up, we drove back into town to O'Reilly Auto Parts to get some parts and to Ralph's to get some groceries. We spent the rest of the afternoon around the campsite.
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Today we ran errands. The morning started out sunny at 52 degrees, but in the afternoon it turned to rain -- lots of rain!
We left the camper at 9:00 a.m. and headed in to Menifee. Our first stop was at the Circle K to get gas. We next stopped at the Taco Bell for lunch. We then went to O'Reilly Auto Parts store for parts, and then we stopped at the Great Clips so I could get a much needed haircut.
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Today we hung around the campground. The day started out partly cloudy at 59 degrees, and then turned sunny reaching 68 degrees in the afternoon.
This Thousand Trails is really good about having crafts a couple days of the week and bingo on Saturdays. I decided to go to the craft today being held at 3:00 p.m. in the lodge.
Above is the Country Store located within the Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails.
Above is one of the man-made canals in the park.
Above is the South Lodge where the tie-dye coffee filter Thanksgiving turkey craft was held today. Tiffany, the activity director supplied all the needed supplies: coffee filters, washable markers, wooden clothespins, red and yellow craft foam, googly eyes, brown paint, glue, scissors, a paintbrush, and a spray bottle with water.
First, we flattened the coffee filter and then used washable markers to color the filter. It is best to use a variety of patterns and colors such as red, orange, yellow and brown (see below).
Next, we sprayed the colored coffee filter with water (see below). Don't worry as the colors will spread and blend together. Only use just enough water to make the colors blend together, then set the coffee filter to the side and let it dry completely.
While the coffee filter is drying, I then painted all sides of a clothespin with brown craft paint using a paintbrush. Then, I set it to the side and let it dry completely. After the paint on the clothespin was dry, I glued on the googly eyes. I next cut a triangle beak from yellow craft foam and a squiggly waddle from red craft foam. Next, I attached these pieces under the googly eyes using glue.
The last step was to fold the dry coffee filter in half and crinkle it slightly. I then put the coffee filter into top clip of clothespin and attached the brown turkey feet by gluing them to the bottom of the clothes pin. Voila! I now had a decorative turkey for Thanksgiving!
On the way back to our campsite, I walked over one of the canal bridges. We spent the rest of the evening at our campsite.
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Today is candy bar bingo at 1:00 p.m. At this campground, the activity director lets every person playing bingo have two bingo cards with a grid of 24 numbers, and a free space in the middle. At this Thousand Trails, they only play traditional bingo. Also, once you win a bingo, you receive your choice of a candy bar. At that time, you also have to relinguish that winning bingo card. However, you still have one card to play the remaining games of bingo with.
So how do you play traditional bingo? On your bingo card with a grid of 25 numbers, you have to be the first player to get five numbers in a row, either vertically, horizontally, diagonally or have the four corners covered to win bingo. The activity director calls out the random numbers, and if you have the number that is called on your card, then you slide the red frame to cover it. Once you have reached a traditional bingo, you holler out B - I - N - G - O! It's that simple.
(Shown above are the cards I picked today to play bingo.)
The last game we play is always Blackout Bingo. Meaning, you simply have to cover all the spots on your bingo card, rather than covering one finished line like you would in classic bingo. So your bingo card -- when you have a blackout in bingo would look like the image shown below.
Today, I was lucky to be able to call B - I - N - G - O! See my winning bingo card and the candy bar I won below.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Today, I rode my bike for 30 minutes and 3-1/2 miles around the campground. See the Garmin GPS screenshot of my bike ride below.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Today, I rode my bike for 40 minutes and 4-1/2 miles around the campground. See the Garmin GPS screenshot of my bike ride below.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
We spent another beautiful sunny day around the campground. The temperature ranged from 56 degrees in the morning to 80 degrees in the afternoon.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!
Each week we receive an activity sheet (as shown above) listing all the activities and events going on at the Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails.
I walked up to the South Lodge -- to the outside where the swimming pool is at around 3:00 p.m. And low and behold, I saw the moon already out (as you can see in the picture above between the first two trees.) How amazing is that?
Today for crafts, we made a wood slice turkey in the outside area of the South Lodge. We were once again provided with all the materials necessary to make our turkey. See the turkey creation I came up with shown above.
Celebrate and be thankful as we prepare for this traditional holiday.
Thursday, November 23, 2023
Hoorah and Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Today is Thanksgiving Day and it is an awesome sunny day here in southern California. The temperature 52 degrees and reached a spectacular 68 degrees. Who could ask for a better day? We are planning a pretty traditional Thanksgiving feast -- turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, Hawaiian sage & onion stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pie -- both pumpkin and pecan.
Above Mel is getting the turkey breast ready to put on the grill by seasoning it with spices.
Shown above and below is the food ready to serve -- cranberries, stuffing, turkey and gravy. Looks yummy!
Shown below are the two casseroles we had as well -- green beans and sweet potatoes.
And below are the two pies (pumpkin and pecan) we bought at Aldis for Thanksgiving.
And finally shown below is Mel's plate filled with delicious food for Thanksgiving! Let's eat.
The "First Thanksgiving" is often portrayed as a friendly harvest celebration where Pilgrims and Indians came together to eat and give thanks. In the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims had a successful harvest and decided to celebrate by holding a feast. They invited the Wampanoag to join them, and the two groups shared a meal together that included deer, corn, and other foods. This event is considered by many to be the first Thanksgiving.
This story is a myth that was sparked in the mid-1800s when English accounts of the 1621 harvest event resurfaced and fueled the American imagination. Romanticized paintings and stereotypical images of "Pilgrims" and "Indians" celebrating the "First Thanksgiving" became part of the national nostalgia in the United States. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving in November to celebrate gratitude and unity amidst the turmoil of the Civil War. In the decades that followed, the "First Thanksgiving" myth and the national holiday evolved into a foundational, national story reinforced by memorials, holiday marketing, literature, and school curriculums.
I think we all have felt the effects of feeling sleepy after Thanksgiving Dinner. The turkey, however, is the most storied part of the Thanksgiving feast. It’s so iconic that the mysterious and misunderstood tryptophan is often blamed for our sleepiness.
Tryptophan is often mentioned as “that stuff in turkey that makes you sleepy.” But that’s not quite accurate, as the carb overload may also play a big role. Tryptophan is one of the amino acids, which the body uses to make proteins to help it grow and repair tissue. The body can’t produce tryptophan itself, so you must get it from your diet -- and turkey is a good source.
Although Tryptophan is also a natural sedative — it’s also the precursor to melatonin, the hormone that tells your body when it’s time to sleep. However, the key lies in carbohydrates. When we eat them, our bodies release a surge of insulin, which clears the bloodstream of all amino acids — except tryptophan. When competing amino acids are removed from the bloodstream, tryptophan gets a straight shot to the brain, which boosts serotonin levels.
So why do people feel tired after their Thanksgiving meal? It probably has more to do with the heavy carbohydrate load than the turkey itself. So, this year don’t blame the bird for the “turkey coma.” Instead, embrace the opportunity to celebrate with loved ones, eat amazing food, and then get some sleep!
And if all else fails -- eat, drink and wear stretchy pants the next day!
Both Mel and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 24, 2023
It's the day after Thanksgiving -- so now what? Most people partake in what is called Black Friday. When someone says "Black Friday" -- images of shoppers frantically sifting through bins and racks may come to mind. The phrase has become synonymous with the hustle and bustle of post-Thanksgiving shopping in preparation for the December holidays. But "Black Friday" has not always been associated with holiday spending. In fact, its first recorded use was to describe the gold market crash on Sept. 24, 1869.
So, how did the shopping event get its name? Many theories have circulated including that the name derived from stores earning profit from holiday sales, or going "into the black" after operating at a loss throughout the year.
But what about the turkey . . .
Hmmmmmmmm . . . But I love to eat leftover turkey!
Saturday, November 25, 2023
It's a sunny day and so Mel and I wentup to play candy bingo outside the South Lodge.
Above is Mel waiting for bingo to start with his lucky cards in front of him. Below are the two cards I selected.
However, neither one of us were lucky at candy bingo today! Aw!
Thursday, November 30, 2023
It was another Thursday craft day. Today, I went up to the North Lodge and made a pinecone owl. I decided to make mine with a little bit of a Christmas flair.
Shown above is what we were supposed to make our pinecone owl look like. Once again, the activity director supplied all the materials: a pinecone, assorted felt, orange pipe cleaner, 2 googly eyes, scissors and a glue gun.
But since I always like to think outside of the box,so I made a one-of-a-kind. You can see the pinecone owl I made above and below.
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Friday, December 1, 2023
It was a sunny day, so Mel went for a 5-1/2 mile, 1 hour and 45 minute walk around the campground. He typically does the same route around and around the outside of the campground. See the first two Garmin GPS screenshots below.
While he was walking, I rode my bike around the campground for 43 minutes and 5.47 miles. See the two Garmin GPS screenshots below of my bike ride.
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Saturday, December 2, 2023
It's was another sunny day, so Mel and I decided to go play candy bingo outside the South Lodge. On my walk on the way up to the South Lodge, I found one of the yellow ducks (shown below) that they hide around the campground. Must be my lucky duck day!
Mel and I both had two cards, but the bingo was going so slowly that Mel got bored and left early before winning. I stayed on and played and the very next bingo game after he left, I won! Lucky me!
Shown above is my bingo card with my bingo and the Snickers candy bar I won.
Tonight for dinner, Mel made chicken broccoli cheese soup. The weather here at Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails the past few weeks has been truly awesome -- sunny almost every day, with temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees.
We continue to have awesome days outside exploring and enjoying nature -- especially when we can leave the road behind and take to the trails by either biking or walking!
Shirley & Mel
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