Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Today we drove back to Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails in Menifee, California from Cherry Valley Lakes RV Resort in Beaumont, California.
We left at 10:20 a.m. to cloudy and foggy skies. It was 48 degrees.
Because we got to the Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails in Menifee, California at 11:15 a.m. and we couldn't check in until 12 noon we pulled over here (see above) and waited until about 11:50 a.m. before we proceeded to the entrance.
We then drove into Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails and found a beautiful spot on site #94.
We will be on this site for 10 nights (from Tuesday, January 23 - Thursday, February 1, 2024) before we leave on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas cruise out of Long Beach, California on Friday, February 2, 2024. During the cruise, we will put our RV into short-term storage here at the campground.
The sun came out and it turned into a beautifully sunny day, reaching 67 degrees before the end of the day.
After we got all set up, we drove into Menifee, California and first went to the post office to pick up the mail. Next, we went to Circle K to get gas.
Our next stop was at the Taco Bell to get lunch (where we each built our own cravings box -- which is a new special on the on-line app that helps to stretch the customer's dollar. It is the ultimate Taco Bell eating experience -- as we were able to create our meal exactly as we pleased from a selection of well-loved favorites. In the "build your own cravings box," you get to choose: 1) one specialty (from a Crunchwrap Supreme; a Cheesy Gordita Crunch; or a Chalupa Supreme); 2) one classic (from a Crunchy Taco; a Soft Taco; a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito; a Bean Burrito; or a Spicy Potato Soft Taco); 3) one side (from Chips and Nacho Cheese Sauce; Cinnamon Twists; or Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes); and then then your drink. And finally, our last stop was at Albertson's for groceries.
Shown above is the weekly calendar of events being held at the Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails in Menifee, California.
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
This morning at around 8:00 a.m., Mel went for a two hour, 6-1/4 mile walk around Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails.
We then decided to take off on a casino run toward Valley Center, California. We left the campground around 10:15 a.m. to cloudy skies and a temperature of 53 degrees.
We headed out south towards the mountains and Valley View, California. We took Exit 58 (Hwy 79) onto Temecula Parkway.
Once in Temecula, we turned right onto Pechanga Parkway and followed it to the Pechanga Resort & Casino.
(Shown above is the exterior of Pechange Resort Casino.)
The Pechanga Resort Casino is a Native American casino on the Pechanga Indian Reservation adjacent to the city of Temecula, California. Pechanga Resort Casino is one of the largest casino/resorts in the United States, with more than 5,400 slot machines and approximately 200,000 square feet of gaming space. On June 24, 2002, the $262 million Pechanga Resort Casino opened its doors. The resort, which was designed to highlight the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians' culture, included an 85,000 square feet casino, a 1,200-seat showroom, a 515,000 square feet and 14-story hotel with 522 rooms hotel, a 38,800 square feet convention center, a 200-seat cabaret lounge, an Eagle's Nest Lounge and seven restaurants.
Many expansions have been added including one in November 2004 and in 2018, which expanded its spa facility to 25,000 square feet, created a 40,000-square foot events center, and built a 4-1/2 acre tropical pool complex that features a dedicated restaurant, swim-up bar, three pools, two waterslides, a fountain, and 27 cabanas.
Since this is the 'Year of the Dragon,' we were surprised to see the Pechanga Resort Casino setting up to celebrate this event.
While the New Year began over a month ago on January 1 for many people, for others the New Year doesn’t start until the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year of 2024 begins on Saturday, February 10 marking the Year of the Dragon, and ends on Saturday, February 24th. The Lunar New Year is celebrated annually and occurs on different days depending on the culture. In China, it begins during the first new moon of the calendar year and ends with the first full moon.
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The holiday is celebrated during the time it takes for the moon to go from a new to full moon -- with the Lunar New Year lasting for about 15 days. Since the holiday is based on lunar cycles, its date is never fixed, instead falling anywhere from January 21 to February 20.
The Lunar New Year animal for the year 2024 is a particularly cool one: the dragon, which is part of the Chinese zodiac. Unlike the month-based Western Zodiac, the Chinese Zodiac is based on years. Like the signs of the Western Zodiac, each animal of the Chinese Zodiac is associated with a different personality and temperament. Those born in the Year of the Dragon are sometimes said to be charismatic, lucky, gifted, confident, and powerful.
Shown above and below is the Pechanga Casino Resort getting ready for the 'Year of the Dragon.'
We went inside the Pechanga Resort Casino and signed up for new player's cards. As a comp for signing up, we each got a slot machine free play spin for anywhere from $25 to $100 in free play -- however both Mel and I only got $25 in free play.
I played for quite awhile on the Quick Hits machine (see above and below).
And I was a winner -- cashing out $22.34. Mel was not as lucky.
As we left the Pechanga Resort Casino they were finishing getting the New Year dragon set up.
Our next stop on our Casino Run was at Harrah's in Valley Center, California (which is shown below in the distance).
We were surprised to see that Harrah's promotes itself as being in Funner, California -- a new city in North San Diego County that was officially renamed this by the Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians. Funner, California is the city where fun lives and is known for their famous casino and resort, Harrah’s. This tourist oasis showcases two luxurious towers accommodates 1,087 rooms and suites, an award-winning pool area, a serene 11,000 square-foot spa and SoCal’s first tribally owned brewery, Rincon Reservation Road Brewery.
However they are known more for than just their getaway vacation spot, as they are known for their quirky celebrity mayors. David Hasselhoff of Bay Watch and Knight Rider fame was inaugurated as the city’s first Mayor on May 18, 2017 to promote the resort. The "term" is for two years.On May 15, 2019, Funner, California introduced its second official mayor, Rob Riggle. And then on May 16, 2022, Jane Lynch was announced as its third and first female mayor.
The story of the founding of Funner, California goes back to 2012. At the time Harrah’s Rincon Casino and Resort, was looking to distinguish itself from more than two dozen Indian casinos in Southern California that were competing for the same group of aging consumers. The resort made dramatic changes to its product, adding a pool complex with a swim-up bar, a lazy river and social day club called “Dive.” But the ultimate re-positioning was to change the name of the 40 acres that make up the Harrah’s facility. An aptly name San Diego-based advertising agency called i.d.e.a. proposed the concept of renaming the area to “Funner” to reflect the resort’s mission to help raise the level of visitor “fun” to an even higher level.
The Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Tribal Council Leaders embraced the idea and voted unanimously to adopt the new name. An official proclamation was adopted on August 1, 2016 to recognize and adopt the new name.
(Shown above is Gordon Ramsay in Hell's Kitchen in Harrah's.)
There is also a Rincon Brewery in the Harrah's casino. It is Southern California's first tribally-owned brewery.
Our next stop was at the Valley View Casino in Valley Center, California.
We had been at this casino in December, and we decided to go back because they offered a free New Year's t-shirt and we still had some free meal vouchers.
We each had $20 in food vouchers, so we decided to eat at Patties & Pints in the casino.
Shown above is the menu from Patties & Pints.
Shown above is the bowl of New England Clam Chowder I had, while below is Mel with the San Diego beef pattie topped with melted pepper jack cheese, avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, jalepeno relish on a grilled brioche bun. He had two sides -- sweet potato fries and cole slaw.
Shown above is the Philly sandwich I had that was shaved rotisserie prime rib, melted swiss cheese, poblano peppers, carmelized onions, au jus on a grilled ciabatta roll. I had parmesan fries as my side.
Shown above are the free "Happy New Year" t-shirts we got at the Valley View Casino.
Our last stop was in Vista, California.
Vista is a city in San Diego County, California with a population of 99,835. Located just 7 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, it has a Mediterranean climate. Originally the lands of Rancho Buena Vista and Rancho Guajome, Vista was founded on October 9, 1882, with the establishment of a post office. It was incorporated on January 28, 1963, and became a charter city on June 13, 2007.
The Vista area was originally inhabited by the Luiseño Indians, who established a village in today's Vista called Tovalum. The prosperity of the mission-era declined by the 1830s with the independence of Mexico from Spain. The Mexican government began to grant land ownerships to a variety of people, thus beginning the Rancho era of California. Three ranchos were granted in the Vista area: Rancho Guajome, Rancho Buena Vista, and Agua Hedionda Y los Manos.
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In the 1850s, the ranchos began to fade due to changing political conditions and the scarcity of water. A growing number of settlers came to the area after California became a state in 1850 and began to create smaller agricultural holdings. One settler in the Vista area, John A. Frazier, applied to open the first post office and after several attempts to name the city (Frazier and Buena Vista were already taken), Frazier finally chose the name "Vista". With the opening of the first post office in 1882, Vista had officially arrived.
Inhibited by the lack of water, Vista grew slowly through the early 1910s to less than 1,000 people. In 1913, two events marked the beginning of downtown’s growth and fixed its location for good. They were the division of the central area into smaller lots and the opening of two important buildings: the Vista Inn, which stood at the intersection of today’s Santa Fe Ave. and Main Street, and the train station that replaced the old cargo platform across the street. With the vote of the people in 1923, the Vista Irrigation District had the necessary funding to construct a new water supply from Lake Henshaw. New buildings in downtown sprang up almost immediately. Agriculture began to flourish with crops such as tomatoes, celery, and citrus fruits. Some hillsides were also planted for avocados and by 1948, Vista became the "avocado capital of the world", a moniker since taken by nearby Fallbrook, California.
(Shown above is the Vista Gateway Arch near downtown Vista.)
When we got to Vista, California, Mel poised for a picture in front of the Belching Beaver Brewery, while I decided to go for a short walk around downtown Vista.
Above is a colorful mural on the side of a building in Vista.
AND NOW . . . the love story of Alley Art Man and Alley Art Woman -- definitely a match made in metal!
Alley Art Man (shown above and below) is a steampunk inspired sculpture that was created for the first Alley Art Festival in Vista held on September 13, 2014. The tall stooped figure with a spinning helicopter like blades sprouting from his back wears a top hat, a cape, and at night it flashes glowing red eyes.
Alley Art Man is located on the sidewalk right by the Belching Beaver Brewery. Yet he remained all alone and heartbroken until Alley Art Woman was placed along Main Street in Vista, California. That is when love began to blossom . . . or should I say smelt?
Located at Main Street and Michigan Avenue in Vista, California, Alley Art Woman serves as a sort of bride for the Alley Art Man. She is simply beautiful! She has silver hair, green eyes, a 19th-century bosom, and a ring in her nose. She also has a spinning parasol, and Alley Art Woman is wearing a steampunk top hat and dangling spoon tipped earrings. My, oh my, Alley Art Man really likes this gal, but, unfortunately, all he can do is gaze at his new girlfriend across Main Street through the wire mesh of the twin hearts.
And as the love of the metal Alley Art Man and Alley Art Woman grew, so did the love of other couples in Vista, California.
In the city of Vista, there are many hearts locked together. A double heart-shaped sculpture on Main Street titled "Love Locks" invited residents to permanently attach a padlock. Each lock symbolized an unbreakable bond of love. "Love Locks" was created by artists Rick Randall and Jaydon Sterling Randall in 2016. People have added hundreds of unique locks to the two joined hearts -- and each lock has its own story.
(Shown above and below are closeups of some of the locks.)
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And that was the love story of Alley Art Man and Alley Art woman. Love has sure grown in Vista, California!
There was another neat metal sculpture in Vista -- that of the Alley Cat (shown above). Alley Cat also wore a top hat, his tail switched and he had a companion Alley Rat that poked its face out of a trashcan.
As I continued my walk down to Vista Village, I saw several beautiful bird-of-paradise (shown above and below). This plant is the official flower of Los Angeles, California. Its exotic appearance, with its unique and brightly colored flowers looks like the head of a bird, has made it a favorite with horticulturists, designers, florists, and gardeners. In full flower, a bird-of-paradise looks a bit like several birds hidden in a clump of foliage, craning their necks up and turning their plumed heads and pointed beaks in different directions.
Vista Village was a specialty shopping area with a unique blend of specialty retailers and restaurants.
After seeing all I could see in this short distance, I walked back to the Belching Beaver Brewery to meet up with Mel.
Belching Beaver Brewery is an American craft beer brewery based in San Diego, California. The company was founded in 2012 by Thomas Vogel, Dave Mobley, and brewmaster Troy Smith, who formerly served as the brewer at Coronado Brewing Company. The brewery began with a milk stout, which they then evolved into other iterations, including their Peanut Butter Milk Stout, which Smith says "put them on the map".
Shown above is Mel enjoying a craft beer, and below is the six-pack cans of 'Peanut Butter Milk Stout' and 'Must Be the Honey Blonde Ale' that Mel bought.
It was a long day of travel, but we had a great adventure! We got back to the campground around 6:50 p.m.
Thursday, January 25, 2024
This morning at around 9:50 a.m., I went on an hour bike (7-1/2 miles) around Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails campground. See the screenshots below.
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Friday, January 26, 2024
It was just another day at Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails. I went for a 41 minute bike ride (5.36 miles) around the campground at around 10:37 a.m. See the screenshots below.
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Then at 3:00 p.m., I went to the South Lodge for crafts -- and today we made a wall hanging. The one I made is shown below.
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Today I went for a 53 minute (7-1/2 mile) bike ride around the campground. See the screenshots below.
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Then at 1:00 p.m. I went to play candy bingo at the South Lodge. And I was a candy bingo winner once again! The card below shows my bingo and the candy I selected.
The last game we played was blackout -- and ooh la la, notice how close I was to another bingo!
Later after we had finished dinner, we walked up to the South Lodge at 6:30 p.m. to watch and listen to the Wayward Hope Duo. This acoustic duo, Elisha and Jason, found their mutual passion for music that inspires and stirs the emotion of the heart.
On their journey, they have shared selective songs expressing their love and appreciation for family, friends, one another, and their audience! Elisha and Jason’s devotion to create, write, and play music together was truly a down-to-earth performance.
It was another day at Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails. I went for a 44 minute bike ride (6.19 miles) around the campground at around 10:16 a.m. See the screenshots below.
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Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Today, we ran some errands to get prepared for the cruise that we would be leaving on Friday, February 2. I also got my hair cut at Great Clips in Menifee, California, so it would be short and easy to take care of. This afternoon I also packed my suitcase and wold only have last minute items to add on Friday morning.
Today, we ran some errands to get prepared for the cruise that we would be leaving on Friday, February 2. I also got my hair cut at Great Clips in Menifee, California, so it would be short and easy to take care of. This afternoon I also packed my suitcase and wold only have last minute items to add on Friday morning.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
This morning, it rained pretty heavy until around 12:00 noon. With rain at a standstill and since I had most of my preparations completed for the cruise, I decided to go to crafts session. We would be making a heart suncatcher at 1:00 p.m. in the South Lodge. (See the activity sheet for the week below.)
HOW TO MAKE A HEART SUNCATCHER WITH BLACK GLUE
Materials Needed:
* black glue (white Elmer’s glue + black acrylic paint)
* clear plastic (from a plastic folder or an empty laminated pouch)
* variety of sharpies (the more colors the better!)
* heart template or other printed design on white paper
How to Prepare the Black Glue:
* Mix black acrylic paint with white Elmer’s glue, and then use the bottle with a nozzle that the glue comes in. The combination of acrylic paint and glue results in a mix that flows smoothly and dries into slightly raised lines.
* Use 1:1 proportions of glue to the black acrylic paint by pouring out half a bottle of glue into another container and then substituting that empty space in the bottle with the black acrylic paint by squeezing it right into the bottle.
* After that, shake the bottle of glue for about one minute, then squeeze a little bit on a scrap piece of paper to get rid of the white glue that could have accumulated in the nozzle.
How to Make the Heart Suncatcher:
1 — Slip the printed design under the piece of plastic. Tape it to the plastic to keep it in place.
2 — Draw the outlines using the black glue. The harder you squeeze the bottle with the black glue, the bolder your lines will be. And sometimes you don’t need to squeeze the black glue bottle at all, but just guide where the line goes.
3 — Let the finished piece dry overnight or for about eight hours. And then you will see how raised the outlines are -- definitely thick enough not to let the light through, therefore giving a convincing stained glass effect.
4 — Now, color the clear plastic by using a variety of sharpies. The result will be vibrant and consistent!
5 — After you’re done coloring, cut the heart shape out and punch a hole to hang your suncatcher in the window.
*** Because of our time restraint at the crafts session, we colored our heart first with the sharpies before using the black glue. And then we used the black glue to highlight the lines. (See below.)
Next time I try this, I think I will do the black glue lines and let it dry before coloring with the sharpies.
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C R U I S E B R E A K (Friday, February 2 - Friday, February 9, 2024)
See the next few posts for highlights from our Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas cruise out of the Port of Long Beach.
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Friday, February 9, 2024
After the week-long cruise to the Mexican Riviera, we were off the cruise ship in the port of Long Beach around 8:50 a.m. and back to Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails campground by 10:30 a.m. We drove into the campground and located a spot we liked. I then stood on the site to hold it until Mel could go over to the short-term storage area and get the trailer. We got all set up on site #28 for four nights (February 9 - 12, 2024) by 12:30 p.m.
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After that, we then drove into Menifee to go to Taco Bell (created our own cravings box) and also went to Aldi's to get some groceries. We got back home at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Today started out cloudy with a few sprinkles and a temperature of 60 degrees. We had picked up the activity sheet for the week (shown below).
After breakfast, we made a quick trip into town to Albertson's for groceries. We were totally amazed at how much snow was covering the mountains now since we had been on the cruise (see pictures below).
At 1:00 p.m., I went up to the South Lodge to play candy bingo. And my "bingo luck" continues to follow me as I won once again! Yippee!
For dinner tonight, we had BBQ ribs and green beans.
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Today started out chilly at 39 degrees, but the sunshine made it feel much warmer. We decided to do our cruise laundry (dress clothes). The temperature reached 68 degrees by the afternoon.
After that Mel went for a walk around the campground, while I rode my bike. I reached a milestone of 1,500 miles on my e-bike today. See the picture below.
For dinner tonight, we had chicken thighs and salads.
Monday, February 12, 2024
Another sunny day with a temperature of 45 degrees in the morning that would reach 65 degrees by the afternoon.
I had received a Google text message on my cell phone at 12:42 a.m. about a 5.5 magnitude earthquake that was just 108 miles away. We were asleep and didn't feel it, but never-the-less it was kind of scary. (See screenshot below.)
Mel walks almost every day -- and this morning was no exception. He walked for 1-3/4 hours over a distance of almost 6 miles (see screenshot below).
We drove into town to Circle K to get gas, and then on to Aldi's for groceries. We again got a glimpse of the snow in the mountains. Just so much white stuff!
After we got back to the campground, I went for half hour bike ride at 12:52 p.m. I rode 4.47 miles (see screenshots below).
For dinner tonight, we had a simple meal of toasted blueberry bagels topped with a fried egg, bacon and cheese.
We're looking forward to seeing a lot of that white and fluffy stuff in the next few weeks as we journey up into the mountains in Idyllwild, California at an elevation of 6,300 feet at the Thousand Trails.
Here's to snowing you and staying warm!
Shirley & Mel
What a great blog. Wow I love reading all your adventures. One of these days you'll hit a big one. I love the brewery and weird beer names. I bet fun to try them. Have a great trip and enjoy the snow.
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