February 13 - "Westward Ho!" We will be in California until the end of February. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing everything this time around, but will return to California again next year! We have some commitments and have made plans to be in the Pahrump & Las Vegas area the last few days of February and will probably be heading back to the Phoenix area for a short visit with my cousin and his family from Buffalo, New York. Then we begin our trek back to New York via New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee, then up the coast. After leaving the Desert Hot Springs area, we headed for Stagecoach Trails RV Resort in Julian, California, which is in historic Earth Quake Valley in the Anza-Borrego Desert. Yikes!! What are we in store for?? The scenery here is absolutely beautiful! Our campground is very remote (no cell phone service, no internet connection, Uh Oh, will I survive this? And Daryl says thank goodness we have access to a good movie selection at the campground store, because the TV selection is poor unless you understand Spanish!), and being beaten time and again at Rummy isn't too macho!!  But we are surrounded by nature and picturesque mountains all around!  We have taken several day trips along the treacherous mountain roads...one curve leads to another and most of the time there are rock mountains on both sides of the road! I get a little nervous, but try and enjoy the scenery instead of worrying about what's around that curve! We have seen sections of the Anza-Borrego Desert Park and Joshua Tree National Park, where we saw our first Jack Rabbit and Coyote! We have also seen several Border Patrols and illegal immigrants in custody!  We spent a very nice day in the small town of Julian attending their Historic Days Celebration with local residents dressed in historic costumes who re-enacted a gunfight! Breakfast was delicious at an old fashion Malt Shop which was loaded with memorabilia! It was a neat experience from the Malt Shop to the old fashioned Drug Store and Candy Shop that were attached. Another day, we returned to the Malt Shop for one of their HUGE famous Sundaes! D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!!! So filling, that I didn't have to fix dinner that night! We just might have to stop by there again! Our campground is very quiet and peaceful. Unfortunately for us, the Desert has been getting some much needed rain! Hopefully the weather will clear and we will be able to enjoy the beautiful nature around us. There are several "camp workers" who are currently living at Stagecoach Trails. We've had a great time chatting with them and learning about their experiences on the road. Dana is from Colorado and Bear is from Montana. Both of them are single RV'rs who travel around and find work at local campgrounds and resorts. Pretty neat way to see the country! I will try to keep you posted as time & internet access permits! February 18 - HAPPY DAY!...Great Birthday present for MJ, today we moved to La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego and we actually have cell phone service and access to high speed internet!! Our campground is the complete opposite of our previous one...this time, we are a stones throw from a freeway and the serene sounds of the desert are no longer music to our ears. Guess it's hard to get the "best of both worlds"! We had a very enjoyable evening out for MJ's birthday. Dinner at one of her favorite places, Red Lobster!! And then off to a movie, "Chicago".  A very enjoyable evening! February 20-23 -  Our friends from back in Buffalo who are principals were attending a convention here, so we spent 3 glorious  days catching up, sight-seeing and shopping with them. Ed is a Naval Reservist, so the tour of the harbor took on extra special meaning. The USS Nimitz was readying for deployment to the Gulf as were several cruisers and destroyers. Our time with Geoff, Kay, Rick, Betty, and Ed was very enjoyable and as usual, a million laughs! We visited Sea Port Village, Old Town and one of the oldest missions in SD. Awesome!!!  February 23-28 - We toured downtown SD's Gaslight District before heading for Pahrump, Nevada. Gambling anyone? We spent three days at Terrible's Resort eating some delicious, but very inexpensive meals, spent, no, gave some money to the casino and enjoyed the beauty of the park. We moved to Preferred RV Resort, which is down the road, and around the corner, where we will spend a week, relaxing and enjoying side trips into Death Valley and Las Vegas.GG