Author: David

Food: In-N-Out Burger in San Jose, CA

[This was a bonus at the end of the Coyote Valley RV Resort post, but I decided to split it out to a separate post, to make it easier to find food-related topics.]

For dinner our first night in San Jose, California, we sampled the local cuisine… an In-N-Out Burger. Our second time at one, and a more favorable impression than the first time. They’re all over here, so no huge line like in Oregon locations, though they still took quite a long time to provide the food:

In-N-Out Burger

In-N-Out Burger

Still only about McDonalds level of food, but tasty enough. The burgers were… fine. The fries were freshly cut, but rather styrofoam-y. We had chocolate shakes, which were quite good:

In-N-Out Burger

In-N-Out Burger

Coyote Valley RV Resort

A recent addition to our itinerary, we decided to spend three nights at Coyote Valley RV Park to break up an otherwise too-long trip to our next location.

Here I’m in our truck behind our coach, having just unhooked them. We had a back-in site, so it’s easier for me to unhook while Jenn is checking in, so we don’t block the road by the site:

In truck behind coach

A staff member guided us to the site:

Guide

This was our first back-in site. Jenn did a great job getting positioned:

Backing into site

Hookups:

Hookups

This is an unusually large site, entirely concreted, other than a grassy garden between sites:

Large site

Large site

Large site

Campground map:

Campground map

This part of the park is very new:

RVs

Green spaces:

Green spaces

Bocce ball:

Bocce ball

Wilderness area:

Wilderness area

Pond with ducks:

Pond with ducks

Clubhouse and pool area:

Clubhouse and pool area

Pool area

Pool

Pools

Dog park:

Dog park

Office etc:

Office etc

Other pool area:

Other pool area

Paladin looking out a window:

Paladin looking out window

Paladin looking out window

Travel from Corning to San Jose

We departed Heritage RV Park in Corning, California, and headed down to San Jose, to Coyote Valley RV Resort, a bit south of the city.

Here’s a map of our route for this leg; a 5 hour drive in our coach:

Map route

Nice rolling green hills:

Hills

Not so nice heavy traffic through Vacaville:

Traffic

More hills:

Hills

680 Benicia-Martinez bridge:

Bridge

Super scenic industry:

Industry

Nice of California to name a freeway after us — the Sinclair Freeway:

Sinclair Freeway

Paladin peeking; still not super happy about travel days, but getting a little more used to them, I think:

Paladin

The 680 freeway south of Pleasanton was anything but pleasant; the road surface was in horrible condition, making the coach feel like it was going to shake apart:

Horrible road

Paladin came further forward than he had before (I kept a close eye on him, to make sure he didn’t go by the pedals at Jenn’s feet):

Paladin

Downtown San Jose off in the distance:

San Jose

Stay tuned tomorrow for a timelapse video of this journey.

Are you enjoying these posts? Let me know!

Bidwell Mansion

We visited Bidwell Mansion in Chico, CA, and had a guided tour inside.

The exterior of Bidwell Mansion:

Bidwell Mansion

Portraits:

Portraits

Drawing room:

Drawing room

Drawing room

Drawing room

Dining room:

Dining room

Kitchen:

Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen

Laundry:

Laundry

Library:

Library

Library

Library

Library

Office:

Office

Stairs:

Stairs

Hall light; both electric and gas:

Hall light

Main bedroom:

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bathroom:

Bathroom

Closet:

Closet

More bedrooms:

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bathroom:

Bathroom

Servants bedrooms:

Servant's bedroom

Servants bedroom

Servants bathroom:

Servants bathroom

On the third floor, a ballroom:

Ballroom

Ballroom

Ballroom

Ballroom

Skylight:

Skylight

More bedrooms:

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Storage:

Storage

Stairs to the tower:

Stairs

Back door:

Back door

Architect’s house:

Coach house

Carriage house:

Coach house

Coach house

Plaque:

Plaque

House exterior:

House exterior

House exterior

House exterior

House exterior

Info signs:

Info

Info

A sampling of seating situations

Just a few random pictures today.

Here’s me sitting outside at our campsite, working on my laptop:

David sitting at campsite

A recent addition: a little table with drink and device holders, that clips on to the zero-gravity chair:

Table for chair

Paladin sitting on the pull-out counter of our kitchen:

Paladin sitting on pull-out counter

Paladin sitting in a foam box from some packaging:

Paladin sitting in foam box

Sleeping in a cardboard bed on the coach dash:

Paladin

New Clairvaux Vineyard

We visited a vineyard… which isn’t a particularly unusual thing for us to do, but this was an interesting one: the New Clairvaux Vineyard is part of a Cistercian abbey; yes, wine made by Trappist monks.

Vineyard building

Sign

Tasting room:

Tasting room

Tasting room

Tasting room

Tasting room

Tasting room

Cork cross:

Cork cross

Picture and model of the abbey:

Model

Info:

Info

We enjoyed a tasting, and bought some bottles.

Food: Portside Fish & Chips, Anderson, CA

[This was a bonus picture at the end of the Lassen Volcanic National Park post, but I decided to split it out into its own post, so food-related posts can be found more easily.]

On the way home from Lassen (i.e. back to the coach; home is where the coach is), we stopped for fish and chips for dinner at PortSide Fish & Chips in Anderson, California. I don’t usually bother posting about food experiences, but this one is notable as the first time I’ve ordered fish and chips for myself; I’ve never been a fan of fish, but am trying to expand my horizons, so I can enjoy local cuisine as we explore:

Fish and chips

Lassen Volcanic National Park

While staying at Heritage RV Park, we took an hour drive to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

We’ve been to this park before, but wanted to visit again, even though the park is closed at present, other than the visitor centers at a couple of entrances. If nothing else, it was an enjoyable drive.

For example, here’s a viewpoint on the way to Lassen:

Viewpoint on way to Lassen

Viewpoint on way to Lassen

Getting closer to the park, we saw some burnt trees:

Burnt trees

A little snow on the side of the road as we gained elevation:

A little snow on the side of the road

A snowy peak in the distance:

Snowy peak

More snow by the road:

Snow

The southwest entrance to Lassen:

Lassen entrance

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Visitor center

Relief map of the park:

Relief map of the park

Snowy peaks:

Snowy

Snowy

After going out of the park, we headed northwards, through a tiny town named Manton, which made me think of the creator of the Micro.blog service, Manton Reece:

Manton

Manton

Manton

A couple of narrow bridges:

Narrow bridge

Narrow curvy bridge

Small town Halloween; they were holding traffic to enable the kids to safely cross the highway:

Small town Halloween

Manzanita Lake, near the northwest entrance to Lassen:

Manzanita Lake

Manzanita Lake

Ranger station:

Ranger station

Seismograph:

Seismograph

Seismograph

Museum:

Museum

Museum displays:

Museum display

Museum display

A bridge led to a trail:

Bridge

Stream:

Stream

Trees:

Trees

Burnt trees:

Burnt trees

Fallen tree:

Fallen tree

Burnt trees:

Burnt trees

More trees:

Tree

Trees

Trees and mountain:

Trees and mountain

A selfie with Jenn and me:

Jenn and David