Travel from Florence to Eugene, Oregon

We drove our coach just 68 miles, about one hour of driving, from Florence, Oregon to Eugene, Oregon.

We had an appointment at Oregon Motorcoach Center for some servicing, and had originally planned to drive from the coast to Eugene, but decided to make it easier on ourselves by doing that drive the day before, staying one night in a county park. Very fortunate that we were able to snag a reservation at the last minute.

Here’s the map route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

Since were were parking under trees, I used my 360 camera to examine the slide toppers for debris:

Preparing to leave:

Preparing to leave

Pulling out of our site:

Pulling out of our site

Driving through the campground:

Leaving campground

Preparing to toad up; I had driven our truck to the toading area by the pool, then walked back to help guide our coach:

Preparing to toad up

Approaching the exit:

Approaching exit

Since we didn’t have a sewer connection, we used the dump station on the way out:

Dump station

People waiting for the Memorial Day parade in Florence:

Waiting for Memorial Day parade

Siuslaw River:

Siuslaw River

A tunnel; always a little nerve-wracking in our coach:

Tunnel

Trees

Jenn driving:

Jenn driving

She has back and side cameras (with our truck visible), a built-in RV-safe GPS, and a GPS on her phone:

Cameras, GPS, phone

Paladin on the steps:

Paladin on the steps

Joining I-5 North:

Joining I-5 North

A fuel stop:

Fuel stop

The 150-gallon diesel tank was only quarter full; we usually don’t let it get below half, but there weren’t a lot of suitable fuel options on the coast:

Quarter tank

Fuel stop

100 gallons of fuel, so I guess it was actually a third full:

Fuel stop

Bridge:

Bridge

Our destination, Armitage County Park:

Armitage County Park

Checking in:

Checking in

Our site:

Our site

Travel from Paso Robles to Petaluma, California

We drove our coach 244 miles, about four hours of driving, from Paso Robles, California to Petaluma, California.

Here’s the map route, heading northwest:

Route

An interactive map, with potential and actual stops:

A steep hill in the RV park on the way out:

Steep hill leaving RV park

Joining US-101 for our trip up the coast (somewhat inland at this stage):

US-101

Listening to a Mariners baseball game, streaming from the MLB app:

Listening to Mariners baseball game

Pump jacks; when did we get back to Texas?

Pump jacks

Vineyards:

Vineyards

Roadside artwork:

Roadside artwork

A lunch stop at Wildhorse Cafe in King City:

Restaurant

Coffee

Breakfast for lunch

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

Paladin on the steps, with my feet up:

Paladin on the steps

Historic El Camino Real bell markers:

Historic El Camino Real bell markers

Roadside artwork:

Roadside artwork

Bright pink flowers:

Bright pink flowers

Roadside artwork

A bald eagle:

Bald eagle

Historic El Camino Real bell markers

Paladin looking a little freaked out:

Paladin

A fuel stop at SC Fuels in Gilroy:

Fuel stop

It’s a cardlock fuel station, but works with our Open Roads discount fuel card:

Cardlock fuel stop

Fuel stop

A snack (fun fact: the Pringles can sticks magnetically to the MacBook Pro in that spot):

Snack

Oakland Coliseum:

Oakland Collseum

Oakland:

Oakland

Flowers:

Flowers

Toll booths:

Toll booths

Richmond-San Rafael Bridge:

Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Green hills:

Green hills

Drawbridge:

Drawbridge

Our destination, a KOA:

KOA

Following our coach to our site (with some adventures with that; stay tuned!):

Following coach to our site

Travel from Bakersfield to Paso Robles, California

We drove our coach 116 miles, about two hours of driving, from Bakersfield, California to Paso Robles, California.

Here’s the map route, heading west:

Route

An interactive map, with potential and actual stops:

Leaving the RV park:

Leaving RV park

Dam water!

Dam water

Paladin enjoying the steps:

Paladin

Big cow:

Cow

Fuel and lunch stop:

Fuel stop

Parked

Fuel stop

Popeyes

Paladin in the steps, with my feet up:

Paladin

Interesting bridge:

Interesting bridge

Lots of pump jacks:

Lots of pump jacks

Solar farm:

Solar farm

Flowers and green hills:

Flowers

Vineyard:

Vineyard

Paso Robles:

Paso Robles

Resort entrance:

Resort entrance

I untoaded while Jenn checked in, then followed our coach to our site:

Following coach

Travel from San Diego to Bakersfield, California

We drove our coach 244 miles, about four hours of driving, from San Diego, California to Bakersfield, California.

Here’s the map route, heading northwest:

Route

Interactive map:

Leaving the RV park:

Leaving RV park

Plane:

Plane

Plane taking off:

Plane taking off

Church:

Church

Paladin:

Paladin

Lagoon:

Lagoon

U-pick strawberries:

U-pick strawberries

Rest area:

Rest area

An easy lunch, prefab charcuterie:

Lunch

We were amused by the “Butts Only Box”:

Butts Only Box

Paladin:

Paladin

Heavy traffic:

Traffic

Paladin prefers looking out the small window in the door from the steps, so I’ve been leaving the step cover open, and using the footrest instead:

Paladin and footrest

Great Balloon Park:

Great Balloon Park

Discovery Cube:

Discovery Cube

Rocket:

Rocket

Horrible roads in the LA area — concrete is not a good material for roads:

Horrible roads

Cathedral:

Cathedral

More bad roads:

More bad roads

Green hills with flowers:

Flowers

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

More flowers:

Flowers

Bridge building:

Bridge building

Our destination:

Our destination

Travel from Orange to San Diego, California

We drove our coach 99 miles, about two hours of driving, from Orange (Los Angeles), California to San Diego, California.

Here’s the map route, heading south:

Route

An interactive map, showing our stops and potential stops:

Leaving the RV park; Jenn drove our coach around the block to the check-in area so we could toad up:

Leaving the RV park

Honda Center:

Honda Center

Paladin on the steps; this has become one of his favorite places for travel days, so I’m happy to leave the step cover open for him:

Paladin in the steps

Bright green hills:

Bright green hills

I-5 freeway traffic:

I-5 freeway traffic

The Pacific Ocean and yellow flowers:

Ocean and yellow flowers

A stop at a rest area to kill some time (since it was a relatively short drive) and have lunch:

Rest area

Annoyingly, the truck parking was overrun with cars:

Cars parked in truck parking

Back to heavy I-5 freeway traffic:

I-5 freeway traffic

Heading to Chula Vista:

Heading to Chula Vista

Checking in:

Checking in

We had a back-in site, so I untoaded while Jenn checked in, then followed the coach to the site:

Following coach

Our site before parking:

Our site before parking

Travel from Yermo to Palm Desert, California

We drove our coach 146 miles, about three hours of driving, from Yermo, California to Palm Desert, California.

Here’s the map route, heading south:

Route

Interactive map, showing our stops and other potential stops:

Truck lane:

Truck lane

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

Diesel

Paladin in the steps:

Paladin in the steps

Highway CA-247:

Highway CA-247

Cafe 247, an interesting lunch stop with parking big enough for us:

Cafe 247

They were having a motorcycle gathering, which made it feel like a biker bar, but wasn’t:

Cafe 247

We bought a loaf from Banana Bread Man out front:

Banana Bread Man

Cafe 247

Highway CA-247

8% grade:

8% grade

Highway CA-62:

Highway CA-62

Wind turbines:

Wind turbines

Mountains:

Mountains

Palm Springs:

Palm Springs

Our destination:

Our destination

Travel from Death Valley to Yermo, California

We drove our coach 169 miles, about three hours of driving, from Death Valley, California to Yermo, California.

Here’s the map route, heading south:

Route

Interactive map, showing our stops:

Leaving the campground:

Leaving campground

Leaving Death Valley:

Leaving Death Valley

Paladin sleeping:

Paladin sleeping

Leaving Death Valley

Paladin in an unapproved place; he was freaking out a bit; sometimes he forgets about travel days:

Paladin in an unapproved place

“Thanks for Experiencing Your National Park”:

Thanks for Experiencing Your National Park

Bumpy road:

Bumpy road

Motorcycles:

Motorcycles

The sign could use a refresh:

The sign could use a refresh

Mountain

Bumpy road

A roadside stop for a break:

Stop

Interesting hills:

Interesting hills

A straight road; using a high zoom really emphasizes the bumps:

Straight road

Mountains

Lunch stop in Baker, with a nice big truck/RV parking area; always appreciated:

Lunch stop in Baker

The World’s Tallest Thermometer:

World's Tallest Thermometer

We had lunch at the Mad Greek Cafe:

Mad Greek Cafe

The Thermometer again:

World's Tallest Thermometer

Zzyzx Road:

Zzyzx Road

Mountains

EddieWorld, apparently California’s largest gas station (looks pretty small compared to Buc-ees in Texas, but we haven’t actually visited either):

EddieWorld

Ghost Town Road:

Ghost Town Road

Our destination:

Our destination

Travel from Las Vegas, Nevada to Death Valley, California

We drove our coach 121 miles, about three hours of driving, from Las Vegas, Nevada to Death Valley, California.

Here’s the map route, heading west:

Death Valley route

An interactive map, with our stops marked:

Horses artwork:

Horses artwork

Driving past the buildings of the Vegas strip:

Vegas

Overpass artwork:

Overpass artwork

Snowy mountains:

Mountains

A snack while driving:

Snack

Paladin in his safe space:

Paladin

Mountain:

Mountain

We stopped for lunch at the Area 51 Alien Center:

Area 51 Alien Center

It’s Nevada, so there’s also the Alien Cathouse Brothel:

Alien Cathouse Brothel

The Area 51 Alien Center:

Area 51 Alien Center

Our coach

They have a cafe, but it was closed, so we grabbed packaged sandwiches for lunch:

Lunch

Cow artwork:

Cow artwork

Leaving Nevada, entering California (no welcome sign, just “click it or ticket”; real friendly there, California):

Nevada to California

Bumpy road:

Bumpy road

Enering Death Valley National Park:

Enering Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park

Most of the park is below sea level; passing sea level elevation, heading down:

Sea level elevation

-5 elevation:

-5 elevation

The Ranch at Death Valley, at -190 feet elevation:

The Ranch at Death Valley

David’s lap desk

Living full-time in a 40-foot motorhome while continuing to work poses some challenges. One is simply where to work.

For those who don’t know, I am self-employed as a macOS and iOS app developer. My company is Dejal; I am the developer of Time Out for Mac, a popular break reminder tool, and Simon for Mac, a pro tool to monitor websites and servers for changes or failures, plus a couple of iOS apps. I also do macOS and iOS consulting, helping other people create great apps — currently SheetPlanner for Mac (and soon iPad), a powerful spreadsheet/planning tool, and NewsBlur for iPhone and iPad, a popular RSS reader.

When we were considering what kind of RV to buy, we considered toy-hauler fifth-wheel trailers, so we could convert the garage area into an office. Or a fiver or motorhome with bunks, that could be removed and converted into a tiny office; I quite liked the look of the Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B, with the bunks at the rear.

Ultimately a dedicated office wasn’t deemed an essential feature. When we decided on a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, one point in its favor was a pull-out keyboard tray at one of the dining seats.

But after we actually bought our coach, it turned out that the most convenient desk for me was a simple lap tray. (And we eventually removed that keyboard tray as part of making a liquor cupboard.)

I already had a lap desk that I had used for TV dinners in the homestead, and it works very well for a laptop, too. I can sit on our couch and work comfortably, or take it outside. I’m writing this sitting on a swing seat on a nice sunny day (in the shade of our awning):

David and lap desk

More often I use it while sitting on the couch, sometimes with Paladin’s assistance:

David and Paladin

To make it more portable, I have velcroed my MacBook Pro to the lap desk, using self-adhesive velcro dots. So it can be removed, but typically remains attached. It’s secure enough that I routinely carry the tray around by its handle, with the laptop hanging in space.

I also velcroed a portable solid state drive to the tray; it is my backup drive. And the tray has a slot where I can temporarily put my iPhone or another drive.

SSD

I find the built in keyboard, trackpad, and display of my laptop to be perfectly adequate for my needs. But when I want a little more screen space, I can attach a SideTrak Swivel 12.5” display, giving me plenty more room for reference material or an app I’m debugging.

SideTrak screen