We Are Officially Upsizing for Camping This Year

Last year we slept in a tent on Memorial Day weekend at our friends Steve and Janet's ranch up near Boonville. I've been camping there since 1984 in various types of tents. Kerry joined me about 9 years ago. We always have a great time with the 80-100 people who are there. It's referred to as The Bash. I wasn't around for the naming back in the mid-1970s.

Last year we agreed that an RV for that weekend was a nice thought. Kerry went to work to find one we could rent. I was envisioning something about 20 feet long where you sleep over the cab of the RV. Kerry went way beyond my expectations. The RV in the photo is the one we are renting. It's 38-ft. long. Our friends Steve and Janet have a 40-ft. RV. I've always thought their RV was enormous. Now we are going to be traveling in one that is only two feet shorter. Kerry was hoping to pick it up in Sacramento on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend and drive it to our property where we would load it up with our stuff. Talked with 40-ft. RVer Steve yesterday. He pointed out that we would not be able to get the RV in our driveway; way to sharp a turn. And even if you did you would not have space to turn it around to leave. So now we have to find somewhere close by where we can load it up and keep it there overnight.

The other challenge is the road to Steve and Janet's ranch. It's 2.5 miles of dirt and gravel that is steep and windy. Plus you have to navigate a narrow bridge to just get to the road. When we get there on Friday, Janet will drive Steve down to our RV, he and Kerry (Steve will be at the wheel) will negotiate the narrow bridge and drive it up to the ranch. I will get in the mule with Janet and ride up to the ranch where we will have a glass of wine while we wait for the arrival of the "castle." The RV is a diesel with a "pusher." That means that we won't have as many people giving us dirty looks on the twisty, hilly part of Highway 20.

So we are writing a new chapter in our Memorial Day weekend adventures. More to come. Harleen is going to love it.