FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE: RELAXING? IN AGUANGA, CALIFORNIA

I get the biggest kick out of this photo our of overnight site in Wasco, California.  It looks as if wavelets could be tickling my feet as I photograph Scoopy and Jules on a packed sand beach, palm trees in the background.  In reality, it was early morning in the middle of the smoggy central valley of California, surrounded by fallow brown fields.  Let’s get out of here!

We were on our way around 9 am, with an unusually long (for us) day ahead, including a brush along the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin.  Destination: beautiful Jojoba Hills SKP Resort, 17 miles east of Temecula, California, near Aguanga (click here to read our most recent review). 

The shortest route from Wasco to Aguanga goes right through L.A., so is not a favorite of mine.  Instead, we head east from Bakersfield up over Tehachapi Pass, pick up highway 395 at Kramer Junction (Four Corners), head south to I-15, then I-215 until we reach Temecula and head east – adding 20 miles to the route, but eliminating the heaviest traffic we might encounter mid-day in L.A.

Heading down the long grade of Cajon Pass.

A typical LA freeway interchange and traffic.

Some years are more scenic than others, depending on the amount of rain or snowfall.  We’ve crossed 4,000+ ft. Tehachapi Pass when the mountains were beautiful, blanketed in white.  Alas, this year was not one to remember… but at least the 255 mile drive was uneventful.  We had fun dinking around with the new GPS (trip stats: 255.7 miles, 4:57 hours moving time, 51.6 miles moving average speed) and listening to satellite radio, and were settled into our site by 3 pm.

Our stay in Sacramento is always a busy time, with a far more lively social life than is usual for us while on the road.  Frequently, our next stops after Sacramento are much quieter. 

Not so here at Jojoba Hills SKP Resort.  Many of our Boomer friends have long-term lots here, and have settled in for the winter.  Thanks to Carole and Dick for hosting us for dinner last night, and giving us the lowdown on the social calendar.   Happy hours, wine tasting, birthday celebrations… those are some of the planned activities.  Just taking a walk around the park can be a day long social event as we run into friends we haven’t seen in months or years. 

Odel is out walking now, swinging by in a few minutes so I can join him in the sunshine.  Later!