Saturday, December 3, 2011

YES, WE’RE BACK ON THE ROAD – SACRAMENTO TO SALINAS, CA

In the weeks we spent at Cal Expo RV Park (click here to read our review), the trees outside went from fully clothed in deep green leaves, to the splendor of fall colors, to brown and bare, stripped by the strong winds gusting around Sacramento and all of central and southern California earlier in the week.  But Friday dawned calm and quiet, and as soon as Odel returned from his last physical therapy session, we bid goodbye to our view and hit the road.

Our drive down the center of California on I-5 was uneventful.  Early on, just south of Sacramento in a wetlands preserve, we spotted several small flocks of Sand Hill Cranes, plucking snacks from the fields; after that, there wasn’t much of interest (unless you are interested in feedlots and dormant orchards).   In spite of the recent strong winds, a light haze of smog hung over the valley.  Only the merest hints of green grass are beginning to show on the hillsides, marking the beginning of California’s rainy season.

On the path in MontereyWe were glad to leave I-5 at Santa Nella and head west.  Our target?  Salinas, California (think John Steinbeck), where the Salinas Elks Lodge (click here to read our review and see photos) is well positioned for visits to Monterey, San Juan Bautista, Santa Cruz and Pinnacles National Monument.

We arrived by 2:30, unhitched, set up Scoopy and… Jules wouldn’t start!  I had moved the Jeep about 10 feet after we unhooked (no problem); Odel moved it another 10 feet to the front of the motorhome.  After that, dead! 

The last time we had this problem was back in June, in John Day, Oregon.  Somehow, it seems related to towing… a short somewhere?  Something to do with the transmission setup for towing?  We’ve towed many, many miles since then with no problems at all.  Two non-mechanics can spend a mighty long time discussing possibilities - likely and unlikely - to no avail. 

A jump start was effective last June, but we went ahead and replaced the battery in John Day – so this battery is now just 6 months old.  A jump worked again this time, and we let her run for 30 minutes or so, but with last nights temperature in the mid-30’s, we weren’t surprised when we needed a jump to start again this morning.

Kayakers in MontereyOur drive over to Monterey recharged the battery, and our lunch of clam chowder (Odel) and a panko-crusted cod sandwich (me) recharged us.  We spent the next couple hours wandering along the wonderful bayside recreation trail, taking occasional advantage of the many trailside benches to watch the bikers, walkers, kayakers, scuba divers, pelicans and gulls… all the lively and colorful sights of a beautiful, busy waterfront on a bright, sunny, cool and calm day.  We put all thoughts of vehicle troubles on hold to enjoy the ambiance of a lovely spot on a lovely day.

Whoopee, Jules fired right up when we turned the key, and we’re back at home now.  Odel is recharging the little Jump-N-Carry, the self-contained jump starter we ordered off Amazon after our John Day experience.  We have plans to hike at Pinnacles National Monument tomorrow, a rather out-of-the-way spot, so want to make sure we’ve got the juice for a jump if we experience any more problems. 

In spite of the annoyance, it’s nice to be heading off once again.  Warmer weather beckons!

15 comments:

  1. I'm glad you're back on the road again. I get to travel vicariously via your blog. I'm envious of you being in John Steinbeck country. He's one of my favourite authors. Enjoy and hope the Jeep troubles fade away.

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  2. Nice to hear you are on the move again. Glad to hear the jeep is running. Enjoy your hike!

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  3. We were at the Pinnacles a few weeks ago. Good hike! Odels knee must be feeling pretty good!

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  4. Glad to hear that Odel is doing fine, and you're moving around again. Nice photos, love those boats on the water...they look so inviting. Head for warmer weather...we came North to Eugene and it's cold here. It was 29 degrees this morning when we started out from Medford. I think we've got our timing all wrong. Leaving Desert Hot Springs and coming back to Eugene, Oregon this time of the year instead of leaving Eugene and going down to Desert Hot Springs? We need to re-think this thing!

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  5. Love the splash of color the yellow kayak makes in your last photo.

    I-5 can be a very boring drive in parts...and I do not enjoy the feedlots at all!

    Glad to see you are back on the road.

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  6. Those little jump start thingys are great, at least as longs we remember to plug it in and charge it! Who knows why towed rigs do this, it is so sporadic. Good to see you on the road again.

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  7. Glad you're back on the road. We're looking forward to reading all about your adventure.

    We've had the same trouble with our towed. We were told by a fellow RVer to let the car idle about 10 minutes at the end of each towing day. We've tried to do that, but it doesn't seem like long enough on multiple towing days in a row. It is so frustrating. Wish we knew what causes the battery drain.

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  8. So nice to see you back on the road and you sharing your experiences and pictures. Thanks much.

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  9. Have you tried a charge wire from the motorhome to the car? I have heard that this works pretty well.

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  10. Glad to see you on the road again. Monterey, chowder and Jules firing up sounds like a great day. Wish I were there. It was 29 degrees here when I got up this morning.

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  11. Glad that you are on the move again. We have used your posts for the last four years to find interesting places to visit and stay. Hope you figure out that nagging problem with Jules soon.

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  12. I can hear Willie now ... "On the road again!" Yay! While we are very much enjoying our more sedentary lifestyle right now, the yearn to be out there seeing and doing is pervasive. Keep on keeping on as long as you can, and we'll hitch a ride with you once in a while!

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  13. The one fuse pull up on the Jeep is not enough for a long haul using brakes a lot. The blue fuse for brake lights is also needed so that the battery is not used from the Jeep. Hope that helps. We tow a Jeep also; the directions for that second fuse I found on the IRV forum.

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  14. Aah, it must feel good to be on the road again. glad to here the PT is over and you are feeling better

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  15. Sorry you're having Jeep issues. We carry one of those portable battery jumps with us too. It comes in handy. Good luck with figuring out what is going on.

    Enjoy the scenery and the hiking.

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