Navels, navels everywhere

Navel oranges that is. After a very long driving day we finally arrived at the Orange Grove RV Park in Bakersfield, CA. This place is so much fun as all of the RV sites are between rows of orange trees. Visitors are welcomed and even encouraged to pick the ripe oranges for their personal consumption. We picked two dozen in a matter of minutes to take on the road with us.

The oranges sort of made up for the fact that their wi-fi setup left a lot to be desired. We couldn't get a signal inside our coach, and it was too cold to sit out at the picnic table to compose emails or blog entries. Sorry we got behind.

After the hard trip from Lodi to Bakersfield, we should have stayed here two nights to rest up. But, we got too excited to head to the southland, so we set off early the following day. Within the first 20 miles of leaving Bakersfield we were greeted with flashing signs warning of "High Winds Ahead. Campers and Trailers Not Recommended." Bummer! While trying to decide what to do, we decided to stop for gas and check with some of the locals. Diane found out from one of the cashiers that if the danger was too bad, the highway patrol would actually turn people around and not let them through. We made the decision to forge ahead. In hindsight we probably should have found a shelter until the winds died down. They made the driving more than interesting, and Diane wanted no time behind the wheel on this day.

Also, the California highway system definitely leaves a lot to be desired as well. We saw several work crews along the way that we swore were putting new holes in sections that didn't seem to have one. Every nut and bolt in the coach is being put to the test.

We are now staying at the Golden Village Palms RV Resort. We initially signed up for three nights, but are considering our options and may just make this our base. We are going to take a drive to Palm Springs to see if our favorite place is still an option, or check out some other parks we have heard about.

The overnight temperatures have still been chilly..... in the low thirties, but the weather during the day has been very pleasant. Still not terribly warm, but at least Tim got to wear his shorts. We met a number of other residents today at a welcome reception and it seems that all of Canada must have come here to stay. Easily 3/4 of the group were from different parts of Canada.