Friends, Food And Succulents

After departing our amazing spot in the desert, we headed west again.  Our next stop in Chula Vista, CA had us once again staying at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park.  This time I reserved an end spot, #75.  I highly recommend this campground if you're in the area. 

This time we planned a day off to visit the coast.  We went to Coronado Island because they have a dog beach.  Saturday afternoon probably wasn't the best time to go as it was quite crowded.  We did manage to find a parking spot for our beast of a truck.  Once on the sand, Rufus did his usual zoomies :-)  We didn't stay at the beach long because of the crowds but we all enjoyed the sand.  After lunch we ventured toward town, bought a souvenir t-shirt, and strolled the beachfront sidewalk past the Coronado Hotel.  The property is gorgeous!  Well out of our price range, but they do allow dogs in the rooms.

it really is this spectacular!

When Ron and I stayed in Sacramento late last year we met Kevin, Pam and their son Chase.  They're from Kentucky and had just bought their Montana 5th wheel a few weeks prior to towing it to California so Pam could work at a local hospital.  We all hit it off immediately.  Chase was along for the ride before his enlistment with the Marines.  We parted ways just before Christmas.  After getting Chase all set up at Parris Island they once again headed back to California.  This time Pam's assignment took them to Salinas.  We decided a visit was in order.  After finding out where they were staying, we booked a couple of days at another of our favorite parks, Betabel RV Park in San Juan Batista.

Kevin was chef on our arrival night.  Their outside living room was so inviting.  A glass of wine for Pam and me, beer for Ron and Kevin, and a delicious dinner for all.  We got all caught up and shared some interesting stories.  

Chef Kevin hard at work

grilled scallops, jumbo shrimp, fried rice and veggies :-)

Ron has recently renewed his interest in plants, particularly succulents, as they're easy to maintain.  He found a unique store that specializes in succulents and it happened to be within a 30 minute drive from the campground.  The four of us drove over the following day to check it out.  We agreed, it was a fantastic find!

so many to choose from!

"please don't touch"...   yep...

they picked an arrangement for their home on wheels

various decorative rocks sold per pound

Ron, Rene, Pam, Kevin

cute older VW Bug out front

half the fun is arranging them :-)

ta-da!

Ron picked out five different succulents, a nice clay pot, some dirt mix and a bit of colored rocks.  It turned out great and it's a perfect reminder of our time with Kevin and Pam.  But before we say our see-ya-laters, it was my time to cook dinner.  Pork chops with gravy, rice pilaf and veggies along with an adult beverage of choice was followed by a fun dice game and plenty more stories.  Pam's next assignment will be near Boston in June.  We may just have to visit them again on our way up to New York :-)

Cheers!