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Roadrunner Financials – October 2013 November 6, 2013

Filed under: budget and finances,CA,friends,full-timers,history,museum,Presidential Museum — rwarner22 @ 11:23 am

We continued our time in California taking our time along from the Bay Area heading south to just north of Los Angeles

Roadrunner Recap

We wanted to see the Monterey Bay area because of its beauty and history. It gained notoriety in John Steinbeck’s famous novel “Cannery Row” and was close to the fantastic and memorable Pebble Beach and Carmel coasts. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Moving south, we stopped in San Luis Obispo. We were quite a bit more isolated there and had some good downtime. Next, we went farther south to Port Hueneme where we spent a couple of weeks. While there, we played some golf and went to see the Ronald Reagan Library. Finishing up the month, we stayed at March Air Reserve Base FamCamp. The best thing about it was its close proximity to Redlands where we spent lots of time with old friends from our time at Norton AFB in the 1980’s.

Specifically, we spent time at the following sites:

A – Monterey Bay (Monterey Pines Navy Campground) – 6 days
B – San Luis Obispo (Camp San Luis Obispo Army National Guard) – 8 days
C – Port Hueneme (Fairways RV Resort Navy Campground) – 14 days
D – Moreno Valley (March ARB FamCamp) – 3 days

Good News Areas We Are Under Budget

Biggest Expenses
Our campground fees in California continue to be higher than we like, but not much we can do about that.
– We finished up the month at March ARB FamCamp which only cost $17/night but we the Navy campgrounds are $30/night.
An upgrade on the MacBook laptop cost me $216.
– I found a Mac Superstore in San Luis Obispo that was great. They said according to Apple I can only get 4GB of ram on my machine, but they actually doubled it. That sped things up a bit so it was well worth it.
We were pretty close on groceries this month but still went over.
We were $179.83 over in Misc.
– I wish I could point to one thing but it was a lot of things: new comforter for the bed, hats and sweaters and ball markers and gifts from Pebble Beach, more golf than we usually play in a month, a Presidential Pass (that gets us into other Presidential Libraries)…

Large One Time Cost Item
Our yearly RV and car registrations are due, so we paid an even $700. I logged it into the RV Maintenance row with a comment to note what it was for on my spreadsheet. It was easy to do online as a South Dakota resident.
Another big one was a new RV CD/Radio we had put it at Best Buy. While it was only $216.56, it accounted for a large part of the overage in that area.

Monthly Average

We are into the 5th month of our 5th year and are about on track with our monthly spending. If I had prorated our upcoming car and RV registration over the entire year, we’d be right there.

That about does it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles! Really appreciate all the comments and to those that emailed me separately, hope you find the budget spreadsheet helpful. If anyone else would like a copy, I’d be glad to send it out to you ~ just let me know.
Until next time…

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Seeing the Ronald Reagan Library October 26, 2013

Filed under: CA,full-timers,history,museum,Presidential Museum,tourist — rwarner22 @ 9:05 am

The Ronald Reagan Library is less than 35 miles from our campground and a few days ago, we visited it.

Our initial impression was good. It was not hard to find, good roads into the facility and the parking was not far from the front entry.

The facility and front door area looked like a ranch hacienda type of area. It was large and had lots of floors and I could image a few evening functions being catered out here.

When we entered the facility, we were greeted by a volunteer who told us about the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. We became members for $62. Our admission to this presidential library was $32. But as Presidential Foundation members, we get free entry into any of the others we see this year. My guess is we have a shot at seeing four more this year.

But they are scattered around the country.

So far, we have seen the Presidential Libraries of:

Gerald R. Ford – Grand Rapids, MI
Herbert Hoover – West Branch, IA
Harry S. Truman – Independence, MO
George W. Bush – Dallas, TX
Lyndon B. Johnson – Austin, TX
Ronald Reagan – Simi Valley, CA

That means we have a few left to see:

Richard Nixon – Yorba Linda, CA
George H.W. Bush – College Station, TX
Dwight D. Eisenhower – Abilene, KS
William J. Clinton – Little Rock, AR
Jimmy Carter – Atlanta, GA
Franklin D. Roosevelt – Hyde Park, NY
John F. Kennedy – Boston, MA

I think this, the Ronald Reagan may have been our favorite. I liked the grounds, the setting and the layout of the facility. I found this map online that gives a pretty good perspective.

I found a couple displays especially interesting. One was the video and information surrounding his time (1964-1962) as the spokesman for General Electric and the host of GE Theater. I spent some time in there learning about his travels across the country, visiting many of the 140 GE plants nationwide.

It provided him time to meet regular people and engage with them. It was during these years, that he gave hundreds of speeches developed his political philosophy and ambitions.

I also saw a display of his personal collection of note cards. Over the years, he kept his thoughts and ideas on 4″ x 6″ note cards that he carried in a re-purposed photo album book. That really impressed me for some reason. Every time he heard a quote, or a statistic or a joke he wanted to remember, he jotted it down on note cards for later use.

We spent a couple of hours wandering through the museum and saw his whole life story. Some galleries included some great film footage of him and some scary moments during his presidency like the assassination attempt.

It was all very interesting. I could have stayed longer. Reading about his days as Governor, the accomplishments, the ‘agenda’.

One thing I believe at all presidential museums has been a replica of the Oval Office. We spoke with the ladies there for a few minutes. I always try to thank the volunteers. Without them – it would be quite different. Whether they are at the Information Center in downtown Napa or at this Presidential Library, I appreciate their contributions. Their contribution makes a difference in my day.

Next, we headed over to the Air Force One display. It was quite impressive. We got a chance to walk through it although photographs were not allowed.

Then we went through another part of the museum

Around back, we saw a piece of the Berlin Wall.

And his final resting place

It was a great afternoon. Sometimes during the tour I got goosebumps and our time there was very uplifting.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! Until next time…

Steinbeck Center in Salinas October 20, 2013

Filed under: books,CA,history,museum — rwarner22 @ 11:07 am

While in Monterey, we drove over to Salinas, home of John Steinbeck. The Steinbeck Center was one museum I didn’t want. I felt like I didn’t get a lot of those ‘standard’ reading assignments in high school. Back then it depended on what English or Literature teacher you had as to what ‘classics’ or authors you became familiar with. Now that we were in Steinbeck country, I was interested in learning more.

I am now reading Steinbeck and it has really been good. To my surprise, I feel as if I am becoming more familiar with what early life was like for my parents. They both lived through the realities of the Depression and Steinbeck does a great job of creating the word pictures.

My most recent reading, “Grapes of Wrath”, creates images of hardship that may have been real for them. Neither of my parents were migrant workers or ones to talk about it much about their growing up years. But now and again, we’d pick up a hint of what life was like being poor back in the 1930’s.

The Steinbeck Center museum is well funded so it has a ‘study center’ look to it as if there are conferences or important research going on. The facility is not especially large, but it has a museum area with displays and artifacts, a theater to show short videos about Steinbeck, as well as meeting rooms and other parts we did not venture into.

We saw a short film, then took our time in the museum area. I liked how it was set up very informational displays. It starts off with a family tree of sorts that shows his ancestors and his immediate family. He was married three times and had two sons.

Some of the displays were focused on famous works like “The Red Pony”, “Grapes of Wrath” and “East of Eden”.

A number of his works became motion pictures. I’d love to get my hands on “Grapes of Wrath” with Henry Fonda.

Many of his works were about California and the areas where he lived. But he also spent considerable time in New York where he met his first wife.

During his later years, in 1960, Steinbeck became a full-fledged RVer and set out across America in a pick up truck that was modified with a camper on it.

He was ahead of his time on that note and traveled with his wife’s poodle ‘Charley’. He wrote about it one of his last works, “Travels With Charley – In Search of America”.

At the time we went on his 10,000 mile, 11 week journey, it was thought that he was ill and according to his son, ‘wanted to see America one more time’.

His account appeared in three installments in Holiday magazine in 1961 and was published in book form in 1962. Later, the book’s authenticity as a work on ‘non-fiction’ came into doubt with published accounts that his wife joined him many times during the trip.

Later in 1962, Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature. He died of congestive heart failure in 1968 after being a life-long smoker.

I learned a lot about John Steinbeck, one of Americas great authors. After I finish ‘East of Eden’, I will probably know more.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! Until next time…

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Cannery Row in 5 Pictures October 16, 2013

Filed under: blog,CA,history,Monterey,travel — rwarner22 @ 2:30 pm

I love those concise, well-done displays that tell the story of the area and a lot of history. The other found one on the pier outside of the Monterey Aquarium in Monterey, CA.

Hopefully you can click on the picture to enlarge it and read the finer details if you want to.

I find myself taking pictures of the sign and informational items so I don’t forget a name or in this case, to go back and re-read the information.

I have been curious about Cannery Row since I first heard of it. I didn’t find out until later, after high school, that it was more than the title of John Steinbeck’s novels. But, what was it? Is there such a thing as a cannery row apart from THE Cannery Row? Apparently not. This is the only reference to one I have heard of.

In fact, the area of Monterey known as Cannery Row was actually a stretch of Oceanview Avenue that had its name changed to “Cannery Row” in January 1958 to honor John Steinbeck and the notoriety he brought it.

Then the actual essence of Cannery Row in its peak time –it was all about the sardines. Millions of pounds that were harvested and shipped out. I think I tried sardines once. Might have been when I was still in my mid-twenties. Afterwards, I remember thinking, “Why did I do that!? That was awful!” Sometimes I mis-remember though and may have to try them again. We’ll see. But I know they smell quite a bit.

Can you imagine being in Cannery Row during its Hey Day? The action activity of the tens upon tens of boats (purse seiners) going out each day. And later, whistles going off to alert the factory workers, the catch is coming in — get ready! And then the hours upon hours sorting fish and packing and canning them. All the routine, monotonous? work day after day for years.

And folks glad to have a job. In spite of the nasty conditions. And the smell. For miles and miles. Cannery Row then was probably not anything remotely like the tourist spot it is today. It was probably gross and smelly and polluted industrial park-like area where hard working people were getting the job done…

So that’s how I remember a bit of Cannery Row – in 5 pictures!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! Until next time…

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Seeing Jerry Brown, and Others September 12, 2013

Filed under: CA,history,State Capitol,travels — rwarner22 @ 3:00 am

Actually, we got to see more than the governor on our trip to Sacramento and the State Capitol on Monday. It was a pretty memorable day. We started out on our day trip from our campground in Fairfield, California (Travis AFB Family Campground). We took I-80 all the way to the downtown area of Sacramento and easily found a place to park for a few hours across the street.

We quickly found the front entrance. There were some protesters getting ready for a noon time rally. And some ‘Vote for Cindy Sheehan’ tables set up.

Not sure what that was all about but it happened to be ‘California Statehood Day’ and the first day of the new state legislature session. It was not overly crowded. We went through security and into the rotunda to the information table and picked up some brochures and maps of the building. We found the volunteers to be nice folks and had some friendly conversation.

Then we went downstairs and found the Governors Office right down the hallway with some State Troopers outside near the large golden bear.

And a crowd of about 20 which was waiting for the new conference to begin. “Jerry Brown is coming out in a few minutes and will be making a statement on the prisons”, was the word on the street.

So we waited around and about 15 minutes later, amidst the crowd and TV cameras (and a blogger) he appear with some aides and had a short statement before his prison expert explained what was going on and what they were going to do.

Pam and I were excited to be able to catch a glimpse of the famous governor.

By then, it was lunch time and we went back outside and had a picnic on the nice grounds and people watched some. We weren’t the only ones enjoying some nice weather at lunch time.

Then we went back in to the capitol for round two. The building on the outside looks modest, well cared for and very open and beautiful on the inside.

The rotunda, state seal, statue of Christopher Columbus and lighted hallways made for a great first impression.Interestingly enough – like a few of the other state capitols we have seen, it recently has undergone a very extensive modernization to bring it back to its former glory.

Our first stop was up to the second floor and down the hallway to the Assembly.

As we approached, a lady worker out of the “President Pro Tem’s” office was leaving and told us where to the floor of the chambers were. She let us inside for a couple of minutes as her guest and I took some pictures.

Then we went up to the gallery and found out Jackie Robinson’s widow(Rachel) (yes -THE Jackie Robinson, #42) was going to receive some type of commemoration later in the chambers. We went upstairs and waited. And sure enough, her entourage and the assemblyman from LA entered the floor. She is pretty amazing to be in her 90’s and as active as she is. And she looked beautiful and very gracious.

Then the first session began. There were no pictures allowed after that point. I was glad I snapped a few before it all began. After a few minutes, we left and went over to the Senate. The session there was underway and no pictures. Missed out on that one. But security let me take one picture of the open door to the chamber gallery.

In one of the hallways we saw portraits of some of the former governors

On different floors there were some historical displays of some offices in the capitol in the early 1900’s.

Other historical displays showed scenes of the 1930’s and more migration to California during the Depression and Dust Bowl era.

John Steinbeck’s ‘Grapes of Wrath’ was noted in an individual display because it told of life in California during those hard times.

And behind it, Woody Guthrie’s guitar and an original song he wrote in 1940.

Outside on the grounds of the capitol, we found a replica of the Liberty Bell.

In 1955, the U.S. Treasury Department cast 55 replicas of the Liberty Bell and sent them to all U.S. states and territories as part of a Savings Bond drive called, “Save Your Independence”. Now, when we visit another capitol, we always look for the Liberty Bell.

It was a beautiful day in Sacramento, perfect for seeing the California State Capitol.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! And thanks for those comments ~ we always enjoy hearing from you!

Until next time…

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Another Day in the Redwoods August 29, 2013

Filed under: CA,hiking,history,OR,redwoods — rwarner22 @ 9:29 am

We took another daytrip through the coastal Redwoods – this time south on U.S. Highway 101 to Big Tree Wayside.

This screen shot of the NPS map shows the route we took south on U.S. 101 south along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway.

We stopped at Big Tree Wayside and found plenty of hiking trails to chose from. First, we had a picnic lunch and then started out on a stroll on the Foothill Trail through the glorious redwoods.

There must have been 15 trails or more along the parkway. Some are for avid hikers and many more for the recreational casual types.

Our hike was more of a walk – it was all flat and mostly paved.

We quickly found ourself in front of the main event. This is know as Big Tree and stands 304 feet tall. It is 21.6 feet in diameter and 68 feet around. This is the big one!

The redwoods were ‘discovered’ in the 1850’s and became hugely popular in the 1880’s in the lumber industry. By the 1920’s the big trees were being harvested at a rate that was pointing to their demise. The state of California stepped in to preserve some key groves and three state parked resulted: Prairie Creek (1923), Del Norte (1925) and Jedediah Smith (1929).

The ‘old grove’ was intermingled with other trees and lots of moss.

The trees decay from the inside and look like they could be used by wildlife.

Sometimes, you had to stop and look around and try to absorb some of the beauty.

Even the roots and stumps of these big guys were noteworthy.

A very pleasant hike.

After our time in the midst of these splendid redwoods, we went on over to the Prairie Creek Visitor Center before going back over to 101 and heading north again back to our campground in Crescent City. It was a great day for a drive and another look at the redwoods.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! Thanks for the comments – until next time…

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Nebraska State Capitol – Lincoln August 1, 2013

Filed under: history,NE,State Capitol,tourist — rwarner22 @ 4:41 am

The first surprise for Pam and me was that we were going downtown to Omaha to see the State Capitol, only to be reminded that it was not in Omaha. Yike! Mrs. Sizemore, my fifth grade teacher at Silver Elementary School, would not be happy…

Having overcome that change of plans, we drove to Lincoln on a day trip and toured the capitol.

Nebraska became a territory in 1854 with the signing of the Nebraska-Kansas Act by President Franklin Pierce. Nebraska became a state in 1867.

The capitol in Lincoln was preceded by two territorial capitols and two other state capitol buildings. The first state capitol was constructed in 1868. Poor construction necessitated another one that was finished in 1881. By 1915, it too was in need of major maintenance and plans began in 1915 for the present capitol.

New York architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue was selected to build his “tower on the plains”. Construction began in 1922 and was completed with the fourth phase in 1932.

High atop the 400′ dome stands ‘The Sower’ – a 19′ bronze statute.

Inside, the entry to the main area and stairway made us think of tunnels and dungeons.

But hallways and work areas were well lighted on that floor.

We made our way to the elevator and took the climb to the 14th floor and the top of the tower.

A look inside the dome.

The rotunda has overhead sky lighting and beautiful murals.

The floor is granite floor art depicts ‘Rain’, ‘Fire’, ‘Water’ and ‘Soil.

The West Chamber is where the only Unicameral (single-body) Legislature in the U.S. meets. The body consists of 49 senators elected to four year terms.

Nebraska’s Hall of Fame includes a plaque honoring Medal of Honor winners as well as Father Flanagan, Buffalo Bill Cody and General John J. Pershing.

The Vestibule was another beautiful area with colorful murals representing Nebraska’s history and named, ‘The Homesteader’s Campfire’, ‘The First Furrow’ and ‘House Raising’.

So far this makes State Capitol number five that we have seen this year. We have a lot more to go, but we are enjoying the journey and seeing these historic places.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

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Wyoming State Capitol July 27, 2013

Filed under: history,State Capitol,tourist,travels,West,WY — rwarner22 @ 8:44 am

It is a short drive from F.E. Warren to downtown Cheyenne and the State Capitol. It was on our list and we spent some time there earlier in the week.

The quest for statehood began in 1869 when Wyoming became a U. S. Territory and petitioned Congress to become a state. It took another 11 years when in 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed the bill for statehood, making Wyoming the 44th state.

The Territorial Legislature authorized construction on the building in 1886 and work began one year later. The building is classically designed resembling the Corinthian style architecture of the U.S. Capitol.

Near the entrance, a statute of Chief Washakie, the State seal, and a statue of Esther Hobart.

Wyoming is known as the “Equality State” because of it embraced women’s voting rights early in their state history.

In 1869, the territorial legislature enacted a woman’s right to vote and became the world’s first government to do so. A few months later, Ester Hobart, became the first woman to serve as Justice of the peace. In 1925, Nellie Ross became the first woman governor elected in the United States.

Inside, there a number of inviting historical and historical displays throughout the hallways.

The rotunda small, but the interior of the dome was beautiful!

The hallways and stairways were ornate and full of detail.

We made it a point to stop in the Governors Office, and were greeted by the friendly receptionist and intern. We peeked into the governor’s ceremonial signing room.

Next, we went upstairs to the waiting area of the House of Representatives, looked at the Tiffany Skylight in the House Chambers and got a feel for the work areas/desks of the representatives.

Murals inside the four corners of the House Chambers depicting life in Territorial Wyoming

The murals were named: Stagecoach, Cattlemen, Trappers and Homesteaders and well done.

While we were there, Representative Sam Zwonitzer was getting some work done. He told us about the $100 million renovation planned for the next 3 years and answered a lot of questions.

At 31 years old, he has been a Representative for four years and is in charge of the renovation. One challenge is determining was gets done and another is moving all the people out of the building for two years during renovations.

On the other side of the capitol are the Senate Chambers

It has similar detail in the woodwork, murals and glass work in the skylight. Both chambers were small but not crowded, as one might expect in a state with one of the lowest populations in the country.

Outside in the hallway, the arches and ceiling area where full of more beautiful detail.

A closer look at the colorful stained glass in the dome.

A view of the building from a distance.

The Wyoming State Capitol was a good stop! It was a beautiful, lively building which was inviting and interesting.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

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Sculpturewalk and Other Things July 17, 2013

Filed under: history,parks,SD,Sioux Falls,travel — rwarner22 @ 4:21 am

On Friday, we made it downtown to Sioux Falls to catch the Noon Concert. I wasn’t too sure what that was about but we were up for it.

Steve and Therressa suggested we go to the concert, then to Minerva’s for lunch. What a great time!
Apparently the City puts on noon time concerts during the summer at the Old Courthouse Museum.

We got there after it had already started and didn’t find a shady spot right away. After cooking in the sun for a while, we decided to look for another place and ended up right behind the band in the shade.

Turned out to be a great spot.

We had the pleasure of hearing “Mogen’s Heroes”. They seemed to be a mix of “easy listening/Jimmy Buffet” type of songs. Very entertaining. They were very good and a lot of fun.

Next, we took a quick tour of the museum. We didn’t stay long but did catch the historic chair display.

And saw a piece of heavy duty angle iron that was driven through a tree during a tornado

And a patriotic/historical flag display

And then we walked through town to Minvera’s Restaurant

Then we wandered around and took some photos of some the Sculpturewalk Sculptures on Phillips Avenue.

There were lots more sculptures but we only saw a few of them.

The sculptures on SculptureWalkSiouxFalls are owned by the artist on loan to the City of Sioux Falls for one year. During May-Sept, the public can vote for their favorites. Then the city purchases the annual “People’s Choice Award”. And the sculptures are for sale to the public.

Interesting time in downtown Sioux Falls ~ one of our favorite places!

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles. As always – we love those comments!

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Wisconsin State Capitol July 12, 2013

Filed under: Capitol,history,State Capitol,travels,WI — rwarner22 @ 7:50 am

We got to see the Wisconsin State Capitol on Sunday. We drove over from Lake Redstone for a day trip. It was mostly empty but they had a great pamphlet “Tour Narration”.

Wisconsin became a territory in 1836 and was admitted to the Union in 1848.

Norwegians in Wisconsin honored one of their own from the Civil War – Hans Christian Heg who fell in 1863 at Chickamauga.

The rotunda is gorgeous! The whole building is gorgeous. 43 different type of stone from six other countries and eight states were used in construction.