Note 1: In route to this campground we purchased 80.67 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/2 tank) at $2.78 per gallon costing a total of $225.00.

Note 2: On Fri., 01/02/15 to Sun., 01/04/15, Debbie's friends/co-workers showed up to spend the weekend at our timeshare with us. They occupied the spare bedroom & the fold down queen murphy bed in the living room. There names were Kenyona Allen (co-worker at VVC), Raya Allen (sister to Kenyona), and Roena Allen (instructor at VVC & mother to both Kenyona & Raya). Debbie and her friends went to visit Garden of Gethsemane and ate breakfast at The Good Egg which are both located in Tucson, AZ.

TS1: Stayed at WorldMark Rancho Vistoso for 13 nights in one of our timeshares; we stayed in a 2 BR suite. Located minutes north of Tucson, AZ in the beautiful Oro Valley with its giant saguaro cactus. This part of the country is perfect for January visits because of its mild Winter temps. We love WorldMark and we love staying in timeshares!!!

Note 1: In route to this campground we purchased 44.085 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/4 tank) at $2.52 per gallon costing a total of $111.05.

Note 1: On, Friday, 01/23/15 we went to our solar warranty appointment with Solar Bills, 630 W. Main Street, Quartzite, AZ 85346 / (619) 588-9852 to replace our eight (08) AGM batteries, and to rewire our solar system from series to parallel. The issue was that wired in series, the watts coming off of the solar panes was too high for the two solar controllers to handle. The warranted cost for the eight (08) new Lifeline AGM batteries ($1,600.00) along with a Blue Sky Battery Temp sensory ($40.00) came out to a total cost of $1,640.00. On Saturday, 01/24/15 I ran the newly rewired solar system and new batteries through a day of full use and the system not only provided all of our electricity that we were using, but also fully charged the batteries before the sun went down. It is nice to finally have a fully functioning solar system that can provide plenty of power for boondocking opportunities.

Note 1: On arrival at Desert Vista RV Resort, we were told our maximum stay as a Thousand Trails member at this now KOA park (owned by ELS) was 14 nights, even though we have a Thousand Trails reservation confirmation for 21 nights for free. Also this park charges a $4.00 per night fee for all reservations under 30 days in length. According to Thousand Trails, since this is one of our bonus parks, we should have been allowed to stay for 21 continuous nights for free. We finally worked it out with this KOA park to let us stay for the full 21 nights at a cost of $4.00 per night for a total cost of $87.00 which included local taxes. This park normally charges $30.00 per night stay and an additional $4.00 per night fee for reservations under 30 nights total. I also notified Thousand Trails of the rule changes at this KOA park.

Note 2: On Weds., 02/28/15 we rode first class on the Verde Canyon Railroad Wilderness Route. This was a 4 hour train ride that left from Clarkdale, AZ, went 20 miles out to Perkins, AZ, and then 20 miles back. The train is a fully restored vintage train that was pulled by two FP7 locomotives (2 of only 10 remaining in North America. First Class tickets cost $89.95 each plus taxes. Deb and I attended a Diamond Resorts 90 min. sales presentation and was able to buy our tickets for $30.00 each. The train route follows alongside the Verde River and through some beautiful red rock canyons at an average speed of 10 miles per hour. The trip included a nice lunch and narrations about the surrounding history, geology, and wildlife. We both highly recommend this scenic train ride to anyone else that is thinking of taking the trip.

Note 3: On Tues., 02/10/15 we drove to Echo Lodge Resort in Parker Dam, CA to visit our RV friends from the 2012 SMART Alaska Caravan. We enjoyed happy hour at their campsite on the Colorado River frontage, and took a tour of their new & very nice 41 ft/3 slide out Fleetwood Discovery RV. Our friends Carl Hopper & Gwen Hopper cooked up a delicious meal consisting of grill chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, salad, dinner roll, & red wine. Their friends Mark Avey & Linda Avey were there for the happy hour & dinner. Don, Carl, & Mark are all retired Army veterans. It was so nice to hook up with our friends after not seeing them since Aug. 2012.

Note 4: On Thurs., 02/12/15 we took the ferry over to the Havasu Landing Resort & Casino in Havasu Lake, CA. The ferry ride was $2.00 per adult round trip. The lunch we had at the Trails End Restaurant was delicious & reasonably priced. Since our scheduled 4 hour boat tour of Lake Havasu was canceled due to high winds on Weds., 02/11/15, this was a nice alternative to at least get out on the lake. This resort & casino is located on the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe reservation on the west shores of Lake Havasu in CA.

Note 4: On Sat., 02/14/15 I took Deb out to dinner at the Iron Horse Bar & Grill in Salome, AZ for Valentine's Day. My wife is the love of my life, my best friend, and my full-time, traveling companion. Not too many women that would even consider the mobile RV lifestyle, and she truly loves it as much as I do, so I feel very lucky & blessed to have her in my life.

TS1: From  Sun., 01/25/15 - 02/01/15 we stayed at The Ridge on Sedona Golf Resort for 7 nights in a timeshare exchange in Sedona, AZ; we stayed in a 2 BR villa. This resort is part of the Diamond Resorts International, and is located in the beautiful red rock area. This part of the country is perfect for January/February visits because of its mild Winter temps. This is an Interval International gold premiere resort that we acquired by exchanging one week with one of the timeshares we already own (WorldMark & Vacation Internationale). We love timesharing and we love exchanging timeshares with Interval International!!!

TS2: From Fri., 02/06/15 - Fri., 02/13/15 we stayed at the London Bridge Resort for 7 nights in a timeshare exchange in Lake Havasu, AZ; we stayed in a 2 BR villa. The London Bridge Resort is an all-suite waterfront property, situated on 110 acres along the Colorado River and Lake Havasu. The resort is adjacent to the famous London Bridge and the Bridgewater Channel. This part of the country is perfect for February visits because of its mild Winter temps. This is an Interval International resort that we acquired by exchanging one week with one of the timeshares we already own (WorldMark & Vacation Internationale). We love timesharing and we love exchanging timeshares with Interval International!!!

Note 1: On Sat., 02/21/15 we attended the 22nd Annual Arizona Outback Chili Cook Off at the Centennial Community Center in Salome, AZ. The schedule of events from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM included tails & trails poker run, off road poker run, custom & classic car show, quilt show, art show & exhibits, folkloric dancers, line dancers, salsa tasting, chili cook off, and a 50/50 raffle,

Note 1: On Weds., 02/25/15 we had Shade Pro RV Awnings out of El Cajon, CA, replace the back two smaller slide-out toppers, for the bedroom, at the rear of the motorcoach, and tighten up the slide-out topper over the driver's side living room slideout. The total cost for parts & labor came to $631.10. The installer named Jerad Mattingly told me the reason we are having problems with our awnings is because Newmar Corporation installed all of them incorrectly. Newmar installed all of the slide-out topper awnings absolutely flat & level, so they always hold water rather than shed water. He told me the top of the slide-out topper should be 2 1/2" higher at the inside top edge than the outer lower edge. If Newmar would have installed the top edge just below the roof line and the bottom edge much lower, the slide-out topper awnings would be shedding water like they should rather than all forming swimming pools over the slide-outs. We like our Newmar Motorcoach, but this is another example that they are as incompetent as the rest of the RV motorcoach builders. Yes, they use higher quality parts, thus their motorcoaches are much more expensive, but they install so many things incorrectly it really boggles the mind on how they do so many dumbass things. So much for Amish quality work being the best work possible, it is all BS hype by Newmar Corp.; the Amish quality of workmanship is no better than non-Amish RV builders.

Note 1: On 03/04/15, while at the Picacho Peak State Park, our refrigerator stop getting cold. I took the RV to Merrigan's AZ Road-Runner RV Service Center. They went ahead and put in a new Thermister which they had in stock. The Thermister cost $39.00 plus $45.00 labor for a grand total with taxes of $84.28.

Note 2: While at this Pilot Truck Stop I filled up the RV with diesel. It took 59.624 gallons (approximately 1/3rd of a tank) at 2.76 per gallon for a total cost of $164.50.

Note 1: On Sun., 03/08/15 we watched The Rivoli Revue (Ron & Kay Rivoli). They are singers, songwriters, and Indie recording artists. They frequent many RV rallies around the country to entertain with their folksy, style of music. We enjoyed their musical performance as good, wholesome, entertainment.

Note 2: On Mon., 03/09/15 we watched Brent Webb "The Master Mind". Brent is a mentalist which has won numerous awards, appeared with many other comics, and has had guest appearances on numerous TV shows. We enjoyed his performance as excellent form of entertainment.

Note 3: On, Tues, 03/10/15 we visited the Arizona- Sedona Desert Museum, the Saquaro National Park (west), and the Tucson Mountain Park (Pima County, Tucson, Arizona). The desert museum was absolutely terrible, and way over priced. The cost of the museum was $20.00 per person, so $40 for the two of us to visit. I definitely DO NOT recommend the AZ-Sedona Desert Museum to anyone - stay clear of it and save your money (You Have Been Warned). The national park (west) and the state park were very desert scenic with numerous rock formations and lots of saquaro cactus to see. Later that evening at 7:30 PM, Deb and I went to a Star Party hosted by nationally known astronomy educator Gary Tomlinson. We took our lawn chairs out to set under the Arizona night skies in a large parking are within the Pima County Fairgrounds. Gary pointed out all of the various planets & star constellations that could be seen with the naked eye. This astronomy class was very enjoyable for both of us.

Note 4: On. Weds, 03/11/15 we attended the 1 hour seminar titled Escape To Mexico. This seminar was taught by Lin & Markye Hines whom are members of the Escapees Chapter 8 - The Mexican Connection. They have made numerous trips into Mexico with their motorcoach, and want to assure others that Mexico can be experienced by RVers with confidence. Deb and I plan to make a future trip into Mexico with our motorcoach, so we just wanted to start exploring such information. When we do go into Mexico, it will be as part of Escapee's Mexican Connection Chapter 8 to either Kino Bay, Sonora, Mexico or Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico. Both of these popular RV destinations are located on the upper part of the Gulf of California.

Note 1: In route to this campground we purchased 38.962 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/4 tank) at $2.65 per gallon costing a total of $103.21.

Note 2: On Sun., 03/15/15 Debbie's childhood friends Janet Howell Jerome, Jarvis Howell, Jerry Howell, Jackie Benjamin, and Brenda Walker all stopped by for a few hours to visit. They brought along some excellent Vegan food and Debbie was so happy to see her longtime friends.

Note 3: On Mon., 03/16/15 Debbie's cousin Beverley Collins and her friend Milton La Ponte came to our RV campsite for a visit. They treated us to a nice buffet lunch at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino a few miles away in Indio, CA, then we came back to the RV for several hours of conversation. It was such a wonderful day for all of us.

Note 4: On Thurs., 03/19/15 Debbie's friends Bertha Edwards-Tutt and her son Keith Tutt came to our RV campsite for a visit. This was another nice visit from friends that live in southern California.

Note 1: On Weds., 03/25/15 Debbie's aunt Barbara Mills Martin came to our RV campsite for a visit. It was very nice seeing Barbara again.

Note 2: On Thurs., 03/26/15 we visited the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Motorsports Museum in Pomona, CA. The regular cost is $10.00 per person, but we got in for $7.00 per person as AAA members. The museum was actually quite good. Interesting fact I learned at the museum is that current dragsters are hitting over 330 MPH speeds in about 3.7 seconds in the 1/4th mile tracks. In fact, if a NASCAR race car were to hit the starting line at there normal racing speeds, the NHRA dragsters (starting from a complete stop) would still beat them in a 1/4th mile race track. WOW!

Note 3: On Weds., 03/29/15 Debbie and I took our niece Jessica Gray out to dinner to meet up with several of our FMCA RV friends at the Caffé Allegro Ristorante Italiano in old town La Verne, CA. The food, atmosphere, and company were great. It was a wonderful way to finish off the three big RV rallies we just finished attending (Escapees Escapade, Good Sam The Rally, & the FMCA International Rally).

Note 1: On Tues., 03/31/15 Debbie picked up her mom Pearl and brought her out to our RV for a day long visit. It was great seeing her again. Debbie was was able to do many visits with her mom during our two March ARB week long stays. Pearl also spent a good amount of time with us during our WorldMark Oceanside timeshare stay too.

Note 2: On Sat., 04/04/15 until Sat., 04/11/15 we went on a California Coastal Cruise on the Princess' Crown Princess for 7 days. While on this cruise our RV was parked in a storage lot on the March Air Reserve Base and we drove our SUV to the cruise terminal. The cost for the military secured storage was $35 per month which covered the entire month of April. Since we needed RV storage for our 7 day cruise and our 10 day timeshare stay, it made good sense to simply pay for one month of RV storage at this great rate.

Note 3: On Sat., 04/11/15 we spent the night at Byron Allen's condo (Debbie's brother) for one night in his spare bedroom. He lives in a very nice gated community in Irvine, CA. Deb and I along with Byron and his girlfriend Francesca went out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in Irvine, ordered cupcakes for desert from Sprinkle's Cupcakes in Newport Beach, took a drive over to see Byron's business which is the California Truck Driving Academy in Santa Ana, and then took the car transport ferry over to Balboa Island for a drive around the beach communities. During the evening we also watched a couple of Blu-ray movies on his big screen TV and ordered a take out pizza from Roundtable Pizza. This was the first time I ever met Byron; we got along great, and have much in common. It was a really nice family visit and Deb and I truly enjoyed ourselves.

1. Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Santa Barbara, CA
4. San Diego, CA
5. Ensenada, Mexico

Note 1: On Fri., 04/17/15 until Mon., 04/27/15 while staying in our WorldMark Oceanside timeshare our RV was parked in a storage lot on the March Air Reserve Base and we drove our SUV to the timeshare. The cost for the military secured storage was $35 per month which covered the entire month of April. Since we needed RV storage for our 7 day cruise and our 10 day timeshare stay, it made good sense to simply pay for one month of RV storage at this great rate.

Note 2: During our Oceanside timeshare stay we had Debbie's mom Pearl Mills Allen-Shaffer (from Moreno Valley, CA) stay with us the entire time on the murphy bed. Also, Debbie's former co-worker Carolyn M. Barnett (from Apple Valley, CA) and her sister Valorie Cleveland (from Baton Rouge, LA) stayed in the 2nd bedroom for the first 7 nights (04/17 to 04/24).

Note 3: On Sun., 04/26/15, Deb and I along with Pearl Mills Allen-Shaffer (Deb's mom), Beverley Collins (Debbie & Pearl's cousin) and her friend Milton La Ponte all went The Belles of Blues (7th Annual Blues Day) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, in Carlsbad, CA. The Belles of Blues (7th Annual Blues Day) was sponsored by the  Blues Lovers United Of San Diego. The cost to enter the flower fields & attend the festival was $11.00 per person with my military ID. The weather was beautiful, the music was great, and all had a good time. After the event we all went out to dinner at King's Fish House in Carlsbad, CA. The food was a tad bit pricey, but the quality and portions were just fine.

Note 1: On Fri., 05/22/15 we both signed up for a Winner's Club Card. Each of us got $5 of free play, and we get the discounted Winner's Club meal prices. We ate dinner in the Portrero Canyon Buffet a couple of nights which is a bit expensive on weekdays, and very expensive on weekends. The food is excellent in all regards with much variety. Debbie said the dessert selection and taste was the best she had ever eaten, and that is saying a lot considering we travel full-time and eat out often at many various restaurants.

Note 1: In route to this campground, we filled up our RV at the Morongo Casino fuel station. We put in 95.558 gallons of diesel fuel at $3.039 per gallon for a total cost of $290.40 for diesel fuel. Our RV tank capacity is 150 gallons so this was more than half a tank of fuel.

Note 2: On Weds., 05/27/15 we had our Dometic electric/LP fridge repaired. Three weeks earlier the cooling system on the fridge failed while at this same campground. It took this long to get in the correct part which was hard to find for our 12 year old fridge. The facility that did the repairs was Giant RV - Murrieta. The total cost for the parts, labor & taxes was $2,019.55. The Good Sam Extended Warranty covered $1717.28 and we paid $302.27. A week earlier I had ordered a new Dometic Replacement Board at a total cost with shipping of $108.65. The cost of $302.27 (that we paid Giant RV) included our $250.00 warranty plan deductible plus $52.27 for installing that new fridge replacement board.

Note 3: On Thurs., 05/28/15 we filled up our 65 gallon RV LP tank here at Thousand Trails before we hit the road. We purchased 18.5 gallons of propane at $2.90 per gallon for a total cost with tax of $57.94.

Note 1: On Fri., 05/29/15 we visited Sequoia National Park (including General Sherman Tree), Foothills Visitor Center (Sequoia NP), Giant Forest Museum (Sequoia NP), Lodgepole Visitor Center (Sequoia NP), Giant Sequoia National Monument, Kings Canyon National Park (including General Grant Tree), and Kings Canyon Visitors Center (Kings Canyon NP). We drove the Generals Highway from the Ash Mountain Entrance at the southwest end of the Sequoia National Park on Route 198 north and exited the Big Stump Entrance at the west end of the Kings Canyon National Park on Route 180 west to Route 245 south. While driving through the National Parks today, we saw numerous Black Bears with cubs, Mule Deer with fawns, as well as ground squirrels, chipmunks, and all sorts of birds. The sad thing was all of the dead and dying trees, including the Sequoia's from drought conditions, bark beetles, air pollution, and chem-trailing; numerous chem-trails were being sprayed into the skies the entire day long. In fact all the milky white clouds in the skies were chem-clouds and not natural clouds - this is a sad but very real truth.

Note 1: In route to this campground, we filled up our RV diesel tank. We put in 40.3366 gallons of diesel fuel at $3.099 per gallon for a total cost of $125.00 for diesel fuel. Our RV tank capacity is 150 gallons so this was approximately 1/4th of a tank of fuel.

Note 1: On Thurs., 06/18/15 we visited the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum which had some great information on the history of Groveland, CA & Yosemite National Park, including the mining industry, the timber industry, local flora & fauna, and much more. We also watched a 40 min. movie titled Yosemite Discovery which covered all four seasons at the national park. Then we went out to lunch at the Iron Door Saloon & Grill in Groveland, CA. This saloon claims to be the oldest saloon in California. We both had burgers & fries. The food was good, but extremely expensive.

Note 1: August 29th was my 55th birthday, so Deb and I went to the Sutter County Fair in Gridley, CA. We enjoyed some good fairground food, checked out the animal exhibits, watched the Splash Dog competitions, and then attended the 2015 Sutter County Fair Tractor & Truck Pull. Deb and I had a great day and did not get back to the RV until 10:00 PM.

Note 1: On Sun., 10/18/15 we stayed at our WorldMark Lake Tahoe timeshare in a one BR suite for one night in Stateline, NV. We have never stayed at this resort, and since a last minute room came available, we decided to take advantage of it. We also enjoyed this evening as our date night and took in a movie and dined out in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Our RV was left set up and safely parked in our site at Tahoe Valley Campground.

Note 2: We have looked forward to this beautiful US HWY 395 south route going south from the Lake Tahoe/Reno area down to where it ends and ties in with I-15 in Hesperia, CA. This is one of the most beautiful, scenic drives in the USA. We are driving this route for a total of 5 straight weeks staying in several campground located on various different beautiful lakes.

Note 1: On 10/25/15, while at this campground, before we hit the road, we fueled up our RV. We put in 69.47 gallons of diesel fuel at $2.879 per gallon for a total cost of $200.00 for diesel fuel. Our RV tank capacity is 150 gallons so this was a bit less than 1/2 of a tank of fuel.

Note 1: In route to the timeshare, we fueled up our RV. We put in 89.186 gallons of diesel fuel at $2.459 per gallon for a total cost of $288.62 for diesel fuel. Our RV tank capacity is 150 gallons so this was a bit more than 1/2 of a tank of fuel.

Note 2: During this one month long stay in a timeshare in Indio, CA, we opted to park our rig in the extended stay parking lot at the Fantasy Springs Casino next door. We visited the RV once or twice everyday just to make sure it was safe and sound. Extended stay parking for the RV at the Indian Casino was free. Because of all the solar panels on the roof, we were able to keep the satellite dish deployed and recording the entire time it was parked without running the generator.

Note 3: On 11/10/15 our RV ran empty of LP. We drove 7 miles down the road and got our LP tank filled at Palm Springs RV Resort (Thousand Trails campground). We purchased 14 gallons of LP at $3.20 per gallon for a total cost (including taxes) of $48.38.

Note 1: During this 18 day stay in a timeshare in San Diego, CA, we opted to park our RV at a friend's property in Lakeside, CA, and we drove our SUV to the timeshare. This spot is low altitude with warm winter weather so we do not have to worry about any freezing water pipes in the RV while enjoying our timeshare stay.