We got out of the truck, opened the hood and saw that the serpentine belt had shredded. This belt is used for the radiator, the power steering, and the alternator. We called roadside assistance, and while we were waiting to hear back from them, we started looking for a mobile mechanic. It was going to be much easier to have the repair done there than having the truck and camper towed, or having the truck towed and having to leave the camper behind. We really didn’t want to leave our home on the side of a highway. We found a mobile mechanic who would go pick up a new belt, unwind and clean out what was left of the original belt, and get the new one in place. This all took time; it was not an easy repair. The mechanic got us back up and running and we were so very, very grateful.

We made it to Pine Flat Lake just as it was getting dark. Our short day had turned into a long day, but we made it! The campground was up a very windy mountain road, and our site was quite narrow. This was a most challenging day for Aaron, and he did an amazing job! I was and am so thankful for his driving and towing and camper parking skills.

If you look really close you can see the Airstream at the top of the hill on the left.

We were close to Yosemite again and this time we were going to go! Next week’s post will be all Yosemite Valley!

We made it to Buckhorn Campground on Memorial Day. We were about half an hour early for check-in time, but a good hour and a half past check-out time. We figured our spot would be open and available…nope. There was another open spot diagonal from where we were supposed to be, so we parked there to wait for the people to leave. It was weird. There was no one there, but the door to their camper was wide open. So we waited and waited. Finally, a ranger was able to call them and they came back, packed up and hit the road. It was Memorial Day, and they were just having fun on the lake and lost track of (or didn’t care about) time. This was the first time that had happened and it was a bit awkward. It all worked out in the end.

We saw quite a few deer, especially during the week when there weren’t as many campers around. I didn’t get pictures of every one, but we saw at least one every day except for 2 or 3 days out of 14.

There were bike trails around the campground. We decided the middle of a super hot day was the perfect (worst) time to take a ride. The first 2 trails were nice, not too difficult. Then we decided one more wouldn’t be a bad idea. Well, it was the most technically challenging of the three (for me anyway). My legs were tired from the other two trails we had been on, and it was so hot! I was miserable, over heating, and exhausted. Aaron could have done this trail in no time. With me, it took a really long time. I found out that I am more of a paved bike path type of girl. I really have no mountain biking experience, and am not a confident rider. But I survived, a good bit sore and bruised, but I survived.

After our 2 weeks were up we had a one night stay in Fremont so Aaron could do a few things at the office. This campground had full hookups, so we both took super long showers, cranked the AC up, and then it was time to head to Pine Flat Lake for another 2 week stay. But this time, we had 2 weeks of electricity and water hookups and Father’s Day and Aaron’s birthday.

My sunrise shot wasn’t as good as Ring’s. This piece of driftwood was a bit creepy, and my pocket turtle a very dear friend of mine made had a beautiful view.

We arrived at Sycamore Grove on the Friday before Memorial Day and spent the whole weekend there. This campground has a mix of sites, some with water and electric and some without. Because we made our reservation so late, only the sites without were available. We needed to refill our water tank and there was a spicket next to our site, but even though it had potable water the spout was intentionally made so that no water hose can be hooked up. Our neighbor across the street noticed us trying to fill our tank and kindly offered us his water hookup to fill our tank. So, we ran our hose across the street, and filled her up. We were very thankful for such a friendly neighbor. This campground had more people in tents camping than any other we had stayed at so far. It brought back a lot of memories for both of us. As a kid, my family camped for vacation quite a lot. Aaron and I also tent camped with our kids quite a bit when they were younger. Great memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything. But now I wouldn’t trade my mattress for a sleeping on the ground for anything either.

We enjoyed the biking/walking trails, good weather and some downtime (for Aaron). Then, it was time to move on again. Our next stop was a 2 week stay at Buckhorn campground on Black Butte Lake. It was Memorial Day and moving day and our 4th campground in 7 days. This was another Army Corps of Engineers campground and another campground without any hookups. We packed up, picked up, hooked up, and headed out. This one was going to be the longest stay without hookups or moving or emptying our holding tanks.

Happy 4th of July! Independence Day! In a way, this journey is our independence, and man oh man, we are liking the freedom we have given ourselves to experience and explore! The posts are still about a month behind, so what you are reading about this week happened towards the end of May.

We left the Pacific coast and spent the night at Hendy Woods State Park in the middle of a redwood forest. We took our bikes down a trail in the middle of the forest and then hiked down another trail to see the big ones. This was probably the most tranquil place we have been on the journey. We only had one night there, but we plan to go back and spend more time at this beautiful place.

After we left Hendy Woods, we stayed at a Harvest Host the next night. This one was in an almond grove. It was pretty cool to see the almonds on the trees. We spoke with the hostess while we sampled her flavored almonds (they were good). She explained that when it is time to harvest they have a tractor that grabs the tree and shakes it until all the almonds fall out. She said it feels like a constant earthquake during harvest season.

We then moved on to our next reservation, Yosemite Lakes. This is a Thousand Trails campground. We were given a Thousand Trails membership free when we purchased our Airstream. So we have many campgrounds in a specific region that we can stay at for free. The odd thing about them is, you aren’t assigned a campsite. Once you get there, you drive around until you find one you like and park there. They are rustic but, usually offer full hookups (that means electricity, water and sewer hookups). Having full hookups is a luxury that a lot of parks and campgrounds do not offer. Most have water, quite a few have electricity and some offer none of those amenities. The location was great, challenging to drive to and very close to Yosemite National Park. But due to the massive snows during the winter, we couldn’t access the park from our location. The campground was OK. We definitely wouldn’t rush back to stay there again. But, free is free. And we want to experience a few more before we decide if the membership would be worth renewing when our current one expires.