Soledad Canyon Preserve, Action, CA
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
We left National RV Service Center parking lot around 9:30 am. The traffic and roads were terrible. The scenery changed as we drove along I-215 and Route 138, and I-14 to arrive at Soledad Canyon Road.
We had a scare when we realized that the Thousand Trails Soledad Preserve (at 3,500 ft.) entrance made us take our RV under a trestle bridge with little more than a foot clearance. We called the park ranger and they had no idea how high the bridge was so Ray took off on foot with his tape measure. We need at least 13.5 feet to clear the RV and the roof-top satellite dome and other items. Ray took it slow under the bridge and I drove the truck behind the RV to be sure we were clear. The rain was really snow by this time and cold winds made the 53 degree temp seem much lower. There was a Pacific storm brewing off of LA that caught everyone by surprise. The damage by the wind gusts took out trees and there was hail in LA as well.
We got settled in our park site around 1:30 pm and had a few gusts come through that really rocked the coach. Ray went out to cover the motorcycle before it rained (snowed) again, and he was hit by a major gust of wind and snow that just about threw him off the truck. We love the park and our site location, and the San Gabriel Mountains are between us and Hollywood, Burbank, and LA. We can see a beautiful view of the mountains through our front (living room) window.
We left National RV Service Center parking lot around 9:30 am. The traffic and roads were terrible. The scenery changed as we drove along I-215 and Route 138, and I-14 to arrive at Soledad Canyon Road.
We had a scare when we realized that the Thousand Trails Soledad Preserve (at 3,500 ft.) entrance made us take our RV under a trestle bridge with little more than a foot clearance. We called the park ranger and they had no idea how high the bridge was so Ray took off on foot with his tape measure. We need at least 13.5 feet to clear the RV and the roof-top satellite dome and other items. Ray took it slow under the bridge and I drove the truck behind the RV to be sure we were clear. The rain was really snow by this time and cold winds made the 53 degree temp seem much lower. There was a Pacific storm brewing off of LA that caught everyone by surprise. The damage by the wind gusts took out trees and there was hail in LA as well.We got settled in our park site around 1:30 pm and had a few gusts come through that really rocked the coach. Ray went out to cover the motorcycle before it rained (snowed) again, and he was hit by a major gust of wind and snow that just about threw him off the truck. We love the park and our site location, and the San Gabriel Mountains are between us and Hollywood, Burbank, and LA. We can see a beautiful view of the mountains through our front (living room) window.
Acton was founded in 1887 by gold miners who were working in the Red Rover Mine. It was named after Acton, Massachusetts by one of the miners. Two of the best-known gold mines located in Acton were the Red Rover mine and the Governors mine. Mining of Gold, copper, and titanium ore continued into the early 1900s.
Acton was once considered for the State capital of California. California Governor Henry T. Gage (1899-1903) owned the Red Rover Mine and sought to relocate the capital to Acton. This effort ultimately failed and the capital is now in Sacramento. In the late 1880s, Acton started to become more of a ranching and farming community.
In 1889, Acton's first hotel and its first saloon, the 49er Saloon (Sutters Mill), was opened, and it is still open for business. You can tie off your horse on a side rail while you visit the saloon. The bank in the same shopping center was seen in the Clint Eastwood movie "Blood Work". We ate dinner one night at Sutter's Mill. It is themed in an "old western" style and has been seen in various movies and commercials
Friday, March 30, 2007
We attended the Manager’s Meeting for Thousand Trails members. It was very informative. Overall we heard good news about the future of Thousand Trails even though the organization has been under new ownership for a year. The new owners are pouring monies into the existing parks that are necessary improvements and members expect in a Thousand Trails Preserve. The “big rigs” such as ours are causing a problem with the 30-amp vs 50-amp service that we need to run everything efficiently. A lot of RVers are also purchasing the power boosters and that causes the parks to exceed their electrical limits with the power company and this can cause power failures. They are addressing this critical situation throughout all their parks.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Beautiful day with clear skies and mountain ranges all around us. There is such diversity between the ranges. I enjoy sitting outside our home in my ergonomic lounge chair and a table for my drink. The wind in the morning is still, as the winds don’t start blowing until lunch time. I try to catch up with my reading. It is so still and quiet, I feel in awe. Family, faith, and work provide a “reason for being”, but now I find that exploring nature at a slower pace and seeing God’s gifts to us all up close and personal provides the peace I was always searching for.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
We took a short ride over to the horse exhibition park and took some pictures. This is certainly horse country. Since we got a late start, we didn’t stay very long. The trees throughout the area of Acton are sprouting their leaves and the different hews of color are amazing. The pollen is driving both of us nuts, mostly Cottonwoods. Went to Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale.
Beautiful day with clear skies and mountain ranges all around us. There is such diversity between the ranges. I enjoy sitting outside our home in my ergonomic lounge chair and a table for my drink. The wind in the morning is still, as the winds don’t start blowing until lunch time. I try to catch up with my reading. It is so still and quiet, I feel in awe. Family, faith, and work provide a “reason for being”, but now I find that exploring nature at a slower pace and seeing God’s gifts to us all up close and personal provides the peace I was always searching for.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
We took a short ride over to the horse exhibition park and took some pictures. This is certainly horse country. Since we got a late start, we didn’t stay very long. The trees throughout the area of Acton are sprouting their leaves and the different hews of color are amazing. The pollen is driving both of us nuts, mostly Cottonwoods. Went to Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale.
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CA - Acton / 3/27-4/4/07
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