Snowbird RV Adventure: Night Sky Watch at Lazydays and Ft. Huachuca

My last post included a teaser about getting a telescope to use on our RV travels. Here's the rest of the story.

Tucson has two telescope stores, Starizona and Stellar Vision. Wednesday morning we went to nearby Stellar Vision.

When we drove up to the industrial building with a garage door and metal bars we didn't know what to expect. Inside we found an astronomer's paradise.

There were telescopes of every type and size, so many it was impossible to count.

A few of the telescopes available at Stellar Vision.

At the back of the store we found the owner, Frank Lopez. He was busy refurbishing a smaller telescope. Wayne described what he was looking for, a new 6" Celestron. Wayne knew it would be difficult. Telescopes are in high demand and short supply due to Covid. People are interested in activities they can do at home and there's a shortage in the supply chain.

Wayne reviewing a refurbish 5" Celestron Nexstar.

Frank was working on a used 5" Celestron Nexstar. He explained what he inspected and repaired, if needed, before placing a used telescope on the floor for sale. After Frank's explanation we were comfortable looking at something used.

Wayne setting up his telescope to safely view sunspots with a filter.

There was another 5" Celestron Nexstar on the floor ready for sale. It had computerized celestial tracking, a tripod, spotting scope, star diagonal, low power eyepiece, power supply and padded carry case. You could tell the previous owner took good care of his scope and even kept the manual.

Wayne observing deep sky objects at Ft. Huachuca.

Wayne added a solar filter to look at the sunspots (there are a lot of big ones right now). He also got a high power eyepiece. We tried to do some night sky viewing at Lazydays, but the city lights made it difficult.

At Apache Flats RV Resort in Ft. Huachuca we set up our scope and had better luck. There were more lights than we expected and the moon was getting bright, but for two nights we had fun learning how to use our new scope and seeing favourite night sky objects.

Do you like to watch the night sky? Do you use anything for magnification? Do you like taking night sky pictures? If so, what kind of camera do you use? -- Margy

Snowbird RV Adventure Part 1: Morro Bay to El Chorro Regional Park

Part 1: Days 32 - 34

Site #7 in the Chumash Loop with full hookups.

December 5: Today's move was our shortest yet. The drive from Morro Bay State Park to El Chorro Regional Park near San Luis Obispo was only 8 miles.

We had reservations for three nights so we could get together with a friend. Kurt has come to Powell Lake in his Husky floatplane several times and stayed in our friend's cabin. Now we are coming to visit Kurt and his wife Leslie at their home in San Luis Obispo.

Kurt picked us up and we went back to Morro Bay to see the new to him sailboat he bought.

Kurt's new to him sailboat that he is restoring.

It needs a lot of refurbishment inside and out, but he's the guy who can do it. He's already rebuilt the diesel engine and is teaching himself to sail.

The entrance to the Botanical Garden.

December 6: El Chorro Regional Park has an interesting history. Farm and grazing land was used in the 1940s to create U.S. Army Camp San Luis Obispo.

In 1972, land was given to the County for a park which now includes Dairy Creek Golf Course (with discounts for campers), El Chorro Campground with dry and full hookup sites, extensive day use areas and the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden.

As an avid gardener up at the cabin, I couldn't help but laugh.

During one of the sunny periods, Wayne and I walked through the many plant exhibits in the Botanical Garden.

Much of the work is done by volunteers and we were happy to give a donation on the way out.

That night the rain returned with a few really heavy downpours. The next morning we woke up to a muddy bog right outside our door.

The Cal Poly Mustangs with Kyle #33 playing basketball.

December 7: We were also here to meet Kurt and Leslie's son Kyle and watch him play basketball at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Kyle is a forward on the Division 1 Mustangs team. He's following in his dad's footsteps.

Kurt played basketball during his college career and is now a professor in the College of Engineering.

After two days and nights of rain, our campsite became quite a quagmire.

California has been getting some much needed rain.

But as a Californian by birth, I can't complain. She needs all the moisture she can get. It was a lot of fun to include a visit with Kurt and Leslie in our trip. And we put Uber to good use getting around on our own. Without a car, ride sharing and taxi service has made our trip much more enjoyable. -- Wayne and Margy

Trip Mileage Log

Leg - 8 miles

Total - 1347 miles

Our rechargeable Midland GXT1000s.

As you know, Wayne and I are new to RVing. While we've driven a pickup with a shell on the back for quite a few years, we've never mastered backing up, especially with a trailer in tow.

When we purchased an RV, we kept that in mind. Our choice was a 25' Class C that would be easier to handle on the road and in parking lots. To help us even more, we use a set of Midland GXT1000 two-way radios, better known as walkie-talkies.

Using walkie-talkies is a huge improvement.

In the beginning, I would run around the RV and call out directions, or stand in front giving hand signals.

After crunching the plastic awning cap we knew there must be a better way. We have a set of walkie-talkies from quad riding, so brought them along. Now I can give precise directions without announcing our attentions to the whole campground. Using two-way radios has made our operations much safer in tight situations.

Sportscation in Euguene, Oregon

Do you like to watch sports? High school? College? Professional? Why not combine that interest with your vacation plans. Games can be the main purpose of your trip, or an adjunct activity. Either way, taking a sportscation is a fun way to travel.

Wayne and I drove to Eugene, Oregon for the first leg of our fall sportscation.  We come here for lots of USC sporting events at the University of Oregon.

We checked in at the downtown Eugene Hilton. We like to stay here because it's within walking distance to Autzen Stadium for football, Matthew Knight Arena for basketball and volleyball, and the new Jane Sanders softball stadium that will open in 2016.

We timed our arrival to watch a women's volleyball game. We're USC fans, but enjoy watching other teams when SC isn't playing.

The Oregon women faced off against Washington, but weren't able to win over the No. 2 ranked Huskies despite an initial win in the first set. Volleyball is a new sport for us, and for this game we got excellent seats right up front and even with the net.


Several years ago we discovered a great breakfast spot, The Original Pancake House, and had to return on our way to the USC vs. Oregon football game the next morning.

There wan't time for us to get their signature Dutch Baby Apple Pancake, but anything at this popular Ducks hangout is great. Plus, it's right on the way to Autzen Stadium. Walking to the game is much easier (for us) than trying to battle the crowded streets and park.

To work off our breakfast and get to the game, we walked along the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail.

This popular riverside path follows along on both sides of Willamette River as it meanders through town. You can use the dedicated foot bridges and make it a two mile or so loop. Parts are paved to share with bikes, and parts are dirt along the north shore. One branch will take you right to the front of Autzen Stadium. Just follow the crowd.

Finally to the main event, the USC Football portion of our trip. We took our Coleman portable stadium seats and it was a good thing we did. We were on the shady side and the benches were still wet and cold from rain and dew the previous night.

Wayne picked these stadium seats because they are light weight, roll up fairly compact, and are easy to pack in a suitcase for our sportscation trips.


Because we were on the shady side, it was was a lot colder than the sunny side.  Even with my sweatshirt, jacket, and gloves I was chilly. At half time, I went downstairs to warm up in the sunshine and get a Dutch Bros. hot cocoa.

After a good warming, I went back to the game, but USC was a bit cold as well. They lost to the Ducks 48 to 28. Seems like we didn't bring them enough Canadian luck.

What's a vacation without lots of good food. We probably should have opted for a light dinner, but NOT. We headed over to the Cornucopia. We
had the Saturday special, a hot meatball sandwich, fries and a brew for only $12.99. Good food, USC and Ducks fans (getting along), and a funky atmosphere.

A perfect end to the first leg of our fall sportscation. -- Margy

Breadfarm Bonanza

Not far south of Bellingham is the quaint town of Edison. It isn't much more than a rural crossroads, but here you will find two unique local restaurants called The Edison and the Longhorn Saloon. If you have a hankerin' for fresh oysters this is the place to come. They are fresh, delicious, and VERY reasonable.

While you're in town, stop at the Breadfarm. It's a small organic artisan bakery at the bend of the road in "downtown" Edison next to the Longhorn Saloon. Wayne and I just stopped in for a loaf of Chuckanut Multigrain (great for toast) and a Bow Hill Baguette for dinner eats. We've also had the Black Olive Baguette (tangy and yummy).

If you can't get to Edison, you can find Breadfarm products online. They sell their cookies and crackers that way.

But to get their great breads you'll need to visit them in person. And as an added bonus, the great smell of fresh baking bread is free! -- Margy

NOMA LED Twinkling Spheres

Last Christmas our good friend Jeanne gave us a set of Valerie Parr Hill Glass Spheres. When I wrote about them on my Powell River Books Blog, they weren't available in Canada.

But this week Canadian Tire came out with their Christmas Catalog and I found an ad for NOMA LED Twinkling Spheres. I went to the store to check them out. They look exactly like the Valerie Parr Hill ones.   YEA! Now we have a local option to get these great decorative items.

The NOMA spheres cost $49.99 CAD and come in small, medium, and large. They can be hung or have a flat bottom for table display.

The NOMA spheres come in silver or gold. A timer controls a 6-hour on, 18-hour off cycle. They are indoor/outdoor rated, and use three C-cell batteries that last over two months.

These are great sitting on a patio table (like Jeanne uses them), or hanging in the living room (like we do). We both use ours year-round, and at the cabin, they make a nice warm glow in the evening without using any of our limited solar-powered electric supply.

Here's what ours look like in action.

If you enjoy glowing lights at night, give either the Valerie Parr Hill or NOMA version a try. -- Margy