#13 Sunday Morning Musings and Mimosa 4/09/23

Happy Easter! Short and Sweet post this week!

It’s been a week of much needed rest; Love our County Parks; Azul is a really fun board game; Ready to check in at Herons’ House; Can’t wait to see family and friends; Getting ready for Europe; and Super excited for Leg 2 of Coach Addy’s Big Adventure!

We spent this past week at William Heise County Park near Julian, CA. This is one of our favorite campgrounds. We have been coming here since we met and always find it beautiful and peaceful. Which is just what we needed after a very busy past three months on the road. We used this time to finalize our reservations for Leg 2 of our trip, plan out the places we want to see at the various ports of our cruise and while we are in Paris, as well as giving Coach Addy a good cleaning inside. If you have time, you can check out this cool video I found on YouTube about the park. We used to camp in the little cabins which are awesome!

One of the best parts about Heise is all of the beautiful trails that they have. Charlie and I took advantage of the easy ones and also just enjoyed some beautiful walks throughout the park.

Hot Tip #1: You don’t have to be “going” and “exploring” all of the time. It’s ok to take time to relax and chill. I think we only left the campground a couple of times all week, it was awesome. Take in the beauty of where you are, sit outside, take walks, breathe!

We did take a day trip into the old gold mining town of Julian, CA on Wednesday and treated ourselves to a pint and an incredibly delicious pizza. The Julian Beer Co. has a special BBQ Pie Pizza that is to die for: BBQ sauce, smoked beef brisket, smoked pork shoulder, onions, cheddar, mozzarella, and finished with green onion. OMG, I want another piece right now! If you’ve never been to Julian, you really need to make the trip. It is such a cute little town, with fun shops, wine tasting, breweries and of course their famous Apple Pies.

Hot Tip #2: Be adventurous! Don’t just order a pepperoni pizza, ask what the local favorite is and go for it!

I have a dear friend who has a cabin in Cuyamaca (which is only a few miles from where we are staying) who invited me and another friend of ours to join her for dinner and a girls sleepover. We had so much fun! We ate an early dinner at the only restaurant on the lake, Pub at Lake Cuyamaca and then back to the cabin for a roaring fire, a bottle of wine and a few rounds of Azul, a very fun board game. Quality time with friends is even more special when it is not rushed and you haven’t seen them in a while. Thank you Ellie and Caroline for a wonderful visit!

Hot Tip #3: Make time for visiting friends whenever you are close to where they are. My side trip to Cuyamaca and the evening with the girls was priceless.

Lastly, Baker Pedee was in the kitchen again! This time he was sharing how to make Danish Marzipan logs and Easter baskets. This is the same recipe that he uses to make the Danish Wedding Cake or otherwise known as Kransekage. We love making these videos and sharing them on YouTube and on our blog, On The Great Open Road. I really wish I had videos of my mom making some of my favorite recipes: fried chicken, lasagna, and white biscuit gravy to name a few. My mom passed away 19 years ago this week and what a treasure that would have been, to see her cooking and sharing her love for food and entertaining. Unfortunately, not every baking experience is a success. Even a master-baker (don’t say that too fast) has times when something doesn’t go right. This time involved having the incorrect almond paste sent to us, which means that the dough flattened out more like a flat cookie and not beautiful logs and circles. Oh well…it happens, no Danish Marzipan Easter Baskets for us! You can be sure that Baker Pedee has been in contact with the manufacturer of the Almond Paste and is awaiting a new shipment. Stay tuned for this episode once we get the correct ingredient!

Lesson Learned:

I loved starting and ending Leg 1 of our trip at Bonelli Park near my dad’s house. We have always been close and talk a few times a week and see each other as often as we can. It was important to me that we were able to maintain this relationship while I was on the road. The irony is that I actually think I have spent more time with him over the past three months than I would have if I had not been on this adventure. We spent three days with him in January when we left, I spent a couple of days with him when I visited in February and then another couple of days this past week. It is important to follow your dreams, but it is also important to remember to stay connected to the ones you love!

Bummer of the Week

It is imperative that one has dry wood if they want to have a bonfire! Campers are not supposed to bring their own wood to the campgrounds, which is fine…IF the campground sells wood that is not so wet and heavy that it won’t burn! We were so excited on Friday night to have a fire in the fire pit and to grill pork chops over the open flame; however, the fire gods had something else in mind for us. The wood we purchased from the Ranger Station just would not ignite. So frustrating!

Highlight(s) of the Week:

Game night with Ellie and Caroline would be the absolute highlight of the week…And…

Thursday, April 6 was a very special day! It was literally the FIRST time since we left on January 5 that we were able to sit outside the coach and have our morning coffee! No joke, three months on the road and not one morning where it was warm enough to sit outside for morning coffee! If you have ever been camping or RVing, you know that sitting outside for morning coffee is one of the best parts of the experience. It is one of things that I was most looking forward to as we were planning our trip; and one of my biggest disappointments. The weather has just been too cold, rainy, icy, or snowy to be able to enjoy the morning outside. I continue to hold out hope that Leg 2 will provide us with numerous opportunities to engage in this simple pleasure!

This is our last night at Heise Park. We will be spending Easter with Jake and Maddie at one of our favorite places in San Diego-Cordiano Winery.

If you haven’t been there, you must make a reservation and head up the hill. Great pizzas, variety of wines and spectacular views. Monday, we will stop at our friends’ winery in Ramona for a Harvest Host stay at their winery, a delicious paella meal, and maybe a glass or two of wine. And, Tuesday we will arrive at Herons’ House. The first time Peder has been home in 3 months! Have a great week! Cheers!