Yuma-San Diego-Dana Point

We left Qurtzsite after a few days and headed for Yuma. If you see this tank just north of town you are welcome to stay for 2 weeks for absolutely free by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. All you have to do is: sign in and you are good for 14 days in, 14 days out and you are welcome back. No amenities but you are only 5 minutes from Yuma and there is a bar on site.

Short stop at Imperial Dunes.

We spent a couple of nights there only, done laundry in town a headed for San Diego. I have been there many times but never with an RV. We wanted to check out Shelter Island, we heard a lot about it.


San Diego from Shelter Island. Yes, the rumors are true: RV-s are kicked out, no overnight parking, so we moved a bit north.


And found a beautiful campsite at Dana Point right on the water. 35 $/night, bit pricey but really nice.

Quartzsite RV show

This little town is a booming place in winter, you see nothing but RV-s in the desert as far as you can see. Tens of thousands of snowbirds come here to see the RV-show, some of them even spend the whole winter here or at least a few weeks. Boondocking sites with dump station and garbage collection cost 40 $ for two weeks, you drive 5 more miles out in the desert and camping is free. Back to the show: whatever has been invented in the RV business it is here and for sale. From satellite TV to water filters, all wheel drive motor homes, good food and even the National Parks are here hiring campground hosts. Pictures are worth a.....



Everybody we talked to in California was headed for Quartzsite.


Our motor home and a bigger brother. The difference is probably a few hundred K.


As far as you can see nothing but RV-s. Some of them stay for weeks.


The main attraction is the "Big Tent", you can get lost inside.


Satellite dealer in the tent.


All wheel drive motor homes outside of the tent.


My office in the Arizona desert and I love it.

Back in business.

I know, I know, I did not post anything for a long time. We wanted to go for another trip in January but my boss got sick and I had to fill in for him. Vacation postponed. Then I found out: the place where I worked for 9 years was sold. Vacation postponed again. A few weeks full of worries, then the new boss told us: everybody is going to have a job under the new management, but the official way is: you will be laid off from the old company then rehired by the new. In plain English: you are loosing your years, seniority and your paid vacation because you are a new employee now. The takeover was scheduled for the end of February, just enough time left for a short vacation. ( rather then loosing it ) We had lot of snow in January meaning I’m getting more and more desperate for a little sunshine. We decided to leave on a Saturday but ended up in the emergency instead. ( wife did not feel well) Vacation postponed again. You would think so??!! We left the emergency in the afternoon and I asked my wife: we are going home right? No way she said, we have been waiting long enough for this trip, we are going. We toke a big risk leaving for a vacation straight out of the emergency, have you ever heard of preexisting condition? In 2 days we were in the desert and enjoyed the 31 degree temperature.


My old job is history. If that is not enough...


... the weather really makes you feel screw....


Vacation starts in the emergency...makes you feel even more sorry for yourself.


But 2 days later we enjoyed the January weather in the California desert.


Filled up the fridge in Little Rock California at the Hungarian Sausage Factory.


The Palm Spring area was really hot, we decided to head for Arizona, I always wanted to check out the famous Quartzsite RV Show. More about it next week....

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to every one of my readers. What to expect in next year? Well, I still have a strong interest in .....


....trucks....


...photography....


..and travel.

Glückliches Neues Jahr!

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Boldog Új Évet!

Christmas Light Truck Parade

Every year on the first Saturday of December there is a Christmas Light Truck Parade in Victoria, BC, organized by the Island Equipment Owners Association. Usually 80-90 beautifully decorated trucks participate in the Parade, collecting donations en route. Every driver get an 8 X 10 enlargements of their trucks and I have been taking those pictures for the last 5 years. It's a big show, draws a huge crowd along the way when the trucks drive out of the city to Western Speedway.


The lead vehicle was a well known local businessman's Volvo Motor Home decorated with over 7000 lights.


Trucks are lined up ready for the convoy.


Tow truck with trailer in full Christmas decoration.


Slegg Lumber's Peterbilt was a huge success.


At the end of the show trucks are parked on the speedway and everybody can take a close look. Decorating a mixer with a rotating drum is a real challenge.

Celebrating wine and food in Villány.

As I wrote earlier: the entire long weekend is about celebrating the regions famous wine. Of course it has to go with food, and there is plenty of it everywhere. Pictures say a lot more.


It all starts with a Parade, locals and guests from the neighbouring wine areas dressed in traditional costumes showing the long history of wine in the region.


We walked around in the morning and cooks already have been working in front of the wine cellars. Stew in the kettle usually cooked for 4-5 hours.


It's all about wine. If you want to take it with you you can buy a bottle....


....or can make sure it will last a bit longer.


Look at the size of the bread! You will need a slice ....


... for the Hocks grilled on charcoal.


Just wanted to add one more: November 20th, 2010; we woke up to a record snowfall on Vancouver Island.

Hungary 2010 Oct.

The reason for not posting for so long: a few weeks in Europe with no computer, no work, just taking pictures for fun, (probably using them for work later). After we came home and started uploading the hundreds of pictures to the computer; it crashed and is still at the doctor. More about it later, here are some pictures.


First we spent 10 very uncomfortable hrs on this plane, it is new, designed to haul 285 passengers, no leg room at all, but the new entertainment system let you choose from over 300 movies and 1000 recorded shows, screen is in the seat in front of you. Good for killing time but a bit more room would be better.


The next 3 weeks were a whole lot more comfy in this Alfa Romeo 6 speed turbo diesel.


Visited a Wine Festival in Villány, (a little country village in the southern wine region) where one of my daughters lives.


Gained some weight. In my defense: the whole festival is on a long weekend, food like this at every corner; could you resist?


Visited some beautiful parts of the country; found this little house somewhere in the southern wine fields.