The shakedown trip comes to an end

When we first arrived at Idyllwild County Park, we spent a lot of time talking with Jim, the resident camp host.  He and his wife live in their huge Class A 8 months a year and then head down the hill to another Riverside County Park when the snow arrives.  I asked him who took care of the park during his absence and he told me the county was looking for a replacement.  Something to consider for the future!

While we were setting up camp, Jim arrived with a golf cart load of free firewood.  Are all camp hosts this nice?  We also enjoyed talking with the park rangers.  DJ and I were enjoying the trip so much that it was easy to add the two extra days to our trip (Friday and Saturday nights).  Up through Friday we had the 202 acre park almost to ourselves.  The very few other mid-week campers were so quiet, their presence was easy to overlook.

By Saturday, the park had filled almost to capacity.  Dozens of children laughing and enjoying the great outdoors with their friends and families.  I was reminded of family camping trips from years gone by.   While I preferred the quiet serenity of the previous few days more, even with all of the activity on the weekend, being there sure beat the alternative of remaining at home.  The food tasted just as good and the campfire was just as warm!

We almost became tourists!  We sampled the fare at a couple of local eateries and DJ even got me into a couple of the local souvenir-type shops!

If you ever find yourself in Idyllwild, I highly recommend the Red Kettle Cafe for breakfast!

Dod ran great all the way home.  Of course it was downhill most of the way!  We took the long way home so we could stop by and drop off a birthday present for DJ's daughter.  Remember how I felt about the side trip when this journey began?   What a difference a week makes!