DAY 28: Vacaville, CA - Where Can I Get Back-Up Lessons??

Sunday, June 28: Vacaville, CA

Today we headed towards San Francisco.  It was a pretty easy drive considering we only had to take two roads; I-5 out of Grants Pass, Or and I-505 once we got to our destination in California.  Unfortunately, Liz can make an easy drive ridiculously difficult.  Let me explain.  

We packed everything up this morning; pulled the 4 slides in; lifted the jacks; put the lawn chairs in the "basement"; loaded the trike on the trailer; talked for an hour with the RV neighbors and off we went.  I had my eye on a certain gas station that we had to pass to get on the freeway, so I was going to just whip right in and filler' up.  I was tootling down the road when I noticed I just passed it.  Errrrrr......all the roads in Grants Pass are one way roads, so around the block we went.  Keep in mind when you have 52' of caboose, its not something you want to do.  Anyway, we pulled her in, filled her up and hit the road.  Shortly after crossing into California and doing a lot of mountain climbing in the RV all morning,  I needed to make a pit stop.  I saw a Rest Stop up ahead and decided to pull her in there.  I exited the freeway and headed towards the rest stop.  This particular rest stop wasn't typical in that you had to make a 90 degree turn and cross over a bridge, etc....it was just weird.  And by the time I realized how weird it was, I had passed it.  Chuck's over there saying "Turn, turn, turn" and I'm saying "Huh???".  Now we found ourselves on a narrow two lane road that skirted the canyon.....we drove and drove and drove trying to find some place that I could turn the rig around but there was NOTHING!  Chuck's frustrated that I missed the original turn; I'm needing to pee like a sailor and Murphy's nervous because he can't see what's going on.  We were not a happy family.  FINALLY, we see an old abandoned building that we "think" we can maneuver a turn around in.  I pull waaaaayyyy to the right and then sharply turn the 52' to the left, across the narrow two lane road, and heading directly at the abandoned building.  Chuck has now gotten out of the rig and directing me from somewhere behind the coach.  I finally get him in my side mirror and he is motioning for me to "Come On Back"....when I see a huge 5th wheel trailer coming around the corner....I can see by Chuck's hand motions that he's getting annoyed I'm not obeying the "Come On Back" command, but he doesn't see this monster 5th Wheel trailer coming towards him.......Just as the trailer whizzed past him, with a surprised look on his face, he motions for me to STOP.  DUH!!!  Anyway, a few forwards and then a few reverses and we got the rig out of there and I got to pee.

We head on for a few more hours and decide to pull over and fix a bite to eat.  I kept looking for a good place to pull over to no avail.  I finally just took the next exit and pulled into an office building parking lot.  I did note when I picked this spot that there appeared to be an exit on the other side of the building which would make for an easy out.  We fixed a bite to eat, fired up the computer to check on places to stay tonight and talked about what route we were going to take. We finished eating and off towards that exit I drove.  Unfortunately, there was no exit.  Nope; no exit at all.....none....nada....no way to get out of this parking lot other than the way I came in....which was behind me and the 52' of rubber and metal that follows me.  I'm thinking to myself, "I can do this......I'm pretty okay with backing up the boat and jetski trailers.....I'll take my friend Nonia's suggestion and put my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it in the direction  I want the trailer to go."  Chuck gets out AGAIN and goes to the back of the rig and is doing his hand signals.  I'm backing, backing, backing and, although the trailer was headed in the right direction, I wasn't.  So forward I go.  Then backward.....then straighten up again......then backward.   This went on for awhile, folks.  We finally got out of there and headed on......

When we pulled into our RV campsite (which is a WHOLE story on its own), I step outside and feel like I've just put my head in the oven.  Man, is it ever hot.  When we left Oregon this morning, it was a nice breezy 55-60 degrees outside......light sweater weather......and we get here, and we're melting....

Anyway, tomorrow we're off to see San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.....Chuck's just excited they have a Costco.

Check out the view from our dining room window.....yep, that there's a railroad car.  Do we know how to pickem' or what?!