Tuesday November 8, 2016 Las Vegas, NV

We started our last morning in Capistrano Beach early.  We had our coffee and were checked out of the resort by 9:35.

A pumpkin batch in Carlsbad

We planned to meet friends for lunch in Carlsbad, CA.  The restaurant doesn't open until 11:00 so we went to the Costco in south Carlsbad for fuel.

We met Lou and Ramona Milioti at Norte's on the grounds of the Carlsbad Inn.  Norte's is our favorite Mexican Restaurant in the area.  We had a good meal with good friends.  We discussed our past and future cruises.  We met them on a cruise in 2012.

After pictures and goodbyes at the restaurant we headed home.  The trip was uneventful.  We stopped in Victorville for PR and fuel.  It was well after dark when we got home,  about 7.




We have no travel plans until February.  Then it's a 33 day cruise around South America.

Monday November 7, 2016 Capistrano Beach, CA

Our only plan for today was to drive to Crystal Cove near Newport Beach.  We had our coffee and some light breakfast and spent the morning with reading, computer activity and Sudoku.

No geocaching yesterday or today.  A day without geocaching is like, well a day without geocaching.  We did play a mid day game of Mexican Train, Neva won.

We drove to Crystal Cove via I-5, it took about 35 minutes.  we found out that the area is now a state park and requires a fee to park in the handicapped spaces near the restaurant,  Gerri dropped Neva and I off and parked in the lot across the street,  parking is $15 plus the $1.50 fee for the shuttle.

We took pictures on the beach before having our late lunch at the Beachcomber Restaurant.  We sat outside, it was cool but they had heaters and blankets.  Gerri had a crab cake sandwich with fries.  I had a Kobe Beef hamburger with blue cheese and Neva had fish tacos,  The portions were large on the hamburger and fries. The food was good as we have always experienced here.

During dinner we watched several Sun Dogs form.  We got pictures of those and the sunset that followed.

One of the wait staff took pictures of us with the ocean in the background.









 The restaurant validated the parking ticket and Gerri took the shuttle back to the parking lot for the car.  She then picked up Neva and I at a drop off point near the restaurant.

We took the PCH back to Capistrano Beach.  The sky lit up various shades of red as we passed through the beach towns on the way.

After getting back to the Riviera Beach Resort we played another domino game which Neva won.  The domino score for the week is; Neva 5, Frank 4 and Gerri 2.

Tomorrow we plan to check out at 10 and drive to Carlsbad to have lunch with our friends Lou and Mona Milloti at Norte's. Then the drive home.

Sunday November 6, 2016 Capistrano Beach, CA

This morning we had planned to tune into the worship service net cast from Oakey Boulevard.  We got a good picture but the sounded faded in and out.  We were able to hear only every third word or so.  Gerri sent a text but the problem was never resolved.  Even though we weren’t able to enjoy the singing nor follow the message, we were able to worship our Lord in spirit.

We met Todd and his family at Avila’s El Ranchito in Santa Ana for dinner at 3 PM.  This is a restaurant near my mother’s old house that we had enjoyed several times over the years.  I had visited with Todd and his family last month in Long Beach, but it had been quite a long time since Neva and Gerri had seen them.  They brought Gerri flowers for her birthday.

We sat so that we all could talk easily.  Emma and Wyatt have both become talkative and express themselves very well, they both communicate clearly.  Truly a pleasure to be around.  And, the food was good, too.

We parted company in the parking lot.  They headed home to finish packing for a trip to Sacramento for a conference and short vacation.  We headed back toward Capistrano Beach.  We saw the remnants of what had been a beautiful sunset.  We also drove by my mom’s old house on Oak Street.  The only change we could see from the street was the light green paint with white trim.

Back at the time share we played a game of dominoes.  I won.

Tomorrow is our last day here.  We plan to drive up to Crystal Cove in Newport for a little sightseeing and dinner.

Saturday November 5, 2016 Capistrano Beach, CA

I slept in and then spent the rest of the morning over coffee and ocean watching.  Neva won the afternoon domino game.

Late in the afternoon I went out to find some geocaches.  The first one was on the beach just south of our timeshare.  I had to park to the south and walk back.  I didn't find the cache.  My course took me south to San Clemente.  I found two scattered around town and then four in or near the parking lot of a new outlet mall.

Neva took these pictures as the sunset progressed.

It was after dark when I got back to the apartment.  Gerri served the last of our leftovers with a salad added.  After dinner we played our nightly game of Mexican Train, I still have no idea where the name came from.  Neva won again.  That is two in a row for her and her third win this trip.  Game totals so far; Neva 3, Frank 3, Gerri 2.

Tomorrow we plan to tune into the netcast from Oakey Boulevard.  In the afternoon we will meet Todd and his family at Avila's El Ranchito in Santa Ana.

Friday November 4, 2016 Capistrano Beach, CA

Flowers from Kathleen

In case you didn't know, today is my lovely wife's birthday.  Greetings from her many friends started coming in yesterday.  She spent a lot of time responding to the messages.

We played an afternoon game of dominoes.  I won.  Later in the afternoon I went out and found four geocaches while not finding one.  I got back at about 4:30.  Gerri and Neva had been busy exploring the property.  They found a 4th floor sun deck with a slightly different view of the beach.

For supper we had some of the leftovers from Sonny's with a salad added.  The over-salted taste must have been just my taste buds, the leftovers were fine.  Actually they were very good.

Gerri had phone calls from Curtis and Kathleen during the day.  Todd called via Facetime and we all talked to his family.  Even Emma was quite talkative.

We played an evening dominoes game.  The birthday girl won by a wide margin.

We were in bed early.  Gerri's birthday celebration was kind of mild.  Besides it being a milestone (last year in her 60's)  for her, it was a reminder to me how fortunate I have been to have her for my wife for over forty five years.

Thursday November 3, 2014 Capistrano Beach, CA

We had our coffee while watching and listening to the surf.  I caught up on computer chores while Neva read and Gerri did her computer things.

In the late morning I went out geocaching.  I found three and DNFed two.

At a little before 3 we went to Bill and Arlene Leedy's.  Our visits with them are are always a highlight of any trip to this part of California.  We enjoyed a long visit at their home which overlooks Dana Point Harbor.

 We then went to our favorite Italian restaurant in the area, Sonny's in San Clemente.  Even on a Thursday evening Sonny's is busy.  The food was good and plentiful as usual.  I had a new dish on the menu, sea food linguine, it was a little salty for my taste.  Gerri had the same dish and didn't notice any extra saltiness.

We parted company with Bill and Arlene at the restaurant and headed back to our timeshare.  Arlene honked her horn as we turned off the PCH, a final goodnight of a great evening.

Before bed we had one game of dominoes.  Neva clinched the win during the last hand.

We plan to get together with Todd and his family before our week is over and hope to hear back from them soon as to what day.

Wednesday November 2, 2016 Capistrano Beach, CA

We didn't even have to work at it to make yesterday's prediction of a lazy day come true.  We did change out of our PJs before the afternoon domino game.  I won the game.

The bridge used to go over the highway, too.

My GPS showed a geocache less than 500 feet from our room, near a bridge over the rail road tracks.  In spite of the fact it hadn't been found since July and had DNF logs by the last two cachers, I went to look for it.  It took longer to get across the PCH than it did to find the cache.  It was a type of hide that I had seen many times before.





The sunset tonight wasn't as pretty as Tuesday night, but the moon and a couple of planets showed well.

We had left overs from our dinner yesterday.  The spaghetti was better tonight than yesterday.  And, we still have enough left for another snack.

We played another domino game after dinner.  Gerri won this time.  Oh, and the ladies got a little excited over a baseball game that was on the television.




Tomorrow we plan to meet Arlene and Bill at their house in Dana Point and then go to dinner at Sonny's in San Clemente.