TRAVELING IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

TT LAKE MINDEN, NICOLAUS, CA -

September 22 – 27 – After leaving Marti and Norm and Oregon, we decided to go inland, looking for the California sun!! We found plenty of sun at TT Lake Minden, Nicolaus, CA, northeast of Sacramento. But we found something else, too. Aphids!! Our car was parked under the maple trees that were full of aphids that were eating the leaves and depositing juices all over our car (Ken said it was urine – ugh!!). We felt like we were in a si-fi movie and covered with slime!! It was all over the car, the door handles, the ground, our shoes – everything!!

Usually we enjoy being at Lake Minden because we always run into some Pickleball players. This year there were no players; in fact, there were no nets on the courts and wild grass is beginning to take over. It was sad!!

So with no Pickleball, we spent most of our time looking for a new GPS. I had placed our Magellan Maestro 4040 on the RV dash and somehow it fell into the stair well and a part broke off. Magellan said they could not repair it and offered to replace it for $$ if I sent the broken one back; otherwise the cost would be 2 X $$!! We spent time looking at and trying other brands but ended up deciding the Magellan offer was as good as any; however it would be 10 days before we could get the new one.

We had to navigate without a GPS for 10 days!! Can’t believe we used to do that all that time.


TT MORGAN HILL, MORGAN HILL, CA –

September 27 – 30 – Our next stop was at TT Morgan Hill, just outside of Gilroy, the Garlic Capital of the World!! We spent most of our brief time there washing and cleaning the vehicles. It felt sooo good not to have that gook all over us!!

No Pickleball players at Morgan Hill either, but it was too hot to play anyway.

We did not do any touring on these stops. We had already done a lot of touring when we were here six years ago and decided we will probably be back again next year to do the touring bit.

KEN AND FAYE EWBANK PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT AT TT CHESAPEAKE BAY, VA

September 5 – Can you believe how thrilled we were to discover that the Labor Day weekend Pickleball Tournament at TT Chesapeake Bay was named for us this year – The Ken and Faye Ewbank Pickleball Tournament!!! Can you believe that!! We were unable to be there this year – we were out in La Conner, WA getting out butts beaten in the tournaments there!! Mike R. who ran the Chesapeake Bay tournament had asked us before we left if we would mind if they named the tournament after us, but we never believed it would actually happen. Thank you guys. That was such an honor!!

Here are the participants taken from the Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay Preserve Friends Facebook site.. We know most of the players, but there were several we have never met. Hope to do so sometime in the future.


Here some real live action from Son, Mike -- a "chip off the old block"!!

Here are the winners:

Tournament Champions - John and Paul. (Mike R. (left) presented the prizes.)

Runners Up Championship Bracket - Todd and Mike E.

Winners A Bracket - Fran and David.

Runners Up A Bracket - Jack and Diane.

Winners B Bracket - Jack and Bob.

Runners Up B Bracket - Debbie and Mike R.

Winners C Bracket - Cheryl and Frankie.

Runners Up C Bracket - Rob and Zach.

Congratulations to the Winners and to all of the participants!!

I sent our friend John a congratulatory e-mail on his winning the Championship. We received the following response. It made us laugh so we wanted to share it with you!! (Hope you don’t mind, John.).

Thanks!!! It was a great time and now I will have a very nice medal that says "Ken and Faye Ewbank Champion" on it for the rest of my life!! Mike Roberts and his wife did a great job and the tournament went very, very well.