Our Outwest Trip: Camper tire repair and up Hwy 120...

Today was good. We got up early and left to get the tires repaired. I was glad that our dealer, American RV in Olive Branch Mississippi is paying for this. This came from the factory this way, but the dealership is standing behind this. Thanks Mickey and Mr. Albano!!

Here are some pix; nasty huh? Three of the tires looked this way, Nanco brand. They were balanced and rotated before we left Tennessee. There were no defects. These are two year old tires that came on our camper; new.

Anyway, the guys there at the San Benito tire shop in Hollister, California were wonderful, kewl even. They had us out in 30 minutes, flat. Brian and Orlando worked behind the desk. I took this shot of John, who worked on our camper and Greg. Greg, a customer, wasn't doing anything but sittin there on his bumper, directing me around his feet as I backed our camper around the parking lot. Greg's heartrate was 42, maaan and Greg never sweats. Not even in the 112 degree temp there. I asked him to just sit still and let me get his picture, he personifies what the rest of the world envisions as a "dewd". haha. Thanks JOHN!!! See ya'll at Berkley Sept 1st. GO VOLS! :) *So, we tooled on down the road towards Yosemite. I am really liking the central California area. It's warm....toasty 112 degrees coming down 120. But, the wind was blowing nicely and it was all good. The people around here are all so nice. Easy too talk to. One girl at the gas pumps in Oakdale, when I asked her why she liked it here, said that she was one day away from the mountains on one side and the beach on the other. She has lived there all of her life. Lots of happy people here.

Here is another happy people; this is Ron. *

Ron runs a coffee shop and actually I just thought he looked kewl behind the lap with a fake palm tree and coffee all around him. He was nice/laid back. Definatly needed more caffeine. He said he had lived in Alabama some....it wasn't good for him, so he moved back here..man.

Speaking of coffee....we went by a road called Coffee Road. Now...how excellent is that???

I've noticed that there are a lot more antique cars out here on the road. Actually, overall, the cars/trucks are in better shape than we have at home. ALL of them, no matter how old. They have to pass inspection out here. And belive us, it shows. No headliners falling out of cars, NO burnt out tail lites. Much safer...well...that being said, it is very hard to watch people drive motorcycles without helmets. Doesn't make much sense to me to make sure everyone has tail lites, but let them drive without helmets.

Here is a pic of a town called Chowchilla, nothing special, just a really cool entrance into a town huh??

These pictures are after we are nearly to our campground near Yosemite. It's Don Pedro lake.