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Historic Los Angeles by Metro train

I enjoy taking trains and mass transit. The Los Angeles Metro System now has four rail lines. The Gold line runs from south of Pasadena to downtown Union Station. George, my sister Georgia and I rode the Metro from Pasadena into town on Sunday. Parking right next to the station was only $2 for all-day parking for Metro passengers.

It took a bit to figure out the machine and what category we fit into so we missed one train. It was only about 12 minutes until the next one. A lot of people were riding the train. Amazingly, we whisked downtown in only 36 minutes, including several stops.

Union Station is a beauty but across the street was our first destination:  Olvera Street- Los Angeles' oldest street. This colorful, historic area has much to explore. We watched street musicians with huge sombreros serenading and native dancers with tall headdresses dancing to the wild beat of a drum. We wandered down one of the tiny shopping alleys with colorful wares enticing the tourist. We succumbed- to a tiny Oaxacan rabbit and postcards for grandchildren. My sister purchased marionettes for her grandchildren and, after much debate, got them both clowns so they wouldn't fight over them! Along the alleyway is the Avila Adobe, built in 1818 and the oldest building in the city.

We wandered over to the #1 Firehouse since George's son Ian is a firefighter in Colorado Springs. We took a photo of George standing in front to send to him.
 
Only a few blocks away is Chinatown. We walked up past sidewalk displays and shops. I had to stop at one that advertised live chickens! Pictured is the price list. We watched 10 or so employees chopping chickens into parts, but saw no live chickens. I imagine, though, if you purchased one, they would bring it out for inspection. The prices were in Chinese, but I was very curious about the difference in prices between white and brown chickens. Was an "old" chicken or a "rooster" more expensive? They also had "silkies," (?) squab, rabbits, quails, chukkars, Peking ducks, pheasants, and guineas hens.

We had a cup of tea- at least I did. George had coffee and Georgia had a mocha. After a break, we walked back to the Metro to the next to the last stop on the Gold line at Chinatown.We boarded there and returned to Pasadena. Another pleasant ride.

The Metro rail lines cover quite a bit of Los Angeles. You could camp in the Anaheim or Long Beach area and ride in. Or, camp at the Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park near Pomona (the closest we have found to my sister's house in La Canada), drive to a station and then go exploring. The Red line goes to Universal City and Hollywood. The Purple line goes to Wilshire Blvd. Transfer to a bus is easy too.

Mass transit is an excellent way to see a city's attractions. What could take an hour or more by auto in city traffic is a short, easy hop by train and bus. Get adventuresome! You might get hooked like we are. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George Bruzenak

1. Jaimie purchasing a ticket in Pasadena 2. The Metro train 3. Shop on Olvera Street 4. Garden in the Avilla Adobe, the oldest house in Los Angeles 5. Poulty prices! 6. Entrance to courtyard shops in Chinatown

Playing the Social Security game

I came across an article titled, "4 unusual ways to boost Social Security benefits." In each, you or your partner can collect the lower early retirement amount, then later collect more money. In each case, to make it work, you need to live a certain number of years to actually collect more money.

The first involves buying back your benefits. You collect the reduced amount beginning at age 62. Then, later, repay that back and collect at the higher rate. In effect, you have had an interest-free loan and you'll collect almost twice as much per month. However, you will need to live 4.5 years past age 70 to be ahead of the game. You would also have to pay Medicare Part B out of pocket while you are not receiving benefits and may miss a few months of benefits.

A second strategy is where one spouse (A) retires at full-retirement age while the 2nd (B) continues working. The working spouse's (B) future benefit continues to increase to age 70 but he/she can also collect one-half the full retirement benefit of the retired spouse (A). The possible downside is that both spouses would have to live about 81 years for the total accumulated benefits received using the spousal option to exceed the accumulated benefits of both claiming benefits at full retirement age.

A third strategy can be applied if one spouse (A) wants to retire early and collect permanently reduced benefits while the other spouse (B) continues working. If the retired spouse (A) is older than the working spouse (B), the working spouse (B) can take advantage of the age difference and earn delayed retirement credits on his or her own full retirement benefit. Then when the working spouse (B) is at full-retirement age, he/she can collect 50 percent of full retirement of the retired spouse (A) since it is based on the age of (A) at the time the spouse (B) made the claim.

The fourth strategy is for a spouse who has few, if any, retirement benefits coming. The working spouse (A) retires so the non-working spouse (B) can file for spousal benefits. (Both must be at full retirement age.) Then the working spouse (A) suspends his claim, going back to work. The non-working spouse (B) can continue to get the spousal benefits.

If this is a little confusing, talk to someone at Social Security or your tax professional to see if one of these strategies would pay off for you. These allow you to start collecting benefits at one age, but then later collect a higher amount. Sounds pretty nice! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Quartzsite- passing through

Quartzsite is gearing up for the big crush in mid-January but so far not too many RVers are there. Both east and west of town, few boondockers are parked in the desert. It could be that they won't move in until closer to the big Sports, Vacation and RV Show (January 17-25) because boondocking on BLM land is limited to a 14-day stay unless you are staying in the Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs). Once you stay in a location for 14 days, you must move at least 25 miles away. See the AZ BLM Web site for rules and for locations.

Or could Quartzsite have fewer people and RVs this year because of the economy? I haven't arrived this early before so don't know how it compares.

Commercial RV parks abound in Quartzsite and in surrounding areas. You'll find many have small spaces or have dry camping. One friend said they had a difficult time finding one that would take pets. This listing has names and phone numbers.

The biggest concentration of RVs and traffic is during the RV show. That last couple of weeks of January is when many RVers meet friends and visit the shows. It does get crazy! We've learned to run errands (like refill water tanks, dump and do laundry) early in the morning.  We have our mail sent to Blythe instead of Quartzsite. We combine a trip there with grocery shopping (Albertson's). Also, if you want to get to the other end of town, jump on the Interstate instead of fighting your way through town. And, avoid trying to drive through Q during the weekend of the big RV show. Load your bicycles up and park on the edge of town, then ride where you want to go. Or wait for a weekday. You'll also discover some backways to get around.

There is actually a lot to explore in the area besides the shows. Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is a few miles south. The Bouse Fisherman Intaglio or geoglyph can be found along Plomosa Road near Bouse, north of town. The geoglyph is a large figure created by Indians long ago. Some intersting things happend in the area - find out who Hi Jolly is! You can find a vistor's guide for sale at stores in town or at the Chamber of Commerce.

We are passing through today but plan to be back around the 19th. Quartzsite is one of those places an RVer should experience once. We've come back many times. Maybe we'll see you there! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos:
West of town- few boondockers are out by Dome Rock Road yet.
Some vendors are set up, but more to come.
Boondocking along Frontage Road on the east of town. Hardly anyone is here yet.

Rose Parade preparations

We will not be here in California for the Rose Parade, but my sister's community, La Canada Flintridge, participates each year. Whenever we are here for Christmas, we drive by the area where they build and decorate their Rose Parade entry. It is a perfect spot- under the freeway! It's sheltered from bad weather and has plenty of room for the float, assembling pieces, all the flowers and even an trailer.

For the first time in all these years I've been at my sister's at Christmas, we stopped and I got out for a closer look. They won't put fresh flowers on until the day before but they are busy at work on the construction and gluing other plant material onto the float. Every inch must be covered in some sort of flower, seed or other natural materials in order to be eligible to enter the parade.

This year, the 120th year, the Rose Parade's theme is Hats Off To Entertainment, and will take place on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. (PST) Cloris Leachman is the Grand Marshall this year. More than 40 million Americans, plus millions of people around the world, will watch it on television.

A supplement to today's Los Angeles Times said that 935 volunteers put in more than 80,000 hours to produce the Tournament of Roses. If you watch on television, you can pick out the volunteers by their white suits and red ties. By the way, that 80,000 hours doesn't count all the volunteer hours spent putting together the many floats. Looking at the painstaking work that the La Canada Flintridge volunteers were doing, there will be thousands of man/woman hours in that float alone. And, they haven't even begun putting on the actual flowers.

If you are in the area, even if you don't watch the parade, it is fun to see the floats on display the next day. You actually get a much better view. See the FAQs for more information on the parade itself.

At least one RV caravan company does a Tournament of Roses trip. That would be one way to attend. The nearest RV park that we have found is near Pomona, about 30-45 minutes away. Most parade-goers spend the night along the route to make sure they have a good seat. (Or purchase a grandstand ticket in advance.) Watching on TV is easier, but not the same experience as being there.

The Rose Parade is a New Year's Day tradition. It's fun seeing a float being built and to then pick it out in the actual parade. Look for La Canada Flintridge's float if you watch on TV! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos: La Canada's float in progress, flowers for the float, illustration of the float when finished.

Selling state parks - impact on RVers?

An article at Newsmax.com, "States consider selling off roads, state parks," gives examples of states selling the rights or even state properties to raise funds. They are looking at privatizing roads, making them toll roads with the company then maintaining them. These deals will raise funds and save the state (and taxpayers) from having to pay expenses.

Some states did this before the economic crisis hit. According to the article, "Indiana, for example, brought in $3.8 billion in 2006 by leasing the Indiana Toll Road for 75 years. Chicago stands to collect $2.5 billion by leasing Midway Airport, if the federal government approves, and has raised an additional $3.5 billion since 2005 through deals for the Chicago Skyway toll road, parking ramps and parking meters."

While they do provide an infusion of cash and initially save taxpayer money, one downside is that fees may go up. The private company or concessionaire may not keep up the infrastructure like they should. The company could have a few years of raking off profits, then dump the property back on the state in worse shape than before.

The article cites a couple of properties in Minnesota - Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort, a top-rated getaway in Biwabik, and Ironworld, a museum and library in Chisholm - that probably do belong in private hands rather than the state.

We do have this happening to some degree in our national forests. Concessionaires operate many Forest Service campgrounds. They collect fees, keep most of it, but pay a certain amount to the agency. They provide supplies and maintain the facilities. Many places to camp in the forests that were free now have a fee even if there are few, if any, facilities. Reviews are mixed as to whether concessionaires do a good job or not.

 I would hate to see state parks in private hands. These are resources that belong to the people and need a high level of protection. Selling them or selling the rights to operate them could mean that they are not preserved or taken care of, or the first step in eventually ending up in the hands of developers.

It is a quandary for cash-strapped states. I hope they don't sacrifice our historical, natural places and recreational gems in the process. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

(Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint by George Bruzenak. Could this treasure and other OR lighthouses go on the auction block?)

New laws for CA motorists

We're visiting my sister who lives near Pasadena, CA. Today we made a stop at an AAA office to pick up maps and books for our summer travels to Alaska. In Westways, the Automobile Club of Southern CA magazine, there is a legislative update column. A few of these new laws could affect visiting RVers or Workampers who linger in the state for a few months.

Text messaging: A recent law requires cell phones to be hands-free, but initially text messaging was not prohibited. The legislature just corrected that. No text messaging while driving. (You may not be tempted, but that law could keep you safer!)

Liability for tickets prior to purchase: If you purchase a vehicle in CA you are no longer liable for parking ticket or toll-evasion violations before you became the owner - if you can provide proof of non-ownership, such as a dated sales agreement, during that time.

GPS devices: Portable GPS devices must be located in a 7-inch square in the lower right corner or a 5-inch square in the the lower left corner of the windshield. Motorists may still mount units on the dash as long as it doesn't block the view of the road. It cannot hang from the rearview mirror. Fine is around $108.

Surcharges on traffic and parking citations: CA has raised the surcharges on citations, adding to the amount charged by the local entity. Registration fees also have new surcharges.

Taxes on out-of-state vehicles: If you register your vehicle in CA, you now pay a use tax (or sales tax) anytime withint 12 months of purchase. It used to be 90 days. However, if you prove you will be using the vehicle outside the state, you can avoid paying the use fee.

Visitors will be most affected by higher surcharges on violations. And, a GPS device located on the dash or windshield could also result in a fine. Make sure yours doesn't block your view before entering the state. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Pluses and minuses of traveling with a dog

The last dog I owned was a Bouvier des Flanders. Bouviers are large, German Shepard-sized dogs with lots of hair. Gus was 90 pounds. He died well before we hit the road so we weren't confronted with decision of whether to take him or not (I would have). I did, however, decide to leave my beloved Manx cat with my daughter. Mac yowled in the car and had no sense of direction. I was worried about what could happen if he somehow got out - that he would not find his way back. He lived several more years with Rebekah and had a doggie friend as a companion. (He liked dogs better than other cats.)

George had McDuff, a darling Scottie, when we met. He died while we were in Big Bend. We haven't replaced him. Sometimes, though, seeing dogs tugs at our heartstrings. Up in Calistoga I saw the cutest Norwich Terriers. I wanted to kidnap them! George stops to visit any Scottish Terriers he sees. I actually do like large dogs because they do need exercise, which means I get out. Gus insisted on all his walks, regardless of weather.

Today, though after a week of constant rain, it's easier to remember why life is easier without a dog. Not only do you not have to go out in the rain, but getting the mud off their feet and drying them off so they don't stink up your RV is a task I don't mind missing. Gus was a mud magnet with his long hair. A short-haired dog is easier, but still, they track in mud and dirt. Most dogs shed too.

The main reason we don't have a pet though is "half days." When you leave your dog in an RV, it's for only about a half day. The dog needs a walk, food, and companionship. Some dogs bark or get destructive if left too long. It is nice to be able to go away for a day and not have to rush back to take care of an animal.

Someday we'll have another dog- probably two. But for now, I'll have to get my dog and cat fix from other people's pets. And today, I could savor the fact that my niece's big dog wasn't mine and even though he begged for a walk, I did not have to go out in the downpour this afternoon. That was their job! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Top photo- McDuff with one of his favorite toys.

Bottom photo- parade in Estes Park, CO - a whole group of Scottish Terriers! We were standing near a woman with a Scottish Terrier puppy - George picked the spot so he could pet the pup. When the others came by that puppy got so excited! He was ready to join in and play.

Happy holidays!

 George and I wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years - and happy holidays if you celebrated Hanukkah or celebrate Kwanzaa or other holday.

We are in the Los Angeles area, celebrating with my sister and family. We'll be seeing George's son and wife this weekend. I visited my son, Jim, and his kids in Santa Rosa, CA before I flew to L.A.

Soaking in a mud bath is a real treat and whenever I'm visiting Santa Rosa, I try to get over to Calistoga to Golden Haven. Here's a photo of me (left) in the mud bath with Jenny, Jim's friend. We drove through Alexander Valley, one of Healdsburg's main wine-growing valleys. We drove though the valley one of the few sunny times during my visit. The drive is gorgeous.

Christopher turned 9 so I got to celebrate his birthday with him and Jim's side of the family. The next day, Jim, Chris and I went to the Charles Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa, where Schultz spent a good part of his adult life. He was quite an interesting man and his cartoons reflect his many interests. You can read Alice's article about the museum here. We also went bowling. I had one decent game out of three and am now sore from the effort!

Like much of the country, we are experiencing winter weather. In California that means rain. In Arizona, it was sleeting when George left and snow is predicted over Christmas. Flagstaff has several feet of snow!

I have been here in Los Angeles at Christmas in years past when it was 90 degrees! That happens during a Santa Anna condition when wind blows off the desert. Now that does not feel like Christmas.

Holiday time is food time. We have both lost a lot of weight (that's our "skinny" picture above) and we don't want to gain it back. So far, so good.

Are you tracking Santa? Share this link with your children or grandkids and follow Santa's progress.

I'm glad we'll be driving back to Arizona. On my flight out last week, snow in Las Vegas caused most of the California flights to be delayed. My flight yesterday was delayed as well. That translates to many hours in the airport or on the road. Even a short hop seems to take the whole day.

Again, happy holidays and safe travels if you aren't hunkered down somewhere. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Giving - it's that time of year

Have you made your yearly donations to charity? If not you have a little over a week to do so if you want to count them for 2008 on your tax return. Here are some tips for checking a charity out to make sure your donation actually helps the people (or animals or the environment) the charity is designed to help. These appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine. You'll find similar cautions elsewhere.

1. Find out how they spend the money. At least 75 percent of the money should go to programs directly related to the cause. If expenses - like the CEO's salary and advertising - take up more than 25 percent, not much of your donation is going to help. An example in the article is the American Cancer Society. Though it is a legitimate charity, only 69 cents on the dollar goes to programs. By contrast, the National Cancer Coalition spends 96 percent of its money on cause-related programs.

2. Check the name. Some charities will use similar names, hoping donors will think they are legitimate. A check can reveal their poor track record or lack of legitimacy.

3. Charity tie-in products often give you a gift, but very little actually goes to the charity's intended recipients.

Check charities out at:

• The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance evaluates charities on 20 standards of accountability, issuing detailed reports on finances and organization.
• Call the IRS (877-829-5500) to verify the group's tax-exempt status.
• Charity Navigator rates charities on how efficiently they use their money. This site also has some excellent articles on charitable giving, guidelines and suggestions.

There are many other ways to give back locally, wherever you are. Some of our Boomer RV group help play Santa in Ajo, AZ donating gifts to a child who needs a Christmas, then helping with the wrapping and delivering of the gifts. It has become a tradition for several of our group who spend time there each winter. This year, RV Workampers, working for Amazon.com in Coffeyville, KS, found ways to donate time, money and food to the local food bank and groups in the town. Other RVers we know will spend some time volunteering at CARE, the Escapees assisted living center in Livingston, TX.

However you choose to help others, happy giving this holiday season! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

You gotta have a gimmick....!

So sang Gypsy Rose Lee. Well, the Little Guy Trailer Company has a gimmick to attract attention to their teardrop trailers.

They are giving away a free teardrop trailer to the first person who steps forward who is a victim of the alleged Madoff Ponzi investment scheme. Little Guy Worldwide is offering to give away a Silver Shadow Highline brand teardrop camper trailer (like the green trailer pictured below) to an investor who lost millions. And, there are more catches.

According to the press release I saw at RV Industry News, "The recipient must own a Maybach luxury automobile with a hitch, and they must have lost at least $1 million dollars in the alleged Madoff Ponzi scheme. The lucky recipient must claim their prize in person at the Little Guy Worldwide corporate headquarters in Canton, Ohio on Jan. 31."

Now how many people do you think this will fit?

That's not the point. Since no known owner of a Little Guy Teardrop trailer fits into this category, Chris Baum, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Little Guy, says tongue-in-cheek, that this is "an unprecedented opportunity to open up a cultural exchange between members of the Little Guys Owner's Club members and recently displaced members of Mr. Madoff’s investment group." Ha!

This is a good time for teardrops. The investment is much less than most RVs and you can pull them with most any vehicle.

If nothing else you can get a kick out of the press release and appreciate their sense of humor! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak