The So Cal Samboree

Hi there everyone,

Well, this has been a very busy couple of days. We left Twin Lakes and arrived at Lone Pine to check out the Lone Pine area including the Manzanar National Monument. This is where a large number of Japanese were interned during World War II. It turns out that there was some sort of weather system coming through the area. So, we left Lone Pine after being there less than 24 hours. We were supposed to be there two days, but because of the high winds that were expected, we pulled out a day early.

We did manage to get in a visit to Manzanar. This is a place that everyone should visit. It is important to see the adversity that the Japanese were forced to endure back in World War II here in the US. Though the US may have treated those of Japanese ancestry better than the Germans did those of Jewish decent, for the Japanese, it was no party. There is only one building left on the grounds from World War II. It is the gymnasium that was used back then by the internees. The old gymnasium has been turned in to the visitors’ center. In the last couple of years have lead to the building a replica of a guard tower. Additionally, a barracks of the same type used at Manzanar was found in Bridgeport California and moved to Manzanar to help complete the displays. There are also some of the famous Japanese rock gardens that have been un-earthed at the facility. This really gives one an insight of the environment that the Japanese were forced to live in but also the spirit that they carried with themselves through the experience.

As soon as we got back to the trailer, we hooked up and headed to the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds which are right next to Lancaster in Southern California. We got here a day before the Samboree opened up, but stayed at the nearby RV park. The weather forecasters were on the mark. We woke up to 35 to 45 miles an hour winds in the middle of the night. There were supposed to be gusts up to 60 miles per hour and I’m sure there we many times the winds got up to that. It even got so windy at times that we brought all the slides to the trailer in to ride out the foul weather.

We got to the Samboree gathering Tuesday morning and got set up in the middle of very strong winds. There was a very nice reception held Tuesday night. The events start Wednesday. We are pretty much dry camping except for 20 amp electrical outlet. The winds have died down a little bit, but at times it gets a bit gusty. We’ve managed to shelter the Satellite dish in a pocket beside the back of the trailer and the rear slide out. As a result, with the Satellite, Water, propane and other stuff on board, we have all of the comforts of home. Well, that’s all for now.

Happy camping! Eric and Carol