DIAMOND VALLEY LAKE AND LAGUNA NIGUEL, CALIFORNIA

Saturday we took a drive to Diamond Valley Lake which is a lifeline for Southern California in times of drought.  The lake holds enough water to meet the area's emergency and drought needs for six months. The Clayton A. Records, Jr. Viewpoint has a panorama view of the lake near Hemet and South California's tallest mountain peaks, Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. San Gorgonio.   From 1997-1998 the reservoir construction project employed, from start to finish, about 5,000 people. Twelve of the biggest trucks in the world (Caterpillar 789 Model) were used during construction. Each truck cost $1.4 million and, when full, weighs 350 tons.  These trucks were brought to the site in pieces, assembled on site and then disassembled when the job was finished because they're too large for public streets.  What an awesome task.

Diamond Lake

Sunday morning we went to visit our new RV friends, Kurt and Diane Stewart, at their lovely home in Laguna Niguel, California.  The drive through the mountains on Ortega Highway was very pretty and we were glad we were not driving the motor home because the entire highway is comprised of ups and downs with extreme switchbacks.

Kurt and Diane live in a beautiful gated community which they moved into about 15 years ago.  Kurt is quite the handyman and he put a lot of work into the house.  Diane is a fabulous quilter and her work was displayed throughout.

It was a beautiful afternoon and we spent time out on the patio enjoying each others company and the sunshine.  I brought a 4-pound ripe papaya, cut it up and squeezed some fresh lime on it for our afternoon snack.  Diane had already popped a turkey into the oven for dinner and what a coincidence that she did this on Canada's Thanksgiving Day.

Enjoying a cup of tea - notice Bella likes to be the center of attention

 

Diane whipped up a nice green salad, a side dish of quinoa and juicy turkey with her secret sauce - very yummy

After dinner, it was time to walk off some of those pounds.  We had an opportunity to look at those million dollar California homes.

That night we watched the movie Hemingway and Gellhorn, a drama centered on the romance between Ernest Hemingway and WWII correspondence Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway's inspiration for For Whom the Bell Tolls.  Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman performed some pretty steamy sex scenes, which surprised me.  The movie was a long 2 1/2 hours which seemed to drag on in some places but the overall movie was pretty good.

A special treat for us was the guest bedroom with a king-size bed. When I laid down that night, I told Denis I felt like a princess floating on a cloud.  I think this was due in most part to the thick, soft coverlet on the bed and those softer than a baby's butt sheets.  Needless to say, we slept great. This morning after breakfast we all went for a walk along the beach working up a big appetite for lunch at Diane's favorite Mexican restaurant.

The next thing we knew it was time to say our goodbyes and get back to the park.  Thank you Kurt and Diane for your warm hospitality.  We look forward to catching up with you again in Palm Springs.  Enjoy your trip to Europe and be safe.

Blogger Contessa asked how far into Mexico we're planning on going.  Can't answer that question yet because we're leaving the travel plans in the capable and experienced hands of friends that travel there every winter.

That's all folks!  Thanks for stopping in.