Elvis and Nixon

Above, Nixon and Elvis in the Oval Office. Ollie Atkins/White House photo.

One of the most requested photographs from the National Archives is the one above of President Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley in the Oval Office of the White House.

What led Presley to seek a meeting with the President? Strangely enough, it was to get a badge!

According to Time:

Though Elvis Presley’s music has largely been responsible for sustaining fans’ burning love for the 40 years that have passed since his Aug. 16, 1977, death, one of the most popular photos of the star is not an image of him performing. 

Instead, it was taken with Richard Nixon in the Oval Office at 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 21, 1970 — and it was, as of 2015 at least, the most-requested photograph in the entire U.S. National Archives. 

Both men were at the top in their careers at this point. As The Telegraph has pointed out, Presley was in the middle of a successful comeback, selling out shows in Las Vegas and had just been nominated as one of the country’s Ten Outstanding Young Men by the United States Junior Chamber, an award he was particularly proud to have received. Nixon, meanwhile, who had not yet been tainted by Watergate, was experiencing a wave of popularity for vowing to get America out of Vietnam and to desegregate schools. 

Presley, a collector of police badges, wanted a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and to be named a “Federal Agent at Large.”

Above, President Nixon greets Elvis Presley at the Oval Office. Ollie Atkins/White House photo.

After Nixon's resignation due to the Watergate scandal, Presley and Nixon remained in contact until Presley's death in 1977.

To read more, go here. 

Barnabas Collins At The White House

Above, Barnabas Collins about to put the bite on Tricia Nixon.

Back in 1969, a little over 48 years ago, a UNICEF Halloween party was held at the White House during the Nixon Administration. The party's hostess was Tricia Nixon, the eldest daughter of President and Mrs. Richard Nixon.

The party was held for Washington's underprivileged children and there was one big guest of honor: Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) of ABC-TV's soap, Dark Shadows.

This event is not all that surprising as President Nixon had said that Halloween was one of his favorite, if not the favorite, holidays.

Here's a few more rare photographs of that event (most likely White House photos by Ollie Atkins):

Fees Going Up At Lassen Nat. Park and Whiskeytown January 1

Above, Lassen Peak. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who want to go to Lassen Volcanic National Park or Whiskeytown National Recreation Area after January 1 will have to pay a little more.

ChicoER reported:

Entrance fees will be going up Jan. 1 at Lassen Volcanic National Park and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. 

At Lassen Park, the seven-day vehicle fee will rise from $20 to $25, except from Dec. 1 to April 15 when it will remain at $10. 

The seven-day motorcycle fee will change from $15 per person to $20 per bike. The seven-day hiker, bicyclist or equestrian fee will rise from $10 to $12. 

The annual pass will rise from $40 to $50, and horse corral and campground reservations will increase by $2. 

At Whiskeytown Lake, the seven-day fee will rise from $10 to $20 per vehicle or $15 per motorcycle. A per-person charge of $10 will be assessed for hikers, bikers or those arriving by public transit. 

An annual Whiskeytown pass will be $40.

To read more, go here. 

Car Transport Estimates

Above, the 1989 Mustang. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that I have selected a moving company to move my belongings and furniture to New Mexico, the next task at hand is finding a car transport company to ship the 1989 Mustang.

I don't know of anyone who can drive stick (the Mustang is a four-speed manual) who would be available. So, at present, I am checking with car transport companies to get estimates/bids on shipping.

I have one estimate already, but I have requested 3 more estimates. The bid I have was from a car transport company that my mover recommended.

I will be driving The Beast to New Mexico once everything is in the moving truck. Some have suggested towing the Mustang with the RV, but I have never towed a car before and there are weight limitations to the motorhome. So that's out.

We'll see that the bids are.

"7 Best Campers and Trailers For 2017"

Above, Winnebago's new Revel motorhome made the list. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What are the "7 best campers and trailers of 2017"? 

I don't know the answer. It all depends upon who judges them and why they feel "what's best". It is all subjective, anyway.

In any case, Curbed.com has their list of the "7 best campers and trailers for 2017" and have posted it.

They begin with:

Getting outside has never been easier, and this year’s crop of RVs proved that you can have it all: creature comforts, high-design, and campers that get you off-the-grid and adventuring, ASAP. 

Of course, there are some wacky campers and trailers that just don’t make sense for most people—we’re looking at you, RV that hides a sports car in a mobile garage. But the majority of campers that we covered in 2017 weren’t about gimmicks or a top-dollar price tag. Instead, our favorite campers tackled classic camper problems (like how to fit a family of four or where your power comes from) in new ways. 

To pay homage to everything this year had to offer in camper world, we’ve rounded up the best campers, RVs, and trailers we covered here at Curbed. From beautifully crafted teardrop trailers to all-electric concept RVs, here’s what caught our eye in 2017.

To see them, go here. 

Social Security Beneficiaries Hit Record

Above, yours truly with The Beast. Welcome to the ranks of the retired!

The numbers of Social Security beneficiaries has hit a new record. This record will be broken again and again as more baby boomers reach retirement age.

According to CNS News:

The number of Social Security beneficiaries hit a record 61,859,250 in November, according to data released by the Social Security Administration. 

At the same time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with unemployment at the lowest rate since 2000 (4.1 percent), there were 126,827,000 full-time workers in the United States (including government workers). Yet that equaled only 2.05 full-time workers for each person receiving Social Security benefits. 

Even when all 153,918,000 people who had jobs in November are considered (counting both full- and part-time workers), the ratio of workers to Social Security beneficiaries was about 2.49 to 1. 

The record 61,859,250 Social Security beneficiaries in November, included 45,439,781 retired workers and their dependents; 5,992,862 survivors of deceased workers; and 10,426,607 disabled workers and their dependents.

Welcome to "Geezerhood"!

To read more, go here. 

Joshua Tree: Where People Climb and Cacti Jump

Above, The Beast at Joshua Tree's Cottonwood Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Joshua Tree National park is the closest national park to Los Angeles area. As such, it tends to get crowded. But, going in the fall and winter people will find fewer crowds and plenty to do.

The Register-Herald posted a little travelogue of a recent visit to Joshua Tree.

It begins with:

Following a day exploring southern California’s Mojave National Preserve and overnight stays in Barstow and Twentynine Palms, we headed for Joshua Tree National Park. While the preserve and the national park are only 70 miles apart and somewhat similar in much of their terrain, each deserves a full day of exploration. 

This wasn’t our first visit to Joshua Tree National Park, but this early December day, while a little windy, was sunny and seemed the perfect time to return to a park we enjoyed. During a drive through the park, we visited several campgrounds, took a stroll through a garden of jumping cacti, and watched rock climbers scale the park’s granite boulders.

To read more, go here. 

Yellowstone Hotels Having A Good Winter

Above, some of the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that Yellowstone National Park will have a good winter as far as stays in the park's hotels are concerned.

According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle:

Hotel stays inside Yellowstone National Park appear to be up in the early goings of the park’s winter season. 

Mike Keller, the general manager of Xanterra’s Yellowstone National Park Lodges, said there were 300 more bookings at the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful in the first 11 days of 2017’s over-snow travel season than in the same time period last year. Over-snow travel began on Dec. 15, making that the first day guests could get to the lodge. 

Guests are also taking advantage of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, near the park’s northern entrance, which was closed last winter for renovations.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Turns On The Charm To Lure Tourists

Above, the main gate of Toho Studios in Setagaya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Until the past few years, tourism in Japan has not been a powerhouse for their economy. All that is changing.

According to The National:

Some financial institutions and other businesses in Japan are endeavouring to attract visitors to the country's regions and rural areas as the torism sector powers up to be a key plank in the country's economy. 

"Japan's tourism industry is on the verge of becoming a major economic engine for the country, the management consulting firm McKinsey says in its report titled The future of Japan’s tourism: Path for sustainable growth towards 2020. 

In 2020, Japan will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games - a global platform for its people, culture, and landmarks. 

Recently, tourism has been positioned as an engine to solve social challenges in Japan and support economic growth. The McKinsey report describes how Japan has the potential to more than double its annual GDP growth, to 3 per cent, by increasing productivity.

To read more, go here. 

Winter Cheap Flights To Hawaii

Above, a view of the coastline on the Big Island. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

More airlines and more flights to Hawaii is causing prices to drop. This competition can only be good news for the travel consumer.

Travel + Leisure has posed an article on how to score cheap flights to Hawaii.

It starts with:

It’s becoming cheaper than ever to book a flight to Hawaii. 

As airlines like Southwest launch new flights with lower prices, other airlines are forced to compete — with spectacular results for travelers who want to book a tropical getaway. Flights from the mainland to Hawaii have recently been spotted for as low as $280 round-trip. But even if you missed out on that sale, there are more cheap flights to be found.

To read more, go here. 

Graceland Preps for Elvis Presley's Birthday

Above, the front gate of Graceland. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's going to be a big birthday party in Memphis, Tennessee next week.

Broadway World reported:

Music fans from around the world will travel to Elvis Presley's Graceland® next week to celebrate the King of Rock 'n' Roll's™ birthday. Numerous events are scheduled for January 4-8, 2018, including The Auction at Graceland, the opening of the new "Hollywood Backlot" exhibit in the Elvis Presley's Memphis™ entertainment and exhibit complex, the annual Birthday Proclamation on the front lawn of the Graceland mansion and a performance by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Many of the birthday celebration events will be held at The Guest House at Graceland™, the new AAA Four Diamond-rated resort hotel located just steps from Graceland.

To read more, go here. 

Tarzana Black Bear Diner Opening Day

Above, the front counter and cashier area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Tarzana Black Bear Diner is now open for business and I stopped in for dinner this evening.

I was immediately seated in a booth next to a front window and given a menu that is newspaper style on newsprint.

Above, black bears were everywhere, even on the curtains. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The menu itself was on pages 2 and 3 while pages 1 and 4 were articles about Tarzana circa 1955.

However, no server came to take my order for over 15 minutes. "Opening Day jitters"? Finally, my order was taken and was given some coffee. My dinner (chicken parmesan) arrived not too long after my order was taken. The portions were big and the meal tasted good. I couldn't eat it all. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate the food 8 and the service as a 6.

Above, my chicken parmesan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The portions were so large that I had to pass on dessert, and I had my eyes on either their peach or blueberry cobblers.

I would go there again. Hopefully, the servers will be much faster next time.

Japan Tourism Means Wi-Fi Opportunities For Carriers

Above, the Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is a place where technology is making everyday life and travel easier for people.

However, Wi-Fi availability in Japan lagged a bit in comparison to the U.S., but they are rapidly catching up. A new law is opening more opportunities for Wi-Fi carriers.

Wi-Fi Now reported:

A new Japanese law means big business for one of Japan’s largest carriers: Japan’s tourism promotion law aims to get 40 million inbound tourists by 2020, and those tourists will use Wi-Fi to enjoy the country and get around. The service is monetized through ads and data.  

Hiroshi Kiji, Director at Wi2, one of Japan’s largest carriers, says that Internet access is a prime concern for tourists – and a driving force for how they share their experiences with other potential visitors.  Internet connectivity was identified as the single biggest challenge identified by foreign visitors in recent survey. And within that category, free Wi-Fi was identified as the biggest issue.

To read more, go here.

App Allows Visitors To Make Shinkansen Reservations From Home

Above, a shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visitors to Japan can now make online shinkansen train reservations online through a new English language app from home.

Back on October 26, Japan Today reported:

TOKYO - Up to now, it has been a real hassle making advance reservations for Japan’s bullet trains from overseas. JR East finally set up an online reservation system a while back, but that was only for trains heading north from Tokyo. If you wanted to head south along the so-called “Golden Route” to Mt. Fuji, Kyoto and Osaka, you had to wait till you arrived and cross your fingers. 

Well, JR Central and JR West have finally got their act together. This week, they announced that they are launching an English-language reservation app for the popular Tokaido Sanyo Shinkansen line, which connects Tokyo and all points south.

To read more, go here.

Ryokan Custom Ignites "Sexism" Debate

Above, a ryokan meal service. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things are getting strange in this world.

Some people are complaining about all kinds of customs or practices that have been generational in the U.S. and Europe. Many are charging that many practices and customs reek of sexism.

It appears that Japan is not immune to such charges. Visitors to Japan are complaining that a Japanese custom during meal service in ryokans is "sexist". It seems people have nothing better to do than to complain about something.

Japan Today reported:

TOKYO - In Japan, nothing transports you back in time to a bygone era like a stay at a ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn. Often found in rural areas, this type of accommodation typically features tatami mat rooms, communal baths and dining areas, and yukata outfits, which visitors wear during their stay while being served by owners and staff in traditional clothing. 

During mealtimes, guests are treated to sumptuous meals, which are often laid out on a traditional low table before they arrive, with things like tea, soup and rice served upon arrival. One of the many traditions guests encounter while staying at a Japanese inn is the fact that at mealtimes, they’ll usually be given a large portion of rice in a tub with a lid, called an ohitsu, which is placed beside the table with a shamoji rice paddle for serving, so that the diners can eat as much rice as they like throughout the course of the meal. 

While it might seem like the ohitsu adds a nice touch to the meal, it’s actually become the subject of intense debate online recently, as the ohitsu is usually placed next to the woman at the table when she’s with a male partner, as it’s assumed she’ll be the one serving him rice during the meal. 

While the traditional role of women as housewives still persists throughout a lot of rural areas in Japan, attitudes are changing, and some people are now questioning whether or not the custom of placing the ohitsu beside women dining with husbands or boyfriends should continue.

If someone who comes to Japan and stays at a ryokan to fully experience Japanese culture but complains that a custom is "sexist", they should do everyone a favor and stay home.

To read more, go here.

Hawaii Investigating "Pearl Harbor" Website

Above, the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It pays to research website that purports to be something they're not. 

The state of Hawaii is investigating a website that claims to offer tours of the memorials and monument at Pearl Harbor.

The New Haven Register reported:

HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection is investigating representations made by a privately owned website that offers tours of the memorials and monument at Pearl Harbor, according to agency officials. 

The Pearl Harbor Visitors Bureau does not appear to have any ties with government-sanctioned tourism entities such as the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau or the organizations that support and operate the Pearl Harbor sites, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. 

"We have never heard of this organization," said Charlene Chan, director of communications for the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

To read more, go here. 

Christmas Visit

Above, in front of the UCLA Medical Center's Christmas tree.

I just returned home from visiting my roommate Jess at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

She should be moved from ICU to a regular room probably today and may be discharged this coming week.

It was a nice drive with hardly any cars on the road.

Merry Christmas!

"Henry Brandon Film Festival"

Above, Henry Brandon as Chief Scar in The Seachers.

Since I decided to remain home this Christmas Eve, I watched a couple of movies this evening.

The first, with somewhat of a Christmas theme was the 1934 Laurel & Hardy/Hal Roach version of Babes In Toyland (MGM). Watching it is a bit of a Christmas tradition with me, like people will watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The movie is also known as March of the Wooden Soldiers.

Above, The Mittens and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley, Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After watching it, I decided to pop in the 1956 western classic, The Searchers starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Ward Bond and Natalie Wood. Since Henry Brandon played Silas Barnaby in Babes In Toyland, that gave me the idea to watch The Searchers as he played Comanche chief Scar. So, in a way, tonight was a "Henry Brandon Film Festival", if you will. The movie was primarily shot in Monument Valley by director John Ford.

I had met Brandon back in the 1980s when I was a member of the Los Angeles "tent" of the Sons of the Desert, the Laurel and Hardy fan organization. He was a regular attendee. I also met one of his co-stars of The Searchers, Hank Worden at a Sons of the Desert banquet.

Not a bad night of movie-watching on Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas!

Redneck Medical Terminology

Author unknown.

Rednecks have the lowest stress rate because they do not understand the seriousness of most medical terminology:

Medical Term - Redneck Definition
Artery - The study of paintings
Bacteria - Back door to cafeteria
Barium - What doctors do if patients die
Benign - What you be, after you be eight
Caesarean Section - A neighborhood in Rome
Cat scan - Searching for Kitty
Cauterize - Made eye contact with her
Colic - A sheep dog
Coma - A little mark in a sentence
Dilate - To live long
Enema - Not a friend
Fester - Quicker than someone else
Fibula - A small lie
Impotent - Distinguished, well known
Labor Pain - Getting hurt at work
Medical Staff - A Doctor's cane
Morbid - A higher offer
Nitrates - Rates of Pay for Working at Night,
Node - I knew it
Outpatient - A person who has fainted
Pelvis - Second cousin to Elvis
Post Operative - A letter carrier
Recovery Room - Place to do upholstery
Rectum - Nearly killed him
Secretion - Hiding something
Seizure - Roman Emperor
Tablet - A small table
Terminal Illness - Getting sick at the airport
Tumor - One plus one more
Urine - Opposite of you're out

Tokyo, Where Hi-Tech Meets Tradition

Above, Tokyo's famous Ginza shopping district. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo is one place in the world where visitors can immerse themselves in the country's hi-tech as well as tradition. Frankly, Tokyo is one fun place to visit while on vacation in Japan.

The Jewish Chronicle has an article about how hi-tech meets tradition.

It begins with:

Peer out the huge windows of Sushi Sora — a compact dining room on the 38th floor of the elegant Mandarin Oriental Tokyo hotel — and the vast city skyline glows as far as the eye can see. 

Night-time is surely the most cinematic way to see Tokyo from up high. To the east, the Tokyo Skytree towers above the other skyscrapers and below, there’s the green roof of the Bank of Japan, oddly shaped like a Yen sign (it turns out that its money-shaped architecture is merely a coincidence). Neon signs pulse to an unheard beat. 

Inside the restaurant, which seats just eight, it’s dark and moody; a perfect antidote to the flashing lights down at street level. You perch on black leather seats at a counter carved out of aged Japanese cypress, and watch in anticipation as the chefs in front of you give a masterclass on Edomae sushi. 

Based around ingredients that reflect the changing seasons, there is a choice of three menus, including a vegetarian option, which varies according to which fish and other produce the chef has purchased each morning. 

Exquisitely presented (even your napkin is folded intricately in paper, to echo a kimono), the meal is an endless array of delectable mouthfuls all prepared theatrically in front of you. It’s the ultimate urban experience. 

Of course, this is what you’d expect from Tokyo — the definitive hyper-modern capital city. Preparing to host the Olympics in 2020, it’s already in celebratory mood with some streets lined with Olympic flags (left over after marking 1,000 days before the event’s start) while a huge countdown display is already ticking on the metropolitan government HQ in Shinjuku.

To read more, go here. 

Hospital Visit

Above, the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, I headed over to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to see my roommate Jess.

I elected to stay in town rather than go to my cousin's in Wildomar for Christmas Eve.

She had surgery yesterday to stop some internal bleeding. Thankfully, the surgery was a success and she is much better. So much better, in fact, that she called me after I got home giving me a list of things to bring her tomorrow.

On the way, I got a first-hand look at the fire damage from the Skirball Fire in Sepulveda Pass. The hills on the eastern side were denuded of brush and blackened and the western side (where the Getty Museum is) was untouched.

Make Like John Wayne And Head To Monument Valley

Above, Ear of the Wind arch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the high points of last year's trip to Metropolis, Illinois was my stay at Monument Valley. 

Although it was cold at the time, it was a very enjoyable visit and I am actually looking forward to visiting it again. This will be much easier after I make my New Mexico move.

The Yorkshire Evening Post (U.K.) has an article on visiting Monument Valley.

It starts with:

Wondering where to go on holiday in 2018? Make like John Wayne and head to Arizona’s Monument Valley, says Sarah Freeman.  

I never thought my wardrobe was missing a cowboy hat. Until I got to Monument Valley.  

It was back in the 1930s and 40s that John Ford filmed a clutch of westerns there, but even though it’s now been some years since the last saloon brawl, there is still something about this corner of Arizona which makes a girl want to rock a pair of leather chaps.  

It’s Harry Goulding’s fault. He was the owner of the nearby trading lodge who first got wind that the Hollywood director was scouting for suitable locations to film a series of cowboy films.  

Ford had been looking at America’s southwest, but with the Great Depression having hit the Navajo reservation hard, Harry reckoned Monument Valley was a worthier backdrop. Along with his wife Leone, who was known to everyone as Mike, the couple used their last $60 to travel to California armed only with a set of photographs of the area and a determination to bring Ford back with them.

Above, "The Mittens" at sunset. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

Interview With Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

Above, Zinke says many national park campgrounds were designed during the Eisenhower era of
 station wagons and Coleman tents and needs to be modernized for RVs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From reducing the size of some Utah national monuments to a proposal to raise the entrance fees to 17 national parks to fund a $11 billion backlog of national park projects, it has been a busy first year for Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.

The Interior Secretary sat down for a chat with Michael Coleman of the Albuquerque Journal.

It begins with:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s first year in office was a whirlwind of activity and controversy, with plenty of both centered in New Mexico. 

President Donald Trump appointed the former Navy Seal and Republican congressman from Montana as interior secretary in late 2016, handing him responsibility for a vast federal portfolio that includes the National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Interior’s Bureau of Land Management is responsible for 13 million acres of public land in New Mexico alone. 

If it all seems daunting, the perpetually upbeat Zinke doesn’t let it show. 

“I love my job,” the interior secretary declared last week during an interview in his office, which boasts jaw-dropping views of the Washington Monument and National Mall. “I’m passionate about public lands.” 

On his first day on the job – clad in jeans and a black cowboy hat – Zinke rode a U.S. Park Police horse to his swearing-in. He continued to make splashy news throughout the year, whether it was for his plans to reorganize the Interior Department and slash its workforce by as many as 4,000 employees, his stated intent to open more federal lands to both oil drilling and recreation, or his admonishing a national park superintendent for tweets about climate change.

To read more, go here. 

Christmas, Not So Much

Above, Christmas Eve in 2016. My late cousin Ralph is at left.

Usually, our family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve at my cousin's in Wildomar.

Unfortunately, my roommate Jess is in the hospital with internal bleeding and is in surgery now. I thought it best to stick around. (Just got word that the surgery went well.)

In general, I was not really in the Christmas spirit this year even before Jess's medical problems. There's no particular reason since Thanksgiving was great. It is probably being busy with my impending move or my cousin Ralph's passing.

Above, snow at the new home.

Next year, maybe I will have my first "white Christmas" at the new digs. The only one I had was in 1967 when we were at my grandmother's in Twentynine Palms in 1967 when we had snow there.

C'est la vie.

World's First KOA Kampground

Above, a typical KOA "A-frame" office and store building.
This one is at the Beaver, Utah KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since the first RV I bought back in 1985 (a Starcraft pop-up trailer), I have camped at many KOA Kampgrounds over the years. Most recently (August), I stayed at the Cedar City KOA and the Brigham City KOA in Utah.

Above, The Beast at the West Entrance/Yellowstone KOA in West Yellowstone, Montana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some claim that they are overpriced. Yes, some are and some aren't, but what I like about them is that they are generally reasonably consistent in what travelers can expect. And they do offer discounts. Like many things, some are better than others. Amenities and location are generally what dictates what each KOA charges.

Above, The Beast at the Los Banos KOA (California). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

RV Life has posted an article on the world's first KOA Kampground. It is located in Billings, Montana. I have not camped there (as yet), but found the article interesting.

It begins with:

Sitting between Rimrock and Sacrifice Cliff along the Yellowstone River in south-central Montana, Billings is the state’s largest city and home to the world’s first KOA campground. 

The Yellowstone River, the last fully untamed free-flowing river in the lower 48 states, meanders its way along the southern edge of Billings. 

Along its banks you will find the recognizable yellow teepee insignia of the KOA (Kampgrounds of America) brand campgrounds. Founded in 1962 by Dave Drum and a group of entrepreneurs who understood the need for people traveling across the country to have an inexpensive place to camp along the way, the Billings KOA soon became–and remains to this day–an icon in franchise campgrounds. 

With 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada, KOA still dominates the camping industry and boasts the most stringent inspection standards, including a 600-point annual inspection for all of their franchised campgrounds.

Above, The Beast at the Springfield KOA in Missouri. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

California's War On Ammunition Starts January 1

in·fringe·ment

inˈfrinjmənt/

noun

1. 1.

   the action of breaking the terms of a law, agreement, etc.; violation.

   "copyright infringement"
2. 2.

   the action of limiting or undermining something.

   "the infringement of the right to privacy"

Folks, what follows is a blatant infringement of California's Second Amendment rights.

From Breitbart:

California’s war on guns will soon broaden to a war on ammunition as a ban on the possession of bullets purchased out-of-state takes effect January 1, 2018. 

This is one of many steps going into effect which will quickly place ammunition under controls similar to those which Democrat lawmakers have placed on firearms. 

According to the Sacramento Bee, it will also be illegal “to transfer or buy ammo” from anyone other than a licensed dealer within the state, beginning January 1. California residents can order ammunition from a catalog as long as they have that ammunition shipped to a licensed dealer for pickup. The dealer will then add a “processing fee” to the cost of the ammunition. 

In this scenario, a “processing fee” is just another tax that law-abiding citizens will pay for the bullets they buy.

And, it gets worse.

In 2019, Californians will have to undergo a background check just to buy ammo!

These are obviously infringements of our Second Amendment rights and, therefore, unconstitutional.

Does anyone really want to live in this tyrannical state?

To read more, go here.

Elvis Presley Memorabilia Up For Auction

Above, a rocking chair that once sat here in the Jungle Room at
Graceland is one of the items to be auctioned. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who have some extra cash to spend, an auction of Elvis Presley memorabilia is headed to the auction block.

The New York Daily News reported:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Items associated with Elvis Presley are on the auction block, including the rocker's rocking chair from the Jungle Room at Graceland. 

Graceland said in a news release the wood and maroon vinyl rocking chair is estimated to bring $10,000 to $15,000, with a minimum bid of $5,000. Bids can be entered on the auction's website .

The auction will be held January 6 at the theater of  the Guest House At Graceland. The items are from private collectors.

To read more, go here.

To access the auction page, go to the Graceland auction web page here.