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Tiger4x4RV
Inland Empire, Southern California
Senior Member
Joined: 03/14/2007
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First off, I'll give credit where it's due. Many thanks to a fellow TC forum member, Ramblin' Ralph and his website, RamblinRalph.com, for suggesting some of the campsites for this trip. If you like to ramble the west and if you have a rig not much larger than Ralph's GMC 2500 HD hauling a Lance 845, then I recommend taking a look at his website.
Theme song for this trip, "Pacheco," written by Robin Williamson and sung by Kate Wolf. Before the trip, I thought it would be CCR's "Lodi," but "Pacheco" just took over.
Purposes of the trip: To explore the wildlife refuges of California's Central Valley in hopes of seeing sandhill cranes and to visit Henry W. Coe State Park which has been on my go-there list for years and which was set for closing in 2012 due to state budget issues. (Good news - a group of donors has arranged to keep this park open and staffed by state park employees until at least 2015.)
Length of trip: 1564 miles, 9 camping nights (3 at Medeiros SRA, 2 at HW Coe SP, 3 at a KOA near Lodi, and 1 at Los Alamos).
"…drivin' all day up the San Joaquin, turn west again up through Pacheco…"
Camped in the primitive area at the edge of O'Neill Forebay, Medeiros State Recreation Area.
![[image]](http://i44.tinypic.com/xm7g8y.jpg)
Camped at Henry W. Coe State Park, site #16.
![[image]](http://i42.tinypic.com/3461b2t.jpg)
Sunset from the campground at Coe SP
![[image]](http://i39.tinypic.com/j7exde.jpg)
Coe SP trail vista
![[image]](http://i40.tinypic.com/w0013q.jpg)
Big Berry manzanita along Flat Frog Trail at Coe SP
![[image]](http://i44.tinypic.com/i3dt8p.jpg)
owl along Staten Island road
![[image]](http://i41.tinypic.com/2yl5xzk.jpg)
purple twilight from camp in primitive area at O'Neill Forebay
"...the air is cool as music when the day is done, and God paints the sky above Pacheco." (Robin Williamson's song, as sung by Kate Wolf)
![[image]](http://i39.tinypic.com/a8uio.jpg)
Here's a reason to like a short wheelbase: a bit of maneuvering put the Tiger crosswise in this campsite at Los Alamos, level and with a nice view across the valley.
![[image]](http://i43.tinypic.com/1r5kjn.jpg)
See the rest of the trip and a bunch of amateur bird photos at
https://picasaweb.google.com/CVKSmith/BirdsMoreBirdsAndFlatFrogTrail
P.S. for any nit-pickers out there: Yes, I know my Tiger is not a TC. However, it is TC size and this is where I hang out. This trip report is a thank-you for all the info I've gotten from this forum.
2006 Tiger CX 4x4, 8.1 L gas V-8, Allison 6-speed
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Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli
Seattle
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Joined: 04/04/2008
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Like the owl. Nice pictures and report.
Camper Jeff and Kelli's Blog!
CITAP1 Jeff's YouTube Channel
A CLOSED MOUTH GATHERS NO FEET!
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~DJ~
Boise, Idaho
Senior Member
Joined: 05/10/2005
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Good Sam RV Club Member
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Man, I need to get out of this cold!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
'17 Class C 22' Conquest on Ford E 450 with V 10. 4000 Onan, Quad 6 volt AGMs, 515 watts solar.
'12 Northstar Liberty on a '16 Super Duty 6.2. Twin 6 volt AGMs with 300 watts solar.
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67avion
Carbondale, Illinois
Senior Member
Joined: 04/02/2010
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Many thanks for sharing your trip and musical tastes. By the way, the Tiger is OK by me...nitpickers notwithstanding.
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silversand
Montreal
Senior Member
Joined: 09/12/2004
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I enjoyed the trip report, and particularly your objective: sandhill cranes !
Cheers,
Silver-
Silver
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 4x4 6.0L Ext/LB Tow Package 4L80E Michelin AT2s| Outfitter Caribou
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Tiger4x4RV
Inland Empire, Southern California
Senior Member
Joined: 03/14/2007
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~DJ~ wrote:Man, I need to get out of this cold!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
One night it was 27 degrees, very cold to my Southern California self. Nothing for you tough Boise folks, of course.
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Virgil_Diesel
Home of SF 49ers
Senior Member
Joined: 04/02/2006
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I have bookmarks RamblinRalf website and most of them are on my list this year to camp
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Less Stuff
WA. USA
Senior Member
Joined: 10/18/2003
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Thanks for posting looks like a place we need to visit.
Your rig kind of reminds me of ours:
![[image]](http://tinypic.com/e96i9y.jpg)
We like the short wheel base of our rig as well. Yet because I'm tall I like our rigs 82 inch inside headroom.
But your rig is better looking than ours I'm afraid.
Twin 36X80 inch North South beds and lots of headroom trump looks for me.
Or at least I keep telling myself that.
DG
Former user name: "Lots of Stuff"
2015 RAM 1500 V6 8 speed
Regular cab short bed 2 wheel drive.
Leer 180 Topper
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dadwolf2
Henderson,NV
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Joined: 10/24/2004
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Thanks for the pics and suggestion of the website.
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD,4X4,NV5600
2014 Adventurer 86FB
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GoinThisAway
middle TN
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Joined: 04/13/2009
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Looks like some interesting and beautiful places to visit. Loved the shots of the acorn tree and the sunset.
There's been a stir at one of the wildlife refuges here in Tennessee over the last few weeks. An Asian hooded crane showed up amongst the sandhill and whooping cranes at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge over in the southeast part of the state. Evidently it's only the third time one has been spotted in the U.S. You can see a photo of it here. A Tennesseean article just yesterday said it was still there and that people have driven from 35 states and 5 countries just to see it.
2008 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4
2008 Bigfoot 25C10.4
Torklift/Fastguns/Hellwig/StableLoads
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