decided to make the trip going west on I-10 to Beaumont, then CA-79 through Hemet to the Falkner Winery. This would allow us to take advantage of my membership in Harvest Hosts, a national association of wineries, farms, and other agricultural-related destinations that allow free overnight parking for a limited number of self-contained RVs (i.e., no hook-ups).

Before setting up camp for the evening, we ate at the Pinnacle Restaurant, which serves lunch and hosts special events. We shared an appetizer of baked brie, and then Susan had a spicy chicken wrap while I dug into lobster mac and cheese. Everything was excellent. We spoke later with Chef Gianni Cicilot who hails from Allentown, Pennsylvania, less than an hour from where Susan and I grew up.

Without an electrical hook-up, we were roughing it compared to our three nights at Emerald Desert. Not a problem in the fully equipped Georgetown. And when we awoke the next morning, Valentine's Day, the sky was filled with hot air balloons, affording us some great photo opportunities. One of the pilots shouted down to me to see if I wanted him to get his balloon closer to our rig. "Go for it!" I called back. As he maneuvered to within 10 feet above the roof of the Georgetown, I got a series of spectacular shots (including the one on the first page of this article).

From the Falkner Winery, we headed south to Escondido, stopping at a Starbucks (to catch up on e-mail) and at a Vons supermarket (where we scored some New York strip steaks for just $4.49 a pound). Plans to grill them for dinner changed after an impromptu call to my good friend Larry Weiner, who lives just north of Escondido. He and his wife Debbie were attending a performance of Britain's Finest, a Beatles tribute band, that evening at the Welk Resort Theater just off I-15. Did we want to come along?

After dinner together in San Marcos at the Old California Mining Company, the four of us thoroughly enjoyed a spirited two-hour set that covered both early hits and many post-Sgt. Pepper classics. The performance wrapped up with the John Lennon character, Tyson Kelly, and a solo rendition of Imagine, before Bennie Chadwick (playing Sir Paul McCartney) launched into Get Back supported by the ensemble. What a great evening.

In Part Two of our 13-day RV road trip, we visit Borrego Springs, the Julian Pie Co., and such San Diego attractions as the U.S.S. Midway, Little Italy, and the Gaslamp Quarter.