We arrived at Smithwoods RV Park in the Santa Cruz mountains on Friday, October 22, 2010 about 2:00 in the afternoon. Smithwoods is a family owned and operated RV park whose roots goes back to 1920 when Charles Bidwell Smith bought the land. According to the history of Smithwoods RV Park as published in the park guide, Smith turned the plot of land into “an Auto Park where people could park their cars or caravans and stay a few days.”

Originally called, “Big Trees Auto Park,” it was one of the first RV parks in the United States. And from our experience, it is one of the best run. That’s because the owners and their families are actively involved and present daily on the park grounds. They deliver on what is sometimes just a marketing slogan found online or in marketing brochures: “We are committed to making your stay as enjoyable as possible.”  This statement is backed up by the family and staff who themselves seem to enthusiastically enjoy what they do.

We checked in and a staff member (I think it was Tony) led us to our RV site, #116. He patiently helped me back-in and position the RV so it was  ideally situated (his idea) parallel to the patio slab. So when we opened the door it was perfectly positioned to be able to step down and right onto the cement. Note to other RV park operators: Create a favorable first impression with your campers, smile and act like you’re glad to see them when they check in; and give them some added assistance getting situated – it will help them get off to a great and enjoyable start.

We chose this site off the site map because it backed up to the San Lorenzo River, and seemed to be in a quieter area of the park. We found the space to our liking with the hook-ups on our left side, there’s a lattice fence off our right separating us from a permanent mobile home. There are some huge redwoods to our left and behind, and a nice, private fire pit area just behind and to the right of where the RV is situated. Site #117 on the other side is also a great setting, although it doesn’t have a cement patio slab like #116.

Site Selection

A little further down the road there are a small number of really nice and private sites nestled in the woods called, The Point. You’ll see this area on the video. We especially liked site “H” or “K.” The latter is tucked in between fairly heavy vegetation and trees on both sides and set back a bit more from the rest of the RV sites.

While there’s no tent camping at this RV park, there are a good number of permanent, RV or mobile home-like residences throughout the park. Configured mostly around the parameter, there are a few full-timers scattered throughout the park, like the one, #M115 right next to us. These are shown in light blue on the  park guide site map.

Click map for larger image (will open in new browser tab)

Walk-Around Video of Smithwoods RV Park

As we did with Edgewater Resort on Clear Lake at Kelseyville, we took video of this park as we walked around and explored. We do this to give others, who may be looking for an RV Park and can’t get enough good images from park web sites, a more comprehensive view of what the park is like – from the eyes of another camper. (It also helps us remember some of the choice spots we want to come back to!)

Park Experience

There were quite a few open sites this weekend which is to be expected this time of year.  Yet, we were told they expected around 200 people at the annual Halloween Spaghetti Dinner. We were surprised to see the outdoor pool still open. People swimming in it said it was heated and quite warm. There’s a good number of recreational and social amenities throughout the park – certainly something for everyone to enjoy. There’s a ping-pong area, kids play ground (closed off during our stay for repairs), a wiffle ball field, a basket ball area and Kelly’s Tease, an indoor billiards room with two tables. (Kelly was the married name of Bette, one of the Smith’s four children who purchased the park after her parent’s death with husband, Don.)

They also have what is labeled the “Event” building signed, “The Skipper’s Hide-A-Way,” one of several park gathering points. They serve coffee drinks and pastries in the morning.

Tonight (Saturday, Oct. 23) we’re going to their annual Halloween Spaghetti Dinner in the Lodge on this the weekend just before Halloween. I will be appearing as Phantom of the Opera with Trisha masquerading as a red-caped diva by my side. Poor Hunter will be keeping watch alone in the RV.  Following that, the kids are coming around the park for trick or treats. The Smithwoods RV Park web site advertises other “Park Events” such as:

• New Year’s Day Bingo
• Meet the Easter Bunny
• Memorial Day BBQ
• Summer Ice Cream Socials
• Patriotic Wheel Parade
• Golden Bone Dog Show
• Outdoor Movie Nights
• Karaoke
• Labor Day Wiffle Ball Tournament
• Breakfast With Santa

If these other events are as well-attended and fun as the Halloween Spaghetti Dinner they would be tough to miss! Check out the following video of Chris Lennen entertaining with some rousing Karaoke. (Chris is one of the owners along with mom, Brenda, brother Rick and their wives Leslie and Debbie.)

Halloween Spaghetti Dinner Karaoke with Chris Lennen

All sites have movable fire pits and there are also some group fire pits. It was evident to us there were several groups of campers who had gathered this weekend and we got the feeling this is a popular go-to place for family and friends to gather. We met one couple who have been coming here for a number of years and live just an hour a way. Overall the park is well-maintained. One of the men’s restrooms however had 2 of the 3 toilets/urinals out of order. The showers are in the building up by the pool.

WiFi is propagated from about the center of the park, but from where we are at #116, only have 1 bar (very low) signal strength. It seemed to work fine though, there was just one time it dropped and re-connected. Our at&t wireless coverage fluctuated between 1-3 bars on our Blackberry and iPhones, but also seemed adequate to check email, Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, etc. That is until the rain came down.

Following the Halloween Spaghetti Dinner, and while watching the Giants win the NL Pennant over the Phillies (Yay!) we lost what little WiFi signal we had. I guess it can be blamed on the rain that started coming down in buckets and continued all through the night and on into the next morning.

On the second time Greg checked in on Foursquare, he became the Mayor of Smithwoods RV Park which makes him feel very important and proud! He thinks RV parks like this should put special offers on Foursquare for things like a free night of camping, a free game of billiards, or may be even name a park street or RV site after them…now that would keep us coming back!

Summing it all up

We’re really glad we chose this RV park and are already making plans to return. Breakfast with Santa? The rain late Saturday and Sunday kept us from the hiking trails and enjoying more of what this park and nearby community has to offer (Henry Cowell State Park, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, etc). So, if you’re looking for a well-run, family RV park with lots of character in a beautiful setting among Big Redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountain area, look no further, this park is it. My only suggestion is to fix up the plumbing in the restrooms and brighten them up with some fresh, lighter-colored paint. Thanks, for a very enjoyable weekend!

Our third RV trip with our 2007 Itasca, Spirit RV was to the Edgewater Resort on Clear Lake in Kelseyville, California. We spend a lot of time it seems researching the parks we go to. This involves searching web sites, reviews and any recommendations from friends.  So far our choices have worked out pretty well. But, we also find that reality is always somewhat different than imagined or revealed via available sources.

The biggest thing that seems to be lacking is a good set of photos, or better yet video of all aspects of the parks. At times we feel their web sites show what they want you to see and tend to skip other, less attractive parts. So, we thought we’d share some rather raw (amateur) video of what it’s really like there. Along with some comments and perspectives on our experience at the park.

Site Selection

Edgewater Resort provides a pretty good site map on their web site. You can view it here: http://edgewaterresort.net/map.html. They have 3 levels of sites: Standard, Silver and Gold. We chose a Silver level site and when we arrived were able to walk around and choose which one we wanted. We stayed in #23 and it worked out great except we didn’t realize it wasn’t a site with a fire pit. So, if having a campfire is important to you be sure to select a site with a fire pit.

All sites are dirt except for #60 which has a cement slab. Sites 60 and 61 are really nice and close to the lake, but they do have some size restrictions on them. They said our 25′ Class C wouldn’t fit. But, after looking at it I think we could fit in there okay. We probably shouldn’t tell you this, but the best sites appear to be #57-#59. If we come back here we’ll probably want #59. It’s on an end, you’d back in with the services on your left and it does have a fire pit. You’ve got a great overlook to the lake.

Be aware also that the sites are configured differently with regards to the location of the hook-ups. Sometimes they’re on the left and other times on the right as you face them. All have full hook-ups with 30 Amp, water, sewer, cable TV; and some have 50 Amp service as shown on the site map. They advertise 64 channels and we got that plus some with our digital TV. They also have WiFi and it worked great from our site.

If you want some peace and quiet from the road noise on Soda Bay Road (and who doesn’t) we recommend staying away from sites adjacent to or near the entrance road.

Park Experience

When we stayed at the park it was early October and it was pretty quiet – not many RV’ers and just one tent camper. We practically had the park to ourselves. The restrooms and showers were clean and in good condition. The pool was closed at this time of year and leaves and acorns were falling. We didn’t do any swimming and neither did Hunter our English Springer Spaniel. You’ll see in the video the beach was kind of muddy near the shoreline, probably due to being end of summer and the lake level was down.

It is a very pet friendly park which we like. Well behaved dogs are welcome off-leash at the beach area, and in fact we walked around with Hunter off-leash and it wasn’t a problem. There are doggie bags throughout the park. We do hope everyone with dogs pick up after them. It makes it much more enjoyable for all of us. So please, pick up after your pet! We saw many droppings when we stayed at Coloma Resort from people who didn’t, and it’s, well disgusting.

There is a good deal of large, shade trees throughout the park. The temp when we were there was 80-85 degrees and it was just beautiful. The park felt a little “old” to us. Some of the structures: dock/pier, picnic tables, benches, railings, etc., were pretty worn and weathered. You get the feeling that the park has seen better days. That said, we’d definitely return to Edgewater Resort and look to stay in #59, #60 or #61.

Every now and then you truly “come home.” The homecoming I’m talking about is not when you drive by a house you once lived in and remembering what it was like back then – and pining for the “good old days.”

I am talking about a state of mind of being centered on where you belong. It’s where you’re nourished by just being there – wherever there is for you. It’s where you see hope for even better days ahead. Where the promise of enjoyment and fulfillment is being played out right in front of you. And, it’s where your dreams have not only come true but are breaking through on into the future.

It’s a place where the fears of poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love of someone, old age or death have no welcome mat. It’s a place of conquered fear. It can be brought on by controlling your mind, or it may come to you when you’re at home with the people who make it so.

You can be miles away yet always present there. But, it seems to me there are some very special times when you do come together with those you love, and who love you in a place and time of unbridled joy.

I flew to Minnesota from my home in California last Friday. But I came home the very next day.

It started with a walk around the city and the new Twin’s ballpark. And, I think the first real moment of coming home for me, as strange as they may sound to you or outsiders is when I posed next to Kirby Puckett as he circled the bases on a walk-off home run in game 6 of the 1991 World Series with Jack Buck proclaiming, “And we’ll see you tomorrow night!”

Coming home is like that. It’s like circling the bases to win the greatest game of your life. It’s hitting that shot at the buzzer, or catching the pass in the back corner of the end zone as time is running out.

My homecoming continued later in the day while meeting up with all 4 of my kids, their spouses and 11 grandchildren. All of whom I had not seen for over a year and a half. And here the coming home part was to see how “at home” everyone was being together:  swimming in the pool, playing ball in the back yard, romping through the house, little ones crying and everyone laughing; eating and drinking and yes, eating someone’s birthday cake.

All these I know makeup the greatest game ever played, and will play still. The coming home part is not complete. It never will be finished. There are dreams to be fulfilled, hopes sometimes crushed, promises to be made, and adventures to be lived. It may not be a perfect game, but when you’re there in that moment it’s as good as it ever gets.

Coming home is not a destination. It’s an ongoing journey. You can live in it every day or choose to ignore it. But it’s there, waiting and ready for you to claim it, to live in it. You can tear it down or build it up. The choice is yours and the choice is mine. Let’s choose coming home.

Today’s my birthday. Something really grabbed me a few days ago as I was reading the chapter on “The Mystery of Sex Transmutation” (it’s not what you’re thinking) by Napoleon Hill in his classic work on the subject of achieving personal success, Think and Grow Rich. (You can follow/add to my hashtag on Twitter – #tagr.)

Here it is:

“I discovered from the analysis of more than 25,000 people that individuals who succeed in an outstanding way seldom do so before the age of 40, and more often they do not strike their own real pace until they are well beyond 50.” And, “The average person reaches the period of greatest capacity to create between 40 and 60.”

That got my attention. Mr. Hill, who wrote TAGR in 1937 gave ample evidence of people who didn’t become truly successful until well past the age of 40. People like Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie and James J. Hill.

I’m 59 and have never been more ramped up about creating and achieving something extremely worthwhile and satisfying. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve fallen down, started and stopped, tried this and that. The potential for greatness and doing something worthwhile with your life is always before you.

Some say they’re not lucky. They’ve had nothing but bad luck. Listen, we make our own luck in life. As Hill writes, “Favorable breaks can be made to order.” And, “The only break anyone can afford to rely upon is a self-made one. (Breaks) come through the application of persistence. The starting point is definiteness of purpose.”

Reminded me of what Robinson wrote in The Element about being lucky. “It’s not what happens to us that makes the difference, it’s what we do with it that determines the outcomes in our lives.”

Think and Grow Rich by Hill is first and foremost about having a burning desire. And then translating that to it’s physical equivalent through what he refers to as the 13 steps to riches. I’ll talk more about these from time to time. But for now, let’s just come together on the idea that what you think about and allow your mind to be dominated by (whether positive or negative) will become your reality.

You can not create or produce anything that does not begin as a thought in your mind. Control the thoughts of your mind and you will control your outcomes. You will make your own luck. No matter how young or old you are. You can be 59 and just be on your way to striking your pace, to achieving something truly remarkable.

Buy a poppy
see a movie
visit with family
have a picnic

Fly the flag
off from work
read a book
take a nap

Go for a drive
taste some wine
pass by veterans cemetery
honor their sacrifice

Last night we watched the Oscar award winning documentary, “Man on Wire.” The story of Frenchman, Philippe Petit who on August  7, 1974 managed to tightrope the 200′ expanse between the Twin Towers on an illegally rigged wire. But that was most probably the easy part for Philippe. The shear determination, daring, planning, practicing and breaking of the rules to accomplish such a feat was to me the most remarkable thing about his accomplishment.

At the end of the film Philippe summarized what it was all about for him:
“To me, it is so simple that life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion, to refuse to take yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge; and then you are going to live your life on the tightrope.”

How much larger, how much more successful would our lives be if we refused to settle? What if we lived our lives on the edge? Broke more rules. Looked at every moment of every day as a challenge to improve? What if we committed to an impossible goal and poured each minute of every day, every week, month and year to accomplish it?

Then, we are going to live on the tightrope.

Last Saturday we said goodbye to our Zephyr (a 1998 SeaRay 250 Sundancer). It was the right thing to do at the right time. But it was really hard. Zephyr was the boat of my dreams. We bought it new almost 11 years ago when we lived on Lake Minnetonka in Mound, Minnesota.

Zephyr on Lake Superior

We enjoyed 7 great boating seasons on the lake, Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. We even took it up to Madeline Island and the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior a couple of times. Where on one occasion had a frightening excursion back from Devil’s Island when, in stormy conditions and 6-8 foot swells asked (for the first time ever) passengers to put on their life jackets. My greatest birthday was my 50th when Trisha and family members took me on a mystery adventure that ended perfectly – with a cruise across the lake for dinner with friends and family aboard our Zephyr. We also took it on Trisha’s 5oth birthday weekend celebration up Minnesota’s North Shore to Blue Fin Bay Lodge. We took a spectacular picture of the Split Rock Lighthouse (see photo box). When I took a new job in the San Francisco Bay Area with Nextel we even had it transported out to California with us, and enjoyed a few more years with it exploring the Delta, San Francisco Bay and the Napa River.

Talk about “living large!” Being on-board the Zephyr (meaning: gentle west wind) made our spirits soar. It was our refuge from pressures and the source of some of the greatest thrills and fun we’ve had over the past 11 years. It was where we played. And where we relaxed, where we escaped. It was make-believe come true. And now it’s gone.

Gone to a young man named Tyson. When Tyson and girlfriend, Kelly first came to look at Zephyr he was wearing a U.S. Navy cap. We talked briefly about our experiences in the Navy, and he told me about how he had dreamt of owning a boat like this for as long as he could remember. How he had been researching boats and been on this mission to find his boat. I liked him right off the bat. What better buyer to come courting for our boat’s love and affection but someone who is as passionate as we, and knows a great boat when he sees it! Aye, Zephyr is in good hands. And so is Tyson and Kelly. Zephyr will raise their spirits, take them on exhilarating adventures and bring them many warm and gentle breezes. He’s learning to get her up on plane, to trim her level and skim atop the waves…to listen to the gentle slap of the water gurgling against her hull lulling you to sleep in the cabin down below. Just beginning to live large.

Greg's last time on Zephyr

It’s not the end of the story for Zephyr – or us. We’re still into breezes and living large. Maybe it’s time for an RV trip. Or travel to some new spot where the adventure continues and renews our spirits. For now, we’ll just be a little sad; and glad for a man named Tyson, his girlfriend Kelly, and a boat we call Zephyr.

It’s not because running makes me happy at the very moment I’m running. Next time you pass by a runner, look at them. Are they grinning from ear to ear? Probably not. I am happy, very happy once I’ve finished the run! Or, when I’ve escaped things like the killer bunny in the video to the right – run away, run away!

Sometimes I get the runner’s high – a sense of euphoria that you could run forever and never tire. But most of the time its an effort. It’s hard.  But there are reasons I run and come back to run another day. Here are some of them.

1. I think and get new ideas when I run.
Running gets me away from my computer and crackberry. It limits my intake to music, a podcast or just nothing at all except my dogs ahead and my surroundings. It’s a great place to be, to relax, and think. A couple of days ago I got an idea for the theme of a program our Kiwanis club is putting on next month: “A Celebration of Service.” I then began to think of all the things we could do during the program to make the concept of community service come alive to those in attendance. I got the idea for this blog and the direction I wanted to take my business while on a run. I seem to get some of my best ideas while running, away from my office. Robin Sharma in the book, The Greatness Guide says, “Creativity comes when you are relaxed, happy and enjoying the moment.” So, whether you run, spin, step, make music, walk or just sit on a beach somewhere; try to just relax and enjoy the moment you’re in. And, by all means don’t feel guilty about taking time away from your grind. See if you don’t get some exciting new ideas to think about.

2. I run for my life.
I should also add, I run because I can. If I couldn’t run I’d probably do spin, go for long walks, or do some other form of strenuous enough exercise that would improve my health and reduce my chance of an early exit. So often we hear and are confronted with the truth that the most important thing we could have is our health. It’s true. And once you realize it and come to grips with your own mortality, you get a little more serious about a healthier lifestyle. Having a cholesterol issue and being a diabetic trying to delay taking on the diabetes pills means I am literally running for my life. I’ve got some vices for sure, I believe in a balance. But, I’m really into living and experiencing as much time ahead with my wife, kids and grand kids as I can.

3. I run for a sense of accomplishment.
I’ve been running for about 15 years and one of the things that keeps me going is to record and track my progress. I challenge myself. I make a game out of it. At one point I bought the heart rate monitor watch with the speed and distance thingy. It was the Google Analytics of running performance measurement. I’m not that serious of a runner any more. I like to run and compete against myself. I’ll track my time, distance, average heart rate, calories burned, my weight, basic stuff like that. Put it in a spreadsheet measure and compare with some goals I’ve set for myself. And, what I’ve found is it keeps you accountable. It gives you a sense of accomplishment. It shows you’re making progress – or not. The point is to write it down. Put on your schedule that which you know will bring about life enhancing benefits. Then, record your results, track your progress. Build a habit of accomplishment.

You may have figured out by now that it’s not just about running. Running is just the tool, the means to an end. It’s about positive change. It’s about breaking out of the routine factory that’s smothering your creativity and into the wonder of discovering  new ideas. It’s about finding a way to improve your life, and as you do realize meaningful achievements.

What are you running for?

Maddy & Hunter

I like to run when the temp is 58 – 63, sunny with a zephyr wind at my back. My dogs on the other hand don’t care if it’s cold or rainy, windy or calm. They love to run no matter what. They run hard with their tongues hanging out gasping for breath against the strain the leash puts on their collars – as I hang on for dear life. They run with their hearts, not with the weather. I think I’ll try that.

In advertisements we see photos of product with the disclaimer: “Image shown not to actual size.” The real deal is larger, better, greater (or, in the case of this photo – smaller!)  I too am not to my actual size. What you see is what you get today. But I’m working on getting to a potentially greater size of me that is more productive, more successful and more satisfied with making a difference in the world around me. Are you on this journey too?

In any journey to greatness there are two viewpoints at play. On the one side are the realities of the moment, defined by our current experience and circumstances. But on the other lie unlimited potential fueled by the wonder of our imagination and the courage of our actions.

Being satisfied with the present but wanting something more is a good thing. All too often though we give in, we settle. Our focus becomes myopic, our thinking shallow; if we take any time to think at all. When I was a teenager learning to drive I asked my Dad why I was having such trouble keeping the car from swerving back and forth. “Maybe you’re not looking far enough ahead,” was his reply. And, sure enough, once I lifted my gaze from the patch of road immediately in front of me to the road up ahead, the car stayed centered in the lane and I stopped my erratic swerving.

Consider taking your eyes off your immediate circumstances. Look up ahead, see further down the line, gaze into the future, imagine and see what more you could become. And believe there’s a greater size of you ahead.

I’m reading “The Greatness Guide” by Robin Sharma. In it he points out, “the life that you see this very moment isn’t necessarily the life of your future.” There’s a bigger and greater size life ahead, for me, for you. Here are some of the steps to greatness I’m learning to make:

1. Forward Thinking. Larry Fitzgerald, the outstanding Arizona Cardinal’s wide receiver recently said in a SI article just before the Super Bowl, “It’s not the time to reflect…the Cardinals signed me to play well, and I just feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” Larry wasn’t thinking about his 9 catch, 152 yard, 3 touchdown performances in the championship game against the Eagles. He was thinking ahead to the next game, the next opportunity. What if we thought more about the future and realized everything that has led up to this point was for future greatness? What if we thought and believed and “saw” ourselves being happier, more fulfilled, yes greater than now? Robert Allen said, “The future you see is the future you get.” I can see myself more fit and 25lbs lighter. I see my income much higher, my relationship with my wife much deeper, the positive feelings customers experience having worked with me much greater. My vision is rising and my thinking is moving forward.

2. Planned Actions. It’s not enough to take the time to think rightly, to set goals and visualize greatness. Thinking must turn into planned actions. Actions that can and will translate into extraordinary and remarkable results. At first I was dumbfounded when Capt. Chesley Sullenberger who saved the lives of 155 people on board US Airways Flight 1549 said, “I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the job we were trained to do.” Simply doing a job? You kidding me? You’re a freakin’ hero. But then it sunk in. Capt. Sullenberger was only able to do something great and remarkable because of all of the training, planning and emergency simulation exercises he had undertaken. I’ll bet Sully had a schedule full of continuous training relating to the very similar situation he found himself in on January 15, 2009. I’m in my mid 50′s and run 3 miles, 3 times a week, not bad. But, how am I going to lose those 25lbs if I don’t step it up and plan to do more (and eat less)? If I value a deepened relationship with my wife but don’t put her at the top of my schedule – how’s that going to happen? And, if I don’t take measures to nurture my client relationships how will I know their needs and be able to meet them more effectively?

I know it’s a cliché, but I do believe life is a journey and not an event. Each positive thought and every productive inch of action is important. What positive, new thoughts and fresh thinking do you need to engage in? Then, how will you act, what will you put on your calendar tomorrow to become the next size of you, to reach for your next summit of greatness?

Photo source: Ilona Dharjha’s flickr