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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Kings Canyon/ Sequoia National Park
One thing for sure, if David K hasn't posted or replied in a 48-hour period, then it means I am not near the Internet!  
Last weekend, our daughter Kristi got married to Kenny and they did so at a place Kenny has loved since he was a little boy, Kings Canyon. So, it was
a camping party for friends and family. There is a lodge nearby in Cedar Grove for the few who preferred not to rough it. The rest of us camped in
Sentinel Campground.
We drove up on Saturday, the wedding and party were on Sunday, and we came home on Tuesday (yesterday). The weather was ideal... never cold enough for
a jacket (but pretty cool around dawn) and no bugs (only a couple of mosquito bites). Monday was a nice chill day to relax.
On the drive home, we stopped at Grizzly Falls and took the loop walk among the giant sequoia trees at the General Grant Grove.
The stats: The drive was about 7 hours with a meal and fuel stop from San Diego North County... about 370 miles. My Tacoma got around 18 mpg. The
entrance fee for the park was $35 and good for a week. The camping site was about $22/ night.
Here are a few photos (sized to 640 pixels width)...
Our camp spot... Coleman Instant Tent, 8 years of Baja only camping with it.
Happy wife, Baja Angel (Elizabeth)
Wedding vows exchanged... Kristi's brother, Joshua is ordained to perform marriages (he officiated my son's wedding, last year). Joshua is the
off-road racing/ trophy truck mechanic for Team Mattox and was formerly with Stewart's RaceWorks (until he was injured badly while co-driving in the
Mint 400).
Grizzly Falls
Sorry, but I can't get these to show correctly. Let's just say these guys are tall!
These next two photos are the same tree, upper half and lower half...
Giant seqouoias
Something different is always fun. The camping sites all need to be reserved well ahead of time during the busy season.
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John Harper
Super Nomad
Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
Member Is Offline
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Congratulations to the happy couple! Those Sequoia trees are something else, I remember the first ones I saw.
Don't forget to get your Golden Pass when you turn 62, it will save you 50% on campsites and free admission to national parks. I know you're getting
close.
That pop-up tent has served you very well.
John
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: Originally posted by John Harper  | Congratulations to the happy couple! Those Sequoia trees are something else, I remember the first ones I saw.
Don't forget to get your Golden Pass when you turn 62, it will save you 50% on campsites and free admission to national parks. I know you're getting
close.
That pop-up tent has served you very well.
John |
Yes, thanks...
we are only a month and a half away from that magic age for the discount and early social security refunding what I paid into for so many years!
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ehall
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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Looks like a good time. Congratulations to the couple.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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Love the pictures and glad you two had a great time. Congratulations to your daughter and new son in law, may they have a happy and long life
together.
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Mother of Dragons
Nomad
Posts: 313
Registered: 4-30-2019
Location: California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
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Congrats to your daughter Kristi and Kenny 🥂
What a perfect place to get married❤️
It’s beautiful there. The dragons and I used to go to a great family camp there called Montecito Sequoia.
Great place to take your kids or grandkids too as they run programs for adults and kids.
[Edited on 8-9-2019 by Mother of Dragons]
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advrider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1863
Registered: 10-2-2015
Member Is Offline
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One of the many areas I'm looking forward to hiking when I thru hike the PCT! Been there several time but can't wait to see the back country. Thanks
for the report.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy amable
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Love my Sierras!!
And congrats to the newlyweds
Final word
Yes, you can collect SS at 62, but not if you make more than about $17k per year
Careful with this.
And, the longer you wait the higher your monthly payout.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner | Love my Sierras!!
And congrats to the newlyweds
Final word
Yes, you can collect SS at 62, but not if you make more than about $17k per year
Careful with this.
And, the longer you wait the higher your monthly payout.
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I know... Book sales don't provide enough income and my irrigation work has been more difficult for me as I get older. I would rather get some of my
money back before I die than wait for a bigger amount and maybe not get any! Ha!
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Felicidades! A beautiful place to begin their life together.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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tiotomasbcs
Super Nomad
Posts: 1837
Registered: 7-30-2007
Location: El Pescadero
Member Is Offline
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Thanks for the pics...one of my favorite spots, too. Cedar Grove and adjoining facilities /store are great. A Ranger told me about an undeveloped
area called Horse Corals near Montecito. I wish our Parks weren't so crowded these days. Why BCS is my home!
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caj13
Super Nomad
Posts: 1002
Registered: 8-1-2017
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner | Love my Sierras!!
And congrats to the newlyweds
Final word
Yes, you can collect SS at 62, but not if you make more than about $17k per year
Careful with this.
And, the longer you wait the higher your monthly payout.
|
I know... Book sales don't provide enough income and my irrigation work has been more difficult for me as I get older. I would rather get some of my
money back before I die than wait for a bigger amount and maybe not get any! Ha! |
Do the math on it David,
Turns out if my wife starts taking it at 62, as opposed to waiting till shes 70 - she would break even when she was 85. so she will take the money
now.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3718
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy amable
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Do the math on it David,
Turns out if my wife starts taking it at 62, as opposed to waiting till shes 70 - she would break even when she was 85. so she will take the money
now. [/rquote]
__________________________________________
I would never advocate going past "full retirement" age, just to up the monthly stipend. But, going early surely limits you on being able to earn
without losing some of your current benefit.
David is a young man (last time we met he looked pretty able to me) and I assumed that he still had a few more years of operating his business. Bad
assumption on my part, I guess. If you are not concerned about the earned income penalty then head for the rocking chair and enjoy....
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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caj13: Read my post, that is what I am doing. If I make it big on TV (lol) then I won't need it so I can wait. Unless I can make more, I begin getting
my money back after my next birthday.
Dick: We met a long time ago and my body is weaker however, my business was very reduced following the events made in 2008. The events after 2016 had
made the industry whole again but all my business associates have not been able to stay and so much was referals and sub work from or for them. I am
just too worn out to be working in the dirt so much, anyway.
[Edited on 8-10-2019 by David K]
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Mother of Dragons
Nomad
Posts: 313
Registered: 4-30-2019
Location: California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
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| Quote: Originally posted by advrider | | One of the many areas I'm looking forward to hiking when I thru hike the PCT! Been there several time but can't wait to see the back country. Thanks
for the report. |
I wish you a great time on the PCT. I’ve been thinking of being an Angel on it so may see you somewhere some day.
Keep us posted when you do begin!
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6027
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retireded
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I pulled my SS at 62, and have no regrets! Well, maybe a couple of years more would have left me in a bit better financial shape, but there is no way
I would have kept subjecting myself to the wear and tear and hazards of construction until I was 70!
We can chat about it sometime if you like, but this thread is about you and your family, not me.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | I pulled my SS at 62, and have no regrets! Well, maybe a couple of years more would have left me in a bit better financial shape, but there is no way
I would have kept subjecting myself to the wear and tear and hazards of construction until I was 70!
We can chat about it sometime if you like, but this thread is about you and your family, not me. |
Thank you AKgringo.
Construction is hard on the body... and my work (gluing pvc pipes and punching in emitters) is on the knees. Fortunately, my knees have not given out
but my legs are weak. I know they would be happier if I lost 30 pounds, too! I have switched to light beer, what else can I do??? LOL
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John Harper
Super Nomad
Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K |
The events after 2016 had made the industry whole again,
but all my business associates have not been able to stay?
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Please elaborate on those contradictory statements.
John
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18380
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Online
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | I pulled my SS at 62, and have no regrets! Well, maybe a couple of years more would have left me in a bit better financial shape, but there is no way
I would have kept subjecting myself to the wear and tear and hazards of construction until I was 70!
We can chat about it sometime if you like, but this thread is about you and your family, not me. |
Thank you AKgringo.
Construction is hard on the body... and my work (gluing pvc pipes and punching in emitters) is on the knees. Fortunately, my knees have not given out
but my legs are weak. I know they would be happier if I lost 30 pounds, too! I have switched to light beer, what else can I do???
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I know many that have improved their physique and health in their 60s. Here is what else you can do:
Eat better
Exercise regularly
Be disciplined
Skip gyms, they are boring so you will lose interests. Take up a sport or active pastime you enjoy, the enjoyment will help you make it a regular
activity, leading to health.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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BajaRat
Super Nomad
Posts: 1303
Registered: 3-2-2010
Location: SW Four Corners / Bahia Asuncion BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Ready for some salt water with my Tecate
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | | Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | I pulled my SS at 62, and have no regrets! Well, maybe a couple of years more would have left me in a bit better financial shape, but there is no way
I would have kept subjecting myself to the wear and tear and hazards of construction until I was 70!
We can chat about it sometime if you like, but this thread is about you and your family, not me. |
Thank you AKgringo.
Construction is hard on the body... and my work (gluing pvc pipes and punching in emitters) is on the knees. Fortunately, my knees have not given out
but my legs are weak. I know they would be happier if I lost 30 pounds, too! I have switched to light beer, what else can I do???
|
I know many that have improved their physique and health in their 60s. Here is what else you can do:
Eat better
Exercise regularly
Be disciplined
Skip gyms, they are boring so you will lose interests. Take up a sport or active pastime you enjoy, the enjoyment will help you make it a regular
activity, leading to health. |
Less stressful lifestyle
Move to Shell Island and become a travel author
Lionel :cool
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