Week 130 - Jojoba Hills SKP Resort - 02-01-2009

Hi again from Jojoba Hills SKP Resort,

We just finished our second week playing Pickleball at Jojoba Hills. This is one of our favorite resorts. This week's travelogue is our first in-depth report on a resort. Jojoba Hills SKP Resort is an Escapee's Co-op Resort. (SKP is "S" "K" "P", Escapee). To stay here as a visitor you must be an Escapee's Member (www.Escapees.com). This 140 acre resort is home to 283 sites. Each site is the residence of an Jojoba Resort member. When members are traveling and have vacated their site, an Escapee's member may rent the site. At $20/night (02-2009), this resort is probably the best bargain in America!

While the low cost is great, the attraction for us is the people and playing Pickleball. Everyone here is very friendly; your hand may tire just from the fact that you cannot pass anyone without being waved at. Below is a map of the park. The sites are huge, averaging 50 x 70 feet. All sites are nice and each one is unique. Unlike most parks where each site is parallel to your neighbor, these sites are positioned at all angles, providing great views, and the most privacy we have seen at any of the over 200 parks we have stayed at.

The hub of activity in the park is the Friendship Hall. It includes the meeting hall, restrooms, kitchen, laundry, craft rooms, mail room, card room, book and video library, fitness room, billiard room, two spas, pool and covered outside eating area. Outside is the tennis/Pickleball courts, shuffle board and horse shoes pits.

This is site #401. Spacious with complete privacy and a fantastic view.

A view of a few sites with the Friendship Hall in the background.

The Friendship Hall and billiard room with three quality tables.

1) The book library and 2) Video/DVD library. Books are free to read and videos are only $.50 for three days. Nice collection donated by members.

1) The Friendship Hall and tennis/Pickleball courts.

1) Large heated pool and 2) the outdoor spa. A covered spa is also available.

The pool area has a tremendous view of the valley below. The arrow points to the location from which the next photograph was taken.

From our scooter ride high in the mountains we look back at the Friendship Hall. In the foreground is the Outdoor Resorts Rancho California. Outdoor Resorts is also a great resort with 14-hole golf, many ponds and beautiful grass. We visited Rancho California for great Sunday morning fellowship and teaching. Their fellowship is very spirit-filled and active in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jojoba Hills has a Bible study but not a Sunday morning service.

1) The horseshoe pits and one the six ponds used for beautification and retaining water during heavy rains.

Site #739, again spacious and a great view.

Pickleball: 1) Ellen serving with her partner Gordon. 2) Ellen and Melissa team up for Melissa's first game experience.

We so enjoyed not only the Pickleball but the friends we play with. Many thanks to our Pickleball hosts: Gordon and Lois, Larry and Maureen, Russ, Ron, Ron, Pat, Pat, Nancy, Roger and Sharon, Bill and Diane(?), Jack, Jim, Dennis, Alvin, John and many more whose names don't come to mind. Everyone was fun and gracious and didn't gloat when they slaughtered us! We look forward to seeing them next year.

1) The weather in Aguanga is within five degrees of the Atascadero month-to-month highs and lows. The weather varied from sunny to stormy and both were fun. 2) Members may store their travel vehicles in the storage lot. Dry camping is available in the Boondock area for only $5.00/night.

On our last day we participated in their annual dinner. We were entertained by Roger at the organ. The final song of the night was God Bless America. All 150 members present stood, held hands and sang their hearts out. These people are wonderful to be with and we will greatly miss them, that is, until next year. We love you all.

From Aguanga we traveled to Hemet CA. It looks short on this map and it could be done in 31 miles, however . . .

This is how we got there. Last year we took the YELLOW line which is 31 miles. We always like to experience new roads so this year we wanted to travel the GRAY line up Highway 371 and then on Bautista road. We took the BLUE line on highway 371 until the sign said Pavement Ends. So we back-tracked on the RED line on a much bigger road until the it turned to dirt (mud in the rain) without even a sign! So we followed the GREEN line back to Aguanga and to Temecula where we fueled for $2.279/gallon, grabbed some In N' Out burgers, stopped at Albertsons just before arriving at Golden Palms Village RV Park in Hemet. 90 miles in only 5 hours. Don't tell us we don't know how to have fun! See you next week. Love, Pete and Ellen

Photos from Feb 2009