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Road Runners RVers Happy April to all. We are up and running now and have many places to go and lots to see. By the time you receive this article we will have completed our first campout as the newly formed "Road Runners RVers." We are heading out to Santee Lakes Campground for five nights. Can't tell you how excited we are, and I will give a report in next months Breeze. Tim and Jane are planning a campout to Lake Skinner in May. We have trips to June Lake, Lake Cachuma, Julian and Huntington Beach in the making and will keep you posted with further details as to dates etc. We are also going to include weekends in our campouts so that our members and future members who are working, will be able to attend . Our meetings are the second Thursday of every month at 6 pm in the Lodge. Check in at the front desk as to the location. For our residents who have RV's and are not part of our club yet, please come to our meetings. We would love to have you come and see what we are all about and give us a try. We are open to all suggestions and are eager to meet you. You can attend as many events as you care to. You can come to one campout or all of them. There is no obligation. Feel free to email me with any questions at meyer.madeleine@ yahoo.com. ~ Maddie Meyer Interest Group 42 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | APRIL 2015 The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert was our venue for February. This family-oriented and educational zoo can be revisited numerous times with always a new discovery for the visitor. In addition to the flora and fauna of local deserts, imports from other continents captivate the old and young alike. A group of 26 Hearty Hikers descended on this oasis on a perfect 70-degree day for a full morning of exploration. Lynette, who was a docent for the zoo and gardens, was our personal guide and provided tidbits of information about the various sights. The main attraction remains the skyscraping giraffes. The gentle giants stroll around their enclave nibbling at tree leaves and graciously submit to hand feeding by tourists. Once this obligatory stop is out of the way, attention turns to the less popular critters that reside in caves, under trees or chatter from tree tops. Camels, zebras and cheetahs are popular inhabitants and suffer the stares of the camera-toting public. Specialized gardens like the ones from Madagascar are for hummingbirds or for butterflies display some of the wonders of our planet. A non-living exhibit is the model train layout under the care and feeding of retired railroad buffs where various locomotives pull their loads through 1950-era towns. Another opportunity for zoo visitors is the 4.5 mile hiking trail that passes a San Andreas Fault overlook and proceeds 600 plus feet up to Eisenhower Mountain. This trail claws up 873 yards of a boulder-filled dry stream to a deep pool of fresh water that never seems to empty during our recurring droughts. At the top of the trail breathtaking green vistas of golf courses in desert communities belie the water shortages we are experiencing. It isn't a trail for novice hikers. Our lunch stop was at Babe's in Palm Desert where ample plate loads polished off our monthly hike. Some of our members also took a few days to visit Death Valley during the cool weather of February. To find out where else we are hiking, call or email Lynette at (951) 377-0392 or lynette.simonson@gmail.com. ~ Len Tavernetti Hearty Hikers Seated (L-R): Ruth Hsu, Betty & Terry Fears, Standing (L-R): Bev Fagan, Lana & Bob Gundermann, Martha Franck, Jan Pilkton, Mary & Jerome Liebenberg, Tony Ramu, Frieda Hofer, Jim Sein, Lynette Simonson, Alexandria Woodcock, Maureen McGowan, Bruce Woodcock, Fred Hofer & David Kershaw pictured with Lilly. Above: Death Valley in Feb. L-R: Peter Matuza, Ann Schockett, Lynette Simonson, David Kershaw, Mary Baer, Bertsy Seim, Robert Gunderman, Lana Gunderman, Grace Germany Reaching the top of the trail.

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