Run Home - Dec. 16 - 18

Watching the weather module with the hope of slipping between storms, we are heading home on Rte. 81.

Monday the 16th - Tannehill Ironworks Historic SP in McCalla, AL - Time to fully winterize and perhaps take the last warm shower for a while.

Tuesday the 17th - A sign for the Ole Smokehouse caught our eye on the way out. With eyes bigger than our refrig, we left with an assortment of bacon, sausage, ribs and a hunk of venison loin to cram in. Walking in the shop with us was a hunter who brought deer meat for processing. The cover of the cooler was off and looking down at the quartered deer, I made a comment that I wasn't really sure about venison because I had only had stew meat. He offered up a loin and told Harry to cut off a piece. Hmm. Looks like we need to trade up from Cracker Barrel to a park tonight so we can barbecue! It was a day of gifts. Arriving at Warriors Path State Park in Kingsport, TN around 6:30, the ranger wished us a Merry Christmas and free night because we came late and were leaving early. The venison was excellent!

Wednesday the 18th - What's all this white stuff! Although not the longest run, 687 miles was enough for today. Tucked in with the big guys at the Welcome Center in Danbury CT puts us 185 miles from Hull. Should be home for lunch.

Thursday the 19th - Home!

New Orleans - Dec. 13 - 15

Fun time visiting my brother, Jay, touring the city, photo sessions, walking down Bourbon Street with a beer just because I can, people watching and eating crayfish etouffee, jambalaya, muffalettas, grilled oysters and spumoni. I will be rolling home to a diet.

My lips are sealed on the rest because what happens in NOLA stays in NOLA!.

Photos

Anahauc - Dec. 11 - 12

There were all sorts of choices for camping around Anahauc. Some boondocking but there was quite a selection of county parks. It wasn’t clear how the park system worked and we were going to be late so I called the Commissioner’s Office. Turned out camping was free but you need to get a permit from their office. Camping is allowed for 3 days per park which is quite generous considering there were 5 parks in that one precinct.

Anahauc National Wildlife Refuge was big, beautiful and filled with birds. We spent a full day and Harry built up many “chits” taxiing me around. It was just too big to bike around in the time we had. To be there a week or more would be wonderful. Texas has turned out to be a surprise. The entire route we drove was beautiful and will be a trip by itself someday soon.

Photos

South to the Border for Warmth - Dec. 9 - 10

Still turning south, we headed to Pancho Villa SP in Columbus, NM on the border. The cold pushed down with us and we woke to 19 degrees outside, 30 in with a slightly frozen waterline inside the van. The outside had been winterized and we were pretty toasty under all the down so who would have known. All was fine w/a little heat and temp. that rose 20 degrees in less than an hour once the sun came up.

We drove many miles along the border on Rte. 9 and it was an education. Most vehicles we passed were Border Patrol. We watched them “pulling the drag”. The drag was 3 tires chained together and towed by the patrol car at the beginning of each shift over the dirt road that runs along the barbed wire fence. This enabled them to easily see fresh footprints. I read a story dated back to 2003 when a patrol car fell into a sinkhole that turned out to be part of a tunnel system used for drugs.

Several inspection stops, another dip south on Rte. 90 and many miles through TX, we boondocked at a truck stop in Sanderson, TX. Texas is a state that allows overnight camping at rest areas. It’s just a question of finding one that you feel comfortable with. In this case, we wanted the company of lots of trucks.

Leaving well before dawn with the ravens cruising the trap line looking for last night’s road kill, we drove almost 600 miles to get through Houston and over to Anahauc.

Photos

Whitewater Draw, McNeal, AZ - Dec. 7 - 8

Heading SE on Rte. 10 w/a dip further south to Tombstone and across the Sulphur Springs Valley to McNeal, Harry asked where the heck we were going and was it safe down by the border. I didn’t know but with a tip from a guide to what coincidently turned out to be a hotspot for Sandhill Cranes, it was worth checking out.

Whitewater Draw WLR was the destination. There were three parking lots that allow overnight parking but the main entrance was the only one that entered the refuge where hunting was not allowed. It was also where thousands of Sandhill Cranes come to roost for the night. In fact, about 2/3's of AZ’s wintering cranes roost here. We got there just in time to see them coming in at sunset.

The next morning at dawn w/a temp of 23, I was out there watching them leave. We decided to stay an extra night because it really was beautiful and gave us an opportunity to visit nearby Bisbee, a copper mine town on the side of a mountain with many artists, restaurants and interesting architecture.

We still haven't quite figured out that south doesn't necessarily mean warmth when the elevation is still high.

Photos

Tucson, AZ - Dec. 4 - 6

Tucson was amazing. We stayed at the Gilbert Ray CP up in the Tucson Mountains which was really pretty and quiet this time of year. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was down the road. The museum, mostly outside, is a zoo, natural history museum, aquarium and botanical garden. The exhibits are exceptional and have every critter you might expect to find or avoid in the desert – snakes, scorpions, wasps, centipedes, gila monsters, coyotes, javelinas and even a pack rat, a tenant at will. More on the rat later! One highlight was the free flight raptor program that ran twice a day.

A trip to the AZ State Museum was a must. The current exhibits included The Pottery Project, Ancient Architecture of the SW, Path of Life of North American Indians, Basketry and Edwin S. Curtis’ photographed record of N. American Indians.

We met up with Bob Lansing, his son Greg and wife Robin for a Mexican meal where they ordered all sorts of dishes so we were able to try everything. Delish! We also heard about Greg and Robin's plans to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail next year. I am so jealous!

Our last day, we went back to the museum because they were hosting a Basketry and Native Food Festival. At the Apache food demo, the meal was grilled pack rat. Pack rat is something I have been accused of being from time to time and until now, didn’t really know much about them. They are desert rats that live in debris piles called middens that are used for 10s of 1000s of years. Archeologists study the middens for vegetation, climate change, bones and bits and pieces of human civilization. The Apache chef explained that this is a seasonal meal because pack rat is only hunted in the winter when they don’t have bugs and sores. I think a bird flew over and I turned when the samples were passed out but yes, Harry ate pack rat bones and all. Yuck!

On our way out of the area, we stopped by the San Xavier Mission where we met Joe Begay, a Navajo silversmith, actor and singer. Apparently he was there when the Fishers passed through. He is a character that you can’t help but buy something from!

Mostly Bird Photos

More Photos

Leaving CA for Goodyear, AZ - Nov. 30 - Dec. 3

We had heard so much about Quartzsite being a place that snowbirds head for in the winter months so we decided to spend a night on the way to Goodyear to see what it’s all about. Come January/February, Quartzsite is wall to wall RVs, flea markets and festivals including a huge mineral and rock festival,  a “sellerama” and art festivals. 

We settled on Dome Rock BLM campground for the night. This is a free area where you can stay up to 14 consecutive days. Then there are the LTVA (long term visitor areas) with stays up to 7 months Sept – Apr for $180 and RV parks. Such a deal but what do you do all that time! We had a very quiet night with the place mostly to ourselves and the coyotes.

Kathleen and Lou Ann are friends from Hull who moved out to Goodyear just west of Phoenix. They live in a beautiful complex, Pebble Creek that offers every imaginable activity – golf, fitness, swimming, art and cooking classes and on and on. We got a chance to help out with the Homeless Youth Connection where Lou Ann volunteers. This is a great organization that helps homeless youth complete high school. Just need to pair them up with my friend Jack Zorski to help them dream and get funding for college. Lots of relaxation, great food prepared by Chef Molony and a guided tour through Costco! I have been hearing so much about Costco from my sister, Carol Murphy and Kathleen, I had to see what it was all about. Think I’m hooked.

Photos

Across to Joshua Tree NP - Nov. 24 – 29

Skirting LA on a Sunday afternoon, we spent a night at Applewood CG in the San Bernardino Mountains and then detoured to Pioneertown before going into the park. 

Pioneertown was founded in 1946 by a group of Hollywood actors as a 1880s town for filming westerns. Some of the buildings are now artisan shops and others private residences. There were corrals in the back where RVs can dry camp although they do have restrooms. There was a saloon/restaurant, Pappy & Harriett’s, that has a story of its own but they also have music almost nightly. The Monday night we were there was “open mike”. This can be a good thing or deadly but we went and were blown away. Every act was great and musicians come from far and wide to perform here. It was so good, we came back 5 days later to spend our last night in the area.

Joshua Tree NP is part Mohave Desert above 3,000’ and part Colorado Desert below 3,000’. Coming in on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving was still a race for space but we were able to find a site at Ryan CG before it quickly filled. Pictures best describe but there were boulder stacks, yuccas including the Joshua Trees, assorted cactus and birds, rabbits and coyotes all of which we saw along with mountain lions and snakes that were thankfully camouflaged or hibernating. The temps were in the high 50 to 60s during the day dropping down to the middle 40s at night. Many of the campers were rock climbers (and tightrope walkers) which made us wonder if this is what college students do when they have no place to go for Thanksgiving. For our Thanksgiving meal, we brought along breast of duck that grilled up beautifully – a new favorite!

I became braver with the imaginary cougar that follows me around and hiked up to the 29 Palms Oasis and some of the hikes around the CG as well as Hidden Valley and Barkers Dam. It’s a pretty cool place that grows on you!

Photos on the way to JT
Joshua Tree Photos

Big Sur to Jalama Beach - Nov. 20 - 23

We should have held back a day because the first part of this spectacular drive was in rain and fog so we passed by several places we intended to stop and hike. The rush was on my part because I had a General Delivery package waiting in Santa Barbara that turned out to be “all for nothing” – a story for another day! 

We stayed one night in a campground at Los Padros NF, Kirk Creek in Big Sur and the next in the Morro Bay Marina Parking Lot. This was a tip from a guide and although questionable as to the legality, the sign specified parking could not exceed 72 hours. There were restrooms with coin showers and a beautiful harbor walk around to Morro Rock. There were also lots of shops and restaurants and Morro Bay was very dog friendly. Seemed like a perfect night for dinner out so we scouted out Dockside after seeing great reviews for BBQ oysters. They were wonderful!

After the unnecessary trip to Santa Barbara, we backtracked away from the congestion to Jalama Beach County Park for a few more beach days. It was here we learned that people were starting to gather en mass for Thanksgiving. Apparently it is really popular to go camping over the holidays on the west coast. We decided to start turning the corner and head to Joshua Tree NP to get settled for Thanksgiving instead of continuing down the coast south of LA.

Big Sur Photos

Morro Bay Photos
Jalama Beach Photos

Monterey - Nov. 18 - 19

Coming from Yosemite, my first reaction was that I didn't want to be here in what appeared to be a congested, honky coastal town. 

We picked the Veteran’s Memorial County Park that sits up on a hill 1.3 miles uphill from town. The first time to town, we coasted our bikes down but quickly realized the trip back up was impossible for either of us to ride. Nina and I walked back and forth each morning and soon got into the rhythm of the beautiful early morning light on the coastal walk, the marine life, Cannery Row and enjoying a cup of coffee and some sweet treat by the water. 

We met Jill, a friend of Harry’s, for lunch, got a chance to see the Monterey Aquarium, visited an unbelievable farmer’s market, got one badly needed haircut and really enjoyed the town.

Photos

Yosemite NP- Nov. 14 - 17

Due to my faulty navigation, we didn't make it out of San Francisco before the commuter gridlock and landed at the Walmart in Tracy for the night. The next day brought us to the Upper Pines CG in Yosemite. 

Anyone who has been here knows Yosemite is beyond description with so much to see, photograph, hike, bike and do. Roads that normally would be closed this time of year were open so we took the opportunity to drive Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Road to get an overview of the different geographic areas of the park. 

I bought Michael Frye’s “The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite” that maps out what locations are optimal for the perfect shot at what time of day in what month. And of course, what time of year is best for waterfalls, wildflowers, foliage and so on. I won’t live long enough to do it all but we made it to a couple spots to catch the 15” of sunset on the granite, hiked to Vernal Falls with the 600 steps and soaked up as much as we could. Not enough but we will be back.

The last night, we traveled down to Mariposa Grove and Wawona CG for the night. It was a much better CG but the location was no comparison to Yosemite Valley.

Photos

Bodega Bay with the Murphys - Nov. 9 - 13

Our friendship with Ted and Carol goes back to the beginning of time when Harry met Sally. I started working for Ted, an ophthalmologist at the MEEI, in the mid 70’s, met Harry one day over a business lunch and the rest is history.

This stop was a restful one.  The Murphy’s house sits on a hill looking out across the bay and is not more than a miles walk down to a bird walk on an estuary with the beach just beyond. Ted Jr., his wife Kelly, twins Katie and Jack and pup, Chelsea joined us for the first couple days. Katie and Jack are amazing 6 year olds going on 10 – warm, smart, athletic and lots of fun!

We also learned what happens when a dog gets “snaked”, one of my worst fears. Chelsea had gotten bit by a rattlesnake (probably a juvenile that didn’t know how to control its venom) not long before we arrived. The horror, pain, emergency, expense and scarring was no less than imaged!

After power walks with Carol, wine tasting, touring the area and a wonderful time spent catching up, it was time to move on. We passed through San Francisco to have lunch with Ian, their second son and then headed east.

Photos

Van lift in Dixon - Nov. 7 - 8

Click for Photos

Perhaps a bit anxious wondering if we were too impulsive having significant suspension work done on the road, we arrived at Valley Spring Works in Dixon at 3:30 for work scheduled the next day. Within minutes of speaking to Bill who designs and engineers springs for everything from missiles, ocean drilling, automotive recall issues, refineries to niche work with RoadTrek folks like us, we chilled and camped out in the parking lot for the night.

This post is for my friends interested in mechanics. Apologies to others who may want to fast forward. I will never remember everything that happened or was said but Bill was the kind of person who wanted us to understand everything about the van and know what he was doing. The front end was where the math, calibration and most time were needed. He checked tires, brakes, shocks, grease fittings, even the steering gear box and then measured and tested the existing springs. I missed the coil spring part doing laundry but believe that the new springs were measured, calibrated, heated (or calibrated by heat) and powder coated. I only wished Harry had picked the color red instead of black. It would have made for better photos.

The left rear had bottomed out and he questioned how the van was set up – placement of the generator, refrig, water tanks. Clearly most of the weight was on the left. He re-arched 3 of the existing leaf springs and added 2 new tapered leaves per side with each side calibrated separately for the load they would bear. The tapered leaves, thicker in the middle and tapering on the ends, was something new to give a more comfortable ride in the back. All new bolts, nuts, U bolts and all 8 grease fittings per side lubed, some probably for the first time because they were completely dry and took a whole tube of grease. These guys put in a long day and the light was fading towards the end but what a great job they did. We now have a custom suspension system designed for the weight we carry and at least an extra 6” of height!

Too late to go far but far enough to know the van handles beautifully, we went back to Lake Solano CG for the night. Tomorrow with a 90 mile run to Bodega Bay will be my chance to drive but the ride this evening was so much more comfortable and the handling a huge improvement. Prior to the lift, the van had developed a real bounce making me feel like Raggedy Ann and now it is smooth!  I can’t say enough about Spring Valley Works. They were worth the drive.

On to Dixon - Nov. 4 - 6

Leaving the fairgrounds, we made a stop in Ferndale to walk the town before heading SE. This was a beautifully preserved Victorian village surrounded by pastures. Founded in 1852, the pioneers farmed the rich land with dairy cows and the town prospered which was reflected in the buildings. The shops were fitting for the period. The Mercantile Shop was closed until noon but looking through the windows, we could see the old shelving, china and décor. My favorite was The Blacksmith Shop that represented over 26 different artisans with a working forge on one side. Designs ranged from period to contemporary with assorted candlesticks, lamps, sconces, chandeliers, tables, chairs, hooks, fireplace utensils and more.

Continuing south down Rte. 101, we targeted an Army Corp property on Lake Mendocino in Ukiah, Kyen CG. According to the website, they were open year round but when we arrived at 6:30, the campground was closed due to budget reductions. The Day Use had signage for no overnight parking/camping but the boat ramp did not. The alternative being a casino parking lot, we decided to stay and “ask for forgiveness instead of permission”. We did get a visitation the next morning from a ranger who forgave but confirmed all ACE CGs in the area were closed. At $35/night, the State Parks were a bit rich for us so we continued to Lake Solano County Park in Winters to relax for a couple days before having the van work done in Dixon.

Along the way, I saw a strawberry stand and had to stop. My conversation with the Asian lady selling the berries went something like this. “I would like a box of strawberries.” “No box, half box.” “No, I just want a box, this box.” (pointing to a pint of berries) “No, half box, you must take. We close, go home. Half price. You take, no more berries, we go home.” Harry was watching my nodding, shaking head and when I turned around with a half carton/over 4 quarts of strawberries, I thought we’d both lose it! At home, I’d know exactly what to do but in the van, I had no place to put them never mind how to use them all. Harry became instantly popular peddling berries around the CG.

Solano CG which follows along the Putah Creek was loaded with birds. Back before the property was a park, it was part of a ranch. At that time, they introduced peacocks to take care of the rattlesnakes. Needless to say, the peacocks adapted beautifully and there are hundreds of them throughout the park and surrounding area. It was also some of the best birding that I have had with the different habitats. My favorite - a phainopepla!

Tomorrow, the van gets a lift.

Photos

Humboldt County Fairgrounds - Nov. 3

More poking along the coast, we passed through Trinidad, a cliff top fishing village, Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary and Eureka, a really cool Victorian Seaport. A self confessed food snob, I was very pleased to go into Murphy’s, a family grocery in Trinidad, to find local fish, meat, bread, everything and more on my list that I haven’t been able to find since Central Market in WA. Totally irresistible after 2 months of camping was a dinner of twice baked potatoes, local lamb chops and kale cooked at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds CG in Ferndale.

The fairgrounds were in farm country. Camping w/or w/out hookups was in the RV area or the fairgrounds itself which we would have chosen if we hadn't settled first. 

These grounds were also used for a catch and release cat program. Strays were fixed and released in the fairgrounds where they were given food and shelter and could choose to stay or not. There was a day group and another that stayed in the barns until night with a pecking order between and within the groups. For CA, camping was affordable at $10 dry/$15 w/hookups, all with showers and dump. Nina was in cat heaven!

After a walkabout this morning, the fairgrounds were really beautiful. Built in 1896, it was old but neat as a pin, landscaped, everything freshly painted and active. It's a good bet there aren't any rodents either. There was a flower house, artist building, museum and barns for judging, cow testing and more. The horse and cow stalls were active with at least 2 dozen animals in residence. This was a nice find for an overnight or longer if we were to stay in the area.

Photos

Prairie Creek Redwoods NP/SP - Nov. 1 - 2

Backtracking through Crescent City on a really smoky, foggy day, we settled on Prairie Creek CG for a couple nights. The weather got a little wet but still got some biking and hiking in. Photos tell the story best.

November 2nd brings us to the 2 month mile marker of being the longest time we have spent in our 19' van. Time has gone by quickly and yet I think back to all the fabulous places we have been, family I haven't seen for 7 - 10 years, their homes I have only heard of and lives I could only imagine, it seems like we have been gone for a really long time. On the flip side, life in the van is as good now as when we started so on we go.

Photos

Grants Pass - Oct. 30 - 31

There’s something about the folks in OR that drew us back when shit happens. 70 miles NE to Grants Pass brought us first to one RV dealer who referred us to another better able to help. After a quick assessment and part ordered, we headed off to Valley of the Rogue SP for the night with the bonus of a laundromat, showers and 2 cool new birds (acorn woodpecker and red bellied sapsucker).

Somewhere along the way, I had picked up a copy of “Wild” By Cheryl Strayed recommended by friends because it was all about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Camped out at Siskiyou RV World for the day, timing was right to put a dent in a new book.  As I started reading, a light bulb went off! Driving the rim of Crater Lake a week ago, at least two parking lots were blocked off and filled with crews filming. You can always tell it’s a movie set because they use those indiscreet yellow signs with black lettering “To Set”. Filming of Wild started mid October and the PCT goes around the rim so it’s highly likely they jumped on the beautiful weather we had and were filming there.

Four hours later convinced I too could benefit from hiking the PCT, we had a pristine new PVC L connection down under where no one will ever notice except that we again smelled sweet. We also got a lead from Steve on a coil and suspension guru in the Sacramento area. We have a date set on 11/8 to meet with Bill Erb at Valley Springworks in Dixon, CA. It makes sense to talk with a mechanical engineer whose specialty is coil and suspension dynamics, manufacturers his own parts and has taken a special interest in solving low clearance problems with Roadtreks.

Don’t bring bananas into CA! Crossing over to OR, we had noticed an agricultural checkpoint southbound going back into CA. I asked around and the ladies at the RV place said yup, no fruits or veggies going over the border. I stressed a bit because we had all sorts of stuff and wrestled with whether or not to hide some or all. The checkpoint ended up being closed when we returned but something to remember. Nightfall got us to Smith River Rec. Area, Panther Flat CG, Gasquet, CA. Nice spot.

Photos

Jedediah Smith SP/NP CG, Crescent City, CA - Oct. 29

Finally over the border to CA and into the Redwoods, we have a site in the Jedediah Smith SP/NP in Crescent City. After an afternoon of exploring, we were coming back into the CG when the bounce of the van coincidentally hit a high spot caused by a tree root and disrupted the seal or broke the phalange on the pipe connected to the holding tank (black of course). It’s not a debilitating problem but one we have to fix so we may opt to go back north to OR where there is a cluster of RV folks rather than push through CA and miss places we want to see.

We will be pursuing a lifting kit to get another couple inches higher.  Six inches off the ground isn't making it under normal situations out here. Because of the rain in this area, every place we pull into has crowns that cause problems.

Couple Photos

South Coast of OR - Oct. 25 - 28

My sister headed west in the early 1970’s, ended up in Bandon and never came back east to live. As a younger sister, I always had a curiosity and put Bandon on my bucket list. ‘Course she met her husband there which I can’t duplicate but the stories of finding agates and petrified wood along the beach fascinated me. A couple nights at Bullards Beach State Park and many walks along the beach didn’t disappoint.  Walking into the sun at low tide seeing the sparkle of an agate was so cool. The rock hound obsession begins – agates, jasper, petrified myrtle wood  . . . . !

Leaving Bandon, we looped back about 30 miles north to Coos Bay to see Cape Arago, Simpson and Shell Island (home of one of the largest mammal haul outs), Shore Acres State Park and Charleston where we got a “loin of albacore tuna” for dinner. Shore Acres was the private estate of Louis J. Simpson.  The mansion is no longer there but the gardens, garden cottage and acreage along the coast were magnificent. It was a drizzly day but the volunteers were in the process of stringing 300,000 lights on the shrubs, trees, garden house, pavilion and pond area for “Holiday Lights” so it was really spectacular.

I bought this book, Gem Trail, at a rock shop in Bandon that listed spots to go rocking. It also talked about camping possibilities in the areas mentioned so I thought we could try a place along the Rogue River for the night. Thankfully we checked it out at lunch time, could have camped there in the gravel and bushes a ways from the river but declined. Traveling into Port Orford, we followed lettering on the road, OCEAN VIEW. This brought us up to Battle Rock Wayfinding Park on a bluff that overlooked the Port of Port Orford. Overnight parking was welcome, free and with the most beautiful panoramic view. The Port is the only open-water port on the OR Coast and 1 of 6 “dolly” ports in the world where boats are hoisted in and out of the water daily.

Next night, we tried one more suggestion from the Gem Trail. This was Social Security Bar along the Chetco River in Brooking. People who retire in OR must not leave because this was the second beach/bar that we have found named after pensioners in OR. It turned out that the parking area was now posted for Day Use Only so we continued up river to a SP that was listed as open all year. Closed, we continued into the Siskiyou NF and settled in at a primitive site that I think was the Miller Bar CG. There wasn’t a sign and the GPS location wasn’t particularly accurate but it was a primitive site in the NF! In the gravel along the river bed there were amazing chucks of jasper and other assorted rocks. The van is getting heavier!

Photos

Crater Lake & the Upper Klamath NWR - Oct. 23 - 24

The weather forecast was for more sun and the web cam at Crater Lake crystal clear so we continued south. As we approached the North Entrance to Crater Lake, several signs said that the entrance was closed. Not to take No for an answer (and based on what I had read online), we continued. Turned out road was open. It was just self sign-in at the booth. Another perfect day without  a cloud in the sky. The East Rim was open but not the West. The one trail I wanted to hike was covered with snow and ice. My knee was doing a lot better but not 100% so decided it wasn’t worth the climb.

Coming down the south side, we continued to Rocky Point Resort CG on the Upper Klamath Lake. This is in the northern part of the Klamath Basin National Refuge. We don’t stop at commercial RV CGs often and were pleasantly surprised. The view was spectacular and again we were the only ones there. This is more like a camp probably frequented mostly by fishermen. There are cabins, docks, a restaurant and general store. The property is owned (or leased) by the Odd Fellows and managed by Todd and Sondra. This was to be a one night stop but with a canoe, we stayed one more day and should have stayed a week! (Would have if I had a spotting scope)

The southern coast of OR was calling so back we went.

Photos

Back to the Cascades - Oct. 19 - 22

It was a beautiful drive from Newport, OR east through the Willamette Valley with wineries, farms and quaint towns with a night in Foster, OR at a county park, River Bend CG. This was a really pristine CG with very nice facilities. Always attracted by water, we chose a non-hookup site by the river.

Next stop Sisters, a western town with lots of shops and several antique stores for Harry with nightfall at Tumalo SP in Bend. The sign coming in said No Vacancy which based on past experience didn't make sense. We along with another camper went in anyway and spoke to the host. She didn't have a clue what was open. The campground was about half empty! There was no escaping the road noise at this park and no dumping facilities. My fault for not reading the guide but we were headed for dispersed camping so we quickly swung by La Pine SP south of Bend. Too quick as it turned out. A truck was passing as we left but hung along side. The New Englander in me couldn't figure out what I had done to bring on the road rage until I realized he was trying to tell us something was wrong! Looking back, I didn't see the bikes. We had forgotten to put the rack back up after filling the tanks! Oops! Back to Bend we went to get a new tire for Harry’s bike after quite a drag along the pavement!

A fellow camper in Tumalo tipped us off about Newberry National Volcanic Monument and the CGs. This is a 1,200 sq. mile area about the size of RI. Parts of park were closed as were the campgrounds but they had called the National Forest Agency who told them what CGs could still be accessed (never thought of doing this). Paulina Lake, a crater lake at 6331 ft. was one such spot. There are several CGs but the campers again told us of the one, Little Crater Lake that had the best sun to quickly warm us after a 20 degree night. With 49 sites strung out along the lake, we were one of two the first night and the only one the second. This night Harry woke me at 2:30 to say he heard footsteps in the gravel and then quickly fell back to sleep. Dreaming for sure but I spent the rest of the night on guard. #46 was the best for early/late sun and the best view. It didn’t get below 30 degrees and the days were 70 plus with not a cloud in the sky. My kind of weather! Biking, hiking and hanging out.

Photos

More of the North Coast of Oregon - Oct. 17 - 18

Sliding into the River Bend County Park in Foster, OR Saturday night after a busy day, I had planned an easy beans and dog meal but was reminded this would be a bad mix with the chill we had at lunch! A quick switch to the last of the smoked salmon from Will over baked potatoes and spinach salad w/apples and goat cheese turned out a wonderful meal that was so easy. Will have to remember this one for the book.

The past couple days were spent with more poking along the coast down to Newport in search of beach agates, a visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium (5 stars!) and a first ever overnight at a casino, the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City. We realized this wasn't a novel idea as soon as we pulled into the designated parking lot with about 70-100 other assorted RV’s and campers. It turned out to be the start of the 16^th Annual Western BCA Regional 9-Ball Championship (pool players association) that ran through the weekend! It actually quieted down to a good night. The casino looks out over the Pacific, has easy access to the beach and is free. We'd stop again! 

The aquarium was phenomenal with exhibits of fish, birds, mammals and sea life in their habitat. The Seabird Aviary was the best with much of what I could hope to see on the rocks off shore but couldn't get to - Tufted and Horned Puffins, Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Murres and Black Oystercatchers. There was also an exhibit called Passages of the Deep where you walk through a glass tunnel with fish and sharks swimming all around including over and under!

For variety, we are looping east over the Cascades to Sisters, Bend and if the weather holds as promised, we may make a pass through Crater Lake. The NP campgrounds are closed for the season as are many of the National Forest areas so we’ll see how it goes but hope to come back to the southern part of the Oregon coast before getting to CA.

Photos

Cape Lookout SP - Tillamook, OR - Oct. 15 - 16

At this point, Nina thinks life is a beach and our new home. She could be right!

Photos

Nehalem Bay State Park - Oct. 14

Leaving Spruce Run CG, we decided to travel down the Nehalem River on Foss Road instead of backtracking to Rte 26. This was a 30 mile trip half of which was a snaky, gravel road with significant potholes. It was still worth the drive although I wasn't the one driving.

After checking out availability at Nehalem Bay State Park, we headed back north to Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock to see what was happening at low tide. This is home to Tufted Puffins from April through August but there was also suppose to be colorful starfish and anemones. We weren't disappointed and enjoyed a few surprises.

Photos

Along the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood – Oct. 10 – 13

This stretch was a lot of poking along the Columbia River Scenic Byway by waterfalls, scenic vistas and small towns of Troutdale, Cascade Locks and Hood River. The Bonneville Dam operated by the Army Corp. was closed of course but the fish hatchery was open. There were two bronze sculpture artists, Rip Caswell in Troutdale and Heather Soderberg in Cascade Locks who had statues displayed throughout the towns. Their works were so impressive that we visited the studios of both. Heather has her own foundry with her husband and they walked us through the whole process with pictures and pieces of the statue of Sacagawea that you will see in my photos. Nina was also particularly taken by her work! The first night we stayed at the Ainsworth State Park CG which wasn’t the greatest but adequate.

Continuing our drive up and around Mt. Hood, we traveled through vineyards, orchards and a fun stop at a lavender farm. We intended to try our luck at dispersed camping in the National Forest assuming their campgrounds would be closed but were pleasantly surprised to find no gates or “closed” signs at two of the campgrounds so in we went to Nottingham CG. We were the only ones there (spooky) but it was a great site by a creek with wood to burn.

This was to be a scenic drive to see Mt. Hood but except for a small peak we never did! The weather was supposed to clear on Saturday but morning brought 41 degrees and rain. We took the drive up to the Timberline Lodge anyway and rain turned to snow. Next time! Back towards the coast we go and found a really nice county park, Spruce Run County Park CG in Seaside along the Nehalem River. We enjoyed it so much, we stayed an extra day.

Photos

Cathlamet, WA - Elochoman Slough Marina CG, - Oct. 9

This was a quick overnight stop at a pretty funky county park/marina, Elochoman Marina. The getting there was fun and full of surprises because we didn’t realize the green line we were following on the GPS back over the Columbia to WA was partly by small ferry until we rounded a corner and found ourselves immediately in line to board. The ferry took us to Puget Island and then a bridge across from there. We met a guy on the ferry who relocated to the island after years of fishing in Alaska. He chose the island for the quaintness and the “Little Norway” feel. The island is in WA where there is no income tax but he shops and does his business in OR where everything is cheaper and no sales tax. Makes sense to me!

The marina abutted the town sewer treatment facility that was in the process of being relocated but still being used. All this really meant for us was a couple pools that didn’t have any odor and attracted a great collection of ducks! The town of Cathlamet was small, quaint and worth a walk about.

What was really fun for Harry was the small fishing fleet that fished out in front of us with drift nets and brought their catch in at the end of the day to be weighed and sold to a distributor. I don’t know that I’d recommend this spot for all our friends but we enjoyed it. Fish for Harry, birds for me!

Photos

Ft. Stevens SP, Hammond, OR - Oct. 7 - 8

Crossing the river to Astoria, the first stop was to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. This is a must see museum with incredible exhibits on fishing, canning, the river and bar pilots, wartime, mapping and on and on. The forces of the water at the mouth of the river demand great respect and knowledge of the ebb and flow of the river colliding with the tide and winds of the ocean on the shallow waters of the sand bar. The wrecks are many and the big ships take on bar pilots to get them in and out of the mouth and then a river pilot for the rest of their journey up the Columbia. It was amazing to learn that potatoes can travel over 400 miles from Idaho down the Snake and Columbia Rivers.

We’d listen to The Shipping Report on one of the local public radio stations which would list what boats were coming in that day, from where and what they were bringing in or picking up. The ships were mostly coming from China, Japan and Korea and were picking up logs and lots of wheat as it was harvest time. They also aired advisories for checking weather conditions on the bar and great maritime stories.

Ft. Stevens SP was on the OR side. The two parks were quite different but each good in their own way. The campground here was much bigger and buried in the woods but there was over 9 miles of great biking trails connecting the CG with the beach, lake and historical areas. We were able to get one of the few tent sites (8 +/-) which was nicer and less expensive. Most of the other sites at Ft. Stevens were full hookups which we didn't need or want. The sites at Cape Disappointment were very close to the beach, had a variety of full hookup to primitive and less dense but what there was for bike paths didn't connect the park and the roads were too narrow, twisty and dropped off with no shoulder to comfortably ride. 

Photos

Cape Disappointment - Oct. 4 - 6

After we had made online reservations for Deception Pass SP, we were a little gun shy of WA SPs not because we were hit with an online reservation fee which is the norm but we were also hit with an out of state deposit. This collectively added $12 to a one night stay. We really wanted to stay at Cape Disappointment in WA on the mouth of the Columbia River so figured we’d give it another try and were pleasantly surprised to find no out of state surcharge arriving w/out a reservation – something to keep in mind.

Cape Disappointment was where Lewis & Clark finally arrived at the Pacific Ocean although they made their winter camp on the south side in OR. We again were pleasantly surprised to find the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Ctr. open. Because the center was cooperatively shared between the government, WA and OR, it wasn’t affected by the shutdown. 

The campground right by the beach was bustling with the opening of razor clam season and a favorable minus low tide. We watched how they dug for them using a 6” PVC tube about 3-4’ long w/a handle and air hole at the end. The sand traps in the tube and takes 2 tube fills to get the clam. You can easily see where the clams are by either a dimple or bulge about the size of a 50 cent piece in the wet sand. A 3 day license can be had for $8, 15 clam/day limit. We worked it through and thought for a short while that we would dig but then reality set in on how to store the whole clams, clean them (there was a nice cleaning station nearby but the tide was late) and then process or cook them in volume in our 19’ van.

Photos

Last Stop thru Indianola - Oct. 2 - 3

This visit is best described as “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”! The Good was visiting again with Sue and Will, Drew and Lori and Sue’s neighbors and friends, Becky and Gale for a fabulous dinner followed the next day by touring through Indianola and Suquamish.

The Bad was arriving back at Sue’s to find out that Danny, her dog, had a bad laceration from jumping a fence. Sue and I headed off to the vet for 4+ hours while they sedated him to clean and stitch his leg. Interestingly, the only vet that could help at short notice was a VCA 24 hour urgent care facility that we also have and use on the east coast. Harry in the meantime “played” with an excavator moving a log around and drove with Will in his Triumph down to a local marina.

And the Ugly! Next to Sue & Will’s property is a pasture with cows. Harry warned us to take our time coming back from the vet because it turned out this was the day the cows (4) were to be butchered – onsite at the foot of their driveway! I know our local farm, Weir River, has a “meet the meat day” and this is life but to do this on the road in public with a spot light as it was dark was too much. Harry told me enough to get a “visual” but I’m so glad I wasn’t there!

Pushing all that aside, we had one more feast before we left – Dungeness crab cakes, fresh salmon and oysters. Sue sent us off with fresh eggs and Liberty apples picked from her trees and almost forgot, smoked salmon from Will. Sad goodbyes but we will be back.

On the way through Poulsbo, we made a stop at Central Market. This is a five store family chain grocery store in WA that is much like Whole Foods but better with lots of local produce. We were able to completely reprovision and picked up some local Chanterelle mushrooms, the same that we had seen growing on Rich’s property.

Photos

Matlock, WA - Sept. 29 - Oct. 1

The trouble with getting into a good book, “Ahab’s Wife”, is that the blog writing gets put aside day after day after day! 

It was still raining Sunday going into the Quinault Rain Forest. The only campground open, Willaby CG, was pretty nice with lots of space as we were the only ones there. 

I had defrosted a pork loin several days back when we camped next to the NW Dutch Oven Group so had to cook it up regardless of the weather.  The awning went up to ease the pain of cold rain which was our undoing! We won’t discuss the “would have, should have, could haves” but long story short the awning collapsed against the van about the same time Harry was headed out to take it down. Unfortunately the middle brace and lateral arms gave way and punched through the awning. It was toast but there was also the problem of putting the awning away (or cutting it off) so that we could move. My cousin, Rich, was coming to meet us the next day so we asked him to bring tools and a hack saw as a last ditch effort. 

The morning brought light and new clarity to our situation and Harry was able to relieve tension so that we could crank the awning in. I wish the same had been true with our government! The shutdown has brought into perspective what is a real problem and what is an inconvenience best dealt with once we get home. Of course the shutdown has closed all National Parks, National Forest, BLM and Army Corp. campgrounds which was one of the main focuses of our trip and where we prefer to stay!

Rich led us back to his home in Matlock via Donkey Creek Road. This was a short cut through mostly National Forest and private logging roads. He cleared the way of fallen trees and warned us of low clearance areas but one 2 mile stretch was an education. It was a single lane logging road that was so busy that we waited for a logging truck going in our direction to run interference for us. Who would know!

We had a great time catching up, seeing his home and property. We poked along the Hood Canal and after trying unsuccessfully to find Geoduck (gooey duck) served in a restaurant, we picked one up at Taylor Shellfish and headed home to try our own hand at cooking. Harry watched a few YouTube videos and then we had lots of laughs cooking everything up – Geoduck, oysters and meatloaf.

Photos

Kalaloch - Sept. 27 - 28

I think it was my cousin, Drew, who said that fall comes quickly to WA, in fact very soon after the Equinox. Well it is raining and has been going on 3 days now. We had a choice leaving La Push to either head back the way we came putting us in the “rain shadow” near Pt. Townsend and Seguim but we decided to continue the loop south around the Olympic National Park into the rain forest area. What did we expect! 

We got a great campsite in the Kalalock Campground right on a bluff with a direct view out to the Pacific. This also meant a direct hit from 50+ knots of wind and rain for the two days we were there. Please don’t feel bad for us though. We were surrounded by the NW Dutch Oven Society’s annual gathering. We were invited to the most amazing meal with pots full of chicken, spaghetti, stew with biscuits, vegetable dishes, peach cobbler, angel food upside down cake with pineapple and if that doesn’t sound like enough, the morning brought McMuffins, a sausage/egg dish and blueberry crepes cooked on the lid of the pot. These folks were great inviting us into their lives and passing their knowledge on. So many thanks! There will be a new pot in my future!

When we were in La Push, I noticed 4 dead Common Murres and one that was dying. Once we got to Kalaloch, we were able to get one beach walk in before the rain and saw several more. I mentioned this to the ranger and although she wasn’t aware of anything happening said that when two different types of algae bloom together they create a soapy foam that washes the oils off the birds. The birds get cold, swim to shore where there’s no food and die. I told her I saw some foam that had fluorescent blue-green bubbles so she is going to check it out but fears it is happening again. Sad!

Photos

La Push - Sept. 25 - 26

On our way out of Indianola headed for La Push, we went by the Grover’s Creek Salmon Hatchery. They have an automated bucket lift built in the 1990’s by Accumar, Will’s company that brings the salmon up to the hatchery where the eggs and sperm are collected. The salmon are then given away but only good as “smokers” because they are pretty beat up. Timing is everything! When we arrived, they were giving away fresh salmon caught the night before from the bay as part of research. We got a nice silver side salmon to bring along.

La Push on the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula is part of the Quileute Indian Reservation. Sue and Will rented a cabin in the Quileute Oceanside Resort and we parked alongside. The pictures really describe this area the best but finally we have arrived at the Pacific Ocean with a couple days of beautiful sunshine and Nina has died and gone to heaven running the beach with her cousins, Danny and Llewie!

Photos

Indianola, WA - Sept. 21 - 24

Finally the anticipation of seeing my sister after about 7 years sets in! She suggested we take our time, enjoy Pt. Townsend, stay for lunch and get to her house in the afternoon. Pt. Townsend has the infamous Wooden Boat Festival in early Sept. that would be nice to see someday but the old buildings, shops, restaurants and marinas were worth the walk around. After scouting out the Pt. Townsend Brewery to get a “Growler” (half gallon jug) of Hop Diggidy IPA as a special birthday request, on we went to Indianola. The GPS wasn't really keeping up with where we were which then became further complicated by the fact that I either didn't remember or wasn't told that my sister’s street had been renamed and renumbered. We got close enough and then went by which house looked familiar from pictures!

Coincidental to our arrival, Sue and Will had just been given a 30’ Baba sailboat. It’s a cutter rig built in Taiwan with a solid teak interior, hand stitched tanenbark sails, skylights and bowsprit. The boat had been sitting at a slip for 7-8 years and the owner feeling guilty about not being able to take care of it, searched around for someone to take over. My brother-in-law, Will’s name came up and through a random act of kindness has become the new proud owner of “Miracle! No need to change this name!  I wish I had taken some interior shots because it has an open layout below with enough headroom for Will who is 6’6”. The cushions and seats are all high quality naugahyde. It’s a beautiful, sturdy big 30 footer that will give them many years of comfortable sailing.

We had lots of fun going down memory lane, celebrating birthdays, meeting the dogs, the sheep and the chickens. We, of course, had to see the new boat, the old boat Penelope named after my mom and then travel over to Hansville to visit with my cousin Drew and his friend, Lauri.  He has built himself a beautiful home that captures the views of his property and the mountains beyond. It’s quite a life out here. I think I’ll stay!

Photos

Deception Pass State Park, WA - Sept. 20

From Baker Lake, we continued on the Cascade Loop Scenic Highway through the Skagit Valley Region. We passed through Sedro-Woolley, a logging community, Burlington, Mt. Vernon and La Conner which was the highlight. La Conner is a fishing/artist community with a Victorian flair. It also has the largest commercial bulb industry second to Holland. Of course this time of year, all we saw were the bare fields but could really get a sense of what the color must be like March – May when the tulips are in bloom with Mt. Baker and the Cascades in the background. The farmhouses were really cool too.

Deception Pass was beautiful with an incredibly strong tide coming through. Nina and I poked through many of the trails around the campsite finding great views, birds and a beaver cruising around the swimming area. This was really a quick overnight so we could be a bit more organized and cleaned up before getting to my sister’s the next day.

We caught the Coupeville/Pt. Townsend ferry the next day. Although I did make a reservation for the 11:45, we arrived early enough to drive right onto the 11:00 and didn’t really need it at all. The Washington State Ferry system is really slick. 

Photos

Baker Lake, WA - Sept. 17 - 19

We decided to move around to Lake Baker in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest so that we could pass through Concrete to do laundry, find a post office and stores for miscellaneous stuff. Aside from an innovative town sign, there was hardly a soul walking the streets and many store fronts empty. The laundromat was the busiest business around as well as a hardware store that sold everything making perfect sense given the lack of competition. It is a cute town though and passing back through, we will be looking up a bakery we read about after the fact.

The north side of Mtn. Baker has a scenic byway that I’m sure is spectacular and tempting but we wanted to continue the push to the Pacific. It may have been a good decision because we found that although campgrounds were listed as open online along the lake, more than half were actually closed. The same was likely to be true north. We stayed the first two nights at Horseshoe Cove CG and then moved over to Lower Sandy which was dispersed camping/free. This campsite was one of the nicest we have had! These were lazy days for biking and great beaches for Nina to run. I also found a great pond behind a pump house with an amazing collection of at least 7 different kinds of ducks.

We will be traveling down to Deception Pass State Park Friday night before arriving at my sister’s house in time for her birthday Saturday. They really aren't that far away at this point so we will be looping back to see the San Juan’s later.

Click for photos

North Cascades, WA - Sept. 14 - 16

It’s always exciting to head towards a new, beautiful place and today it was the North Cascades! We passed through miles of wheat fields, many of which had already been cut. Beyond the wheat, we got into apple country, orchard after orchard with the harvest in process. It was interesting seeing the clusters of small cabins that the pickers must stay in when they are working an area. I regret not stopping the driver for a photo opp but he was on a roll. 

We traveled through great towns – Pateros with a hawk festival, Twisp where we hoped to go to a farmer’s market but closed as we arrived and the western town of Winthrop with the old store fronts.  After going through Washington Pass with views of the Liberty Bell, the first night stop was at Lone Pine CG in the Okanogan National Forest so we could hike to Blue Lake in the morning and continue on through the N. Cascades. 

Harry will tell you I drive him crazy wanting to see not just choices in campsites but campgrounds as well! We “toured” Newhalem, Colonial Creek which I liked a lot for the ducks in the creek, but finally chose the Goodell Creek CG on the Skagit River both because it was close to Newhalem and pretty cool with all the salmon jumping as they come up river to spawn. Campsite #13 was a great one. The National Forest outside the park as well as inside the North Cascades allow dogs on the trails which was a big plus.

By this time, we have gorged ourselves on huckleberries; ice cream, cobbler, pancakes, strudel, and then we moved on to fresh peaches and of course apples. I’m not sure I ever knew what a peach should taste like. Ours back home are picked so hard, mush out and get mealy instead of ripening. My sister tipped us off on getting some as soon as we got into WA peach country.

Photos