Pendleton, OR

Sept 9, 2012- Sunday
We drove about 40 miles to Pendleton, OR to attend the round up and Professional Bull Riders events. We are staying at the Wild Horse Casino and RV Park. It is a nice place with a pool and all the amenities we need to enjoy our stay. The wind kicked up today and we were told it is the first real windy day of the summer. The temperature is in the 70's but when the sun goes down it gets pretty cold and we can't use our fireplace so we go inside a little earlier than usual. Nice to have the trailer. I think I've said that before. Our site wasn't ready for us when we arrived at about 11:30 so we went into town and scouted the area. After that we went back and went to the casino for a while. Gail invested $2 in penny slots and won $20. I invested $20 and lost $18 so we broke even. Didn't know we were such high rollers did you. Had a real good lunch while watching the Seahawks. We got settled in, met our neighbors, had a good dinner and went to bed at about 10. Here are pics of the Park and Casino.

Sept 10, 2012- Monday
Don played golf this morning at the Wild Horse Golf Course across the street from the park. Nice course and very affordable. It only took about 3.5 hours to play 18 holes. The wind blew again all day. We went into town to see where we can park for the events beginning tomorrow. We found a pretty good pizza joint so had lunch and brought leftovers home for dinner. After lunch we went to the Museum at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. This is a terrific display of the history of the American Indian in the area. There is also a display of the history of artist Charles Russell. This is a traveling exhibit that we were lucky to see. The wind chased us inside at about 7:30 so we enjoyed the evening watching TV and bed again at 10. Are we creatures of habit? Maybe so but that isn't always a bad thing.

Sept 11, 2012-Tuesday
We met up with two Native American ladies Don met while tailgating at the Seahawk games several years ago. Vicki and Bea are real nice people who introduced us to friends and family attending the Pendleton Roundup. We met them at the Rainbow Cafe and Bar where they bought us some drinks and introduced us to some of the locals. From there we all went to the Let R Buck Room under the grandstands at the rodeo grounds. The place was getting very busy and crowded so we went with Vick and Bea to the Indian Teepee area. They help set up some of the 200+ teepees on the grounds. From there we went to the Professional Bullriders Event. It was very cool. They said it is the smallest venue in the States. It lasted until about 9:30 then back to the park. It is still in the high 70's in the day but gets down to the high 30's at night. Here are Indian Village and bullriding pictures.

Sept 12, 2012-Wednesday

 

Today we went to the Pendleton Roundup Rodeo. The pic above is of the entrance to the arena This is the 100th year of the rodeo. It began in 1910 but was not held in 1942 and 1943 because of WWII. The population of the town goes from 16,000 to about 120,000 during this week. I have never seen so many cowboy hats, boots and Wrangler Jeans. It was quite an experience. The rodeo grounds double as the high school stadium but the track around the football field is dirt instead an artificial surface. We thought the most exciting event was the Indian Pony relay race. Before the races medics bring in back boards because this is the most dangerous event in the rodeo. In this event 3 or 4 teams of Indians and ponies enter and the track. One of the Indians from each team starts on a pony and when a shot fires all of the riders take a lap, 1/4 mile, at full speed around the track. When they come around at about full speed they get off this horse and jump on another one being held by a team mate. No saddles or bridles. They hang on to a halter or just horse hair. They do this exchange three times. CRAZY!!!! They also have bull riding during the day. Since the arena is so large they set up a smaller bull riding arena using PVC pipe. If a bull brushes into the "fence" it falls down and you have a bull running around on the football field. It was pretty amusing. It was a fun full day from about 1-5 at the rodeo. Here is a pic looking across to where the action begins.

Afterwards it was back to the park to relax and get ready for the drive home Thursday.

Sept 13, 2012-Thursday
It was about a 300 mile drive that was uneventful except for the smoke in the air caused by all the fires in Washington and Idaho from Hermiston, OR to about Snoqualmie Pass, over 200 miles.






 





Pendleton, OR

Sept 9, 2012- Sunday
We drove about 40 miles to Pendleton, OR to attend the round up and Professional Bull Riders events. We are staying at the Wild Horse Casino and RV Park. It is a nice place with a pool and all the amenities we need to enjoy our stay. The wind kicked up today and we were told it is the first real windy day of the summer. The temperature is in the 70's but when the sun goes down it gets pretty cold and we can't use our fireplace so we go inside a little earlier than usual. Nice to have the trailer. I think I've said that before. Our site wasn't ready for us when we arrived at about 11:30 so we went into town and scouted the area. After that we went back and went to the casino for a while. Gail invested $2 in penny slots and won $20. I invested $20 and lost $18 so we broke even. Didn't know we were such high rollers did you. Had a real good lunch while watching the Seahawks. We got settled in, met our neighbors, had a good dinner and went to bed at about 10. Here are pics of the Park and Casino.

Sept 10, 2012- Monday
Don played golf this morning at the Wild Horse Golf Course across the street from the park. Nice course and very affordable. It only took about 3.5 hours to play 18 holes. The wind blew again all day. We went into town to see where we can park for the events beginning tomorrow. We found a pretty good pizza joint so had lunch and brought leftovers home for dinner. After lunch we went to the Museum at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. This is a terrific display of the history of the American Indian in the area. There is also a display of the history of artist Charles Russell. This is a traveling exhibit that we were lucky to see. The wind chased us inside at about 7:30 so we enjoyed the evening watching TV and bed again at 10. Are we creatures of habit? Maybe so but that isn't always a bad thing.

Sept 11, 2012-Tuesday
We met up with two Native American ladies Don met while tailgating at the Seahawk games several years ago. Vicki and Bea are real nice people who introduced us to friends and family attending the Pendleton Roundup. We met them at the Rainbow Cafe and Bar where they bought us some drinks and introduced us to some of the locals. From there we all went to the Let R Buck Room under the grandstands at the rodeo grounds. The place was getting very busy and crowded so we went with Vick and Bea to the Indian Teepee area. They help set up some of the 200+ teepees on the grounds. From there we went to the Professional Bullriders Event. It was very cool. They said it is the smallest venue in the States. It lasted until about 9:30 then back to the park. It is still in the high 70's in the day but gets down to the high 30's at night. Here are Indian Village and bullriding pictures.

Sept 12, 2012-Wednesday

 

Today we went to the Pendleton Roundup Rodeo. The pic above is of the entrance to the arena This is the 100th year of the rodeo. It began in 1910 but was not held in 1942 and 1943 because of WWII. The population of the town goes from 16,000 to about 120,000 during this week. I have never seen so many cowboy hats, boots and Wrangler Jeans. It was quite an experience. The rodeo grounds double as the high school stadium but the track around the football field is dirt instead an artificial surface. We thought the most exciting event was the Indian Pony relay race. Before the races medics bring in back boards because this is the most dangerous event in the rodeo. In this event 3 or 4 teams of Indians and ponies enter and the track. One of the Indians from each team starts on a pony and when a shot fires all of the riders take a lap, 1/4 mile, at full speed around the track. When they come around at about full speed they get off this horse and jump on another one being held by a team mate. No saddles or bridles. They hang on to a halter or just horse hair. They do this exchange three times. CRAZY!!!! They also have bull riding during the day. Since the arena is so large they set up a smaller bull riding arena using PVC pipe. If a bull brushes into the "fence" it falls down and you have a bull running around on the football field. It was pretty amusing. It was a fun full day from about 1-5 at the rodeo. Here is a pic looking across to where the action begins.

Afterwards it was back to the park to relax and get ready for the drive home Thursday.

Sept 13, 2012-Thursday
It was about a 300 mile drive that was uneventful except for the smoke in the air caused by all the fires in Washington and Idaho from Hermiston, OR to about Snoqualmie Pass, over 200 miles.






 





Walla Walla

Aug 6, 2012-Thursday
We had a nice 260 mile drive to Walla Walla. We were here last 5 years ago and the town is just as nice as it was then. The RV park is in town and very clean and well kept. The sites are concrete with grass areas between them.

In town there is a great blend of shops and the people are friendly. We went into town after setting up just to walk around. This week is "Wheelin in Walla Walla Car Show" so will be great fun Saturday. We have a neighbor in the park that is showing a very cute '61 Austin Healy Bug-eye Sprite. The owners are nice folks from Vancouver, WA.



Aug 7, 2012- Friday
 We went West of town to do some wine tasting and purchasing. The L'Ecole Winery tasting room is in an old school house. Gail bought a neat wine aerator. We visited two more places in the area that were nice as well. Then South of town to Basel Cellars and Saviah Wineries. Both are very nice and the employees were very helpful in our efforts to find other attractions. We went to a couple more wineries West of town after we left there. This is so much fun. Then into town to find a specialty cheese store we were told about. This place has a "closet" that is refrigerated for you to go in and taste cheese. Another very cool place in Walla Walla.

Aug 8, 2012- Saturday
Today was the car show in downtown. There was over 350 cars on Main St backed into the curbs for about 6 blocks. Man, some people have way too much money and creativity. I got a few pics of them.



After a couple hours we went back to the park for lunch. Then East of town for more wineries. We visited three very cool ones. They had free tasting and the people were great. Later that night we could hear the music from the street dance in our park. That night we got a little rain and strong winds are expected for tomorrow.
We met some nice people in the park. One man, Mike, came in driving a big Class A motorhome towing a jeep. He lives in Issaquah but was at his 1000 acre foarm in Pomeroy. He is in the process of tearing down a bunkhouse and turning the slab into a site to park his motor home for when visitors are there. He only stayed one night.
Also we met Joyce and Marvin from Walla Walla. They were living on the property where they used to own but had sold ot to their daughter. She has plans to hold special events on the site so Joyse and Marvin moved to the park the end of April. They are going to Yuma in October after teh birth of another grand child.
 Another couple in the park was David and Constance from VAncouver Island, BC. They are traveling the state for the summer. After Walla Walla they are going to Steamboat Rock SP on our recommendation. We had both of the couples came by and had cocktails at our site  where we got to know them a little better. That is a nice thing about traveling when you can meet new people.
We will hit the road for Pendleton, OR in the AM for 40 mile drive. Don't want to wear our selves out.

Walla Walla

Aug 6, 2012-Thursday
We had a nice 260 mile drive to Walla Walla. We were here last 5 years ago and the town is just as nice as it was then. The RV park is in town and very clean and well kept. The sites are concrete with grass areas between them.

In town there is a great blend of shops and the people are friendly. We went into town after setting up just to walk around. This week is "Wheelin in Walla Walla Car Show" so will be great fun Saturday. We have a neighbor in the park that is showing a very cute '61 Austin Healy Bug-eye Sprite. The owners are nice folks from Vancouver, WA.



Aug 7, 2012- Friday
 We went West of town to do some wine tasting and purchasing. The L'Ecole Winery tasting room is in an old school house. Gail bought a neat wine aerator. We visited two more places in the area that were nice as well. Then South of town to Basel Cellars and Saviah Wineries. Both are very nice and the employees were very helpful in our efforts to find other attractions. We went to a couple more wineries West of town after we left there. This is so much fun. Then into town to find a specialty cheese store we were told about. This place has a "closet" that is refrigerated for you to go in and taste cheese. Another very cool place in Walla Walla.

Aug 8, 2012- Saturday
Today was the car show in downtown. There was over 350 cars on Main St backed into the curbs for about 6 blocks. Man, some people have way too much money and creativity. I got a few pics of them.



After a couple hours we went back to the park for lunch. Then East of town for more wineries. We visited three very cool ones. They had free tasting and the people were great. Later that night we could hear the music from the street dance in our park. That night we got a little rain and strong winds are expected for tomorrow.
We met some nice people in the park. One man, Mike, came in driving a big Class A motorhome towing a jeep. He lives in Issaquah but was at his 1000 acre foarm in Pomeroy. He is in the process of tearing down a bunkhouse and turning the slab into a site to park his motor home for when visitors are there. He only stayed one night.
Also we met Joyce and Marvin from Walla Walla. They were living on the property where they used to own but had sold ot to their daughter. She has plans to hold special events on the site so Joyse and Marvin moved to the park the end of April. They are going to Yuma in October after teh birth of another grand child.
 Another couple in the park was David and Constance from VAncouver Island, BC. They are traveling the state for the summer. After Walla Walla they are going to Steamboat Rock SP on our recommendation. We had both of the couples came by and had cocktails at our site  where we got to know them a little better. That is a nice thing about traveling when you can meet new people.
We will hit the road for Pendleton, OR in the AM for 40 mile drive. Don't want to wear our selves out.

Kelowna, BC

Aug 24-27, 2012
Only about 85 miles North to Kelowna. This is a pretty place. The city has done a fantastic job making it tourist friendly. There are 19 golf courses within 30 minutes, many walks and hikes of varied degrees of difficulty and Lake Okanagan as well as many restaurants, wineries and pubs. We stayed at Holiday Park Resort about 14 miles North of town. This is a huge park with RV sites as well as condos, three pools, one salt water, a little par 3 golf course, and lots of activities and amenities. One morning there was over 20 quail in our site. We think our neighbor feeds them. When trying to get a photo they would run from one side of the trailer to the other underneath it. Here is one I got of some of them behind and under the picnic table.


 Our site was nice and private and well taken care of so we were able to have more privacy than in most other parks we have visited.
We went into town one day and went for a walk along the water front watching para sailors, boaters, See Dooers and seaplanes in the Lake. Lake Okanagan is 66 miles long and over 127 sq miles in area. I think that is bigger than Chelan. After our walk we went to lunch at Hanna's Bar and Grill in the Delta Grand Hotel. What a beautiful place this is. We sat on the roof top patio in the sun.

 

That night back at camp it rained harder than we have ever seen. The drops were so big they looked like hail. Fortuantely it only lasted a few minutes.

Next day we went to town again and for a hike. It was only about 1.5 miles but steep up hill to a view point above the city. In 2003 there was a major fire southeast of Kelowna that lasted 36 days and burned right up to the edge of town. No lives were lost but over 1000 people were evacuated from the fire area. We spoke to a couple that lived there and were told they didn't lose anything but didn't know it until there were able to go back to their home. We brought our lunch and ate on the lake's edge.


On the way back to camp we stopped at Freddy's Brew Pub and Bowling Center. Nice place, people and brew. Then back to the park for our last night in Canada. Drove home, 350 miles taking 8 hours with traffic through all the towns in Canada and Central Washington on HWY 97 as well as duty free and customs. Back on the road on Sept 6.

Kelowna, BC

Aug 24-27, 2012
Only about 85 miles North to Kelowna. This is a pretty place. The city has done a fantastic job making it tourist friendly. There are 19 golf courses within 30 minutes, many walks and hikes of varied degrees of difficulty and Lake Okanagan as well as many restaurants, wineries and pubs. We stayed at Holiday Park Resort about 14 miles North of town. This is a huge park with RV sites as well as condos, three pools, one salt water, a little par 3 golf course, and lots of activities and amenities. One morning there was over 20 quail in our site. We think our neighbor feeds them. When trying to get a photo they would run from one side of the trailer to the other underneath it. Here is one I got of some of them behind and under the picnic table.


 Our site was nice and private and well taken care of so we were able to have more privacy than in most other parks we have visited.
We went into town one day and went for a walk along the water front watching para sailors, boaters, See Dooers and seaplanes in the Lake. Lake Okanagan is 66 miles long and over 127 sq miles in area. I think that is bigger than Chelan. After our walk we went to lunch at Hanna's Bar and Grill in the Delta Grand Hotel. What a beautiful place this is. We sat on the roof top patio in the sun.

 

That night back at camp it rained harder than we have ever seen. The drops were so big they looked like hail. Fortuantely it only lasted a few minutes.

Next day we went to town again and for a hike. It was only about 1.5 miles but steep up hill to a view point above the city. In 2003 there was a major fire southeast of Kelowna that lasted 36 days and burned right up to the edge of town. No lives were lost but over 1000 people were evacuated from the fire area. We spoke to a couple that lived there and were told they didn't lose anything but didn't know it until there were able to go back to their home. We brought our lunch and ate on the lake's edge.


On the way back to camp we stopped at Freddy's Brew Pub and Bowling Center. Nice place, people and brew. Then back to the park for our last night in Canada. Drove home, 350 miles taking 8 hours with traffic through all the towns in Canada and Central Washington on HWY 97 as well as duty free and customs. Back on the road on Sept 6.

Lake Osoyoos, BC

Aug 23- 27, 2012
We drove about 120  miles to Lake Osoyoos, BC. It was a nice drive even with a slight mistake in directions by Don taking us about 18 miles out of our way. The worst part was it had rained during the night and we were behind a truck so when he hit water on the road we were sprayed be a nasty mud that was like cement. I was able to clean up the trailer when we arrived at Island View Resort and RV Park. The park is really nice with concrete pads and all the amenities needed. It was surrounded by vineyards and orchards. The town is really clean and caters to the tourists and travelers. There are lots of opportunities for walks in the area as well. We wandered around town after getting settled to see what was available. We found a pretty nice brew pub so had a drink on our outing.
The biggest drawback of Canada is it is expensive. Over $5.60/gal for gas, the cheapest beer was about $27/case and so on. Fortunately we had most of the supplies we needed for the next 6 days. The weather was nice, in the mid to upper 20's, oops that's Celsius so around 80.
One day we took a nice walk along the lake checking out the hotels and beaches. We stopped at the Watermark Resort which is a very nice place with a patio bar and view of the lake for a drink. We also visited a few wineries. Our favorite was Moon Cursor. They, and other tasting rooms charge $5 for tasting. We shared the tasting and were treated to nine samples. Of course we had to purchase a bottle. Here are a couple of pics of the area.

 

 

One day in our wanderings in town we came across a street fair. We bought some canned purple raspberry jam and fresh corn. Both were fantastic. Tomorrow off to Kelowna.

Lake Osoyoos, BC

Aug 23- 27, 2012
We drove about 120  miles to Lake Osoyoos, BC. It was a nice drive even with a slight mistake in directions by Don taking us about 18 miles out of our way. The worst part was it had rained during the night and we were behind a truck so when he hit water on the road we were sprayed be a nasty mud that was like cement. I was able to clean up the trailer when we arrived at Island View Resort and RV Park. The park is really nice with concrete pads and all the amenities needed. It was surrounded by vineyards and orchards. The town is really clean and caters to the tourists and travelers. There are lots of opportunities for walks in the area as well. We wandered around town after getting settled to see what was available. We found a pretty nice brew pub so had a drink on our outing.
The biggest drawback of Canada is it is expensive. Over $5.60/gal for gas, the cheapest beer was about $27/case and so on. Fortunately we had most of the supplies we needed for the next 6 days. The weather was nice, in the mid to upper 20's, oops that's Celsius so around 80.
One day we took a nice walk along the lake checking out the hotels and beaches. We stopped at the Watermark Resort which is a very nice place with a patio bar and view of the lake for a drink. We also visited a few wineries. Our favorite was Moon Cursor. They, and other tasting rooms charge $5 for tasting. We shared the tasting and were treated to nine samples. Of course we had to purchase a bottle. Here are a couple of pics of the area.

 

 

One day in our wanderings in town we came across a street fair. We bought some canned purple raspberry jam and fresh corn. Both were fantastic. Tomorrow off to Kelowna.