Drive home April 2016

Apr 10, 2016
We drove about 310 miles to Coalinga, CA for the night. The park, Sutherlin's Almond Tree RV Park, is nothing to shout about. Just a stop on the way home

Apr 11, 2016
Today we drove to Antlers RV Park and Marina on Shasta Lake. We've stayed here a couple times before. This time the busy season hasn't started so the park wasn't cleaned up as it would be for Memorial weekend. The weather was cloudy with some showers but we stayed out under the awning and by our fire. The lake is higher than it has been in several years.

Apr 12, 2016
We had breakfast and took a walk around the park. The weather is better today so we sat out enjoying the view of the lake.

For dinner we went to Allyson's Restaurant in Lakehead close by the RV park. The owner, Cheryl, has had the place for about 7 years. The ambiance was casual with quite an expansive menu from pizza to buffalo, fish and pasta dishes. We had a pizza and requested green green peppers. Cheryl told us she didn't have any but the grocery store is next door so she would get them from them. It was a good and a fun experience.

Inside Allyson's Restaurant

If you ever in the Shasta Lake/Lakehead area we suggest you make the stop and enjoy Allyson's Restaurant. Back at the park we sat out enjoying our last night in California  this trip.

Apr 14, 2016

We drove to Salem, OR for a one night stay at Hee Hee Illahee RV Park. It was cool, windy and rainy so we stayed in and watched TV.

Tomorrow we head for home. See you mext trip.

Palm Springs

Mar 30, 2016

We drove to Palm Springs via Prescott so we could avoid the Phoenix area, It was a very picturesque drive which took us over a pass that was more than 7000 feet high. It was quite a drive but a fun experience. When we got to Palm Springs we called Gail's best friend Teddi and were invited to her home for dinner. We had a great evening with Teddi and her husband Dave. We made plans for the next day and went back to the park for the evening. It was a beautiful sunny day with more coming for the next week. We're staying here for 11 nights.

Mar 31, 2016

After doing laundry, relaxing by the pool and playing water volleyball we joined Teddi and Dave in the afternoon. We went out to visit friends at a local watering hole where we had a light dinner. The wind has been blowing pretty hard for the last two days at the RV park so there is quite a bit of dust in the air to make the sunsets more dramatic.

Apr 1, 2016

I went for a hike with Teddi this morning. We started at about 8:30m AM to try to beat the heat. It was a pretty strenuous climb up the foothills of the San Jacinto Mtns. Back at the park after more water volleyball we went with Dave and Teddi sightseeing and antiquing.  Then to a great dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant where Gail and Teddi talked about old times and laughed harder than they had in a very long time. After dinner we went back to the park for the evening.

Apr 2, 2016

Today we stayed at the park except to go do some shopping. Teddi and Dave came to the park to visit. We walked around the park and had snacks.  Our kids and their families were flying into LA later and coming to stay in cabins in the park for a week. We brought 4 totes of things for them because they couldn't pack all they needed for the week. We were very excited for them to arrive. They got to Palm Springs at about 10:30 PM.

Apr 3, 2016

We fixed breakfast for the family at our trailer. After breakfast the kids went shopping for supplies needed for their stay. Then it was relax by the pool time and check out all the amenities. March 31 was the last day of the busy time at the park so a lot of the activities are curtailed. We hung around the park all day. Another sunny day over 90 degrees.

Apr 4, 2016

This morning Tracy, Sydney, Stephanie, Carley, Caitlin, Teddi and I went for a hike near town. We didn't get started until after 9 and it was already getting hot. We saw some great views of the city during the hike/climb. Afterward we stopped at a cool restaurant and had breakfast, lunch, appetizers, whichever we chose. Then it was back to the park to enjoy the day.

Apr 5, 2016
After we had breakfast I went and got the grand kids and we went to play some pickleball. It didn't take long for the heat to cancel that activity. Then we went to the pool and got it set up for some volleyball. We had a great time with most of us playing in addition to a couple other guests. In the late afternoon Teddi and Dave came to join us for a spaghetti dinner that was prepared in one of the cabins. We had a wonderful time sitting outdoors enjoying the food and company. After our guests left we sat out enjoying the evening.

Apr 6, 2016
Today Tracy and family drove to LA to visit Disneyland. They left very early in the AM and got back late. I guess they spent 13 hours in the park. They had a great time. The rest of us had a relaxing day soaking up the sun and swimming

Apr 7, 2016
After breakfast Gail and I went shopping in Desert Hot Springs. This is a bedroom community of Palm Springs that we hadn't visited before. Not much to see but a closer shopping location than in Palm Springs. At about 3 PM we all went into Palm Springs for an early dinner and to attend the Village Fest which is a weekly street fair. We went last year and were looking forward to seeing it again. The city closes off about 6 blocks of the main street from 6 until 10 every Thursday. It's an amazing event with lots to see.

Apr 8, 2016
We all went to Dave and Teddi's home at about noon to spend the day with them and their daughter Ginger and her husband, Ray, daughter Charlie and son Erin.

Tracy, Ginger and Steph

All the kids

Ray and Charlie

Ginger went to a Mexican grocery store and picked up lots of food from their catering dept. It was amazing food. Carnitas, salsa, guacamole, beans, seviche and lots of other goodies. The kids and most adults went swimming in the pool and played games. After a lot of fun we headed back to the park. The kids have to leave early to drive to LA and catch their flight home. This has been such a wonderful vacation.

Apr 9, 2016
After we had breakfast we went over to the cabins the kids stayed in and cleared out the refrigerators and picked up the totes they repacked for us to take home. In the afternoon we went to Teddi's house for our last visit of the trip. They are wonderful people and very cordial hosts. Tomorrow we begin our trip home.

Rogue River, OR

Mar 24, 2016
We finally are on our first trip of the year. After 420 miles we stopped at Bridge View RV Park which is right on the Rogue River. The water was running pretty high but later in the year there is usually some good fishing even right from the bank.

We got settled in and sat out until the sunset. It's still pretty chilly even with the sun. Tomorrow off to Sacramento for some warmer weather.

Mar 25, 2016

We drove to Sacramento, another long day, and stayed at Capitol West RV Park. This park is in the West part of town near a not so nice residential area. Most of the guests were long term. When we were pulling into our site small yapping dogs were in the sites on both sides of us. Their owners apologized and controlled them. We were able to sit out outside until after dark. The weather is getting warmer. It was about 74 today

Mar 26, 2016

Today we drove to Orange Grove RV Park just outside of Bakersfield. We have stayed here before. It is a very nice park. The orange trees have all been picked and were blooming. After we got set up we sat out in upper 70’s weather. Gail looked at one of the brand new trailer tires and it was going flat. I dug out the truck jack and removed the tire to find there was a screw in it so I put on the spare. I couldn’t find any tire stores open and tomorrow being not just Sunday but Easter Sunday we’ll be lucky to get it fixed.

Mar 27, 2016

We got up early and went to the first gas station we found and filled the replaced  trailer tire for the drive to Kingman, AZ. We stopped in Barstow, CA and found a tire store open on Easter Sunday. The owner was installing new tires on a customer’s car and said he would take care of us first. I borrowed a floor jack, jacked up the trailer and removed the spare and put the repaired tire on. He charged us $10 and we were on our way.

In Kingman we stayed at Fort Biele RV Resort. This is a nice park with a view of the surrounding foothills. We took a walk around the park and saw a very cute 1958 Nash Metropolitan 2 door coupe. The owner is from Olympia and is going to Phoenix for 
The Small Car Show where his Metro is the biggest in the class.

Mar 28, 2016

The weather report last night said there are high winds with higher gusts forecasted for most of Arizona beginning about noon so we were up and on the road heading for Camp Verde RV Park south of Flagstaff. A trip of about 200 miles. The winds did kick up on our drive but we beat the worst of it. We stayed at a Thousand Trails park about 50 miles South of Flagstaff that was not at all impressive. Just a bunch of dusty sites stuck between the pine trees. After we set got up we went into the town of Cottonwood for lunch. We ate at the Tavern Grille which is in the original building that was a theater from 1928-1996 until  it was gutted by a fire. They did a great job renovating it. You can still see the fire scorch marks on the walls. The service and food was wonderful. Then it was back to the park for the rest of the day. More wind, clouds and temperature in the low 60’s.

Mar 29, 2016

It was raining lightly when we got up and still quite windy. We didn’t have to travel today so we had a nice breakfast and leisurely morning before heading to the town of Jerome which was a billion dollar copper mining operation in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.It was called “the ghost city” after the mine closed. The population went from over 15,000 in the early 1900's to about 50 in the mid 1950’s. It is now a thriving community with many successful business catering to the tourist trade, There are restaurants, galleries, antique shops and a new grand hotel that are all doing well.

We went to Jerome at the suggestion of a friend to visit Caduceus Cellars which is owned by the lead singer from the band Tool. 

We walked the town and visited the tasting rooms. They do a great job on their wines and the town is amazing as is it looks to be carved into the side of the mountain side. Then we went to a deli and ordered lunch to take back to the park. Back at camp we tried to sit out in the sun but it was more like chasing the sun and the wind was relentless so we went inside at about 5 for the remainder of the evening. Tomorrow it’s off to Palm Springs and SUNSHINE!!!

Wenatchee, WA

Aug 11, 2015
We drove to Wenatchee for a three day stay and visit friends that used to live across the street from us. The weather was hot and there was some smoke from the Chelan fires. The forecast is for heat over 100 and only getting down to the low 70's at night. We contacted our friends and made arrangements to meet them in the morning for coffee. I had a root canal the day before we left that was giving me a bad time so we just took it easy for the day.

Aug 12, 2015
We got up and drove to a coffee shop to see our friends Sue Engel and her sons Dennis and Chuck. We haven't seen them in over 30 years. Sue's husband died in 1997 while they were living in Montana. She moved to Wenatchee this year with Chuck who was living in Florida. Dennis lives here. Chuck used to babysit our girls when they were little. After high school he went into the Air Force where he was a jet pilot flying Lear Jets, cargo planes and military escort aircraft. He lived and traveled the world during his 30+ year career. Dennis is in the aerospace business doing quite well. We had a great time reminiscing and talking with the Engels. We made plans to get together with Sue and Chuck tomorrow for lunch. After we left them we went to the Pybus Market in town. This market is very nice with a meat and fish market, wine shop, a few restaurants, a local merchandise shop, a cheese shop and more. I guess during the weekends they have more vendors and it is very busy. We bought some cheese, a bottle of wine and Gail got a shirt. Then back to the park for the evening.

Aug 13, 2015
We joined Sue and Chuck at their home for coffee and pastries this morning. After a great visit and tour of Sue's beautiful home we went to lunch at their favorite Mexican Restaurant. More memories were visited. We told them we are planning on being in Chelan next month so they might come visit us then. After lunch we went back to the park for the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow it's home for about about a week and a half.

Prosser, Walla Walla and Dayton, WA

Sept 4-7, 2015

We arrived at Wine Country RV Park in Prosser for our annual visit to winery tasting rooms and friends we have made over the past several years. The weather was very pleasant for our stay aside from a couple of windy evenings.

We visited all the usual tasting rooms as well as some we had not been to before. There was a Labor Day parade on Sunday that was well attended by the locals. For lunch one day we stopped at a Mexican lunch truck that was recommended by a friend at home. It was pretty good but the hot sauce was crazy hot. When we went to Chukar Cherries the clerk suggested a couple more places to try on our next visit.

Sept 8, 2015 

We took the short drive to Walla Walla  for some more sight seeing and wine tasting. After getting set up we went into town for lunch and a check out what has changed. The town has been voted one of the best small towns in America. Back at the park we relaxed in the beautiful afternoon and evening. 

Sept 9, 2015

We drove to a few tasting rooms and went for lunch at a really good sandwich shop. Then into downtown to visit some shops and tasting rooms. Then back to the park and dinner.

Sept 10, 2015

We next drove the 55 miles to Tucannon River RV Park about 20 miles NW of Dayton. After getting set up we drove to Starbuck, WA to get fishing info and lunch. We had a good ham sandwich at the Rawhide Bar and Grill then back to the park. The park is very nice and shady with the river running nearby. We took a walk checking for fishing spots but none were accessible. Later I drove to a river access under a bridge to see how fishing was. The fish were rising for flies so I tried one and got a few bites from them but they were very small. Back at the park we sat out watching the stars and listing to coyotes and owls in the distance. 

Sept 11, 2015
After breakfast we drove into Dayton to check it out. The Columbia County Fair was on so we went there for a visit. It was the smallest fair we have ever seen to but was a lot of fun looking at the 4H exhibits and the livestock. In one of the barns there were little kids, 5-10 years old, showing their cattle. It was very cute. 

Then we visited a few businesses in town. We found a cool Seahawks blanket and pillow. Next we went to lunch at Chief Spring's Fire and Irons Brew Pub. The owner is a retired fire chief that just got off the fire line at one of the many fires in Eastern Washington. Our lunch was very good and we saved half for dinner. Next we went to the old train depot in town. It is the oldest one standing in the state. The care taker was very informative. Then back to the park for the evening where we saw what looked like a body that was buried head first in the central yard of the park.

Or maybe it was a tree stump....

Sept 12, 2015
In the morning we hit the road for home. One more trip coming Sept 28 for four nights at Chelan. This is a trip we scheduled for the first of Sept but rescheduled because of the fires.

Pendleton, OR

Aug 31. 2015
We had about a 225 mile drive to Wildhorse RV Park just East of Pendleton, OR. We stayed here a couple of years ago when we came for the Round Up. What a difference in the occupancy of the park. It was jam packed for four days when we were her last. Now it gets to maybe 50% full for a night and then the over nighters leave with maybe 25% of the sites occupied. My sister Terry joined us later in the afternoon  in her rig for our four night stay. We hung around the park for the day relaxing in the warm weather. We got our little fire place going in the evening until the security people told us we couldn't have a fire. I asked when we checked in and they said it was okay. I'll clear it up in the morning.

Sept 1, 2015
After breakfast the three of us went into town to check out their underground tour. I tried to check it at the headquarters in the Working Girl's Hotel. It and the office for the tour were closed so we moved on touring downtown. There are some pretty cool shops including a western wear store that has been in business since the 1880's. There was also a great antique shop we visited where Gail found an old iron to add to her collection. We had lunch, did some grocery shopping and went back to the park. I walked to the pool for a refreshing swim and a little nap in the sun. Somebody's snoring woke me. Oh, I guess I was the only one there.. I went to the office and asked about the use of propane fires. The clerk said they are allowed and will tell security such. We had our fire that night with no repercussions.

Sept 2, 2015
Late in the morning we visited the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute which we did when we were here before. We were told the Indian name is pronounced phonetically like trying to eat a big sucker, "too much to lick." There is usually a travelling exhibit here. This time it was a tribute to the Native American occupation of Alcatraz in November 1969 until June 1971. It was quite a story. The full time exhibit is the story of the Native Americans during the settlement of the northwest. I came away with the feeling we were not gracious settlers to the natives taking away their lands, history and beliefs. My mother's side of the family settled in the Whitman Mission just west of Walla Walla. The family left the mission the day before the natives attacked and killed the remaining people in the mission. Gail and I visited the mission site a few years ago and it gave me a very strange feeling. After lunch we headed into the Wildhorse Casino. We stayed a couple hours and came out winners overall so went into the bar for a drink. Then back to the park for the evening.

Sept 3, 2015
After breakfast we went into Pendleton again for supplies. Then back to the park to chill. Gail and I went for a mile or so walk then sat around reading and relaxing.  Tomorrow we are off to Prosser for four days of wine country.

Terrebonne, OR

Aug 28, 2015
We arrived at River Rim RV Park at about noon. We stayed here a few years ago. The owners of the park, David and Renee are wonderful people. Our site had a great view of the golf course and a large yard area. After getting set up  we sat out and enjoyed the day. The weather was nice and is supposed to be for our three days in the park.

Aug 29, 2015
After breakfast we went for a drive to the Sisters area to do some exploring. We walked around Sisters for a bit then went to the top of MacKenzie Pass to the Dee Wright Observatory. This place is amazing. The altitude is 5325 ft and it was extremely windy, I mean 60-70 MPH. The area is about 50 square miles of lava fields. There is a 1/2 mile path you can walk but it was way too windy.  The observatory was built completely of lava and has holes in it that view the various mountains and craters in the area.

Dee Wright Observatory

Then we went to Camp Sherman for lunch at the store. We each had a great deli sandwich. Then we went to the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery which was started in 1947. The Metolius River runs through the park like stetting of the hatchery.

We saw brook trout that were 14-16 inches long and an Atlantic Salmon that was over 20 pounds in one of the ponds. Then back to the park for the evening.

Aug 30, 2015
After breakfast we went into Bend for lunch and walk around town. Bend is a fun town with a lot to see and do. We gassed up the truck and headed back to the park. Tomorrow we drive just over 200 miles to Pendleton, OR

Cascade Peaks and Charleston, OR

July 29, 2015
We arrived at our home park near Packwood, WA just after noon. Tracy and family were already there and set up. A couple of hours later Hart Hughes and his family arrived. Then at about dinner time Hart's mom Vicki and his brother Aaron and his daughter Hadley pulled in with their new trailer. It was a busy day of getting set up and showing people around. We all sat around a fire at the kids' site into the evening.

July 30, 2015
After breakfast we went to see what the kids were going to do this day. The little kids wanted to go to the pool for a while and then they all went to the Cowlitz River to try to stay cool. It was about 100 degrees. They stayed down at the river all afternoon. It was too hot for us to go with there so we watched from the shore for a bit then went back to our site where we could sit in the shade. I went to the pool for a quick cool off. We had spaghetti dinner with them at their site and went back to our site after a while by their fire.

July, 31. 2015
I got up early to drive to a couple of fishing spots near Randle. They looked good but weren't productive so I went back to the park. We had a nice breakfast and went into Packwood for groceries and gas.  The others went back to the river for the afternoon. Steph and Caitlin arrived at about 2:30 so I walked them down to where the others were. Hart and Aaron asked if I would drive down river to a spot on Hwy 12 and pick them up if the floated down. I got a truck and met them at the designated spot. Five of them decided to float so I piled them in and took them back to the park. I took Hart and Aaron up river a bit for another float. Later in the evening Hart's sister Ashley came to join us. Her fiance, Kurt will come Saturday.

Aug 1, 2015
This was the third day of over 100 degrees. The park was very crowded as were the pools. It was a day of time at the pool and river for most. We stayed pretty close to our site where there was shade and some wind. After dinner everybody came to our site to play bocci ball after dark. We bought a set with lights in them. Most of us were also wearing glow strips so it was quite a site. Everyone left at about 10 for the night.

Aug 2, 2015
Everybody except us is heading home today. When we were ready to leave we went over to their site and said our good byes. We headed for Salem, OR for a night en route to the Oregon Coast.

Aug 3, 2015
We drove to Oceanside RV park in Charleston, OR. There was some construction and heavy traffic so it took us longer than expected. They have done some renovations to areas of the park that are nice upgrades. We hung around the park for the afternoon and evening. The ocean is a short walk on a path through sand dunes. The weather is supposed to be "beach nice" for our stay.

Aug 4, 2015
After breakfast we drove through the Cape Arago area to an area called Spencer's Reach. This is a gathering place for three types of sea lions gather among the rocks just off shore. This is also the northern most place Sea Elephants come to breed.

We took a round trip hike through the woods along the beach that was about 2.5 miles. Then back to the park for lunch. We then walked to the beach on the low tide and investigated the sea life in the tidal pools.

Aug 5, 2015
Before noon we headed out the the Cape Arago area again to do some more exploring. This was a harder hike than yesterday and was just over 3 miles. Here's a couple of pictures of a blown over root ball. In the white picture Gail is standing in the lower left so you can see how large it is. The darker pic is looking out to the ocean.

After our hike we drove into Coos Bay to shop and get gas. Then we went to lunch and a couple margaritas at the High Tide Cafe. Gail enjoyed her crab cake meal but the fried oysters I had didn't agree with me at all. This is the second time this has happened so I will not be having them anymore. We had a nice evening by our fire.

Aug 6, 2015
After relaxing at our site until late morning we drove to Basterdorf Beach. We had a good walk along the beach on loose and some harder sand. It was not a long walk but pretty difficult. Then back to the park for the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow we head for Woodburn, OR for the night before going home.

Aug 7, 2015
We got to Woodburn at about noon so decided to stay on the road and drive the last 200 miles hoping to get home by 4. NO SUCH LUCK. The traffic an Hwy 205 in Oregon was awful. Then it got bad in Chehalis, Olympia until past JBLM. Six hours to drive 200 miles. It was REALLY good to be home.

Welches, OR

Aug 26, 2015
We drove to Mt Hood Village RV Park for a two night stay. This is a real nice wooded park. Our site was away from most people and was very quiet and nice. We got set up and went to lunch at the on site restaurant. After our lunch we went to our site and enjoyed the surroundings. The weather was very nice and there were no fires allowed so we sat out in the evening enjoying the great weather.

Aug 27, 2015
This was another beautiful day. We drove into Welches to check it out. There were some shops that cater to the sportsmen that visit for skiing, boarding and fishing. We went to a place called Wrapatude where we had a nice lunch. Then back to the park where we went for a 2.75 mile hike along the Salmon River. There was a place that you can see the fish underwater through a glass viewing station. We had a nice evening and readied for a drive of about 100 miles to the Crooked River area near Redmond, OR.

Radium Hot Springs, Canada

July 17, 2015
We got an early start for our 179 drive to Radium Hot Springs Vacation Resort. The road to the resort is not a freeway so it took a little longer. We went through several towns along the way as well. We also drove by Lake Columbia which is where the Columbia River starts. It is a massive body of water as can be imagined. The village of Radium Hot Springs is very nice. The shops are quaint, there isn't a run down part of the community and the surroundings are magnificent. The RV park is huge with rental and permanent owned sites as well as owned houses.There are all the amenities that you could want. This is our camp site with the gazebo.

July 18, 2015
We drove into the village to check it out and do a little shopping. At the Chamber of Commerce we learned there are a couple hikes we can take. We drove into Kootenay Provincial Park to check out the hot springs. It was very crowded so we decided we will wait until Monday to check them out. Coming back into the park there was were 9-10 Big Horn Sheep at the park entrance.

It was a beautiful day so we sat out at the park. We met a neighbor from near Medicine Hat, Alberta. They have an 1100 acre farm producing wheat and other products as well as some livestock. We feel that he and his family are very nice country folk that really believe in a strong work ethic and family values. By their accent and some of their dress I believe they are of Dutch descent.

July 19, 2015
After breakfast we went into town to find a place for dinner. We settled on The Springs Golf Course. We then went for about a 2 mile hike along Spencer Creek. When going back into the park we saw some Long Horned Sheep at the entrance of the park. At about 4 we went back to the golf course for dinner. The views from the clubhouse were spectacular.

Then back to the park for the evening. The sun doesn't set here until about 10:30.

July 20, 2015
We woke at about 8 to a pretty good rain shower. This kept up all morning. At about noon we drove to the hot springs. This is a beautiful facility with a hot mineral pool and a cooler one for swimming and diving. After going there we went back into town and had a light lunch before going back tio the park. It was another great day with clearing skies and rainbows.

Tomorrow we head to Kalispell, MT for three nights.