We've traveled over 3,000 miles and stayed in Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Wahington, and Oregon this year. We've seen big cities, small towns, mountains, deserts, lakes and oceans. Weve camped in State Parks, National Parks, and many private resorts.
There have been lots of tasty meals, lots of delicious wines and many evenings spent around the fire pit with our family and friends.
And Guess what, we plan to do it all over again next year! Alaska here we come!!
Not a doggie biscuit in sight! Each day is a different winery, and each night is another delicious restaurant. Today they had lunch at Justin Winery the tasting of several very excellent wines. Kathe and Jim liked the wines so much that they joined the wine club.
After that tasting they stopped to pick up their wine club shipments at the two other wineries that they belong to here in Paso Robles.
I wonder if there is something like a dog food club, they could send three cans of a new dog food every three months. I'll have to talk to Jim about that!
The weather here has been very hot and dry every day, perfect for the harvesting of the grapes, but hard on us who have to walk around in our fur coat all the time.
Last night we were in Paso Robles at the Wine Country RV Resort waiting for the arrival of Jim's brother and his wife Linda.
Once they got here, the fun began. Warren cooked his special smoked barbecued ribs, which along with the grilled corn, coleslaw, and cheesy garlic bread, made for a delicious dinner. They sat outside for the evening and swapped stories until it was my bedtime.
Early this afternoon all six of my human friends went for a wine tasting and lunch at Daou Vineyards. They tasted wines and ate several specialty luncheon plates on the members only patio overlooking the vineyard. Then everyone including me took a nap this afternoon. In a few minutes they will be off to eat dinner at a local fish restaurant. I'm not expecting a doggie bag.
This afternoon my humans were invited to Kathe's brothers' home for lunch and a garden tour. Warren is quite a gardener, so he was very interested to see all the things Mark and Vicki are growing in their back yard. There are apple, pear, cherry and peach trees. They also have a variety of citrus trees and a huge vegetable garden. It's truly a fantastic use of a backyard!
Vicki prepared a wonderful lunch for them with almost all of the produce coming from their garden. Beautiful salads and a large wild poached salmon. Mark even made an apple crisp with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert. Truly a delicious feast!
After lunch, Mark and Vicki insisted that everyone share in the bounty of their garden. We came home with grapes, eggplants, cucumbers, and three varieties of delicious tomatoes.
Tomorrow, we leave for the trip down south, eventually to Paso Robles.
It's a zoo! Yes, they even have a petting zoo. The place smells like goats.
Looking at the pool you couldn't even see the water for the number of kids crowded in the space. Every site was filled with campers and there were at least 100 tents in the open field area. And there are lots of unfriendly barking doggies. Not what we were hoping for after a long drive.
As there was no one to guide us to our site, Kathe and Jim got lost and almost took out a tree trying to turn around and get back to the space assigned to us. Jim was worried about the scratches on the coach, but he was able to polish them out.
We are feeling a little better after a nice dinner and some treats, but happy that we are only here two nights.
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Back home to put things in the fridge, before heading in the opposite direction. That was north about 30 minutes to the Victorian town of Ferndale. They had a lot of fun looking at all the old restored Victorian homes and some bed and breakfast establishments. They walked the Main Street looking in all the little shops and stopped for a really nice Mexican lunch. They didn't come home with much this time, just a pair of socks for my Kathe and some miniature dollhouse furniture for Kathy T.
This afternoon my humans all went for a walk in the ancient redwoods on the Avenue of the Giants. It was supposed to be a hike, but it was really a walk in between the giant trees. It's impossible to take a picture to show just how big the trees are. First, they walked in the Founders Grove where they had a printed guide to all the interesting facts about the trees. Then they took the advice of the Rangers at the forest and found another area to visit.
After that experience nothing could be as bad! When we pulled into our RV Park we just decided to chill out for the rest of the day. It's a really great park, right in the middle of the Avenue of the Giants. They plan to tour the area tomorrow and may even take a hike into the redwood groves.
Oh, back to the bike ride. They rode down the street and into the park, luckily there were very few cars on the road. Going into the park on your bicycle is free, but they want seven dollars a day if you drive in with your car.
The second stop was at the trail to Wedding Rock, where Jim and Warren took a hike, first down to the beach where they saw starfish on the rocks. After that they hiked all the way to the top of Wedding Rock, just because they could!
Tomorrow, they leave for Meyers Flat, California where they will be camped in Redwoods, on the Avenue of the Giants.
Kathy T didn't feel well today, so Warren, Jim and my Kathe decided to take a hike at the Prairie Creek State Park after lunch. The plan was to take a short hike and look for the Roosevelt Elk that are supposed to roam the meadows of the park.
The first destination was Trillium Falls which was through some old-growth redwoods to a waterfall. It was only about a half mile and there were signs that bear and elk frequented the area. Yikes! Next, they drove to the Park Headquarters, and saw some of the elk close enough to take pictures of them.
Looking at the Redwood Forest Map, they found a hike through the ancient redwood grove named for Lady Bird Johnston. The hike was about a mile and a half loop through old-growth redwood, Douglas fir, and tanoak to where Lady Bird Johnson dedicated Redwood National Park in 1968. Some of the trees were at least 20 feet in diameter. There were even trees still thriving, showing signs of fire damage from many years ago. Of course, it was very foggy and cool on the hike with plenty of beautiful things to see. This area was a major logging area before the Redwoods State and National Parks were established. These pictures show how the fog floats into the forest to nurture the trees.
Our drive here was very scary at times because of the road work on many of the bridges along the coast. Kathe kept telling Jim not to look down because the motor home was so close to the edge of the cliff. It was also foggy most of the way down. I know the redwood trees need the fog, but do they need so much of it?
Just getting settled in tonight. After three days in the forest the motor home was very dirty, and Jim took most of the afternoon to clean thing up. Now there is nothing to do but eat, drink and relax.
Tomorrow it's another drive down the coast to our next stop, Sounds of the Sea, Trinidad, California.
Today the humans went out to see more Redwood trees at Jedediah Smith State Park. We camped there once but now they only allow 25-foot motor homes, so cross that one off your list. They were however able to hike in the park and see the huge trees along the river.
It's so cool tonight we are even going to have a campfire!
After they rode back to camp, they decided to have lunch together and take a drive to Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint. The Taylors have a collection of kites that they wanted to fly on the rocks above the beach. It was a very windy afternoon. The rocks and tidal flats adjacent to the park form part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Enjoying our stay here at the Bullards Beach State Park. We have a really nice site with high shrubbery on all three sides which makes it very private. It's a huge State Park, but we are in our own little space.
Kathe spent the morning doing loads of laundry while Jim was paying bills. I was a little afraid that I was going to get a bath today, but I lucked out. I'm really dirty after spending time at Lemolo in the dirt and gravel, but today was cloudy and cold. So, no bath for me.
The Taylors arrived today from Canyonville and are really enjoying the cooler weather here. I have my fur coat, but everyone else is wearing sweatshirts.
We traveled down highway 138, which is the Umpqua Scenic Byway, but it wasn't very scenic most of the way. Due to the recent fires, a huge area of the forest was completely destroyed. So many trees lost, so sad to drive down the highway and see nothing but the skeletal remains of thousands of pine trees.
Eventually we reached Rosburg and highway 42/99 and made our way to the 101 and the Oregon Coast. It's very cool here, about 67 degrees right now, and the sky above us is blue. No smoke here except from the campers next door. We're looking forward to a cool night's sleep without air conditioning.
We haven't done much because we arrived so late this afternoon, but tomorrow we are going to explore the Lighthouse and the beach.
It’s still pretty hot here but a bike ride in the shade around the lake appealed to both of them. The ride was really very beautiful most of the way, but the recent fires in this area left its mark. Of course, Jim rode longer and farther than Kathe, but she waited for him by the lake under the pine trees. This is a shot looking down the bike path.
Tomorrow, we leave for the cooler Oregon coast. I’m sad to leave the chipmunks, but I’m ready for a change of scenery.
Today they went looking for adventure. Crater Lake National Park is just a few miles from Lemolo Lake. They decided to take a picnic and leave me home to watch the chipmunks. We are camped in the middle of the forest, there are lots of tress, and lots of wild and crazy chipmunks. Sad to say, the area around here had a devastating fire recently, and so many of the trees were burned. The road into Crater Lake would make you cry to see how much it’s changed since our last visit.
Crater Lake itself is still beautiful, the deepest lake in the world, and so very blue. Once you get into the National Park, there are still lots of green pine trees and lots of tourists. Kathe and Jim spent the whole day driving around and checking out the overlooks, and of course checking out the giant campground. There are tons of campsites, but I don’t think we will ever camp there. No water, no power, not our style.
After getting set up, which took a while due to the excessive slope, they decided to visit four of the six waterfalls this area is known for. Here is a picture of Clearwater Falls.
I have to write using Kathe’s tablet because we have absolutely no internet in the park.
It's still blazing hot today, the paper says there's a record heat wave in the Northeast. We know! It's 103 in the shade. I'm just glad we have 3 air conditioners running, and a nice cold tile floor to curl up on.
The humans went to the Mill District for lunch today. This area was once a lumber mill in Bend right on the Deschutes River. Now it's a shopping mall with some really nice restaurants. You can see the people floating in tubes down along the River and keeping cool on a hot summer afternoon.
Tomorrow we leave the Bend/Sisters and head toward the Crater Lake area. We're staying in Lemolo Lakes, a new adventure for us. The Taylors will be going to Seven Feathers Resort as they weren't able to get a reservation where we are staying. We'll meet them again on the Coast in a few days.
Jim went for a bike ride this morning, but no one would go with him. He looked beat when he returned. Who wants to exercise in such extreme heat? I stayed home and helped Kathe work on her needlepoint in the air-conditioned motor home. Kathy T had a sales meeting and worked until well after lunch time, while Warren took a nap. My humans aren't usually this lazy, but the heat has gotten to all of us.
Later this afternoon they finally left the RV Park and went for an excursion to the Tumalo Waterfall in Bend. It was a 97-foot waterfall with a short uphill walk from the parking lot to the top of the falls.
It was much cooler there and worth the walk. Will it be cooler tomorrow, I sure hope so!
This morning we drove about 140 miles to the beautiful Bend/Sisters RV Resort. We have been here before several times, and we love it. So many pretty trees and flowers, and large grassy lawn areas. This is a picture looking out our front window at one of the lakes. There are lots of rules and regulations for doggies. Kathe and I tried to follow the "no dogs on the plants or grass" rule, but the pavement was so hot I was doing the hot potato dance. Finally, I made it to the "official pet walk," only to be sprayed by a million sprinklers. Why in heavens name would they water the dog walk area in the middle of the afternoon. Kathe and I got SOAKED!
Guess what, we aren't following their stupid rules anymore.
This afternoon Kathe and Jim went to the Cascade Cliffs winery in Wishram, Washington. They have a beautiful setting on the cliffs overlooking the Columbia Gorge. Apparently, the wine was pretty tasty as they came home with six bottles. Outside, from the vineyard you could see Mount Hood. It's so large that it was hard to take a picture with Kathe's phone.
At the winery they asked about the unusual logo on the wine bottles. It seems it was a taken from a group of petroglyphs at the nearby Horsethief Lake State Park.
Our campsite is on the shore of the Columbia River and there are several people wind surfing out in front of us on the river. It's so beautiful here and cool. It was 97 When we left Yakima this morning and it's in the 70's here, with a nice breeze. Didn't even need the air conditioning at all, we just opened all the windows.
I like to watch the big doggies that are camped next to us, they are playing Frisbee on the lawn and swimming in the river. I'm just going to relax with Kathe and Jim in the shade.
First, they went to the Yakima Valley Museum. We've been in Yakima before, but we never visited this museum. It really was a nice afternoon. Lots of information on the farming and orchards with interactive stuff and videos. Kathe enjoyed the couture exhibit of the work of Carolyn Schactler. Beautiful gowns with unusual fabrics that were very colorful.
Jim enjoyed the antique cars and especially the steam fire engine. There was also an exhibit devoted to honeybees and an interesting area about the long history of the production of apples in the Yakima Valley.
While I was getting my bath, she spent some time in Costco and Safeway. Her excuse was that the next two places we are going are so remote that we might run out of food. Like that's ever going to happen!
Jim went for a bike ride this morning and spent the afternoon repairing the backup camera. He fixed it a few months ago with tape and string, but today he made a permanent repair. Cross your paws that it works. Oh yeah, he also washed one side of the motorhome. We could use the rain; it might help cool things down.
This morning we left Smokiam Resort and traveled down to Yakima. Lots of farming. Corn, beans, and onions. Interesting, on one side of the highway was desert scrub, and the other side, healthy green vegetables. The difference? Water from the Columbia River flowing down from the Grand Coolie!
Jim wanted me to post this picture of the bridge when we crossed the Columbia.
It's very strange not to be with Warren, Kathy, and Gianni and Bella. We almost don't know what to do with ourselves. Kathe is cooking, but it's more fun with our buddies along. Can't wait for them to join us next week at Peach Beach.
Only a few miles from where we are camped is one of the greatest geological wonders in North America. Carved by Ice Age Floods, Dry Lake Falls was once four times larger than Niagara Falls. The huge "dry waterfall" remains a clue as to the floods power. It's 3.5 miles wide and 400 feet tall. Imagine how that falls would have roared.
Seems there was a better view of the caves from the highway. The Smokiam Resort is a large family campground with lots of things for kids to do. There are even several Tipis that can be rented and lots of tent camping. Looks like there is plenty to do here, and if it ever cools down, I might even let Kathe take me for a long walk around the campground. Right now, I'm happy to stay inside with the air blowing full blast.
