Hello from Wenatchee, WA where we finally again have WiFi so I'll update our blog:
July 11th thru14th we were in Camp Sherman, OR (17 miles or so from Sisters) and had a wonderful time. The temperatures were much cooler (down to 39 at night) and the days were sunny and around 80 degrees. lb was in 7th heaven with the wonderful Stitchin Post Quilt Shop to browse in, spend some money in, and then on Saturday the 13th, see the Quilt Show which is the World's Largest Outdoor Quilt Show. B enjoyed it as well and discovered "Quilters Blend" coffee at the Sister's Coffee Company, he spent time sitting there people watching and drinking coffee! We also drove around the area and did some short hikes to beautiful waterfalls, had lunch at at mountain lake, went to a fish hatchery, hiked to the headwaters of the Metiolus River, attended church at the "Chapel in the Pines", and fell in love with the Ponderosa pines trees.
We enjoyed our time there so much that the fact that we had to stop in Bend on the way to Sisters to buy a replacement scissor jack for the back of the trailer didn't phase us. Monday morning as we were pulling out of the campground, lb noticed a tire on the trailer was coming apart so we used for the first time our membership to Good Sams emergency road side assistance. We waited 2 hours for the tire tech to arrive but again, we were in such a good mood it didn't bother us. And we were able to buy a replacement tire in Sisters, so all was well other than our Monday travel time was delayed about 4 hours.
July 15th and 16th:
We arrived at the Paradise Cove Resort and RV Park in Castle Rock and discovered it was not exactly as billed, but it worked and we were gone most of the time anyway. We toured Mount St. Helens and again felt we didn't really know much about volcanos. It is sobbering to think there are so many volcanos in this area that could erupt as they have in the past.
July 17th and 18th:
The trip to Mt. Rainier was a short drive so we were settled into our campground early. It was a tight back in space with no sewer, but B is getting much better at getting the trailer in the spot it needs to be in. And with so many tall trees so close together it was a very shady and cool spot. We spent the afternoon on the mountain , taking a nice hike up to a water fall, viewing a big black male bear eating berries in a meadow, and got back in time to do a load of laundry and enjoy the evening sitting by our campfire. The next morning we treated ourselves to breakfast out before spending most of the day in the park again. We took two very nice hikes, and drove to another area of the park. Back into camp, B did a load of laundry while lb fixed dinner! A nice change for him.
Friday, the 19th, we drove to Wenatchee/Peshastin area and checked into a very nice County park with paved roads right on the Wenatchee River, very green grass, and level spots with full hook ups. We were treated to dinner at long time friends of my Dad and Mom. We had a good home cooked meal and good conversation. A little bittersweet for me as the last visit to their home was in Sept. of 2010 when my Dad and I took our car trip together. We came back to the trailer and again did 2 loads of laundry. We are either very dirty or very clean travelers!
Today (Sat. the 20th) we toured the Rocky Reach Dam on the Columbia River and bought fresh fruit at Trader John's Fruit Stand. I'm updating the blog and B is resting as he gets to cook dinner tonight!
Tomorrow we will head to St. Maries, ID to spend time with Dick and Karen, more Kino friends. Then it's on to Yellowstone! Not sure when we will have WiFi again but will update the blog as I can.
We've been on the road over one month now and we're still smiling and still talking, so LIFE IS GOOD!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Monday, July 8th:
We drove to Medford, OR where our Kino friends, Jim and Francine, took us on the Hellgate Jetboat ride on the Rogue River. At the bottom of the canyon we had a delicious lunch then back on the boat for the return trip. We saw deer, 2 bald eagles, turkey buzzards, and blue herons. The return trip contained many 360 degree spin arounds and yes, we did get wet! We had a blast and appreciate the Bailey's taking the time and effort for us to do this fun thing together.
Tuesday, July 9th: We spent the day at Crater Lake, so beautiful and the water is so blue, you just can't hardly believe the color. We took the 2 hour trolley ride which goes the entire way around the caldera and has a Park Ranger giving the tour. It was fun for both of us not to have to do the driving. On our way back to the campground, we stopped at the Rogue River Gorge, where a friendly person took a picture of both of us together. We also took a hike to Mill Creek Falls and Barr Creek Falls. A very fun day!
Today, Wednesday, July 10th, our 24th day on the road:
This morning we took a short drive and hiked to Flounce Rock. The first 2 miles of driving was on an unpaved road that was not too bad but the next 4 miles the road narrowed and had trees lying across the road as well as big pot holes. LB was driving on this portion. The last part of the road didn't even look like a road, so lb stopped the truck and told B he could drive the rest of the way. He did, putting it into 4 wheel drive But the hike to the rock was very short and it was a very nice view of the area below.
The rest of the day we've spent doing housekeeping chores. We defrosted the refrig, B watched the truck, lb posted this blog, and will do a load of laundry. Oh, also had to pay some bills. We will leave in the morning for the Sisters, OR area. We are staying at a campground in Camp Sherman which is NE of Sisters. lb is excited about the Quilt Show in Sisters on Saturday. The weather here has been nice, cooler than before. We are having a great time and continue to be thankful for this opportunity to travel and visit some friends. LIFE IS GOOD!
We drove to Medford, OR where our Kino friends, Jim and Francine, took us on the Hellgate Jetboat ride on the Rogue River. At the bottom of the canyon we had a delicious lunch then back on the boat for the return trip. We saw deer, 2 bald eagles, turkey buzzards, and blue herons. The return trip contained many 360 degree spin arounds and yes, we did get wet! We had a blast and appreciate the Bailey's taking the time and effort for us to do this fun thing together.
Today, Wednesday, July 10th, our 24th day on the road:
This morning we took a short drive and hiked to Flounce Rock. The first 2 miles of driving was on an unpaved road that was not too bad but the next 4 miles the road narrowed and had trees lying across the road as well as big pot holes. LB was driving on this portion. The last part of the road didn't even look like a road, so lb stopped the truck and told B he could drive the rest of the way. He did, putting it into 4 wheel drive But the hike to the rock was very short and it was a very nice view of the area below.
The rest of the day we've spent doing housekeeping chores. We defrosted the refrig, B watched the truck, lb posted this blog, and will do a load of laundry. Oh, also had to pay some bills. We will leave in the morning for the Sisters, OR area. We are staying at a campground in Camp Sherman which is NE of Sisters. lb is excited about the Quilt Show in Sisters on Saturday. The weather here has been nice, cooler than before. We are having a great time and continue to be thankful for this opportunity to travel and visit some friends. LIFE IS GOOD!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Update since Las Vegas
Sunday, July 7th
Finally!! we have WiFi again so will update our blog.
We left Las Vegas on June 27th and went to Three Rivers, CA to tour Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP. Our RV park did not have WiFi. Friday, June 28th we hiked 400 steps up to the top of Moro Rock and listened to the Park Ranger talk, also toured the General Sherman tree and hiked two miles viewing the many giant sequoia trees. Awesome sight, hard to image a tree so large and so old! None of my pictures due the trees justice. Sat. June 29th, drove to Kings Canyon NP and viewed the General Grant Tree and did a short hike. Then drove the Kings Cayon Scenic Byway and hiked to Roaring River Falls and around Zumwalt Meadow and drove to the "end of the road" and headed back towards our trailer. We treated ourselves to a dinner out, cheeseburgers and french fries, very good.
Sunday, June 30th was a day to test our resolve and challenge our navigation abilities. In the process while stopped at Coulterville, CA, B visited the "oldest operating saloon in CA" but only to get directions, while lb was talking to a very elderly woman running a B&B trying to figure out where we were. We followed the "saloon directions" and did fnally make our way to Buck Meadows, CA, our home while visiting Yosemite NP. lb did laundry that night. The next day, July 1st, we toured Yosemite Valley (very crowded), hiked to Lower Yosemite Falls, watched rock climbers on El Capitan through a telescope, and bought a new light bulb for our left turn signal on the truck. Tuesday, July 2nd, we hiked to Bridal Veil falls and then drove to the Wawona area where we hiked in the Mariposa Grove. In 1947 Barry and his parents drove through the "Wawona Tunnel Tree" and then in 1957, the Bill Hargett family did the same thing. But this tree fell in 1969 so we were unable to reenact "driving thru the tree". We then drove the Glacier Point Road and had an awesome view of the Valley as well as three water falls and many mountains and Half Dome and North Dome. On our way down from Glacier Point, we saw a mother bear and a cub, close enough for pictures from the window of the truck.
July 3rd we left Buck Meadows and drove to Siver Springs, NV crossing Donner Pass in the process. We arrived at the lovely home of our friend, Sina, where we were treated to free RV parking, and a homemade spaghetti dinner, and good conversation! July 4th, we were joined by Mike, Sina's son, and after a relaxing breakfast and coffee time, we all went to visit Ginger, Sina's daughter in Carson City. We then traveled to Lake Tahoe and enjoyed a delicious lunch at what else, but a Mexican restuarant! Sina is a friend we met in Kino Bay. Back to the Lenox ranch where Mike cooked steaks, corn on the cob, and garlic bread. The real treat was enjoying a bottle of wine produced from grapes grown on the Lenox Ranch!
Friday, July 5th, we left the ranch and headed to Lassen Volcanic NP. Arrived at RV park in Mineral, CA and drove to Park entrance and got brochures to plan tomorrow's activities. We awoke on July 6th to cool temperatures finally! That day was one of two free fishing days in CA (no license required) so we headed to Manzanita Lake in the NW corner of the park, where B spent 1 1/2 hours fishing for trout. This is a catch and release lake, but he enjoyed his time catching two trout, and lb enjoyed sitting and reading a book. In the afternoon we hiked the Mill Creek Falls trail which they told us had an elevation change of 300 hundred feet. What they did not tell us is that you would do that "300 hundred feet change" at least 5 times during the entire trail. But we made it and slept very well that night.
Today, Sunday, July 7th, we drove to Prospect, OR Our friends, Francine and Jim, (more friends we met in Kino Bay) arrived from Medford, with a complete homemade dinner of chicken, biscuits, cucumber/onions/tomatoes, fruit salad, and chocolate chip cookies. We enjoyed the meal and the visit.
This fills in the past several days. We are still enjoying all the scenery we are seeing and thankful we are able to take this wonderful trip. Life is Good!!
Finally!! we have WiFi again so will update our blog.
We left Las Vegas on June 27th and went to Three Rivers, CA to tour Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP. Our RV park did not have WiFi. Friday, June 28th we hiked 400 steps up to the top of Moro Rock and listened to the Park Ranger talk, also toured the General Sherman tree and hiked two miles viewing the many giant sequoia trees. Awesome sight, hard to image a tree so large and so old! None of my pictures due the trees justice. Sat. June 29th, drove to Kings Canyon NP and viewed the General Grant Tree and did a short hike. Then drove the Kings Cayon Scenic Byway and hiked to Roaring River Falls and around Zumwalt Meadow and drove to the "end of the road" and headed back towards our trailer. We treated ourselves to a dinner out, cheeseburgers and french fries, very good.
Sunday, June 30th was a day to test our resolve and challenge our navigation abilities. In the process while stopped at Coulterville, CA, B visited the "oldest operating saloon in CA" but only to get directions, while lb was talking to a very elderly woman running a B&B trying to figure out where we were. We followed the "saloon directions" and did fnally make our way to Buck Meadows, CA, our home while visiting Yosemite NP. lb did laundry that night. The next day, July 1st, we toured Yosemite Valley (very crowded), hiked to Lower Yosemite Falls, watched rock climbers on El Capitan through a telescope, and bought a new light bulb for our left turn signal on the truck. Tuesday, July 2nd, we hiked to Bridal Veil falls and then drove to the Wawona area where we hiked in the Mariposa Grove. In 1947 Barry and his parents drove through the "Wawona Tunnel Tree" and then in 1957, the Bill Hargett family did the same thing. But this tree fell in 1969 so we were unable to reenact "driving thru the tree". We then drove the Glacier Point Road and had an awesome view of the Valley as well as three water falls and many mountains and Half Dome and North Dome. On our way down from Glacier Point, we saw a mother bear and a cub, close enough for pictures from the window of the truck.
July 3rd we left Buck Meadows and drove to Siver Springs, NV crossing Donner Pass in the process. We arrived at the lovely home of our friend, Sina, where we were treated to free RV parking, and a homemade spaghetti dinner, and good conversation! July 4th, we were joined by Mike, Sina's son, and after a relaxing breakfast and coffee time, we all went to visit Ginger, Sina's daughter in Carson City. We then traveled to Lake Tahoe and enjoyed a delicious lunch at what else, but a Mexican restuarant! Sina is a friend we met in Kino Bay. Back to the Lenox ranch where Mike cooked steaks, corn on the cob, and garlic bread. The real treat was enjoying a bottle of wine produced from grapes grown on the Lenox Ranch!
Friday, July 5th, we left the ranch and headed to Lassen Volcanic NP. Arrived at RV park in Mineral, CA and drove to Park entrance and got brochures to plan tomorrow's activities. We awoke on July 6th to cool temperatures finally! That day was one of two free fishing days in CA (no license required) so we headed to Manzanita Lake in the NW corner of the park, where B spent 1 1/2 hours fishing for trout. This is a catch and release lake, but he enjoyed his time catching two trout, and lb enjoyed sitting and reading a book. In the afternoon we hiked the Mill Creek Falls trail which they told us had an elevation change of 300 hundred feet. What they did not tell us is that you would do that "300 hundred feet change" at least 5 times during the entire trail. But we made it and slept very well that night.
Today, Sunday, July 7th, we drove to Prospect, OR Our friends, Francine and Jim, (more friends we met in Kino Bay) arrived from Medford, with a complete homemade dinner of chicken, biscuits, cucumber/onions/tomatoes, fruit salad, and chocolate chip cookies. We enjoyed the meal and the visit.
This fills in the past several days. We are still enjoying all the scenery we are seeing and thankful we are able to take this wonderful trip. Life is Good!!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Wed. June 26th from Las Vegas, NV:
We have not had internet the last few days. We arrived at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at noon on Friday, June 21st. Stayed in the NP campground, dry camping only, paid $1.75 to take a 7 minute shower (not quite long enough for lb), took several hikes, rode the mules (Slim and Tom) down 2 miles (2000 ft.) into the canyon and back up, went to a Chuck Wagon dinner with entertainment, drove several scenic drives, listened to ranger talks, drank a prickly pear margariata, attended church on Sunday morning, had a nice breakfast in the 1930s Grand Canyon Lodge dining room, had a campfire, watched the full super moon two nights, and soaked up the fresh pine smells and beautiful scenery. Had a wonderful time there.
We arrived in Las Vegas the afternoon of Monday, June 24th. Friends from Kino, Kent and Louise came to us (we are in RV park of Sam's Town casino) and we enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner and watched the water and laser light show in the casino. Tuesday we spent the morning at Hoover Dam, most interesting, had dinner at Kent and Louise's home, then drove/walked a portion of the famous Las Vegas strip seeing the Bellaggio water fountain show, the Mirage volcana show, and lots of neon lights and strange people. Toto, we are NOT in KS anymore!
Today (Wed.) we drove up to Mt. Charleston ( 8800 ft.) to enjoy cooler temps and have a picnic lunch. We're going to the Bass Pro shop, have dinner at a Mexican restaurnt (go figure) and see the sights of Fremont Street (the "old and original" Las Vegas, which is being restored), and back to trailer before 1 a.m. which is when we got home last night! We're too old for that two nights in a row.
In the morning we will drive to Three Rivers, CA which will be our base to visit Sequoia NP. Perhaps we'll be able to post some pictures from there.
Oh, we did have a repair made to the 5th wheel here in Vegas, but thanks to Kent he got us an appt. so it hasn't messed up our traveling schedule.
We're seeing so much that we haven't seen and still having fun on the road!
Life is good.
We have not had internet the last few days. We arrived at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at noon on Friday, June 21st. Stayed in the NP campground, dry camping only, paid $1.75 to take a 7 minute shower (not quite long enough for lb), took several hikes, rode the mules (Slim and Tom) down 2 miles (2000 ft.) into the canyon and back up, went to a Chuck Wagon dinner with entertainment, drove several scenic drives, listened to ranger talks, drank a prickly pear margariata, attended church on Sunday morning, had a nice breakfast in the 1930s Grand Canyon Lodge dining room, had a campfire, watched the full super moon two nights, and soaked up the fresh pine smells and beautiful scenery. Had a wonderful time there.
We arrived in Las Vegas the afternoon of Monday, June 24th. Friends from Kino, Kent and Louise came to us (we are in RV park of Sam's Town casino) and we enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner and watched the water and laser light show in the casino. Tuesday we spent the morning at Hoover Dam, most interesting, had dinner at Kent and Louise's home, then drove/walked a portion of the famous Las Vegas strip seeing the Bellaggio water fountain show, the Mirage volcana show, and lots of neon lights and strange people. Toto, we are NOT in KS anymore!
Today (Wed.) we drove up to Mt. Charleston ( 8800 ft.) to enjoy cooler temps and have a picnic lunch. We're going to the Bass Pro shop, have dinner at a Mexican restaurnt (go figure) and see the sights of Fremont Street (the "old and original" Las Vegas, which is being restored), and back to trailer before 1 a.m. which is when we got home last night! We're too old for that two nights in a row.
In the morning we will drive to Three Rivers, CA which will be our base to visit Sequoia NP. Perhaps we'll be able to post some pictures from there.
Oh, we did have a repair made to the 5th wheel here in Vegas, but thanks to Kent he got us an appt. so it hasn't messed up our traveling schedule.
We're seeing so much that we haven't seen and still having fun on the road!
Life is good.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
June 19th: One National Park down, eight to go! We have really enjoyed Mesa Verde NP. To think the cliff dwellings were built 700 years ago with very crude tools and by hand, and are still standing. The construction methods they used are still used today in many structures. Their efforts put the meaning of "hard work" into perspective for me. We took two ranger guided tours of dwellings and toured on our own several others and drove to different view points in the park. At one such view point you could see nine different cliffing dwellings. The RV park we are in is very nice and the weather has been good. Tomorrow we drive to Page, AZ in preparation for arriving at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on Friday. Life is good!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Monday,June 17th, left SJ at 7:30 a.m. and took this picture of B beside the Rio Grande River in South Fork, CO at 4 p.m. MDT. Had very little wind, good driving, I even drove the rig for an hour while B ate his yogurt lunch. In CO had the usual afternoon rain storm and temps dropped to 58 for a short while. B is cooking dinner and I'm posting to our blog. We are getting used to our "new" trailer but so far no major problems. Tomorrow head to Mesa Verde NP and are excited to do some hiking and look at the ruins. We will probably arrive by 11:30 a.m. so will have the day to explore the NP. Life is good!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
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