DRIVING WEST ON HWY 2

I'll be playing catch up with pictures, for about the next week, due to our slow Internet connection at the motor home. The lodge has WiFi, so when I take the computer to that location, I'll be able to upload photos on the blog. The top picture was taken on Hwy 2, westbound before we arrived in Wenatchee, WA. It doesn't show the downgrade, but the sign does say 6 miles to the escape ramp, which was near the bottom. This was one of the longest, and steepest grades we've encountered, in our many years of travel. The exhaust brake works pretty good if I'm in 3rd gear, only requiring intermittent use of the service brakes, and limiting speed to about a maximum of 45 mph. However, by the time we got to the bottom, the distinct smell of brakes was in the air, and I was glad to be off the hill.

As I mentioned yesterday, Hwy 2 over Stevens Pass was a great drive, much of it along the Wenatchee River. The photo below, illustrates one of many scenes along the river. Another interest of mine, regarding this pass, is the fact that when the Great Northern Railroad was building toward the west, Stevens Pass, over the Cascade Mountains, was the route they chose. Much of today's railroad grade was visible from the road. The town of Leavenworth looked like a scene right out of the sound of music. Most all of the building were of a Bavarian architecture, and it looked like a great place to spend a few days. Since there is a Thousand Trails nearby, we made a mental note to return in the near future.

ANACORTES

After getting situated at the LaConner Thousand Trails, yesterday was a day of exploration. First, we drove into the small town of LaConner, located on the narrow waterway that separates the mainland from Fidalgo Island. The main street is loaded with eateries, antique shops, and other touristy types of business. It was around noon, and I as we walked through the district, I couldn't help but wonder, "where are all of the people necessary to support these businesses". The street was full of parked vehicles, but we didn't see very many folks. From LaConner, we drove to Anacortes to check where the WA State Ferry Terminal was, and to see if an old acquaintance still had his motorcycle repair business in downtown Anacortes. In the summer of 2001, we motor homed our way to Alaska, stopping briefly to say hi to Bill and his wife Susan, who had moved from Modesto, CA to Anacortes, WA and opened a small motorcycle repair business. Bill used to work for Modesto H-D, but, unfortunately, the business was no longer, and our inquiries at the visitors center didn't turn up any possible new location. By the time we had done some sightseeing in the Anacortes area, and stopped for some groceries, it was late afternoon, and we headed back to the motor home. Today, it's a day of sightseeing on Whidbey Island.

LA CONNER, WA.

The good news is that we arrived at the La Conner Thousand Trails (TT) around 1 pm yesterday. The bad news is our Sprint Data Card Connection is barely minimal. I just tried to upload a picture, and after about 15 minutes, gave up because of the slow speed. I may take the computer over to the lodge during our 8 day stay here, where the WiFi will allow me to post some photos. Our drive over Stevens Pass on Hwy 2, was very scenic, to the point where I just wanted to keep driving. It seemed like there was an incredible new vista around every corner, or over the next hill, as the road followed the Wenatchee River up the east side of the Cascades. This particular TT is north of Seattle, and located on the waters of Puget Sound. Due to the area being heavily wooded, I had to search the entire park for a camp site that (a) we would fit in and (b) has a view of the southern sky for our Winegard Satellite Antenna. There are over 40 full hookup sites in this park, and even there were a few available, there was either no way we would fit, or no way we would have been able to watch TV. So, I found a spot that's electric and water, and has enough of a view through the trees, that the antenna was able to do it's thing. Hey, I remember when "roughing it" used to be a tent, or a sleeping bag in the back of the pickup. When an RV became our mode of camping, we used to say that we were "roughing it" with no utility hookups. Now, when the TV won't work, or the computer isn't fast enough, that's the new age of "roughing it". Spoiled doesn't even begin to describe how far we've come in the last 20 years.

A GRAND DAM

The Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River, is a spectacular structure, to say the least. Before leaving the Newport, WA area yesterday morning, we decided to detour off Hwy2 a few miles, in order to view this modern marvel of engineering. Just before pulling out of the campground, I discovered a 2nd stowaway that had met it's demise, thanks to the good ole fashioned wooden mousetrap. Hopefully that's the end of that, at least for awhile.

As the road approached the upside of the dam, we could see that Roosevelt Lake behind the dam, was full, clearly at the high water mark. When we rounded the last corner, and could view the downstream side of the dam, there was this enormous amount of water spilling over the top, creating a sort of waterfall on the dam itself. We didn't go into the visitors center, so I didn't learn any details about the dam, (Patty says check the Internet, it knows everything) but I suspect that when the water actually spills over, as we witnessed, it's more unusual than normal. Whatever the case, the dam itself is pretty spectacular, and I'm glad we took the time to check it out. We continued west on Hwy 2, and stopped at, yep, you guessed it, a Wal-Mart in Wenatchee. It was early afternoon, so I pushed one button, and our Wineguard Traveler automatic satellite dish did it's usual perfect job of finding all 3 dish network satellites. When the NHRA Drag Race from Norwalk started at 4pm, I watched the action while Patty did some shopping in Wal-Mart. The outside temps zoomed up into the upper 80's, which was the hottest day so far, of our summer in the Pacific Northwest. Today, we travel over the Cascades via Stevens Pass, and should get parked by mid day, at the next Thousand Trails, in LaConner, WA.

HEADING WEST

We've been parked here at the Little Diamond Thousand Trails for the past 5 days, and it's time to move on down the road. We've enjoyed exploring this sparsely populated area of Eastern Washington, which, before arrival, is not exactly the geography that I imagined. I thought most all of this area was high plains, but in fact, it is mostly all forest, with lots of lakes and rivers. Day before yesterday, we toured a development about 7 miles out of Newport, that is specifically aimed at RV'ers. www.springridge.us
After looking at the parcels which range from 2-20 acres, and the very reasonable CCR's, there were a couple of parcels that we seriously considered buying. If not for the one fact that we would feel obligated to use and improve the land during the summer, thus limiting our time to travel and explore new areas, we might have pulled the trigger. As time passes, and the memory of the property fades, we'll probably be glad we didn't tie ourselves to a piece of land. On the other hand, as the choicer parcels continue to sell, we may kick ourselves for not buying one, and having it available for future use and development. I guess time will tell.
The plan for today is to head west on Hwy 2, and take a slight detour up to the Grand Coulee Dam, then continue west toward Puget Sound. Not sure how far we'll get, but at 4pm, I'll be parking somewhere, cause the drag race from Norwalk, OH will be on the tube.

CRITTERS

The above photo is obviously our beloved critters, Gracie & Sami, sunbathing on the dash of our motor home. The bottom photo is a passenger that wasn't so beloved, and had probably been in our rig for a week or so. While parked at the Bend Thousand Trails, we began to hear some strange noises, and our cat Gracie, alerted to those noises in a way that suggested we may have a stowaway on board. When I found evidence in the basement, that confirmed our suspicions, out went the good ole wooden mouse traps that were last used in Alaska. After about 2 days, even though I would have preferred another method, one of the traps did it's job, and the picture shows the result. Hopefully, that was the only one on board.

On a sadder note, we received a call from Bob & Shirl Kase yesterday morning, to tell us that they had to put their beloved Beagle too sleep. The top photo is a picture of Hunter on the left, and Sami on the right, that I took at Bob & Shirl's house, when we visited last summer. During our last year (2003) on the Drag Race circuit, Bob & Shirl showed up at the first race in Pomona with the cutest Beagle Puppy, who they named Hunter. Over the course of that year, we grew to love that dog, and it was fun to watch our Beagle treat the new puppy as if it were her own. We often referred to Hunter as Sami's baby. During the ensuing years, we typically would only see Bob, Shirl & Hunter once or maybe twice a year, but that dog always remembered me, and it was like a family reunion. Bob knew how much we loved their dog, and was kind enough to think of us, and make the difficult telephone call. As hard as it is to lose a family member, and that's what these animals are, at some point the decision has to be made, in respect to a pet's quality of life. According to Bob, they had reached the point where there was no other choice, and the tough decision had to be made. Our hearts go out to Bob & Shirl, and it will be good to see them in a couple of weeks at the Seattle Drag Race.

THOUSAND TRAILS & KOA

These pictures show our campsite at the Little Diamond Thousand Trails, in Northeastern Washington. This park is very scenic, similar to the majority of TT parks, in that they are often heavily wooded, lots of room between spaces, and are often 30 amp electrical & water. Since beginning our summer travels, the 3 TT parks where we have stayed, have been electric and water, with dump stations. The Thousand Trails (TT) membership that we currently own, was an upgrade of the previous, limited membership that we purchased, not too long after buying our motor home. The basics of our membership are - it costs us $600 per year, and we get - 50 nights, no fee parking at any of the approx. 65 parks around the country. Any nights over 50, and we pay $5 per night. We can go from park to park, without being out of the system for 7 days, and we can stay a maximum of 14 days at any one park. Last year we stayed exactly 100 nights at Thousand Trails, for an approx. per night cost of $8.50. The more we use the system, our average per night cost goes down. Conversely, the less we use the system, our average per night cost goes up. At 50 - 100 nights per year, our per night average is between $8.50 and $12. So far, it's been a good deal for us, however, there's a disturbing trend starting to unfold, regarding member accesibility, and public accessibility, at Thousand Trails Parks.

When we arrived at the Little Diamond T.T. a few days ago, we saw that the signage directing us to the park, and the signage within the park, is more dominantly K.O.A. (Kampgrounds of America), than T.T. The staff are all wearing K.O.A. uniforms, and there is a lot of construction taking place within the park, ie; new gravel pads, new electrical and water hookups. I talked to Mike the park manager, and learned that the T.T. parent company, Equity Lifestyle Properties, purchased a K.O.A. Franchise, and is upgrading a portion of the park to K.O.A.'s specifications. The reason is that the use of this park was so low, that it was in danger of closing, and their hope is that a K.O.A. franchise will drive campers to the park, increasing their cash flow. From a business perspective, I fully understand the problem, and the direction T.T. is heading. However, from a members perspective, this objective, at least at this park, takes a sizeable number of premium campsites away from T.T. members, and dedicates those spaces exclusively to the general public through K.O.A. I understand this is the 2nd or 3rd T.T. park to partner with K.O.A., and it devalues my T.T. membership considerably. This trend, combined with the removal of many premium sites at all T.T. parks, through their annual site program, and the opening of some spaces, at all T.T. parks, to the general public, further devalues all T.T. memberships. So far, all of these programs have not significantly impacted us, regarding our ability to find a campsite. But, in a few parks, we have had to search a little harder, to find a location that has fit our needs. Obviously, some of my concerns are selfish, but, one of the reasons we initially purchased a T.T. membership, was to have accessibility to a network of private parks, and that seems to be disappearing. That, combined with a portion of our dues being used to upgrade a large section of this park for the exclusive use of the general public through K.O.A., isn't sitting too well with me right now.

NEWPORT, WA.

Way up in the northeastern corner of Washington, is Pend Oreille (Pond-O-Ray) County, with the little town of Newport as the county seat. Northern Idaho is just a stones throw away, and the Canadian Border isn't very far either. We drove into Newport, WA., a town of just a few thousand, and our first stop was this local museum. With a restored railroad caboose on the grounds, how could we not stop! After learning some of the local history, we drove north along the Pend Oreille River to an RV Development that has been advertising for a few years in some of the RV publications. It's called the Skookum Rendezvous RV Resort, where you can purchase an RV size lot. www.skookum-rendezvous.com The property is still being developed, and it sits next to the river, in a beautiful forested area. The lots start at $25,000, and if we were looking for a northern climate to park the motor home for the summer, this place would get some serious consideration. For now, I don't think we would be happy staying in one place for several months at a time.

Yesterday, the weather was a scorcher, with the temperature climbing up to around 80. I think that's about the hottest day we've had, since leaving Arizona on May 13th. Last night, I was awakened to the sound of thunder, and shortly thereafter, just like clockwork, the fearless Beagle was on the bed, curling up right between us. How she ever managed to survive when we parked at the drag strips for 2 years, is beyond me. Top Fuel and Funny Cars make a heck of lot more noise than a thunder storm. Maybe it's the flash just before the noise, who knows? This morning, the sun is filtering through the pine trees, so I think the storm is gone, at least for now.

NEW ADVENTURES

One of the most appealing aspects of traveling in our motor home, is the discovery of new attractions, and/or adventures. Sometimes, that can be as simple as a new road, with new scenery. Or, as was the case yesterday, it was a new road, and a new attraction. When we left the Snake River towns of Clarkson / Lewiston, we climbed a long hill, traveling north on Hwy 95. When we got to the top, I pulled off the highway into an area where we looked back, and down about 2,000 vertical feet. The river and towns looked much smaller than they had just a few minutes before, and it was a spectacular view of the area.

The drive north on Hwy 195 was through mostly agricultural country, with a few small towns along the way. When we got to Spokane, I decided to top off the fuel tank, and we needed propane. One of our usual stops is Flying J, because their prices have always been within a few cents of the lowest in the area, and they have other services like propane, dump stations, and water. At this particular Flying J, I didn't pay attention to any displayed prices, and when I fueled, I used the satellite pump, which didn't have a gallons or price meter. When I went inside to pick up my receipt, I discovered the per gallon price at $3.41, and that's with a 6 cent per gallon discount. The lesson learned, is that I won't assume that Flying J is within a few cents of the lowest price any longer. The good news is that we only needed a little over 40 gallons of diesel.

A few miles north of Spokane, we stopped at "Cat Tales", a sanctuary / zoo for cats, big and small. I discovered this attraction on the Thousand Trails website, and it was a surprise stop for Patty. As everyone knows, my wife loves cats even more than I do, so, visiting this attraction was the highlight of the day. We spent an hour or so watching mostly sleeping cats, as it was the middle of the day. Even though some of the cages were rather small, at least these beautiful cats can live out their lives, instead of the alternative. It was a short drive from Cat Tales, to the Little Diamond Thousand Trails, where we will be parked for the next 4 days. This is a part of the Pacific Northwest that we have not yet explored, so we're looking forward to the discovery of our next adventure.

NORTH TO WASHINGTON

Even though the clouds looked threatening, the windshield wipers never had to be turned on, as we drove north, from Enterprise, OR., to Clarkson, WA. Getting on the road, after being parked at Bob & Diana Rush's for 4 days, is what this lifestyle is all about. Moving on down the road, and seeing new sights, is the main reason we travel in our motor home. Saying good bye to our friends, is always bittersweet, but as I've said many times, I always look forward to getting back behind the wheel, and driving to our next destination. Our journey yesterday, was a pleasant drive through forests, open prairie, and one great big canyon.

When you drive north on Hwy 3/129, and cross from Oregon into Washington, the border is near the bottom of the Grand Ronde River Canyon. This is a huge canyon, that requires the road to zig zag down to the river, then climb back out the other side, with numerous switchbacks, and tight curves. It's very scenic, and even with our 40' motor home, pulling the jeep, the road isn't that bad. It just takes awhile, to travel what is actually a short distance, as the crow flies. Shooting these pictures through the glass, isn't the best result for quality, but, the one shot looks down on the road from above, and shows one of the many curves. We arrived at the Clarkson Wal-Mart, and after checking inside for permission to park, we walked over to Costco, and did some shopping. Later, it was the same at Wal-Mart, and we called it a day.

LOTS OF RAIN

This picture was taken yesterday morning, and illustrates that there is a lot of moisture outside the motor home. Gracie loves to chase raindrops, as they roll down the windshield, but naturally, when I tried to capture her in the act, she had her own agenda. It rained almost all day, and the weather service even issued a flash flood warning through the afternoon. On top of the rain, the temperature never climbed out of the 50's. The weather notwithstanding, Diana & Patty attended an indoor, musical, fundraiser, in the afternoon, and Bob and I watched part of the NHRA Drag Race from Bristol TN. It was a good day to be indoors, and this morning, even though it's not exactly raining, the skies don't look very promising for sunshine. Later this morning, we'll say our good bye's to Bob & Diana, and drive about 3 hours north to Clarkson, WA., where we'll do some shopping at Costco, and Wal-Mart. Thanks Bob & Diana, for the super hospitality, and the wonderful visit. You guys have a beautiful home, and we always look forward to our stops in this gorgeous valley. Now, if you could just do a magic weather dance, everything would be perfect.

A NEW GUN

This picture was taken at the Hells Canyon Overlook, day before yesterday. When these two "Ya Ya Sisters" get together, there's usually a lot of laughter going on. Bob and I often don't always get the punch line, but as long as they are having fun, that's all that matters.

Last week, when I posted on the blog, that I had tried to purchase a Ruger 22 caliber rifle from a Bi Mart Store, and was turned down because I wasn't an Oregon resident, I got an email from my cousin Karen in Coos Bay, Oregon. She offered to purchase the rifle, and when we stop by later this summer, I could pick it up, and pay her then. I thanked her, but decided that I really didn't need the gun, it was just one of those "want" things. Well, during our morning conversation, the subject came up again, and Bob offered to do the same thing that my cousin was willing to do. After a little debate, and nothing really planned for the day, I changed my mind, and Bob and took off for LaGrande, where the rifle was still on sale. After purchasing the Ruger 10/22, (stainless model), we grabbed a quick bite to eat and stopped at the local Ford Dealer, where Bob checked out some of the pickups. He's talking about getting rid of his Toyota Tundra, and purchasing a new Ford F150. We looked at several, and they are really nice trucks, however, when you take a look at the manufacturers suggested retail price, suddenly, they weren't quite that nice! Some of those trucks cost more than twice as much as I paid for my first house! When we drove the hour or so back to Enterprise, the weather changed to some rain, and we just missed a mile or so of hail, passing through some white fields, and a lot of white slush on the road. All in all, it was good day, and I now have another gun that I don't need.

HELL'S CANYON

The rain, and clouds decided to move on down the road, so we decided to take a drive out to the Hell's Canyon Overlook, for a view of the deepest canyon in the U.S. The first two pictures are of Bob & Diana's home, on the outskirts of Enterprise, Oregon. They moved from California, within a few months of the time when we moved to Arizona back in 2002. Their home sits on 2 acres of beautifully manicured property, and it certainly shows pride of ownership. We always enjoy our visits with Bob & Diana, and look forward each year to seeing them, whether it's us traveling north, or them traveling south.


The drive out to the Hell's Canyon Overlook is about 40 miles from their home, through mostly National Forest. It was a really nice day, with beautiful scenery, and when we arrived at the overlook, the view down into the canyon is breath taking. The road is great for motorcycles, but not necessarily a large motor home road, so I'm glad we did the drive in Bob & Diana's new car.
On the drive back, as we rounded a corner, a large brown bear ran across the road, about a hundred feet in front of us. As it was about half way across the road, I said "it's a Grizzly". After it was out of sight, we all agreed that it had that distinctive hump behind it's head, however, according to a little research that I did this morning, there aren't supposed to be any Grizzly's in Oregon. Over the years, there have been reports of Grizzly's in the Hells Canyon Area, but nothing confirmed since about 1937. When we spent the summers in Alaska, particularly the years that I was a tour guide, I encountered hundreds of Black Bears, many of which were actually brown in color, and only a handful of Grizzly's. In fact, when we spotted a brown, Black Bear, I would have to correct the tourists, because they almost always proclaimed that it was a Grizzly Bear. After reading that Grizzly's haven't been confirmed in Oregon for many years, naturally, I began to question whether I mistakenly identified this bear as a Grizzly. It's certainly possible, because we only saw it for a few seconds, and as I was reaching for my camera, it disappeared over the bank. Because I was so sure it was a Grizzly, my instinct was to stay in the car, and not get out to try and possibly get a picture. We'll never know for sure, but, it definitely was the highlight of the day.

ENTERPRISE, OR.

We arrived at our long time friends house, in Enterprise, OR., yesterday, around mid day. Bob & Diana Rush built a beautiful home on 2 acres when they moved here from Central CA. several years ago. This is the 4th or 5th year that we have stopped for a visit, during our summer travel. We had our mail forwarded, and it was waiting for us when we arrived. After catching up on the latest, we went out to dinner at a local Mexican Restaurant, that Bob & Diana frequent, and everyone agreed, the dinners were mighty good! It was nice to see our buddies once again, and we'll have plenty of time to visit, as we won't be leaving here until Monday, the 21st.

THE OREGON TRAIL

From about 1840, to the mid 1860's, several hundred thousand pioneers, followed the Oregon Trail, during the westward expansion. When the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, the trail became less important. We left our parking spot in John Day, and drove about 100 miles east on Hwy 26, and Hwy 7, to Baker City, where we stopped at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, about mid day. This is another one of those attractions, that we've driven by on several occasions, but never took the time to stop. Well, I'm glad we did this time, because we spent a couple of hours, learning the history of the Oregon Trail, and more importantly, many of the personal stories associated with the hardships along this almost 2,000 mile, early pioneer route to the west. It took these hardy souls on average, about 6 months to complete the journey. The center sits on the top of a hill, overlooking the original Oregon Trail, and despite the narrow entrance road, there's plenty of room for large RV's to park at the top. The best part of enjoying this very well done museum, is that it's under BLM management, and our Senior Passport allowed us to enter for free!

The weather yesterday was a bit chilly, as it has been for most of our time in Oregon. We had a pretty good wind, and the temps never got out of the 50's. After leaving the center, we drove less than an hour north to LaGrande, where we stopped at the Wal-Mart Super center, primarily to stock up on some groceries. By the time we finished shopping, it was dinner time, so we just stayed put for the night. We carry a Wal-Mart Locator book, and a small publication called "Wal-Mart Stores that do not allow overnight RV Parking", FreeCampgrounds.com. This second book lists the LaGrande Wal-Mart as one that does NOT allow RV's to park overnight. The fact of the matter is, they DO allow RV parking, which I confirmed, inside the store, for the second year in a row. This morning, we will be driving a little over an hour, to Bob & Diana Rush's beautiful home in Enterprise, OR., and will be parked there through Sunday. We haven't seen Bob & Diana in about a year, so it will be fun to catch up with all that's been happening.

NEW TIRES

With 2 new Goodyear Tires on the motor home, we pulled out of Bend, OR, at about 2 pm, heading east on Hwy 26. We did this drive, in the westbound direction, 2 years ago, after spending the summer in northwest Montana. It's a beautiful drive, mostly in the mountains, that passes through several small towns, one of which is named after our friends, Art & Linda Mitchell. Mitchell, Oregon is one of those places that you have to keep your eyes open, or, as you drive by, it won't even be a memory. It was big enough however, to have welcome signs at both ends of town. After being parked for 2 weeks, I always look forward to getting behind the wheel, and seeing what's over the next hill, or what's around the next corner. The drive on Hwy 26, no matter what direction you're traveling, is very scenic, with a minimal amount of vehicular traffic. Whenever the clock strikes 5pm, we can just about count on the Beagle Stare, which translates to "it's time to feed me". So, it was about that time when we pulled into the small town of John Day, OR. I found a large asphalt lot, adjacent to what appears to be a closed lumber processing facility, on the west end of town, and promptly parked within a few feet of the John Day River. After dinner for all of us, a little TV capped off a great half day of travel by the Chances.

LEAVING BEND, OR.

This morning, we get the motor home wheels rolling once again, as our 2 week stay here at the Bend/Sunriver Thousand Trails has come to an end. Our first stop, at noon, will be at a Goodyear Tire dealer in Bend, where we have an appointment to have 2 new tires installed on the traveling house. It's a long story, but due to front end alignment issues from day one, the front tires have been prematurely wearing on the outside edges, to the point where 15-20,000 miles has been the limit. Last winter, we had the front end aligned at an RV/Truck specialty company in Phoenix, and I'm hoping this will be the last tires that we have to buy for awhile. We'll be heading east, toward Bob & Diana Rush's home in Enterprise, OR., where we will stay for a few days, and catch up with all that's been happening. We have thoroughly enjoyed our 2 weeks here in Central Oregon, and will be back in a couple of months for the FMCA Convention, which is scheduled for Aug 11-14, at the Fairgrounds in Redmond.

N.H.R.A. MEMORIES

We didn't go anywhere yesterday, and while walking Sami, I snapped a few pictures of this very nice Thousand Trails Park, south of Bend, OR. Often on Sunday, I don't venture too far from the TV, because there's usually some type of motor sports competition being broadcast from somewhere, and I just happen to be a competitive racing junkie. The National Hot Rod Ass'n (NHRA), drag racing tour, finished their weekend of racing in Englishtown, N.J. yesterday, and while I was watching the action on TV, I couldn't help but remember when we were there in 2002 and 2003. Our two years on the NHRA circuit, left us with lots of good memories, and a few bad ones. Unfortunately, the Englishtown track is one where the memories are mostly bad. Serious injuries, or deaths don't happen very much in this sport, due to all of the safety innovations that have been implemented over the years. I guess Englishtown is the exception, because in 2 of the last 3 years, there has been a fatality at this facility. Thank goodness, it doesn't happen very often.

Back in 2002, when we got the last minute word, that our Harley-Davidson Drag Bike Team was
not coming to the track, arrangements were made for us to take the H-D Screamin Eagle merchandise trailer to a nearby Harley-Davidson Dealer, in Camden, N.J. That first year of the new, H-D factory team, this was not an uncommon occurrence, and when it happened, we often found ourselves at the local H-D Dealership, displaying the race merchandise. It was raining that weekend, and soon after arriving, I took Sami out, very near a busy street. When a gust of wind almost carried me and my umbrella away, I was distracted for a few seconds, and Sami ventured a few feet into the street, right into the path of a passing taxi cab. I didn't see her get hit, but I saw her rolling toward the curb, and my heart sunk. When I got to her, I thought she was dead, and of course, I was already blaming myself for this tragedy. Fortunately, the cabbie stopped, and the Camden Police were there very quickly. The cop told me of a 24 hr veterinary hospital, about 8 miles away, where they take their K-9's, and the cab driver offered to give me a ride. During the cab ride, Sami regained consciousness, and I started to feel that perhaps, we might not lose her. After an emergency exam, the Vet. told me that she was probably going to be OK, that there were no broken bones, but they wanted to monitor her overnight, in case there were internal injuries. The Cab driver gave me a ride back to the H-D Dealer in Camden, and when I asked him what I owed, he said nothing. He felt responsible, but I shoved $40 into his hand, and told him it was not his fault, and thanked him for stopping and providing me and my dog, with transportation to the Veterinary Hospital. The end of the story was a good one, despite the physical trauma to the dog, and the mental trauma to Patty and I. My N.H.R.A. memories of 2002 & 2003 are mostly good, but not so good of this particular weekend in Englishtown, N.J.

THOUSAND TRAILS

We have one more day here at the Bend/Sunriver Thousand Trails Preserve, and our 2 weeks will be up. Two weeks is the maximum that we can stay at any one park. This is our second year as members of Thousand Trails, the largest membership camping organization in the country. We purchased our membership from a private party, and after paying the transfer fee, our cost to upgrade from our first year, limited membership was about $200. We pay $600 a year in dues, and that entitles us to unlimited usage, of the approx 80 parks around the U.S. Almost half of the parks are on the west coast, and we're visiting several this summer, like this one, that we have not yet seen. Like anything, the quality of the parks vary quite a bit. Most are 30 amp, full hookup. A few, like this park, are water and electric only, with a dump station. Overall, the parks are what I call forest service campgrounds, with services. Generally, we have been pleased with most all of the parks we have stayed, with one exception. That was an east coast park that was in a scenic area, but the Virginia Landing Thousand Trails left a lot to be desired! Last year, we stayed in Thousand Trails parks all over the U.S. for a total of 100 days. Our first 50 days of usage costs us nothing to stay, and any days over 50, we pay $5 a night. Our per night average cost last year was $8.50 per night, which makes the membership very cost effective. Particularly, when the average cost of your average RV Park is now $25-$45 per night. There are many variations of Thousand Trails Memberships, and most require 7 nights out of the system, after you stay 14 days at a park. Our membership allows us to go directly to another park, after staying the maximum 14 days.
Right now, Thousand Trails is offering a promotional membership package, that allows a person, or family to join one of the 4 zones, without paying any initiation fee. Just start paying the dues of $499 a year, and for example, a southwestern zone of CA, NV & AZ would open up 18 parks to that zone membership. Our friends Jim & Megan just joined the southwestern zone. The other important limitations to this promo, are 14 days in, then 7 days out of the system, and the first 30 days a year are no cost, then $3 a night thereafter. If the new member used the zone membership 30 days, the per night cost would be $16.66. The more you use the system, the more your per night cost drops. At 50 days a year usage, the per night cost drops to $11.20. It's a pretty good deal, but like anything else, you have to use it, or it doesn't make any sense. If interested, more info is available at 888 886 5754. For the many years we were both working, and had limited time away from work, a Thousand Trails membership wouldn't have made any sense. But now that we spend at least half of the year in our motor home, it works very well for us.

THE BEAGLE NOSE

It was about 13 years ago, that I started getting the idea of possibly becoming a dog owner, once again. When the kids were little, we had a couple of German Shepherds, but that was over 30 years ago. I had always liked Beagles, but never owned one. Without a lot of research, I found an ad in the Modesto Bee for Beagle pups, and after seeing them, it didn't take me long to pick Sami from her litter mates. I soon discovered, that this particular breed of dog is ruled by it's nose. There's a saying that goes - "a Beagle is a nose, that just happens to be attached to a dog". Over the years, we've learned that when outside, the leash is always attached, and when she gets a scent of a critter, you better have a good grip on the handle. At this Thousand Trails, there are ground squirrels everywhere. This picture shows the aftermath of a quick chase, where the squirrel easily makes it into the hole, followed by that nose. She sometimes pushes her head so far into the ground, that I swear she's going to get stuck. A walk around this park is great fun, but concentration on other important business, is sometimes impossible.

A LAZY DAY

I took this picture a couple of days ago, almost directly in front of where we have the motor home parked. This family of 5 baby ground squirrels, and the mom, have been popping in and out of their burrow, multiple times during the course of the day. If Sami is on the dash, (as she often is), it drives her to distraction. When we take her out for a walk, she heads directly for the hole, and sticks her nose in as far is it will go. They are cute little critters, and a lot of fun to watch. The weather is still rain showers on most days, and yesterday was no exception. We drove into Bend to do some shopping, and I scored some Sharps, non-alcoholic beer at a Bi-Mart, one of the few stores that still carry the product. We experienced this store last year, when we started our trip around the U.S., but they are only in OR, WA, and ID. While browsing, I discovered that they had a gun on sale that I've been looking at buying for the last year. It's a Ruger 22, semi-automatic rifle, and it was on sale for $179. When I told the clerk that I would take it, he asked where I was from. Since I still have an Alaskan Drivers License, my answer is usually Alaska. He informed me that they could only sell guns to residents of the 3 states where they have stores, or, to residents of states that border those 3 states. For whatever reason (He, nor the manager could give me an explanation), that's Bi-Mart's policy. I still can't figure out why, but I guess the good news is that I just saved $179. When we got back to the Thousand Trails, Patty did some laundry, and we called it a lazy day.

SURPRISE FROM THE SKY

When I was returning to the motor home yesterday morning, I was riding on a forest service, dirt road, next to a large lake. The sun was out, the scenery was outstanding, it couldn't have been much better. I rounded a corner, and saw 4 bald eagles circling near the lake, so I slowed down to get a better view, and watch them a little longer. Out of the blue (literally), I felt something hit my helmet, jacket, and R/hand guard. It didn't take long to figure out what had just happened. I had been bombarded by our national bird! It couldn't have been a better hit, than if the damn bird had been equipped with a laser bomb sight. It reminded me of the baseball hat that shows simulated bird poop, and says "I hate seagulls". Maybe I should write on the back of my helmet "I hate eagles".

Despite the humiliating act that just occurred, I continued to watch these magnificent birds, knowing in my mind that the chances of a second aerial attack was next to impossible.
As the bottom photo shows, there's still a lot of snow at the higher elevations. I took this picture on the west side of Mt. Bachelor, at an elevation of a little under 7,000 feet. Even though the ski area has been closed for weeks, there's still plenty of snow on the slopes. Maybe global warming doesn't apply to central Oregon? After not sleeping a whole lot in my tent, it was nice to return to a hot shower, and a real bed.

A CHANCE TO RIDE

The weather pattern changed from mostly rain, to a chance of rain, so I took off on the KLR, to do some riding, mostly on dirt and gravel roads. Much of the surrounding area is National Forest, and there are countless dirt roads to get off the beaten path, and explore the back country. And that's exactly what I've been doing for the last day and one half. My first stop yesterday, was the small resort at Paulina Lake. The log cabin store is not unlike many other remote, convenience facilities. The items for sale at this particular outpost were limited, and expensive. $2 for a soda, but I was glad to pay for the refreshment. From Paulina Lake, I explored a large area south, and east of Bend, OR., putting on a little under 200 miles, before stopping at Little Lava Lake Campground. Lots of white tailed deer just about everywhere, but fortunately, no close calls.

It was close to 5pm, my butt was about maxed out, so I stopped at an almost empty campground for the night. A couple of hours by the campfire, and a constant battle with the resident mosquito's, and it was time to hit the sleeping bag. As peaceful as it was, it's getting harder to sleep on the ground. Yes, I have a self inflating air mattress, but it doesn't do much good when I would awaken, having rolled off the mattress to one side or the other. Despite the continual awakenings, and lack of sleep, the sound of raindrops on the tarp I hung over the tent, would send me back to sleep, at least temporarily.

This morning, I mixed up some instant coffee, and after tearing down the tent, hit the road for a little more exploration. I had one small surprise on the drive back to the motor home, and I'll share that experience in tomorrow's blog.

CRATER LAKE

We killed two birds yesterday, (not literally). We dropped our computer off at Little d Technology in LaPine, to have a larger capacity hard drive installed, and all of our files transferred to the new hardware. We then drove a little over 100 miles south to Crater Lake National Park, and met our friends, Jim and Megan for lunch. They are working for the Park concessionaire at the Rim Village, and this was one of their days off.

This is their second summer working at Crater Lake, and even though they have worked in a few spectacular places like Skagway, Alaska, and Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park, the view of Crater Lake almost takes your breath away. Patty and I last visited this scenic jewel over 20 years ago, and I had forgotten how incredibly beautiful it really is. In addition to the natural beauty of the lake, the weather gods were smiling yesterday, as it was an almost perfect day. After lunch, Jim and Megan showed us their work place, and took us to a few places along the rim, where we all took some great pictures. The amount of snow still present was a bit surprising, even though we had been warned. The north entrance, and the road around the lake is still closed, due to snow. The snowbank next to where Jim & Megan's motor home is parked, is still about 12' high, and many of the windows at the gift shop/cafe are still covered by the deep snow.

It was great to spend a few hours with our friends, at a place that can only be described as truly spectacular. On the drive home, we took the southern route back to Hwy 97, which completed our circle around the National Park, as we arrived from the north, on Hwy's 138 & 230. We made it back to pick up our computer before 5pm, and the total bill for a new 160 gig (upgraded from 40 gig), hard drive, the transfer of software & files, a re-installation of Windows, plus a few other small fixes, came to $146. We considered it a great deal, and the folks at Little d Technology, particularly Daniel, were a real pleasure to do business with. Today, I'm planning on blowing some cobwebs out of the KLR, and seeing some of this country from a back roads perspective.

ON TOP OF A VOLCANO

We left our motor home yesterday at about noon, and drove north to the Lava Lands National Monument Visitors Center. It's situated right on Hwy 97, about 12 miles south of Bend. In addition to the usual information about the monument at the visitors center, there's a road where you can drive to the top of Lava Butte, an extinct volcano. In the scheme of things, it's a rather small volcano, only about 500 feet high, but at the top, you can look down 150 feet into what was the mouth of the beast. About 6,000 years ago, it erupted, sending a lava flow west and north toward Bend. When you are on top, you can still distinctly see the flow toward the Deschutes River. While at the top, we had a panoramic view of the area. The picture below, is a view of the crater, from the top of Lava Butte.

From the visitors center, we drove into Bend and did some shopping. Then it was back to the motor home in the mid afternoon, for some reading and drag racing action on the TV, from the Chicago race. I can remember working that race in 2002, when we had a Tornado touch down a few miles from the race track, and everyone ran for the block constructed bathrooms. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if there's a possibility of hurricane's or tornado's, I don't want to live there. This morning, we're off to see another extinct volcano, with a lake in the middle. Crater Lake National Park is a little over a 2 hour drive to the south, and our friends, Jim & Megan Stebbins are working their second summer at the park. The sun is shinning brightly this morning, so it should be a nice day for a drive, and a visit with our friends.

BALLOONS OVER BEND

That's the name of the festival that's going on right now in the Old Mill District, in downtown Bend, OR. The chance to see hot air balloons, was enough for us to drive into Bend, to not only check out the goings on, but to also see the revitalized, former industrial area, along the Deschutes River. To say that we were impressed, would be an under statement! The area along both sides of the river is a great example of turning nothing, into a first class attraction that any city would be proud of. In addition to an upscale shopping center, anchored by an REI store in the old Mill building, there is a movie theater complex, walking/biking paths, an amphitheater, and several dining opportunities. All of this is in a park like setting, along the river, and it is truly a beautiful part of Bend, OR.


We checked out all of the vendors, food booths, and the many inflatable attractions for the kids. I couldn't resist taking a picture of this one booth, that had some pretty good sauces. We learned that the balloons took off at 6:30 in the morning, and will do it again this morning at the same time. We missed the flight of the balloons, but thoroughly enjoyed this impressive area of the city.

A BEND, OR. TREASURE

The rain finally gave up the ghost, at least the downpour type of moisture that seemed to pound relentlessly on the roof of the motor home. The wind picked up a bit, but I'll take wind over rain any time that trade is available. After about 3 solid days of the wet stuff, we drove to the High Desert Museum, just south of Bend, to visit a place that was near the top of our list of area attractions. We weren't disappointed, as this place is a first class facility, incorporating the usual museum artifacts with a blend of exhibits that portray the living history of the area. From the first inhabitant Native Americans, to the lawless wild west, it's all presented in a very professional way.

Blending the museum side with some of the native, high desert animals, is also done quite well. For us, the chance to observe any wild animals is always a treat. This isn't a zoo, but rather a display of a few animals that because of injury, or human imprinting, are not returnable to the wild. This Otter was an adult male, who was new to the facility, and was getting used to his habitat, which was spacious, incorporating water and a land area.

I took this picture of Patty, standing in front of the original recreational vehicle. The early frontier wagon wasn't exactly used for recreation, but rather for the purpose of transporting thousands of people and their goods to new settlements on the western frontier. We joke that we're roughing it without electrical or water hookups. It's hard to imagine the hardships that our ancestors faced when their journey west, often took many months.

One of the highlights at the High Desert Museum was the opportunity to view this Bobcat, who was actually up, and walking around, instead of sleeping. He was about 20 years old, and had been raised in captivity. Normally, the average lifespan of a Bobcat in the wild, is about 10 years. There was also a Lynx in a separate enclosure, that had been rescued from the wild, after someone had declawed and defanged the poor cat. It was found starving, unable to hunt, or even defend itself. It was nice to see that these two beautiful cats will live out their lives in a nice environment, with all the proper care they will need. This morning, the sun is out.....yea, and we'll be heading somewhere for a new adventure.

STOP THE RAIN

This is the 4th morning we have awakened to the sound of rain on the roof of the motor home. The first day or so, it was OK, since we don't experience much rain during the winter, at our home in the western Arizona Desert. But, enough already! The biggest inconvenience of the rain, is after taking Sami out to do her thing, there's always 4 dirty feet to clean. The forecast is for improving weather, starting tomorrow, so we're keeping our fingers crossed. We did venture into Bend yesterday, and satisfied our respective shopping interests. After having lunch at a Mongolian BBQ, it was an Army surplus store for me, then a 2nd hand store for Patty. I think the total amount spent in the 2 stores was under $10, but we killed an hour or so. We picked up some literature from the Chamber of Commerce, got some groceries, then drove back to the Thousand Trails, where rain was still falling on the roof of the motor home. Fortunately, we had our mail forwarded to us, and there's plenty of reading material. In weather like this, having lots to read is a good thing.

THERE'S A STOWAWAY

We had something rather unique happen yesterday, as we were leaving the Thousand Trails in the Jeep. We've been having a little trouble with the computer, (error messages), so we found a computer sales & service business in LaPine, and decided to take the computer there for a possible fix. After driving out of the campground, and about 1/2 mile down the road, suddenly, a chipmunk came out of the engine compartment, between the hood and the windshield. I pulled off the road, as the little critter ran back and forth at the bottom of the glass. It was raining, so the wipers were also going back and forth, which added to the confusion. Just as I got the camera out to record this crazy scene, the little guy, or maybe girl, jumped off the passenger side of the jeep, and scampered away from the road. At least it didn't get run over, but now, it was about 1/2 mile away from home. In the animal world, adaptability is the name of the game, so, hopefully, this cute little hitch-hiking chipmunk has found a new home! Oh yea, after running some tests on the computer, no red flags were found, and we picked it up late yesterday afternoon. We've had good luck with this Dell laptop, but it is over 5 years old, and in today's scheme of things, that's ancient. We have a good Sprint connection here, so if the blog stops for a day or two, the reason will be that we are either in transition to a new computer, or we're having this one updated with more memory and speed.

BEND, OR . FOR 2 WEEKS

The drive from our overnight spot, (below), north of Lakeview, OR., to the Thousand Trails Park, south of Bend, OR., was about 180 miles. The route across Hwy 31, past Summer Lake, was one that we hadn't done in almost 10 years. The last time, was in 2001, on our return trip from Alaska. The scenery across this high desert region is very similar to the landscapes on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which has always been one of my favorite areas.
We arrived at the Bend/Sunriver T.T. a little after noon, and began the search for a space to park the motor home. This park is full of trees, which made the search a little more challenging, due to the requirement of having a southern view of the sky, for the satellite antenna. After driving around the park in the jeep for a few minutes, I found a nice, spacious site, that is shown in the top photo. We're here for a couple of weeks, which will give us the time to explore the area. In the past, we have never stayed here for more than just a few days. If the weather clears up, (raining right now), I plan on doing some of that exploring on my KLR 650 dual sport motorcycle. But, for right now, the sound of rain on top of the motor home actually sounds kind of good.

INTO OREGON

It was a late morning departure from the Desert Rose RV park, in Fernley, NV, but as I mentioned earlier, we have a couple of days, before checking into the Thousand Trails near Bend, OR. The drive north on Hwy 395 was busy with lots of vehicles, as the Memorial Weekend was coming to a close. When we got past Susanville, most of the traffic magically disappeared, and it was a pleasant drive to Lakeview, OR, just across the CA border. We ran into a few sprinkles, but hardly enough to get the road wet. Just north of Lakeview, I found a good spot to pull off the highway, and park for the night. This morning, the rain is a little more persistent, with an occasional downpour. We covered about 260 miles yesterday, and it's about another 200 to our destination.
I'm still on a high from our railroad adventure of two days ago, and have included a few more pictures. The top picture is a view of Gold Hill from above, as the train climbs toward Virginia City. The photo of the horses shows a family of wild Mustangs, that were very close to the train. The bottom photo is of #29, a 1913 Baldwin, as the engineer looks at the hot bearing on the right side of the engine. I guess it's hopeless for those of us who have a fascination with trains, especially the ones that are powered by a steam engine. If one has to have a passion, (some might call it a vice), perhaps there is a lot worse, than a love of trains.