Vacation in theNorthwest

Lori, Walt and I are packed and as soon as Lori gets home, we are off to Burlington and then onto Blaine for a slow paced and relaxing week long vacation. The plan is to stay at the Burlington KOA tonight, sat and sun, then after a stop at camping world to install a couple vent covers, we are off to Blaine and the K & M campground there.

One plan was to get a certificate of health for Walt, so he could go to Canada on some day trips. We took him to the vet and they found an infection in his eye, did a complete physical and sent him home with meds. A whoping $300.00 later, he is in good health and can go with us. Had I known he was going to cost that much, he could have slept in the trailer while we enjoyed Canada!

Speaking of Walt, the vet put him on some joint pain meds to make him get around better. Liked him better when he layed around and was cudly...now he is full of you know what and is all over the place. Today, I put him in the truck as I always do when I hitch up as he was running around all psycho. He refused to get out, is ready to go camping and has been in the back seat for over an hour...Anyway, more from the road!

Oh, One last thing before we head out. A couple weeks ago, Lori got a new GPS for her car. Last night she informs me we will be using her GPS as it is much better and is more updated...Who'd ever thunk...GPS envy!!!

Well, we hit the road at about 2:20 pm, a personal best for us. We hoped to get through traffic and be set up no later than 7pm. Well, that didnt happen. As we hit Ft Lewis, traffic slowed to a crawl and stayed that way. We decided to stop at Applebys in Tacoma hoping the traffic would lighten up. We feasted on the two for twenty special which I had the buffalo wings and ribletts. This would later become a serious issue with me. I rarely eat stuff with all this sauce...I was hungry and it looked good. We made it back on the freeway and I can point out every piece of roadway through Tacoma as I had plenty of time to study it. We got back up to about 45 mph in Federal Way and then more slow downs as we inched our way through Seattle and north.

As we cleared North Seattle my worst fears began to materialize...I needed to use the restroom and there was no way to even get off the freeway(remember the ribs and buffalo wings?) Things went south very fast if you know what I mean? I wont bother you with the details but thank god I finally spotted a rest area.

At a whopping 8:40, we are in camp and set up. I am exhausted from the trip and soon we had the satellite set up and TV was on. This KOA is packed tonight and there are people everywhere, but it is quiet. All are minding themselves.

Saturday morning was too early and we vegged all morning. After breakfast, we headed for the pool and hot tub. After Hiding in the shower room till I made sure Greenpeace was no where around, I went for it and hit the pool. It was a very nice and warm pool as was the hot tub. Ahhh, we are finally on vacation.

We headed to La Conner for lunch. After walking around a bit, we found a nice cafe that is on the dock over looking the waterway. We dined on fish and chips as the boats slid by and were even entertained by a seal in the river feasting as we were. After checking out the shops, we loaded up. I wanted to check the Potlatch resort, an RV park in town. Reports were not favorable but after driving through, I felt this park was very suitable for those spending time in La Conner. The sights are narrow, but well maintained and nice level pads.

We then headed for Anacortes. I wanted to look at the Fidalgo Bay RV resort. It is located on a beautiful spit on the water overlooking Fidalgo bay. As we drove in, there is a section to the left and another down a road. This first section was dry, unkempt and not very inviting. Units seemed packed in like sardines. Not my idea of a place to camp. I guess if you were there to fish and not spend alot of time in camp, it would work fine. The other section however was very nice with wide sites and million dollar views. We would definitely spend time here.

We worked our way into Anacortes and what do you know, a Starbucks! Time for a fix and then drove around the back side of the bay which narrows down into Deception Pass which was spectacular. Back at camp, we watched the Seahawk game (cost of new satellite dome down to about $80.00 per viewing hour now) and another tactical mistake...Nachos for dinner! Thank god we have the extra strength Tums with us. Oh ya, she also cooked up some asparages for me...my gut, my a*&#. After dinner, we walked and as we went past the community campfire, some folks who have taken a liking to Walter invited us to stay. We talked till late and had a great time.

This morning we awoke to a brisk but clear morning. Coffee and a walk with Walter was the highlight. We are taking it easy today with Outlet mall shopping and Starbucks. Tommorrow, we pack up and head to Blaine with a stop at Camping World to have some vent covers put on. Sounds like this will be a timely addition as they are calling for rain later this week. More on vacation 2009 later.

After a disappointing trip to the Burlington outlet stores (not too many stores that Lori likes) but she did find some clothes. We headed to Red Robin and had a good lunch. Seems food is the highlights most of the time. We headed back and hung out the rest of the night. Parks has cleared out for now, but they said it promises to be busy on Labor Day.

Monday morning was our appointment at Camping world to have vent covers put on. As we talked to the service rep, she learned of our destination of Beachwood. She told us how no sites are reserved and there are several sections (a though G) to choose from. She strongly advised us to head to section G which we did when we arrived. What a huge resort. The pool area hosts three pools, two outdoor hot tubs and one inside tub. A workout area and lots to keep one busy. we were worn out as when we left Camping world, I decided to go off the beaten path and travel up WA 11 towards Bellingham. What a beautiful but treacherous drive with a trailer. The roads were narrow and up and down as you hugged the coast literally on the edge. we finally made it to the RV park and as we turned into section G, which is secluded from the rest, we really liked the sites. We had a few to choose from and picked an end site. Very nice neighbors and lots to watch and enjoy. The pool area was quite a ways away and it required a trip in the truck when cool outside. A day to rest up and check out Birch bay and then it was off to BC. Next, our trip north...

That night, I went to set the GPS for our trip. I soon learned that there was no Canada map loaded. Appearently, a little known secret is all the Garmin Gps units which end in 00, only have the bottom 48 states. I was off to the parking lot where I could get Wi Fi and a short two hours later, I had the updated maps loaded on the computer, but would not load in the Garmin. I was frustrated and went back to the trailer. The next morning, I called tech support and found out the 'trick' to getting the map loaded.

After a good breakfast, we locked in the GPS and were off (around 11 am) to Whistler. Within minutes we were at the border and when asked where we were headed, the borader agent gave us an alternate route to get through the Vancouver traffic...Ya, right. Was it the first left and off the round about? No, take the second left and the first exit out of the...oh crap, we're lost again. We were on the shoreline and headed in the right directiion, but not even close to the route we needed. I soon was able to get back on track and we headed up the bay towards Whistler. What a beautiful drive. There was construction 75 % of the way as they were trying o get ready for the 2010 Olympics. We saw several venue's and when we arrived at Whistler, all I could say was WOW! The place is huge and people everywhere. We parked and walked around the interior area with all the shops and places to eat. It was fun sitting in a curb side cafe watching all the people. I believe most countries and races were represented here. What a diverse area.

After a great lunch, Lori and I walked up to the lift area and could see alot of mountain bikers coming down the hill. It looked like some sort of competition, but I am not sure.

As the day turned to evening, it was time to head home. Easier said than done. We got caught in traffic and construction heading down the hill, but made it to west Vancouver just in time for ridlock. It was no faster than 10 mph for several miles. When we finally made it to our exit, I swore I would never come back to Vancouver. We made it over the border and by the way, not a question about Walt (good use of $330.00) and we were at a pizza place. We took it to the trailer and settled in for some tv. A long but enjoyable day.

Next, it was back over the border, but on the east side of Vancouver for wine tasting. We mapped out several locations, found a couple, saw a couple that were closed and made it to an old Fort town northeast of Vancouver. We ate lunch at a small coffee shop and I as well as Lori felt this was one of the best Lattes we have had. we walked the town and soon realized it was a major tourist trap with little to hold our interest. We packed up and headed south. As we approached a busy intersection, I could see a car ahead stop abruptly as it turned left. The car stayed there and it appeared it was disabled. As we neared the intersection, I was able to see what happened. A scooter was down as was the rider. The female driver was out of her car and both she and the downed rider were on their cell phones...strange.

As our week neared the end, I felt we had a great time, but I am not used to this type of vacation. I like to spend a couple days here and there, moving to a new spot and seeing more stuff. We enjoyed our time at Beachwood, but I felt somewhat unfullfilled. We have some fine tuning to do on this RV thing.

As the summer is winding down, we reflect on our travels and our accomplishments. I love RV travel, but feel guilty with the bike sitting in the garage and the grass grows taller at our neglected beach property. With our schedules, something has to give...but what would it be?

Vacation 2009

Greetings from somewhat sunny southern Oregon. Lori, Walt and I are having a great time so far. Things got off to a shaky start the other night (Thursday) when we found tornado like conditions just south of Longview. We missed the real bad weather, but found 30mph winds and heavy rain for over 30 miles. It was not a fun time, but the wind was on our tail so we got great gas mileage.

We finally made it to Woodburn RV park at about 10:30. I left the trailer hooked to the truck, dropped the front jacks and hooked up water and cable (Cant go without TV). Soon we were asleep and slept real well. I woke up once to steady rain, but the sounds seemed to make us sleep better. Friday morning, we had a great breakfast of french toast and soon were on the road again. It poured from Salem south quite a waqys, but we did fine. Around 1 pm, we decided to stop for lunch. This is no easy feat with a trailer. We stopped at a nice little cafe and was able to get and parked with minimal backing. I was pretty proud of myself as I continue to learn more and more about how the trailer handles.

We arrived in Canyonville about 3:30 and as we were checking in, a lady walked up and handed us our MOC rally ID tags, book and info packet, greeting us and welcoming us to the rally. We thought this was quite the feat until she told us we were one of two Mountaineers at the rally and the other one was already here! Oh well. What a beautiful park. I almost felt we should not be here as we were a little out of our trailer trash element!!!. Soon people were introducing themselves and making us feel at home. We have done a few activities, but are enjoying being on vacation more that being at a rally.

Saturday am, I woke up first and let Lori sleep. She had set out Cinnamon rolls the night before and I baked them filing the trailer with cinnamon smells. Soon she was awake and with a good cup of coffee, we were talking about how rough it is to be warm, dry, and have great food all at our fingertips.

We goofed off for awhile and later caught the shuttle to the casino. Very nice place and pretty big inside. We had some lunch and I hit the blackjack table only to die a slow death. Frustrated, I took the few dollars left and we walked around. There were only a couple people playing craps, but they seemed to be doing well. Soon I was playing and a seven was rarely seen. Lori got in on the action and when this one guy started rolling the dice things got interesting. He went on a 45 minute plus roll and some guys made over a thousand dollars in that short period of time. Lori and I made pretty good money (enough to pay for all our RV sites for the week)...life is good.

We came back to the RV park and bragged alot. I keep telling Lori I could double our money with one bet, but she wont budge...anyway, good times when your winning.

Today, we headed for Medford and area for a nice day trip. We were headed for Harry and Davids. This was supposed to be a place where you can tour the facility and see how stuff is made. We got there to find a store and nursery. I was not a happy camper driving 80 miles for a damn store. Lori twitched and took off running screaming like a little girl...it is getting close for the home!.

We left town and headed on back roads heading towards Grants pass. Just outside Medford, we came across Jackson, OR. A town locked in the 19th century, old shops, people dressed in period costumes and lots to see greeted us. What an unexpected nice find. On up the road, we saw some beautiful scenery and hit a couple vineyards for wine tasting. It was a fun day and to top it off, we had put chicken in the crock pot when we left and had dinner waiting. Are you catching on about what makes a great vacation for us...wine and food and then some more food.

Tomorrow, we head north for a day trip to west of Eugene for a couple more vineyards, then back and start to break camp. We are leaving a day early in order to have an extra day in Spokane with Mark and Sandy.

Tuesday, we head for the Madras area, Wednesday to Tri Cities and Thursday into Ponderosa Falls RV outside Cheney. More later from the road.

Hi, We are back. Tuesday was another first for us and our RV. We had never pulled a mountain pass and I was looking forward to conquering another demon. As we hooked up the trailer, several people stopped by to say goodbye. It was fun and profitable to be here at seven Feathers this time.

We headed north and stopped for coffee. Walt didnt have a problem going right to sleep on his bed and slept most of the way across the pass. We hit the McKenzie Hiway and headed east. Soon the scenery was great and the truck was performing flawlessly. We got to the intersection by the McKenzie bridge and found the road was still closed due to snow. We headed north toward Santium pass and soon were pulling a good incline with a passing lane on our side. I was able to maintain 50 to 60 mph with little effort. Nice truck. Once at the top, a quick brake check and we were headed down. I turned on the engine brake and only needed to use the brakes a couple times. It worked very well coming down. Soon we were in Sisters and while gauking at the town, I missed my turn. rosie told me to make a left and I kept going straight. The reroute took us a long way out of the way and added quite a bit of time. I found a wide spot in the road and was able to make a U-turn with no problem. We turned and were back on track. Soon Rosie had us on back roads and when all seemed lost, we popped out on hwy 97. Soon we were setting up at the KOA in Madras, OR. looking at some very scary clouds. A few minutes later, a worker informed us of svere storm warnings and we locked down for the night. Most of the weather missed us but it rained all night and only stopped after we got soaked hooking up!

On the road up 97 to the interstae and then over to Tri Cities for the night. As we slumbered along the interstae with a good headwind, I checked mileage and found we were down to 8 miles to the gallon. Thats a head wind. Lori fell asleep and I quietly cleared Rosie of our intended route. As we exited the freeway in Pendleton, OR at the Wildhorse Casino, she awoke and I blamed her for the mix up. We got a nice spot in the RV park and off to the casino we went. Again, luck was on my side and we left winners. I love this RV park and Casino. Very well kept up and friendly staff.

It was off to A cross country trek and eventually hit hwy 395 which took us directly to Ponderosa Falls RV park in rural Cheney, WA. The person who assurred us he had made a reservation for us, didnt and although somewhat full, found us a spot. The clerk asked if I was OK backing up? I told her I was and we were off to our site. I pulled up and said to Lori that there was no way we were going to get in that spot. After calculations, conversing with neighbors and a deep breath, I backed down, into a pull through, turned around and then backed up the hill and was able to get right in the spot. Acted like I knew what I was doing!

We got set up and headed out for dinner with relatives who had also converged on Spokane. Mark, the oldest was getting his masters degree on Saturday and we were having a barbecue at his place after the graduation. It was a fast paced three days and soon it was time to say good bye and start for home.

We hit I 90 and traveled west to Lake Easton RV park for the night. The park was clean, but both the pool and hot tub were shut down, office closed shortly after we got there and trees prevented a satellite hookup. We watched a DVD and fell asleep early.

Monday, we hit the road. Not much conversation as we were headed home today. Soon we were backing in the driveway and the trailer was again clean and ready for our next adventure.

Vacation 2008

Hello from the woods of Idaho. Lori and I have embarked on yet another adventure, this time on our Goldwing. We are headed to Powell, Wyoming for a rally, but taking several side trips to get there. Here is how we have done so far:

Day 1:
Lori got off work and we were on thhe road by 3pm. Destination was Prosser, WA, about 200 miles. A very nice but cool ride over. I had spent the day readying the bike and didnot have time to get a 45degree adapter to make the sat radio work on the bike. It was a $2.00 part from radio shack and all we needed to do was stop and get it, plug it in and music to our ears. I had prgrammed Rosie (GPS) to take us to the wine country RV park in Prosser. Sounds easy enough. We got to town just after dak and after three u-turns, the rv park was nowhere to be found even though Rosi told us we were there. I looked it up and it had an address on the other end of town. Go figure. As we were setting up, now pushing 1030 at night, people were walking around and would stop and talk to us. I had to finally excuse ourselves so we could go to bed. The next day brought what must have been nearly half the park to our little spot to visit. It was incredible. We have always had a few come up, but this was weird. We later caught the shuttle to a wine and food festival. Not much there and very pricey for what you got. We were back after dinner with Goldwing friends and it seemed people were waiting to show others our tent trailer. Quite the deal.

Day 3:
We got up and made breakfast and later broke camp. Not a long day today, only headed for the Wildhorse casino out of Pendleton, OR. About 95 miles. We went back roads and dropped into Pendleton. Rosie found us a Radio Shack and once plugged in, we had great music, Got into camp and the crowds decended once again. Once most had seen it, they left, but the rv park manager kept comong over and talking. It was fun. Off to the casino and as I usually do here, left with more than I came with. I like this place. Back at camp, a couple glasses of wine and we were off to bed.

Day 3

Pendleton to Donnelly, ID about 285 miles. We worked country roads and zig zagged our way east through the lower Hells canyon gorge and across a dam into Idaho, We went up US 95 till it hooked in with ID 55 and into Donnelly. Temps were pretty good, upper 70,s most of the time. A great day and now I am getting caught up on our blog. Tommorrow across the mountains to Arco, ID.

Day 4

We rose to very cold weather this morning. We are in the mountains though and it was a bit chilly. We were off to Banks and then some forest service roads till we got above Sun Valley. I was a little nervous as we have never been this way and the term Forest Service road says gravel to me. I had been assured it was good road and we would like the ride.

We stopped at a small cafe right on the banks of the river. While watching rafters traverse the river, we ate a very mediocre breakfast. To be fair, they were very busy and only had one waitress. Our eggs were runny and cold. Only bad food since we left.

After breakfast, it was one of the best rides through beautiful scenery and roling hills. It seemed like the day went fast as we finally entered Arco, ID and finally found the KOA. It is new this year and there were no signs. A call to the campground and we were guided into a very nice KOA. The staff was very helpful and friendly and facilities top notch. Only downside was no pool, but he promised one by next year.

Day 5

Off across desert and looking for Hwy 33 just out of town. As we passed the intersection, Rosie was confused and there were no signs indicating this was the road. We stayed on 20 and ended up taking a very non scenic direct route into West Yellowstone. We really like this KOA as it has food and lots to do. We enjoy walking around checking out the different rigs.

As the sun was setting, several bikes came in and a lady came by asking about our trailer. We gladly showed it to her and her traveling friends. She became very jealous to learn we had a space heater to keep us cozy. We settled down to a cool evening and watched different shows on the computer via the television network websites. Most networks now have video archives of their popular shows and makes for great viewing when not watching a DVD.

Day 6

Through Yellowstone and to Old Faithfull. Not that many people and we drove the speed limit throughout with one exception. A great day and a awesome site as we neared Cody. A fire had burned the entire hillside. We could view fire operations as we continued down the hill. With the weather starting to get nasty, we decided to continue into Powell and the bike rally. We hit a short rain squall but that was all. Camp was set up and we spent the next couple days enjoying the company of old and new friends.

Sunday

We broke camp and had talked to some locals about ways to get to Red Bluff, MT. We were sent on a county road that went northwest from town and inbetween two sets of hills. It was a great ride and it brought us right to the road into Red Lodge. We love this town as you can walk and read the history of all the downtown buildings. We always eat breakfast here at I think the Timberline. Great food and service. Then it was on to Townsend. We had heard that this was a very nice area. We cme into Townsend and found a run down, unattractive and dirty area. It was up the lake to the KOA and a huge dissapointment. This KOA consists of gravel with power posts and an occassional tree. We could see maybe 10 or so other rigs in the park. We asked for a site with shade if possible near the restroom. We were told to take a particular site, but the people may still be there. If so take the one next to it. Ya, ok, both were being used. We decided to take another site nearby and Lori walked back to tell the clerk. She apparently was ok with our choice. We set up and tried to enjoy the nice view of the lake and surrounding dirt piles and gravel...As the sun decided to set, we were greated by some of the biggest and most aggressive mosquito's we have ever seen. I would try to spray repellent on and a couple would take the can and throw it at me and laugh. Within minutes, we were inside our trailer tending to our wounds and thinking of how much fun we were having. The wi fi would not work as the signal was so poor it could not lock in. We walked down to the cafe below the park and had a great dinner. Not a fish taco fan, but it sounded good and I waas treated to two great fish taco's. We walked to the lake (about .5 miles) and again the mosquitos ate us alive. We retreated to our trailer and stared at the park. It was now about 935 and we decided to go to bed as there was little else we could do. I pulled out the extension cord and went to hook up to the power only to find it only had a 30 amp receptacle. I didnot have a converter plug with me and as I walked to the store, only to see the lights go out inside. No one would come to the door. I need power for my sleep apnea machine. Great, now what. It just keeps getting better out here. I propped up with suitcases and slept almost two hours.

Monday

I awoke to a hot morning and a very grumpy mood. The clerk in the store refuses to adjust our costs and was unwilling to even talk about it. Mark that KOA off your travel plans.

We rode to Helena and after some food, hit the back roads. We were intending on Kalispel but were tired and decided to go to Missoula instead. A great KOA, great site and a nice pool. We went to the Montana Club for a great dinner and back for a somewhat smokey evening. There was a forest fire somewhere close and the hills to the west were smokey making for a great sunset. we settled in and had a great evening.

On Tuesday, we goofed off, went shopping and then settled in for a great cup of coffee at the local Starbucks. I am not hooked and could stop anytime I want to! As we sat outside enjoying the sites, a gust of wind hit, lifted the canopy from our table straight up and did an auntie em. Just flew off and landed in the parking lot. It was cool especially when it missed the cars and our bike. We got on the bike just as the weather alerts were going off warning of severe thunder storms. We headed back to the KOA and hunkered down. 40 to 50 mile per hour winds buffeted us and took branches down. We survived and soon were in the pool. We had heard from our sone that the weather in Spokane had been very bad the day beore. I checked the weather and saw a severe storm heading stright up fo Missoula towards Kalispel which just happened to be our route had we chosen to go north the day before. It stormed on and off all afternoon, but we missed 99% of it.

Wednesday we haded out and stopped in Superior for Breakfast. It started to sprinkle and turned into heavy and steady rain for the remainder of our travels today. We stopped to dry off and warm up in Cour Delane (sp) and as we hit Spokane, the sun peeked out and warmed us up. It was a motel room for the next two nights due to continued bad weather. We visited with my sister and our oldest son and had a great time. It went by fast and with one more night on the road, another vacation was wrapping up.

Friday

We wanted to stop half way and spend another night out. We decided to ride to Leavenworth and spend the evening there. As we drove in, we could see, we were not the only ones to pick this KOA tonight. We were able to get a spot and settled in. As we pulled in, there were several tents, a camper and a baby cib. We thought oh crap, no sleep tonight. On the other side was one of those VW van conversions with family of four. There was a strange 3x3x6 tent near the van and l;ater hwen the family came over to check out our trailer, I had to ask what it was. They told me their daughter is afaraid of bears and will not walk to the restroom by herself. (teenager) They had been camping in bear country and in order to get anysleep, they bought the portable latrine for her.

After a home grilled steak and all the fixins dinner at our site, we settled in for the night. Again watched tv on the internet which had become almost a habit in the evening. I was very impressed with the campers and the baby. They care for and made sure the baby was happy and quiet. We drifted off to sleep only to be awoken about 2 am. I could heare the van door slamming several times and then the zipper on the latrine going up and down over and over. Soon the zipping stopped only to hear the door slamming again. I couldnt believe how someone would need to do this so many times. The noise woke up the neighbors on the other side who started to hack and cough the rest of the morning. All we could think was who ever did this at the van was either OCD or wanted to make sure the bears were cared away! I thought I heard the bears running in Canada from all the noise. Some people...

Saturday

We took our time and rode home to two very upset cats. They missed us and let us know it was not a good idea to leave them alone so long. We had a great trip with a couple exceptions, but you need these moments for good stories dont you.