Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

We picked the perfect day to explore the Columbia River Gorge Highway as it was cloudy but warm. This makes for better pictures and pleasant sightseeing. Our route took us on the old Historic Scenic Highway for most of the drive. It was a narrow, winding road (have I said that before?) that mostly followed the Columbia River Gorge.

We stopped at several view points along the road. One of these is called The Crown Point Vista House which was built in the 1920's as a rest area for the tourists and was refinished in 2004. The highway circles around a three story round house with a balcony viewing area at the top. It is all marble and stained glass windows for a very elegant resting place. And the views of the river really are awesome.

There are about 11 waterfalls along this route but we only stopped at three of them as we didn't want to get caught up in the tourist crowds. Plus John has a saying, "You've seen one waterfall, you've seen them all!" We saw Latourell Falls, Shepperds Dell and Multnomah Falls. At 620 feet, Multnomah is the second highest year-round waterfalls in the country. We chose to hike up the mountain to view the falls from the top down. It was about a 1.5 miles hike and seemed pretty strenuous going up with 11 switchbacks. Even though this falls is very tall, it does not have a high volume of water, but that doesn't stop it from being spectacular.

After a picnic lunch we stopped at the famous Bonneville Lock and Dam which spans the Columbia River from Oregon to Washington, built in four sections with three islands in-between. Not only does it provide power for 900,000 homes but also features a lock to move barges up and down the river and a set of fish ladders which is used not just by salmon but by many other fish such as steelhead trout, sturgeon, and lamprey. There is a viewing room in the visitor center where one can watch the fish underwater 'climbing' the ladder. We also got to watch a barge going through the locks from the lower to upper river.

A short drive to the town of Hood River, a short drive through town and we turned around and headed home. We had originally planned to drive around Mount Hood and back but ran out of time.

Downtown Portland

The mass transit system for Portland is very well run and very extensive. They have trains, buses and trolleys that can be used on one day pass. We drove four miles to a train stop and rode the train to downtown Portland in about 45 minutes. No hassles fighting traffic and finding parking places. After a stop at the visitor center to get a map we walked around Pioneer Square and then headed for the Pearl District where we wanted to stop in an R.E.I. store. Along the way, a stranger directed us to a nice coffee shop and made a lunch recommendation for us. She was very friendly.

We picked our own lunch stop, however, and were disappointed. We explored the shopping area a little more and then caught the train to go to Washington Park where I wanted to visit the International Rose Test Garden. Washington Park and its extension, Forest Park is the largest forested natural area within a city limit. It covers over 5000 acres of hills and ravines, forest land and undergrowth with no vehicles allowed in the park and over 70 miles of trails through the forest. Washington park is home to the Rose Garden, Zoo, Veterans Memorial and a couple of other attractions. We got off of the train at one of the stations near the zoo and ended up walking about 2 miles on one of the trails to get to the Rose Garden.

The walk was through a nice shaded forest so was cooler than the city streets. But the rose garden was fabulous! Such beautiful flowers and such a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. We rode a bus back to the train and then an hour ride back to our stop. Long, hot day.

Portland OR

It was only a 64 mile drive from McMinnville to the Portland Fairview RV Park in NE Portland but we hitched up the Jeep anyway. We heard on the news that part of a freeway we would have traveled on was going to be closed over the weekend and we weren't sure what the traffic would be like. So instead of getting separated, we joined up.

We arrived at the RV park before lunch so had time to figure out what we could do today after John fiddled with the cable TV hook up for over an an hour. We rode our bikes along the Columbia River and explored the area we are living in for the next five days. It is unseasonably warm for Oregon so the heat and wind beat us down. An 11 mile ride was good enough for the day. The river was very busy with boats and jet-skis, the shores crowded with sun bathers and the picnic area was packed. Portlanders must lover their river! The bike trail, unfortunately for us, was along the marine highway, so we did not get to the path that was just past where we turned off and headed back to the RV. We'll leave that for another day.

Wine, Wine, Wine

We were only going to try three wineries this afternoon but ended up trying four. First we had some really good hamburgers at the Golden Valley Brewery. They raise all their own beef and produce. One can count on it being healthy and good. 

Last night we had a very good Pinot Noir with dinner so we stopped at that winery first. Penner-Ash Wine Cellars are putting out some very nice Pinots so a mixed case will arrive at our house this fall.  

Next stop was  Bergstrom Wines where we had the best Chardonnay we've ever tasted. Guess what we'll find on our doorstep in the fall plus some more Pinot. Adelsheim Vineyards was right down the hill and, again we tried some nice wines. Their Syrah tickled our fancy so we got a couple of bottles for the RV. 

We passed Domaine Trouvere and tried their offerings but did not buy anything. 

When we left home about 35 days ago we had 42 bottles of wine in the RV. Today we have 39 bottles. I KNOW we have drank more than 3 bottles on this trip!!

Good thing this is our last day because you really can have too much of a good thing, besides it's getting kinda expensive. 

Spruce Goose

Since we don't like to start our wine tasting until early afternoon, we had the whole morning to explore the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum where Howard Hughes' all wood "Spruce Goose" is now housed. The museum is actually three buildings, one housing the Spruce Goose along with numerous other aircraft, one an I-Max theater and the third is the space museum. The fourth building in the complex is the Wings and Waves Waterpark which has two water slides exiting from an actual 747 airliner located on the roof of the enclosed water playground.

Our family had been thru the Spruce Goose when she was housed in Long Beach, CA alongside the Queen Elizabeth II cruise ship so it was fun to see it again in her new setting. There were lots of other aircraft from the very early days up to present times. Some were actual planes and others were reproductions or models. We skipped the movies in the theatre but did take in the space museum which had a complete history of outer space flight by all countries involved - US, Germany and Russia. It was all quite interesting.

After our picnic lunch we headed to the wineries. Our first stop was at Archery Summit Winery then to Domaine Serene. Both of these wineries are in the Dundee AVA and, personally, I think we don't care for that wine. It seemed to taste like dirt, limestone and was very acidic. Our last winery stop was at Roco Winery. The young lady who waited on us was originally from Kansas City and attended school at MU. I tasted one wine there that I liked but the grapes were not from their vineyard. John liked the taste of their Private Stash 2011 and may order some at a later time.

On our way back to the RV we stopped at the Carlton Farms Meat market and got what we hope will be really good bacon, pork chops and a monster rib steak. By the time we fought rush hour traffic to get to the RV, we had to turn right around and head to Joel Palmer Restaurant for our excellent dinner! Best mushroom tart, mushroom soup and mushroom and filet stroganoff we have ever had! Plus an excellent bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

Willamette Valley

We have been pronouncing Willamette the wrong way for so long that we have to use the following saying to remember the correct way. It is "Will-am-it - Damn It!" (note the accent on 'am').

Now that we have that straightened out, on to the wines. The Willamette Valley is well known for its Pinot Noir wines. We have been told by several sommeliers that it is due partly to the soil but mostly its the cool weather that favors the pinot grape. When it does get warm, like now, the cool winds from the ocean are channeled into the valley at night to cool things down again. When it gets hot, the pinot grapes shut down and don't grow but as it cools off, they come alive again. There are 7 AVA's (American Viticultural Areas) each one having different soil properties and weather so that a Pinot Noir from one area will taste different than those from another area. Even vineyards next door to each other can have distinct differences to the experienced palate.   Our inexperienced palates can't tell the difference in the AVA's but we can differentiate between wineries and even some wines. We have also tasted Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling.

We arrived in the Willamette Valley and our RV park outside of McMinnville about noon on Wednesday after shopping at Costco, Safeway and Walgreens in Salem. We struggled setting up as the first site they gave us was too narrow and close to our neighbor so when when we reset the slides, I didn't see the slide roll into John's captain chair and tilt it over. Now he sits at an angle and not sure he'll be able to drive that way. The trials of RV ownership.

Our first stop was in the town of Carlton where we tasted wine at the Troon Tasting Room, Ken Wright Cellars and Carlton Cellars. We had a nice visit with the lady at Scott Paul tasting room but they were not having a tasting. She directed us to a local meat shop which was closed by the time we got there. But we intend to shop there as they grow their own bacon! We stopped in McMinnville for dinner at LaRambla after having a beer at The Golden Valley Brew Pub. Both of these places were recommend by almost everyone we asked.

Today we tasted at Ponzi Wine Bar before having lunch at the adjacent Dundee Bistro. Then Argyle Winery that features lots of bubbly wines, Lange Estate Winery, Carlton Winemaker Studio where 12 individual vintners come to make their wines and Alexana Estate Vineyards. This last had the best Pinot Noir that we have tasted so far. In two days we have bought 4 bottles of wine to take with us and are having 2 cases shipped home. So far. . .

As we were driving into Dundee today we saw snow-capped Mt. Hood in the distance and took the picture from the Lange Vineyard patio. What a beautiful site!

Howard Creek, Buck Mtn., Smith Creek Loop Trail

Shortly after we arrived at this park, I questioned a park ranger about the best trails for bike riding, explaining that we didn't want a mountain trail but it didn't have to be really easy either.  I think she totally misunderstood me!

Late this morning we were ready to take off on what we thought would be a short but pleasant ride in the forest. And it did start off that way with some hill climbing and some down hill cruising. But then we started climbing more and then it got really steep and rocky. When we hit the 'cut-off trail' we thought it would be an easier trail but we were wrong again. We both hiked our bikes about a mile and a half up a steeper grade before we got to Smith Creek. We think we made a 1000 foot climb!  Luckily it was a smoother down hill ride but I still rode my brakes all the way down this very narrow dirt path. 

The ride was only 7 miles but it took us over 2 1/2 hours to make the trip. We were both drained of energy this afternoon. And I'll bet we go to bed early!

Summertime Weather

Today has been a wonderfully warm and pleasant summer day -- one we haven't experienced very often on this trip.

We changed sites early in this morning and lucked out to get one open for 2 more days, probably because it is a non-electric site but we don't care. After a lazy morning we rode our bikes about 6 miles on a paved trail through a lush, green, shadowed and flowered forest. The pink lupine and white daisies are in full bloom, I tasted salmonberries and was awed by the many varieties of fern covering the forest floor. John, on the other hand, speeds ahead and has to stop and wait on me.

This afternoon we napped, we planned the next week or so of our trip and read books or magazines. John split wood and built me a great fire for the evening. This is what camping is all about!

Waterfalls Galore

We called Silver Falls State Park last night and they indicated they have 7 sites available today so we did not make a reservation thinking we could pull in before lunch and get a site just like that! Well, our thinking is going to have to change while we are in Oregon. We did get a site but only for one night and then we will have to check in at registration to see if they have anything for Monday night and then we will have to move again. What a hassle!

By the time we got set up and ate lunch it was after two but we decided to take the 8.7 mile Trail of the 10 Falls hike anyway. The geology of this area is such that waterfalls are plentiful. In this park there are 10 waterfalls along a six mile canyon. We walked by 9 of the 10 falls but were too tired to hike the additional mile to see the last one. We only photographed six of the falls since the other 3 were more or less obscured by trees. It seemed like a very long hike since we are so out of shape but we made it back to the RV before supper, even if we had to eat late.

We took pictures of the following waterfalls: The South Falls are the most famous in the park and drop 177 feet. We walked behind the falls along with a lot of other people. The Lower South Falls drop 93 feet and we walked behind these falls as well. The Lower North Falls have a 30 foot drop. The Double Falls drop 178 feet and even though it has a double drop, it is the largest in the park. The over hang produced a neat place to walk under the falls for the picture of John. And the last falls we visited were the North Falls with a thundering drop of 136 feet. The trail led us into a huge cavern under the creek and behind the falls before climbing a lot of steps to trek out of the canyon.

Oregon Coast to Newport

After a late morning, we started our drive to Newport with the intention of going to their Farmer's Market. But along the way we were sidetracked several times with scenic pull overs, loop drives and one lighthouse.

In Otter Rock we found a couple of scenic areas with great views of the Pacific Ocean rolling into high tide. The waves were crashing with big swells pushing them onto rocks and sand. Cape Foulweather aka Otter Crest was first discovered by Captain James Cook in 1178. It is reported that winds can blow as high as 100 mph along the coast, thereby its name. On one side of the point was a large beach where we watched surfers riding the waves, well, one or two actually caught a wave, the rest were just floating in the water. But there were a lot of them and maybe the waves would get better.

We then drove a short way to Devils Punch Bowl. This rock formation had two huge arched openings into a bowl like area that spouts the water into the air during storms and high tides. Again, there was a large flat beach that soon filled up with people from the nearby state park.

Our third stop was at Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It was the seventh of ten lighthouses built along the Oregon coast in the early 1900's and was used to not only warn sailors of rocks but to keep tabs on the weather, report forest fires, and during WWII, look for submarines or other incursions by Japan. Today it is electric and run by the US Coastguard.

We finally made it into Newport and to the Farmer's Market just as they were getting ready to close but I did get some great produce including cherries and Marion Berries. These berries are a cross between blackberries and raspberries and can only be found in Oregon and are very sweet. We had lunch on the bay front at a highly recommended restaurant so we had to wait for a table but that gave us a chance to explore the nearby shops.

We took another route home, happy for a chance to explore the inland area. We followed the Yaquina Bay River for about 20 miles inland before turning back toward the 101 Hwy. It is very densely forested and in fact, we came across a huge paper mill. The wind is not nearly as bad inland and it warmed up to almost 68°! Back at the RV it is only 60°. I'm ready for some warm inland sunshine!

All the Campgrounds Are Full!

We really should know better, we've been around the block a few times but we did not think ahead to the 4th of July Weekend and we did not make any reservations or even check reservations for the state park campgrounds and some of the commercial campgrounds. Almost all of them are full -- no vacancy! We were beginning to think we would have to sleep on the side of the road and incur the wrath of the highway patrol at 2 AM, forcing us to move onward, when we found a marina and campground in Waldport, just south of Newport, OR. Just a small coastal town on the Alsea River with lots of fishing and crabbing. But we camped in an open area where a north wind is blowing at about 20 mph.

After making a few phone calls we found another campground on Friday in Depoe between Newport and Lincoln City but still on the coast. We'll stay here until Sunday when we hope campgrounds will clear out some after the holiday weekend and we can find another state park to stay in. It's not a bad place to stay although noisy from busy highway 101. We can cross the highway and walk about two blocks and be on the beach. Depoe is just a short drive from the campground and has several claims to fame. It has the smallest working harbor in the world, it is the Whale Watching Capital of Oregon, and is the home of one of three blow holes along this coast.

After supper we waked to the motel down the road. It appears they have the only bar in this area with a view of the ocean. Unfortunately we did not see the sun set because of the clouds but did enjoy the view.

Honeyman, I'm Here!

Sunday morning we regretfully left Melrose Vineyards and drove westward towards the Oregon coast. Our route followed Elk Creek and Umpqua River around steep hills and through green valleys. One valley held a large herd of elk wondering along the roadway. We came through the mountains and to the coast at Reedsport in the middle of the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area. These sand dunes run for 35 miles along the coast with some of the dunes as deep as three miles from the ocean.

We landed at the Jessie M. Honeyman State Park near the small town of Florence in the heart of sand buggies and dune crawlers, but also near two fairly large freshwater lakes. We snagged a spot for two nights under the condition that we would have to move on Tuesday for another two nights and they were completely booked for the 4th of July so we would have to find another place to stay. Knowing we would have to move, Monday morning found us driving up the coast in the Jeep scouting out other state parks and National Forest campgrounds. We also did some sightseeing as this coastline is very wild and beautiful.

We also spent some time in the Old Town of Florence under their historic bridge and along the Siuslaw River. We tried two different times to eat at the most highly recommended restaurant in town but could never find a seat so we ended up at the second rated and excellent Bridgewater Fish House and Zebra Bar where we dined on appetizers and salads with martinis and wine. We drove home v e r y carefully.

After changing sites on Tuesday morning, John got the kayak out and went fishing in the Cleawox Lake while I grocery shopped. Later we rode our bikes around Woahink Lake and explored some of its forest pathways. Wednesday found John fishing from around 9 to 2 while I got my hair cut and the laundry washed. It has been a very lazy four days which I think we really needed after all the driving we've been doing.

We wish all of you a safe and happy Independence Day!

Melrose Place

It's not a TV show in Oregon but a really nice vineyard gracious enough to let us spend the night in their parking lot.

We left Crater Lake late morning for the, supposedly, short drive to Roseburg where the vineyard is located. We ended up on a scenic by-way which translates into narrow and curvy but it did follow the Umpqua River and made for a pretty drive. After reading about a waterfall along this road we decided to stop and see it for ourselves. Toketee Falls were worth the hike but not worth the trouble we had in the parking lot. The turn around at the end of the lot was too short for our RV and we had to stop, un-hitch, move, and re-hitch the Jeep. In all the years that we have towed a car behind an RV, this is the second time in this coach we have gotten ourselves in that predicament. So, instead of a 3 hour drive, we ended up on the road for 4.5 hours.

We pulled into the Melrose Vineyards in plenty of time to taste and buy some of their wines. We belong to a group called Harvest Host who line up vineyards, orchards and farms where RVers can request the opportunity to spend one night on their property at no cost. This winery is set up as an event destination. They have a huge, lush green yard surrounded by their vineyards. Near the tasting room is the outdoor event center with lovely patio and fountain. The tasting room itself has a couple of patio's and pathways through the yard. Once everyone leaves for the day, we have the whole place to ourselves. It is so quiet and peaceful after a long stressful drive.

Inside a Crater

We left the campsite earlier than we needed to catch the boat tour of the lake but it gave us an opportunity to drive the Rim Road one more time and to have a nice picnic lunch sitting on a log swatting mosquitoes.

The Crater Lake Boat Tour was definitely the highlight of this trip. Again today we had to hike a mile down (and back up) to the lake's edge where we boarded a boat that circled the lake while Ranger Mike gave us descriptions of what we were seeing and answering questions. The day was sunny and hot but on a cold lake surface, it was very pleasant.

There are many features of the rock walls that geologists interpret were caused when the volcano erupted. It happened over 7700 years ago and may have been witnessed by native Americans. There were actually 5 volcanos that made up this mountain with lava tubes and vents all around the lake. After the initial eruption which would have lasted about a week, the collapse of the mountain top only took a few hours. Later other smaller lava flows and eruptions left new volcanos inside the crater, one of which is an island visible in the water.

Wind, rain and snow have changed the landscape and will continue to do so. In one of the pictures you will see Wizard Island towering 700 feet over the water. Pumice Castle is due to erosion, and Phantom Ship is a small island made of lava rocks and is actually as tall as a 16 story building.

We learned about the scientific reason the lake is so blue but suffice it to say it involves the purity of the water and the depth of the crater and the way light is refracted in the water. You will find no purer water or air in the USA and no other lake will ever be this blue.

We had a delightful dinner at the Crater Lake Lodge but then the mood of the evening was ruined when the Jeep refused to start due to a totally dead battery. The park maintenance man tried to jump it once, it wouldn't start so he took us to the RV. That's when we discovered we had left the keys in the Jeep so back up to the Lodge, 13 miles of curvy roads. The maintenance man then drove to his personal pickup truck, got a spare battery out of it and jumped the Jeep. This is an employee who went above and beyond the call of duty!

Bluest Blue Ever

First thing this morning we went to the visitor center to check out hiking opportunities and to get the lay-of-the-land. We saw a great video that explained how the crater was created. The short version - a volcano blew its top off and the mountain collapsed into the hole left by the explosion. Over centuries snow melt and rain have filled the hole. Because no other water has entered this hole, no creak or river has flowed into it, Crater Lake is the purest water in the world. The lake is almost 2,000 feet deep. We heard one man say that if you stacked the Eiffel Tower, George Washington monument and the Statue of Liberty on top of each other, the statue's torch would still be 100 feet below the surface. The blue color is due to absorption of light with only the blue spectrum visible to the human eye. The lake is 4 miles across at the narrowest and 6 mile across at its widest.

It is Beautiful! We've never seen such a deep, pure blue water. The towering sides add to it grandeur and impact and while snow is on parts of it and on the surrounding mountain peaks that just accentuates its purity. The closest part of the rim to the surface of the lake is a mile hike over about 1000 feet. A Rim Road goes all the way around the lake and if it were open, it would be a 33 mile drive but they have closed about 1/3 of the road due to repair work and snow. Speaking of snow, we discovered that summer doesn't start at Crater Lake until tomorrow, June 28. The boat rides on the lake start then, the ranger talks start then and so do the trolley rides around the rim.

We drove the rim road to take in different vistas of the lake and then hiked the mile down to the boat dock which we will do again tomorrow. We also took a short off-trail hike after our picnic lunch and almost got lost! But it was so pretty and peaceful in the woods despite all the mosquitoes.

Onward To Crater Lake

We pulled out in rain this morning and it appears we will be in rain most of the day. We drove up Hwy. 101 thru Del Norte Redwoods State Park and Jedediah Smith Redwoods St. Pk. So saw a few more trees and some awesome Pacific coastline. It would have been better if the clouds weren't so low.

Just across the Oregon border we turned onto another winding and narrow road towards Crater Lake but first a stop for groceries and gas. In Oregon you cannot pump your own gas but it is about $.46 cheaper than in CA and when you are filling an RV that's a huge savings!! Plus Oregon has no sales tax.
We got to Crater Lake National Park about supper time so took the first site we came to. Tomorrow we'll get one that is a little more secluded.
A crackling campfire rounded out the evening.
(By the way, we have no cell or wi-fi service here so these next few posts will have been delayed and all coming thru at the same time. )

Eel River Rockbar

It rained most of the night and into late morning with more rain predicted. We have decided we need to get to Oregon if we are going to have enough time to see every thing on our list so today we found a commercial RV park in Eureka, CA to clean and do laundry in preparation for the next leg of our journey.

Before we left the Redwoods we took one last drive along 'The Avenue of the Giants' to sate our love of these trees. But then John found a road down to the riverbed where we could drive on the gravel bar and he could dream about fishing for trout. We always wonder how many pickup trucks get stuck there!

After a nice seafood dinner in Eureka we walked around the Old Town and then spotted this beautiful Victorian mansion.

Bull Creek Flats

After a very lazy morning we suited up and went for a long hike among the giants. The area of the state park we chose, Bull Creek Flats, is considered the largest old-growth area in the Redwoods forests. Old-growth refers not to just old trees but to a forest community for we saw ancient redwoods among many other types of trees; ferns and clover coated the floor of the forest, and dead trees and stumps littered the area while some dead trees remained standing. We found ourselves saying, "There's a really big one!" many times. Monstrous logs, cave-like holes in the bottom of living trees, or trees leaning so far we were afraid they could fall had us explaining "Wow!" Our necks grew sore trying to locate the tops of the trees or examining the canopy.

We saw the largest living Redwood and one of the widest logs but, I swear there were bigger logs in the forest! Flat Iron Tree,the name given the log John is standing near, was measured at 7.5 X 17.5 feet in a cross section but it looks like the tree I'm next to is even bigger. We also tried to convey in a picture the serenity we found among the trees. It was very quiet and peaceful wherever we walked. As it was a very cloudy day, we didn't experience the dappled sunshine many brochures mention.

The trail map showed the trail we walked to be about 7.5 miles but our pedometers indicated we walked over 9 miles! A beer at the end of the day was very welcomed! And the rain that was predicted to arrive at 3 PM didn't start until 9 PM! Good Day!

Rain and Redwoods

This morning dawned foggy and cloudy and rainy. The forecast is for lots of rain for the next 2-3 days all along the coast. The Redwoods were beckoning and we felt that hiking in the rain under their tall canopies was more appealing than sitting in the RV. Hwy 1, the Coastal Highway, is just as narrow and winding as the other roads we have driven and when we added in rain, the drive got really slow.

We are staying in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park in the Burlington Campground. The California way of reserving all the campsites puts us at a disadvantage when we pull in without a reservation. We did get a site for two nights but if we want to stay longer, we run the risk of having to change sites. This campground is in the midst of a Redwood grove that is so dense, we didn't even realize that the sun had come out! We both enjoyed a nice 2 mile stroll among the giants. I wish we could show you a picture that could help you visualize the massive size of these trees. Some are over 2,000 years old, the tallest are longer than a football field and the largest diameter is 20 feet.

My neck hurts from craning up for a look at the top of the trees!

Wine Tastes Better in Anderson Valley

John had read about the up and coming wineries located in the Anderson Valley region of California's wine country. The wineries we chose to visit were located north of Booneville on the same twisty, narrow road we drove up here on, Hwy 128. It took us about an hour to drive the 40 miles to the first winery on our list.

Almost all the wines we tasted were estate wines or a blend of grapes from vineyards located in Anderson Valley. Our first stop was Roederer Vineyards. They specialize in bubbly wine and was a real treat for me so I insisted that we buy a bottle. Next was Handley Winery. We bought a bottle of their Pinot Noir and when John checked it out, it has a rating of 91. We knew it was pretty good but had no idea it was rated that highly.

We did a tasting at Navarro Wines, which came highly recommended by Wine Spectator. We bought a half bottle to have with our lunch on their lawn. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. Not too many people are visiting the wineries today, most likely because of the music festival. Therefore, we had two empty benches where we grabbed a quick nap.

The fourth winery was Toulouse but we didn't find any there that we liked although the people really knew their wine and had some good suggestions for food parings. More than four wine tastings in one day is really pushing the limit. At this point we couldn't decide if we liked a wine or not as our taste buds were becoming overwhelmed (or was it the alcohol affecting our brains?) but we pushed on to our last stop, Breggo Winery. We liked their wines, we think, but we really enjoyed visiting with the other customers and the young lady serving the wine.

We returned back to the RV via a short cut more directly over the coastal mountains but it took about the same time since the road was so narrow and curvy. In the little town of Manchester we saw these sculptured trees.

California State Parks

The reason we can only stay in the Hendy Woods State Park for one night is that they are completely booked for the weekend due to two music festival nearby. And California parks are completely reservable. One can reserve and pay for a site for three nights and never show up and the park cannot give that site away. Other places we have stayed will give that site away if not occupied within 24 hours.

We sure wish we could stay at Hendy Woods. It is deep within a forest where several Redwood groves are located and has a bunch of hiking trails running thru them. It is a peaceful location. So before we left we took advantage of the trails and saw our first Redwoods. Late morning we pulled out and had to drive another 20 miles or so on the dreadful narrow, curvy road up to Hwy 1, the coastal highway, which is also very narrow and curvy, plus they are repairing evey bridge and they are closed to one lane. This time I'm driving the Jeep following John in the RV. But we did find Manchester State Park with lots of empty sites located near the Pacific coast. We are close enough to hear the waves but far enough away to avoid some of the wind.

From our campsite we can see the Point Arena Lighthouse which is actually about five miles away. Late afternoon we decided to go to the lighthouse and then on into the town of Point Arena for some wine and dinner. Of course, the lighthouse and museum were closing as we arrived so we will have to come back. The little village of Point Arena is quaint but has a couple of very nice places to dine. The wine bar was having a Tango Dance evening including lessons which we declined but we did enjoy their wine. Dinner was at Uneda Eat, very cozy and nice food. We sat at a communal table so had an interesting conversation with a couple from Boston who are in the area on vacation.

We watched the sun set into the ocean and the moon rise over the mountains for a pleasant end to the day.

We Have Arrived FINALLY

It rained most of the night but cleared up Wednesday morning as we crossed from Wyoming into Utah. Still on I-80 we crossed the mountains, passing by Park City ski resort and into Salt Lake City where we had decided we would gas up. Now we discover a BIG problem with our GPS. The Love's gas station is on our "route" according to the GPS but she has us exit into downtown Salt Lake City, pass the temple then turn left to travel along the tram tracks then left again through an industrial part of town and then left again and into the gas station which is 1 block off of I-80!! A big circle all for nothing.

As we are leaving Salt Lake City the wind starts to pick up which makes it very difficult to drive the RV even with all the suspension upgrades. Since I don't feel comfortable driving in the wind, John drives all day. We have several misconceptions about northern Nevada. One being that it is all flat desert and two that it will be hot. Both of these are wrong. We traveled up and down mountains all day and it was a bit chilly, not the least bit hot. But one thing we knew to be true was that there are not many places to stop along this leg of our journey. We pulled into the suburbs of Reno about 9 pm and found a casino parking lot that allowed RV's to spend the night if you sign up for their 'players card'. We did not play but - we went to bed! They did give us some coupons so we had the $2.99 bacon eggs & all you can eat pancake breakfast.

Thursday was the travel day from HELL! From Reno into CA we have to cross the Sierra Nevada mountains over Donner Pass with lots of altitude changes and many curves. Then we drop into Sacramento and lots of freeway and city driving. Once through there we get on the absolute worst road we have ever traveled along thinking we would take a short cut and miss the bay area freeways. Hwy 128 is a narrow, squirrelly route through most of California wine country. If we had been in the Porsche, it would have been lots of fun but not in this top-heavy, tall and long RV! We never drove over 45 mph, we hit tree limbs, we narrowly avoided several oncoming logging trucks and the edge of the road by inches.

John has now been driving for two days over 900 miles with no break. His back, knees and arms are killing him and all I can do is try to warn him if we get to close to the edge or to an overhanging tree. By the time we pull into the campground he is exhausted! Then we find out the campground is full but they might be able to get us on one site for only one night. I take it!!

2,240 miles

We left the Newmar Rally on Saturday morning and drove to St. Charles to visit my mom and step-dad, my brother and sister-in-law, my sister and niece and our grandson and his parents all at my mom's home.  We had a really nice mini-family reunion and visit!

Monday morning found us on the road headed west.  It took us most of the day to get to Lincoln NE where we got onto I-80 which we will travel all the way to CA - 2240 miles total.  We spent Monday night at the Walmart in North Platte NE. 

Today we finished crossing NE and most of WY staying at a KOA in Lyman WY. Only about 920 miles to go. 

We were only getting 6.3 mpg driving 65 so John drove 70 on one tank of gas and we got  6.0 mpg so we slowed to 55 mph and we improved to  6.4 mpg. Can you guess how fast we are driving now?

Getting Lots of Exercise

At this rally, there are not very many activities or seminars which John and I are interested in attending but we are getting plenty of exercise. Every morning we join the walking group for 30-40 minutes of brisk walking. Today we rode our bike for about 8 miles. Then, any time we walk up to the event center we are logging about 1/2 mile there and back plus it's a big event center so we get lots of steps in there as well.  And it seems we go to the event center often! 

Today we drove to Carbondale, home of Southern Illinois University, and had lunch at Fat Patties. We had great hamburgers! John's was a 'heart attack waiting to happen' -  burger, brisket, bacon, cheddar, fried egg - and mine was a blue cheese burger. 

We are so ready to really start our adventure now!!

Rally Days

We arrived at the Newmar International Rally Monday morning after taking a wrong turn. We have met a few couples from last year and are making new friends. We have upgraded some of our interior lights to LED's, gotten the coach washed by someone else, and we are considering chassis stabilizing improvements. Other than that, there is not much else we are interested in doing. 

The weather has turned very hot but luckily the A/C works and we are parked under a large shade tree!

Summer Adventure Begins

We are headed to the Pacific Northwest this summer but first a short trip eastward to Du Quoin, IL for the Newmar Kountry Klub National Rally. 

We stopped for the evening at Cave Vineyard near Sainte Genevieve. We belong to a organization called Harvest Host. As such we can spend a night on the property of their members' wineries, farms etc. at no charge. We are encouraged to buy some wine or food. That's not hard. 

This place is so pretty and peaceful. And they have some nice Missouri  wines. But the unique aspect of Cave Vineyard  is the natural cave on their property. They have made it into a great tasting area which is a cool place to be in the hot summers afternoons. 

Tomorrow we join the rally.  

Winter 2013 Recap

Having left home on Dec. 8 and returning home on April 1, we have had an interesting and certainly a laid back winter. The weather started off on the chilly side but warmed up nicely in January and pretty much stayed warm the rest of the winter.

We certainly took a circuitous route to get to Florida with some time spent in Arkansas and Texas before heading to North Carolina. From there we traveled along the Atlantic coast with numerous stops until we reached St. Augustine where we spent about 2 weeks in the area. Down the coast a bit further we decided we were tired of the ocean and headed inland for a short time then stopped on the Gulf side for a time near Marco Island.

The first week in February found us as far south as we could go in Key West. Our plan was to stay one week there and then move back up the Keys but one week turned into two weeks and then into three weeks. Who knew we could spend that much time in one place? But we certainly enjoyed the city and the friends we made while there.

One week in Marathon, one week in Key Largo and then to Miami where we met up with our son, daughter-in-law and grandson who were attending a convention in Miami Beach. Of course, we enjoyed our babysitting duties while they took in the convention. We had a week in Ft. Myers Beach tracking in the sand and then turned towards home with a stop in Norman to see our other grandsons.

This trip is vastly different from our winters out west. We stayed in one spot longer, did more bike riding and kayaking, less golfing, and lots of walking. It was an easy going trip with fewer exciting adventures and more relaxing, casual days with fine dining experiences and wine to fill in the evenings.

We both are homesick and ready to be in a large house where we can spread out for awhile. Thank you for joining us this winter. We hope we kept you warm, or at least thinking about being warm.