May 31, 2013

Cape Blanco State Park

Port Orford, OR

We got a much later start than we would have liked to get but by the time Monte took our one tank of propane to be filled and I ran to AAA to get maps it was already after 11am. 

We encountered road delays,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

went through a tunnel,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

over a bridge

 and through the forest and FINALLY arrived at Cape Blanco State Park Camp ground at 5:30pm. 

We traveled 550 miles in two grueling days. 

By the time we set up and I heated some soup for dinner (accompanied by homemade rolls given to us by our neighbor and co/tour guide Jim) it was already after 7.

We took a ride to check out the area and get our bearings.

 

BRRRRRRRRRR

It is pretty cold here and I am glad we have electric because I am sure we will need the fireplace tonight.

The only bummer is that we have been unable to get a signal for our satellite. 

May 30, 2013

Yreka, CA

Something unexpected occurred that changed our travel plans to Boise, ID.

We have accepted a volunteer tour guide position at Cape Blanco Lighthouse in Port Orford, OR.

We had to put in a marathon travel day because we were 550 miles away from our destination. 

 

 

 

 

 

I had been concerned about the types of roads we would have to travel on but they all turned out to be great both in views and in the condition of the roads.

 

 

  

 

We passed through a Department of Agriculture check-point

 

 

 

 

 

 and had a 20 minute road construction delay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After stopping for lunch at a rest area we were on our way again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 passing more spectacular views.

 

 

 

 

 

 Monte needed fuel and I decided to top off at the same time.

$150-Ouch

Once we reached I-5, we started looking for a place to spend the night.  We found a Walmart that allows overnight parking and thanked them by purchasing groceries.

 

 

 

 

I was in the mood for pizza and found a great place in the historic area of Yreka, CA. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pizza was awesome. 

 After dinner we took a walk around the town.  I just love these small towns steeped in history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found an amusing story on how the town got its name.  According to Wikipedia,

In March 1851 Abraham Thompson, a mule train packer, discovered gold near Rocky Gulch while traveling along the Siskiyou Trail from southern Oregon. This discovery sparked the California Gold Rush from California's Sierra Nevada into Northern California. By April 1851, 2,000 miners had arrived in "Thompson's Dry Diggings" to test their luck, and by June 1851, a gold rush "boomtown" of tents, shanties, and a few rough cabins had sprung up. Several name changes occurred until the little city was called Yreka. The name comes from the Shasta /wáik'a/, for which Mount Shasta is named.^[2] The word means "north mountain" or "white mountain".^[3][4] Mark Twain, in his Autobiography, first published in 1906, (p. 162, Harper/Perennial Literary, 1990), tells a different story:

Harte had arrived in California in the [eighteen-]fifties, twenty-three or twenty-four years old, and had wandered up into the surface diggings of the camp at Yreka, a place which had acquired its mysterious name — when in its first days it much needed a name — through an accident. There was a bakeshop with a canvas sign which had not yet been put up but had been painted and stretched to dry in such a way that the word BAKERY, all but the B, showed through and was reversed. A stranger read it wrong end first, YREKA, and supposed that that was the name of the camp. The campers were satisfied with it and adopted it.

May 29, 2013

Fernley RV Park

Fernley, NV

We had an extremely lazy day spending a good part of it on the internet because we had such excellent free WiFi.

I got caught up on the laundry.  It is amazing how it accumulates.  I took having a washer and dryer at my disposal for granted when I lived in my bricks and sticks house.  Luckily there were ample washers and as a bonus our site was directly across from the laundry room so I didn’t have to babysit my wash.

It has been two months since we lost our cat Pumpkin in Sedona.  We really miss him and think about him every day.  But I am finally at the point of thinking about him and smiling rather than crying. 

 

 

 

 

A funny thing has happened to our other cat, Anne.  Her personality has done a complete 360.  She used to be very standoffish to the point that my nickname for her was the “Blob” because all she did was sleep, eat and use the litter box.

 

 

 

During the course of the 10 years I have known her, she has never allowed me to pet her.  She would hiss at me if I even approached her.

BUT within a few days of Pumpkin’s absence she started warming up to me by walking in between my legs rubbing up against me.  I began to tentatively stroke her head and, OMG, she purred. 

I am beginning to believe that she was overshadowed by Pumpkin’s BIG personality and is now enjoying being the center of attention.  Whatever the reason I am enjoying her new attitude.

May 28, 2013

Fernley RV Park

Fernley, NV

Usually when we have been staying in a natural setting I am a little sad to be leaving.  But we woke up to clouds and it was still chilly so I was happy to be moving on.

 

Monte had called Goodyear to get some information about how our tires should be wearing.  All four of our rig tires are wearing on the inner side.  The Goodyear rep looked up the closest Goodyear authorized dealer to our location (50 miles drive to Fernley, NV) and suggested we go there for an assessment.

It was after 11am by the time we pulled out of the site. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was another rig ahead of us at the dump station so Monte took advantage of the fresh water spigot and added 25 gallons of water to the tank.  We weren’t sure if we would have a hook-up in the evening so we wanted to make sure we had enough water for a night or two.

 

 

It was a short ride on Highway 80 up to Fernley.   The people at the tire center were great.  We didn’t have to wait and within 20 minutes of our arrival we were informed that the tire wearing issue is due to alignment.  That is what Monte assumed was the reason for the way the tires were wearing and now he had confirmation.  Unfortunately the tire center is not equipped to do the alignment so we have to find someplace else to have it done.

Monte had been in touch with Mor/Ryde in Indiana where we had an independent suspension installed last August. He printed a list of authorized service centers and found that the closest one to us is in Boise, ID. 

We had planned on traveling east across Nevada to Utah but are now going to go north to Boise. 

We found a campground that accepts our Passport America membership and paid for two nights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  After being so cold for a few nights I wanted to be plugged in so we could use our electric heater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fernley RV Park is located less than a mile from the highway. 

 

 The sites include concrete pads and a picnic table.  The best amenity is the excellent free WiFi.

I sat outside reading for a while until one of the long time residents came along and sat down at the table wanting to chat.  He is 82 and his wife is 86.   He still drives his own rig.  WOW.     

After dinner we took a ride to Walmart just to walk around after dinner.  We don’t really have anything planned for tomorrow so it just might be a veg day. 

May 27, 2013

Washoe Lake State Park

Carson City, NV

It was cooooooooold last night!  And it stayed cold all day.

The sun tried to come through the clouds several times during the day

but never really succeeded so when our batteries had only reached 85% by 3pm, Monte reluctantly dug the generator out of the basement and got it going. 

 

 

 

 

Monte got these great pictures of the baby magpies in the nest right outside our window.  

There are 5 babies.

How cute. 

We took a ride into Carson City planning on doing a driving tour.  We had received a map with a corresponding informative CD when we visited the Visitor Center on Friday.   We started out at the Capitol building and drove to the next destination.  But after that it got confusing and it seemed to me that in order to follow the numbers on the map we would have to retrace steps. It had started to rain at this point and I said let’s forget it. 

The rain let up by the time we returned to the campground and although it was still chilly we went for a short bike ride.

 

 

 

 

Monte noticed a trailhead and suggested we take a hike.  We weren’t dressed properly so we returned home and drove back to the trailhead after changing into our hiking shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

The trail difficultly was listed as moderate but it kicked my butt.  I think the altitude has a lot to do with it—that’s my story and I’m sticking with it. 

There are several trails to choose from that begin at the trailhead. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The trail we chose was only supposed to be 1 miles round trip.   

We realized when we returned to the car that we had taken a different trail and it was much longer than a mile.

When we started back, Monte noticed a gazebo on a hilltop and asked me if I thought I was up to a detour.

 

 

  I told him I would try but couldn’t guarantee that I would make it all the way up. 

 

 We came to a fork in the trail and couldn’t agree which one was the shorter trail so Monte took one and I took the other.

Monte made it to the gazebo much sooner than I did. 

But that didn’t mean that his trail was shorter.

  I had to stop several times to catch my breath and he confessed later on that he practically ran up the trail to make sure he got there first.

That is the campground in the distance.

The views from the top were certainly worth the effort.

My car at the trailhead. 

When we started back down, we found a trail leading back to the parking lot that was much shorter than the trail we had taken up.

Monte got a fire going when we got home. 

Tomorrow is moving day and I am not sure exactly where we will end up.  But one thing I am sure of is that it will be an adventure getting there.