Friends and Then To Our Destination

We left the Hi-Jolly after a great breakfast. It was easy to pack up because we never took anything out when we pulled in and set up. On the road by about 9:30 AM we were happy as clams in a camper.

Following Hwy 10 east again we drove to the junction of 10 and Hwy 303, where we turned north heading to Surprise, AZ to visit our friends, Tim and Kathy Christie. We had contacted them when we left Post Falls and they invited us to stop over a night as we neared Queen Valley. We accepted their invitation but then realized that we would be dropping in on New Year's Eve. I emailed them and they assured us that they were doing nothing to celebrate and would love to have us over. 

It was an easy drive and we arrived early afternoon. We talk and talked much of the afternoon away. Kathy and Tim had prepared a wonderful lasagna dinner and we chatted somemore and got re-acquainted. I had worked at NIC for many years with both of them, so the college and people we knew were our main topics. Both Tim and Kathy had many different jobs at the college. They were there about four years before I arrived but I knew of them when I went to college there in 1976. Tim is a wonderful wildlife photographer and has many of his photos published. 

We watched TV, played with their two dogs, Daisy & Cooper, and then we turned in early.

The next morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast and were on our way. We really appreciated Tim and Kathy's hospitality and it was great to hear all the stories. Thank you so much, Tim and Kathy!!

Tim with Daisy, Kathy with Cooper.

Arriving at Queen Valley for the first time was pretty darned exciting. Linda checked us in and we drove to our spot and backed into the lot. Plenty of room to spread out. We were finally here! After two years of waiting and getting things planned the drive was over, for two months. Our spot is within a short walk from the shower rooms and the pickleball courts. We plan to take advantage of all this and get to know the desert at the same time.

Canyonwren and Stinky Jeep in their site.

The entry to Queen Valley RV Resort.

Heading East

The stay at Mojave Narrows Regional Park was interesting and we got some well-deserved rest. The trains were plentiful, but the park was positioned where they didn't use their horns so the sound was more background noise all day long.  We didn't shower during our stay. The restrooms were not very clean and so I used the men's, but Linda used the camper. The clientele was a mix of stop-over campers and people living in their old RVs. Everyone kept to themselves and hardly ever moved about their campsite.  Now, would I recommend the park, probably not! For less money, we have found much cleaner and more accommodating locations.  

By the time we were ready to hit the road, the Jeep was charged and working normally. The tow brake was doing its job, we had filled the propane tanks, emptied our gray and black tanks and all we had to do was drive. The route took us on HWY-15 to HWY-215 to HWY-10 to Hwy-62 leading us into Desert Hot Springs where we found the KOA and settled in.

After setting up, Linda grabbed the laundry and got busy with that operation. I put the Jeep on the charger and went about making sure the camper was stabilized. I mention this because the wind was blowing at a very consistent 45 MPH. Linda had gone to the main office to touch base and when she returned she said there was a sign at their counter that said, "Yes, the wind does blow all the time!" Let's say that when we get down to Queen Valley we will be very experienced wind travelers.

Our site, at the Palm Springs/ Joshua Tree KOA.

While setting up our trip Linda, contacted several people that she knew were down in the southwest. One contact was Terry Wright, a teacher Linda had worked with at Fernan Elementary.  We had many adventures with Terry and Rick, her husband, many years ago so we thought it was about time to get reacquainted by staying a few nights at the KOA where they were wintering. The first evening at the KOA we had a great time talking about what we'd all been up to and how we had been doing. We really enjoyed reconnecting.

Linda and I took Stinky Jeep and did a big loop of the Coachella Valley. Starting at Desert Edge we drove east and looped back hitting Coachella, Indio, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, and finally Palm Springs. This gave us a good overall look at the valley. Linda really liked Indian Wells the best, but if she were to move there we would have to sell everything we own and she still would have to live in a box. Traffic near Palm Springs was bad, they were doing road work and had the lanes narrowed down from three to only one. It took so long to go a mile we didn't have time to get off the road and explore Palm Springs. We made our way back to camp, stopping at Von's, a grocery store, on the way.

Terry and Rick at our camper.

The next morning Rick came knocking and took me out to breakfast at his favorite little spot. We had a good meal and did some further catching up. Linda and Terry went for a long walk and by the time we Rick and I returned, the ladies were back too. 

That evening Terry and Rick came over and we spent several hours together talking and laughing. Our little camper was tight compared to their 5th wheel, but we made it work.  After they went home Linda and I spent the next hour packing  Canyonwren and getting her ready to leave in the morning. We had a great stay at this KOA and seeing the Wrights was grand.

Our campsite, at Hi Jolly.

By 9:00 AM we were on the road heading out of California and into Nevada. It was smooth driving and the sun was out most of the time. We hit Quartzsite at about 1:00 PM and made our way out to our boondocking spot at a BLM campground called Hi-Jolly.  

Hi-Jolly is an interesting place. It is three miles north of town in a flat area just off HWY-95. The camping is free and you just drive in and find a spot you like.  We were not picky about our spot and chose to stay closer to the entrance of the area. I figured we were only staying a night so why take a nice spot (if you can call them nice) that other longer-term campers could use.  We snuggled in for the evening on a flat spot right in the middle of everything.

Looking north at Hi Jolly BLM Campground.

Looking back toward the Highway at Hi Jolly.

The sun started setting and a little rain shower came over our two friends Canyonwren and Stinky Jeep, so we collect a few more photos and then our sun sank and we enjoyed the evening.

The Near Miss

From our snug little parking lot at the Humboldt Fair Grounds, we hit the road southeast. Our next destination would lead us farther away from the coast and connect us with I-5 and 99 running through Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto.  It was raining hard all day which made the driving fun. At Merced, we were scheduled to stay at a small Elks RV Resort. The roads for the first 80 miles were full of curves and hills, I-5 was straight and flat, and as we drove the traffic became heavier. Through Sacramento and Stockton, the traffic was bumper to bumper and twice we hit total stoppages on the route.  The first time Google suggested a route that was clearer, but being beginner users we decided to keep moving forward on our planned path. When traffic came to a crawl we admitted our fault and agreed we would be more accepting of Google's suggestions.

Elks RV Resort

When Ms. Google suggested a route the second time we took it and drove smoothly to the Elks RV Park with no problems. At the park, we set up and cooked dinner.  I walked over and took a shower while Linda corresponded with her sister and Mom. The park was very clean and all the facilities we very nice. We played Mexican Train and then watched the finale of Survivor. It was a good day.

Christmas Eve day and we were up and ready for a long segment of driving. The RV park host was a bit late getting the gate unlocked. This made Linda a bit edgy because she knew we had a minimum of five hours of driving ahead of us to reach Victorville and our slot at Mojave Narrows Regional Park. 

Traffic was medium-heavy and the roads were good. We traveled at 56 MPH almost all the time. Towing a Jeep makes us fall under the same rules as large trucks and in California, the speed is set at 55 MPH for those rigs. 

We were moving along in traffic and entered a long sweeping blind corner. I suddenly noticed a flash of brake lights from the very inside lane. We were in the second lane from the right side of the road. The rain had stopped but the road was still wet. I started to press on the brakes and suddenly, around the corner was a fire truck parked smack dab in the two right lanes.  I tromped on the brakes and pumped them for all I had. The Jeep-braking system immediately kicked on and I could feel the Jeep brakes catch and the rig tugged hard and then slid a bit. Our truck rumbled to a stop about fifteen feet from the fire truck! For a second I waited for the crash from the cars behind us, but nothing came! The road constricted into the two left lanes and we threaded our way into the flow, past the fire truck, and the three wrecked cars that covered the road. 

Mojave Narrows Regional Park.

The scene of the accident covered the entire freeway in both directions. One car was a mess and an ambulance was arriving as we passed. There were flashing lights all over the place! I don't know how we didn't get hit or crunched into the fire truck, but we made it and were all intact. As I drove on I tried to remember the entire event. The way the road curved made it so hard to see what was around the corner. If we had had some red flags a quarter-mile prior to the curve, things would have probably been much less dangerous, but we must have been on the crash very soon after the emergency arrived. If the firetruck had not been there we may have crashed into the mess of smashed cars in our lanes. The outcome was good and I was very glad we had the Jeep braking system working.

Just sitting on a log.

The flow of traffic resumed and we gathered ourselves together. Our nerves were tight, but we pushed on.  It was a long day and during that drive, we had to avoid other people's driving errors, so vigilance was a priority.

We entered Victorville and wound our way to the campground at Mojave Narrows Regional Park. Our spot #27 could not be found. They had labeled the spots on the hook-up posts, but then changed their minds and painted the numbers on the ground. But our spot was mislabeled and someone was there. The man who had misparked was in the process of moving so within a few minutes we were parked in our spot. 

Not duck, duck, goose...

You would think our day was over, right? Well, the power box was at the far end of the pad and we could not reach it without breaking apart from the Jeep. No problem, just a bit more work. Then, the Jeep's battery was dead! This shouldn't happen with our new system, but there we were.  I got the Jeep separated from the truck and turned the truck around and we used jumper cables to start the Jeep. This took a bit of time and was very frustrating. Once we got old Stinky Jeep started, Linda drove it around and I did the final setting up of the camper.  

We left the Jeep running and Linda got settled. I then took a drive in old Stinky Jeep 8 miles to an O'Reilly Auto Store and bought a charger to maintain our little 4 wheel drive friend. As a Christmas gift, I also bought Linda some new windshield wipers. I am so thoughtful!

Do you see it?

Back at Canyonwren, we settled in and had a chance to chat about our day. We were tired but still happy. By this time we had fully noticed the number of trains (yes trains) that passed each hour. We counted four to five on a regular schedule not 25 yards from our doorstep. A couple times they would squeak to a stop and combine cars. It was loud and a bit annoying, but this would have to do. We were here for three nights and we are safe!

Cormorants on a log, again.

Did we mention all the trains yet?

So You Need to Know Where We are Going

 Here is a map of our travels on this adventure. It is by no means complete and will be changing regularly as we move about the west. 

Eugene to California and Beyond!

Leaving Eugene we pointed our long rig southwest following the corridor that leads you to Reedsport and the ocean. Our plans were to boondock at a wide pull-off Linda found by using the iOverlander app. We took our time driving down the windy highway leading to the coast. It was a bit of a hard drive due to the rain and the high winds.

When we hit Hwy 101, we checked the weather reports and found that there were gale force warnings for the next 24 hours. It was predicted that winds could get higher than 35 - 45 knots.  Of course, we Googled that and found that 35 Knots is about 45 mph, anyway they were strong and we felt we needed to keep up-to-date on weather changes.

As we drove down the coast we were buffeted by the strong gusts, but it was not something we needed to be concerned about.  We reached our first boondocking spot and found that there was no protection from the winds, so we moved on. The next spot Linda chose was a good one, but I goofed up and we shot on past. As a large rig, turning around takes some space so I convinced Linda that we should continue on to Harris Beach State Park near Brookings, OR.

When we arrived the campground was almost full, but we found a nice spot. The campsite was a back-in site, so we had to disconnect the Jeep and back into the slot. We had a nice evening and got some needed rest while the rain pounded down on the top of our home.

Our morning routine, in this case, was to eat breakfast, use the bathroom facilities, pack the camper, and finally move everything to the day-use area where we linked up with the Jeep. This took no time really and the views at this day-use spot were beautiful.

We were on the road by 9:30 AM and headed south on Hwy 101. 

This stretch of 101 is very curvy with steep climbs and some white knuckle, downhills.  The truck and Jeep performed like champs as we moved through the lower part of Oregon, into California. We swung past the Redwoods but this time we didn’t stop. It is our goal to get into the country we have never explored and then start looking at the sights.

We rambled on past Del Norte Redwoods State Park and into Klamath. At this time the sun popped out for a few minutes and we had a break from the rain.  Next, Eureka, CA was a very busy place with a ton of traffic. Of course, we hit it exactly at noon so it was bumper to bumper all the way through. 

Just past Orick CA, at 12:10 PM, our phones started squelching with an earthquake warning! The road was rather rough at that point and with the wind, we didn’t really notice anything drastic. Linda started a Google search for information dealing with the seismic event and found that there was a 6.2 quake 45 miles southwest of us near Petrolia. We continued on! 

Looking forward to our next boondocking spot at Bear River Tribal Casino, we exited I-101 near Fernbridge. We climbed the steep hill leading to the casino and turned the corner to the property. Immediately, we noticed that the gas station was blocked off and not in service. Continuing around the facility we started to see that all entrances were blocked off and no one was around except casino security. We walked to the front doors and were greeted by several employees. The entire grounds had been closed due to damage within the casino by the earthquake! They said everyone needed to move off the property until a structural engineer could assess the damage and assure everyone the place was safe. They told us that pipes in the building had broken and they were working on cleaning up.

We walked back to the truck and fired up the internet. I scanned iOverlander and spotted camping availability at the Humbolt County Fairgrounds, near Ferndale.  Linda called and the manager said that there were spots available so we fired up the rig and drove to our next night’s spot. 

Humbolt County Fairgrounds camp spot.

Linda went into the office and found that we could have a spot in the camp area for $35 with full hook-ups. For those spots, we would have to break apart from the Jeep. Now for $20, we could park in the flat parking log, use the same restroom facilities and not have to break apart the Jeep. We chose the semi-boondocking parking lot and were happy as clams.

9:30 AM seems to be the time we generally get on the road as we travel, and today was no different. We backtracked the path we came into Ferndale and stopped for fuel at a nearby station. Fuel is expensive! In California, we have averaged about $5.10 a gallon. Not for the faint at heart, I would say.

Trees and Cows

The rest of our day was spent driving in downpours of rain along very curvy highways. We made our destination by about 2:30 PM and snaked our way into our slot that we paid for the next two nights. We got set up and then watched the Seahawks football game. The team lost, they played better than we thought they would and if the officials would have made two correct calls, we may have beaten the Rams. Oh well, we have next year to look forward to, but we will watch the remaining games because we always do.

Our lay-over day spot!

Funkey bus that you can rent for the night.

Clear Lake from Aurora Rv.

The Big Snowbird Adventure Begins

The anticipation of getting on the road at this time of the year has been killing us. You make plans, get your gear ready, and then wait for your departure date. Once you are ready, the day to hit the road takes forever to come. This time of year does not help the situation at all. Weather is continually changing, and not for the best. Each time a new front moves in and passes through you look into the next week and hope to see a break in the pattern that is favorable to your upcoming travel plans. All you can do is cross your fingers and hope you catch a window of clear roads and favorable driving conditions.

Thus we waited!

Two days prior to our Thursday date of departure, Linda looked at the projected weather patterns coming off the Pacific and made a decision to move our exit up 24 hours. There was a short window of fair weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, then a big front would move in by 5:00 PM Wednesday evening. What this did was compress the time we had to pack the final items into the camper, while still celebrating Linda’s mom’s birthday, Tuesday, going to doctor appointments, and visiting friends to celebrate Christmas. Our schedule was packed and this really put pressure on us.

Tuesday I thought things were all on track. I was out moving the camper and getting it plugged in so that we could pack the refrigerator. Linda came out with a hand full of mail and told me we had a bit of a problem. Our truck license plates needed to be renewed. They were set to expire come January. Usually, we just send in the registration with our check and they come in the mail in late December. If I followed that method we would be driving on expired plates which wouldn’t be good. I looked at the time and it was 3:20 PM, so I jumped into the Jeep and went to the licensing office. It was packed! I took a number and waited. There was nothing I could do, we need those tags today or we were up a creek. So I sat, thinking of everything I could be doing, cussing to myself, as my anxiety grew. My name finally came up and I purchased the tags. There was a three percent service charge because all I had was my credit card, adding salt to the wounds.

Wednesday Linda had an appointment in the morning and needed to have a final visit with her mother. I did the final packing of gear and then closed the camper. Hooking up the Jeep was easy and everything connected properly. Lights worked when connected and tested. The new Jeep travel break system fired up and signaled things were in good shape. All I could do was keep busy until Linda returned and we could jet out of Post Falls.

As soon as Linda arrived we did our final duties, walked next door and hugged our neighbors, who are taking care of the house, and loaded in Canyonwren (our camper). At 1:30 PM we drove away, starting our three-month adventure into the warm and dry southwest.

We drove through Ritzville and pointed south to the Tri-Cities. The roads were great and we followed the setting sun to Kennewick where we fueled up and used the restrooms. From there we drove on Hwy. 82 connecting to Hwy. 84. At the bridge over the Columbia River, the weather changed to snow sleet, but it was not sticking to the road surface. Pushing on we kept with the flow of traffic until we came to the town of Rufus where we exited and followed the iOverlander App's directions to a US Army Corps of Engineers spot where we could boondock for the night.

This first boondocking spot was great for us because we were so very tired that the highway noise and the million different trains didn't bother us much. We slept like a couple of logs.

When we awoke, the weather was improved.

The drive from Rufus to Eugene was pretty much uneventful. We traveled in rain most of the way along I-5 and traffic was not too bad. We arrived at the Sollinger's at 1:00 PM and dropped the Jeep before backing into our usual spot.

As we were approaching Eugene, I sent a message to one of my friends from when I worked at NIC. Kirk Koenig was the admissions person (I can't remember his exact title) at the college when I worked there. He shot me a note back and we decided to have lunch on Friday at noon in the heart of Eugene. We ate wet burritos at Nelson's Taqueria while sitting in the sun. It was great to visit and catch up on our lives!

Friday night we were invited to attend Diana's office party at the home of her boss, Sarah Bennett, of the Bennett company. Diana presented me with a new hat that has Bennett stitched on the front, so Al Dee and I wore twin hats to the event. The Bennett home is beautiful! It sits on the thirteenth hole of a golf course and has been remodeled impeccably. Chris, Sarah's husband, gave us a tour of the place and told us of all the changes they made. After the tour, we sat around and ate great finger foods until we were stuffed. It was rather funny because every time I was introduced to someone they had a weird look on their face because I was a Bennett. In fact, Sarah's sister-in-law thought she knew me, and when I said I was a Bennett she was totally confused. We laughed a lot about that one.

Our group exited the party rather early. This gave us time to go home and play a game. Let me tell you something, I am the worst game player in the world. I am so bad that everyone had to work their tails off to let me win. It was great fun and we laughed till we cried.

Saturday morning Linda and I watched the Gonzaga Basketball Team play Texas Tech in Phoenix. The Zags won and that made our day.

I had to work on the camper a bit. The water system in it needed to be started up. During the cold fall, I had cleared all the water lines of their contents and now that we were heading to warmer climates I needed to fill the tank and make sure everything was in working order. To do this I needed to get a second water hose. Ours was about ten feet too short to reach Al Dee's water spigot. Al Dee and I jumped in his sports car and drove to Camping World where we purchased a hose. 

Upon returning I filled the water tank and turned on the pump. Water ran freely into the hot water heater, out into the toilet and the bathroom sink, The kitchen sink was a different story. Nothing came out! Not a drip. I checked all pipes, valves, and connections. Nothing was leaking or looked cracked or broken. I checked the new Sea Flow Accumulator and it was working correctly.

Under the sink, I disconnected the water intake from the faucet. In doing so water started running out on the towels I had placed to catch spills. My reaction was to put the hose into my mouth to catch and control the flow. As I sucked the water, a bunch of tiny plastic shavings gathered in my mouth. I spit them into the garbage and then blew air back up through the faucet. Once I did that I tightened everything back together and tried the water in the sink. It worked! The only thing I can think happened is that when I winterized the lines the air dislodged the plastic shavings from somewhere in the pipes and they clogged the lines at the faucet.

For dinner, we ordered Papa Murphy's pizza. Afterward, we piled into Sollinger's car and drove around looking at Christmas lights. Eugene has some pretty spectacular light arrangements.

Our exit the next morning from the Sollinger household wasn't as smooth as we wanted.  The family loaded up and headed for church and Linda and I got to work hooking the Jeep up to the truck. All went well until I tried to connect the umbilical cord. One of the pins was bent so a usually quick hook-up turned into a fifteen-minute fight.  All this took place in a torrential downpour.  Once again we prevailed and this soggy duo climbed into our seats and set off for our next adventure.