The Road To Klamath...

We left Oregon and headed south again...seeing the rest of that beautiful state will have to wait until our next visit.  We are going to visit with family in California one last time before heading east.  Since we had traveled north on I-5, we decided we would take California Hwy 101 South and see the Redwoods on the way.

We had to travel Oregon Hwy 199 to get to Hwy 101...it's like riding a roller coaster, one with beautiful scenery, but still a roller coaster!  Taking photos through the windshield kept me distracted from the twists and turns.  They may not look too bad but, believe me...they're a lot scarier pulling fifteen thousand pounds of RV behind you!  I'm always grateful for Jack's terrific driving skills.

We crossed the border into California and reached Hwy 101 and I finally got to see the Pacific Ocean...foggy and grey, but still...an ocean!  I love the way the coast and the mountains meet...look over the edge and there it is!

We stopped in Klamath to spend a couple of days and stayed at the Golden Bear RV Park. It's a Passport America Park, so the rate was great and it's convenient for an overnight stop.  More than a night or two is a mistake unless you're into fishing, which we're not. It's a basic fishing park located on the Klamath River.  It was chilly and grey while we were there and it's miles from anything... grocery stores, shops, restaurants, cell service, over the air TV. 

We did find a little cafe inside a mini-market the first night called A Good Place To Eat.   The food was actually pretty good, but the prices...$14 for a burger and fries, $20 for a salmon sandwich, $26 for a steak...lots of places I can go at those prices!  We'll stay in Crescent City next time.

As we were hitching up to leave, we noticed water dripping from under the RV that had an unpleasant odor.  Yep...we have a leak in our black holding tank!  Fortunately it started dripping right after we'd emptied the tank, so not too much to leak.  We're lucky we have two bathrooms and two black tanks, so we're able to leave the leaky one unused and empty until we can have it taken care of. Already called Dave, the RV Tech we used in Vacaville; he said it most likely happened when we were getting the tank snaked and pumped out a few weeks ago.  He will come out to look at it when we get to Vacaville later this week.  

It's always something!

Oregon...A River View and A New Washer/Dryer

We left Redding, CA and drove into Oregon. We needed some time to just relax and wanted to take advantage of no sales tax to finally buy my Splendide washer/dryer combo to replace the one that got fried last April. 

I usually pick our campground ahead of time using Passport America and RV Park Reviews. Sometimes the park is what I expect, sometimes it's disappointing, and sometimes it exceeds expectations. BridgeView RV Park exceeded expectations. It sits beside the Rogue River, just outside Grants Pass, in a little town called Rogue River City (pop. 2100). Georgia, the owner, is very nice and will go out of her way to please. When I called for a reservation, she wasn't sure if she had space for us for a week...so she asked for my number and a little time to figure things out and said she'd call me back. Fifteen minutes later she called back and told me she could fit us in for six days and, since the weekly discount is seventh night free and she didn't have seven nights available, she'd give me the sixth night free. She told me we would have a pull through site and our door would face the river and asked what we liked to do so she could have suggestions ready for us. 










When we arrived, she had everything we'd discussed on the phone written down. We were led to our site, which was riverfront, and guided into position.  As soon as I saw the view I knew I didn't want to leave. It's right off the highway and there is some highway noise but we could still hear the river flowing over the rocks and the geese squawking. 

Grants Pass is only eight miles away and has all the conveniences...restaurants, shopping etc. We had ordered my washer/dryer combo from Affordable Truck and RV in Grants Pass two weeks earlier and had it installed the day we left Oregon. They were very accommodating, even welcoming our dogs into their waiting area as we had no where to leave them...and their labor rates quite reasonable. All that and no sales tax!

We  definitely want to return and see more of Oregon...and maybe stay a month at BridgeView next time.

Off We Go To Redding...

Before we left Vacaville we got new tires. Couldn't find the ones we wanted at a dealer so I ordered them online and Les Schwab mounted them and put them on. Melvin and Robyn helped us get the tires over to Les Schwab and we enjoyed a nice lunch together while we waited for the tires to be done. We were $1500 poorer, bit it was reassuring setting off with our new Goodyear G614s under us.

Next stop was Redding, Ca to visit Jack's niece Melisa and her family. We had a great visit! Melisa went out of her way for us. The first day we met for lunch at Mary's Pizza Shack....yep, the same Mary's as in Vacavillle!

Sundial Bridge

On our second day we visited Turtle Bay Exploration Park and the Sundial Bridge with her and her girls...Bridget, Sierra and Lauren. Then we had a nice cookout at her house.

Her husband Matt took a day off our last day and we visited Shasta Dam, then had lunch at a sweet little cafe.

As we got ready to pack up and leave the next morning, Melisa showed up at our campsite with blueberry scones...one of Jack's favorites!

For some crazy reason, I ended up with no photos of anyone...just a few of the places we visited. Maybe we were just busy having a good time! I'll have to see if Melisa can send me a few of the ones she took.

While in Redding, we stayed at Sacramento River RV Park. It's on the Sacramento river, but the shore is not visible from the campground. We had a pull thru site under heavy tree cover. I don't usually like too many trees because they make the RV dark, but it was very hot while we were there and it helped  the A/C not have to work as hard. The cable TV required a box and a remote and it took two days and a visit from the cable company to get it hooked up correctly. The staff at the park were very friendly and helpful but, next time, I might try another RV Park.

At Turtle Bay Exploration Park

Beehive...the Queen is the blue one

 Shasta Dam

 Shasta Lake

Next stop...Oregon

Family and Good Times...

Vacaville was a whirlwind of family visits!

Stacey and Brian had a cook out on our first weekend and on our last weekend so we could visit with them and Jack and Candice and all the grandgirls in one place, as our RV just isn't big enough for a crowd. Let me start by saying that Brian makes awesome grilled tri-tips...a cut of beef not seen on the East coast...and he made them for me several times! He also introduced us to a new BBQ sauce. Unfortunately, it's only available in California. Thanks, Brian!  

We had two cook outs at our place. One with Jack, Candice, Chanoa and Sienna and one with Stacey, Brian and Kayla. It was crowded in our tiny place...but fun!

Kayla

It's amazing how much the girls have grown. Kayla's 12 now and quite grown up. She's also a performer...always willing to demonstrate her gymnastic skills...and they ARE impressive. She does competitive cheerleading and is a flyer. I seriously think she's made of rubber! Jack and I had a great afternoon with her shopping for a first day of school outfit.

Chanoa

Chanoa's 9 and a bit shy, but warmed up quickly.  She really loved spending time with us. We had fun taking her to Barnes & Noble on a book expedition. I left her with quite a collection in the hope she will develop a love of reading. I am proud of her for finishing Ivy & Bean before we left...she said she loved it. I hope she's busy reading the others.

Sienna

The last time we saw Sienna she was about eight months old and didn't know who we were. Well, she's two and a half now and Jack and Candice obviously did a good job preparing her for our visit because she greeted us with a very enthusiastic "Papa Jack" and "Ga-Ma"!! I have a computer frame that runs a continual slideshow and I have about 300 family photos loaded into it; Sienna was enthralled.She loves looking at photos and identifying people in them...but hates having her picture taken. 

Stacey & Bryan with Jack

Jack & Candice

                     
We got to enjoy an adults only dinner out with Jack and Candice at Los Reyes and one with Stacey and Brian at Mary's Pizza Shack. We went out to dinner many times...probably too many for the budget, but who cares...it was fun! Besides Los Reyes and Mary's Pizza Shack, we went to Red Robin, Mel's Diner, Fenton's, Strings, Villa Corona, In and Out Burger, Cattleman's Steakhouse, Joe's Creekside Cafe, Black Oak Restaurant, Round Table Pizza, Black Bear Diner, Vasquez Deli and even McDonald's! 

 

Keeping cool in 100+ temps!

We also got in some great visits with Melvin and Robyn, including dinners out and some great meals at their house. I didn't get any pictures but I now have a new pot roast recipe!

We will be going back to Vacaville in a few weeks for one more visit before we leave the West Coast...it's going to be very hard saying good bye.

The Good (a new campsite), the Bad (the cost), and the Ugly (the old campsite)...

We have been in Vacaville over three weeks already and the time is going by so quickly!

There are only two campgrounds here...Midway and Vineyard...and we are at Vineyard RV Park. We chose Vineyard because the reviews on RV Park Reviews said that Midway was a tight fit for big rigs and we are definitely big. We drove through Midway after we got here and the reviews were right!

When we first arrived, we were in a standard pull-thru in the main part of the campground...it was awful. The site was all gravel, not a blade of grass anywhere, very narrow and, to top it off, no cable...despite the fact that the website claims "most sites have cable" - the more expensive "Premium" section has cable but there were no sites available. I did get the owner to waive the pet fee for the month, which would have been $30, but it was still an awful site. We endured it for a week, until new neighbors moved in. They had large noisy gatherings until the wee hours at night and parked their many cars everywhere...including on our site...and seemed to be settled in for a long stay!

We hate changing sites mid-stay, but decided it would be worth it this time. Went to the office, told them about our neighbors and requested a premium site. They assured us they would address the issues with our neighbors and told us a premium site would be available on Monday. After a quiet weekend, we moved on Monday. I didn't think to take any pictures of the old campsite, but here are pics of the new one.

Our new site is a back-in with a couple of trees and plantings, grass, a picnic table and, of course, cable. The sites in the premium section are still a bit small, but a 500% improvement over the old site. At $795/month plus electricity, this is certainly the most expensive campground we've ever stayed in, but this seems to be the prevailing rate for the area.

I don't think I've ever lived in hundred degree temps...until now. The first two weeks we were here the temps were almost always over 100...and went as high as 108. Let me tell you, that is HOT!  Feel-your-skin-burn kind of hot. The A/C in our RV seemed like it never cycled off and when the sun hit the windows they were too hot to touch. This does not bode well for our electric bill! More recently, the temps have been down in the 90s and actually stayed in the high 80s a couple of days...almost sweater weather ;-)

California is experiencing drought conditions and all creatures great and small...including the ants...are looking for water. Jack has armed us with some super, maximum power spray for outside and some Terro ant traps for indoors that seem to be keeping the ants at bay.

So...not our best stay but, we're not here for the sights or the sites, we're here to see family and that's been great! We've been getting lots of visit time in with Jack's son, Jack, and daughter-in-law Candice, his daughter and son-in-law, Stacey and Brian...and three granddaughters, Kayla, Chanoa and Sienna.  We've also managed to squeeze in some good times with brother and sister-in-law Melvin and Robyn. We've been to many restaurants, been to cook-outs and had a couple of cook-outs here. Our social calendar stays full and we are having a wonderful time!

I will post more about our family, as well as pictures, in my next post...

Blow Out!

We finally got our truck back...Tuesday, a day later than promised...and left Winnemuca Wednesday morning. Fifteen miles from Fernley, NV, where we were going to spend the night, we heard a loud pop. Jack looked in the side view mirror and saw pieces of a tire flying all over...we had a blow out on the fifth wheel! Fortunately, Jack's a great driver and was able to safely bring us to a stop on the side of the interstate.

I'd never experienced a blow out before and it was scary, especially every time a semi whooshed by and rocked us, but I managed to maintain my calm. We have roadside assistance and just needed to call them...but for that we needed a cell phone signal...touch and go in the middle of nowhere Nevada. Switching between both our cell phones, on two different carriers, we were able to make the call...giving them our exact location proved a little more difficult...but CoachNet Roadside Assistance came through, got a tow truck out to change the tire and we were on our way within 90 minutes.

We found a place to stay in Fernley, Fernley RV Park, and bought a new spare tire. At the $16 Passport America rate, Fernley RV Park was great for an overnight stay...paved roads, flat cement sites and patios, and cable (although they were upgrading and the cable wasn't available the night we were there). We were tired and stressed and sick of being prisoners of the RV, so we went out to eat...something we never do on an overnight stay. The Black Bear Diner is a chain and the food was okay, though a bit expensive for what it was. It filled our need (and our stomachs), but we're not likely to visit another one.

Got on our way quickly the next morning and headed to Vacaville. We were both nervous the entire trip...worried about the possibility of another blow out...but we made it without incident. As we crossed the California border, Jack confessed that he's never made it through Nevada without a flat tire and swore we'll never set wheel in Nevada again! We've learned that the made-in-China Goodyear Marathons, standard equipment on most trailers, are an accident waiting to happen and will be shopping for four new tires before we get back on the road.

We are now happily settled in Vacaville, California for the next month and looking forward to great visits with Jack's children, grandchildren and siblings.

Stuck in the Desert...

As we left Salt Lake City and headed out of Utah, I got my first look at the famed salt flats. I'm not sure what I expected but it just looks like snow on the side of the road. Kind of cool!

Campsite at Iron Horse

We crossed into Nevada and spent the night in Elko...at the Iron Horse RV Resort. Don't know why Elko is so expensive...maybe it's the casinos... but it is and we paid way more for a site for one night than I like. It's a very nice park, big sites, patios, grass, cable, but the amenities are a half mile up the road at the Hilton Garden Inn...a bit inconvenient and not worth the money.  We'll pass by Elko next time.

We had originally planned to make our next stop in Winnemuca, Nevada but decided, instead, to drive straight through to Fernley, near the Nevada/California border. It was straight I-80 and would be an easy drive...except for those awful, bumpy roads.

Nevada Landscape

We got on the road Friday morning about ten and pulled off the interstate two hours later for gas and lunch when Jack noticed the truck was idling extremely roughly. It was troubling at first and became a real concern when the mechanical error light came on. Jack wanted to have it checked immediately and I trust his judgement, so we found a campground nearby, got a site for the night, unhitched and Jack left with the truck to find the local Ford dealer. Their diagnosis was a bad injector that needed to be replaced. Repair estimate...$993...and they wouldn't be able to do the work until Monday morning! So...here we are, stuck in...you guessed it...Winnemuca, Nevada...with no transportation!

On the plus side, the campground, Hi-Desert RV Park, gave us all four nights at the Passport America rate, despite their policy that only allows two nights at that rate It's a mostly gravel campground, level pull thru sites, no shade, but great cable and a very nice, cheap laundry. If the truck is ready as promised, we'll be leaving here on Tuesday...with clean laundry!

I hate automotive repairs!

Salt Lake City,Utah...

Our trek to California brought us across the top corner of Utah and right through Salt Lake City, so we decided to stop for a couple of days and see a little of the area. There is too much to see in such a short time and it will definitely require a return visit, as will other areas of Utah that we didn't get near. Entering Utah from Wyoming brings such a change in landscape...for the better, with rolling green hills and countryside.

We spent those days at the Salt Lake City KOA. KOAs are more expensive than most campgrounds, but this one was worth it.  Paved roads, paved sites with concrete parking pads and patios, grass, enough trees for shade, but not intrusive and lots of amenities. Think it will be our campground of choice when we return.

We met a nice couple in the site next to us, Rob and Karen, also full timers...from Charlotte, NC! They have the same exact truck as ours, only theirs is blue.  We joked that we should trade as theirs would match our fifth wheel and our dark red would match theirs.  We enjoyed talking to them.  As we were going out the first afternoon, Rob noticed a screechy sound as we started the truck.  Jack investigated and discovered that our serpentine belt was going bad and went off to the Ford place to get it replaced.  I know it's important to keep the truck maintained and in good repair, but I hate these necessary, but expensive, automotive costs.

Once the truck was in good running order, we went off to explore Salt lake City.  We only had one day (having used the other for truck repairs) so we visited Temple Square. It's quiet and peaceful and beautifully landscaped and maintained. The center piece, of course, is the amazing looking Mormon Temple which is closed to outsiders. One must be a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints to enter.  We did see the Mormon Tabernacle, home to the famed Choir.

Across from Temple Square is an open air mall, Creek City Center.  We wandered over, walked around and had a snack.  It's beautiful...has a retractable skylight roof, a skybridge, waterfalls, fountains, and, of course, a creek. It's also houses the Center City station of TRAX, the public transportation system.  I wish we'd had more than an hour and a half to explore...and I wish I'd taken pictures.  Something to revisit next time we are in the area.

Temple Square

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