Pacific NW and Back.  April/May 2026

We are ready to hit the road but with heavy and sad hearts.  You may or may not already know that Moreno was put to sleep on Monday April 13th.  We had taken him to the Vet on March 24th to evaluate some changes that we have been noticing.  Lack of appetite, sluggish in his walks and a strange indented skull above his eye.  He was still pretty peppy when we would go out but would tire easily.  At night when we would go to bed he started not wanting to walk up to the bedroom and now we think it was because he was so weak that he could not do it.  The doctor called us with the results of the blood test and the repeated values confirmed the sad diagnosis of significantly advanced white blood cell count (Leukemia).  Secondary testing was needed to confirm and we got that on Thursday.  Acute and maybe with treatment, he would have 3-6 months.  Well, on Saturday we took him to The Filling Station for breakfast.  He was shaking and just laid on the floor until his hamburger patty showed up, but even then he was so out of it.  His eyes said "please."  Those sad eyes told us everything we need to do.  He was telling us that he could no longer stay with us.  It was time to move along.  What could we do.  We cried and we called the Hospice Vet who came the next day and put him to sleep.  Some of his close friends came to say goodbye and on Monday we drove him to the ACE hardware where they loved him, and to the Vet so his friends could say goodbye.  He could not even get out of the car.  So weak. So sad.  We miss him very much.  Monday was his last sleep.

Friday 4/17:  left OPH @ 9:15am, 65 degrees, sunny.  A beautiful day to travel.  No Moreno this time.  But he’s always in our hearts.

Mileage approx.  5800
Propane fill on Edinger $28.00
Official time:  10am on the road.
1st gas/diesel stop:  1:30pm Carpinteria, CA $8.19/gal 😳😳😳
$169.84, 20.7gal, 18.5 mpg

We got to McPrice Myers Vineyards

A great way to get the trip rolling.  Tasting at MM.  At 4pm.  Eldon had one flight tasting and we had a cheese plate with water.  Eldon has been a member here since forever.
Liz & Jason entertained us in the cellar then treated us to nice Italian dinner in Paso.  Much wine was drunk.
We went to bed at 11:30pm after sorting out challenges with starting the RV, turning on the water.

Saturday 4/18/26, up at 7:02am, left MM at 8am sunny, 56degrees.

Took surface streets to go to next stop, Pinnacles National Park.

Passed Lake Nacimiento and all the those memories of past trips.

Eldon was frustrated by the poor geological presentation of such a significant rock formation, just one sentence on a poster board and the ranger knew even less.  The point is that The Pinnacles are the identical suite of volcanic rocks as the Neenach Volcanics down by Tejon Ranch (Castaic) and have been transported nearly 200 miles northward by progressive displacements (earthquakes) on the San Andreas fault.  When first proposed in the 1950's the two geologists (Mason Hill and Tom Dibblee) were considered crack-pots.  Of course they were proven correct.  Mason Hill was one of Eldon's very first MS degree thesis advisors, until he died.  

We arrived at Elliston Vineyards, Harvest Host and settled in with a very luxurious wine tasting.  It was a Tea Time serving but we only ordered the cheese tray to go with our wines.  The facility was very elegant and the surroundings felt like we were in a movie.  

Gloria Victus, sculpture to honor the lost warriors.

Clara was particularly "taken" by an Asian couple, the female of which was dressed in a gaudy 1800's admirals outfit with wig, including a ton of makeup.  Her male partner spent the entire time taking photos and movies of her as she "ate" "drank" and "admired" the grounds, plants and flowers.  I guess we have seen our first, ever, influencer.  Sure influenced us to never see her again.

Of course there was wine tasting, and wine buying. 

One giant ostrich!!!!  They had several others.  

Eldon prepared a yummy meal of leftovers and we managed to get the TV to work on some channels.  It has not been easy to navigate this TV.  I can't find my Game show channel nor my usual Criminal Minds and Star Trek shows either (Eldon is not sad).  At least last night we found Law & Order!!!

Sunday  4/19/26, up at 8, left Elliston Vineyard at 9a, cloudy 59 degrees.

We continued our trip along HWY 1 and drove primarily on local surface streets.  We enjoy doing that way so we can see more of our country.  

Beautiful California Poppies.  

This was a welcomed find since it had amazing cheese and it's been here since 1865.  The oldest cheese makers in the USA.  

We bought some cheese to take along to share with the gang.

Arrived to Briceland Vineyards at 4:15pm. A very rustic vineyard. Another Harvest Host spot.  Had a brief wine tasting with Andrew, the winemaker/owner because he was trying to fix a broken waterline before the rains started.  Eldon liked (and of course bought) his Petite Sirah. Rain started in the early evening and all night.  It sounds nice and we relaxed reading too. 

A view from our kitchen.  

Another "master.  So at the beginning of the trip we took all the leftovers from OPH to use for dinners on the trip.  This night was leftover Machaca (eggs, shredded pork, onions, chilies) from the Filling Station.  When you add in the leftover hash browns and tortillas and an avocado, poof you have a dinner.  

Morning at Briceland after the rains.  This is his Petite Sirah vineyard.

Monday 4/20/26, up at 8a left at 9a, raining , 45 degrees!!!

Drove north along the Avenue of the Giants!  Beautiful!

Arrived at 3:15p to the next Camp spot which we passed and had to backtrack.  This is Retreat at Redwood Shores but it didn't quite feel like a "Retreat site".  Well, maybe depending on how you read "Retreat".  Lot of semi-permanent residents and abandoned trailers. 

Arrived finally at 3:45p, grey, raining, 55 degrees.  Variety of campers and socioeconomic financial levels.  

Along the way here we passed some beautiful sites.

Along HWY 1.  What a view!!!!

Carson Mansion, Eureka, CA.  A Private Club originally only for men.  (Not now:)

Do you need a piece of Redwood for your project???  Only one of many, and mostly larger, log piles.

This is NOT one of the bridges of Madison County, but rather Humboldt and one of many we crossed over the Eel River.

My 5 foot wing span only probably goes half way across.  Such giant trees are hard to imagine, and even this one is not the largest we saw, just the largest that Clara could get to.  The green vine-like growth on both sides of her are Poison Oak - which is everywhere here.

Raining along HWY 1 in the Redwoods.

This was such a fabulous ride.  Despite the rain. 

You have to visit this place someday.

                                            And the windshield wipers still worked.

Got wood?  Sadly this is where the trees eventually end up.  There were dozens of such places along the drive today.

Tuesday 4/21/26, I slept in till about 10am but Eldon was already up at around 9:00am.  Weather is not conducive to be outside.  Grey, rainy and mid 50’s.

Time to really work on the Blog.  I tried last night but failed😞😫.  I can see why I would not fare well in this climate.  Not much would get done.  

It has rained most of the day but the sun is actually breaking through at 4:30ish.  I'll go take a shower and change to fresh clothing after several days of doing sponge baths.  We can use our shower in the RV but we are not comfortable yet using it.  

I think I will call it quits for now with the Blog.  It would be good to send it out since some of you might want to know what we are up to and where:):)

Our exciting camp for two days.  Oh well, chance to catch up on the Blog and Eldon got some time spent on reviewing a couple of depositions, and hopefully getting paid for it.

Wednesday 4/22/26, up at 8:30a, 52 degrees, sunny & crisp.  Left Retreat at Redwood Shores in Eureka, CA at 9:30a.  

Along the way we stopped for lunch at a seafood restaurant in Crescent City.  Hot clam chowder, scallops, cole slaw, clams and fries.  

Eldon with his clam lunch and my scallops and chips.

Seals sunbathing and singing while we ate our lunch.

Brought home leftovers.  I also ordered a piece of lemon cheese cake to bring back to the RV.  Can’t wait to dive into that!!!!

For you in the know, the town of Crescent City was badly impacted by a tsunami generated by the 1964 Alaskan earthquake.  They even had some harbor damage from the much more recent Japanese Tohuko earthquake that took out the Fukushima nuclear plant.  

Now entering the Oregon Coast and were there more sunshine it would be a stunning drive.  These photos do not really do it justice, but best we can do.

Our next Campground is Sunset Bay State Park in Coos Bay, OR.  Arrived at 5pm, Sunny, 54 degrees but feels like 45 degrees.  Wet cold, being right by the beach.

We stopped at O’Riley to buy some diesel additive.  Our first time with that.

We filled up our water tank.  Unfortunately there is no sewer to empty our tank at our site but there should be one on site to do on the way out tomorrow.  Nope.

We noticed an LTV RV checking in today.  Maybe we’ll meet them and compare notes.  The Ranger who checked them in told us that they came down from Canada.  Never met them.

By 5pm it’s now grey and cloudy, with rain coming in the night.  I guess that is normal up here.  Not my style😫 but not too shabby either.  Hope the Big One and its tsunami do not come tonight.

Note the beautiful marine terrace cross cutting the steeply dipping bedrock.  The terrace is the orange sands that cut horizontally across the grey bedrock.  This is evidence for coastal uplift, obviously from very large earthquakes.  The last Oregon Coast earthquake was in 1701.  The tsunami was recorded in Japan so we know exactly when it happened.  Here on the Oregon Coast, it was recorded in Native American totems, placed at the high water mark.  Basically when Lewis and Clark arrived here in the early 1800's the natives did not live on the beach, but a some (dud) elevation above it.  Of course, that lesson has been lost.

What would you do if the water suddenly receded?  Run out to collect shells, or run like hell for the hills.  Darwin has an answer for you.

Thursday 4/23/26, up at 9am and left camp at 10a.  At least it is not raining but just gray.  Back on 101 heading north.  The ocean is just to our left with steep cliffs and constant large waves.  Hundreds of resort options too.  Also, every town has at least one little 10x10 coffee shop drive through which we love to find and score more coffee for Eldon, hot chocolate for Clara, and a cream cheese bagel for lunch.

Also lots of campgrounds in this area.  We thought that next time we will not bother with reservations but just come see what there is.  Every mile has another State Park campground and/or RV "resort."  

Clara likes bridge photos.

                                                Weird salmon seen along the 101

We have been on HWY  101 since LA ultimately to Seattle, WA.  We started listening to the

country-rock band Hwy 101!!!   Lot of good driving and drinking songs.  The reality is that this road should be taken from north to south.  All of the view pullouts are on the ocean side (left for us) and all are where the road turns, so for us to pull to the left to get into a viewing area means a blind left turn, and usually at speed.  So we do not have too many photos of the grey ocean, sky or waves.

On the way we crossed the 45th Parallel at just north of Lincoln City, OR.  It was 1:30pm, overcast at 56 degrees cloudy.  This is half way between the Equator and the North Pole!!!!  Pretty exciting!

Got to Tillamook OR and went straight to the Tillamook Creamery cheese factory having passed fields of awesome grass and happy black and white cows with the classic Tillamook sign on the field indicating where their milk went.  The cheese works is an awesome place and highly recommended.  You can look down on all the industrialized processes of cheese packaging.  We were too late for the curds and way part though.  Of course there is a HUGE gift shop and we bought some cheeses but also ice cream cones.  

We had been playing road-tag with this other LTV Unity for a couple hours and now we ended up parked next to them at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  Other than waves, we never got to say HI.  They have Washington plates.

So the Leisure Travel Van community is a real community.  There are rallies all over the place, we attended one in Las Vegas a couple months ago, and are going to Canada and Bryce Canyon for two others yet this year.  On our travels we have met three, with waves on both sides, and another pulled into a campground a couple units before us but we never found them inside.  At Tillamook, we parked next to another Leisure Travel Van that had pulled in before us, but we never got to meet the people inside as they walked faster than Clara and were already gone.  We had passed them the day before in CA and waved.  Funny story, we parked next to them at a highway rest stop the day after Tillamook "are you following us?".  Had a nice conversation with them, almost their first journey too, all the way to Hemet and Buena Park, now heading home to WA.  What are the statistics on that?

Clara at the gift shop, candy land (cheese land) for her. And the ice cream scoops were really yummy!!!

The beginning of the impressive gallery where you can look down on all the various stages of cheese making, cutting and packaging.

It is well worth a trip, and they also have LOTS of cheeses for sale that you will not find in Albertsons or Safeway.

Or just ask and Clara will deliver for you.

Arrived to our HH Blue Heron French Cheese Company, also in Tillamook, OR.  Arrived at 3:30pm, 56 degrees cloudy.  Did a wine tasting (bleh) and bought some small things to fulfill our "free" camping obligations.  The Blue Heron only had one style of cheese French Brie.  We already had that style from the cheese place in California so instead we bought some dried soups.  This weather is soup weather.

We haven’t been able to make the TV work so we are doing a lot of reading!  I miss my “Perry Mason” and “Star Trek” and several other favorites:):). 

 

Friday 4/24/26, foggy with sunshine.  41 degrees. Yikes!!!

Hard to believe in looking at this image that there are Tsunami signs everywhere along the Oregon Coast.  We always missed the ENTERING sign because that was where the speed limits decreased and the populations (coffee shops) were.  Seriously, if the Cascadia Subduction Zone ruptures (M8.5+) it will be B.A.D.

So near the northern part of Oregon, we started to get into the Lewis and Clark Expedition history.  Their journey of exploration from St. Louis MO ended at the Pacific Ocean where they built Fort Clasp to overwinter before heading back east to St. Louis.  They were here 4 months catching and drying fish and meats, making shoes and clothes, and basically annoying the locals, for whom they named their fort.  Annoying because they "borrowed" a lot of their building materials from the natives summer homes, which they promptly took back upon the expedition leaving in the spring.  

Officers quarters.

Enlisted quarters.

The 33 men (and one woman) built this fort, including beds and other furnishings in 2 weeks.  Who could do that today?

Sacagawea and her infant son Jean Baptiste who made the entire journey from Mandan SD to Oregon and back to St. Louis.  Her son was born in the winter they spent in SD, and she carried him the entire way, plus navigated, translated, and in multiple instances, saved their butts.  When the expedition got to her original home in Idaho (she had been captured and enslaved to/impregnated by a French trapper in SD) she arranged for her family to provide horses to the expedition so they could complete their journey to the Pacific, and rather than remain home she went with them.  She was never paid a penny for her troubles, but did eventually get her face onto the US $1 coin, now out of circulation.  

Impressive bridge over the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington.

Entered Washington at 10:30a.  Sunny,  Chinook, WA.  Sunny.  55 degrees.

We started to get into more and more tunnels in the Washington coastal portion.

Managed to miss Highway 101, where it split from WA 107 (Eldon might have been dozing, Clara sure was), and ended up on a 25+ mile dead end spit of sand where they apparently grow cranberries and derelict cars.

Long day, made longer by all the 2-lane (no passing) roads upon which there was always "someone" doing the speed limit minus 5.  But by cutting off the NW corner and not going around the Olympic Natural Park, we managed to get to the Seattle area and the Bainbridge Island Japanese Exclusion (Internment) Memorial.  The visitor center is still under construction but the memorial itself is very well done and emotional.  Kind of like the Vietnam Memorial with names on the wall.  

What happened here is that after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, President Roosevelt signed an Executive Order in February. 1942 effectively stripping all people, citizens or not) of Japanese ancestry of literally everything, rights, property, and freedom.  The 227 people accepted on Bainbridge Island were moved 6 days to collect at the dock, with only what they could carry, and were shipped to Manzanar in the Owens Valley of California.  This memorial says their names.  

Let it not happen again.

The wall of names looking to the top from the middle.

Now looking down to the harbor where they boarded the ship to Long Beach, prod along by soldiers with bayonetted rifles.

Most lost everything, their farms, their homes, their lives in some cases.   

Let us never forget.

Seattle is a city of bridges, or at least the parts we drove through.  We ended the day at the North 47 Brewing Company (47 is their latitude, and maybe their attitude too) in Tacoma.  

Clara got to meet a Vizsla (dog) which was on her post-Moreno "think" list, below a "wish" list.  This one might have moved that in a not positively direction.  Moreno is a hard act for any dog to follow.

We were camped in the back parking lot with the other dumpsters.  But it was free, the beer was good (Eldon) and we could hit the road early the next morning with no regrets.  Tomorrow is Mount Rainier.

Saturday 4/25/26, Another crisp and clear morning to wake up to.  Ok, it was 9am by the time I woke up but at least we did not have to check in till much later.  Eldon got up first and he has to get his coffee ready.  I only have to pour some OJ and I'm ready.  --- after 30 minutes in the bathroom ,,, just saying 

Good morning Seattle!!!  I thought there would be a place where they filmed Kramer but there isn't.  It works out good because Eldon doesn't like that show  (nor Seinfeld).  

With my bag-lady style I felt like some of the homeless we  came across.  

 

We drove by the baseball stadium where the Mariners play and this is a statue of Ichiro Suzuki.  He was a great player and it was nice to see this.  Our Angels were playing here just yesterday.  And sadly we lost.

We got to get my Album updated for this Monument.  

SORRY - WE HAD A MAJOR MALFUNCTION LAST NIGHT (5/2) and we lost several days of postings, and almost the entire Blog for this trip that had been done.  Hopefully can get back on track tomorrow.

Here goes.

We headed to Mt. Rainier just like the rest of the world.  We passed signs saying 3 hours, 2 hours, 1 hour, and started to feel lucky, then of course we hit the 30 minutes and stopped.

Here are the people once they got out of their cars.

It is actually impossible to see the mountain by being on it.  

So we had planned to camp at a spot to the northeast of the park where the other visitor center is located.  Unknown to us, that road through the park is under 4 feet of snow, the visitor center will not open for a couple more weeks, and it is a 2.5 hour drive around the mountain to get to our camp, and another 2.5 hour drive back to where we need to be tomorrow.  Not happening.  Instead we stopped for an early dinner in this old 1880's rail car restaurant, couple drinks, Eldon had fish and chips (long way from the ocean but 4 giant and delicious pieces), Clara had liver and onions which she pronounced good but not as good as Panama's version, and so alternative plans were made.  

  View from our new campsite about 5 minutes from the dining car.  Beautiful forested area, very quiet and calming with a creek flowing through it.  Clara resisted the call of her throne tree.

Sunday 4/26/26,  44 degrees!!!  Sunny outside.  Up at 9:30ish. No fog nor hazy cold weather.  Beautiful weather.

I missed a photo opportunity of Mt. Reiner all covered with snow.  White, white🥰.  Today we shall go to Mt. St. Helen’s.  Of course the main visitor center is closed on Sunday as a public service😳😆.   

Got fueled in Morton since the price was right.  Cheapest yet. We are the green price Diesel #2.

Clear cutting.

The River flowing from Mr. St. Helen’s that received massive sediment from the debris flows and lahars off the mountain, literally filling it with 50+ feet of sediment.  Most of that has since been washed to the sea, but the ecological impacts must have been enormous.

Another view of Mr. St. Helen's showing the side that blew out.  Mt. St. Helen Blast was 5/18/1980.

Amazing.  

As Clara comes back from taking that last photo, Eldon noticed the precariously perched boulders directly above the Unity.  Time to go.  

We found a National Forest Service visitor center that was open on Sunday and our NPS Senior Passes worked for entry and Clara's handicapped placard worked for parking so good to go in.  It was totally geared for children with a slew of activity areas and very patient docents and teachers.  It was also crowded despite it being quite a long drive up to it. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly before and after reconstructions.

The view from the visitor center's deck.  Awesome.  

New growths along HWY 504.  Signage that say:  Planted in 2022, 1986, etc following clear cutting.  It was interesting to see the growth progressions but the nearly mono-species of the forest was also disturbing.  

Camped at Cougar RV Park tonight, no cougars of either species noted.  Took advantage to dump our waste tanks and fill up with fresh water before heading to the Cabin tomorrow.  We bought some wood and had our first campfire until it got too cold for Clara.  Eldon hung in until the wood was reduced, but his antifreeze works to his advantage.  
Nice place, definitely can recommend it.

Monday 4/27/26, hazy and cold.   Up at 10:15am.  47 degrees, I should go back to bed!!!! 

On the road at 11am.  We should be at our Airbnb today and the rest of the week.  We will probably do a Summary type report at the end of the week. 

The road from the campground was a Forest Service road that wound us around the Swift Reservoir (way down to the bottom of the canyon in this photo.  It was a beautiful road with lots of water coming down the slopes and into the reservoir below.  Of course this water also was destabilizing the outer edge of the road and there are hundreds of incipient landslides forming cracks in the road, which led to some interesting (exciting/scary) roller coaster moments as our 6 ton vehicle went mini-airborne - and always where something else was happening, usually a turn.  But we made it.

Got to Hood River 3pm, 55 degrees with sunshine.  Three couples at house already, one came in later - 10 people in all.  We can see Hood Mtn perfectly from the deck!!!

The cabin's driveway greeter.  A 45-degree uphill angle but Eldon made it.

Got it parked and while it looks easy, it was not.  But we made it.

Another greetings.

Outside our cabin.  Very beautiful and peaceful.  That woodcarved bear is a common scene around here.  At least we didn't encounter any real ones:):)

Eldon made a great pasta with meatballs tonight.  He brought a bag of frozen sauce left over from the last lasagna-making, paired it with a "tomato gravy" jar picked up along the way, roasted some Italian and Sicilian (spicy) meatballs, and used Bucatini (small holes) spaghetti pasta (also from home).  Tomorrow will be his Asian beef stir fry using flank steak from home, then that takes care of our meal prep assignment 🥰 It is really cool having a real frig and freezer.

Spaghetti, meatballs, and salad.  The first dinner.  There was a LOT of eating.

Today and tonight has been catching up with everyone and old tales:):). It's very fun for me to hear and live vicariously through them.  What a wonderful friendship was forged at the U (Univ of Minn).  They all shared so many adventures while at the U and the common thread has been "and nobody died".  This reunion is of friends who met in the dorms at the U (mens and women's sides of Pioneer Hall) in 1975, played literally every intramural sport there was together, partied together, went on canoe trips, caving trips, rock climbing trips, winter skiing trips, ... and in some cases married each other.  Tomorrow is Zip Lining.  Hopefully nobody dies.

Steve and Sandy survive the first Zip. There were a total of seven different lines, longest being 900 feet. 

 

It was Eldon's first time, likely not the last.

Left to Right:  Scott, Eldon, Steve, Sandy, Larry, Amy, and Gary.  Clara, Lynn and Gail skipped the thrill.

Group hug at the finish.  Nobody died.

Following are some domestic shots of the group at the cabin.  Wine, food, puzzles, old photo albums, patio deck fires, "why are you not retired yet?", "how many joint replacements?", ... you know.

Got anymore wine?

Wednesday was the Columbia River paddlewheel cruise and tour of the Bonneville Dam.

Brought back Eldon's father's last position as Head Lockmaster with the Corps of Engineers at the Lock and Dam #1 on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

Bonneville Dam, a major hydropower generator.

View underwater of a fish swimming through the fish gates.  

Thursday was a hike to Mirror Lake on Mt Hood.

Followed by beer and lunch at the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.  Reportedly they will be skiing into July this year.

Then of course there is still dinner back at the cabin.  Wednesday Larry and Sandy made an awesome baked salmon.  On Thursday Scott and Amy used the leftover stir fried beef and salmon to set up an awesome taco bar.  Of course there were still leftovers from that.  And nobody died from all the over-eating.

The view from the dining room table.  About 100,000 years ago the eruption would have taken out the house as it went so far as to block the Columbia River here at Hood River  About 1500 years ago the last significant eruption sent a lahar (1500 degree mud flow) down and into the river as well near where the dam is now located.  1865 was the last significant eruption but it did minimal impact onto the landscape other than some ash fall.  But, the clock is still ticking.

And then came Friday and we all had to hit the road, some taking the one less traveled than others.  Next year we are considering somewhere in Minnesota so we can induce those who do not like to fly (or drive far) to attend.

Friday 5/1/26, 73 degrees Cloudy.  Mt. Hood, OR.

Up at 8am and packed to leave the Airbnb!

Left at 10am, sunny, 60 degrees.

Our day first took us back down the Columbia River to Portland.

Clara took this photo of one of the constant trains going up and down the river, two tracks both sides.  This train is on the Washington side, going through multiple tunnels.

At Portland we went over the river into Washington (more bridges) for the Vancouver National Historical Site, essentially the first fort in Portland and on the mouth of the Columbia River.  Passport Stamp collecting costs time, mileage, and diesel but Clara got three new ones and scored the 1999 Annual Stamp Sheet, missing for years and the only one she needed.

This anchor and chain were dredged up in the Columbia River in modern times.  The anchor dates back to the 1830's but no ship big enough to justify an anchor this big is know to have visited Portland/Vancouver during the era when it would have been in use.  It is a mystery.  It is good to have mysteries, especially where no one dies.

Departing, we took the southern route around Mt Hood, and again past Mirror Lake and Timberline Lodge before turning south towards Bend. Along the way had some plain Indian bread and strawberry Lemonade from a street vendor, the kind of roadside signs we always look for.  Very good.

We always minimize highways on our navigation so on this trip, and especially here in Oregon, we were constantly encountering logging trucks.  Big, double trailer logging trucks, high speeding down the mountains.  This photo does not do them justice, just a place to talk about them.  But nobody died.

Arrived to our KOA at 4pm, 78 degrees cloudy.  Central Oregon KOA. Culver, OR. It was looking a bit "seedy" but it was clean, quiet, and we showered there.  Likely the best shower facilities we have ever seen.  Part of staying there was the ice cream social which was very good.  And plentiful.  There was also a breakfast (all you can eat) but that was only until 9am and as you can tell by now, we don't usually make it on time for that.  I personally prefer to sleep than eat.  

Saturday 5/2/26, 61 degrees, overcast.  Left KOA at 11:30am.  Headed to Bend, OR and 

visited with Kathy Brown at her home.  Great view of the snow covered mountains, the Three Sisters, yes volcanoes.  She has always loved the snow and mountains.  Kathy was part of my Amigas women's volleyball team.  She was great.  I really enjoyed having her on my team and she still remembers those fun days.

She is babysitting a Great Dane named Zarah.  She is so sweet and gentle.  Quite big and 10+ years old.  We got our dog fix by petting her.  She decided to sit on Clara.

Here are a few photos to enjoy.  The first 4 are of Clara, Kathy and Zarah.

Here is a solo of Zarah.  Wonderful dog.

Here is Kathy working on making a retaining wall to do some plant beds.  We offered to help and she scoffed at us.  She does it all. 

Here we are parked in her driveway.  We are quite appreciative of her hospitality.  She even fed us a very yummy rice and curried cauliflower meal which we had for dinner with a salad.  It left us enough for another meal.   Thanks!!!!  See you next trip.

Sunday 5/3/26, 61 degrees, sunny.  Said our goodbyes and hugs to Kathy and Zarah.  Hit the road at 9am, destination Unity (yep) Oregon.  

At Kathy's recommendation we stopped for a beer in Mitchell, at the Tiger Town Brewery.  Town has a population of maybe 100, but they have a very fine brewery and do a very nice hamburger too.  Across the street was a very eclectic "gift shop", mostly an indoor estate sale.  Clara's kind of place and a decorative yard-art ball will be making the journey home.

After Mitchell, we encountered a Geologic Interest road sign and so stopped so Eldon could explain the terrace gravels capping the sedimentary rocks which were then faulted off against some volcanic rocks.  Sigh, he had already seen all that before we stopped.

Here we are at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.  Between 40 million and 6 million years ago, this area was a tropical forest, a wetlands, a deciduous forest, a dry scrubland, and all of it regularly buried by active volcanic eruptions of lahars, lavas, and ash. Sounds like a great temporary place to live, like the bottom of Mt Hood.  Some of these fossils are the same animals that Eldon's high school group excavated outside the Badlands from 1970-1972 so of course he had to talk to the ranger about them and get frustrated by her lack of any geological knowledge, nor even interest really.  So that has been his complaint about almost all of the hundred plus National Parks, Monuments, Whatevers - no geology, just birds, mammals, plants, native people, historical events and objects, - useless stuff to the foundational underpinning of the geology of the site that made it what it became.  Blah, blah, blah, maybe he needs a hobby.

Arrived to Unity Lake campground at 4:45pm, cloudy but 71 degrees. 
We’ll be here today and tomorrow instead of staying at BLM spot today.  Hardly anyone here.  Very clean. Even has a shower.

Our Unity LTV at Unity Lake, Oregon

Eldon in his typical "office" pose.

Clara in her Blog position.

Unity Lake

Mount St. Helens ash (the white stuff) exposed in this drain pipe trench.

And speaking of hazards, this bugger is our first warning.  Of course there were the usual Rattlesnakes, Coyotes, and Mountain Lion signs, but Badges?  Moreno would have ... been smarter, hopefully.

Monday 5/4/26, 61 degrees and sunny at our camp spot in Unity, OR!  Fabulous morning.

We have been doing our part to rid Oregon of bugs as this photo shows.  These last couple of days have been murder.  But, Eldon would rather squint than clean it.  Badge of honor.  We have scheduled a full wash when we get to Las Vegas.  "Let them do the work" - Eldon.  

So, as we drive east on "The John Day Highway" [aka US 26]. you might wonder "who is John Day?"  Well, he has a river named after him, and thereby an entire geological formation, followed by a town, a National Monument, and a US highway.  WTF - how?  So, well, in the early 1800's. just after Lewis and Clark, John Day was a trapper, likely in land he did not have legal access to.  But despite that, he was heading west along the Columbia River to Vancouver with load of furs.  At the mouth of a tributary river he was accosted, beaten, stripped, robbed, and lest for dead.  But did not die.  Couple years later some other trappers said "what river is this?" and they said "this is where John Day was robbed" and so that is now history.  John Day is literally everywhere and a beautiful John Day Highway it is.  

Tuesday 5/5/26, 57 degrees and sunny!!! Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!  No Mexican food for us today.   Campground is clearing out due to fishermen went fishing already.  We are getting up now at 8am.

Showered in park and did sewer duty, some malfunction as Eldon forgot to remove the cap (to be understood later) which resulted in that pressurize "oh crap" that you only need to do once as you do eventually need to remove "that cap" and ... well pressure ...  Never to be forgotten.  Got on the road at 10am. PST.  ½ hour later we crossed into RMT, one hour later.  P = Pacific - RM = Rocky Mountain.  Just sharing.

Open fields, happy cows.  Not all of them are because there were some huge feed lots where they will have one bad day 😢.  But just one.  We bought ground beef at a coffee stand soon after.  Should be fresh.  

Just crossed the Snake River which is the boundary between Oregon and Idaho down the middle. We gambled and won that diesel would be cheaper in Idaho - yes - 20 cents.  Our destination is the Harvest Host Cold Springs Winery in Hammett Idaho.  Great time with the owners and winemaker.  Only bought 12 bottles, why have an empty space?  Did not get the Jalapeño Wine, simply because it was not in bottle yet - really a cool drink - better probably as a marinade but nice and unique.  Probably more in Eldon's culinary wheelhouse tho.  

We also were treated to another LTV "family" here.  They are 5-year LTV Unity people but have never been to a rally before. As we pulled in though, they came running out to say hello.  They are LTV family.  Portland though originally Californians.