Wine, wine, more wine!

Now that is a title I can handle.

The wine tasting area of Walla Walla is separated into 4 areas, Westside, downtown, eastside and Southside.  On Wednesday we walked around downtown and went to two places.  The first was actually a group of three wineries in one tasting room.  So for the first day we tasted wines from four wineries.  On Thursday we did the Westside section, which is actually outside of Walla Walla a few miles away.  It was a nice drive with around 20 wineries in the area.  We did five wineries on this tour and really liked the Three Rivers Winery, www.threeriverswinery.com.  On Friday we did the Southside section, which also has around 20 wineries.  We went to 5 wineries on this tour and we were really impressed with the tasting rooms and views from the tasting rooms in this section. 

The wines made here use grapes from the Walla Walla area and the Columbia River Valley area.  The Walla Walla wines tend to be much more expensive, $30 plus per bottle as the supply of grapes is limited.  Columbia River wines are in the $20 plus per bottle range.  All the wineries we visited, just like in Oregon, are small and produce 1,000 plus cases, so that also drives up the price.  We bought a bottle, or two, of our favorite from each winery.  Average price probably was around $30 per bottle.  Great red wines (Syrah, Cab and blends stand out).

Back to my previous post Walla Walla, WA.  It is a pop song!  Here are the lyrics:

Hey Witch Doctor give us the magic words
Alright you go uh eeh uh ah ah, ting tang walla walla bing bang
Alright!
Uh eeh uh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang (x6)
I told the witch doctor I was in love with you. (x2)
And then the witch doctor he told me what to do
He told me.
Uh eeh uh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang (x4)
I told the witch doctor you didnt love me truth.
I told the witch doctor you didnt love me nice.
And then the witch doctor he gave me this advice.
Uh eeh uh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang (4x)
Youve been keeping you love from just like you were a miser.
And I'll admit I wasnt very smart.
So I went out to find myself a guy thats so much wiser
And he told me the way to win your heart.
Uh eeh uh ah ah (x3)
Uh eeh uh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang
Uh eeh uh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang (x4)

Coffee anyone?

Just curious as to how the northwest got so associated with coffee and do they actually consume more coffee?  Starting with Redding, California and now all the way into Walla Walla, Washington we see in every town so many drive thru coffee stands.  Just about every major intersection has one and they are, from their names, different companies.  Even the little town of Myrtle Creek, Oregon where we stopped had a couple.

The other interesting item is that you do not pump your own gas in Oregon or Washington.  Each gas station is called “mini-serve”.  There is an attendant who takes your payment and pumps the gas.  It actually takes longer if the station has multiple customers as there is only one attendant on duty to handle all customers.  I sort of like it as the diesel pump is usually always as mess and stinks so letting someone else pump it is fine with me.  The “mini-serve” service does not seem to increase the price as we have found diesel to be about the same price as it was in other states. 

Started our Washington wine tasting today with a walk through the downtown of Walla Walla.  Many wineries have tasting rooms downtown and we stopped at the ones that were open during the week (just a couple).  As expected, great Syrah’s and Pinot Noir’s.  We will most likely do a couple of other sections of the tasting map for this area.  There must be over 50 wineries in this area. 

Walla Walla, WA

(Sounds like the chorus from a pop song)

We drove from Portland to Walla Walla, Washington today.  The best part of the drive was going through the Columbia River Gorge.  In my previous post I showed some pictures on our drive on the scenic highway.  Today we went on Interstate 84, which is right next to the scenic highway and is actually the old scenic highway in places.  The views were spectacular for many miles until we cleared the gorge and moved into eastern Oregon.  We even saw a herd of Rams on the side the hill as we drove by on the interstate.

We pulled into Walla Walla at an RV park I scoped out in advance via the internet.  It seems really nice an is reasonably priced.  The only issue is they are resurfacing the asphalt sections so they put us on the edge of the park in a grass space, which is very nice, but it meant I had to do my first back-in since we started.  I performed perfectly (pat on the back!).

Here is a picture of our rig in its space

Here is a picture of the view from our back window

We stopped in Walla Walla as it is about half way between Portland and Spirit Lake, Idaho, where we are headed next, plus it was recommended to us by one of the wineries we visited earlier as the place to stop to do tastings of Washington wines.  So, that is what we will be doing the next couple of days, tasting wine!

Camping Resources

I was talking with my daughter today and she was asking about our process on selecting where we are going to stay.  Her and her friends who read the blog wanted to know.  So this posting is for you….

Presently we have an outline in mind of where we want to head to.  Part of it is dictated by being in a certain place for an event, which for now is Idaho by May 7th.  Towards that we select a route, preferably scenic and then look at possible stops along that route, about 200 to 250 miles apart.  We then use our camping guides, Woodall’s and AAA, to look where RV parks are located.  Once we find some RV Parks then we use the computer to do additional research to prepare a list of places acceptable.  We are looking for big rig friendly parks, good site width so we are comfortable and a reasonable price.  We also enter the park name into Google which then gives you reviews of the parks, so you can see what people who have stayed there are saying.  In addition we use Google Earth to view the park from the air to see what the area is around it and does it match with what they are saying in their write-up.  We generally do not make reservations at a park and have not had an issue yet.  The reason for this is we like to check the park out first before deciding, plus if you change your mind while driving then you are out that first night’s cost as a cancellation fee.  We have also learned, the hard way, to only pay for a couple of nights at a time as plans change or you end up not liking the park for some reason and if you leave they do not refund unused nights. 

On the road we may change our mind on where to stop because we see a nice area or were delayed while driving for some reason.  If this is the case we then have our new tablet computer, Motorola Xoom, available to use to do the research on the fly, plus our GPS has AAA tour book information built into it.

We are members of the Good Sam club and KOA so we do get 10% discounts at parks affiliated with either of those.  We have met fellow full timers who have mentioned Passport America, Camp Club USA and Thousand Trails as additional organizations you can join to get discounts.  We have looked into each of those but are not sure due to the many restrictions on Passport America and Camp Club USA and the high cost for Thousand Trails. 

So far our process has worked fairly well.  We were disappointed with the KOA in West Sacramento but generally satisfied with all the others we have been to.  The one in Redding was selected while driving as we changed our mind and that ended up being one of the nicest places we have stayed. 

Impressive!

Pictures from the Columbia River Scenic Highway

Portland, Oregon (Actually Troutdale, OR)

We have made it to the Portland area and rain is still in the forecast along with cold nights and mild days.  Winter is still hanging on!

We drove here from Myrtle Creek on Wednesday and stayed in the parking lot of the Camping World in Wood Village, Oregon.  Why in the Camping World parking lot you ask?  Previously in the week we decided to go forward with the purchase of a roof mounted automatic satellite dish.  Since we average about two set-ups and take downs of the satellite dish each week and we were encountering problems in getting the dish aligned we felt this was a better way to go.  The cost was significant and that was the main reason why we passed on doing this early.  Fortunately they were having a sale on the dish we wanted plus we had a coupon for 50% off on the installation, so those two things made it somewhat more easier to go for it.  Our appointment was for 8 am on Thursday so they allowed us to stay in their parking lot with an electrical hook-up provided.

The install was supposed to take half a day but ended up being the entire day (5pm).  We got the trailer and went to an RV park just down the road.  It is a very nice park with level, concrete spaces and nice separation between spaces.

Here is a picture of our dish on the trailer.

Set up now involves pushing the power button on the control box.  About 2 minutes later the dish is aligned and the receivers are getting shows.  The downside is it is permanently mounted so trees and buildings can be a factor in blocking the dish.  We still have our old dish as a backup, just in case.

Coos Bay

We are still in Myrtle Creek, Oregon and realized that since we have made it west we have yet to to go the coast or see the ocean.  We rectified that on Monday by taking a drive over to the Oregon coast.  About 80 miles west of us is Coos Bay and Charleston, which are right on the Oregon coast.  It was a beautiful drive through the hills and spectacular views at the coast.  We stopped for lunch at the Portside Restaurant in the Charleston marina then took a scenic drive through the state park that is there.  The scenic drive reminded us of the 17 mile drive in Big Sur, California.  Here are some pictures.

As it is officially been two months since we started this adventure, here is an updated interstate map showing our travels to date.

If you compare this one with the one month picture you will notice we have slowed down significantly.  We now travel about 200 miles then stay for around 4 days before moving on.  It is much more relaxing and spreads out the gas expense!  (Diesel is around $4.25/gallon in Oregon).

Oregon Wines

We left Kool April Nites in Redding, CA on Friday and drove about 200 miles north on Interstate 5 stopping in Myrtle Creek, OR.  This is between Medford and Roseburg.  I had scoped out a nice campground about 2 miles off the interstate, Tri-City RV Park.  The description and satellite picture proved to be correct.  It is a small park that is nicely maintained with level concrete spaces and grass in between sites.  The best part is the 360 degree view you have.  Here are a couple of pictures of our views.

The downside is the rain.  I am writing this on Sunday morning and it has just stopped raining for the first time since we got here.  It does make the place very green!

On Saturday we went exploring.  This area is a wine region for Oregon (Umpqua Valley).  It is home to about 20 or so boutique wineries.  They each produce around 1000 cases per year and sell locally or just at the winery.  Seems that the best wines in this area are Pinot Noirs and Syrah’s with some dry white wines that are also very good.  Here is the wine tour map for the area.

We started north near Sutherlin with the Reustle Prayer Rock winery.  From all the wineries we have visited this one ranks at the top of the list.  The winery itself is beautiful and then for the tasting you go into their cave and sit in a small alcove where you are presented 5 wines with paired appetizers.  It was a great experience.

From there we visited 3 other wineries nearby and then called it a day as the rain had started to come quite hard and we were competing with a wine tour event for the area that had 5 bus loads of people visiting the wineries in the valley.  Also, they pour generously at each winery so 4 was enough.   Since these are small wineries you are meeting the owners, who are the winemakers, at each stop and they were all very nice and enjoyable to talk to.

Kool April Nites

Here in Redding they have an annual car show called Kool April Nites.  It is this weekend and we will miss the events as we are leaving on Friday and our RV park is full with people showing cars or coming to the show.  But the upside is we get to see the cars as they come in and talk with the owners.  Next to our site is a family taking up 3 sites with motorhomes.  The father has a Shelby Cobra and his two sons have Mustang GT’s.  They are all restored and in pristine condition.  I could not resist getting a picture of the Cobra for any of you that are into restored classic cars.

This car weighs just over 2000 pounds and has a 427 engine in it.  I commented that it could go airborne.  It is not an original but rather a replica built from a kit, but you would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

Today we took our bikes on an hour ride on the Sacramento River Trail.  It is a very nice trail that follows the river from the Sundial Bridge.  It was amazing to see some of the homes on the cliffs way above the river.  We followed up the ride with lunch at Buz’s Crab Market and Restaurant (www.buzscrab.com).  This was the only restaurant in our Road Food book for Redding.  Fortunately they did have chicken nuggets on the menu for Fran.

Relaxing in Redding

As mentioned in my previous post we decided to stay in Redding till the end of this week as the weather going north, through the Cascades, is still somewhat wintery.  Here in Redding it has been very pleasant, usually getting close to 70 during the day and just below 50 at night.  With this beautiful weather we ventured out to take a Sunday drive into the local mountains where we did a short hike to a small waterfall.

We then had lunch in French Gulch, which is an old mining town with a bed and breakfast  and restaurant.  The building is something like 150 years old. 

Finally after almost 2 months out we went golfing at a local course.  It had been almost 6 months since the last time either of us golfed and it definitely showed.  It was a beautiful day and you cannot beat the skyline!

As it appears the weather on US 97 through the Cascades will only marginally improve we most likely will be heading north via Interstate 5.  It seems it is just a little to early in the year to be exploring the mountains of Oregon.  I guess we will have to come back later.

Brown to Green to……White?

Driving from Bakersfield to West Sacramento the landscape is mostly dirt and rock, brown.  Leaving the Sacramento area via Interstate 5 the landscape becomes more green and the temperatures started getting a little cooler.  We had originally decided to proceed to Red Bluff, CA but enroute we changed our mind and decided to go to Redding as it seemed it had more to offer (sorry Red Bluff).  With our new toy, Motorola Xoom tablet, Fran was able to research the RV park offerings in the Redding area and we decided on JGW RV Park.  On the way we stopped for lunch in Corning, CA at the Olive Pit restaurant (not Olive Garden).  We had seen their roadside signs about olive oil and olive tasting plus a restaurant and they had RV parking.  They had good sandwiches and lots of olives and oils to taste.  Neither of us were aware that olives are grown in this part of California.  I tried Olives stuffed with mushrooms, stuffed with garlic, stuffed with sun-dried tomato and that was only a small sampling of the offerings.

We arrived at JGW RV Park and were pleased with our selection.  It is a very nice park, well maintained with long level sites and the rates were very reasonable. 

Ok, now for the white part of this post title.  Our plan was to stay here in Redding for a few days then continue on with our route to Spirit Lake, ID where we are meeting up with friends the first week of May.  The direct route would be to go off Interstate 5 at Weed, CA and go on Route 97, which takes you through Klamath Falls and near Crater Lake.  Well, this means driving in the Cascade Mountains, where winter is still here.  While at the RV park office I was talking to some new arrivals and they said they had just come from the north, Klamath Falls, and the weather was snow and sort of ugly.  As I walked back to the trailer it began to rain and the drops were hitting my shirt as ice!  Back at the trailer I checked weather.com and learned that it is not getting much above freezing in the area where we wanted to stop next.  So, presently we have two options, one is to stay here in Redding for a few extra days to see what happens with the weather in the mountains or, the second option, to proceed via Interstate 5 and hit all the big cities of Oregon.  Nice thing is we have lots of time and where we are it is beautiful.  Oh the choices!!!!

Sacramento, CA

We left Bakersfield this morning and proceeded to Sacramento.  On the way we made a stop in Modesto to see where Fran’s father is buried.  He died in 2009 with Fran and her brother and sisters being told about it (by the new wife) months after it happened.  They were never told about any service or such for him.  For those in the family, here is a picture of his niche

From there we drove to West Sacramento as there was a KOA campground that seemed nice.  WRONG!  Generally we have been very happy with KOA’s and this one looked good via Google Earth and from the write-ups.  Actually it is all rock and dirt sites and really just average.  We only paid for two nights and most likely will move on.  Here is a picture of our site.

A little disappointed with this selection, but that is going to happen once in awhile. 

The issue that is nagging me at the moment is our DirecTV.  It has been hit or miss in setting it up over the past few weeks and I am frustrated trying to diagnose the issue.  So far I have spent around $300 buying a new dish, a digital meter and a back up standard definition dish, and still am having difficulty locating the satellite.  I never had this problem before.  I spoke with DirecTV tonight to see if I can get a service tech to come out to the trailer and check out my system and give me some instruction on set up procedures.  They first want me to try a couple of things, and if they do not work, then call back and they will arrange for a local tech to come out.

Bakersfield–What a hoot!

So we spent almost a week in Bakersfield (I know, it seemed like a year, ha ha).  The weather was great and we had a great time with Fran’s cousins.  On the last night, while Fran was visiting with them, Fran figured it out, they are like the TV show Brothers and Sisters.   You can get exhausted with the flow and pace of a conversation, I know I did! 

I kid, because they were a blast to be around and it was fun catching up as we had not seen each other in 20 years. 

As for local culture, Fran was treated, by her cousins, to an evening at the Crystal Palace.  It is a local entertainment venue started by Buck Owens, who is a big thing here in Bakersfield.  Fran had fun and, to my amazement, did not drink any shots.  I, on the other hand, stayed back and watched the NCAA tournament.

In addition we gave our bikes a workout taking them two days to the Kern River bike trail.  We rode for an hour each day and paid the price!

The people you meet

(FYI – there are going to be multiple posts today as I catch up.  I wanted to put them under specific titles instead of just one big post).

While still in Bakersfield this Monday we got some new neighbors next to us.  It was a couple from Poland, Maine.  Obviously being that far from their home state prompted a conversation to see what they were up to.  Fran started first with the lady while both were in the laundry room.  When they returned the man came over and we all sat around and talked for a few hours.  They are into antique cars and travel around the U.S. going to antique car flea markets where they sell parts and books that they have written.  It was fascinating talking to them to learn about antique cars, not restored!  He finds original parts for antique cars and uses them on the 4 cars he owns and then sells the rest at flea markets.  In addition he has written a book on the history of antique cars in Maine.  What was so fascinating was to hear about the 4 cars he has.  You see he is not into restoring antique cars so they look beautiful, he finds cars in good shape and then replaces what is not working with original parts so that he ends up with a working antique car that has all original parts.  He has a 1904 truck that has the original paint, canvas top and tires.  Can you believe those things would last over a 100 years.  We had a great time talking to them.  

This is one of the best parts or traveling around is meeting so many different people and hearing there stories and travels.

Bakersfield

We left Pomona on Wednesday with no incident.  We were able to clear all the trees and no tears to the roof.  This was only after I walked multiple routes in the park to heck for any issues.

Our nest destination was Bakersfield where Fran has some relatives.  It was only a 3 hour drive from Pomona with some LA traffic and having to climb and descend the Grapevine (Interstate 5).  The truck did well pulling the trailer up and down the hill.  The integrated engine brake got a full workout on the descent!

Bakersfield has numerous RV parks, many of which looked and sounded very nice from internet research.  We settled on one, A Country RV Park, that was a little removed from the busiest parts of the city.  It has really nice spaces, wide and level with some trees and grass to break up the concrete and asphalt.  Since we arrived fairly early in the day we got and end space which is nice as we only have a neighbor on one side.

The park fills up each night with overnighters, but the park is quiet and very clean.

Probably here until early next week.  Our next destination is up in the air but most likely we will work our way north to Oregon.  If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment.