We are careful with our RV to use engine braking to minimize “riding the brakes”. Today, we did not succeed, and when we pulled out on the way down, the brake pads were smoking quite a bit. But we made it successfully to our destination. Here are the results from a search about Teton Pass,… Continue reading Teton pass
Craters of the Moon National Monument
The Craters of the Moon National Monument was along our route, 20 miles before our campground. So we stopped at the visitor center, watched the movie, gained some info and developed a plan to return around 5PM so we could drive the scenic road, do the few short hikes, have a picnic dinner, and then… Continue reading Craters of the Moon National Monument
On the move again
When we broke down, we got towed into Burns, Oregon. At 07:30 AM on Monday morning, we called the dealer where our truck had been towed to, and they said the earliest they could take us in was September 15!!! We called two alternatives that the tow truck driver had given us, and they too… Continue reading On the move again
Need to adjust plans when things break down
OK, so the upshot is that during our trip from Fort Kamath to Burns, both in Oregon, our truck broke down. Or more precisely, we stopped to eat lunch and go to the bathroom at a safe roadside pull-over, and when we were ready to leave again, the engine cranked but did not start. We… Continue reading Need to adjust plans when things break down
Crater Lake National Park
When we get to a National Park, if we can, we like to head out to the visitor center on our arrival date, to better plan the activities of the next day. This worked out perfectly because we arrived there during the “golden hour”, which provides for the most satisfying pictures. We also had enough… Continue reading Crater Lake National Park
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Not much to see here folks… This as by far the most disappointing National Monument that we visited on this trip. The road into the monument was “fun” and we were glad that we didn’t have the RV in tow. The small visitor center building was open but unstaffed! We had a picnic lunch in… Continue reading Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Rogue Valley wineries
While the Willamette Valley is Oregon’s best known wine producing area, our current campground is in the Rogue Valley, which is one of the other official AVAs We visited two. The first was Foris Wines, and we enjoyed their wines and took some with us. The second, Augustino Estates winery has three properties, and the… Continue reading Rogue Valley wineries
Redwood State and National Parks
With our RV at our campground in Cave Junction OR, we drove south into California, just 10 miles south of us, and drove into the Redwood State and National Parks complex. We spent most of our time in the “Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park”, where we drove through a dirt road that meanders in-between giant… Continue reading Redwood State and National Parks
Lava Tube cave tour
This cave, which is part of the Newberry volcano structure was created through the emptying of an underground lava tube, back when the volcano was active. Due to cuts to the National Parks, this cave wasn’t open to the public, and is only accessible via private tour-operator access. It was very interesting, and unlike other… Continue reading Lava Tube cave tour
Newberry National Volcanic Monument
We read a lot, but I had never heard of the Newberry volcano before. That changed today. We started off at the visitor center and hiked the trail right outside it. We certainly were unaware that the Newberry volcano is the biggest volcano in the USA ( I thought it was Yellowstone). This main be… Continue reading Newberry National Volcanic Monument