June 2012 Another Oregon Visit!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 To Oregon
Day 1: Wednesday, Home to Anderson, CA Walmart via SR99, I-5: 207 miles
After all the work of loading the coach and shutting off the house, we headed north at 1030. It was a breezy, warm day. We bucked the wind all the way to Anderson, CA where we chose to spend the night. We had planned to drive on up to Yreka, but it had been a long day so we dropped the jacks early.
Lovely Wifey putting up with the journey part of RVing. She's all about the destination!
It was hot in Anderson, about 95°. We ran the air conditioner all day and a bit even after we went to bed. We enjoyed shopping in the Walmart SuperCenter for the few things we needed, plus dinner from their deli. Mmmmm. We hit the sack about 2200, and it was a tough night.
Jacks down for the night at Anderson, CA Walmart. Thank God for the air conditioner!
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Thursday, Day 2: Anderson, CA to Talent, OR via I-5: 147 miles
During the night I had leg cramps like never before for some reason, and Lavonne didn’t sleep so well either, due to my tossing and getting up for cramps. Even so, we awoke in the morning feeling rested and looked forward to the day’s drive to Medford and our visit with Al and Betty. We were on the road around 0830, and continued our drive north on I-5.
I always go nuts taking too many photos of the sights along I-5. The Sacramento River, Shasta Lake, Castle Craigs, etc. are just too photogenic to resist! Every trip this way is posted on the RV site with the same photos taken on different dates! But I don’t tire of posting them.
Crossing the Sacramento River at Red Bluff.
Shasta Lake - looking pretty full!
Castle Craigs just north of Shasta Lake.
Beautiful Mt. Shasta!
We met Al and Betty, my old high school buddy and his new wife, at the Talent, OR Walmart store. We planned to spend the night there, so left the coach in the lot and went off to lunch together. After lunch we visited over apple pie and ice cream at their lovely home in Medford. It’s always good to visit with them – especially when they pass around dessert!
My old high school buddy (and I do mean old; class of '57), Al (R to L), his new bride, Betty, my wife Lavonne, and me after a great meal at the Spicers Restaurant in Medford, Oregon.
Around 1630
they drove us back to the coach for the night. The weather was sunny and comfy
and a bit breezy. Our stay in the coach that evening was very comfortable – and
we didn’t need to run the AC at all.
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Friday, Day 3: Talent, OR to Winston, OR via I-5: 106 miles
The night at Talent was quiet and restful inside the coach – even though a reefer parked nearby during the night. We never heard it thanks to our “white sound” machine. We awoke rested and refreshed. After morning chores and a trip into the store, we drove to the Walmart lot in Medford and joined Al and Betty for breakfast at a nearby restaurant.
Jacks down at Talent, OR Walmart, near Medford. A park like setting, indeed!
After a good breakfast and visit with Al and Betty, it was time to hit the road. It was just a bit over 100 miles to Winston, and it is as pretty a section of I-5 as one will find anywhere.
A view along I-5 en route to the Roseburg area of Oregon. It's just a gorgeous state.
...more of the same gorgeous Oregon countryside.
We drove north on I-5 to Winston during the morning hours and thoroughly enjoyed the drive. We arrived at our friends’ home in Winston a bit after noon, and parked the coach on their flat, large lot, tucked away and well off the road. Rich has two adjoined lots, and in the designated RV parking spot Rich has installed a 30 amp plug and even a nearby dump to the sewer. I plugged the coach into the power supply, drained the grey holding tank through a hose into the adjacent vacant lot, filled the fresh water tank from his hose, and we were set for a few days.
We have a bad habit, when visiting Rich and Juanita, of eating out every single meal. We all love to do so, but it is nevertheless a bad habit. We, or perhaps more properly, I, overeat almost every meal. We had lunch with them at a nearby Chinese restaurant, and dinner at a KFC in nearby Roseburg. Ugh. It was too much of a good thing, and I enjoyed every bite!
Lavonne, (L toR) Juanita, Rich and I just passing the time as old folks are inclined to do.
We had a
good time visiting old friends, and soon enough it was time to retire to the
coach and hit the sack. And there would be more visiting and eating for the
duration!
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Saturday, Day 4, Jacks down at the Poelstras.
The laying about and overeating (at least on my part) continued through this day of visiting. We went to breakfast at a rather nice downtown restaurant in Roseburg known as “Mark V”. It was an older place, but well run and served excellent food. We drove about town after breakfast, including looking at homes in a senior gated community known as “Little Brook”. We’ve checked the place last year, and is a lovely community. We even visited one place for sale by owner, and had a nice tour of the place.
Jacks down at the Poelstra's lovely little ranchette. Everything in sight was built by Rich except for the main structures which he has greatly improved upon since they bought this place as a bare lot.
We napped in
the afternoon, visited the Poelstras in their home, and went to a Mexican
restaurant for dinner. After sitting around the front yard on a perfect
evening, we bid one another good night and headed into the coach for the night.
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Sunday, Day 4, Fathers Day, continued at rest at the Poelstras.
Rich and I began our day by driving down to the local MickeyD’s where he ordered a relatively low-calorie egg burrito, and I ordered two fat boy egg and sausage sandwiches. It seems I just can’t control my eating while on the road. I have a lot of making up to do at home.
The old Dutch farmer, Rich, tending his crops of 'maters, zucchini, asparagus, etc. on their little ranchette in Winston, Oregon.
Late in the morning we headed out for a drive around the area looking for properties we might like in the area. It is my dream to mover there one day, soon, as Kalifornistan continues its downward spiral to third world status.
In the evening we went to a local attraction known as Noah’s Ark. It is a building near the size of the real Ark, and the folks there try valiantly to make the place an educational experience about Old Testament stories. A gospel group sang songs as the night’s attraction, but there were few folks who visited and fewer yet who likely appreciated the effort of those very dedicated older folks who make this ministry their life’s work.
We sat
around the front yard after the Ark visit, and called it a day around 2100. It
was a very restful day for all of us.
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Monday, Day 5, Winston, OR to Anderson, CA via I-5: 249 miles
The day dawned a bit cloudy and cool. We were up about 0600 and were looking forward to the trip home. We planned to have breakfast with Rich and Juanita and lunch in Medford with Al and Betty. And we planned to drive about 250 miles to Anderson for the night – maybe even further depending on how the day unfolded.
Rich and I headed to the nearby MickeyD’s for coffee and to get online with our computers since his home internet provider was offline for the second day. Of course I had to include some cinnamon melts along with my coffee. I really have to develop some discipline when I get back home!
Upon our return after Mickey D's, I busied myself dumping the holding tanks and filling the fresh water tank. The four of us then headed to Roseburg and a Denny’s restaurant for breakfast. Our visit was warm and friendly over breakfast, but the visit to Denny’s was a catastrophe. The waitress was on leave from hell, it was decided, and so was the service. She couldn’t do anything right – not that it bothered her in the least. But the food was generally Ok.
When we returned home, we bid our farewells, and then Lavonne and I boarded the coach for the trip home. It was a very nice visit with old friends, and we had enjoyed our visit with them.
Beautiful Oregon as we head south toward Medford. This is God's country!
Medford was
just a hundred miles south, and we met Al and Betty at the same Spicers
Restaurant we ate at during our visit last week. It is a pleasant little restaurant
and the food was great. We took our time over lunch, visiting and having a
great time. We wanted to land at Anderson, CA for the night, so after a couple
of hours, including a quick trip to a nearby Walmart for some things we needed,
we were back on the road.
The day was pleasant and our trip uneventful, just as I like. As we dropped down into California’s sprawling valley, the weather warmed considerably, and by the time we got to Anderson we had the air conditioner running. We spent the evening watching TV and catching up on email, etc., thanks to a nearby Starbucks’ WIFI that we used right in our coach.
We retired
for the night at 2200 and slept soundly there in the Anderson Walmart lot. It
had been a long day, and the next day we’d be home again!
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Tuesday, Day 6, Anderson, CA to Home: 205 miles
I was up before 0500 thanks to leg cramps that demand I get out of bed in a hurry and stand on the floor to make them stop. It is a miserable part of growing old, I guess. I never had such things before. I even bought some pills at Walmart for leg cramps, but in spite of taking four that night, they persisted.
Tending my bug collection at sunrise before we headed south for home.
So with that
early and unwelcome awakening, we hit the road at 0530. For a change the
seemingly endless north wind of the valley was in our favor as we streaked
south toward home. We stopped a couple of times to brew some coffee there in
the coach, and once to get enough gas to reach home.
Kalifornistan is screwed up politically, but the farmers sure are productive! Here rice paddies are growing along I-5.
...and almonds...
...and tomatoes...
...and sunflowers...
...and corn.
At 0945 we were home. It had been a pleasant trip
visiting our Oregon friends. It’s tough
coming back to the Kalifornistan I so
loath, but for now I must. Perhaps, after the
November election and the fools
who run this miserable state have passed yet more tax
increases upon us, I will
be able to convince Wifey to move to God’s Country: Oregon!
