[Best seen wth the "HD" option here] Highlighting our occasional travel without the RV, we’ve just returned from a visit to western Scotland and the nearby Scottish Isles of the Inner Hebrides. Our trip was with a group of university alumni groups, including a number of professors who provided a series of lectures on the history of the places we’d visit. We arrived in Glasgow a few days before the boat departed to give our internal clocks a chance to adjust. After that it was a kaleidoscope of images. We visited museums, ancient castles and abbeys, remote but colorful old villages, scenic countrysides, and took the 42 mile trip on the Jacobite Steam Train (aka “Hogwarts Express”). Several towns visited in the Hebrides had no docking facilities, so the boat anchored and we went ashore using the boats tenders. The return trip included a stopover in Dublin, plus a day tour in Wales. The trip ended by crossing the English Channel to Normandy, where we visited the incredible scenes of D Day. The latter can’t really be described with pictures. It can only be experienced. Stephanie will be adding a “Postcard” with further descriptions shortly.
Another morning, another moose...
Alaska Update: The short clip below is an unedited real life depiction of RVing the Alaska Highway early in the travel season. More importantly, for those who might contemplate taking this trip, and possibly do one-way on the Alaska ferry, we’ve posted a short updated summary of things you’ll want to know. See: http://www.rversonline.org/ArtAlaskaUpdate.html This is a quick primer on booking passage on the ferry. And also some key current tips for driving the most challenging sections of the highway, which are in the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia.
Another quick report from a fleeting WiFi signal in far northern British Columbia. Wildlife abounds here in the early season, and most RVers have not yet made the trek this far north. Wood Bison, a species that nearly became extinct, have been re-introduced and can now be found roaming this area. They are darker and a bit larger than their prairie cousins much farther south. And as we learned only after our first encounter, they can be quite dangerous. Here we managed to catch one just outside the passenger window of the Navion. We’d stopped to take a picture from a greater distance, but he accommodated us by strolling past the open passenger window of the RV.
As we continue our temporary “life without wheels” waiting for the scheduled late October delivery of our new “downsized” motorhome (Itasca Navion), we continue our description of “alternative travel”. In this case it’s aboard the “Silver Shadow”, a small cruise ship that departed Seward Alaska and crossed the north Pacific to the Russian “far east”. There was some international intrigue along the way (more on that in next update); but meantime Stephanie’s posted a note on our regular website describing just what it’s like having several contiguous “at sea” days. There’s nothing in the RVing world quite like it, unless you’ve bookdocked in some lonely spot in the desert southwest. Here at sea it’s even more isolated than that in many respects. However we’ve learned that being “at sea” does not mean there’s nothing going on. Quite the opposite — even on this comparatively very small cruise ship. See www.rversonline.org/Postcards.html
Our recent posts have been lacking on RV travel reports, because we’re still in the process of completing the “downsizing” project. Our 34’ diesel pusher is sold; and we don’t take delivery on our new Itasca Navion (25’) until November. Most RVers can’t stay in one place that long — and we can’t either. So we’re about to depart on a non-RV adventure that will take us through the Aleutian Islands and across the north Pacific to land on the Kamchatka Peninsula — which is in Siberia. Then south to some far north Japanese ports before the return flight to Portland from Tokyo. We do intend to offer some updates here on this very unusual itinerary. We’ll be aboard what appears to be a fairly small ship (fewer than 200 cabins) for the waters we’ll be crossing. More to come — but for now a quick look at the ports of call we’ll be reporting on shortly...
Most RV travelers would agree with the notion that “Getting there is half the fun”. And many of us have come to recognize that some heavily used routes (I-5 through California anyone?) are not only a never-ending parade of commercial trucks, but can be downright boring. Too often we choose the route that gets us where we’re going as quickly as possible. Ah, but what we often miss when we make those hasty choices. Such is the case with the seasonally available option to drive US 395 between Reno, Nevada and Lone Pine, California. The road is excellent, traffic (especially commercial) is predictably light, and the views are spectacular. It’s seasonal because the route varies from high to higher elevations, with two of the passes topping 8,000 feet. But because this is the “dry side” of the Sierras, it's generally spared the intensity of winter storms. We recently made the drive south from Oregon to the southern California desert area. While California, like the other western states, would welcome more snow, on this early March trip, the road was completely snow-free. It was a welcome alternative to the less scenic and truck-laden Interstate 5 between the northwest and Southern California. In particular we’d note the under-appreciated section of 395 between Bishop and Lone Pine. Here the highway is at a lower elevation, and the towering peaks and ridges of the Sierra seem even higher and more spectacular. There’s a particular stretch just south of Lone Pine where the highest peaks of the Sierras serve as an incredibly scenic backdrop to the Alabama Hills — a much closer steep rocky ridge known for its frequent use in hollywood films. Plan to spend a day or more here, exploring both the Hills and as far up into the Sierras as the remote access roads will take you. There are several options for RV camping — ranging from a very good commercial RV park to public parks — and even some very remote dry camping areas at higher elevations west
There is an amazing history to the Panama Canal. But there’s nothing quite like the experience of traveling through it on a ship. Our final report on this adventure describes and depicts this unique unique opportunity. See: http://www.rversonline.org/Postcards.html
A Quick Update: This note comes from a very shaky internet connection aboard our small (36 cabins) ship “Variety Voyager”, at sea off the coast of Costa Rica. We’ll have much to report on shortly — but by way of status we’ve now transited the Panama Canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific; and subsequently have been tracking northwesterly the coast of Costa Rica. En route we’ve visited a tribal village (accessible only via dugout canoe) more primitive that we thought still existed in Central America; and been ashore at incredibly remote locations that offered both pristine beaches beaches and exploration of the tropical rain forests that are immediately behind. We’ve seen no other “cruise ships” — and for that fact almost no people. Larger cruise ships could not navigate into the areas we’ve been. We’ll be reporting in some detail on this interesting adventure that others may want to consider when planning a trip that goes beyond the limitations of RV travels. Meantime just a quick peek at a fascinating phenomenon we’ve experienced: periodically we seem to have an escort of dolphins that join us from time to time as we make our way through the warm tropical seas….
While our adventures in Iceland and Greenland have been fully reported here in commentary, there’s just one final piece we’d like to add before our return to RV travels. It is a short compendium of pix and clips that give a flavor of Greenland that defies description with words. Note especially the fleeting glimpses of “color”. Here’s a 90-second final look at an amazing country that’s roughly ⅓ the size of the lower 48, but with a population of little more than 50,000 persons. The country is of course covered with the polar ice cap, which gives way only along parts of the coastal areas that surround this huge island. 10% of the planet’s fresh water is “stored” here. Incredibly some water-deprived middle east countries are actively pursuing strategies to tow huge icebergs their way. It’s estimated that a single iceberg measuring 100 meters square at the surface (remember, 85% of the mass is under water) could provide enough fresh water for the personal, household and agricultural needs of a city of 10,000 persons. So far efforts have failed. But the quest continues… [Note - apologies to a very few who may have seen a previous version of this piece on my personal FB page]
We often realize in our RV travels that we tend to feature “new-to-us” discoveries, but sometimes overlook a few of the RV gems that are practically in our own backyard. Such is the case with a favorite RV destination of ours. Located fewer than 30 miles from our home in Florence, Oregon, and just south of Reedsport, Oregon is Winchester Bay, and one of our favorite RVing spots, Winchester Bay RV Resort. The resort, designed by premier RV design consultant Rich Stockwell for the local port authority, offers full amenities. It has widely spaced, carefully landscaped sites, and a spacious “Marine Activity Center” capable of hosting large groups in style. Winchester Bay is an area where a number of favorite outdoor activities come together in one place. It is adjacent to a vast portion of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area; great ocean fishing, with excellent seasonal salmon runs; one of the best crabbing areas on the Oregon coast, and a retreat from the extreme hot summer weather found further inland. While the RV Resort provides the most upscale of options, excellent dry camping areas abound. On the east side of the Bay, three short peninsulas extend into the Marina, and offer dry camping. Drive a short distance west toward the ocean, and camp along the spit of land separating the ocean beaches from the never ending sand dunes. These dunes provide world class riding for owners of quads, sand rails, and other off-road vehicles.
While camping at Winchester Bay, note the blue-grey building with the large word "oysters" painted on its side. This is the home of Umpqua Aquaculture, a must-try oyster shucking facility, which supplies gourmet restaurants along the west coast, and has a tiny fresh oyster market. Here you can pick up just-harvested oysters either in the shell or already shucked, as well as the condiments necessary to turn them into a gourmet meal. Winchester Bay town offers a number of small speciality shops, and you'll find s
ENNIS RV VILLAGE: This short video is really about three superlatives. The first is Ennis, Montana, a small town in the heart of the Madison Valley — about an hour north of Yellowstone National Park. The Madison River is a world class trout stream, and the town is virtually surrounded by stunning mountain peaks.
A second superlative is the Ennis Village RV resort, located on the northern edge of town. We discovered this resort several years ago. and we’ve detoured ever since to visit Ennis and this particular spot. It’s clearly a “destination” RV resort; you’ll find plenty of guests who come only for the fabled trout fishing. Ennis’ trout “mascots" , beautifully painted, three dimensional trout sculptures can be found all over this western style town. Ennis is close enough to Yellowstone National Park that you can easily make day trips into that area, without having to cope with the crowded camping conditions that you can often find within the Park’s boundaries.
And yet there’s a third reason to be here: The Continental Divide restaurant is immediately adjacent to the RV park. There is no other place we’ve found that offers such an exquisite dining opportunity immediately adjacent to a quality RV park. The restaurant is comparatively small, rustic, and truly outstanding in its cuisine. We’ve found ourselves detouring quite a few miles from an intended route to dine here — and stay at the next-door Ennis RV Village.
The most significant “find” for RVers in our current series surely has to be Powell Campground, located near nowhere along US Highway 12 between Lowell, Idaho and Lolo, Montana — a 110 mile stretch mostly along the wild and scenic Lochsa River. On a map it’s identified as “Powell Junction”, although there is no junction here, and certainly no “town”. It’s more easily found nearest milepost 162 about 12 miles west of Lolo Pass. There are several primitive Forest Service campgrounds between Lowell and the Idaho/Montana border. And many are attractive in their own right. But Powell truly stands out both because 22 of its 34 sites are situated in a loop that offers 30/50 amp electric; and because it is a mere 5 minutes’ walk to the outstanding small historic outpost known as Lochsa Lodge. All of the sites in the electric service area are well separated, have long, wide paved surfaces, and access to hiking, fishing, white water adventures, ATV trails, and lots of documented history of the Lewis and Clark party passing through this area — going west in 1805, and returning east in 1806. Facilities include washrooms with flush toilets; and water is available at several spots in the campground. In addition to the 22 sites with electric service, there are 10 dry camping sites, again all very large with settings carefully matched to the surrounding forest. The Lochsa River runs behind a number of the sites, both in the electric and primitive sites. Some (not all) of the sites can be reserved online — which would be wise in peak season and on weekends. The nearby Lochsa Lodge is a well maintained log structure that is a perfect fit for the wilderness landscape. Surrounded by a handful of cabins and landscaped lawns surrounded by pine forest, you can enjoy a nice meal, patronize the small pub, or just relax on the back deck overlooking the quintessential idyllic mountain setting. Highway 12 is an exceptionally scenic route, and provides th
While we did not intend to include really small snippets in this series, somewhat by coincidence we did send a report back to some friends today that were looking for a suitable RV park in Yakima WA. On paper at least, RV park options here are somewhat limited. Reviews of local parks are generally luke warm. We’re actually in Yakima at the moment for a grandson’s high school graduation — with our RV parked in our daughter’s driveway. We’d contemplated staying elsewhere in town, which is why we’re able to appreciate the paucity of “persuasive" information on local RV park options. Since some friends from Florence asked us to take a peek at the “Yakima Sportsman’s State Park”, and we were not aware of it, we did take a quick drive through of the park to be able to report back. We actually sent a short video, along with our quite positive written description of our impressions. After the fact it occurred to us that maybe others might like to have this information, and decided to include they little video piece here as well. This is a very attractive State park, with three tiers of pricing that reflect the extent of amenities available at each site. Without elaborating, we’d simply note we found the most attractive sites were on a pair of small loops, and numbered between 17 and 36 inclusive. We were impressed by the friendliness of the ranger managing the park, and clearly this is a nice option to consider for those traveling to or thought the Yakima area.
En route to Yakima, we’ve stopped over at Maryhill State Park, on the Washington side of the Columbia River approximately 100 miles east of Portland. We’ve stayed here many times, and enjoy the huge grassy area shaded by a virtual forest of cottonwood trees. While the riverside sites are most popular, the interior sites are also unusually spacious, sharing literally acres of this park setting. Water and 50 amp power are available at each site, and there is a common dump area near the entrance. We’ll go out of our way to stay here if we’re traveling anywhere in the area, because the Columbia River Gorge area is one of the places RVers truly enjoy. Nearby attractions include a replica of Stonehenge and the spectacular Maryhill winery, which in addition to a winery is an outdoor events venue that likely has the world’s most scenic view. I’ll append a little video below that offers just a small hint of the flavor here on this gorgeous early summer afternoon.
Paradise Campground, Willamette NF
