Chimacum

Our temporary spot at the Chimacum Escapees Park

It's been several days since the last post. Here's an update of events:

Friday I went back to school. The Delta Windshield Company, from which I obtained equipment in the past, offers a free one day training to it's customers. I scheduled our time in Eugene so that I could participate in their seminar. Very practical and well organized. Each "desk" had a 2 ft. by 2ft piece of windshield glass mounted upright. The glass had been well abused, with chips, bulls eyes, and star breaks. After a Power Point presentation, we began repairing the abused glass, attempting to bring it back to an acceptable level. Several technicians circulated, giving tips and specific instructions. It was interesting from an instructional standpoint as well as observing how a young, small company operates. Even in the recession, Delta is doing well through aggressive promotion and emphasizing the money saving ecological aspects of repairing windshields rather than replacing them. The staff of five people are young and enthusiastic, and determined to make a success of their company. Refreshing to see.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

Saturday we headed-out to complete our northwestern trip, arriving at Chimacum in the mid afternoon. Lots of traffic on the road. We took I 5 almost all the way up from San Diego, and it is interesting how the quality of road varied as we crossed State lines. California has the worst maintained section by far. The majority of the road was bumpy, with breaks in the concrete being common. As soon as Oregon was entered, the road became smooth and well maintained. Washington also has a well maintained road - though not quite as good as Oregon. I'm not sure why the difference between the States. I thought the US Govt. supports road maintenance on interstates.

Nice landscaping at the Chimacum Park.

Sunday we took a quick trip into Port Townsend, a scenic little harbor town on the straits of Juan de Fuca. We got some groceries and had lunch at our favorite spot - Waterfront Pizza. Most of the stores are the same even though we haven't been here for several years. The town and area are very photogenic, so I look forward to returning regularly and shooting some of the sights.

Today was spent repairing our dining table, which suddenly collapsed. The vibration of traveling and stress from lifting the end of the table repeatedly loosened some support screws. An easy fix. In the picture below, you can see our new Engel Freezer, which lives under the table, towards the back. This is our latest major addition to Smokey's list of improvements. It runs on AC or DC current, using very little electricity but keeping things around 0 degrees. Mimi loves it, and it greatly expands our food storage capacity. It will come in handy if I can catch some Dungeness Crab...

Smokey Gets New Shoes

Today was new tire day for Smokey. We had an appointment for 9 a.m. at Les Schwabb Tires in Eugene OR. Using our handy Garmin GPS, we made it just on time from Sutherlin. Smokey's old tires have 40K miles and are six years old already. The maximum accepted age for RV tires is 6 years. There was plenty of tread on left on them, but the sidewall chords wear out from the inside over time. The Michelins that Smokey came with have provided good service, but there has been some controversy about "zipper failures" with them. Apparently in an attempt to make soft-riding tires, Michelin built weak sidewalls which tend to fail prematurely.

The new tires are Toyos - which have an excellent reputation and happen to be $700 cheaper. This dealer specializes in truck-sized tires, and the service men readily attacked Smokey. Interesting. In San Diego, tire places are always whining about the size of the motor home and how hard it is to work on. They act like they are doing you a favor by working on it. Here they act like its just another car, rolling jacks under Smokey and using giant sized air wrenches.

Smokey at Eugene Elks sporting new tires

Meanwhile, Mimi and I went to the local Elks Lodge, which just happened to be one block down from Les Schwabb. Many Elk Lodges have RV parking for members. This one has four spots with hook ups, so we reserved one for two nites. There was a morning "social" going on, so we settled in for free coffee and doughnuts, swapping stories with some local members. This lodge is a nice one, offering lunch and dinners daily. Their speciality is fried chicken - Mmmm.

Sutherlin

Arrived at the Sutherlin Escapees RV park yesterday afternoon. This is a very nice park where we once were thinking of leasing a lot. Very quiet, nicely landscaped, and it has a large field with woods to hike. Unfortunately, not a lot else to do here beyond that. Today we will go into town and wander around, having lunch.

A nice field for a morning walk

Spanish moss hanging from the trees suggests pure air


Our friends, Al and Joan, have a lot here but are away visiting somewhere. Hopefully, they will be back before we have to leave tomorrow morning. .



The RV park has deer, which wander through periodically. They like to hang-out in the shade of trees or sheds here. Also jack rabbits the size of small German Shepherds. Both types of animals are hard on the foliage - bushes, gardens, etc. are protected with wire mesh.

The author working on the blog

In Transit

In Transit is a navy term used to describe a ship that is going from one assignment to another. It's a term that comes to mind when we travel long distances with little interruption. In this case, our transit started on Sunday morning about 9 a.m., heading through LA to our first overnight stop at Los Banos. Almost exactly 400 miles. The first leg of a trip is always accompanied with some trepidation. If things are likely to go wrong with the motorhome, they will show-up. It's amazing how much deterioration occurs when a machine like Smokey just sits in storage for 3 months.

Luckily, Smokey worked flawlessly (touch wood). We stayed overnight at Los Banos, a small agricultural town east of San Jose. Got up early, and headed to our next stop - Ashland Oregon. Another 400 miles of driving. By the time we arrived in Ashland, we were semi comatose. But feeling good, having escaped the clutches of California in only two days! Oregon has a different feel. The people are more laid back, the rolling hills and beautiful scenery are a welcome contrast to the harried crowds and dust bowl appearance of the Central Valley in California.

Slept in late this morning, then browsed the internet to check on the ending of the world, and went through our exercise routine. We use a video exercise program with elastic bands which work well in the limited space of Smokey. It's very important to maintain a good activity level when traveling. Otherwise, an overwhelming sense of fatigue sets in.

Smokey at Emmigrant Lake in Ashland, OR

Campsites are right on the lake, with a nice view.

Today, we are heading to an Escapees Park in Sutherlin Oregon. Will stay until Thursday morning enjoying the area and hopefully contacting some friends who live there. Thursday we are due in Eugene Oregon where Smokey will get some new tires, shocks, and an alignment.

The "Unveiling"

Taking the cover off of the motorhome always marks the beginning of preparation for another trip. We recently did this as the start of our travels to the Pacific Northwest. It is accompanied by mixed emotions. The preparation for a trip involves many steps and a lengthy checklist of which Mimi is the keeper. Also, tensions arise as we feel an increasing time pressure to reach our departure time - Sunday morning. But watching the cover fall off the motorhome engenders a feeling of excitement, as Smokey's clean white lines appear and the satellite dish rotates to home-in on its satellite and reestablish its internet link.

This trip will be completely different than our previous Yucatan one. A lot less flashy - just drive and sit for long periods of time. We like this type of vacation also as it allows us to become intimately reacquainted with an area. Specifically, Pt. Townsend in Washington State. The weather just happens to be cool and clear at this point in the year. If you check a weather map, this little corner of the continental U.S. is one of the few spots to meet that weather criteria.

We will keep you updated about our preparation activities...