We drove into Oregon House proper this morning and visited the 7th annual North Yuba Harvest Festival. It was basically a decent size farmer’s market with people selling foods and crafts, but it was ok, and we got to sample fake meat kebabs and delicious fudge. We didn’t buy much other than juicy nectarines and some organic salad greens that were grown at 5,000 feet (I didn’t realize that made a difference but they are definitely tasty).  The proceeds from the parking go to the Community Center so it was for a good cause and it got us out of the campsite for a while.

Mike: This is the most people I've seen in two weeks!

We finally made it down to visit Lake Mildred this morning which is not bad going since we’ve only been here about 10 days. We have every intention of going to check it out but we haven’t been getting up too early and then by the time we get going it’s already 90 degrees out and too hot to take a hike.
Well this morning I managed to get Mike up and motivated fairly early and so we headed out of our section, down the road to the beach area for dogs (Tal-y might have liked it as the water didn’t lap, but she’d have to keep an eye open for rattlers in the long grass), and then around one side of the lake. The path was a little narrow and broken up – definitely not for old folk – but it was a nice stroll along the waters’ edge. We didn’t see a soul the whole time we were out other than the geese on the lake. It was lovely and peaceful and made it seem like we are in the middle of nowhere – oh wait, we are in the flipping middle of nowhere!

Mike: This is what the early settlers saw. No civilization at all!

Lake Mildred

Resting

More of Lake Mildred

Checking out the dock

I was making dinner tonight and heard some rustling outside the front door; I figured it was the birds on the feeder since the Jays especially make a lot of noise when they are throwing seed everywhere. Turns out that it was a different kind of bird than the ones we normally get eating from the feeder. I think it’s going to cost us a little more to keep this variety fed, but at least he seemed to like what was out there.

Mike: GO! AWAY! your just a tick magnet!

Ready for dinner

Yummy

Am i done or should I go back for more?

We got up earlyish this morning and took a short drive to Brownsville to check out their farmer’s market. Unfortunately the market ended around Labor Day and there was nothing else in Brownsville to see, or do, or anything. We drove through the town, which took all of 15 seconds, before turning round and heading back. We stopped and picked up some food for the humming birds before stopping at a little farmers’ market in Dobbins and picking up some food for ourselves – nice fresh eggs, and some dried strawberries that are to die for.

Mike: Wow, an Ace hardware in the middle of nowhere! It's like an oasis in the middle of the desert!
A farmer's market too, I don't think I can contain my excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It took us a little while to get packed up today; at least it took Mike a while to pack up the outside as he was so busy chatting to our neighbour. Everything takes him longer when he’s distracted as he’s not a very good multi-tasker!
We finally got on the road around 9.30 and headed north to Marysville before turning east. For the next 12 or so days we are going to be staying at the Lake of the Springs RV park in Oregon House, which is close to nothing and is right in the middle of nowhere.
We arrived mid morning and got checked in then drove right through the park and found a lovely pull-thru spot with full hook ups, 50 amp service and a clear view of the southern sky. The wi-fi is a little dodgy, but hey you can’t have everything thing. The park is huge, over 950 acres with a giant lake, but some of the spaces are a little narrow and we are quite close to our neighbour – I hope they are friendly!

After lunch we took a drive to the nearest store which is quite close and stocks a little of everything. As the only store in ‘town’ it’s a little pricey, but it beats having to drive back to Marysville, which is the closest decent sized town. We went looking for a farm store and after bumping along a dirt track and fording a stream we discovered that it’s only open on the weekend, oops.
It’s very quiet and peaceful here, with nothing but fields and hills around. I don’t think we’ll be doing too much or going too far these next days, we’ll just spend the time getting ready for work and doing all the jobs around here we’ve been putting off.

Mike: I think this is the most isolated we have been on our journeys! What a luxury!

We haven’t done anything note worthy these past few days other than take a drive or two to Roseville and hang out at the park here in Nicolaus and try to keep cool; it’s been on the high 90’s the whole time we’ve been here. Mike has been busy trying to keep ahead of the sap that is covering the truck from the trees we are parked under – a never ending battle. And we were flooded by the sprinklers, as the maintenance people are more interested in smoking ciggies than taking care of business, but other than that it’s been all quiet. We’ll be leaving in the morning for Oregon House, but not too early as the drive is only a little over an hour.

Mike: Well, sap this!

We took a drive into Roseville this morning as Mike had made appointments for us to wee in a cup. Our appointments weren’t until after lunch but we went early and did some shopping and finally managed to get Mike a new coffee cup that he likes. Then we headed over to the lab to take our drug test ready to start work next month. We got there and found only one person working there who was busy taking blood from someone, who arrived just before us, so we signed in and took a seat. We sat for about 20 minutes until she called us to check in. Then she proceeded to tell us that we weren’t at the right lab as they were not set up to administer drug tests even though there website allowed us to make the appointments just for that purpose. She gave us directions to their other location and called to see if we could get in, but as you can imagine Mike was not a happy chappy.
Before heading to the other location we stopped off at On the Border and ate lots of chips and salsa, which made Mike a little happier. When we got to the right place it wasn’t hardly at all busy, so we got checked in, drank lots of water, and then took it in turns leaving a sample (which I know was easier for mike than it was for me).
Not a very exciting day but at least we got one more thing out of the way before heading to Reno next month.

Mike: Why is it easier? I still have to drink water! Where's the pic's?

Our last drive today for a while and we headed back to Nicolaus just northwest of Sacramento. Since the drive today was only two hours we didn’t rush very much getting ready, and even took some time to skype my bestest girl (and she looked at the camera today too). Even so, we were still on the road well before 9 o’clock. For the first time this week we didn’t have to get on the interstate but instead took Highway 99 south through Chico and Yuba City. It was a lovely drive, the road was great with little traffic and we drove through farm country the whole way.

Fruit trees, Nut trees, who knows

Lake Minden in Nicolaus looks much the same as the last time we were here and it’s still just as bloody hot. There are more people here than I had expected there to be though but we had no problems getting a nice space that has a little shade. I think the next 10 days or so that we are going to spend here will be nice. We aren’t going to be doing much as we drove around a lot last time we were here, and after all the driving this past week we have to go easy on the gas for a while.

Mike: Xena sure likes the work, but boy-o-boy do I have to pay for it!

After getting caught up with Jaime, Lec and Vinnie this morning on our super duper wi-fi we headed north into Redding to check out the Sundial Bridge. We drove to Turtle Bay Park, parked and walked to the bridge and over it. It’s a glass decked pedestrian bridge over the Sacramento River, and the largest working sundial in the world. It’s really cool and really huge, the pylon is 210 feet tall. The bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava; the design allows people to enjoy the Sacramento River but at the same time it does not damage the salmon spawning habitat – who knew the Chinook salmon make four spawning runs along the Sacramento River each year!

Mike: Cool bridge! Can't tell time, but still a cool bridge! Becc, what a gnomon?

The pylon acts as a giant gnomon of a sundial and at the north end of the bridge is a dial plate where it casts its shadow. While we were visiting it seemed to be running about 15 minutes fast, or maybe it was us that were slow.

Is it 12.15 or 12.30?

Sacramento River from the Sundial Bridge

This afternoon we did a little shopping (I had to buy some shorts for this super hot weather) but before that we had a beautiful lunch at a little Thai restaurant in Redding, it was delicious.

We got up early today as we had the longest drive of the week to do and the one I had been least looking forward to of all the ones this week. We left Grant’s Pass by about 7.30, got back on the 5 and headed towards California. The drive today took us over four hours and almost the whole way we were climbing the mountain then going down the other side; at least it was Saturday and there wasn’t too much traffic on the road.
Just before crossing the border into California we crossed Siskiyou pass, which at 4,310 feet is the highest point on the I5 freeway; I tried to take a picture as proof but some silly trucker was parked in front of the sign. After the climb, which wasn’t all that bad really, we dropped down about 2,000 feet, entered into California and started the drive towards Shasta Lake. The lake, which is actually an artificial lake created by the construction of Shasta Dam, is California’s largest reservoir, and only Lake Tahoe and the Salton Sea are larger bodies of water in the state. We drove right over it and it was pretty impressive as it extended to both sides of us for what seemed like miles.

Mike: I wanted to stop off and see Bubba's place (we stopped there 2-1/2 years ago on our way to Canada) but Becc didn't think we could get our new larger rig in to the space! Oh, OK!

Lake Shasta

As well as having a beautiful lake here, Mount Shasta also dominates the skyline. At 14,179 feet it’s the 5th highest peak in California and it loomed over us as we drove along the freeway with clearly visible snow drifting down it’s sides.

Mount Shasta

After leaving Lake Shasta behind the next miles we easy, through Redding and into Red Bluff, where we easily found the park we are going to spend the next two nights at. We are staying at Durango Resorts here in Red Bluff and it actually feels and looks like a resort.  We were shown to our space, everything is paved, the grass is green, and all the utilities work perfectly, even the wi-fi is speedy. What more could we want, oh and it's right on the Sacramento River.

Durango RV resort

Xena waiting patiently to do some more work

Sacramento River

So now we are back in California for a few weeks. We had a good time up north, and especially enjoyed the coast of Oregon. The only disappointing thing over the past 7 weeks that we have spent in Oregon and Washington is that in all that time we only had rain one time, and that was for half an hour during the night. I was looking forward to seeing some of the wet stuff!

Mike: Can't prove it by me!

On the road again this morning for one more drive, this time to Grant’s Pass, Oregon, which yet again involved getting on the 5 and driving for three hours in pretty much a straight line. We got to the RV park not too long after noon and found that it is just off the freeway but almost right in the middle of the city. Again we have reserved a pull-thru so we can stay hooked up, and so it was another easy in. The side of the park that we are in is not too busy but it seems as though there are a lot of long term folks in the other side.
After eating lunch we took a stroll down the road, across the road, and up the road. We didn’t see too much other than about 15 fast food joints, and as the temperature is in the mid 90’s here we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon keeping cool inside and getting ready to leave extra early in the morning.

Mike: Man, its HOT!  Who' d a thought! Two months in Oregon/Washington, not a drop of rain!

Rogue Valley Overnighters RV Park

We said goodbye to Washington today after spending the past three or so weeks here. We got up fairly early, got packed up, dumped, got gassed up, and hit the 5 again. The drive was much the same as the last one, we headed south till we got to Albany in Oregon, about a 3 hour drive. Other than a few bathroom breaks along the way it was uneventful. 

The park we had booked into in Albany, the Blue Ox RV Park was situated right off the freeway so we had no trouble finding it. It was easy to get checked in and we had reserved a nice pull-thru site so getting parked and set up was stress free. It’s a nice place, clean and well maintained so that everything works the way it should. We are only spending the one night here so once again we haven’t unhooked, and after a short walk around the park in 95 degree heat we have come back into the air conditioning and Mike at least doesn’t plan to do anything else today. 

Mike: Except ride the Blue Ox! Ya-hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ride 'em cowboy

Blue Ox RV park

Completely horizontal!

Since we didn’t unhitch yesterday we couldn’t drive anywhere today so we spent the day catching up with chores and other good stuff. I needed to do some laundry and since we have parked in the space that is furthest from the laundry Mike offered to walk with me and carry the dirty clothes. It was quite a way to the absolute other end of the park, but at least Mike is getting in some practice for when we become Santa’s elves in a few weeks. 

Mike: Oh, off to work I go! off to work I go!

We left Mount Vernon this morning and started our weeklong journey back to California. We got on the 5 just past the casino and drove on the same road for about 150 miles back to Chehalis; not a very exciting drive but not too complicated either, just point Xena south and hit the gas. We were here in Chehalis a couple of weeks ago for a week, but this time we are only staying two nights and we haven’t even unhitched. We managed to get one of the few pull-thru spaces that are here since they are a lot longer than the back in ones and so Xena can stay hitched and we’ll be able to get an early start on Thursday. The park is so much quieter than when we were last here; I guess everyone left today after Labor day. Even though there are other RV’s around us they are long termers’ and there isn’t anyone in them at the moment. It’s quite nice having this part of the park to ourselves and it also means there’s no one around to see how unlevel the trailer is. Even after putting the legs down the butt end is up quite a bit higher than the front. To get from the front of the trailer to the back we have to get down on our hands and knees and crawl as the slope is so steep; it’s a good job we are only here two nights!

Mike: Becc, you need some climbing experience!

Hardly a soul in sight

Can you see the grade from front to back?

Just us

After getting squared away Mike got into his favourite position – semi-horizontal – and stayed there the rest of the afternoon.

Comfy