Headed north!

Captains Log August 13 - We  were on  the road  by 9:30 today.    It  was  the smokiest  it  has been.  I was not  looking forward  to driving up  into the mountains.    While in the valley it was clear about ½ mile then it was smoky at  ground level.   Once we  elevated it would  come and go.  As we drove by Klamath Lake you could hardly see it for the smoke.

The drive was pretty boring, just a lot of up and down and constant changing from two lanes to 4 lanes.  There was a lot of truck traffic as this is the only way to go from Tule Lake.  Two of our neighbors were leaving as we were.  They work in the area and  so did the neighbor on the other side.  With no motels around, they are lucky to have this small full hook up campground. 

We drove straight thru Bend and on to Redmond to a new campground, Cottonwood RV.  They have 53 sites, all back in and full service.  Other than the spaces are very narrow, with no room for a picnic table, and tight to park your vehicle, it’s extremely well manicured with plush green grass and wide asphalt roads and gravel spot.  There is also the fact that our loop backs up to a busy road that’s not 20 feet away. 

Once we parked and had some late lunch, we went to run some errands.  We stopped at 3 RV places to see about getting the clasp I need for my drawer and 2 didn’t have it and the 3^rd did but want $17 for  it.  Nope!  I will order it from Amazon!  We stopped at Dollar Tree as I needed a sympathy card and then Lowe’s for a water filter for my drinking water.  The last stop was Wal-mart for a few things and mostly to pick up a script I had transferred.  Once again there were NO rotisserie chickens, as a matter of fact the deli was closed.  You could take what they had precut and packaged and that was it!  Well, that changed my dinner plans!  I decided on a Hormel Italian Roast Beef (with gravy), a packet of instant mashed potatoes and fresh zucchini.  Took me 10 minutes to get it all made and on the table.  It was really tender and flavorful meat.  Bill really enjoyed it as I rarely make anything potato! 

And so another day has come to an end and all is well with The Chambers family!

Tule Lake

Captains Log August 12 - We took our time this morning and you couldn’t see the mountains

I love carousels

again for the smoke.  It seems to be getting worse here, so maybe it’s good we’re moving on tomorrow. 

Top is original

Today we were visiting the Tule Lake Museum in town.  The NPS guy asked if I had their app on my phone, which I did not.  He said that if I downloaded it I could play the narrated tour on my phone as we walked.  It was about an hour long.  First, that was excellent for learning about the area and what we were seeing in each section of the museum.  It dated back to the Modoc Indians, thru the World Wars and Internment here, and the settling of the valley.  It was very interesting with lots of memorabilia.  Outside the museum continues with

Half of an internment housing building

lots of old farm equipment that was used back in the day and they have ½ of an  internment barracks that you can look in and they set them up to look like they did in the day.  They also have the top of an internment lookout tower that sits on a shorter platform.  We learned that the barracks were broken down in sections and used for housing for people moving to the area.  They used them for garages and storage as well. 

It was a very interesting little museum and too bad it’s not getting more visitors.  This is a destination as it’s primarily farming.  We’ve seen fields of hay, wheat, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes and huge potato storage facilities, but the town is partly vacant with just 2 restaurants and a burger/ice cream shop. 

We lunched at the Mexican restaurant and it was really good!  I had a taco salad in a super

Major crop here

crispy fried flour shell and he must put something special on that shell as it was so tasty I didn’t leave a crumb.  Bill tried it and wholly agreed.  They also use un-mashed beans in the salad, which I much preferred.  Bill went with quesadillas with beans and rice and he said his was really good as well but we both agreed the salsa was rather blah!

I made some cookies from a clearance box of Betty Crocker.  Enough for just us for several days.  3 added ingredients and that’s it! 

Heading north tomorrow to Redmond and Bend, OR. 

Lava beds and caves

Petroglyphs

Captains Log August 11 – Another fun day!  We came   here   to  visit   the  Lava  Beds   National
Monument and it was a bit of a trek to get there.  We were told a much better way to get back by the ranger at the entry booth.  We started by going to Petroglyph Point which is before you get to the entrance of the main park.

The area was once a lake and the Native Americans came there to fish and they carved many symbols and pictures along the side of the mountain.  The park fenced it off as there was vandalism taking place.  We could see drawings that we knew we not original.  The lake dried up centuries later and was kind of ridged walking, not smooth at all like desert.  I wasn’t sure how my pictures were coming out with being 5-6 feet away but I think a got a few nice shots.

Devils Homestead

Before you get to the park entrance there is an area called Captain Jack’s Stronghold.  Captain Jack was the leader of a tribe that lived there.  At that time it was still primarily lava rock but it was on the shore of a huge lake.  So the military came in and claimed the land for settlers and the natives left were moved to Oklahoma.  That is very sad!   

From there we drove to the major part of the park and the young ranger at the entrance booth was very nice and answered our questions.  Leaving him our first stop was Devils Homestead, which is a huge lava flow where pretty much nothing grows.  It’s pretty impressive to stand at the overlook and see a “field” of lava rock that is about 2 miles long.

We made it to the Visitor Center.  This was the point at which I realized we should have

Heading in to Mushpot

packed a lunch!  I put a couple of snacks in my backpack and bottles of water, and essentials, but we discovered there was no food.  We did buy some jerky and granola bars at the VC to get us through!

Bill chatted with the desk ranger and got info on what caves were currently closed in addition to which once are best for “old” slow people!  So off we went to our first cave, Mushpot!  There was a mother, her parents and her 2 kids ahead of us and she was being a good mom and reading them everything on placards, and they could have cared less.  We went around them to the end of a very short cave and I was having trouble with my headlight when I was trying to take pictures, so I didn’t get many of any of the caves.

Indian Well Cave had no walkway or stairs so it was a bit more rustic to go down to the opening.  It really looked like it was born of the lava!  I made it down the lava crater to the

Indian Well Cave

cave opening and went in but it was really rocky and I decided it was not a good idea for me with my ankle still healing.  Bill only went partway down and decided it wasn’t too stable for him either, so back up and out we went!

The next cave was Golden Dome.  We went in together but Bill wasn’t into climbing over the rocks to the next room.  People were leaving as I crossed over so I was by myself.  Bill said he was going out and wait for me but I told him to stay right there

Golden Dome Entrance

in case I fell or something.  I kept going until I came to a Y in the cave and then I chose not to go further in case I fell or something.  If there had been another person or group I’d have continued.  I’m really disappointed in the photos in the cave as I opted not to take my good camera in case it got banged around in the climbing process so my cell didn’t like my headlamp, but it is what it is!

On my way back there was Bill sitting on a rock waiting for me!  So that was the last cave for us.  A lot were closed.  On the way out of the park we stopped at another small lava dome that fell in.

On the shorter road back to Tule Lake we drove for a couple of miles along the dry river bed.  It looked just like a salt basin, totally white.  I had Bill stop at a hunting and boat launch site and I walked out to see the “lake” up close.  The hunting blind was pretty large with 6 rifle windows and lots of bird poop all over!  Along the walkway were bushes

Dry lake bed

covered in white flowers and the butterflies were all over.  That was prettier than the waterless lake!

For dinner we had some of our stuffed chicken breasts we bought at Taylors in Cave Junction and they were very good.  I cooked a pot of fresh green beans and we had fruit with our meal.  Later we each had a small serving of blackberry roll with almost the last of the Marionberry ice cream. 

Back in California!

Captains Log August 10 – We had a little glitch hooking the truck up this morning due to trying on a rather uneven area, but we got it right on the second try!

Traffic was not bad at all and the roads were much straighter than 3 days ago!  We made one stop just outside of Medford at a Pilot/Flying J Truck stop to fill the diesel and DEF as California is considerably higher in price if we can even find a place to drive the RV thru in a small town.  We had hoped to fill our propane but they didn’t sell it there so we will be on the lookout as we’re down to half a tank.

Once we got a bit south of Medford the smoke was rather thick!  Not so much along the roads but you could barely see the mountains in the distance.  This area is currently the closest we have been to any fires. 

The drive was great for a while, then it got mountainous so it was slow going up and fast coming down.  We drove past Upper Klamath Lake where we pulled over and had lunch.  It was a beautiful stop. 

We’re staying at the Fairgrounds in Tulelake as that’s the closest place to the Lava Beds National Monument.  It’s also a bargain!  They take Passport America for all 3 nights so it’s half price and was only $54 for 3 nights!  We did end up adding WIFI for $10, so it’s still a bargain.  It’s full hook up and pretty flat, but there’s only 30 amp and you are really close to your neighbors. 

Looking forward to checking out the caves at the lava beds.

If you're ever in Cave Junction, OR----

Captains Log August 9 – Since the Caves option was off the plate we decided to visit Great

Hey, wanta play some?

Cats World Park.  It was only ½ mile down the road from our campground and we saw cars there yesterday.  We got there just at a tour was starting so we joined them.  The woman leading the tour was excellent.  She could answer every question asked and she was great with the cats.

There are 17 breeds of wild cats there.  In addition to the tours for education they breed the cats and are partners with other places trying to save dieing breeds close to extinction.  They come for Africa, Europe, South America, Asia and North America.  Some of these cats we have never heard of and one breed looks just like a house cat in features and size.  There was way more information than either of us could digest and remember.  You will see a few photos in this post but to see more photos and breed names you can go to my photo album.  They are truly amazing.

What a baby!!

The lion males were fun to watch as one loved his big ball and rolled it around.  There was a tiger couple that they are trying to mate and are totally different in appearance.  There was a small cat that fishes and she threw a piece of meat in its little pond and he went right in the water to get it.

I took photos of all of the signs so I’d know which was which so I’ll post my photos with the Sign first.  There was no sign for the White Bengal Tigers but I think they are pretty recognizable!  We spent close to 2 hours seeing the cats and asking questions.  Our group grew as we went along as they let you join in as you arrive and then you start from the beginning with the next group so you don’t miss anything.  I wish it was possible to get photos without the fence as it was a major challenge.  Each cage is set up in a jungle kind of way with plants, fallen logs,

Lady, you can't begin to reach as 
high as I can!!

etc, so it’s a more natural habitat.

Bill said he was really glad we decided to go there as it was well worth it (especially with a senior discount)!

We had lunch today where we tried to have lunch yesterday and luckily she said we just missed the big rush.  It’s a family style diner and I had a delicious Asian salad! 

Then Bill dropped me off at the medical center and I was the 2^nd person in line to see a doctor since they had just come back from lunch, so good timing for us!  The paperwork takes longer than anything else.  The bottom line is the doctor has no idea for sure what this rash thing is on my side.  He ended up treating me for poison ivy and shingles.  They have their own pharmacy there so I left with huge dark blue pills for shingles and cream for poison ivy.  We will see!

We stopped at the other thrift store on the way back that was closed on Sunday.  We got 3 books and another skein of yarn, so not bad.  They were REALLY organized!

Bill went ahead and emptied the tanks tonight so it would be faster leaving tomorrow.  We will backtrack into Grants Pass and Medford and down thru Klamath Falls into the very top of California to Tulelake.

PS - I see quite a few folks are reading my posts and I thank you!  However, I'd love to see some comments once in a while!

NO Oregon Caves for us - Boo hoo!

Captains Log August 8 –  Since we couldn’t go to the Oregon Caves due to closure, we

The other alpacas

decided to visit the Visitor Center and read what ever info they had and see any photos.  It’s a small VC with 2 employees and one happened to be from Orlando!  Out in the middle of nowhere we meet someone who knows where Ocoee is!  We had a nice visit with her and mostly it was a gift shop but I did get my NPS stamp even though we could not go in the caves.

We stopped at the thrift store but they were going through a total revamping and I only managed to get one skein of yarn.  It was too clustered to try and root through anything.

Bill drove us to the end of town on a dry run to see where the medical center is so I can go there tomorrow and see about this rash thing on my side.  It hurts, it itches but it’s not spreading!

The first place we planned for lunch was so packed that there was a pretty long wait so we optioned to move on.  I told Bill that Taylors where I bought some jerky yesterday was nice and looked like they had a pretty good menu, so we went there and it had a line to place your order, which was fine as we had no idea what we were going to get.  I decided on pork ribs and chose sweet potato fries for my side.  This was a major splurge for me.  Bill was shocked.  He had a 3 inch tall club sandwich with potato salad and only ate half of his sandwich, half of his potato salad and half of my fries!  I had 2 small rib racks and only ate one as they were very meaty.  So lunch or dinner on travel day is ready!

Bill was kinda amazed at the crowd and all of the meat products they make there.  We ended up getting 4 stuffed chicken breast for a little variety and summer sausage and another meat??

Bill tried to get DISH up and running as we think we were in an open enough area, but after talking to 2 “technicians” and one trip to the roof to check connections, still no signal!  It has worked on this trip and did not appear to have any damage so maybe it was a little too much tree coverage!

I have another small repair to work on.  One of the drawer latches broke and I hunted all over for the extra one from the last broken latch.  No luck!  Will try an ACE Hardware when we can and if no luck I will order and have it sent somewhere down the road.

Dinner was good and healthy pretty much, chicken, a few tiny potatoes, broccoli for Bill and sugar peas for me.  We’ve been having ice cream and my blackberry sauce on small servings of Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake for dessert once Bill has the dishes done.

Since we didn’t have any luck with the DISH, I did manage to get the Hallmark show on my laptop that Bill was trying to plan on.  WIFI wasn’t the best but we did get to see the movie so that was a nice ending to our day!

Back in Oregon

Captains Log August 7 – Heading back to Oregon!  Well, for 3 nights then we dip back into California for 3 nights and then back to Oregon again! 

On the drive through Crescent City where we stopped at Walmart for our groceries as the next

Battery Point Lighthouse

stop is a really small town, we could see the Battery Point Lighthouse.   There was no where to park the RV except along the highway and you can’t walk to the lighthouse since it’s on a tiny island, so I managed to get a photo from the RV and we continued on to Wally World!

The drive was just a nervy as it was going south!  Curvy, up and down and plenty of traffic!  I pulled over 3 times to allow the crowd behind me get ahead.  Most of the drive is along the river, some at road level and some way down in the ravine. 

Our reservation is at the Laughing Alpaca, which was recommended to us by one of the camp hosts we met.  Well, it’s not the best place we’ve ever stayed nor is it the worst, but it’s mostly a trailer park with 6-8 overnight spots.  The couple that own it are young people and are very nice.

After lunch we thought we’d take a trial run to the visitor center of the Oregon Caves National Monument so we’d know how long it took since Bill called a couple of weeks ago about tickets and was told to be there by 7 or we wouldn’t get a ticket.  Well, we won’t get a ticket because

One of the Laughing Alpacas

they have a sign out that says they are closed for the rest of the summer due to Covid.  Crap!

We drove thru Cave Junction to see what there is and it’s got a nice main street with 2 grocery stores, a Dollar General, 2 thrift stores and a variety of other shops and restaurants.  There are quite a few empty buildings.  We stopped at Taylor’s Sausage Country Store.  What a place!  It’s been the family business for 4 generations and they make all kinds of sausage, jerky, steaks, burger, totally amazing.  They sell to places in California where the business started.  I got us some “trail jerky” which is thicker and wetter than regular jerky.  It’s really good!

We stopped at Grocery Outlet and I got a bag of mixed carrots, quite a change, and a bottle of wine.  Can’t let that run out!

Once we got home I baked a batch of Almond Cream Cheese Pounds cakes and we had leftovers for dinner.  Later once the cakes cooled we had some with blackberry sauce.  Surprise!!

I got on the computer as normal and Bill read, as normal.