Saturday June 22nd
Today was the last full day of the Rally. The main events today were the Barbeque lunch provided by Northwood. It featured barbecued ribs, chicken, beans, and a couple different salads, all good. We all wore our Northwood Rally tee shirts and had a group picture taken with some of the new trailers and camper models as background. Next was the drawing for items Northwood provided that included a wide variety of products associated with RVs. Everyone (each trailer/camper) received a prize. Following it was a grand prize drawing for a TV and another for a solar panel.
To really get a view of the Rally go to: http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/nroa2003/slideshow/NROA RALLYS/2013 NROA Rally
The remainder of the day was spent visiting with friends and new acquaintances and saying goodbyes as we were departing early Sunday morning.
Sunday, June 23rd
A Potluck Breakfast scheduled for 9am but as we had a long distance to travel we left early. We were on the road just before 7 am and arrived home around 8:30 pm some 650 miles later. The wind going across Nevada was brutal but the trailer handled it very well.
We are glad to be home but are thinking and planning our next trip even if it is just for a week or so. I am sure we will do another longer one in the fall. Stay tuned!
Home away from home!
Best viewed using Chrome
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
June 21st, La Grande, OR (NROA Annual Rally)
Thursday was another day with some rain but the temperatures were a bit warmer.
Activities available today included the following; an ATV/Motorcycle (bring your own vehicle) ride to Point Prominence Lookout on Mt. Harris, Quilting and Crafts, 18 hole Golf Tournament, walking tour of Ladd Marsh, tour of the Northwood frame factory and ALKO's axle factory, tour of the Northwood factory (trailer and campers), an Ice Cream Social (which everyone attended), a white elephant gift exchange, a Potluck Dinner, a Movie night, and a campfire.
The ladies quilting/sewing in the Eagle's Nest.
Linda participated in the quilting and I went on the frame and axle tour. We both attended the Northwood factory tour last year. Of course we took part in the Ice Cream Social. Vanilla ice cream was provided along with fresh strawberries, blueberries, hot fudge, peanuts, carmel, as well as a number of other toppings. For those who didn't or couldn't have the ice cream there was a wide array of fresh fruits such as pineapple, grapes and melons and berries.
Next was the white elephant gift exchange which was fun and quite hilarious. There were a number of items that made a reappearance from last year. One that got a lot of laughs was a pottery pig that someone got stuck with last year. Some people got things that they wanted but many were stolen a couple of times until the rules froze them from further steals. Others got items that will certainly reappear next year. All in all it was very entertaining.
Not that anyone was really hungry but the Potluck was really a spread with a little of everything, all delicious. One very popular item was smoked brats grilled by Bob Nelson who lives nearby.
We passed on the movie (Paint Your Wagon part 1) and the campfire.
Today (Friday) we went on the City of Union, Oregon, History tour which included the historic Union Hotel and Union County Museum.
The hotel had beautiful old woodwork and tile floors. The owner told the story of a man wandering into the lobby one day. As he proceeded to crawl around on the tile floor, the desk clerk asked what on earth he was doing. He responded that he was the person who installed the tiles some years back and was drunk when I did it. The tiles were very small hexagons and had to be installed individually. The man added, "I made several mistakes and I'm trying to find them." We found some of them.
Some of the errors in the tile floor.
Of course Adam (NROA President) had his hands full keeping all of us on track.
From there we went to the Union County Museum and from the entrance you assumed it was a small country town museum with some local antiques. Once inside it seemed to go on and on through various rooms and even extended out the back. They created a U shaped building behind the museum that featured many more displays including a blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, and old fire engine, buggies, and the like. The museum and their extensive collections were amazing. It is done by all volunteers and local donations plus the entrance fee of $5. Even though our entrance fee was picked up as part of the rally many of us were so impressed that we made additional donations.
Old fashioned drug store complete with a soda fountain.
This afternoon there were a number of seminars presented by various suppliers such as solar, and other trailer/RV equipment.
One of the ladies that Linda was quilting with invited her to go to Baker City on a quilt shop run. Needless to say, she accepted and enjoyed the afternoon.
We have a pair of Osprey in a nest box at the edge of the RV Park and next to Hot Lake. It's been a pleasure to watch their comings and goings.
Activities available today included the following; an ATV/Motorcycle (bring your own vehicle) ride to Point Prominence Lookout on Mt. Harris, Quilting and Crafts, 18 hole Golf Tournament, walking tour of Ladd Marsh, tour of the Northwood frame factory and ALKO's axle factory, tour of the Northwood factory (trailer and campers), an Ice Cream Social (which everyone attended), a white elephant gift exchange, a Potluck Dinner, a Movie night, and a campfire.
The ladies quilting/sewing in the Eagle's Nest.
Linda participated in the quilting and I went on the frame and axle tour. We both attended the Northwood factory tour last year. Of course we took part in the Ice Cream Social. Vanilla ice cream was provided along with fresh strawberries, blueberries, hot fudge, peanuts, carmel, as well as a number of other toppings. For those who didn't or couldn't have the ice cream there was a wide array of fresh fruits such as pineapple, grapes and melons and berries.
Next was the white elephant gift exchange which was fun and quite hilarious. There were a number of items that made a reappearance from last year. One that got a lot of laughs was a pottery pig that someone got stuck with last year. Some people got things that they wanted but many were stolen a couple of times until the rules froze them from further steals. Others got items that will certainly reappear next year. All in all it was very entertaining.
Not that anyone was really hungry but the Potluck was really a spread with a little of everything, all delicious. One very popular item was smoked brats grilled by Bob Nelson who lives nearby.
We passed on the movie (Paint Your Wagon part 1) and the campfire.
Today (Friday) we went on the City of Union, Oregon, History tour which included the historic Union Hotel and Union County Museum.
The hotel had beautiful old woodwork and tile floors. The owner told the story of a man wandering into the lobby one day. As he proceeded to crawl around on the tile floor, the desk clerk asked what on earth he was doing. He responded that he was the person who installed the tiles some years back and was drunk when I did it. The tiles were very small hexagons and had to be installed individually. The man added, "I made several mistakes and I'm trying to find them." We found some of them.
Some of the errors in the tile floor.
Of course Adam (NROA President) had his hands full keeping all of us on track.
From there we went to the Union County Museum and from the entrance you assumed it was a small country town museum with some local antiques. Once inside it seemed to go on and on through various rooms and even extended out the back. They created a U shaped building behind the museum that featured many more displays including a blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, and old fire engine, buggies, and the like. The museum and their extensive collections were amazing. It is done by all volunteers and local donations plus the entrance fee of $5. Even though our entrance fee was picked up as part of the rally many of us were so impressed that we made additional donations.
Old fashioned drug store complete with a soda fountain.
This afternoon there were a number of seminars presented by various suppliers such as solar, and other trailer/RV equipment.
One of the ladies that Linda was quilting with invited her to go to Baker City on a quilt shop run. Needless to say, she accepted and enjoyed the afternoon.
We have a pair of Osprey in a nest box at the edge of the RV Park and next to Hot Lake. It's been a pleasure to watch their comings and goings.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
June 19th, La Grande, OR (Eagle Hot Lake RV Park)
At our daughter's home we were surrounded by beans, sunflowers, alfalfa, timothy, corn, mint, carrots, onions, apples, cherries, potatoes, and I don't know what else. To keep the cherries from being consumed by the birds, cannons (propane I assume) explode every minute or so to scare the birds off. The sound reminds me of opening day of bird season when I was growing up. Cannons are used in the almond orchards in California to scare off the crows and magpies. Carbide cannons (water would drip on carbide which created acetylene which got a spark to ignite it) were used when I was young.
In one cherry orchard the farmer utilized a blow-up "person" with waving arms such as we see at some car dealers these days to attract potential customers. It seemed to be working to keep the birds away, at least this year. You have to stay one step ahead of the birds or they will win.
The carrots grown by our son-in-law's father are about 3"+ in diameter and about a foot long. He called them dicing carrots and are sold for soups and prepared dishes. Most of the alfalfa and timothy hay grown here goes to Japan. Perhaps they don't have enough land to grow their own hay so they need it to feed their cattle and dairy stock. The farmers here get top dollar for it but it has to be top quality. When mint is being harvested you can smell it everywhere. In order to extract the oil, the mint is steamed in vans.
Saturday the annual Bike-a-thon/walk-a-thon was held to raise money for a local child with a rare cancer. Last year our daughter said they raised about $45K. Most of the proceeds came from corporations and large farms in the area. Our granddaughter did 8 one mile laps on her bicycle and she is 8 years old! Pretty good for such a young girl. The rest did some of the walk-a-thon. We took pictures, bought raffle tickets and made a donation. The highlight of the day for our 6 year old grandson was winning a fresh and very yummy cherry pie. He was on cloud nine.
Sadie is ready for a grownup's location. She loves children but three and four at a time petting and hugging her were a little much even for her.
We arrived Monday afternoon and had the brakes adjusted on the trailer then checked into Eagle Hot Lake RV Park where the rally is being held starting Tuesday. We joined the early arriving members for dinner at a local restaurant; Mamacita's International Grill. Most assumed it was a Mexican resturant. It turned out to be more Italian but they serve a little of everything. What we ordered was excellent and the others said the same. There were 50 of us.
View Larger Map
Tuesday morning we had breakfast with some friends who wanted to check out the local truck stop. They all did fine but I succumbed to a chicken fried steak with sausage gravy, hash browns, eggs, and toast. It turned out to be huge and as a result we had a late dinner with no lunch as no one was hungry, especially me.
The RV Park really started to fill up by noon.
The Oregon Trail passes right behind the RV Park but if they hadn't shown it on their map you wouldn't have known it.
That evening after chatting with people we met last year or through the NROA Forum, we gathered for a campfire where the activities for the week were reviewed and everyone introduced themselves. There are people from Pennsylvania, Kansas, South Dakota, Alberta and British Columbia in addition to most of the western states. I think there were 72 RV's registered for the rally so the group was right at 150 people including a few children. We think we used up all our good weather luck as it was in the very low 50s with a strong wind. We don't know what the wind chill was but it was COLD!
Today, Wednesday, was the Pendleton Underground Tour and Woolen Mills. Pendleton is located about 55 miles north of La Grande over the Blue Mountains. Again it is cold and raining so the ride on the buses and indoor tours were good timing. Pendleton was a big cowboy town in the late 1800's and is reported to have up to 18 brothels and 32 saloons to entertain the traveling cowboys and people moving west on the Oregon Trail. The Underground was pretty interesting. It is a "city beneath a city", used to transport goods between businesses and receive deliveries. The area covers several city blocks, but not as many as in years past. The tour included a basement saloon, ice cream parlor, Hop Sing's Laundry and Bathhouse, among other things. After emerging from the underground we went on to visit the Cozy Rooms of Miss Stella. We walked up 31 steps to a chapel, which seems a bit out of place in this establishment, but reportedly shows how Miss Stella took care of her girls. We toured waiting rooms, living areas, working rooms and a secret closet used as an escape route for prominent people during police raids. Miss Stella's Cozy Rooms lasted into the 1950's.
Next we were bussed to the Pendleton Woolen Mills. We were told of the process of cleaning and carding the previously dyed wool, which was dyed in a location in Washington state. Next it is spun into yarn and wound onto bobbins. We were then shown the process of weaving the yarn into beautiful blankets. After the tour we browsed through the gift shop. We didn't make any purchases today.
In one cherry orchard the farmer utilized a blow-up "person" with waving arms such as we see at some car dealers these days to attract potential customers. It seemed to be working to keep the birds away, at least this year. You have to stay one step ahead of the birds or they will win.
The carrots grown by our son-in-law's father are about 3"+ in diameter and about a foot long. He called them dicing carrots and are sold for soups and prepared dishes. Most of the alfalfa and timothy hay grown here goes to Japan. Perhaps they don't have enough land to grow their own hay so they need it to feed their cattle and dairy stock. The farmers here get top dollar for it but it has to be top quality. When mint is being harvested you can smell it everywhere. In order to extract the oil, the mint is steamed in vans.
Saturday the annual Bike-a-thon/walk-a-thon was held to raise money for a local child with a rare cancer. Last year our daughter said they raised about $45K. Most of the proceeds came from corporations and large farms in the area. Our granddaughter did 8 one mile laps on her bicycle and she is 8 years old! Pretty good for such a young girl. The rest did some of the walk-a-thon. We took pictures, bought raffle tickets and made a donation. The highlight of the day for our 6 year old grandson was winning a fresh and very yummy cherry pie. He was on cloud nine.
Sadie is ready for a grownup's location. She loves children but three and four at a time petting and hugging her were a little much even for her.
We arrived Monday afternoon and had the brakes adjusted on the trailer then checked into Eagle Hot Lake RV Park where the rally is being held starting Tuesday. We joined the early arriving members for dinner at a local restaurant; Mamacita's International Grill. Most assumed it was a Mexican resturant. It turned out to be more Italian but they serve a little of everything. What we ordered was excellent and the others said the same. There were 50 of us.
View Larger Map
Tuesday morning we had breakfast with some friends who wanted to check out the local truck stop. They all did fine but I succumbed to a chicken fried steak with sausage gravy, hash browns, eggs, and toast. It turned out to be huge and as a result we had a late dinner with no lunch as no one was hungry, especially me.
The RV Park really started to fill up by noon.
The Oregon Trail passes right behind the RV Park but if they hadn't shown it on their map you wouldn't have known it.
That evening after chatting with people we met last year or through the NROA Forum, we gathered for a campfire where the activities for the week were reviewed and everyone introduced themselves. There are people from Pennsylvania, Kansas, South Dakota, Alberta and British Columbia in addition to most of the western states. I think there were 72 RV's registered for the rally so the group was right at 150 people including a few children. We think we used up all our good weather luck as it was in the very low 50s with a strong wind. We don't know what the wind chill was but it was COLD!
Today, Wednesday, was the Pendleton Underground Tour and Woolen Mills. Pendleton is located about 55 miles north of La Grande over the Blue Mountains. Again it is cold and raining so the ride on the buses and indoor tours were good timing. Pendleton was a big cowboy town in the late 1800's and is reported to have up to 18 brothels and 32 saloons to entertain the traveling cowboys and people moving west on the Oregon Trail. The Underground was pretty interesting. It is a "city beneath a city", used to transport goods between businesses and receive deliveries. The area covers several city blocks, but not as many as in years past. The tour included a basement saloon, ice cream parlor, Hop Sing's Laundry and Bathhouse, among other things. After emerging from the underground we went on to visit the Cozy Rooms of Miss Stella. We walked up 31 steps to a chapel, which seems a bit out of place in this establishment, but reportedly shows how Miss Stella took care of her girls. We toured waiting rooms, living areas, working rooms and a secret closet used as an escape route for prominent people during police raids. Miss Stella's Cozy Rooms lasted into the 1950's.
Next we were bussed to the Pendleton Woolen Mills. We were told of the process of cleaning and carding the previously dyed wool, which was dyed in a location in Washington state. Next it is spun into yarn and wound onto bobbins. We were then shown the process of weaving the yarn into beautiful blankets. After the tour we browsed through the gift shop. We didn't make any purchases today.
Friday, June 14, 2013
June 14th, Near Moses Lake, WA
We are now near Moses Lake, WA visiting one of our daughters and family for the weekend.
View Larger Map
On the recommendation of a member of the Northwood RV Owners Association (NROA) we stopped on the way to see Snoqualmie Falls. Beautiful!
View Larger Map
Salish Lodge above the falls.
As we are visiting we probably won't be posting until some time next week when we attend the NROA Rally in La Grande, OR. So, may all you Fathers have a great day Sunday!
View Larger Map
On the recommendation of a member of the Northwood RV Owners Association (NROA) we stopped on the way to see Snoqualmie Falls. Beautiful!
View Larger Map
Salish Lodge above the falls.
As we are visiting we probably won't be posting until some time next week when we attend the NROA Rally in La Grande, OR. So, may all you Fathers have a great day Sunday!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
June 13th, Sequim Bay SP, (Port Gamble)
I'm sorry to say that we are leaving the area tomorrow. We have been here four days and I know we could spend another four easily. There is so much to see and do here but it will have to be another time.
Once again the forecast was for rain but it turned out to be a beautiful day. We've said it again and again; the weather has been incredible but it certainly isn't what we expected, only hoped for.
Guess who decided what was on the agenda today? It had something to do with quilting so it should be obvious. My sister told Linda about this wonderful quilt shop in an old stable barn in Port Gamble which is about 35 miles east of us. I thought, "Oh well, it may be a nice ride...." but was quite surprised with this little town. The town represents one of the few remaining examples of company towns and existed to support sawmills that produced lumber for the world market. Port Gamble was settled in 1853 and the sawmill closed in 1995, after 142 years of operation.
View Larger Map
Prior to walking around town we headed into the quilt shop, known as Quilted Strait. The shop moved to its current location from Port Angeles about three years ago. The building formerly housed the town stables. I saw some nice quilt shops in Alaska last year, and we have some pretty good ones in our area at home, but I think I have a new favorite. I made only a few small purchases. If I ever get back here again, it will be by myself or with our daughters. We will spend both hours and money here. If you are interested in checking it out, go to www.quiltedstrait.com. See for yourself what a great place this is.
Located around the corner from the quilt shop is the main street of town. There are many cute shops/homes lining the street. The gardens are well manicured and the homes are painted colorfully and immaculately maintained.
A friendly gentleman asked if we'd like our picture together. I said, "Sure!!!"
After lunch we set out on the Discovery Trail for a couple miles of walking. The trail is paved and also serves as a bike path so you must stay alert or risk getting run over. The trail varies from heavily forested to open areas with views of Sequim Bay.
We had intended to walk as far at the John Wayne Marina but found the sign directing us back the way we had come from. There was a road we crossed that went down to the marina but we assumed the trail would take us there.
(Later in the evening we drove to John Wayne Marina and it is really a nice facility)
We went on to Johnson Creek and crossed on what used to be the old train trestle and is now part of the trail. Note the Big Leaf maple leaves on the trestle in the bottom left of the picture. They are not real, but crafted out of metal!
Finally we turned around as we approached Washington St. which proceeds into Sequim. At that point we were 3 miles from camp, which means our round trip walk for today was 6 miles.
Tonight we will finish the fabulous strawberries we got at Graysmarsh Farm. Yummm! The only ones we've had that are as good or better are from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
Tomorrow we leave for the Moses Lake, WA area to visit one of our daughters and family for the weekend.
Once again the forecast was for rain but it turned out to be a beautiful day. We've said it again and again; the weather has been incredible but it certainly isn't what we expected, only hoped for.
Guess who decided what was on the agenda today? It had something to do with quilting so it should be obvious. My sister told Linda about this wonderful quilt shop in an old stable barn in Port Gamble which is about 35 miles east of us. I thought, "Oh well, it may be a nice ride...." but was quite surprised with this little town. The town represents one of the few remaining examples of company towns and existed to support sawmills that produced lumber for the world market. Port Gamble was settled in 1853 and the sawmill closed in 1995, after 142 years of operation.
View Larger Map
Prior to walking around town we headed into the quilt shop, known as Quilted Strait. The shop moved to its current location from Port Angeles about three years ago. The building formerly housed the town stables. I saw some nice quilt shops in Alaska last year, and we have some pretty good ones in our area at home, but I think I have a new favorite. I made only a few small purchases. If I ever get back here again, it will be by myself or with our daughters. We will spend both hours and money here. If you are interested in checking it out, go to www.quiltedstrait.com. See for yourself what a great place this is.
Located around the corner from the quilt shop is the main street of town. There are many cute shops/homes lining the street. The gardens are well manicured and the homes are painted colorfully and immaculately maintained.
A friendly gentleman asked if we'd like our picture together. I said, "Sure!!!"
After lunch we set out on the Discovery Trail for a couple miles of walking. The trail is paved and also serves as a bike path so you must stay alert or risk getting run over. The trail varies from heavily forested to open areas with views of Sequim Bay.
We had intended to walk as far at the John Wayne Marina but found the sign directing us back the way we had come from. There was a road we crossed that went down to the marina but we assumed the trail would take us there.
(Later in the evening we drove to John Wayne Marina and it is really a nice facility)
We went on to Johnson Creek and crossed on what used to be the old train trestle and is now part of the trail. Note the Big Leaf maple leaves on the trestle in the bottom left of the picture. They are not real, but crafted out of metal!
Finally we turned around as we approached Washington St. which proceeds into Sequim. At that point we were 3 miles from camp, which means our round trip walk for today was 6 miles.
Tonight we will finish the fabulous strawberries we got at Graysmarsh Farm. Yummm! The only ones we've had that are as good or better are from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
Tomorrow we leave for the Moses Lake, WA area to visit one of our daughters and family for the weekend.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
June 12th, Sequim Bay SP (Port Townsend)
We left our campsite this morning around 9:30am. The weather reports were not encouraging but we have only a few days and many things we want to see. When we arrived in Port Townsend, which is northeast of Sequim, we were greeted with bright, sunny weather. We parked the truck and browsed shops for about an hour....well, I browsed, anyway. Glen for the most part found benches outside that were calling his name. I was impressed with not only the quality of the shops, but the beauty of the older buildings and the work that had gone into renovations. These were not "run-of-the-mill" souvenir/junk shops, but many with high end goods; apparel and jewelry, along with restaurants and galleries. It was a pleasure to go through them and not see the same items over and over again.
We had worked up an apetite after the browsing so stopped for lunch at a little place on the water called Jordini's. We sat on the back deck and enjoyed watching the ferry cross the bay to Whidbey Island.
Some of the waterfront.
After lunch we drove around town a bit and admired the many renovated Victorians...too many beautiful ones to include here.
There were many beautiful gardens around town. This one was located on a corner right downtown.
The Jefferson County Courthouse was constructed in 1892 and business is still conducted there. It is built of red brick and has an imposing 124-foot clock tower, pretty much visible all over town.
After taking the picture I walked back toward the truck and heard a clippity-clop coming down the street. Heading right at me were two doe....white tail? I'm not sure, but they were moving, trying to avoid traffic. We thought there might be some pretty unhappy homeowners and gardeners in the area. I could just imagine them chomping away at all the beautiful gardens.
Our travels today culminated in a trip to the Graysmarsh Berry/Lavender Farm in Sequim. Glen's sister has been buying berries here for years whenever she is in the area. In June they have wonderful strawberries. We bought a half flat. In July through August it's raspberries, loganberries and blackberries. Lavender is available from July through August. The berries will be a treat for the next several days.
It has been raining on and off since we returned to the campground. Our weather luck continues.
We had worked up an apetite after the browsing so stopped for lunch at a little place on the water called Jordini's. We sat on the back deck and enjoyed watching the ferry cross the bay to Whidbey Island.
Some of the waterfront.
After lunch we drove around town a bit and admired the many renovated Victorians...too many beautiful ones to include here.
There were many beautiful gardens around town. This one was located on a corner right downtown.
The Jefferson County Courthouse was constructed in 1892 and business is still conducted there. It is built of red brick and has an imposing 124-foot clock tower, pretty much visible all over town.
After taking the picture I walked back toward the truck and heard a clippity-clop coming down the street. Heading right at me were two doe....white tail? I'm not sure, but they were moving, trying to avoid traffic. We thought there might be some pretty unhappy homeowners and gardeners in the area. I could just imagine them chomping away at all the beautiful gardens.
Our travels today culminated in a trip to the Graysmarsh Berry/Lavender Farm in Sequim. Glen's sister has been buying berries here for years whenever she is in the area. In June they have wonderful strawberries. We bought a half flat. In July through August it's raspberries, loganberries and blackberries. Lavender is available from July through August. The berries will be a treat for the next several days.
It has been raining on and off since we returned to the campground. Our weather luck continues.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)