Time to head North, getting warm LOL

It was Monday, April 9, 2012 and it was still dark and warm. The moon had set over the mountains and according to me and Mick Ewing should be sitting in the sky at home because we have taken many simular pictures of it. I would take mine then a couple hours later it would set and he would take the same one. LOL

I still hadn't decided whether or not to stay another week and play/hike/wander on the claim. Afterall I had finally found it and it did have two valleys and a 500 foot hill in the middle of it.

The only decision I had made was if I stayed it would be at another park down the road. Originally I had planned, even called, the Desert Gem RV Park and was going to stay there. Thier weekly rate was $95 a week all inclusive. However I thought I had come in on Harquahala road from the freeway when in fact I had come up the Salome Road. Anyway the result was that I saw the Voyagers Haven RV Park and thinking it was on the road closer to the area I'd be searching I pulled in there and got it. The basic rate was actually cheaper ($68) but it was not inclusive of electric which you paid separately. And the key word was cheap. The owners treated you like they were doing you a favor letting you stay there. You could pay extra for WI-FI but according to residents it hadn't worked in months but they still charged for it.

Anyway, the plan now was to pack to move, whether across town or North. Check out was 11 and I was up early. I had to go to the Tire shop at 8 to get a slow leak in a tire on the Jeep I had developed, ottherwise I was getting ready to go. About 8:30 a guy from across the way walked over to tell me the owner had to run to town and would be back soon. No sweat iIsaid but I did want to get going not spend the day dis-connected and waiting. At 10 I pulled Box II over to the office and parked where the sign indicated. I walked up to the door and saw a sign that said she went to a Dr. appointment and would be back late that afternoon. I was waiting to pay for the approx. $7 electric I had used. I wrote a note with my address saying iIwasn't waiting til that afternoon or evening and to send me a bill which I would gladly pay. This is when I took the picture of the thermometer. I got in Box II and started pulling out and heard this scraping sound. Bottom line they had a low branch (for an RV) about 3 inches in diameter hanging right where they told you to park and I now was missing the vent covers for the refridgerator and plumbing vents. I was upset with me for not paying attention but felt the branch hanging there was just indicative of the entire experience at that park.

It was getting warm enough I had decided to head North and decided when I stopped in Quartzsite Arizona I would choose my route. It would either be 95 into Nevada through Tonopah, then Winnamucca, and up to Bend Oregon. Or West to L.A. then North on I-5.

I locked the fridge, I was told I could run it on propane while driving to keep it cold but with the vent cover missing I was worried about air currents blowing the flame where it shouldn't be, besides I found out that it would stay cold 10 hours if left closed so why not save the propane. Quartzsite was a top off on gas, propane, and the KFC was for me. Jimmy didnt eat as he had an upset stomach from the heat, or so he said.

The drive across the desert was fairly monotonous, oh and warm. Actually it was hot but I used my Dad's air conditioning, only better. When I was young we moved from Texass to Arizona in a 1949 Ford Coupe. We had what he called 4 at 65. Well I have more windows so I had 8 at 55 LOL. I did find out that at 55 mph I could get up to 9 mpg using the cruise and at 59 it dropped to 6.1mpg. Quite an incentive to do 55 huh?
Here's a picture of Indio as I was coming out of the mountains, thats smog folks, not only smog but L.A. smog from 150 miles away. My throat and eyes burned and I could taste a chemical taste in my mouth until I got North of L.A.. I did take the 210 to the I-5 which made it better as the 210 runs up closer to the Mountains and North of the city.

370 miles later I arrived at the Travel America Truckstop in Buttonwillow Californai where I refueled and spent the night. I had breakfast at thier buffet which was really good. One nice thing about this RV is you can go over 650 miles on a tank so you can be choosy about where you refill. And even though I still like to do it at 1/2 tank I can go further if need be, Of course 75 gallons at $4.29 is a bit of a sticker shock so that in itself is an encentive to stop at 1/2 tank.

I had chosen to go this route because the weather in the mountains from Bend Or to Philomath was predicted to be high 20's and low 30's when I would have gotten there. Of course on the radio I heard a weather alert for the area I was traveling through from L.A. all the way North to Oregon. They were predicting up to 2 inches of rain and 40 mph winds at the lower elevations and 6 - 12 inches of snow above 4,000 feet. So a side trip to Yosemite was out of the questiona as was one to Lassen Volcano NP. Thus the drive to Red Bluff was uneventfully pleasant at 55 mph and 9 mpg. I stayed in a rest area that night and it was very comfortable. The generator on Box II is up front behind the drivers seat, not under the bed a like Box I, and as such it didnt vibrate under your head like in Box I and it was a lot quieter. The water heater is automatic so I awoke to a hot shower (I have yet to run out of hot water in Box II and its a larger glass enclosed shower) a very comfortable night, a breakfast of bacon and cheese omelet, toast, hashbrowns, OJ, coffee all cooked in the kitchen of box II. (yes, by me)

I wanted to do this leg of the trip during the day as it reached elevations over 4,000 feet and there was snow predicted.

I had hoped to stop at Lake Shasta since my trip through here last summer there was a lot of construction and you couldnt exit anywhere. So imagine my surprise when every exit said RV's Not Adivised. I had coffee at the same pullout I syopped at last year. here's the best picture of the lake including the dash of Box II. (No, I do not text while driving, now aiming the camera and taking pictures ,,,,,)

The Shasts River flows from Northern California, through Lake Shasta headed South.

It's looks like a large and interesting lake and someday I should stay around there and explore. From Lassen Volcano, to The forests and lakes and rivers it would be a fun place to see.

I was getting higher and worried about snow. (I spoke to a man at the park I'm in from Sitka who was traveling basically as I was headed for Blain to park his RV and hop on his boat to head on up to Juneau LOL anyway in order to avoid the route and weather I was taking he had headed further west to the coast. Well the weather got hung up over there and he got snowed in and I saw no snow, tell me prayer doesnt work LOL)

However, at this time I was concerned about snow and had many more passes to clear before evening and dropping temps. The rest of the drive to Corvallis was basically seeing the sights through the windshield at 55.

When I crossed the Klamath River I did have to fight a big urge to take Hwy 97 to Bend. Crater lake, Klamath Falls, and a a lot of covered bridges and waterfalls are along that route but they did have some snow issues.

So, I stayed on I-5 North to Corvallis where I had reservations for a month at the Bentley County Fairgrounds RV Park.

Its a nice park with grass, trees, free parking for events, and all inclusive to include WI-Fi and cable TV.

So, Mini-box (Jeep) and I are planning our excusions from hear. Working on vents and stuff first but have the brochures from the Chamber of all the touristy things 8) Hoping to go see Shane when he moves down here in a couple of weeks, maybe on my way further North to Marysville Wa.

Till next time