And checking off some items from our Bucket List

Our Maiden Voyage  back in April was short and bittersweet, read more here. We then returned to Anacortes, where after a brief stint home we decided to try again and took to the road. This time it got off to a great start, read about it in our article, Airstreaming, Alpacas, and Sunsets.

We’re back home, again, after two months on the road, after traveling through four states (Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and Reno Nevada area.) We discovered twelve RV parks, some were fantastic (didn’t want to leave), a couple were so-so.

And when we entered Northern California in early June, we also hit temperatures over 90+, then over 100 or more by mid-June, lasting for over a month. When you are from Washington state (the west side of the Cascades) anything over 75 is considered hot. If we hit 80, we moan and groan and start to melt, so just imagine what happened when the whole PNW hit 100 degrees or more. I knew that I was finally adjusting to the heat, when I decided that 90 was considered cool after hitting over 100.  :-)

With the heat upon us, our original trip plans took a detour and instead of going where the road took us next, we had to make more concrete plans and find RV parks with full hook-ups so we could run our A/C. In an industry, where RV parks are supposedly full and hard to obtain, I was worried it might prove to be challenging, especially with a holiday weekend in the mix (the 4th of July) but with some good research and calling around, we somehow managed.

We picked locations that interest us, especially for photography, and places we had never been to. We also needed to allow time in some locations to just relax, when we could get it we would stay for a week. RV Life is fun, but it can also be quite draining when you are moving too much or doing too many activities. We needed our down time. Plus we had a few loads of laundry to do here and there.

Though it wasn’t part of any plan, I suddenly found myself checking off things that were on our list of Someday (Bucket List.)

The first Someday - River Rafting - see the article Why Are Adventures Always Fun…Afterwards. This was on my Someday list, I just never thought I would be brave enough for that adventure.

Crater Lake

The next Someday(s) - We ended up spending a lot of time in central and southern Oregon between Medford and Eugene, since we were there we decided to knock off two of our Someday items: Crater Lake and Oregon’s Covered Bridges, during the heat, these two items were great ways to cool down.

Mt. St. Helens

Our last Someday(s) on this trip, took place in Washington State. We spent a week in Kelso, WA. This is not usually a destination we would choose, but I chose it because it wasn’t normally a destination and it was a place we had never visited. It felt like a good place to have some great down time and it was. While there we finally ventured up to Mt. St. Helens, a Someday item that finally found its day. What a beautiful and scenic drive up to Johnson Ridge. We also wanted to attend a small town rodeo and on our last night in Kelso, the Cowlitz Fair started and so did the Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo. It was fun and so entertaining, a great end to our final night on this journey. As a bonus - we found our first “Largest” item, right here in Winlock, WA

Due to the change of plans and having to find RV parks, most of the parks we found were along I-5. I soon called our trips, ‘the I-5 Shuffle’, I felt sometimes like all we did was go up and down I-5, especially in Oregon.

The rates in parks have gone up considerably for various reasons, even state parks, making our stays a little bit more pricey, but it was also during this time that I found I was more of a Glamping RVer (see my article What Kind of RVer Am I. At least that is what kind of RVer we were during these two months on the road.

But all of that is about to change…well, at least, slightly. Stay tuned.

We left Anacortes on May 20th and returned on July 23rd. We are home until August 12th, then it’s off to an even longer adventure…

May 20 - Midway RV Park, Centralia, WA
May 21-  Wings and Prayer Alpaca Farm (Harvest Host) Amity, OR
May 22 - Meadows Estate Winery (Harvest Host) Oakland, OR
May 23 - June 1 - Turtle Rock Resort, Gold Beach, OR
June 1-5 - Bay Point Landing, Coos Bay, OR
June 6 - Yreka RV Park, Yreka, CA
June 7 - Chico Rice Farm (Harvest Host) Willows, CA
June 8-10 - Jackson Rancheria Casino, Jackson, CA
June 10-17 - Gold Ranch Casino, Verdi, CA
June 17 - Susanville RV, Susanville, CA
June 18-21- Yreka RV Park, Yreka, CA
June 21-26 - Seven Feathers Casino RV Park, Canyonville, CA
June 26-29 - Casey’s Riverside RV Park, Westfir, OR
June 29 - July 3 - Olde Stone Village, McMinnville, OR
July 3 - 9 - Seven Feathers RV, Canyonville, OR
July 9- 16 - Premier RV Resort, Salem, OR
July 16- 23 - BrookHollow RV Park, Kelso, WA

Read my reviews on Campgroundreviews.com

Most of what I write about or post online is about the locations we have been to and the adventures of Betty Jo (our 27FBQ Airstream.) But the real hero of this story is Jack (our Ford F-250 diesel 4x4 CrewCab Lariat.)  Built Ford Tough… Good thing, because Jack has a tough job.

Diligently and valiantly, Jack, does his job… without complaining, without hesitation, without question. I almost think he enjoys it!

He is a steady rock in our travels, as he takes us from Point A to Point B.

It is Jack, who with gentle and firm strength, tows Betty Jo onto our next adventures.

It is Jack, who keeps us comfortable, doesn’t matter if it’s cold and raining or a very hot summer day. He pulls us up steep hills with little effort and easily controls our descent down the other side of all the mountainous highways we have explored. Automatic diesel exhaust brake with cruise control when going down a long steep hill is an amazingly comfortable, white-knuckle eliminator.

Yes, it is Jack who keeps us steady and safe (with the help of Tony’s driving skills).

It is Jack's strength and his subtle determination, which allows us the freedom and the ability to venture forth across multiple states & conditions.

Jack, may be a truck, but he is also a “Hero” in this story, for he is the one we rely on to keep us safe, to keep us going, to keep us in line.

We are on another "practice run" in RV life — You can read about our First Maiden Voyage here. This time we will be gone longer than two weeks. We were lucky to score a site close to the beach, at the charming Turtle Rock Resort RV Park in Gold Beach, Oregon. Ten days of relaxation, the sound of crashing waves at night, and beautiful sunsets. It sounded delightful and just what we needed.

It is a long drive to our destination from Anacortes, WA, so we took our sweet time and we meandered down the I-5 corridor to get there. Our first night on the road we stopped at the Midway RV Park in Centralia, WA. The name of the park is appropriate, meaning it is midway between Seattle and Portland. We arrived late afternoon, after skirting our way through Everett to Olympia traffic. We found our spot and glided in like we knew what we were doing.

The next morning we splurged and ate at Judy’s Country Kitchen, voted Best Breakfast, conveniently located next to the RV park. After a delicious breakfast, we scurried to I-5. Our next stop was just south of Portland, Oregon, close to McMinnville in Amity, Oregon. I was filled with excited anticipation for our next stop, a Harvest Host (affiliate link, get 15% off membership) — Wings and Prayer Alpaca Farm.

It was a beautiful drive, filled with sunshine as we wound our way through the Oregon countryside. We had never really explored this part of Oregon and I enjoyed the drive through the vast farmlands and green hills.
We arrived shortly before 4:00 pm. As newbies, backing up is still a bit of trial and error for us and our host gave thoughtful instructions and guidance with a touch of a lesson as we settled into our location for the evening. Once we settled in, I immediately grabbed my camera to venture out and explore.

After a restful night sleep, we hurried through our morning routine because we were going to take an Alpaca for a walk. They offer an Alpaca Trek experience on their farm for guests and I signed us up. We got a brief lesson, charmed our Alpaca with some goodies, then trekked up the hill with our host as our guide. She shared their story of how they came to be Alpaca farmers, how it grew, and shared some tidbits of Alpaca information. It was a delightful way to start our day and get exercise having Mondae (the Alpaca) by my side.
We thanked our hosts and bid them farewell as we continued on our journey. Our hosts recommended we continue on Hwy 99 for a more scenic view until we get to Eugene and they were right, it was beautiful.

Our next stop was Meadows Estate Winery. Located in the Umpqua Valley, the scenery was lovely. When we arrived our host greeted us and then once we settled in we ventured inside for some wine tasting and a little history on the winery and the area. It was a quiet and peaceful place to rest our heads after a days travel.

Thanks to the advice from others in some Facebook groups and our winery host, we opted to take Hwy 38 to reach the Oregon Coast, an RV friendly highway over and through the mountainous range. What a gorgeous scenic drive.

After a leisurely drive through the mountains and down Hwy 101 on the Oregon Coast, we arrived at our final destination — Turtle Rock Resort in Gold Beach, Oregon. A nice breeze greeted us as we found our site and settled in.

After ten days at Turtle Rock RV Park in Gold Beach, we headed up to Bay Point Landing RV Resort in Coos Bay, Oregon. I fell in love with this RV Park, we only a few days here and so much to see.

The mornings were gorgeous but then fog would roll in and hang out along the coastline. We traveled to see the sand dunes, but between the fog and other factors we didn’t really experience the sand dunes. Oh, well, maybe another time.

Another day, we did a scenic drive along HWY 540 aka Cape Arago HWY. It was a foggy day so we couldn’t see much off the coast, but still it was a stunning drive. Our next stop was Bandon, OR. To get to HWY 101 via Hwy 540 we discovered 7 Devils Road in Charleston. The sign said it was a “scenic” drive, at first it wasn’t much of a road but then suddenly it was more like you were in heaven, such stunning scenery from on top of the world. It was a winding road with curves and twists, fun to drive with the right vehicle, and I was sure glad we weren’t towing.

After lunch in Bandon, we drove along the coast on Beach Loop Drive to see Face Rock State Scenic Outlook and Devil’s Kitchen. By then, the fog was further offshore so our view expanded. But our favorite location and a “must see” on this day was Shore Acres State Park on Hwy 540.

A unique blend of cragged rocks and rugged nature mixed beautifully with a landscaped garden and grassy area. The scenery was nothing short of sensational, a photographer or even a non-photographer’s heaven.

As a newbie, we are still learning how to plan our trips. I depend heavily on reviews and suggestions from groups I belong too. I am learning how to mix locations, utilizing Harvest Hosts during travel days, then finding a park where we can stay a little longer and have the use of full hook-ups. We have found we do better traveling when we have a location that we stay at least a week to actually enjoy the location, also to have downtime and days for chores — like laundry and grocery shopping.

From Alpacas to sunsets, the beginning of our adventure, our second Maiden Voyage, was off to a good start.

RVing - to travel, to explore, to connect with nature, and to create memories.

Today, RVing can also mean - working from the road, learning while on the road, meetings and more meetings (and too many Zoom meetings), and just spending a lot of time online. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, they all make the life style glamorous and inviting - and it is a lifestyle. It invites the promise of so much more and so many are buying into it and hitting the road.

All we need is a good connection (WIFI) and we are happy campers…but the reality is…good connection may be easier than in years pass but is still elusive or at least sluggish in many locations. This explosion of people living in their RVs and wandering from location to location was not something this industry was fully prepared for.

Technology has taken an industry, traditionally comprised of retirees, and opened it up to all age groups and families. Their desires and needs includes WIFI at a decent speed. One of the most frequently asked questions in Facebook Groups and forum is, "How do I get Internet?" And, just as there are so many questions, there also seems to be a variety of answers. Not all are foolproof, not all of them are accurate. Many of these answers and ideas will not work for everyone or work everywhere. There is also a wide variety of cost & complexity, too.

With so many turning RVing into a life style, technology is more critical than ever before. We still need to earn a living, we still need to learn, and we still need some connection to family and friends, and children (and adults) still need to be entertained.

We ourselves are in a “semi-retired” stage, which means we still need to earn some kind of living. For us, Internet is a way to earn income on the road, to continue our RV education, and it is also a way to connect with family and friends.

We have watched countless YouTube videos on this subject and read countless answers. Various groups, some with broad coverage of RV Life tricks and tips, others more manufacture specific, like the various Airstream Groups we follow, are a wealth of information. The old adage “taken with a grain of salt” always applies. Many of which helped, some of which didn’t or were suspect, but sounded good and needed more research.

Many RV Parks offer Wi-Fi, but the main problem with RV park Wi-Fi, besides speed and connection mainly due to too many RV’s trying to connect - is security. Using our phones as a hotspots helps with the issue of security but sometimes may be slower than the RV free Wi-Fi. It’s still  a lot of hit and miss.

The solution we have been trying out recently (we are a little over a month into it) is the new, Inseego 5G MiFi M2000. The sales person told us it was 100gb per month at 5G, go over the the 100gb (or in certain areas) it will downspeed to 4G.  The cost - $50 per month. The Device is $336.00.

I am not a techie (I leave that to my husband), but what I can tell you is when we first got it, it was AMAZING!!!! Faster than the 100Gb fiber we had in our home. It was screaming fast. Working on-line, listening to Pandora & Spotify and streaming YouTube, Netflix & HBO Movies was an RV’ers dream.

The real test came when we went on our Maiden Voyage along the WA & OR coast, cell phone coverage was spotty and usually only 1 bar. And still it managed to work, even though it did at slower speeds. When it was slow, we had a harder time streaming and being online dragged but was doable – most of the time.

Then upon our return from the coast of WA/OR, about three weeks in, it just stopped working. The device showed it was getting 5G at full signal strength, our (7 Apple) devices would easily connect with it’s full strength Wi-Fi signal, but for some reason there was no internet available.

We returned it under warranty and had another one ordered for us another one (at a cost of $21 for S&H), but still the same issue. When we left for Oregon and stopped for the night at a Harvest Host, it suddenly worked fine and worked as advertised, but then it retreated back to not connecting.

We are not sure what the issue is? As soon as we are near another T-Mobile store again we will have them look at it.

We have encountered other RV’ers who swear by the WeBoost for boosting cell coverage signals. As we are currently in a very weak cellphone signal area, that will be our next exploration, as we will continue to look for that Internet Magic Answer - till then, we travel and connect just one byte at a time.

We moved into Betty Jo (the Airstream) in February, yet, it wasn’t until the 9th of April that we actually hit the road. Our Maiden Voyage, our first trip outside of our little comfort zone, our shake down cruise. The start of an adventure or at least the start of OMG what are we doing?

Reservations were made, our courses were plotted, and mentally we were as ready as we could get.

Our first destination was Grayland Beach State Park in the SW coastal area of Washington State. Our reservations were from a Saturday through Wednesday. Quesstimating it to be around a seven-hour drive from Anacortes, we made the decision to break up the drive and leave the day before — a Friday. Unfortunately, due to scheduling it was late in the day when we finally left town. This meant driving through Friday afternoon rush hour traffic. If you know the Seattle area you know that rush hour traffic is a continuous onslaught of stop-and-go from Everett to Olympia — adding extra time to our already long commute. Our goal was to make it to somewhere past Olympia and stop for the night. We had discussed the route of the Peninsula but didn’t feel comfortable, or ready enough, to brave a Washington State Ferry, so the I-5 corridor it was.

We were somewhat dreading this drive. Over the years, we had driven this route on I-5 many, many, many times, but never towing an over 6,500 lb trailer. But once we hit the Seattle traffic we sort of found our groove and our flow and just breezed down the highway like any other commuter. I had feared the “closeness” of other vehicles next to us, especially semi-trucks, but soon realized that was an unneeded fear. Betty Jo obediently followed behind and stayed snug in her lane.

I found an RV park just outside of Olympia for our night stay. The RV park was Elma RV Park in Elma, WA. We arrived at 6:30 p.m. tired and hungry. They were helpful and accommodating when I called and asked if they had a pull-through just for the night. I explained we were newbies on our Maiden Voyage. The office was closed but someone met us upon our arrival and made sure we made it in to our spot safely. Technically it was “not” a pull-through but two back-end spots they converted to a pull-through to accommodate us. The next morning, they greeted us with homemade cookies, friendly faces, wonderful advice on getting out of the site, and a good luck for our journey.

One RV Park down, now on to the next.

The sun shined on our drive from Elma to Grayland. The drive on Hwy 12 to Aberdeen is always so beautiful. We stopped in Westport for lunch and a peek at the ocean. It had been years since we had last visited the coast and I inhaled deeply the salty smell of the waves as they crashed ashore.

We arrived at Grayland close to 2:30 pm, checked in and found our spot… our first back end. Luckily, all of our neighboring RVers were out enjoying the sunny day instead of sitting in their camp chairs watching us figure out how to get Betty Jo into her home for the next few days. Finally, after several attempts, quite a bit of frustration, and back and forth, she was in, hooked up and ready to chill. And, so were we.

I made the reservation early in February. I read reviews, I studied the map, I went back and forth on sites looking for one that looked easy enough to get in and out. The choices were limited, many were already booked or closed for the season. Our spot, however, for this time of year, was too shady. I had wished I had known that. As for the park — it was a lovely location. Peaceful, quiet, refreshing. The ocean, the only reason for me being there, was quite the distance and there was marshland between the park and the beach, I found that a little disappointing, I wanted to hear its roar at night as I slept, instead it was a faded distance hum.

Our next major stop and reservation was Fort Stevens State Park outside of Astoria, Oregon. But we had five nights between the two state parks to figure out. I wrestled with this for weeks on where to stay. I tried Cape Disappointment State Park but they were full. Another state park highly recommended.

I had settled on the Raymond RV and Marine Park for a couple of nights after we left Grayland. It was right on the Willapa River, had decent reviews, and the pricing was reasonable. I called and asked if they had anything available and would the site be easy for a newbie to get into.

The photos for a lot of these places online, do not do some of the places justice, and do not always tell a complete story, especially for a newbie. Sometimes the reviews are helpful. For example Elma — the reviews said nice park, nice people, but tight spaces. Once we got there and looked around, it was a park with really tight places. As a newbie we would not have stayed there if we had to back into a spot, we aren’t talented (or experienced) enough to even try that.

For Raymond RV, the reviews were fairly good but the photos were kind of iffy on whether or not we could park there. We pulled into the park, there was only one spot left and it was extremely tight. The park actually sits next to a marine business and it was a decent enough park, but for a newbie that spot was frightful. I called the office and she assured me we could get in it and they would help, but she was tied up for thirty minutes so she told us to hang out and wait. We ate a quick lunch and just stared at the space. The more we stared, the more we came to the conclusion — NO WAY! We called her back and said sorry but the space was too tight for our comfort level.

I then found an RV Park on the south side of Astoria who had pull-throughs, full hook-up, and could accommodate us for five nights. It was the Lewis and Clark RV Park and Gulf Course. It is managed by a mother and daughter and they went out of their way to help and accommodate us. The park is clean and very well maintained, quiet and peaceful, clean laundry room which you have to yourself when you do laundry, and great customer service. There is propane on site. The spaces are spacious, most with full hook up. No picnic tables though. Relying on Google Map, we missed our turn and got a little lost and side-tracked so we had to call for directions and they talked us right to the front door. I would gladly go back and stay for a while.

The day before we were scheduled to start our stay at Fort Stevens State Park, we took a drive over to the park and nosed around a bit. We found the spot where we would be staying, planned our route in, and then checked out a few of the touristy parts of the park. Normally, you don’t have this option to check out a park before you get there, but I am glad we did. As newbies, pulling into an unknown park for the first time can be quite suspenseful and not always in a good way. We had a pull-through site but it was one where you angled in because it had a curve. There was an Airstream in our site as we drove by, so this gave us a clue of how it would look and how we would fit. Again, like Grayland, there are a lot of trees so a lot of shade, which would be great in the summer on a hot day, but not in mid-April when it’s still chilly out. And the mosquitoes were out and quite large.

Fort Steven State Park is a beautiful park, filled with history and historical sites. It was a joy to meander around and feel the history. There were trails weaving in and out of the park, perfect for walking or biking. A small herd of elk would be seen munching around the park and an occasional eagle would fly overhead. Our second night there we drove out to see the Peter Iredale shipwreck on the beach and to just enjoy the song of the ocean waves. We also spotted whale mist from their spouts off the coast, whether it was humpbacks or gray whales, I am unsure, but to see that was a highlight for me.

One of the the many things you learn as a newbie RVer is accepting that plans change, sometimes constantly. You also need to learn “how” to plan, this is just something you learn over time and through experience. I had planned the end of our Maiden Voyage jaunt too tightly, only allowing one day to return back to the Bellingham, WA area, making for too long of a drive home. In a car, no problem, but like many said, driving an RV or towing fatigues you quicker and so keep your driving time short. Based on that advice and after experiencing fatigue from the drive down, we left our spot at Fort Stevens a day early, allowing us two days to return, instead of cramming it into one.

It was also good practice for us to travel without a plan since we won’t always have one. I opened my Harvest Host App on my iPhone and found an Harvest Host about mid-way. If you are not familiar with Harvest Host (click on the affiliate “link” for 15% off,) check out their website and with other fellow RVers who use them. They are hosts of farmers, wineries, breweries, museums, and more. I signed up, not just because it was a place to stop for the night on the way to somewhere, but for the experience. What fun it will be to meet people, experience small businesses across the country, and to create fond memories.

Our host for this night was Sandstone Distillery in Tenino, WA.

As part of being a guest, the hope is you will support the business. After we settled in, we went into the little shop they set up, peddling their many bottles of distilled alcohol and was pleasantly surprised. What an amazing treat. The hosts were gracious and had amazing stories about their business and how it got started. My husband tried a sampler of some of their whiskeys and enjoyed it, but for me it was the variety of vinegars with the most amazing offerings of flavors. The business is owned by a husband and wife and their son. When I asked about the vinegars the son turned to his mom to explain. You could tell immediately how passionate she was about them and when I asked about ways to use them my mouth watered listening to her talk about some of her favorite ways to cook or even how to just use them for health benefits. I immediately bought two bottles.

Our Maiden Voyage was a mixed bag of emotions, trial and error, tension, delight. There is, obviously, still much to learn. Many of us do this for the freedom and the memories. Our Maiden Voyage was also about decompressing, for finding the time to allow our stressful emotions from the last few months, the last few years, especially the last year — the time to explode or let go. It also allowed us the time to do what we love — photography and food.

It wasn’t just a “shake down cruise” for Betty Jo, but a shake down cruise for us.

Fond Food Memories
Dylan’s Cottage Bakery — Wonderful tasting breads and the best mouth-melting long john I had ever eaten.
Brady’s Oyster — We stopped here to pick up some halibut for the BBQ and also found a mouth-watering Cajun Tuna dip to accompany.
Frite and Scoop — I confess, I cannot pass up a good ice cream shop and it was good. I also had to stop here to find out what a ‘frite’ is.
The Naked Lemon — It was hard to connect with this bakery, the hours never seemed to match mine, but once we finally did, OMG YUM!!!!!
T. Paul’s Urban Cafe — Don’t let the outside fool you. This delightful hole-in-the-wall was a special find. Great food, fun decor, and the friendliest service.
The Coffee Girl — Just like I cannot pass up an ice cream shop, Tony cannot pass up a good coffee shop and they were good. Located in the old Cannery building for Bumble Bee Tuna, this place had the original counter where they served coffee to the workers. Nice to know that sometimes history in some form continues.

Fun Experiences
The International Mermaid Museum and Garden — Okay, I’ll admit it, it was the name that drew me in. Mermaids was a good start, but International? It was a delightful museum — filled with fun facts and stories of mermaid folklore from all of the world. After enjoying the museum take the time to walk and enjoy the expansive garden and then stop in the wine shop.

We found our next family addition here — meet Pink.
She is a delightful Flamingo who makes a nice addition.

The United States Coast Guard was doing a training exercise right off the path at the Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment. Loud and fun to watch. Luckily it was just an exercise and not a rescue.

Ecola State Park — For years we had driven right past this park in our hurry to get to Cannon Beach, this time we made an effort to stop, not only once, but twice. So grateful we did.