Author Archives: Mike Kuper

Alpines Everywhere

We’ve had some busy days since I last posted on Wednesday. It’s Saturday morning and I need to catch up.

Donna went out for a bike ride on Wednesday. She rode west on Marine Drive to Portland and followed the bike path along I-5 over the Columbia River. If she continued north on the path, she would cross the state line into Washington. Instead, she pulled off at Hayden Island. She rode there to visit her friend, Ramona Creel. Ramona is an organizing professional and full-time RVer.

Ramona was staying at the Jantzen Beach RV Park.  She has an Airstream travel trailer that she pulls with a Ford truck. She was stranded at the time due to engine trouble with her truck. An independent mechanic in Portland told her the engine had seized and would need replacement. His estimate for the repair was $6,000.

The truck ended up at a Ford dealer where they told her the engine wasn’t seized. The compressor was seized and wouldn’t allow the engine to turn over. Replacement of the compressor was $1,100.

Stories like this really frost me. The first mechanic condemned the engine without doing a proper diagnosis. He assumed the crankshaft was seized and never removed belts to confirm this. I don’t know if he was dishonest or incompetent, but people like that give the auto repair business a black eye.

Donna visited with Ramona for an hour or so before riding back. It was about a 30-mile round trip with a tailwind all the way home along the Columbia River.

While Donna was out, I washed our coach. I also treated the tire sidewalls with 303 Aerospace Protectant.

Around 4pm, we rode the scooter to the old downtown district of Troutdale and had an early dinner at a sushi restaurant. Downtown Troutdale is only a couple of blocks, but it has some cool shops.

Old downtown Troutdale

Old downtown Troutdale

At the end of the road is a museum and park overlooking the Sandy River. They roll up the sidewalks at 5pm though, so the museum was closed by the time we got there.

Old Union Pacific rail car in front of museum

Old Union Pacific rail car in front of museum

Thursday was a move day. We had to pack up and move from site 99 to site 28. We also had to drop our trailer. I walked up to office to check in for the move. Last Friday, the manager told me I would be dropping the trailer in site 2, 3 or 4 and I should check in before moving. The manager wasn’t there Thursday morning. The assistant manager, Debby, was on duty. I asked her which site I would be dropping the trailer in. She told me she didn’t have anything available, so I would have to leave it in the other end of the park by the pond!

I nearly lost it. I told her this was the second time they hadn’t come through. First of all, Debby had e-mailed me in April and said we would stay in the same site for our entire stay. That didn’t happen. Then the manager told me I would drop my trailer near our present site and now Debby was saying that wouldn’t happen either. After I pointed out to Debby how she had dropped the ball on me, she started looking through her reservations. She finally told me I could drop our trailer in site 6 as soon as the people there moved out, which would be by 11am. Site 28, where we had to move, was also currently occupied and should be available by 11am. I don’t understand all the juggling of sites. The people in site 28 weren’t leaving the park – they were being moved to another site as well!

At 11am, I dropped the trailer in site 6. Then we drove the coach down Sandy Boulevard a few miles west to a Union 76 station I had scouted. Their price for diesel fuel was $3.78/gallon. With my 5% Chase Freedom card cash back bonus, I filled up for less than $3.60/gallon.

Once we settled into our new site, the Alpine Coaches started rolling in. The Alpine Coach Association rally would officially kick off with cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres at 5pm.

Rows of Alpine Coaches

Rows of Alpine Coaches

The hors doeuvres turned out to be dinner. There was plenty of food, wine tasting and a variety of beers. I sampled a few beers while Donna enjoyed the wine. We sat with Dave Hobden and his wife, Stilla. They’re originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Actually, Stilla is from Germany. They’re full-timers now that Dave has retired for the second time. First, he retired from the army, then went back to work for the government as a contractor. Now, he’s fully retired and enjoying life on the road. Dave and I corresponded online through the Alpine forum and he follows our blog. It was great to meet in person. Events like this and life on the road in general are all about the people we meet.

Dave, Stilla and Donna along with other ACA members

Dave, Stilla and Donna along with other ACA members

A tour of the Roadmaster facility, where RV parts and accessories are manufactured in Vancouver, Washington was on the agenda Friday morning. Donna and Stilla weren’t interested in going. Dave and I decided to travel together in Dave’s truck.

Donna hung out with a group of women after I left at 7:30pm. I came back to the coach to watch the Chargers pre-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. For some reason, the NFL Network showed the TV coverage kicking off at 7:30pm. The actual kick-off was at 7pm, so I missed most of the first quarter. The Chargers look promising. I think it will be a good season.

I’ll post about Friday’s activity later and bring us up to date. Today, Donna and I are heading to Portland’s downtown area to kick around.

 

 

Reliable Video Reviews

Yesterday was a lovely day. The weather was typical for Portland in early August as the thermometer topped out at 82 degrees. The morning dawned overcast, but it quickly burned off and we had blue skies all day.

We shot a video review of the Reliable Enviromate Pronto P7 Handheld Steam Cleaner and Fabric Steamer for Camping World. Shooting the video outdoors had its challenges. We tried to time our takes between airplanes flying by. Then the garbage truck arrived and emptied dumpsters at the end of our lane. Then a big diesel motorhome pulled into an open site across from ours. We kept plugging away until we had a usable video.

Donna’s friend, Susan Lannis, drove into our site at noon, right on schedule. After a short visit and tour of the coach, she and Donna drove east on old Highway 30. They planned to sightsee and enjoy a picnic lunch that Susan had packed.

Donna at an overlook of the Columbia Gorge - photo by Susan Lannis

Donna at an overlook of the Columbia Gorge – photo by Susan Lannis

They stopped at Latourell Falls and walked up the path to view the lower falls. They dined at a picnic table there.

Lower Latourell Falls

Lower Latourell Falls – photo by Susan Lannis

The lower Latourell Falls plunges 249 feet to a pool below. The falls are named after Joseph “Frenchy” Latourell, a settler that came to the gorge in the 1850s.

While they were out, I rode the scooter to the Fastenal store. I talked to the guy at the counter and we discussed options for re-fastening the compartment cover on the right side of our coach. He thought I should drill out the holes and use a Heli-Coil® type thread insert. I agreed that this would be the strongest way to repair the damaged threads. However, there really isn’t any tension on the screws – it only keeps the panel from opening. The screws insert through a horizontal plate on the bottom of the panel and thread into a blind hole. The only force on the screw is a light shear, not tension. It only needs enough tension to hold it in place.

Instead of spending $35 for a thread insert tool and kit that I would probably use one time, I opted for trying a self-tapping screw. The original threads held a 1/4″ or 6mm screw. I’m not sure which one it was as the threads were damaged. I thought a 5/16″ self-tapping sheet metal screw would work. I paid $2 for a packet of five screws. If it didn’t work, I still had the option of doing the thread insert.

5/16 - 18 x 1/2" hex washer head self tapping screw

5/16 – 18 x 1/2″ hex washer head self-tapping screw

I removed the safety wire I had used to temporarily hold the panel closed. Then I cranked the self-tapping screw in place. It tightened up fine. I did the same on the second hole with the same result. Job done! I doubt if the screws will back out. If they do, I’ll install thread inserts.

Later, Donna and I shot another video review inside the coach. This one was for the Reliable Enviromate Brio steam cleaner. We’ve been wanting to do this review for a while. We finally had a nice afternoon without background noise in the coach from the air conditioners.

Yesterday afternoon, there were seven Alpine Coaches in the park. The Alpine Coach Association rally begins tomorrow. We expect to have at least 38 Alpine Coaches. Last evening, Donna and I took a walk through the RV park. We met Tom and Nancy Polk along with Vic and Willy Egg. Their Alpine coaches are parked next to each other. The four of them are the hosts for the rally.

This is our first organized RV rally. We’re looking forward to meeting like-minded people and I can learn more about Alpine Coach from experienced owners.

This morning, I plan to wash our rig and have it spiffy when we move to site 28 tomorrow. Donna’s going out for a bike ride.

Blue Lake

The temperature rose quickly yesterday. I went for ride on my mountain bike a little after 11am and it was already quite warm.

We planned to shoot a video review for Camping World in the morning, but the landscape crew was mowing outside our coach and creating too much noise. Later in the day, with both air conditioners running, we would have had too much background noise. So we put it off until today.

I rode my bike west on Sandy Boulevard, then turned north, toward the Columbia River at 185th. From there I followed Marine Drive, the same route I rode on the scooter the day before. I left Marine Drive on a paved bike path that brought me to Blue Lake Regional Park.

I rode my bike into the park to have a look at the lake. The park covers 101 acres. The lake itself is 61 acres. The lake has no natural inlet or outlet. It’s a basin that’s filled with rainwater, ground water runoff and seepage. In the dry season (late summer), water is pumped from municipal wells to maintain the lake level.

The park encompasses the north shore of the lake. The south shore has private residences. Boat rentals are available in the park. There are swimming areas and a fishing dock as well. I rode my bike to the end of the fishing dock.

View of Blue Lake to the west from the fishing dock

View of Blue Lake to the west from the fishing dock

East end of the lake

East end of the lake

Maintaining the water quality in the closed system of the lake is a difficult task. They’ve had issues with invasive, non-native plants such as Eurasian watermilfoil and curly leaf pond weed. The water looked clean to me. The aquatic plants I saw in the lake were mostly giant water lilies. They were blooming with white and purple flowers.

Giant water lily

Giant water lily

I was on the bike for a little over an hour. By the time I returned, it was getting hot out. We spent most of the afternoon indoors to escape the 90+ degree heat.

We went for a walk in the RV park before dinner. The park is large with more than 400 sites. We saw an old slammed VW Type II crew cab truck parked in front of a fifth wheel trailer. I took a gag photo that made it look like the trailer was hooked up to the VW!

Heavy load

Heavy load

Donna prepared garlic shrimp over pasta with grilled zucchini for dinner. As usual, it was an excellent meal.

Shrimp with zucchini over pasta

Shrimp with zucchini over pasta

This morning, we’ll work on the video shoot. Later, Donna’s friend and professional organizing colleague, Susan Lannis, is coming over. She lives across the gorge on the Washington side of the Columbia River. They plan to drive up highway 30 to view waterfalls and have a picnic lunch. The greatest concentration of waterfalls in the USA is found along the vertical basalt walls on the south side of the Columbia Gorge.

I never made it to Fastenal yesterday. Maybe I’ll find the store today and get the hardware I’ve been looking for.

 

Home on the Marina

Yesterday’s high temperature reached 90 degrees. It wasn’t a record breaker, but it was nine degrees above average. Today is supposed to be hotter – mid 90s.

Donna studied the map and went out for a bike ride in the late morning. She made one error on her course and ended up climbing to the top of Rocky Butte Park. She went through a tunnel going up plus lots of switchbacks to the top and back down the other side. She met another rider who helped her get back on course. She rode back along the bike path next to Marine Drive, on the Columbia River. Her loop covered about 20 miles.

After lunch, I took a ride on the scooter. I wanted to stop at Lowes and try to find 5/16″ self-tapping screws. I made a loop riding west, then north to Marine Drive where I turned back east. The Columbia River runs wide and deep along here.

I came upon a unique little community. It’s made up of floating houses at a marina. There were three or four different gated marinas with floating houses. The homeowners had parking areas in the marina lot and most of them also had floating garages for their boats.

Floating homes

Floating homes

Homes and toys

Homes and toys

More homes

More homes

These communities are located in a small strait between the south bank of the Columbia River and McGuire Island. This shields them from the main channel of the Columbia.

I also checked out the Blue Lake Regional Park and Chinook Landing Marine Park. Both parks were full of activity as lots of people were enjoying the sunny weather on the water. I just did a drive-by. The day-use fee to enter either park is five dollars.

I finally made my way to Lowes. They didn’t have the hardware I was looking for. The guy there suggested I try Fastenal, but they are closed on Sunday.

In the afternoon, Donna and I tackled a chore I’ve put off for too long. Our Weber Q grill needed a deep cleaning. It was quite a job, but it gave Donna a chance to try out the Reliable Pronto Steam Cleaner. We’ll be shooting a video review of this product for Camping World like the one we did for the Reliable Steamboy Pro T3 floor mop.

Last night, Donna did something different for dinner. She cubed spicy, pre-seasoned, boneless, skinless chicken thighs from Costco that my daughter, Alana, cooked for dinner one night when we were visiting. She browned the chicken then added broccoli, onions and peppers for a stir fry. She used the orange glaze sauce that came with the pre-seasoned chicken in the stir fry. She sprinkled sesame seeds over the stir fry once it was on the plate. It was a quick, simple meal that was very tasty. I would enjoy having it again.

Chicken stir fry with orange glaze sauce

Chicken stir fry with orange glaze sauce

This morning, we’ll work on the video review. I want to take my mountain bike out for a ride by the river. Later, I’ll see if I can find the Fastenal store and continue my quest for 5/16″ self-tapping screws. I think today will be mostly a working day for Donna.

 

Chillin’ and Grillin’ in Portland

Yesterday’s weather was hot and muggy. The thermometer registered a high of 90 degrees. We ran the air conditioners all afternoon.

For some unknown reason, I had lower back pain yesterday. I was uncomfortable most of the day. I managed to get out and ride the scooter over to WalMart where I bought propane canisters for the Weber Q grill. I also bought DAP caulking for the kitchen sink and backsplash in the bathroom. The caulk had dried out and was cracking around the kitchen sink. This was allowing water to seep past any time water collected on the rim of the sink (while doing dishes or whatnot).

Likewise, the seam where the backsplash and countertop meet in the bathroom needed to be resealed. I used almond colored caulk in the kitchen to match the Corian® countertop. In the bathroom I went with clear caulk. It took about one and half hours to complete the job. Most of that time was consumed in removing the old caulk and cleaning the area to prepare it for the new caulk.

Meanwhile, Donna went out for walk and scouted the bike route. She phoned me after 30 minutes or so to confirm her directions to loop back to the park. The roads around here can be confusing. They aren’t laid out in a straight grid and many roads have multiple names. Also, along the river many of the roads are dead ends.

I laid back and read most of the afternoon. My lower back hurt all day. I don’t what was up with that. My back feels fine this morning.

When Donna returned, she prepared a rack of lamb with a classic rosemary, thyme and garlic rub. She allowed it to marinate with a little olive oil in the refrigerator for about two hours before I grilled it. She served it with baked sweet potato and steamed green beans. Another delicious meal!

A colorful and delicious meal

A colorful and delicious meal

Donna is heading out for a bike ride this morning. We have another hot day ahead. The temperature is supposed to reach record territory in the lower 90s.

Southbound from South Bend

We left South Bend, Washington yesterday. Our place by the river was really nice, but we had reservations at the Portland Fairview RV Park in Portland, Oregon.

Selfie by the river

Selfie by the river

It was very quiet overnight, but it seemed like everyone was heading out of town to work at 6am. The road noise was constant and I couldn’t sleep.

The clouds formed a low ceiling over the river. It was almost a fog bank, but it was more than a hundred feet above the river. We were a little out of sync, but we made our goal of departing by 9:30am.

Low clouds over the river

Low clouds over the river

Our route took us west on US101 to Willapa Bay where the road turned south. We turned east on WA4 and followed the two-lane highway to Longview, where we hit I-5 south. Highway 4 is a narrow two-lane road with a surface that dips and undulates constantly. It seemed like the roadbed wasn’t properly prepared and the road sank in areas. This made it an uncomfortable ride. The narrow shoulder and lack of rest areas gave me no choice but to press on.

By the time I found a rest area on I-5, I had been driving for two and half hours. This is not my usual habit. I like to take a comfort break after an hour and a half or so and stretch my legs.

Traffic volumes were building as we approached Vancouver, Washington. There was road construction and signs warning of a lane closure ahead. People ignored the signs and zoomed along in the left lane, trying to gain some kind of advantage until they came to the barrier blocking the lane. Then they would come to stop and slice their way between cars in the open lane on the right, bringing everyone’s progress to a halt. It’s idiotic, but typical. A tractor-trailer rig about 100 yards behind us straddled the line, blocking the left lane. This forced the left-lane drivers to merge behind him. This quickly cleared the jam ahead of us and we were on our way again.

We crossed the Columbia River on I-205, then headed east on I-84 and found the Fairview RV Park on Sandy Boulevard. Check-in was very efficient and we moved into site 99 in a matter of minutes after our arrival.

Fairview RV Park - site 99

Fairview RV Park – site 99

This RV park is large, clean and very well-maintained. Amenities include a swimming pool and exercise facility.

The Alpine Coach Association has a rally scheduled here beginning August 7th. We decided to attend the rally and registered for it in March. Then we decided to arrive a week early to see Portland and visit friends in the area. So I made a reservation for our early arrival here at the same time.

After I set up and dumped our holding tanks, I noticed the placard they gave us at the office showed a departure date of August 7th. I walked back to the office and told them we were staying for the rally through the 11th. They looked up my reservation and said it was two different bookings. I would be in a different site for the rally. I showed them an e-mail on my smart phone where I asked to stay in one site for the duration and their reply to my e-mail assuring me that would not be a problem.

It didn’t make any difference. At the end of next week, we’ll have to pack everything up and move a few hundred feet to a different site. This is very annoying. To move a few hundred feet is no different than moving few hundred miles. Everything has to be secured and slides brought in. Then we have to set everything up all over again.

Our set up

Our set-up

I took the scooter out in the afternoon to reconnoiter the area. There’s plenty of shopping nearby in Troutdale. Donna and I also looked at maps of bicycle paths. They consist of roads with bike lanes interspersed with dedicated paved bike trails. We could ride all the way to downtown Portland from here.

Last night I grilled salmon with miso rub on a cedar plank. Donna served it over sauteed spinach with fresh white corn on the cob and garlic-smashed red potatoes.

Cedar planked salmon with miso rub

Cedar planked salmon with miso rub

The salmon looks undercooked in the photo, but it was actually grilled perfectly.

Delicious dinner

Delicious dinner

Today I think we’ll look for a farmers’ market and kick around the area.

Willapa Bay Oysters

I awoke yesterday morning to the sound of a raucous flock of crows around our motorhome. At 7am, one or more of them started hopping around on the roof of our coach. Very noisy.

About 15 minutes later, I heard the sound of chains. It sounded like someone was unclipping the safety chain on our trailer. I got up and put on my shorts and t-shirt to investigate. A flat bed trailer with a porta-potty on it had been left in the lot overnight. Some county employees were hooking the trailer up to their truck.

By now, I was fully awake with no chance of falling back asleep. I posted to the blog, then headed outside. The weather was glorious – not a cloud in the sky – warm, but not hot.

I walked back up the highway, retracing the the way we drove in. I was looking for the Ace Hardware store Donna saw when we arrived. It was about 3/4 of a mile up the road. I was in search of 5/16″ self-tapping sheet metal screws to secure the loose compartment cover on the coach. They didn’t have any though. I’ll have to make do with safety wire until I can find a suitable fastener.

On the walk back, I shot a couple of photos. The first one is looking across the river, upriver from downtown. On the hillside across the river, you can see the aftermath of a large slide. It reminded me of the devastating mudslide near Darrington, Washington.

Upriver from downtown - evidence of a slide on the mountain in the background

Upriver from downtown – evidence of a slide on the mountain in the background

I took another photo looking toward the downtown area. I’ve marked the city dock and the city boat launch. As always, clicking on the photos will enlarge them.

Looking downriver toward downtown

Looking downriver toward downtown

When I reached the downtown area, I walked up the hill to the Pacific County Courthouse. This stately building was completed in 1910. It’s a beautiful piece of architecture.

Pacific County Courthose

Pacific County Courthouse

The view from the hill is very nice. I shot a photo from the courthouse steps.

View from the courthouse steps

View from the courthouse steps

When I returned to the coach, Donna was out perusing some of the shops downtown. She found a nice set of exercise dumbbells in a thrift shop. It has three pairs – 2lb, 3lb and 5lb with special grips that allow them to be doubled up – all in a nice carrying case for $10! She’s been wanting something like this. She also picked up some clay pots for her herbs.

I was getting anxious to move our rig out to the boat ramp. I saw several RVs pull through town and two coaches stopped in the lot where we stayed overnight. I was worried about someone taking the spot we scouted out the day before. Around 2pm, we moved. No worries. The primo spot on the river was open. We’re the only ones here.

Our new dry camp site

Our new dry camp site

The site is fairly level. I had the slides out in no time and walked down to the boat ramp to pay the $10 fee. We have a million dollar view for 10 bucks!

View from our living room

View from our living room

Donna fixed a salad for lunch, then did some work on her laptop. She walked back to town a little after 4pm to check out another little shop she that was closed the day before.

I put the chairs out for cocktail hour. We sat outside, enjoyed adult beverages and watched the oyster dredging boats come in with their day’s haul.

Oyster boat coming upriver from Willapa Bay

Oyster boat coming upriver from Willapa Bay

I mentioned the Willapa Bay oysters in yesterday’s post. Willapa Bay is said to be the cleanest bay in the USA. This is primarily due to the work of the oystermen who work closely with various conservation groups and government agencies to maintain the water quality. The tidelands with oyster farms are actually owned by the oystermen. This gives them a vested interest in maintaining the quality of the tidelands.

The Willapa Bay estuary, where the fresh water from the Willapa River meets the salt water from the Pacific Ocean, creates an excellent habitat for oysters. Oysters are filter feeders. They siphon water and feed on miniscule algae in the water. They can strain 20 to 30 quarts of water per hour. This makes them very sensitive to water quality. If the water isn’t clean, the oysters will die off.

Pacific oysters were brought into Willapa Bay from Japan in 1928. The oyster larvae are started in what are called seed beds. They search out a hard substrate to settle on. Oftentimes, this is a bed of old oyster shells. At some point, they are moved to what are called grow-out beds. As oyster production in the US declined (especially in the east), the Pacific oysters in Willapa Bay flourished. Today, one in six oysters consumed in the USA come from Willapa Bay.

Raw oysters are a polarizing food. You either relish them as a treat or find them disgusting. There’s no middle ground. While we were enjoying happy hour, Donna served oyster shooters. The first one I tried was made in the style suggested by Bill Frahm (Donna’s cycling buddy back in Michigan). The oyster was in a shot glass with vodka, tomato juice and Tobasco. I drank the elixir and the oyster slid right down. It wasn’t a favorite for me. The second one I tried was a larger oyster with Donna’s homemade salsa verde. I had to chew it. That settled it. I’m not a raw oyster fan. It seemed like I was drinking from a tide pool.

We’ve had a blast here in South Bend. I’m sure we will find ourselves here again. Today, we’ll travel south along the eastern shore of Willapa Bay, then east to Kelso and on to the Fairview RV Park in Portland, Oregon.

 

Day’s End at South Bend

The RV parking area at Cabela’s worked out fine for an overnight stop. Donna was bothered a bit by the road noise from I-5, which is just to the south of the parking lot. I didn’t notice it much and slept well.

Donna went out for a power walk before we headed out. We hit the road around 10:30am. We stopped at Uhlmann RV in Chehalis to see if they had the proper size bolts for the loose compartment door. Uhlmann was the highest sales volume dealer for Alpine Coach. They didn’t have any idea of what size bolts were needed.

I backtracked a few miles to Home Depot. I guessed the blind holes the bolts came out of were either 6mm (if metric) or 1/4 inch. I bought two of each size with lock washers and tried them in the parking lot. The 6mm bolts threaded in, but the threads felt loose. The 1/4 inch bolts didn’t fit. I think when the original bolts came loose, they vibrated and shook in the threads enough to partially strip them. I tightened them as much as I dared, but I wasn’t confident about them holding. I left the temporary safety wire fix in place.

While I was doing this, Donna fixed a green salad with leftover roasted chicken for lunch. Then she looked at the Escapees’ Day’s End Directory for a place to stay. She found a promising free boondocking spot about 60 miles west of us, near the coast.

We decided to detour west and check it out. The Day’s End Directory is updated by Escapees members and is only available to Escapees members. The directory is the only way we would have found this place. Because of that, I don’t want to give away too much detail of the location. But finding places like this in the Day’s End Directory makes the Escapees membership worthwhile.

We drove west on WA6 and followed the Willapa River to the town of South Bend. We found the gravel lot described in the directory and parked in a fairly level spot. There was a sign stating that overnight RV parking is allowed.

The Willapa River flows southwest from the nearby town of Raymond. It quickly picks up volume from tributaries and then it abruptly bends to the northwest before emptying into Willapa Bay. The small town of South Bend is located at the southernmost point of the river, right at the bend.

Donna and I took a walk across the street and found a small park and the city boat dock.

View upriver from the dock

View upriver from the dock

View down river toward Willapa Bay with Donna on the dock

View downriver toward Willapa Bay with Donna on the dock

We walked along the dock and saw an interesting looking boat tied up to the dock. When we came to the boat, we saw the owner sitting on the aft bench. He was waiting for family members to arrive for a boat ride down to the bay.

Steve Rogers and his Ranger Tug

Steve Rogers and his Ranger Tug

His name was Steve Rogers and he’s lived her all his life. He’s a Pacific County councilman. South Bend is the county seat. Steve told us a few interesting facts about the town. South Bend, WA is undergoing a period of renaissance after being sleepy for a number of years. They are encouraging tourism and are also profiting from the legalization of marijuana in Washington.

New boost to the local economy

New boost to the local economy

The population has remained steady at around 20,000 people, but the local economy is growing. One of the things that held growth back was the lack of wastewater treatment. This has been addressed through a cooperative effort with the town of Raymond. A new wastewater facility has been built, which has allowed the town to issue more new building permits.

Harvesting oysters from Willapa Bay is another driver for the local economy. Steve told us that the bay holds 10,000 acres of oyster beds. Oysters are processed at Hilton’s Coast Seafoods, a few hundred feet downriver from the dock. South Bend modestly calls itself “The Oyster Capital of the World.”

After we left Steve, Donna and I walked about a half mile down the road to the city boat launch. They allow RV dry camping in an area there, right on the river for $10/night. It looks like another good find. Last year we drove through this town but didn’t have a clue about how RV-friendly it is.

Steve's Ranger Tug passes by as we walked to the city boat launch

Steve’s Ranger Tug passes by as we walked to the city boat launch

We walked back into town from the boat launch. We were thirsty, so we stopped at the Chester Club and Oyster Bar. It’s a small tavern and oyster bar. I had a Dick’s Pale Ale from the tap while Donna had a Bud Light. We decided we should eat. Donna loves oysters, so she ordered half a dozen oyster shooters. I’m not so much of an oyster guy, so I had fried halibut and chips.

Oyster shooters

Oyster shooters

The oysters were fresh from Willapa Bay. Donna said they were the freshest oysters she ever had, big but delicate. The oysters in Willapa Bay are farmed. Local oystermen began seeding the bay with Pacific oysters from Japan in 1928 after the native oyster population crashed. I’ll have to try the oysters while were here.

Today, we want to explore the town. The weather at this time of year is near perfect. The forecast for today is a carbon copy of yesterday – sunny with a high of 72 degrees and an overnight low in the 50s.

We’ve decided to move to the city boat launch later this afternoon and stay for another night, right on the river!

$50 Flip Flops and Free Blackberries

Yesterday was a bittersweet departure day. Gabi was mostly quiet as she hung out in our coach playing Subway Surfer on her tablet. Lainey woke up with a badly swollen eye that needed medical attention. Alana had to get to work.

We had breakfast with Gabi and Alana before Alana left for work. Alana’s stepfather Jerry picked up Lainey and took her to the clinic in Darrington to have Dr. Schillhammer check out her eye. This was her second episode in recent weeks. It turned out to be an infection in her eyelid. A course of antibiotics should be the remedy. It’s a good thing that it happened today. Tomorrow, Gabi and Lainey are flying to San Diego for a two-week visit and she might not have been able to get immediate attention.

Pulling out was an emotional moment for Donna. She had set up projects for Lainey and Andrea on Monday to help her with some upcoming book projects. At least this will keep them in touch. The bittersweet part of it for me is the excitement and anticipation of getting back on the road at the same time coupled with the realization that I don’t know when we’ll be together again.

On the way out of Arlington, I stopped at Island Crossing and topped up our fuel tank. I like to keep the tank topped up to prevent condensation and moisture from collecting in the fuel.

I-5 south through Seattle was the usual nightmare. Traffic slowed to a crawl on the Ship Canal Bridge, even though it was midday. Through downtown, there’s a section where you need to move over to the left lanes or you’ll end up on I-90 east. I saw a gap in the lane to our left and indicated a left turn. As I pulled into the lane, a car in the next lane over decided to occupy this space at the same time. I heard the driver honk as he panic-braked to avoid hitting our trailer.

The road surface from Tukwila to Puyallup was appalling. It was a washboard surface with a series of rollercoaster whoops. In places, I could see where the concrete surface had worn down to the rebar reinforcement. It’s hard for me to accept how badly the infrastructure of our great country has deteriorated.

We rolled through Tacoma and made our way to Lacey, just east of Olympia. We found Cabela’s there after a missed turn and recalculation by Nally (our GPS).  Donna spotted a semi-tractor trailer rig in the lot to the west and we headed over there. I found a level spot to park. Then we saw a “No Overnight Parking” sign.

We went inside the store to get something to eat for a late lunch. I asked the greeter about parking overnight. He said he didn’t think it was an issue, but he directed us to the customer service desk. The gals at customer service were super-friendly and told us we were fine to stay the night where we were.

After we dined upstairs in Cabela’s, Donna stayed behind to work at the table on her laptop. I went downstairs and found a great pair of leather Teva flip flops that are anatomically shaped with arch support. It kills me to spend $50 on flip flops, but I wear them more often than I wear regular shoes and wore out my last good pair. Good quality, anatomically shaped flip flops make sense for my lifestyle.

We had a SNAFU that we found once we parked. There’s a compartment on the right side of the coach, behind the entry door. It’s not a storage bay. It’s a compartment that’s bolted shut and houses the holding tanks.

When we arrived at Cabela’s, Donna noticed this compartment wasn’t secure. The bolts that normally hold it closed were gone. Presumably, the pounding on I-5 between Tukwilla and Puyallup shook them loose and they departed the coach. By the way, I had fun quizzing Donna on the pronunciation of the many Indian names of towns around here, such as Tulalip (Too-LAY-lip) and Puyallup (PEW-al-up).

I wired the compartment closed with safety wire. The bolts that secure it thread into blind holes. I’ll have to find the right size bolts. I think it’s going to be either 6mm or 1/4 inch. I’m hoping I can figure this out when we reach Chehalis today.

Donna rejoined me at the coach around 6pm after doing some shopping as well. We took a short stroll and found wild blackberries growing along the edge of the Cabela’s parking lot.

Wild blackberries ripining on the vine

Wild blackberries ripening on the vine

Donna picked a container full to have for breakfast with her cereal and who knows what else. She mentioned something about making a wild blackberry galette.

Container full of wild ripe, wild blackberries

Container full of ripe, wild blackberries

Our itinerary is open for the next couple of days, before we check in at the Fairview RV Park in Portland. We’ll just play it loose.

 

 

Until Next Time

It seemed like everyone believed the forecast for a warm, sunny weekend as the Lake Goodwin RV Resort was packed with campers by Friday night. The forecast was correct – the temperature reached the upper 70s on Saturday and well into the 80s on Sunday.

Alana and Gabi visited on Saturday and enjoyed the lake while Lainey and Andrea took the bus into Seattle with some friends. We grilled fresh wild sockeye salmon and halibut Saturday night. Gabi stayed overnight with us.

On Sunday, Donna and Gabi drove Alana’s car to Arlington. They picked up Alana, Lainey and Andrea and they all went to the farmers’ market in Everett. Donna brought back lots of fresh vegetables. She made an outstanding salsa verde from tomatillos she bought there and roasted on the grill. She also picked up organic Walla Walla onions, raspberries and peaches.

I stayed home and watched a very entertaining Formula One race at the Hungaroring in Hungary. The girls enjoyed the lake again in the afternoon. Alana grilled boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a spicy rub and orange glaze for dinner. Later, we built a campfire and the girls made s’mores.

Donna, Andrea, Gabi, Alana and Lainey with S'mores around the fire

Donna, Andrea, Gabi, Alana and Lainey with s’mores around the fire

The campground cleared out by Sunday evening as everyone went back to their workaday world.

On Monday morning, we prepared to move on. The trailer was in the storage yard, so it made it a bigger job to get packed. Once I had everything loaded in the trailer, I put the wheel on the front jack. The maintenance guy hooked the trailer to a tractor and pulled it over to a gravel lot by the exit. This made it easy to hook up to the motorhome on our way out.

We drove about 10 miles to Alana’s house and parked in her driveway. Her driveway was long enough for me to back into without dropping the trailer. Alana’s landlord texted her this morning to tell her he saw the motorhome in the driveway and wanted to let her know that there’s a 30-amp hook-up in the garage!

Overnight accommodations at Alana's house

Overnight accommodations at Alana’s house

While Alana, Donna, Lainey, Andrea and Gabi went shopping at Costco and Target, I took a walk through old downtown Arlington. The thermometer hit a high of 87 degrees!

Donna came home with lots of goodies including a three-inch memory foam mattress topper from Costco. We had a thick mattress pad, but it wasn’t foam and both of us have been waking up with sore hips. We figured we needed some extra padding.

We added the mattress topper last night and it made a huge difference. I slept soundly and comfortably. It was well worth the $110 price. Gabi stayed out in the coach with us. Since I didn’t put the living room slide out, she slept on the sofa. This morning Donna and I woke up to the sound of a loud bang. Gabi had rolled off the sofa, onto the floor!  No damage done, she climbed back onto the sofa and went back to sleep.

This morning, Donna, Alana, Gabi and I ate breakfast in our coach. Alana had to go to work, so we said our goodbyes until next time. There’s always a bit of sorrow when we have to say goodbye, especially when we don’t know when we will get together again. It was great spending time with the girls over the last two weeks. I’m sure Gabi will always remember her ride in the motorhome and the nights she spent with us at the RV park.

We’ll pull out around noon. I need to fuel up and I want to get through Seattle and Tacoma before there’s too much traffic. Seattle can be tough to get through. I’m not looking forward to that part of the drive. We’ll boondock for the next few nights before we check in at the Fairview RV Park in Portland, Oregon.