#36: The Beaver State

My time in Oregon was a bit of a mish-mash of different types of activities and experiences. Regretfully, I neglected to take many photos of Bend and Portland - my bad.

Bend

Since I was inland already, I decided to hit up Bend after Crater Lake. Before visiting, I knew nothing of this small city. I had just heard it is cool. Welp, I loved it there. I found some dispersed camping not far from downtown and took a day to drive around and check it out.

It felt like a new city, by that I mean recently built up. The architecture was modern, and the development looked fresh. It’s interesting because my year of travel is also serving as a chance to check out different places where I could see myself living. Bend is the type of small city where I could see myself, but when I asked around about what kinds of industries are there, the answer I got was none. There are some small companies, of course, but I wondered if it’d be tough to find a job - and the cost of living is high(er). Regardless, I liked the vibe there, and the people were friendly.

I can’t believe I didn’t take any photos!

The Coast

A few nights spent in Bend was sufficient, and I headed toward the coast. Camping locations on the west coast are challenging, so one needs to get creative. I found Salmon Harbor Marina, which also hosted a parking lot-type dry camping option. I opted in for only $20/night (not to mention it was the only place available). Plus, there were showers there. And - I may have mentioned this before - but sometimes I like asphalt because I can keep the Airstream cleaner by not trekking dirt in and out.

WIN (only $20) - WIN (showers) - WIN (pavement).

Umpqua Lighthouse State Park was close to the marina, so Addie and I took a little tour over there. The marine layer hadn’t lifted yet, so we couldn’t see much, but we happily got our feet in the sand.

There was also a lot of ATV activities happening. The sound of dirt bikes and quads was constant.

Later that day, we took a ride down to Coos Bay - about an hour south of where we were camping. Coos Bay is the largest coastal town/city in Oregon. We popped into some shops but mostly walked around. Coos Bay was a place I had always heard about, but it’s nothing too special.

Portland

Along the drive up to Portland, the coastal scenery was gorgeous.

Using the Harvest Hosts app, I found a place outside Portland to stay for the night. It was an aviation museum in McMinnville, OR, and it was a perfect stopover. Again, it was asphalt, so nice and clean for the Airstream. Other people were staying there, too, which made me feel safer camping in a parking lot.

We arrived in Portland on a Friday. First stop was to the VW dealer for an oil change in my car. It had been a while since we were in a large city, so I took the opportunity to get some “housekeeping” done. I also swung by the Airstream dealer - I wanted them to take a look at my hitch. They were so helpful and made a quick fix free of charge.

To make the city's exploration a little easier, I made reservations at Jantzen Beach RV Park, an RV park in town. This type of place is not my ideal type, but my priority was close vicinity to downtown. Note: At this time, it was late July, and protests were still taking place. I steered clear of that area.

The highlight of my time in Portland was seeing a friend of mine from high school I hadn't seen in 20 years. She and I played basketball together, and a mutual friend put us back in touch. It was so lovely to see her and catch up after a few socially-distant hours on her patio.

After getting some recommendations from my friend, Addie and I explored different pockets of the city for the remainder of the day. I grabbed an outdoor beer and burger at a local brewery, taking in the Portland vibes.

The next morning, after a quick shower, we headed an hour and a half east for Mount Hood.

Mount Hood

After a few days in a large city, I was ready for the mountains again. In my research, I found that the town of Government Camp serves as a basecamp for Mount Hood, so I sought dispersed camping in that area. Given that it was the dead of summer, the place I chose - Trillium Lake Airstrip - was busy. But, it was late in the day, and I didn’t feel like seeking out another location. I maneuvered the Basecamp into a small spot at the edge of the central area, and that was that. This was yet another instance I was so grateful to have a small trailer - she fits in so many places!

In the morning Addie and tackled a hiking trail called Tom, Dick, and Harry. While in Portland having lunch, I started talking with a few people who recommended this hike. It was about 9-miles and included beautiful lakeside sections and insane views of Mount Hood from the summit.

A popular tourist spot in this area is the Timberline Lodge. If you’ve seen The Shining, you will recognize Timberline Lodge as The Grand Overlook Hotel. Only the exterior was used in the film, though.

In “real life,” this is a ski lodge and hotel. The interior is typical of a ski lodge, with a rustic, historic feel.

I ordered a beer at the bar, sat outside on an Adirondack chair, and took in the scenery. There is nothing like a beer in the mountains - one of my favorite things.

Government Camp was my last stop in Oregon. It wasn’t until long after I left the state when I realized I completely forgot to visit Cannon Beach. That was supposed to happen before or after Portland. Whoops.

I’ll just have to go back one day…

#32: Lassen Volcanic National Park

When I think of “Northern California,” I mostly think of the San Francisco Bay area. At least I used to. I guess that’s correct, but there is so much more to California north of the Bay area. And I made sure to explore it.

The drive from Truckee to Lassen Volcanic National Park is about three hours. Because I didn’t leave Truckee until the afternoon, I decided to break up the drive by stopping at Hallsted Campground in the Plumas National Forest. Here, I met Joe and Steve. Joe was the camp host, and Steve was camping there for a few nights. I got to chatting with them in the morning, and they helped me a little bit with my trailer. Steve introduced me to using a drill to lower the stabilizers on the Basecamp (which is so much easier than using the manual tool), and Joe provided comic relief. It’s just so fun - and helpful - to meet people on the road.

Steve on the left, and Joe on the right.

After a campground shower, I said good-bye to my new friends and hit the road for Lassen Volcanic. The drive was beautiful.

I snagged a two-night reservation at Manzanita Lake Campground - and thank God I did. It was crowded. With COVID, more people were out camping, not to mention July is peak season. After locating our campsite, Addie and I drove some of the park and stopped by the visitor center to figure out our plan to explore.

The following day, our first stop was to the Devastated Area, damaged by the last eruption of Lassen Peak in 1915. This interpretive trail showcased the hurt caused and featured different types of rock formations as a result. I nerded out a bit here.

We continued our drive, passing Summit Lake (beautiful alpine lake), with an area called Sulphur Works as our destination. This is where things began to heat up, literally. They say that if you’ve been to Yellowstone, these particular hydrothermal natural wonders are not too impressive, but I beg to differ. I was very impressed and found myself just staring at them until Addie barked at me out of boredom. It’s tough to capture the experience in photos - you will have to check it out for yourself!

Driving to Sulphur Works, I noted a few shorter hikes that I wanted to take. After lunch, I headed back out. Addie was okay in the trailer as the temperature wasn’t too high. A trail called Bumpass Hell was the first on my list.

This 2.6-mile moderate hike is named after Kendall Bumpass (pronounced “Bump-iss,” but I like to say “Bump-ass” - hehe). Upon arriving at this area, he fell into a thin boiling crust and severely burned his leg. The hydrothermal area on this hike is the largest in the area; therefore, I didn’t want to miss it. As you can see in the photos, an extensive boardwalk allows visitors to get an up-close view of the boiling mud pots and steaming pools - without getting dangerously close.

I explored one more area of the park and made my way to a lake called Cold Boiling Lake. I expected something much more impactful than what I found, but the hike was still beautiful.

The following morning I enjoyed coffee with some campsite neighbors - two older female friends who occasionally meet up at parks. One of the women was 75-years old and regularly traveled solo in her 1980’s VW Westfalia. I was amazed. Life on the road is challenging, and doing it single at 75-years old is (as I can imagine) is likely even more so. Props to her! She was so inspiring.

After coffee, Addie and I were on the road again to Mount Shasta.

#22: New Mexico: Part 2

Although I had visited Santa Fe in the past, I didn’t remember it well. I wanted to check it out again while I was in the area.

The tricky part with Santa Fe was finding a viable place to camp. For some reason, this was challenging. I’ve been on the road long enough to know what types of places I prefer and what types of places I like to avoid. I prefer national parks, state parks, and national forests (and of course BLM/government land), which are typically tucked away in natural surroundings. These places also attract people who want to camp, as opposed to live. RV parks (for the most part), on the other hand, are often a different vibe. Although parks and national forests AND private RV parks can be hit or miss, many times private RV parks are filled with families, less active people and people residing for months at a time.

The type of campsite that I haven’t mentioned is the “alternative” campsite. What I mean by this is essentially a parking lot somewhere, usually of Walmart, Cracker Barrel, or other types of establishments. In my case, in Santa Fe, this meant a casino parking lot. Yes, that’s right. There were limited “natural” options in Santa Fe, and this casino allowed RV’rs to stay overnight (for free). The parking lot was HUGE, and it worked out perfectly.

I stayed at the Tesuque Casino for two nights, giving me a full day to explore Santa Fe. I drove my car, Airstream in tow, to a few of the areas of the city (I didn’t want to leave the Airstream in the casino parking lot unattended. I parked it on the street, took up two parking spots and simply paid the meter for both spots.). Art is a significant focus of the attractions in Santa Fe (including the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Meow Wolf). Unfortunately, my interest in select types of art is minimal, but I enjoyed the architecture and history. I walked around the plaza and saw the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. I had Addie with me, so I didn’t visit any galleries, but I was able to pop into a few shops (and enjoy an outside margarita at The Shed).

I left early the next morning to make my way to a town called Truth or Consequences. On the route, was the Petroglyph National Monument, so I broke up the drive by making a trip there to hike and see the petroglyphs.

Truth or Consequences is an interesting place. At the very least, the town has an interesting name. I had reserved a campsite at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, which is probably a lot more bustling in the summer months. I arrived later in the day and made a plan to hike Turtleback Mountain the next day. After a quick coffee at Black Cat Books & Coffee, Addie and I set out to the trailhead.

Since the trailhead was unmarked, it was challenging to locate (I used AllTrails to find this hike). We met a friendly fellow hiker named Michael, who helped us find it, and we ended up hiking the entire trail with him (and his dog, Bella). This trail was only about 4.5 miles roundtrip, but an elevation gain of about 2,000 feet. It took us nearly 5 hours to complete. Michael and I chatted about many things as we hiked - work, relationships, life decisions, meditation - it was nice to have company and listen to engaging life stories from a stranger. Afterward, Addie and I were utterly exhausted and crashed back at the Airstream. Her poor little paw pads got blisters on them. Sadly, I think I may need to subject her to doggie boots....

The following morning I enjoyed coffee with a couple from Vermont who Michael and I had the pleasure of meeting while on our hike. They were also staying at Elephant Butte State Park. They have an interesting story: They live and work in Vermont for the spring and summer and travel in the southwest (mostly New Mexico) during the colder months. There is always an alternative way of living your life!

I hit the road after coffee and headed south to Silver City, NM. I wasn’t planning to, but my GPS took me through the Gila National Forest. That drive, although beautiful, was very annoying. I twisted and turned through switchbacks and curves, in the rain, towing the Airstream. If it were clear skies and I was in a sports car it would have been a different story…

Silver City is an old silver mining town currently noted for outdoor recreation, a mild climate (low humidity, four gentle seasons and 300+ days of sunshine a year), and historic downtown area. From there, I thought about visiting the Gila Cliff Dwellings, but that was a two-hour drive BACK through the Gila National Forest. I did not feel like getting back in the car the next morning (plus, no dogs allowed). Of course, I hemmed and hawed and ultimately decided not to go. Instead, with poor weather, I took a day to relax and briefly tour the historic downtown.

It was in Silver City when I noticed an existing leak in my Airstream had gotten much worse. I had water dripping in the trailer overnight and had no choice but to catch the dripping water in a bucket on the galley countertop.

A pot wasn’t large enough to sustain the dripping overnight…

ADDITIONALLY, my heat thermostat/panel was not activating. I had to get the trailer into the dealership and get these things fixed as soon as possible. I couldn’t keep traveling with these issues. All of this leads to post #16, when I took the Airstream to the dealership in Albuquerque for service.