by 173 – Rincon Country RV East. Visited in January 2019. Recommended by our Canadian snowbird friends. Here for a month – 171 – Rincon Country RV East. Visited in January 2019. Recommended by our Canadian snowbird friends. Here for a month – #376. Site has a partial view of the Mt Lemmon mountains. Would prefer morning sun. Complimentary and WiFi. Our hotspots did not work due to park’s Tengo WiFi signal – finally figured out we had to change hotspot frequency from 2.4 to 5 Ghz. We also had a problem with MyVerizon App and general app updates. USPS does not deliver to site, so Rincon gave us a mailbox and key. Graham visited for almost two weeks – he took covid tests twice at local county site near Kino – he stayed @ AirBnB and Hotel during the transition (double masks, jeep windows down, outside socializing only). Visited and hiked Saguaro NP, Sentinel Hill and Kino sports park and many other places. Downtown Tucson was not as nice as we hoped, liked Historic 4th Ave instead. Ate @ Seis Kitchen – street tacos and pozole – yummy drinks. Had coffee @ Tucson Roasting Company (Fav), Yellow Brick, Crave and Black Crown Coffee Company. Visited Barrio, Motosonora Brewing Co and Crooked Tooth breweries (Fav). Visited Charron and Arizona Hops and Vines (Fav) wineries SE of Tucson. Really liked the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Tried Tacos @ Los Tacos Apson (Fav) and Taqueria Y Raspados Jason. Loved Tres Leches and Tomales @ Dulce Postello. Fresh tortillas and Flank Steak @ El Herradero Carniceria Y Panaderia. Liked the shops and bars in the Westbound area near Sentinel Hill (Shipping containers) – nice Liquor store. Want to try Motosonora Brewing Company and Skybar
172 – Rancho Sedona RV Park. Really nice #64. Secluded. Lots of park rules. We did not use the bathhouse. WiFi was not very good. Cell service was okay. Partial views of hillsides. Close by upper Sedona. Celebrated Suz’s birthday @ Hudsons – good meals and drinks – outdoor patio was a little cool given the temps dropped as we arrived. Decided not to eat at Mariposa because outdoor patio had plastic side coverings. Quite a few trails around. There were a couple of jeep trails around – many places rented offroad vehicles. Visited Jerome – nice old mining town – had a meal @ Grapes Restaurant and Bar (really want to eat at Haunted Hamburger next visit). Visited two wineries: Alcantara Vinewards and Wineries & Oakcreek Vineyards and Wineries. Walked around upper Sedona at night to look at christmas lights. Enjoyed drinks @ Spotted Chai. Visited Flagstaff – nice downtown – had yummy coffee and pastries @ Macy’s European Coffeehouse and Bakery – they gave a cookie to Rio.
171 – Grand Canyon Railway RV Park. CG was actually nicer than we expected. Nice bathhouse. Good cell reception. Did not try WiFi. Downtown Williams was nice with lots of cafes and bars. Bought Route 66 Shirt and T-Shirt in town.
170 – Grand Canyon / Williams KOA. Nice CG. Bathhouse was just okay. Our sites were 30-amps. Trees and gravel sites. WiFi was spotty. Cell service was not very good. Some road noise. About 5 miles from Williams and an hour from the Grand Canyon NP. Really enjoyed the NP. The two CGs in National Park were nicer than we expected – one was no amenities and very quiet. The FHU CG was okay – don’t believe there were showers.
169 – Havasu Springs RV Park. We were fortunate to have a site on one of the higher groups of sites – partial lake views. Windy place. Did not use bathhouse. No WiFi. No cell service. Visited various CGs on the river – many are parking lots and very noisy. So many off road vehicles and boats and trailers make the area a little run down. Had good drinks and food @ Mudshark brewery. The London Bridge and the canal are fun. Went on a pretty rough jeep trail – it was okay – people had little areas were they shot weapons. Visited the Desert Bar south of Lake Havasu – pretty rough road – place was packed. Usually weekends only. Bar food. Bottled or canned beer, mixed drinks. Live music. Multiple levels. Celebrated Thanksgiving.
168 – Hole in the Wall USFS Campground. Recommended by people we met in San Diego. Special place. Dry camping, but wonderful views of the surrounding hills. Sites are FCFS – so visit during the week days. Need to fill up MH and Jeep next time since local gas is way over priced. The rings trail was great, but the last 10% required scrambling up a narrow and slippery short wall then boulder climbing. The jeep trails were interesting. About 43K acreas burned a few months ago – really sad to see all the Joshua trees damaged and killed.
167 – Shoshone Trailer RV park. Watched Space X launch with Crew-1 at Pad 39A. Place was okay, but needed a little TLC. Bathhouse was just okay. Trees and gravel sites. WiFi was okay, cell service not very good. At least 45 minute drive to NP each way – good gas prices on the east route. The NP was very nice. The CG next to Furnace Creek visitor’s center was very nice. Only a few sites had electric. Went on the narrows off road trail – long route – but worth the detour. If we have friends, we would visit raceway but felt it was too risky for just ourselves.
166 – Oasis RV Resort. Nice resort with lots of amenities. Lots of sites. Big sites. In town, so a little noisy. Visited Red Rock Canyon National Recreational area again – very nice hike with Rio. Needed a lot more time to visit Valley of Fire recreational area. Visited with Suzanne’s synchro partner and husband for outdoor lunch @ Dean’s Place nearby – They have not seen each other for almost forty or so years.
165 – Southern Utah RV Resort. North of St George on I 15. Big gravel sites. Nice bathhouse. Lots of kids around. Visited Sand Hollow St park – lots of off road opportunities. Nice hike @ Snow Canyon nearby. Nice down town area, but rather small. Visited western part of Zion NP – the main trails were very muddy due to recent rains and snow – red canyons were very pretty with snow.
164 – Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort. Nice campground, with great views of the canyon. Close to Zion NP. Very nice small town. Bathhouse was nice. Buddy sites. Some sites have tables and fire pits offset, but ours were right next to each other. Some snow flurries our last night. Entrance off main road was backed up when we arrived around 5pm. Weather was nice when we arrived, but became stormy and windy as the week progressed. Seeing snow on red hills was nice. Took free shuttle to NP, but needed timed permit to ride the shuttle into the NP canyon. There was some social distancing, but we felt uncomfortable. Loved the park. 2nd day, we drove thru the scenic drive on the east side of the park. 3rd day, we drove two hours to visit Bryce Canyon NP – it was definitely worth the trip. 4th day we drove to a road that went up the middle of the park and surrounding areas. Had a nice lunch at restaurant next door – whiptail grill.
163 – OK RV. Nice campground south of Moab. Lots of campers with many off road vehicles, jeeps and horses. Nice weather when we arrived. Arrived a day early due to concerns over rain and snow on I 70. Day after arriving, rain and hail started early afternoon and snow arrived early evening. Long drive, about 7 hours, from Baker NV, with high elevations – beautiful scenery and viewing areas along I 70. Major road construction thru the northern part of Moab – long traffic jams lasting 30-120 minutes. Went to the Sand Flats recreation area, but most of the jeep trails were too advanced for us. Went for a hike near the falls in south Moab and got caught in the rain and hail – soaked by the time we reached the jeep – the first section had slippery rocks and Rio slipped 6-8′ down into the stream – fortunately he did not get hurt. Hunkered down 2nd day since the temps never rose above low 30s. 3rd day was spent in Arches NP. 4th day was spent in Canyonlands NP. 5th day went back to hike a spot in Canyonlands – drove down into the valley via the dirt road Shafer and Potash roads – pretty spectacular but scary. 6th and 7th days spent in Arches to finish off hikes in the area. Ate a good meal @ Moab Kitchen food truck – specialized in VF and Veggie meals – very good (donations only). Our youngest son continued his drive from Hood River to Danville to Florida to start his first permanent job @ Space X in KSC. Celebrated our 2nd anniversary of leaving our brick and sticks home.
162 – Whispering Elm. Basic and spartan campground close to the Great Basin National Park. Nice weather when we arrived. Left a day early due to concerns over rain and snow on I 70 towards Moab. Nice park, with a few viewing areas, due to the majority of the park being focused on the peaks and the basin between them. Nice CG at the top. Lots of hiking trails. Long drive from Reno – about 7 or so hours – many valleys and mountain ranges across I 50.
161 – Shamrock RV Park. Back for another week to visit Suzanne’s parents and to complete errands before heading to SE Cali and Arizona for the first part of winter. Acai bowls for Suzanne’s parents.
160 – Crater Lake RV Park. Really nice campground in the forests or central Oregon. Okay bathhouse. Satellite reception was a little tough due to tall trees. Rogue river next door looks like good fishing. Will come back. Rainy the day we arrived. Crater Lake National Park was really nice – beautiful – clear skies but a little chilly due to winds and temps. Great pies and cinnamon buns @ Becky’s cafe nearby. Small store in nearby town of Prospect.
159 – Crown Villa RV Park. Nice park. Sun Resorts. Huge sites – pavers for RV and cars as well as spots for cars between sites. Not much landscaping, but lots of pine trees. Nice bathhouse, but changing are was communal. Tennis and pickle ball courts. Had to use local cable due to tree coverage. Colder, windy and somewhat rainy. Our son visited from Hood River – small nightly charge. Went downtown and enjoyed the area and local riverfront park. Had good coffee and pastries (especially the chocolate croissants) – Looney Beans Coffee – visited twice. Visited Farewell park where we ran into our son’s friend from Boulder/NASA. Visited Bend Whitewater park on the river where kayakers and surfers played on tiered waterfalls. Tried to visit Mt Bachelor and the western lakes, but the snow, mist and rain made it challenging – visited Sun River instead where we got coffee & snacks and walked around the village. Memory of our dear friend who passed away last year on October 12th.
158 – Sisters / Bend RV Park. Very nice site facing pond stocked with fish. Nice big PT site – not much room for parking. Beautiful landscaping – dogs had to walk quite a distance to pee and poop since lawns and flower beds were off limits. Nice bathhouse, but changing are was communal. Smoke at lower elevations. Suzanne’s nephew visited for lunch. Visited Sisters – really liked the town. Good coffee @ Sisters Coffee Company. Good hike outside of town – nice views of the Three Sisters. Nice drive Mt Bachelor. Nice hike near Ray Atkeson Lake. Snacks at Elk Lake at the local resort. Read @ Cultus Lake. Good weather. Tried to stay longer, but they were booked over the weekend. Staff and guests were inconsistent with masks. Fire camp next door – most of the fire was put out, but still burning underground.
157 – Viento State Park. Nice site near Columbia River – road noise and the trains were very loud. Visited with our youngest son and Suzanne’s brother and sister-in-law. Our son’s NASA friend from Boulder was camping in our park as well. Had several good meals and evening campfires. Saw Suzanne’s brother windsurf on his foil – enjoyed seeing all the surfers on the river. Visited Mt Hood and Government Camp – lunch @ Ratskeller. Had lunch with our son @ Sixth Street Cafe. Had lunch with our son and his friend @ Kickstand Coffee and Cafe. Really wanted to eat @ Four and Twenty Blackbirds food truck. Would like to spend more time exploring the area but campgrounds are scarce in the area.
156 – Roamer’s RV. Nice, clean, but sites were a little tight – location was convenient. The CG in Wilsonville was nicer, but location was not as convenient. Our local friends hosted our family for a day of harvesting, crushing and eating/drinking. Our youngest son visited from Hood River and our oldest son and his girlfriend visited from Eugene / Salem. The food and wine were multi-courses and fantastic. We had a great time even though we wore masks and practiced social distancing. Next day we had an outdoor picnic with our oldest son and his girlfriend at a park near Salem – tacos and burritos from Luis’s Taquria (Woodburn). We met again with our friends and their sister for snacks and cocktails including blueberry and expresso martinis – their dogs joined us that day as well. Went wine tasting at a couple of favorites near McMinnville – Alloro and Yamhill – the latter is a friends and family place where we get discounts on tastings and bottles. Love the local Willamette river trails and parks. Visited Cannon Beach, ate snacks and drank wine on the beach – bought local raw honey at farm on the way.
155 – Friend’s homestead. Enjoyed staying with our friends. We had access to 30-amp and water near their 5th wheel. They had another couple visiting as well. Our friends took us to one of their favorite wineries down by Roseburg called Abacela – good wines. A couple of nice trails nearby but the smoke and weather was a little challenging.
154 – Paradise on the River. Nice campground sites and bathhouse. Convenient CG on I 5 in Redding.
153 – Shamrock RV. Interesting to be camping in our new home state! Clean, but tight spaces. The other CGs were not too nice. Smoke was bad, but got better during the week. Visited with Gram and Gramps over four days outside in several parks and their backyard. Good seeing them after nine months. Replaced Jeep windshield. Jeep passed the clutch recall test. Celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary @ The Stonehouse restaurant – took Gram and Gramps there as well for lunch since they have a great outdoor garden on their patio. Ate @ Subway for take-out twice. The donut place was sold-out by 11:00 am.
152 – Iron Horse RV. Nice park. Lots of trees and green grass in the Nevada desert. Good drive thru lots of hills surrounded by mountains. Decent bathhouse. Several gusts were big on I 80. SLC highways are nuts. Finally able to put Nevada sticker on our RV!
151 – Wasatch Mountain State Park. Nice shady pull-thru circular site. Huge table and cement patio downhill from RV. FHUs. No Satellite from our site. Tooks showers in the RV. Visited Park City and Deer Valley resorts as well as the towns of Park City, Heber and Midway. The ski resorts are not impressive in beauty, but are nice. Like Telluride and Big Sky ski resorts, the mountains are massive and have a lot of elevation and cover quite a bit of land. Interestingly, the ski resorts were almost shutdown unlike Jackson Hole. The town of Park City looked really interesting from a socializing perspective but too crowded for us. Midway seems like a quaint little swiss town. Looked at the River’s Edge RV Resort – too many buddy sites – will not stay there. The local river (Provo River) is a Blue Ribbon river and is fed from the reservoir – check out troutbum2 guides. Visited Sundance Ski Resort and hiked 4.0 miles RT to a nice water-fall – a little bit of work and we were all tired and dusty. Only five days since the cold front hit and we’re back to the 70s and 80s again. Bill and Liz back in there home. Smoke is dangerously high on the west coast.
150 – Vernal KOA. Sudden cold front hit the rockies. Temps dropped from 90s to 30s and below the morning we left. The weather was reasonable when we left, but got much worse once we got 5-10 miles west of Craig. We stopped in Maybelle and decided to continue. The snow flurries got worse as hwy 40 rose in elevation, but subsided as we descended. The winds picked up as we drove to Vernal. Salt Lake City had 90+ MPH winds. Estes Park had around 12″ of snow. I 80 was shutdown around Rawlins. Dinosaur NM was very nice – UT and CO – saw the bones inside the gallery and the scenic route – got stormy in afternoon. Second day, we drove to the Wyoming border for Flaming Gorge. Will take a couple of weeks to thoroughly travel the area. Temps were in the low 30s, with some snow flurries and snow everywhere. The fires in Cali, Oregon and Washington were some of the worst fires in history. Many fires in MT, UT and CO as well. Smoke is really bad across all the western states. Bill and Liz evacuated to local county fairgrounds. Carol and Roy evacuated to Gabby’s house.
149 – Craig KOA. Had a nice back-in site (#1). First day in steamboat was nice. Had cocktails @ Steamboat Whiskey Co. Nice riverfront walk. Drove around time. Got good fly fishing advice and flies @ Steamboat Flyfisher. Fished on Sarvis Creek (Yampa river is supposed to be good, but the water levels warm and low). Second day we hiked above Boat, but we stopped driving when we saw the fire to the NE of town two ridges away. Could not get store pick-up for groceries in Boat or Craig. Bought very good brisket @ the Seasoned Brisket on the day we left.
148 – Red Desert Rose. Standard sites. Buildings and sites need TLC. Bathhouses were recent remodeled. Had very good Thai food @ Anong’s Thai restaurant. Visited Saratoga for fly fishing on the North Platte River – met Merry, a guide with Wyoming Women Anglers. Fly fished on the Miracle Mile north of Seminoe State Park – water was low and murky – had a rough day with both fly and casting rods – oh well! Will stay in Saratoga and Seminoe State Park (or Alcova next time) in the future.
