Thurs. Apr. 11 Day 91    clear & sunny, cooler as we go north

Sheila had a bad night with a coughing spell that kept her up most of the night so she left a note to let her sleep.  Check out time at 7 Feathers is 11 AM so I disconnected everything, (quietly), and was ready to go at a moments notice. I had asked for an extension on check out time but our spot was booked.  Sheila woke about 11:30 so we moved down to the rest area so she could dress & have breakfast.  We finally pulled out at 12:50 @ 158858.  We changed drivers at 2:45, and we made a rest area stop 3:20 to 3:30, then were off down the road.  Sheila pulled into a Pilot station to fill up @ 4 PM @ 159123 where I took over & were on the road again by 4:10 PM.  Then the GPS took us to the Wheatland ferry over the Willamette River.  It is a toll ferry, I had checked off “no toll roads” on the GPS. When we got there the toll was only a few dollars but after missing one and waiting for the return, (the river is only a few 100 ft across, probably half or less than the old Albion ferry), and it is a cable ferry pulled across by a suspended cable; the ferry attendant came to us & said we would bottom out going up the ramp to board & could wipe out our sewer hose connection underneath.  So we turned around and then I checked the GPS avoidances and found it has a “ferries” choice so I clicked “no” for that.  Now it routed us to a bridge but this delayed us so we got into the RV Park later than planned.  The ferry episode cost us from 4:20 to 4:35 plus a long round trip to the bridge, so we didn’t arrive at the RV Park until 5:30 @ 159183.   At the ferry the GPS had said it was 18 miles to the park, but once turned around, going via the ‘no ferries’ route it was 27 miles over the bridge and on rural roads, (good pavement but slow).  We were all hooked up & settled in for the evening by 6:00. We’ll be at the “Old Stone Village” RV Park 2 nights because tomorrow is the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum day was they have the “Spruce Goose”.  By the way “Evergreen” is the man behind the museum, he started Evergreen Helicopters.  The museum was his son’s vision.  He was an ‘ace’ pilot who loved and wanted to preserve the WWII fighter planes.  Unfortunately he was killed in a car accident while still quite young, but his father brought his dream to fruition.

Distance covered – 325km – 202mi

Wed. Apr. 10 Day 90    Sunny, clear & warm

Sheila headed out to the clinic this morning, I stayed with the RV.  I went up to the lodge to get on WiFi to check emails etc then back to the RV for lunch.  Sheila returned from her Dr. visit about 2 PM.  It was a L-O-N-G wait at both the clinic and the pharmacy.  The doctor, a young woman, (who looked barely old enough to have graduated high school), said she has Bronchitis too but as it begins as a viral infection, (not responsive to antibiotics) we’re assuming the antibiotics she prescribed for her are to prevent further complications.  Sheila’s not complaining as she just wants to feel healthy again & soon!  Sheila wanted to go on to 7 Feathers Casino, so we hooked up & pulled out of the Red Bluff Elks RV Park at 2:20 PM @ 158459km.  I had to stop in Weed CA for some gas to make it over the Siskiyou Pass. Into a Pilot stn in Weed @ 4:10 & out @ 4:25.  I only put in 15 gallons, just enough to ensure I get over the pass & into the next gas stop.  As we approached the pass the clouds got thicker & it started to rain lightly.  We passed the CA/OR border at 5:15 PM.  As we rolled down hill into Oregan, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  We stopped at a Pilot gas stn @ 5:50 PM @ 158749km, & were out again by 6 PM.  We arrived at 7 Feathers Casino RV Park @ 7:10PM @ 158858.  After we got parked & hooked up, we took the shuttle down to the casino for a $10.99 Buffet supper.  The buffet area here is quite small as buffets go, and because the booths are attractively arranged along the side of the room, with coloured subdued lighting it seems more like a fancy restaurant than a buffet.  Food was good; there was sufficient variety, though it’s not the bargain that the Hibachi Grill & Buffet in Hemet is.  We returned to the RV Park for a session in the hot tub and a nice shower.  We made it back to the RV just before 10 PM for my CSI show, & then route planning work before bed. 

Distance covered – 399km – 248mi

Tues. Apr. 9   Day 89   Sunny & clear

Sheila’s feeling a bit better this morning but still thinking she wants to see a Dr to get an antibiotic prescription. She did ask the campground host about the GPS mess & they said a lot of people have had a problem with it taking them way west; some even got taken north of the park – really odd.  So today, the plan is to get to the Elks Lodge RV Park in Red Bluff where we can stay a day or more at a flat $15.00 a night with power & water and have time to find a clinic in a reasonable sized town. We pulled out of Tulare at 10:10 @ 157899km.  Lunch break was at a rest area 12:20 to 1:05.  I pulled into a Flying J for gas at 1:35 and out 45 gallons later at 1:50.  We pulled off the road at Willows, exit 603, @ 4:25, 158384km, for the Wal-Mart and for supper at Nancy’s Airport Café, (we have been there before, it’s great).  Out again after supper @ 6:10 and on up to exit 649, the Red Bluff Elks, arriving @ 7:05 @ 158456.  Thanks to daylight saving time it is still full sun & daylight till after 7:30.  We went up to the lodge, paid our night & got instructions to an Urgent Care Walk-in Clinic nearby.  They closed at 7 but open at 9 am, so Sheila is thinking of going over in the morning.  We unhooked the car so it is ready to roll. Sheila had a $3 rum & coke in an Old Fashion size glass and she had to get more coke in it after drinking it down a bit.  The bartender lady made it by pouring rum & coke into the glass together until it was full.  A bit too much rum for Sheila.!  Sheila stayed to watch “Splash” & “DwS” on one of the bar TVs that was right in front of us--they gave her the remote so she could mute commercials & adjust the volume.  Other patrons were sitting at the other end of the U-shaped bar or at tables so she wasn’t disturbing anyone.  I came back to do trip planning etc.  Sheila arrived just after 10 when the bar closed.

Distance covered – 577km – 346mi  -  on the road driving 6 hrs 10 mins

Mon Apr 8 Day 88      Heavy cloud & windy, periodic sprinkles at GVP in AM

We pulled out of GVP @ 157431km @ 10AM.  Up on Hwy 10 there was quite a strong wind.  We arrived at out gas stop in Boron at 12:25 @ 157603km and thanks to my RV Plus charge card we filled up the RV, (40 USG), and I put some gas in a can for the generator & away by 12:40. It really saves time not having to go into the station to have them set an amount then after I fill go back to get a receipt plus standing in line at the cashier each time. Then off westward on hwy 58.  We stopped at a rest area for lunch 12:50 to 1:25.  We were driving into a very strong headwind, then into low cloud.  I had the wipers on but the road was dry, we were driving through the moisture in the clouds at around 3000 ft elevation. With the head wind I had a hard time to keep us going at 45 mph, I periodically had to gear down to get it back up to 45mph.  Very few cars were passing me, the hwy warning boards were flashing, “high wind advisory, reduce speed, not recommended for trucks & campers”.  Finally, a few miles before we got to hwy 99 to turn northward we got back into calm weather & sun.  We had an RV park on the GPS but the GPS took us way out of the way and ended at a dirt field.  We made our way back to hwy 99 & the RV Park but the wrong direction probably cost us about 20 miles out of the way, I have no idea why.  One thing was that the address listed was on 200 Ave. and when we got to the park the street sign said Rankin Ave.  We arrived at the park at 5PM @ 157899km.   Sheila was feeling the worst yet and considered going to a Dr. for an antibiotic but we were late in the day arriving and most places were closed or only open for a short time.  She will see how she feels in the morning.

Distance covered – 468km – 291 mi

Sun Apr 7 Day 87      No temperatures because I rolled up the awning & the thermometer is now in the direct morning sun.

 

It was bit overcast in the morning but cleared to sun in the afternoon.  It was much like yesterday, maybe a bit warmer.   In the pool we started playing with 4 to a side and eventually got 7 to a side.  Back at the RV for lunch & then slowly putting stuff away, doing laundry, and getting the RV ready for the road. Without the awning to shelter one side we are running the A/C a bit to keep it under 80F/26½C inside. By the end of the afternoon we were both feeling tired so we went out for supper to Polly’s Pies.  Their house blend coffee was really good and they do their own roasting so I got a ½ lb to bring home.

Sat. Apr. 6 Day 86   59F/15C @ 9:15,   71F/21½C @ 2PM

Today they have the classic car show and a craft sale.  I went up for Volleyball while Sheila checked out the Craft Sale.    They either didn’t have a bake sale or sold out, (Sale started at 9 AM, Sheila got there around 10:50).  We played girls against boys again today, 8 men against 10 women. The men seemed to get more serves than the women so we won.  After the hot tub we had lunch at the Palms Cabana, (Anchor Pub & Restaurant) listening to Angela sing until 2 PM.  We split a Cobb Salad because they’re huge! Then it’s back to the RV to do some packing up etc for Monday morning’s departure.  I took down the awning and did the tire check on 10 tires.  Then, it was off to Winco for groceries & Kerns fruit juices etc. to take home. While I was out, Sheila had a short nap before getting our supper ready.  After supper, I was feeling tired so I lay down.  Sheila found a movie - Pride & Prejudice - on TV, so she’s watching it while I finalize our route home with options for overnight stops on MS Streets & Trips.

 

Fri. Apr. 5 Day 86   51F/10½C @ 9:45, 54F/12C @ 10:45, 61F/16C @ noon, 66F/19C @ 1PM

Very overcast in the morning but it cleared to sun by noon.  Sheila was not feeling up to Water Volleyball today, but I went up. Today we did a men VS women game with 8 women against 6 men.  It worked well; we didn’t keep score, of course, but seems to me that the men had longer serving sessions than the women and the women claim they had the ball more.  It was all great fun. Back at the RV I had lunch and did some housework while Sheila went into town to do some shopping etc.  When she returned, I was napping, so she made herself a sandwich and had a short nap also before GVP’s ‘flavoured wine’ tasting on the patio at 6 pm.  There were at least 12 different kinds of bottles on the shelf to try.  Most of them were sweet dessert wines of various kinds of fruit—blackberry, blueberry, cherry, plum, pomegranate, orange, triple berry etc., there was a saki which no one liked, and 4 chocolate & fruit flavour  wines which were more like  chocolate liquors than wines.

At 6:45 I left for Shuffleboard, Sheila stayed till 7:15 until she’d tried all the wines she wanted to, about 8 in all, and then returned to the RV to watched the last of Mon.’s DWTS tape & edit the journal.  I got back from shuffleboard about 8:30 & joined her watching TV.