Help me plan my trip ~ UPDATE

[Gina D.]

They will thaw out when they get here It is warm, but soggy.

The news just said 14 inches of rain in the past two days.

I honed my driving skills today I turned off at a spot where there is a large Elk herd and a viewing area. I saw water across the road, but did not realize how bad it was until I was right up on it. OK, now what?

Can't turn the rig around, it's a two lane road, swamped on both sides. I BACKED up the trailer over a block! I only had to pull it forward and straighten it out twice.

AND I had to stop once. Get out, walk to the car that had stopped behind me and ask him to get out of the way. Even tho he saw me backing for a couple minutes. DUH!

I also told him he and his Sentra would never make it thru the big flood down there, but he went around and got stuck in it anyway.

He had a cell phone and his wife was screaming at him, I got outta there. They were close enough to a store.

Why do folks instist on driving across water? I saw a 4wd truck go across it and it was up to his doors. The Sentra was sunk.

[Chester Taje]

A fool is born every min

[Gina D.]

Well, I made it to Florence and the Oregon Dunes. This morning was nice in Crescent city. All the rain seemed to have stopped, of course, until I went to tear down. Then it dumped cats and goats. (There is a petting zoo at the KOA. Boy did the goats get my dogs hackles up! I have never seen either of them so upset.)

Anyway, while walking the pups around the back side of the park, I came across a lonely Scamp in a field that looked like storage. The KOa hosts said it belonged to a 70 year old woman who stores it there and takes it out a few times a year. Is it one of us? I took a pic, but am on blackberry zone, will have to post it later.

So, soaked again, I head north. I had forgotten how spectacular the Oregon Coast is, especially in the storm season. It dumped evry time I pulled over to take a pic!

[Gina D.]

I saw Bullards. Now you guyz can quit bugging me about never going LOL.

Missed Elsie and Renee in coos bay. Data dead zone and their #s were on Yahoo mail!

Am at Honeyman State Park. Got here early enough to walk around for a couple hours. Dogs liked it, but we never made it for an Ocean view. My one lung tried climbing the Dunes, but alas...couldn't quite make it. Oh well... Still was fun. Haven't played back there since my Dad took my brother and I during the summers as a kid.

[Gina D.]

I don't remember this park! My dad used to rent a tent trailer and bring us here...it must have been revamped, or more than likely, my memory is going. It is quite nice. I am in the A loop away from the sand eaters and their atvs. Just me and two older motorhomes. Too many trees in my site to set up the dish, but the silence is nice. I am sitting here warm and snug airing out me feet! (Got new shoes at Freddies...I love fred meyers LOL)

[BobB]

Kinda like driving through a carwash! Reminds me of my trip to the Olympic Peninsula a year ago. Florence Area is nice (in the Summer).

[Gina D.]

Made it to PORTLAND..

I was at Beverly Beach State park last nite (Most the day, actually) What a pretty place! I say Oregon State parks are the nicest around. I SAW the ocean this time, from under the shelter of the bridge.. gale force winds and driving rain, but I was NOT going to pull in and just sit in my trailer. A storm at the beach is some of the most spectacular stuff you'll see in live.

I managed to make it up to Vancouver and drop of my pups at the luxury Doggie Spa. My old girl began to get ill this morning, I will spare yuou the details, but needless to say, it takes forever to get to PDX from Lincoln City when you are pulling over every 20 mins or so.

My trailer is one big sponge! I think I have a leak in my roof vent that is dripping down toward my windows, the condensation is terrible and everythin in my cubbies is damp or swimming.

I managed to get the place cleared out and at least not dripping, but I have some work to do here. A tarp over the vent helps most of it, but..hard to tow that way.

I will get some butyl tape to stuff in every crack temporarily and clean it all out when I get home where it is drier. Not elegant, but niether is mold.

[Gina D.]

Well, I escaped Portland today, rather later than I expected to, but managed to make it down to Rogue Valley and am in Valley of The Rogue SP, pilphering someone across the ways wifi. (Secure your networks folks!) I didn't make it here until almost 6pm.. and I left before noon. Normally, at a liesurely pace, this is a 4 hour drive + a little.

I managed to get a spot right on the river, so I am anxious for it to get light out in the morning so I can have a look. I really like it here, even if it isn't wilderness. I will stay a couple days. (I have friends close by that I was supposed to visit this afternoon, but will do so tomorrow instead.) I have my children back, and they are all bathed and spiffy. Not that that will last long.

There is hardly anyone here, a few bulgies and, much to my suprise, as I was walking the pups, there is a TENT, in this torrential downpour weather! They have an electric site, and I could hear the whir of thier space heater, and they have a giant lamp in there too. It's one of those gihugey tents that actually have more room than this 13 footer, but boy, I wonder how long it will take them to dry it out when they get home.

All my work yesterday to temp patch my leaks paid off.. not a drop inside. The egg looks less than elegant, but I really don't care at this point.. it beats drowning!

[Frederick L. Simson]

I saw Bullards. Now you guyz can quit bugging me about never going LOL.

That doesn't count. Gotta be witnesses there to see you.

[Gina D.]

Approaching from the south, the enterance is on the left. Long way in. There, how would I know that if I wasn't there?

Still in Valley of The rogue SP. It sure filled up today with truck campers and van conversions. And two more tents showed up to join the tent that was drowning last nite. They must be having a rally

The showers here, btw, rate a 10 on the clean scale. The water is also.. HOT. Yay! With the rain and humidity issues I am having in here, I didn't want to boil too much water in here.

I am going to have to scoot out of here early tomorrow.. they are claiming slight chance of snow for the siskiyous.

Will drop into Red Bluff and stay at Red Bluff Lake forest service camp there. The first time on this trip with no electricity, but my battery will hold for the nite. no biggy.

I will continue down the 99 from there since I have never been that way.

IF I make it over the pass. If it snows, I will hang here another day and wait for friday when it is supposed to warm up.. and rain.

I have not been in this trailer for this long a time. The quaintness of rain on the roof for a weekend trip has turned into terror. It's like trying to sleep in a popcorn popper!

[Gina D.]

OK, The fulltimers will nod knowingly and get a snicker out of some of these.

When you can't go out and play, you trash the inside of your egg. Yeah, sure, everyone posts pictures of thier babies when in show condition.. this is what it looks like after living in it for almost two weeks.. both with and without dogs.

The Kitchen. I have reached the point of not fussing to get everything clean the second it gets dirty (Looks like it is about time to do something about it tho )

I do not fill my tank when only setting up for a day.. and this trip I have mostly been stopped for less than 24 hours. With this rain, It is also easy to sneak out to the faucet and fill my little two gallon jug than to stand out and fill the tank and mess with hose clean up etc. (There is a pump on the bottle.. works really well)

[Gina D.]

This is where I "Live" most of the time. I am still nicking someones bandwidth. There are houses directly across the Rogue River from me, and apts. I am sure I am on one of thems unsecured network.

I swear, this is the first time I have ever hijacked bandwidth. I feel so... evil!

Anyway, note the nice drips on my windows that are turning to ice at the moment. I may be stuck here tomorrow too. This park is turning into a lost souls haven for me.. this would be time # 2 I was stranded here for mother natures wrath.

Maybe it's paybacks for hijacking wireless signal?

Note the lovely and elegant foil tapediverting rainwater. (It's outside too, the inside was just an "In Case)

[Gina D.]

My dogs sure are having fun.

Sticky is bored with "Mr. Squirrel" and all he does is use him as a pillow. "When are we going home to our yard Mom?"

Kitty is sitting on her toy, a tennis ball rope thing named "Mr. Monkey". They were the only people I gave presents to for XMAS.

[Gina D.]

I really WAS on the coast. Here is a picture above Boiler Bay in Oregon. There is an ocean in the background, and dang it, if there wasn't so much weather, you could actually SEE it!

Note the fashionable lawn and leaf bag that didn't stay very well over the front window. Oh well. I was used to the inside pool by then anyway.

[Gina D.]

And my SECOND favorite site on this trip, Honeyman SP at Florence on the Oregon Dunes. This site was encircled by trees and manzanita (My favorite shrub thingy) and felt very isolated, yet I had electric and water. It's in the B loop, which is set up strictly for RVs. Usually, these are the ickiest sites. I thought they were the best improved sites in the park.

My first favorite sight was, believe it or not, the KOA in Crescent City. I was planning on heading back that way and decided to do pictures THEN. What a dope.

Really, if you go that way, it is right smack dab in the middle of a redwood grove and it has dark and isolated mossy, wet huge sites that are next to trees wider than my egg.

They have regualar KOA like pull thrus in front, but the back acrerage is where you want to go.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Gina,
Good idea to stay out of that white stuff if you can afford the time.
Even if it's inconvenient, we need some moisture! Please drag some rain with you. Of course now they're talking about rain on the Rose Parade.
If there are enough of us, can we wring out "the Shady Bush II", or is that going to be an effort in futility?
Kurt & Ann K.

[Gina D.]

I have conquered the Siskiyous!! (We need a grunt snort and chest thumping smiley!)

Jay Herb stopped by this am in Rogue River and kept me company while I struck camp. Was nice to meet yet ANOTHER egger!

Left RR at 11 am so that I would hit the summit at noon when it was warmest. Worked out great. As soon as I cleared the summit it was a very pleasant trip over Shasta. Had a little ice on the pass, I just took it slow and cautiously.

I am in an Urban Forest Service park in Red Bluff. Great stopping point and as usual, I am the only one here at the Red Bluff recreational Area at Sycamore campground. Right at the dam and on the ever rising river (yikes LOL)

It has water only, so for the first time on this trip, I am running on house power. Still don't need the dish LOL!

The pups love it here. There are LOTS of brave ducks and egrets and herons.

Google this place (I am on the Blackerry and I haven't firgured out how to link on it)

Tomorrow I continue on the 99 at my own pace. There are RV parks every 2 miles it seems.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I am in an Urban Forest Service park in Red Bluff. Great stopping point and as usual, I am the only one here at the Red Bluff recreational Area at Sycamore campground. Right at the dam and on the ever rising river (yikes LOL)

Google this place (I am on the Blackerry and I haven't firgured out how to link on it)

Sycamore Campground Link

[Gina D.]

Oh lord, stuck in Lodi again......

But.... I am mostly out of the area that is supposed to turn into Lake No. Cal.

The winds last nite in Red Bluff were unbeleivable! I was rockin with junk falling on my roof all nite. 40 + gusts. My little rig stayed dry with my patches tho.

I am in a modern RV park just off the 99 in Lodi. The koa I stayed at a few miles down the road on my way up is directly behind a levee, and for some reason or other, I thought going there was a bad idea LOL.

Getting this far was stressful. The wind was bad so I pulled in here along with MANY others escaping. I watched a 5er get dropped! OUCH! Ya should make sure the front stablizers are all the way down before you pull your truck out. It only dropped a few inches but enuff to land one the bed sides and mosh the truck. It made a HUGE crash!

Anyway, I got here just in time. I pulled in behind 3 big 5ers and behind me the buldgies were lined up on the hiway. This was at 3. By 4, there were no pull thrus Left so the bulgies are backed into Tent spaces. There is even a giant pop up here. I don't think it will stay up tonite.

I was asked if I minded sharing my full sized pull thru with a smaller camper if need be. No problem, but no takers yet. It is such a dangerous time to travel, how could you say No. There is enuff space for me and a van or truck camper. No, I don't feel guilty for taking a big space when the motorcoaches are backed onto the lawn.

The owners here are very nice and trying to help everyone. And they gave the pups cookies and chewies to keep them happy while stuck inside.

I filled my water tank. I have an uneasy feeling I may be here awhile. Winds are supposed to get up to 60 mph.

Oh, and I STILL don't need my dish LOL.

[Donna D.]

THANKS for letting us know how things are going for you Gina..lots of members are following your journey.

It's a good thing you escaped southern Oregon when you did. I-5 southbound is closed at Hilt California due to a landslide across all lanes. Too much rain and the hillside let go. You would have been trapped for a couple more days here in Oregon. The freeway won't be open until late today and it closed early AM yesterday. Pretty incredible this happened and will be closed for so long considering it's Oregon's number one major freeway.

Stay warm, stay dry and stay safe. Sure wish we could send some (alot) of this moisture to western Texas and Oklahoma...sound like they could really use it.