Trudy and Ed...

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: I did not do the complete Dam Tour but Trudy did. Too much walking for me. She to my camera and got some great pictures. Somewhere down the line we will get them posted. The views from the visitors center are spectacular. Just going to veg out ar the pool tomorrow. The outdoor temp at the dam today was 116 Thankfully the humidity was a rare 2%. It is usually 10 to 15%.

Got a fantastic car wash, hand washed and towel dried after. running the car through the automatic rinse with Rain X included. I hope we can find something as
good in Seattle Car looks like it just came of the Show room floor. Hardly picked up any dirt on the Drive to and from Hover Dam.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: A First: Here in Beatty Nevada 125 Mi Nw of LasVegas our hot spots do not work. Also the park internet is very spotty. About 60 miles of yesterdays drivr was very smooth sailing 4 and 6 lane and light to medium traffic suddenly the highway became 2 lane but thankfully a good surface and traffic stayed light most of the way. Almost nothing but desert and mountains. The desert view constantly changed, sand and rock to Sage brush all most as if it had been planted then sand and a single type of cacti gradually changing to other mixed types back to large rock. I believe these changes where related to elevation,, however the elevations where not posted very often. In fact at times it was a bit difficult to tell if we where going up or down hill.

We passed by a large prison and through a small air force national security base and a couple mining sites. The only Public services where an RV Park
trading post combo on the opposite side of the road and on our side, a combination service station with diesel, gift shop, diner and brothel (yes prostitution is legal in some parts of Nevada. We filled up with fuel and had lunch, passed on the "alien" cat house tour. Actually we are 5 miles north of Beatty this park was listed in our Good SAM Guide as being in town so when we got to the town limit I pulled over and Trudy called and confirmed this place had spaces open. Indeed they did only two units here when we pulled in by sunset there where six more. Neat level gravel pullthroughs. In Beaty their was a nice looking park with Brick patios and newly planted trees on each lot and a casino next Door. But this place With electricity,sewer, and water plus a nice bath house. The feature here is wild burros roaming free we have only seen two but about four in the morning it sounded like there may have a half dozen that passed by.

Not sure how far we will go to day, I will let the Holliday traffic dictate that. I' ll be glad to get back into California and the interstate H'way, maybe tomorrow..

[JE Pettibone]

Ed; Well it is still Saturday and we are still in Nevada not sure how far today but we are 311 miles NW of Las Veges. Trudy just found it 194 miles today. That leaves about 700 to Portland Or. We are in Hawthorn, another military centered town. And another great local restaurant ( Maggie's At noon, in Goldfield for lunch at the Dinky Diner. we shared a table with a couple who have been full time RVers for 20 years. They suggested the place where we are tonight and when Trudy asked for the phone number the fellow said if you want to call them I will dial it for you, Trudy said "great" and he dialed and handed her his phone, three and a half hours later we where here.

Goldfield has a historical society that is doing a great job of restoring the town to its early 1900's original look. At present the major project is restoration of the 1907 Stone and brick High School. The City Hall and fire department have been restored and are in use/

The road up here was two lane most of the way, except for about 12 miles each, over two different Mountain passes and 4.5 down another there where passing lanes where trucks RV's and other slower moving vehicles could pull.
However the road surfaces are in very good condition over

This is without a doubt the nicest RV park we have seen west of the Mississippi. Spacious Some nice grass in the common areas, Every lot is a pull through with a cement parking pad. and wide drives. with this being a Holiday Week end we will stay through Monday to let the traffic get back to normal. About half the units in this place tonight are from Oregon, Washington and California. We saw a Presbyterian church here in Hawthorn. May attend there if we do not find some sort of Baptist.

Up Date Monday (memorial day): Not a lot happening in Hawthorne NV today but according to the local weekly, Last weeks "Armed Forces Day" parade was a huge success. We where also informed by the paper that Hawthorne is billed as "America's Patriotic Home". We stayed in yesterday morning and watched the Indy 500. No KFC in Hawthorne so Trudy went up the road a hundred yards or so to the "Safeway" and picked up some roasted Chicken. In a tour of the town after the race we did locate the Baptist Church. No indication of affiliations on the signs, on either the building or the 12 passenger van parked outside. For the most part the homes here are rather rundown with the exception of maybe a dozen. Most of the Small businesses seemed to be well maintained especially the aforementioned Maggie's Restaurant. The volume of traffic on the Highway in front of the RV Park causes me to think I made a good decision to stay over another day. Too many other tourist.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: On Monday afternoon Trudy and I toured the munitions museum at Hawthorne , NV. , discovered to our surprise that the Army was using drones as early as the Mid 1960's, both for reconnaissance and to deliver live bombs. Those early drones where pretty good sized unmanned helicopter like machines, about 6' high, 4.5' wide and 7 or 8 ft long.

Today the traffic between Hawthorne and Reno was indeed light for which I am grateful. The road surface on US 95 was still good, but for the first 60 or so miles there are many steep grades and a lot of long sweeping curves. 55 was my top speed and the speed limit was 60-65-and 70 fortunately there are several 'pull outs' for slow vehicles. By the time we bypassed Reno I was getting tired so I decided to stop for the day at a Wall-Mart unfortunately the one I picked does not permit RV parking for more than three hours. So we came on up the road to A commercial park associated with the Border town Casino. It is a nice park, even better than the one at Hawthorne and unlike most casino RV parking which is free this one is a bit pricey. $40.00 and no swimming pool.

I hope to get to I 5 In California tomorrow. 2 lane roads are tiring.

But God's creation is marvelous, love snow capped Mountains and bright blue lakes.

[JE Pettibone]

Not to I 5 as of yet but are set up in a nice park in Susanville California. Susanville nearly became the capital of Nevada because the residents and every one else thought it was in Nevada, however California commissioned a survey that revealed it was actually in California. We are going to spend some time here while we have the fluids checked and a check up of all components, before we head back into no mans land.

No apparent problems but our last service was 5000 + miles ago after last years CBF Assembly in Greensboro, NC.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: It is a good thing we had the check up, they discovered a small crack in the radiator recovery tank. We awaiting on a replacement coming out of Reno . So we are staying in the coach next to the repair shop in downtown Susanville, CA. Most of the town looks like something out of the Mid 1950s. One of the towns major claims to fame is that their average snowfall is 139% more than the national average. Pictures in a couple businesses we visited show the 5 lane main street with snow piled 8ft high in the center lane and spilling over into the lanes on each side leaving only 2 open for driving.

We where quite surprised to find that as pedestrians attempting to cross that main street local drivers from each direction will stop to let you across. You can't just go when the first car stops because the next one may be driven by a tourist but shortly traffic from both directions will be at a stand still and you may cross safely. The same is true when driving and you need to make a left turn off of Main street.

I can't say I recommend a long distance trip north and south through California on any thing other than the interstate but until you you do a coupe hundred miles
over mountains and through the desert you haven't really seen California. We have visited several large California cities before but what we have seen on this trip is entirely different. We are calling it " The Other California" . Every one we have encountered have been quite nice. I love the many chache not to eat in a chain restaurant and even to new chains but this morning we are having breakfast in our coach.

I am begining to be anxious to get on the road heading for Portland but we do have plenty time.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: Saturday we finally got onto I 5 about 530 miles south of Portland. As we crossed from California into Oregon, I saw a sign saying we were at the highest point on I5 I blieve it said 4583 ft. I need to look that up. I5 is far better than the stat roads in Nevada and California. We stayed in a commercial park in Weed Oregon. Last night we pulled into the Wall mart at Grants Pass. When I asked about overnight parking, despite the signs to the contrary I was told it was not a Wal Mart Policy but a City Ordinance, " but it is seldom enforced" so I took a chance. we ended up with two RVs one van and three 18 wheelers. it is now 9:AM and we are having breakfast, will hit the road shortly.

[Haruo]

At the rate you're moving you're going to have weeks to kill in PDX before the Biennial, sounds like. On June 17 we'll be attending the in Trout Lake, Washington.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: We hit a couple spots in Oregon where our cell phones worked but the hot spot was inconsistent. we arrived in Portland yesterday to find why all of the RV parks we had contacted were filled for weeks. This is the sAsrt of their Rose Festival. Today traffic is expected to be a real mess as the Draw Bridges
to Vancouver Washington will be opening and closing at an unusual rate as ships come in loaded with tourist coming to see the parade. We are going to try to get tickets. we did get into a small RV park in Vancouver for thee nights. We have our fingers crossed that the park will have a cancellation before Friday.

All a part of the adventure of RVing. or

Hauro thanks for the info on the shape note singing we may get over there with just the car for a few hours.

[Mrs Haruo]

If you get bored, you can always go up river on the Oregon side of the Columbia to - I kid you not- a town called "Boring". Farther upstream is where my mother's older sister went to Normal School which was a teachers college back then. Irregon, Oregon. She often chuckled about her roomate, "Clara Corrigon from Irregon, Oregon. Not a lot to see there. Last time I was through, it was much more boring than Boring.

[JE Pettibone]

[Haruo]

So are you staying in Portland through the end of the month (Biennial) or going elsewhere (up here?) and returning, or what? I was quite surprised by how early you reached PDX.

[JE Pettibone]

[David Flick]

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: Thanks David!. That is a great picture of this place.

This morning we went back into Oregon and worshiped at Ceder Hills Baptist Church. Cedar Hills is a beautiful Suburb of Portland The Pastor is REV Christine Roush. came to this area from Upstale NY where she worked in the ABCNYS camping program for several years. She left NY shortly before we got there. CHBC which is ABC/USA, has a nice church plant with a sanctuary that seats around 150 with space for perhaps 40 more Also a nice Educational building. They have plenty of parking and additional landscaped area, part of which is used for "community garden plots" used by nearby apartment dwellers. Maybe 60-65 present this morning some where out of town in all directions for Graduation events at some of the many Colleges and Universities. The college aged regulars had already headed to Downtown Portland with food to distribute the homeless. Music was contemporary.
Ages where probably from 45 to 90 with a majority between 55 an 70. The only draw back for us is that it is 23 miles from here,and a surprising volume of traffic for a Sunday Morning. From observing license plates I would guess 90% where from either Portland or Vancouver
The most unique thing was that they hosted "a coffee hour" after church, and probably 45 stayed to have snacks and chat for an hour or so.


I think tomorrow we will take the car and head west to the Pacific Coast and explore along Rt 101.

[Haruo]

[JE Pettibone]

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: Changed the plan yesterday and went up yo the Mt. Saint Helen's Visitors Center. Too much fog for their Video Telescope . That is the norm, the guide said you can only see the picture on the average of 162 days a year . Down the Hill we had lunch at the El Compadre Restaurant,great food. And fried Ice cream.

[Haruo]

What town is El Compadre in? We may be driving by that way Saturday afternoon coming back from the Trout Lake Singing (which you'd be welcome to join us at, should be some good Dinner on the Grounds). It's entirely possible we'll return by another route, but if we come that way and we're hungry (unlikely given the aforementioned Dinner), who knows? Speaking of Mexican food, when you're up here we'll want to take you out at least once, and ("Seattle's indigenous Mexican fast food") is a possible place. Or if you'd rather do sushi, maybe , or for Vietnamese, . Or there's always .

[Haruo]

[JE Pettibone]

[Mrs Haruo]

Japanese Baptist tends to have "finger foods" of quite a variety, enough to be able to make a light lunch. I think that is mainly because after the incarceration of WWII, many who had lived in the immediate neighborhood of the church were unable to return to homes and businesses that had been damaged by vandals during WWII and moved out to the suburbs, but still worshiped at JBC to keep in contact with friends and family that had become very close knit because of being interned at Camp Minidoka together. A lot of members have a rather long drive to get home after church, and enjoy interacting with old friends and new, so the long tables of snacks and social time are much looked forward to by many of us. The choir practices before church on Sunday mornings instead of coming in on a night during the week, so a lot of us are getting pretty hungry buy the time church is over, and being so close to Safeco Field (Mariners Baseball) and Century Link Field (Seahawks Football and Sounders Soccer) can be a source of a lot crowding in local restaurants after church, unless you head up closer to Seattle University where there is IHOP and other restaurants that cater to the student population.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: That makes a lot of sense. I have noticed fewer what I would call American family style restaurants on the west coast than in the East and Midwest
Denney's seems have dibs on that segment. On the other hand a great variety of ethnic based restaurants are to be found. On the other hand we found an absolutely great natural foods store just down the hill a half mile. Also the Produce section in a nearby Safeway Matches what we have in the supper markets at home in Florida

The foliage up here is outstanding but I do not care for the topography. It is hard for me to believe/(trust) that everyone here keeps the brakes on their cars in shape for the mountains. AND on I 5 Speed limits seem to mean little.

[JE Pettibone]

Yesterday we took a side trip by car up (north) I 5 in Washington state and headed west back into Oregon, then to Astoria where we had a wonderful Meal at Cruther's a forties style restaurant that fits the overall look of the city. Astoria reminded me of my home town, Fort Wayne, In. when back in the forth grade (1944) , I walked down town to take trumpet lessons. The number of Hotels and Motels in a city with something less than 10,000 indicates that it has long been a tourist attraction. Astoria was first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific coast.

Due to forecast of nasty weather for the area today we headed down 101 to route 26 and back to Portland and Vancouver. The country side along 101 is much more populated today than when I was first in the area in 1972, however the homes and businesses along the way have been maintained in the same style.

We did not go far enough south to get a good view of the Pacific, in fact just before getting to 26 there was the start of a mountain range between us and the ocean. H'way 26 has beautiful scenery but most of it is two lane with no guard rails and frequent steep drop offs just feet from the roadway. The best of this road are the steep upgrades with a passing lane thus thee lanes wide. Like 62 miles before widening out to four and six lanes going into the city of Portland.
Back on I 5 across the L-o-n-g draw bridge into Vancouver. Up to exit 5 and H'way 99 to the RV park where we are staying for another week and a half. During the ABC Biennial we will be closer to the convention center in Portland.

To day has been rainy and a cool 67 degrees. Quite a difference from the trip west.

[Haruo]

Fort Wayne never struck me as very nautical...

Tomorrow we are likely to take rout shone, down I-5 to arrive in Trout Lake by 10, leaving at 3:30 and returning up the back side of the Cascades.

We might even take a peek at the Church of God, Zillah, if we're not running too far behind schedule at that point.