Homeward Bound

 

We left Tuttle Creek Recreation Site on a sunny Sunday morning

and headed off for a long up and down drive along the very scenic Hwy 395 with impressive views of the Eastern Sierra Mountains. There are a number of small quaint towns along the way and we stopped in the largest, Bishop, for gas, a propane fill and a bit of grocery shopping. The road then passed the turnoff for Mammoth Lakes and several for Yosemite National Park that were still closed due to winter weather conditions. There were four high passes along the route, the highest about 8600ft (so not higher than the All American Road, but still taxing) and snow was still on the ground off the side of the road at many of these.

Once the last descent was done we were into ranching land and soon passed back into Nevada again and passed by another widening in the road named Holbrook.

At about 2:00pm we were getting close to our destination for the day at Washoe Lake State Park just north of Carson City when it seemed like a good time to stop for gas. So we drove into the Arco station in the community of Gardnerville and waited to pull up to the pumps but just then Pete watched the battery voltage gauge plummeted to zero volts and we weren't going anywhere. A call to AAA dispatched a tow truck in about half an hour and Dave towed our little caravan across the parking lot to a Tires Plus Total Car Service shop that was open on Sunday.

    

 

Unfortunately they would not have a mechanic on who could look at the problem for us until the morning but we were welcome to camp in their parking lot (they ensured us it was a safe neighbourhood) and there was a town park across the street they thought we might like to enjoy. Well it turns out there was some kind of Mexican festival (belated Cinco de Mayo?, Mexican Mothers' Day?) and there was a band that played Mexican oompah music (the same songs over and over until after 9pm) for the assembled crowd who seemed to favour cowboy attire. That's one Mothers' Day I won't forget!

But true to their word, the mechanic was there at 8am to confirm our suspicions that it was the alternator and they had the part ordered, delivered, and installed and we were on our way by 10am. We can look at it as our cheapest camping fee of the trip or the most expensive.

The 395 from Carson City to Reno was posted with lots of Wind Alerts for vehicles over 9ft and I guess we weren't surprised, it's Nevada after all. Once back in California, the wind was still an issue but it was a pleasant drive especially the portion through the Larssen National Forest and past Mt. Larssen.

We pulled into our reserved site at the Passport America rate Redding RV Park before 4pm so not bad for our late start. The sites were a bit close together but had all the conveniences and there was a communal fire pit/gas BBQ area that could have used (if the #%^^*wind hadn't kicked up again).

We allowed ourselves a slower start on the Tuesday as our drive would be shorter and we were working through issues with phone connectivity with our dear T-mobile. The weather in Northern Ca was sunny with clouds but quickly changed to showers and then heavy rain as Pete negotiated the I-5 through the Siskiyou Mountains weaving back and forth with the semis but by 2:30pm we pulled into the elegant Seven Feathers RV Park and were escorted to our pull-through patio site accented with rhoddos in full bloom.

I was disappointed that the cold that I had been suffering with since Death Valley meant I could not enjoy the indoor pool and spa and fitness centre but we did take a walk around their lovely grounds and then called for a free shuttle bus to take us across I-5 to the Seven Feathers Casino for the Tuesday night all -you-can-eat steak and crab leg buffet. What made this all the sweeter was that we secured our site for a half price Sunday - Thursday special of $19 after reading about it on one of the RV Park Review websites. Just too bad that the weather didn't cooperate so that we could sit outside on our patio or at one of the large communal firepits.

Under partly cloudy skies were took off on Tuesday morning to our last overnight stop of the trip. Even though this drive was along the I-5 it still offered the lovely views of the rolling green hillsides of southern Oregon through Roseburg and Sutherlin to a short stop in Eugene. I have always enjoyed Eugene when visiting the Black Sheep Festival, as a hip university town but my mission today took me to a more industrial side of town on the western outskirts that housed the Eugene Textile Center in an old house surrounded by charming gardens. I have made a number of purchases from this business at ANWG conferences but have not had the opportunity to visit their storefront before. It is both a retail outlet and a learning center offering classes, studio time and workshops and they were getting ready for their annual Fiber in the Forest retreat. It was one of those places that has stocked packed into every nook and cranny with lots of looms, wheels, and tools (some for sale, some in use) scattered throughout as well as in the studio. A little package of lunatic fringe cotton followed me out the door.

We arrived in the early afternoon at Silver Spur RV Resort, another Passport America park, in Silverton, Oregon. By this point my cold was in full attack so we spent a quiet last sunny afternoon reading under the awning (perhaps only the third time we had been able to put it down given all the wind on this trip) with only a short walk around the property to view the catch and release fish ponds which were located closed to the long term stay sites. An early start the next morning began with a drive through the countryside (lots of vineyards and Christmas tree farms) from the little heritage downtown of Silverton to Oregon City where we once again joined the I-5 for the 6hr straight slog to the border. My cold had taken such a hold I didn't even have the energy to have Pete detour to the Pendelton Mill Store which I had planned to visit. We arrived home under bright blue skies at 4pm on Thursday May 14, 37 days after leaving on the tour de rock and wind. Hey, only two months to the day until we hitch up trailer again and take off for Martha and Blanket Creek!