Rancho Oso RV Park

We arrived here on August 24 for the last three nights of our summer trip.  This park is located in the hills above Santa Barbara, Ca.  It was very warm here in the upper 90's and there was only 30 amp service at this park along with water and sewer.  In addition to that, the power was very low at the electrical pedestal.  Our front air conditioner was not working for some reason, (probably because the power was so low), but the back one worked and we did have a shaded site which helped keep us cooler.  It was still uncomfortably warm in our rig during the day.  It cooled down at night though.  I attended a wine sampling in the park one day and Aggie and I went into Santa Barbara on Sunday to attend church at the mission, but we missed the mass and found another church a few miles away.  Afterward, we passed a few hours along the coast enjoying an art fair.  We rented some movies while there as the over the air TV reception was not very good.  Cell reception was also very weak and no internet available.  I rate this park M*** and we paid $10 per night.  I will avoid this park in the summertime in the future. 

Morrow Strand State Beach

We arrived here on August 20 for 4 nights and this park is located right on the sand in Morrow Bay, Ca.  This campground has about 30 full hook up sites which are too close to provide a fire pit, while the rest had fire pits and tables.  We had a waterfront site which was a dry camping site with no hook ups.   We enjoyed our stay here and paid $35 per night which included our $2 nightly senior discount.  I rate this park P****.

The surf was only 1 to 2 feet here, but that did not stop the surfers from braving the 63 degree water, which they said was warmer than usual.  They have closed the beach to swimmers and surfing for the last few weeks because of Great White Shark sightings.  I snapped this picture with thousands of birds flying in a swarm feeding on a large school of fish.  If you have ever seen a swarm of bees; that is what this looked like, only birds.  It looked like an elliptical cloud hovering 2 to 10 feet above the water a foot ball field long.  The water was boiling with fish and birds.  We took several walks along the bluff overlooking the Pacific ocean and Aggie collected some silver dollar shells on the beach to bring home to Lindsey.  This is located in a multi-million dollar residential neighborhood.  One 10,000 sq foot water view lot is currently for sale for $2 million.  We restocked the fridge and poked through the local gift shops where Aggie found a shop which made her

two necklaces.  I washed the dirty Tahoe one day; and I assisted the local barber put a down payment on his house with my $30 haircut.

Russian River

We arrived here on August 18 for 2 nights.  We have stayed here before and it is a good stop about 100 miles north of San Francisco, Ca.  We enjoyed the warmer temperatures after the cool coastal weather in Oregon, but still did not break out my shorts with 85 to 90 degree temps.  We opted to relax in the campground and since I had good cell reception I caught up on the blog.  Buddy went for a tethered swim both days which was good as he needed a bath.  No over the air TV here, but some

campers were getting satellite reception.  There appeared to be mostly permanent residents in this campground as automobile traffic early in the morning indicated people going to work.  Our site was relatively level, but I used my left rear jack to level the coach.  When we were preparing to leave the jack would not go up and I had to manually raise it as I sprung a leak in the hydraulic line.  Well, another project when I return home.  This park only offers 30 amp electric and water in all sites.  They have a dump station to empty sewage.  We paid $11 per night with our RPI membership.  I rate this park M***.

Westport Union Landing State Beach

This is a first come, first served park and I called ahead to confirm availability for our 40 footer and the park ranger said he would block off a site for me.  There was plenty of room when we arrived as most campers stayed only one night and on their way they went.  We arrived here on August 16 for 2 nights after a very slow and tedious cruise through the mountains on highway 271 coming from the north.  This was 20 miles of S curves around the mountains on very narrow lanes.  While they did not recommend vehicles over 32 feet, it is usually because a few dangerous turns.  We must have had 50 blind curves and I would not recommend travel from this direction with a 40 footer with auto in tow.  That said, once we arrived we enjoyed our site with a spectacular view of the ocean on top of a cliff which was in the process of falling down.  There was a path to the beach from our campground.  The campground offered a pit toilet, water faucet for the park and each site had a fire pit and concrete picnic table.  Just dry camping and the crashing of the waves.  No cell service or over the air TV.  Everyone enjoyed the beautiful sunsets.  We paid $66 for 2 nights which included a $2 discount per night for senior citizens at California State Parks.  I rate this park P****.

We had campfires both nights and had a group of 5 motorcyclists join us one night who were riding dirt bikes along the beaches off dirt roads.  Buddy went for several walks along the beach and we hiked about one mile to another campground which was connected to this park.  We had to be careful as the hillside was caving in along our path.  It was probably 100 foot drop to the rocks, sand, and ocean below.  We visited Glass Beach in Fort Bragg one day and Aggie collected some of the colored glass in the sand.  Aggie also collected some smooth sanded rocks to paint with Lindsey when we return home.

Klamath RV Park

We arrived here August 12 for 4 nights.  We have stayed here before and it is a good stop travelling along the US highway 101.  This is a small private park who also accepts RPI and most sites are parked on the grass.  Only 5 sites in the park are available to RPI members.  Although the campground hosts were watering the grass by hand during the day, the grass was mostly burnt out.  Sites were very narrow as I could not put out my slides and awnings and still be in our site.  We had a 100 foot long pull through site located in the second row though.  In the past we were assigned what they call waterfront sites, but now those sites are reserved for retail customers who pay $65 per night.  The river was low and no access to the river as a storm took out 20 acres of the property and the river bank was a 6 foot drop.  The back part of the park had full time residents living there.  We had full hook ups with 30 amp electric, water, sewer, and cable TV.  There was no over the air TV, cell reception, or internet.  There is no pool, spa, clubhouse other than a bathroom and showers and a pricey laundry room.  Bring your own food as the closest major shopping is one hour north (with construction) in Crescent City.  Strict rules don't allow electric heaters or your use of RV washers and dryers.  This park also charges a resort fee of $4 plus some taxes to RPI members and only takes cash or check.  I would like to point out that this is NOT a resort and a $4 resort fee is a 40 percent surcharge.  People always seem to be very friendly in this park including the campground host.  Very tight 180 degree turn into the park and if you miss it there is no turn around past that point.  We paid $14.50 per night and I rate this park P***.

We visited Crescent City one day and had a lovely dinner at a Cafe overlooking the Ocean.  Aggie had a huge dish of shrimp, scollops, and fish over a bed of pasta and I ordered some scollops.  Our meal came with clam chowder and we took most of Aggie's food home for a second dinner in the motorhome.  One day we took Buddy to the mouth of the Klamath river which is only 4 miles down the road.  We also cruised to a lookout on top of a hill where you could observe the coastline from a top of a cliff.  I had to include a picture of this custom motorcycle parked at one of the sites in our campground.  One camper observed a bear across the river and he swam across to our side.

South Jetty Dunes

We visited this park while camping at South Jetty RV park.  The dunes can be reached about 2 miles from our park, but we drove all the way to the end, maybe 8 miles.  This is a fee area for day use and camping, however we gained entry with our America the Beautiful pass.  We parked in the last parking lot in the park and hiked about 300 yards through the dunes which were covered with plants and trees before you get a glimpse of the ocean.  We had the beach to ourselves with the exception of maybe 4 people off in the distance.  Leashed Dogs are allowed on the beach and Buddy's nose was working overtime on the beach trying to snag some tasty morsels of crab or whatever will fit in his mouth.  I did not allow him in the water as we did not have enough water to bath him afterwords from the salt water.  Aggie was collecting shells and stones on the beach and I was enjoying a walk along the coastal sand.

South Jetty RV Park

We arrived at this Thousand Trails park located in Florence, Oregon on August 8 for four nights.  We were very surprised to see that this park is not located on the water, but nestled in the middle of the forest.  The dunes and ocean are a 2 mile drive down the road outside the park where many people ride their sand toys in the sand.  Most sites have an individual site cut out of the main gravel road throughout the park which gives you a more private feeling and the trees are really so thick, we used our lights in the motorhome during the day.  There was a well used pool and spa even though the temperature never exceeded 69 degrees during the day.  There were 2 separate club rooms and most sites would accommodate a big rig such as ours.  All sites are first come first served, except the sites which are leased out.  There are a few full hook up sites with sewer, but the camping host assured me none were available.  There are also a few sites with 50 amp electric and water and the other 50 to 65 percent were 30 amp electric and water.  We were satisfied with a 30 amp site which was relatively level and large enough for our rig and air conditioning is not needed here.  The main dump station was out of order the whole time we were there, however, there was another one on the back side of the park, but it did not appear very level to completely dump your tanks.  They do have several locations throughout the park where you may dump your grey water.  There was no over the air TV here and cell reception was too weak for my hot spot to work for internet.  Some people were successful with their satellite TV.  RPI membership and I rate this park M****.

We paid $11 per night with our RPI membership.

We drove out to the South Jetty Dunes ( a separate post).  We took a drive up the coast to Newport, Oregon and poked into the art, jewelry, and gift shops in the Old Town along the river.  We watched at least 50 sea lions swimming in the river and lounging on floating barges on the water.  They commanded our attention with their loud barking and growling at one another.  We stopped at a waterfront Mexican/American diner.  I feasted on a large tender prime rib and Aggie had seafood enchiladas.  I munched down most of her chips and salsa and washed it down with a local draft beer and clam chowder.

Fort Clatsop

This is located in the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park and just south of Astoria, Oregon. We watched a 20 minute video about the local Indians and wildlife.  We took a tour of the grounds and observed the rebuilt fort with living quarters where they lived.  The original one burnt down some years ago.  On the tour, we observed several rangers in period attire and discussed how life was back then.  One girl exhibited how to load and shoot a period rifle, one young fellow was busy carving out a small 18 inch boat out of wood, and we finished the tour with a 1 mile walk through the forest to the river where they moored their boats.  I can now identify an ash tree which is good as I am supposedly allergic to them and the other plant which peaked my interest was horse hair, which they used for cleaning things as it is abrasive.  Included here is a replica of their boats.  There is a fee for the tours, but with our America the Beautiful Senior pass it was free. 

Astoria Column

While in Seaside, Oregon we took a day trip to Astoria, Oregon.  This 125 foot tall roman style column, originally built in 1926 and was recently refurbished in 2015, is located high on a hill overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River.  Aggie and I hiked the 164 steps to the top of a spiral staircase.  I had to stop twice to catch my breath.  The outside features murals of the Oregon History and once arriving at the top you are treated to some spectacular views of the River and surrounding mountain landscape covered in lush green healthy trees.  Aggie is afraid of heights and she clung to the column at the top as the platform on the top was not very wide.  Tourists buy these balsa wood airplanes at the gift shop, a fund raiser and toss them from the top platform.  There is a $5 fee for parking there, but it is good for the whole year. 

Seaside RV Park

We arrived here August 1 for 7 nights in Seaside, Oregon.  We have stayed here a few times before and it seems the same except they seem to be leasing out more sites to seasonal campers.  The campground was full every night and they were turning away people.  This is a Thousand Trails Resort and many full timers live on the road in these parks since they can buy a $500 pass to camp free all year.  That works out to less than $2 per night or $60 per month with utilities included.  There is an additional fee of $5 per night if you want 50 amp service, but 30 amp electric seems fine here at the coast as I have never had to turn on our air conditioner.  Daytime temps hover in the mid to upper 60's and low to mid 70's here and I had no need to break out my shorts.  Nighttime temps don't get too cold either as they hover around the mid 50's.  In fact, we only turned on the heater one morning this whole trip in Reno, Nevada to take the chill off as it was 52 degrees in the motorhome.  This park is split into two sides, one side has all the amenities, pool, spa, and clubhouse; while the other side, the one we were located in seems to have wider sites and tend to be more private.  We had to look at this trash every time we went for a walk or drove in and out of the park.  The recycling containers did not get picked up till the day we left.  We paid $11 per night with our RPI membership which included some taxes.  I rate this park M***.

We visited The Astoria Column and Fort Clatsop in The Lewis and Clark National Park (separate posts).  We also walked around the town of Seaside, which is booming with many shops, restaurants, and bars.  We treated ourselves to a pizza one day and I purchased a black, light weight leather vest for $15.  We invited Buddy along for a walk along the ocean where he munched on washed up crab and silver dollar shells on the beach.  Parking is tough to come by here, but at least it is still free.  They were preparing for a big volley ball tournament here on the beach.  There must have been at least 50 nets set up on the sand.  This was to start the day we were set to head south to Florence, Oregon.

Grandy Creek KOA

We arrived here on July 26 for 6 nights in Concrete, Washington.  This park is a Thousand Trails and a KOA park which is located not far from the entrance of the North Cascade National Park. When we arrived we were told we could pick any site except sites with yellow posts which were reserved for KOA members, in other words visitors who pay the rack rate.  Not all sites have 50 amp electric or sewer.  We were lucky to snag one that had full hookups with 50 amp electric.  Our site was relatively level as I just placed a 2 inch pad under my right front tire and the bubble was in the middle.  I prefer not to use jacks unless necessary.  Most sites are nestled into a canopy of trees and we used our lights in the motorhome most of the day because the sun did not penetrate the thick cover of pine trees.  This park is an amusement park for children as they are all over the place riding bicycles and playing games.  For a $5 fee per child which lasts up to a week, your child can play miniature golf, unlimited bouncing on this huge bouncing pillow, and an free ice cream social on Saturdays.  On Saturday, they had contests with horseshoes, chess and checkers, rope pull, basketball hoops,miniature golf tournament and painting for children with prizes for the winners.  Saturday evening they had an outdoor movie.  There was no  over the air TV reception, but got good cell reception on verizon.  People with portable satellite dishes were successful obtaining TV.  We rented movies nightly for $2 at the small store on the property.  We needed some AAA batteries for our remote to operate our blueray player and did not find out till after the store was closed.  They actually opened the store for us three hours after it was closed.  You can't buy that kind of service.  We paid $10 per night with our RPI membership and I rate this park P*****.

On Saturday, we caught a 5 PM mass 16 miles away.  We decided to get a bite to eat at a Mexican Restaurant in that town.  After eating a pound of their delicious chips and salsa, I could not finish the two pound wet burrito they served me so I brought it back to our campsite for TV dinner the next day.  Aggie had a tostada.  Sunday, we toured North Cascade National Park and watched a free video at the ranger station about the park and the few grizzly bears in the park which number less than 20.  Did you know that a grizzly bear consumes 20 thousand calories per day.  That is a lot of ants and berries.  We only went to Diablo Lake which is only about 60 miles into the park.

Diablo Lake

We spent a few hours here watching mostly kayaks and canoes launching while sitting comfortably in the shade of the trees near the boat launch.  Buddy went for a tethered swim.  While I brought my bathing suit and had the kayak with me, I chose not to launch.  The water was frigid, probably close to 50 degrees.  The few swimmers who braved the water squealed after their plunge into the lake.  This Lake is located in the North Cascades National Park and the outside temperature was a very pleasant 81 degrees.  The emerald colored water is only visible in the summer and is caused by the sun shining through glacial flour (pulverized rock) carried by the Skagit River. 

Ape Cave

We visited this cave by accident when we were touring Mount St. Helen's National Monument.  An active volcano will send lava through these channels.  This is the longest lava tube in North America.  We did not go inside as temperatures are 42 degrees in the cave and they do not provide needed flashlights.  We had none of the above, but I did snap these pictures.

Jantzen Beach R V Park

Arrived here July 19 for 7 nights in Portland, Oregon.  We come here every year to visit our son Matt and granddaughter Danika.  Not much has changed since our visit last year.  They did however, enclose the park on two sides with chain link fencing and planted some new plants and sod near the swimming pool and office.  This deters the exploding homeless population from wandering through the park.  This park is occupied about 85% full time residents who live here.  I would say about 50% are retired folks and the rest commuting to work from here.  People seem to be very friendly here and don't seem to mind the 15% who come and go on a daily basis.  If you like noise, this is your park.  24 hours a day you hear airplanes landing and taking off, trains with their horns all night, and boats blowing their air horns at night.  In addition, the military flies their jets about 2000 feet above the park between 0800 and 0900 hours daily.  Only a sonic boom would be louder.  That said, this park has full hookups, including 50 amp electric, water, and sewer.  I had a level site and I paid $250 for our weeks stay.  I rate this park P***.

Danika enjoyed the swimming pool 4 days and went on several bike rides with her dad.  We took several walks along the Columbia river, one of Buddy's favorite pastimes.  We toured Fort Vancouver, in Vancouver, Washington one day.  Aggie, Matt, & Danika toured the facilities while I stayed with Buddy.  I have seen several of these forts and in my opinion, they are all pretty similar to me.  But, this one did put on a live exhibit of iron work and woodworking and dogs were not allowed.  We visited Lewisville State Park for a picnic and Danika, Aggie, and Matt waded in the river.  We tossed the Frisbee and Danika played at the playground for a bit.  I brought my bathing suit, but did not feel like getting wet.  Does this mean I am getting OLD.  We dined at olive garden one night, ordered takeout pizza at MOD Pizza one night and went to Cold Stone Creamery for an ice cream treat one night.  We also toured Mount St. Helen's National Volcanic Monument.  While in the park, we visited the Ape Cave (a separate post).  There are a lot of volcanoes in this neck of the woods.  We tried to find a lake to launch the kayak, but I wanted to go to the largest lake in the area which was Swift Reservoir.  The reservoir was 25 feet low and the banks were very steep.  The only swimming area was dry.  Shucks, I should have listened to the ranger and back tracked to a smaller lake.  As it turned out, we cruised along the north side of the Columbia River which was more beautiful than the Oregon side,  and came across a nice park along the river with picnic tables and rest room in Stevenson, Washington.

  Buddy went for a little swim and we enjoyed our break.