Houston We Have Problems

We were enjoying a mostly pleasant drive south on I-5 yesterday. North of Corvalis it was like being in a parade, there were so many vehicles that were decorated with flags, banners, signs, stuffed animals, and people wearing orange or yellow sweatshirts. They were all headed to the Civil War game in Corvalis. Traffic was heavy but not too bad.

We had the last of the Thanksgiving turkey in a wonderful sandwich at a rest stop and headed out to complete our journey to Seven Feathers in Canyonville, OR. A couple of miles from Sutherlin a warning light came on and we started to lose power. We limped to the next exit and stopped in the parking lot of an abandoned restaurant, but not before stalling at a stop sign. I looked out and saw a sign for a mobile deisel repair shop, so I called their number. About an hour later a technitian showed up and looked things over, put his analyzer on the computer port and found nothing, no codes, no indication why the warning light came on. There was a stored code that said the computer had experienced a low voltage situation but it didn't tell us when the code happened. Well, he checked all the fluid levels (I had already done that, before starting out and again while waiting) and they were all proper. He did find a loose terminal on one of the batteries so he tightened that up and said we should be ready to go.

Back on the road we go, we were about 50 of so miles out and everything ran great. We arrived at the RV resort and shut down the engine and I went in and registered. When I started the rig up to go to our space, the warning light was back on. We parked and set up, had a scotch, and decided to go to the casino and have dinner.

This morning I looked up Cummins Northwest on the internet and they have a shop in Medford about 70 miles south, but of course being Sunday they don't work today. I'll give them a call first thing in the morning and hopfully they can get us in then and get this resolved. I'm going to look to see if I can find a loose wire or something obvious in a little while. I don't know yet if we will try to limp down there today or stay here another night. This isn't the adventure we set out to have.

More Later, Rich

We're Off

Our target time of departure is 9:00AM, we'll see. Traffic is going to be a challenge down toward Corvalis because of the Civil War football game. We plan to stop at the Seven Feathers Casino tonight, thats about 220 miles just the right distance. I'll try to post more later.

More Later,Rich

Preparing for departure

I have installed a free program from Microsoft called “Windows Live Writer”.  This will allow me to write posts and save them until I can get online for those times when will not have access to the web.  It also lets you put pictures in the post where you want them and not have to edit in html. This is the first time I am using it so I’m learning.

                

This is a photo that I took when we were at Deb & Rob’s beach house, I just used it for a test but it is a nice view.

I hope everyone had a chance to look at the map and follow birthday surprise trip I am clearing it so I can start putting our route and stops on it.

More Later, Rich

Getting Ready to Hit the Road

This weekend finds us cleaning and packing the motorhome. We have had some work done and replaced some things that needed replacing like, new tires, new batteries, new shocks, we had the roof caulking removed and replaced, the awning over the slide was replaced, and two new awnings over the bedroom windows installed. The oil has been changed and we (the motorhome, Gorgie and I), are ready to hit the road.
This adventure begins next saturday morning, we hope the weather cooperates and allows to get over the pass into California. If not we may have to take the coastal route but that will add a day to our journey to Desert Hot Springs. Our style of travel is to drive between 200-250 miles a day. This is a no stress distance for us and we don't want to do any night driving.
Please follow our trip right here on the blog, we will try to post often to let you know what we are doing. But there will be times when we will not have an internet connection, but we will catch up on our posts as soon as we can.
More Later, Rich

Another Sunny Day at the Gull House

Here we are another beautiful sunny day. We plan to make this a "Jammie Day".
We are going to loaf around, reading, playing cards, and a walk on the beach, hope we don't overdo anything.

Sunrise in the hot tub with coffee

Not everyone got in the hot tub

Cards in Jammies

Pelicans are having a meeting on rock

About the only thing we did yesterday was have a wonderful japanese meal at a restaurant about a half mile from the house. The name of the place is Yuzen, we had Tempura and sushi, this place is a must for anyone coming down to this area, and in the very small town of Seal Rock. A quick trip to the grocery in Waldport and it was back to having toooo much fun. We split the games one each, one for the guys and one for the girls. See what we ncan do today.

More Later, Rich

Gull House at Seal Rock

Another wonderful morning at The Gull House. Gorgie and I got up and went out to the hot tub to watch the sun come this morning what wonderful weather we are having, with not hardly a cloud in the sky.

Yesterday after Gorgie's pumpkin quiche (and a wonderful quiche it was), we played canasta with the birthday girls winning, good move on Jerry's and My part. Later we went to Newport and stopped at a thrift store so Deb and Jerry could buy a couple of swimsuits because they forgot theirs. Then we drove up to Lincoln city and had drinks and apptizers in the Chinook Winds Casino. Of course we had to try our luck for a while but nothing much to report on that.

On the way home a birthday dinner was had in Newport at Sharks. This is a wonderful seafood restaurant. They don't have anything fried and boy was it good. I had a dish called a combo seafood roast, which wasn't really a roast at all but a rich seafood stew. Everyone else had cioppino linguini that was pasta and another seafood stew. We will definetly return here.

More Later, Rich

Girl's birthday at Seal Rock

We are at Deb and Rob's beach house to celebrate Deb and Gloria's birthday (today is Deb's special day). This morning we were entertained by a pair of eagles.

Mated Pair of Eagles

Gloria is making a pumpkin quiche for breakfast. We are going to play some cards and do some running around today. I'll get on here later today and report what we did.

Eagles in flight

More Later, Rich

Map of the birthday girl's adventure

The map on the right reflects the route the girls took on their adventure. You can see it best by clicking on the "see a larger view" button and zoom in so you can click on the balloons to read where they stopped.

More Later, Rich

Birthday Surprise

The adventure started here



As Richard stated in the previous blog my birthday surprise began in DuPont, WA (Dusty and Jedd's house). We stopped in Poulsbo, WA for breakfast, hit the road again, stopping at the Clearwater Casino for about an hour. Dusty took me there two years ago for my birthday surprise and one of the 9 clues stated that where we were going is someplace we had never been together so I knew we weren't staying there. She kept looking at her watch and about 11am she said it was time to go. We continued north arriving at a ferry terminal and I thought at that time I would know our destination since most ferry terminals go to several places. This ferry has only one destination and somehow I missed any signs saying where that was so I was still unsure. The ride only took 30 minutes and when we arrived I asked Dusty what the building was that was right by the terminal, she was surprised I didn't recognize it and it turned out to be Safeco Field. Well, I knew we were in Seattle; she did a great job of confusing me. So, the whole time I'm thinking we are staying in Seattle and was very excited. She drove to the Space Needle and we had lunch reservations at the top. It has been years since I was at the Space Needle and what a wonderful view, it rotates and makes a complete 360 degrees in 47 minutes. The lunch was awesome and I had a birthday desert of ice cream with a candle but that was sitting in a bowl of dry ice which overflowed over the entire table and down the sides, it was really awesome. She bought me a souvenior at the gift shop and back in the car we went. We got on I-5 north and drove another hour. She was busy talking and I wasn't paying attention so I wasn't sure where we were when we got off. We arrived at "Tulalip Resort and Casino" and it is an awesome 5 star resort. We had a beautiful room and when we arrived there was a birthday card, candy and bottled water for me. She even bought us matchin PJ's! We had a great dinner at one of the restaurants called "Black Fish" which had wonderful seafood. We started with raw oyster appetizer and both had Coho salmon that was cooked over an open flame and it melted in our mouths. They brought me a birthday dessert with "Happy Birthday Gloria" written in chocolate across the plate. We played some slot machines and then went back to the room to watch movies in our matching jammies.

Friday was an exceptional treat. Dusty made reservations for a 5 hour spa experience and what an experience! The spa is on the second floor of the resort and takes up the whole floor. They start with giving you a bathrobe and shower shoes and put you in a "relaxation room" with candles, fireplace, soft music and water, tea etc. The first treatment was a 40 minute soak in a jetted mud bath which is special mud from Canada that is for detoxification. Back to the relaxation room to hydrate for 10 minutes and then we went for a sugar/coffee scrub and chocolate mud rub. This was our favorite since it was so different. They actually rub a sugar/white coffee mixture all over you which you rinse off and your skin feels soft as a baby's bottom. Back on a heated table where you lie on a plastic sheet while they rub a chocolate mud (smelled like brownies) all over you all the way to between your fingers and toes. Once that is on, they wrap you up in the plastic blanket and then more cloth blankets that are heated, oh my. While you are wrapped in that, the massage therapist is massaging your scalp. The idea is to really sweat all the toxins out of your body and boy did I sweat. After about 30 minutes then you rinse that off. You get back in your robe and go back to the relaxation room to rehydrate for another 10 minutes. Up next was a 1 hour massage. Dusty made arrangements for us to be in the same room which was nice. The massage was wonderful. When finished with the massage it was back to the relaxation room where lunch was served and another birthday dessert. After lunch we went for an hour facial, I have never had a facial before and it was a real treat. After the facial we went for a hot rock pedicure which was awesome as well. By the time we got back to our room we had been gone 8 hours and so relaxed we felt like gumby.

Dusty made reservations for my birthday dinner at a restaruant called "Tulalip Bay" which is a steak house and the food was phenominal. We had surf and turf which was prawns and a 4 oz filet after sharing a salad and lobster bisque. We had a great bottle of wine from Walla Walla and of course another birthday dessert with "Happy Birthday". It will take me weeks to work off all that wonderful birthday desserts. Off for more gambling.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and we went to the outlet mall where Dusty bought a nice dress, skirt and tops for her formal Christmas parties coming up. She made reservations at a retaurant/wine bar in Seattle called "Purple" and then we were going to Pike Place Market to purchase some seafood but we both decided we weren't hungry enough to eat again (breakfast was at 10:00) and lunch reservations were at 1:00 or drink anymore wine so we decided to skip that portion of the trip. Didn't she do good?

For nine weeks prior to our trip she would give me a clue every Sunday. Below are the clues and how they related to the trip:

1-It's a place we have never been together (Tulalip Resort and Casino)
2-Bring something fancy to wear (Dinner at Tulalip Bay)
3-Bring a cooler (Seafood from Pike Place Market)
4-Bring your travel coffee maker and coffee (We never have enough)
5-Ferry tales will come true (Ferry ride from Bainbridge to Seattle) notice the play on words
6-This trip will offer you many outlets (Outlet mall)
7-You'll enjoy a ride to new heights (Space Needle)
8-There will be muddy grounds (Spa treatment-mud bath/coffee scrub)
9-Your journey will begin in DuPont

Trip Plan Part II

Gloria is off with Dusty for a couple of days, they take turns planning suprise trips for each others birthday. This time it was Dusty's turn to plan the trip for Gloria's special day. She had to leave the house at 5AM to be in Dupont by 7AM. Dusty called me at 6 to fill me in on the trip, boy are they going to have a good time. She is driving all over the place to confuse her. But to put it simply (I'll let her share it with you when she gets back), they are having breakfast in Paulsbo, followed by a brief stop at the Clearwater Casino to fool her. Then they take the ferry into Seattle and a stop at the Pike Place Market. Lunch will be at the top of the Space Needle. Then its off to the Tulalip Indian Casino. In the morning they have a FIVE hour spa treatment. Anyway I'm going to let her tell you all about it. There is more including how the clues link with the adventure.

The other day I left off at Pilot Knob in Winterhaven, CA. where we will be for two weeks. As I said this is in the Yuma area so we are going to see what it is all about.

We need to spend a week out of our membership parks so we will spend that time at a place called Big River RV Park in you guessed it Big River, CA. It's right on the Colorado River across from Parker, AZ.

Our next stay isn't very far away at Colorado River Adventures in Ehreberg, AZ also on the river. We stayed there last year and really liked the place.

From there our trip takes us to Desert Vista RV Resort in Salome, AZ for a week. I understand this is in a remote location. so we will have another opportunity to enjoy some desert night skies.

I know that it probably would have been more adventurous to not make any plans or reservations but to save $$ we had to do it this way and stay at our member parks, we are saving over $2500 in camping fees alone. Maybe another time.

More Later, Rich