Trip Begun and Well Started

This trip was planned specifically to go to Russ' family reunion. We haven't seen many of these folks for more than 10 years, so I am excited, if not about being in New Mexico in the summer. I melt. Plus, we have to travel without using Harvest Hosts or boondocking because we need to run our air conditioner for the cat. We did manage one off-grid stop early, but it was high in the central Oregon desert and the nights were cool. Our first stop was slightly out of our way, but we stayed one night with our friend Z at Ocean Park, WA, on the Long Beach Peninsula.

Cedar had a rough first day in the truck. Comfort during the last section.

Dinner at Mycovios - so amazing.

Z joins us in the R-Pod for a good night bottle of white.

Nights two and three were at our friend's property in central Oregon. H calls it the Juniper Creek property. Russ helped remove some unwanted (non-native) brush. We did an amazing short hike to a local canyon with good views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson. Elk (we think) bedded down around the trailer each night; we could hear them but not see them. The road out is terribly hard for the R-Pod, but the result is worth it. The area is so quiet and dark. Also the drive goes through Cove Palisades State Park, which is an undiscovered gem of a park. On our way to this property near Madras, Oregon from the Washington coast, we crossed the Columbia River three times.

The Washington Coast. Pacific, if you will.

The first part of the Astoria bridge over the Columbia River.

The high part of the Astoria bridge (for ship passage).

Entering the Cove Palisades State Park, OR.

The first bridge at the Cove Palisades.

Gin and Tonic at sunset with our friend, H.

Sunset through the R-Pod door.

Sometimes the cat walks Russ.

Cedar loved it here. He was full of fun.

Waiting for the burritos to cook in the solar oven.

The long tube is the solar oven food pan.

View of Mt. Jefferson. The basalt columns I'm standing on drop off steeply into the canyon.

Small pond. Highly eutrophic.

On our way to Ontario, Oregon for our next overnight stop, we drove through the Blue Mountains. This part of Oregon is so empty and quiet, I love the drive. It's mostly along US 26 until just before the border with Idaho. Cedar is now back in the traveling grove.

The Cove Palisades State park in the other direction.

Stopped for lunch on US-26.

The sagebrush sea. Central Oregon.

Worn out after a day of travel.

We have a few more days before reaching our final destination, but we will get to visit another set of friends on the way. I always have something to look forward to.