The West Coast
Chapter 5
The West Coast
Chapter 5
When you travel to the
Northwest Territories, most folks just beeline it to British Columbia. We like to
take a detour to Nevada and travel up the state. Nevada has several areas worth
visiting. Las Vegas is usually on everyone's list and we don't mind the detour back
into civilization.
Nevada can get very hot
and when we entered Las Vegas we turned our air on since the traffic was slow and the
buildings lessened the breeze flowing through the windows. When we turned on the air
we heard a loud "pop". A belt had broken because I engaged the air
conditioner, while running at a high rpm. It is a good idea to come to a stop, idle
the engine before engaging the air conditioner, especially in older units. That way
the belt isn't jerked by a fast revolving pulley and it is less likely to break.
After getting the belt replaced by a local car doctor we found our way to Circus Circus
Casino RV Park. We were now, back to civilization with all the glitter and parks
with full hookups, including television. It was nice for us, but we had to walk
Tigger outside the park. The park does have a small wire sanded, caged area for
pets, but we didn't care for that. We were happy that the park even accepted pets.
Outside the wall of the park there are a few grassy areas for dog walking. We
enjoyed the swimming pool and in the evenings we took sightseeing walks with Tigger until
he was tired. Putting him to bed, we headed to the casinos. Reservations are almost always
necessary to get a site in any Las Vegas RV park. They are constantly tearing down
or refurbishing buildings so it is best to check a current directory for park
information.
Circus Circus (Circusland RV Park) Pool Area with RV area
behind it.
There are people
who love the desert. It is beautiful and scenic with cliffs and canyons. It is
also hot! We received some advice on crossing Death Valley National Park.
Start at first light, on or before 6:30am. Wear light clothing and carry and drink
plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Don't run your air conditioner or you may
overheat your engine. We did not run our air conditioner to keep the engine cool
since we traveled up long hills several thousand feet and then dropped down below sea
level at other times. We gave Tigger a wet bandana to wear and draped wet towels on
him. He had plenty of air from the open front windows. I think the temperature
climbed to 114 degrees when we passed through Furnace Creek. When driving in Nevada
and California everyone (older folks in particular) should drink plenty of fluids in the
summer season. The high temperatures and lack of humidity can cause dehydration.
We also find it necessary to use cream on our hands, fingertips, and lips to
prevent cracking. As we entered the park at 6:00a.m (which is recommended) there was a
coyote leaving the park...we have to pay more attention to messages sent by our animal
friends!
Tigger Wrapped up in wet towels Tigger by Date Palms
Resort in Death Valley
Our RV in distance
Furnace Creek -190 Badwaters
Al in distant sand dune.
-282 lowest elevation.
In California, at the
border of Death Valley National Park, on US 395 at Lake Diaz is a campground called Lone
Pine. There are nice shade trees and an open meadow for Tigger to play in. It
is a welcome stop after a long ride through the desert. The sites have grills and
fire rings, but no other services other than restrooms elsewhere in the park.
Our next stop was
at Yosemite National Park and our initial impression of the campgrounds was confirmed when
we looked for a campsite. There was no hard information about the availability of
campsites. We were told "see what you can find" when we inquired at the
entrance. The park is probably the poorest run and the most mismanaged park we have
encountered. The roads are in disrepair and the traffic is not controlled well.
There are very few road signs; and even those who have visited the park before
don't know where to go. We drove all the way up to White Cloud and stopped at
campgrounds to find them all full. There were no campground hosts or managers at
White Cloud and since it was getting dark we turned around and left the park. We
finally found room at a county park near Lee Vining soon after we left Yosemite. We
suggest you arrive at Yosemite very early in the day, drive through the park to see it,
and stay somewhere else. (We have since read in the Highway Magazine that Yosemite
is doing things to repair it's bad image).
Yosemite
Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite
One of the best
campsites we ever had for seclusion was by the Walker River. Just a few boulders,
space for an RV, a fire ring and we were already to set up in Northern
California. It was "dry camping" and we just stopped for the night ending
up 4 nights there.
A wonderful "dry camp" on US 395 by the Walker River
Finding the prices in
California outrageous, both for gas and groceries we headed back into Nevada to wind our
way northward. US 50 will take you into the Lake Tahoe area. Being tourists,
we found several points of interest in the area including the site of the TV show
Bonanza. As a result we were late arriving at the Tahoe Valley Campground
which is located in South Lake Tahoe at Melba Street. The office was closed and the sign
directed us to available campsites with full hookups. We just had to fill out a card
and drop it in a slot. We awoke to a squishy carpet the next morning and when I
lifted the couch I saw a leak from the accumulator, a small round cylinder on the water
line. I immediately shut off our outside water connection. Our
accumulator was set at 125 psi, but evidently that wasn't high enough. When I went
to the office to ask about repair supplies I saw a big red sign that I missed the night
before. It said that a water regulator was necessary because of the high
fluctuations in water pressure at the park. The best thing to do is always use a
regulator on your hose all the time. When you hook up just turn the tap enough to
get about 6" of vertical water shooting out of the hose and note the setting.
Close the water tap and then connect the hose to your rig. Open it to produce only 6"
of water as before. I was told that almost all of Nevada and California have high
fluctuations in water pressure, so a regulator really is a must. The personnel and
management at Tahoe Valley RV Park were exceptional. They directed me to a hardware
store where I found copper tubing and clamps to fix the leak, bypassing the accumulator.
This is a privately run park with resort facilities. The campground has a swimming
pool, a pet play area by the river, and beautiful ponderosa pine forests. The park
also offers shuttle buses into Lake Tahoe casinos.
Click on map to enlarge
Tigger and Al overlook Emerald Bay
Ehrman Mansion closed for season
was opened for us
North from US 50,
State Road 341 takes you into Virginia City. We were able to dry camp at Virginia
City RV Park, a private park that was full, but offered us level ground and fresh water.
The sites have full hookups. This old western town is only six or seven
blocks long and an easy walk for Tigger. The town's main street was full with bikers
going from saloon to saloon. The town offers different types of entertainment.
The stadium show features ostrich and camel races with amusing clowns and other
events. It gets cold when the sun goes down, so carry a jacket with you. There
are plenty of open areas just outside of town for Tigger to run without a leash.
Sunday mornings are usually quiet in most towns. A nice time to take a pet for a
long walk.
Ostrich Race
Al & Tigger in Virginia City NV
Camel
Race
The next day we
arrived in Reno. While my wife shopped I inquired at a pub about campgrounds in the
area. I was told that balloon races were to begin the next day in town and that
campers parked all over the hills on the street where they lifted off. They were
kind enough to provide directions and we found a street with a long hill and parked behind
the last RV in line. We parked at about 2pm and by 5pm the line behind us was more
than a mile long. It was the longest "impromptu linear campground" that I
had ever seen. We watched the arrival of the balloon crews as they set up their
sites on the hill. No one objected to the generators running. We walked down
the road with Tigger and found that most of the RVs were locals that watch the races every
year. They advised us to set an alarm for about 4am. When we woke up the
balloon crews were firing up and filling the balloons with air. Someone gave us the
frequency of a local radio station to listen to the play-by-play of what was happening.
There were five to seven balloons that lifted off on the "Dawn Patrol"
just before sunrise. They were illuminated against the night sky and a big silver
moon was still in the sky. After daybreak about 100 balloons lifted off and
swooped around us as they tried to drop their beanbags on a target. A lot of
companies had balloons represented in the shape of their products. We saw balloons
shaped like a whisky bottle, a moving van, and a wedding chapel, performing a real
wedding with 12 people aboard. At the end of the day we were able to walk to the
landing area for refreshments. The dates for the races are available each year from
the Reno Tourist Bureau. Don't forget to ask about events when you stop in a town for gas
or groceries. You often find fun at fairs and special festivals. Often you can
obtain a calendar of events for the state at the welcome stations on interstate roads as
you enter that state.
There is a nice
campground located off I-80 at SR 447 & SR 446 called Pyramid Lake. It is an
expansive blue lake on the Piute Indian Reservation. The campground is surrounded by, the
Fox Range on the north, the Lake Range on the east, and the Virginia Mountains on the
South. The lake may be as large as Lake Tahoe and is completely undeveloped.
There are no shade trees but plenty of cliffs with outcroppings of rock. The lake
has plenty of ducks and geese that Tigger enjoyed chasing until he discovered he couldn't
walk on water. The campground offers only dry-camping, as it is an open range with
cattle roaming about.
Tigger chases geese Pyramid Lake
Our last stop in Nevada
was on I-80 at the Rye Patch State Reservation. They have about 40 sites for RV's
and tents with water on site. They also have a dump station on the way out.
The sites offer a nice view of the lake and the dam. You can see for about 80 miles
with mountains all around you. The only problem here was the gnats and small flies
at sunset. Tigger could run free and we took nice walks by the lake. It is
very windy in the canyon and as a result Tigger got very sandy as we walked and had to get
a good brushing. The clear, dry air allows the stars to reflect off the lake at
night. Rye Patch is a very nice and peaceful place to stop.
Our RV is at bottom right
Hell's Canyon
National Reservation Area is the only campground we have visited in Oregon. We
followed 71 along the winding Snake River, passing many available primitive sites, on the
river, to stay at Copperfield Park, Oxbow Dam's Idaho Power Company Campground, on the
Oregon side. The views on the way were surprising, as the name of the area suggested
arid and rugged terrain. In fact, the mountains were filled with grassy meadows that
lead down to the river canyon. The campground has beautiful sites with flowers all
around and immaculate facilities. There are full hookups at each site. Tigger
had to remain on a leash at the campsite, but we could cross a bridge over the dam and he
could run on the other side. This is, by far, the best campground we have ever seen
and would make a great headquarters for touring the area. There were a lot of boats
and plenty of areas to fish in the river, and this seemed to be the central activity.
I have always felt comfortable paying good money for fish in expensive restaurants
after looking at the cost of the rigs and boats that were assembled here. I tried to
figure out how much per pound the little trout cost the fisherman, with all the fancy
equipment, to get onto my plate. Of course, the fun of being there and catching them
fresh does make the fish taste better.
Hell's Canyon (expecting scorpions and snakes because of name,
was pleasantly surprised).
There were just a few
spots we stopped at in Washington and they are certainly worth telling you about.
South of Quilcene on US 101 we found a US Forest Service Campground called Seal Rock
located right on the bay. It has a beautiful view of the water and the bay serves as
a maneuvering training ground for submarines based on the other side. You could see
them on some mornings and on bright moonlit nights as they executed drills on the
surface. There are no hookups at Seal Rock, but the scenery makes dry camping
worthwhile.
After we left
Seal Rock we did go to a full hookup RV resort called Aqua Barn Ranch Campground located
on Maple Valley Highway in Renton, Washington. Renton is located on the opposite
side of the bay from Puget Sound. Our site, #37, was big and close to the restaurant
and gift shop. As soon as we set up we took Tigger for a walk since he seemed
restless and wanted exercise. He almost yanked my arm out of its sockets when he
noticed the rabbits. There must have been about 40 rabbits running around our
campsite and close by. They were all over the place! Black ones, browns ones,
spotted ones, and any other combination you can think of. Tigger's greyhound blood
was rising to the occasion and the leash was like a fishing pole with a marlin on it.
He finally settled down and we had a nice long walk. He got used to the
rabbits and just stared at them after a while. We learned that the campground has a
petting zoo for the children and the rabbits just run around loose. The rabbits were
rather unimpressed with Tigger and allowed us to get within a few feet of them. When
we were settled we went to their good restaurant called Grandma's Kitchen, which has an
adjoining lounge. They have live entertainment that plays until about 9 P.M. most
nights. The Aqua Barn Ranch has a pool, hot tub, and all the services you would want
in a resort campground. Tigger gave it 3 paws. The campground lost 1 paw since
I never let him off his leash to run.
The next day we headed
east to see the Gingko Petrified Forest by the Columbia River. We were going to dry
camp, but were warned about rattlesnakes and keeping very close to the trails so we opted
for a resort campground with full hookups to be safe.
Petroglyphs
We found one in Moses Lake, Washington, exit 176 on US 90 and at the time, it turned out
to be a good choice. The Big Sun Campground is located in Moses Lake just to the
right of the lake. The campsite we had faced the lake and had several Apple trees
on it. Tigger had a nice lawn to play and run on and my wife read books under the
trees. While we were shopping in town someone noticed my rear signal light wasn't
working. I changed the bulb, but that didn't help. I bought a small roll of
wire and decided to tinker with it back at the campground. As it turned out, the
best I could do was to re-run the wire from the front signal light to the back signal
light and leave the problem to my mechanic when I got home. If I can fix something
easily, I usually do it, otherwise I leave most repairs to a mechanic. It's good to
know that most private campgrounds will allow you to perform minor repairs yourself, but
no repairs are ever to be made in public campgrounds, state parks, or national
parks. They could too easily become junkyards with discarded parts or unfinished,
non-repairable, stripped-down units. These scenic, public lands are too precious,
not to regulate their use carefully. We returned to Big Sun Campground several
years later, and found that the campground had changed; along with the cities growth
around Moses Lake into a busier, more crowded, and almost semi-residential
campground. Although, it was on the outskirts of the city, on our first visit, the
city just expanded and grew all around it, changing the country setting to an urban
one. Thank God for National Forests, where this doesn't happen and lands stay
undeveloped.
Moses Lake by an old apple tree
...don't sit under the apple tree with anybody else but me...
We will leave this trip for now, at Washington State, and take an
alternate and interesting route to wander before heading to the northwest going into
Canada and Alaska.
This Land is My Land
http://www.discoverynet.com/~ajsnead/patriotic/usasongs.ht
