Officially Old, Family Fun, Fresh Hops, and a Yakima River Float

 

Lovely views from Port Townsend, WA.

Rog assures me that I’m under no obligation to blog every time we move the rig, but, geesh, wouldn’t you miss us? Lol. So, here’s a post to catch you up on our activities and document our quick trip over to Yakima, WA for the Fresh Hop Festival. (Besides, as our friend Bob reminded me, if you don’t post, how will you remember anything. Dang, he has a point.)

So let’s backtrack to August for our annual girls only camping trip. My friend, Elaine, does a magnificent job of event planning and herding cats. This year we spent three nights at Fort Flagner, near Port Townsend, WA. The state park rents out the officers’ quarters and other buildings as overnight accommodations. We had an excellent time exploring the historic fort and roaming the beach where a bald eagle was kind enough to pose for us. One of the park residents took note of our interest and brought by an eagle egg she had found. How cool is that!

Fun times at Fort Flagner State Park and Port Townsend.

Such a majestic bird.                                         I'd never seen an eagle egg before! 

Carole and Diane take aim! 

We spent a perfect sunny summer day in Port Townsend, taking in the sights and, of course, visiting the shops and sampling both adult beverages and the local ice cream shops. 😊  

Florene checks out the whale exhibit on the pier.  

Now there's an unruly bunch. Lol. 

In early September, I did a quick trip to Sacramento to visit Rian and… drum roll please…meet my adorable new grandpuppy, Gwendolyn. Rian and I had fun hitting estate sales and an antique fair. But, what I liked most was curling up with Gwen on the couch or watching her bound around the backyard flinging her toys in the air and then pouncing on them, then zooming around to do it again. Pure puppy joy is a delight to behold.

My grandpuppy is the cutest!

Two gorgeous girls!

Wait! Is that a puppy or a baby seal? 😂

Now I want to give some serious kudos to my brilliant daughters, family, and friends for pulling off a fast one.  My brother Tom and his wife, Kim, came for a visit on September 24th from Virginia. Since we don’t get to see them often, I also asked the girls if they were able to join us. Randi flew up from Texas, but Rian said she couldn’t get the time off work. The law firm she works for has the crappiest PTO policy I’ve ever seen. Sigh. I was bummed but understood.

You know you are an honored guest when Riley shares the couch. Lol. 

On Saturday, 9/27, we were scheduled to descend on my brother Tim and his partner Mike's lovely glamping spot at Lake Connor Park. We were snatching a quick breakfast and coffee when I turned around to see an extra body in the kitchen boldly grabbing a coffee mug out of the cabinet. I did a double, then triple take, and had a WTF moment. Then Rian turned around. Surprise! I was so happy she could join us. She does love pulling one over on me.  

We had an excellent time at Tim’s and took lots of family pictures, since it’s rare to have all three of us siblings together, and a special treat to have both the girls home too. We ate too much and shared stories and told lies. A fun time was had by all.

Not lying about the Glamping! We even had a personal chef - thanks Mike!

Where are Riley, Raney, Gwen, Flint and Cleo? Humph!😁

All the usual suspects. 

This must be the telling stories and lies part. Lol.

On Sunday, Rian said she was meeting a friend for lunch while we planned to meet Bob and Carole at one of our favorite places, the Brewmaster Taproom, for an early happy hour. I blithely strolled, paying no attention, and was met with SURPRISE! OMG, not only did Rian pull off a surprise visit but she orchestrated a surprise 65th birthday party for me! Color me floored – the picture says it all. Lol.

Aaaaaaaah!

Apparently, she had started planning in July, stealing contacts off my phone when we were working on her deck. She’d originally scheduled it for my birthday (10/10), but when the dates for Tom and Kim’s visit were announced, pivoted to include them. What an amazing feat! Rog said he was a nervous wreck for weeks, worrying he’d accidentally let the cat out of the bag. No cats were left to roam and all I have to say is my entire family and friend group are far sneakier than I ever imagined. (I’ll be watching you all more closely from now on!) It was truly wonderful, spending time with folks I rarely get to see. And check out the amazing birthday banner that Randi made! It all made getting officially old totally worth it!

What a special surprise!

Friends, Family and Fun.
Takes the sting out of being officially old. Lol.

On Monday, we loaded up the family to go see one of the Thomas Dambo trolls. Dambo, a Danish environmental artist, has created more than 150 troll sculptures located in over a dozen countries. The NW Troll project, themed “Way of the Bird King,” includes six sites in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been wanting to go troll hunting for ages and was thrilled to finally make it out to Issaquah to visit Jakob Two Trees. The sculpture was much larger and more complex than I’d imagined and beautifully done! If you have a chance to see any of them, don’t hesitate. Now I really want to start hunting down the others in the area.  

Hello Jakob Two Trees.

Successful troll hunters.

Jakob is waiting to meet you too!

Sadly, our family time came too quickly to an end. Rian was only able to stay for the weekend, and it wasn’t long before Tom and Kim, and then Randi were on their way home. It felt like we’d barely dropped them off at the airport before we were loading the RV for a trip to Yakima for the annual Fresh Hop Festival, which was held on Saturday, October 4th.

The Yakima Valley accounts for over 77% of the total United States hop crop. Given those stats, hops are a really big deal! Rog loves craft beer and looks forward to fresh hop season every year. We’d never attended the Yakima festival and were excited to check it out with Bob and Carole. The festival was held this year at the Yakima fairgrounds, so we were able to park our rigs at the fairground’s RV park just a short walk from the festival. Excellent idea!

We opted for general admission, so promptly at 5pm we headed over to collect our wristbands and beer tokens. I’m not an IPA fan, so the appeal of fresh hops is lost on me. (Sacrilege, I know. Sorry.) I was a little worried I wouldn’t find anything I liked, but happily those fears were totally unfounded. With 51 brewers present there was something for everyone! Along with a vast array of IPAs, pilsners, ales, etc. there were a few ciders and sours (my favorites!) and even some wine on offer. We would definitely go again and probably opt for VIP tickets which get you early access, additional tokens, and dinner. Yay!

Rog sampling the wares.
Love the nod to the Etsy Witch. Go Mariners!

On Sunday, 10/5, we moved from the fairgrounds to Big Pines, A BLM campground on the Yakima River. I think this was our third stay at Big Pines, but Bob and Carole had never been there, and we were excited to float the river with them. We had a leisurely day in camp on Sunday and then waited until early afternoon on Monday, timing our float for the warmest part of the day.

Big Pines campground - just a short stroll from the rig to the river.

We’ve done this float twice before, (once with Riley!), and loved it. We put in at Umtanum and take out about seven miles downriver at our campground. Usually there are plenty of folks floating the river in everything inner tubes to inflatable unicorns. But we’d never gone this late in the season, and it turned out the river was pretty low, making it a bit more of an adventure than we anticipated. We saw several people fishing, this stretch of the Yakima is well known for its trophy trout (all catch and release), but no casual rafters. Now we know why. Lol.

The scenery really is lovely and we saw several blue herons, a deer, and I spotted tons of smaller trout and one huge granddaddy. Then things got a little sketchy as we hit several very shallow areas where if you weren’t careful (or lucky) you’d drag butt or end up totally high and dry. We drug bottom and Bob and Carole got stuck a few times. Bob had to get out and try to pull their boat over the rocks, while we tried to paddle upriver (not recommended!) to offer assistance. They ended up with several inches of water in their boat and Bob’s seat malfunctioned which made his life interesting, but they got going again without incident. Then one of our pontoons got noticeably squishy and we had to pull over and pump more air into it. Odd, but then it happened again, and it was clear we had a leak. Ugh. It was still a fun float, but maybe we’ll double-check the water levels before doing it again. Lol.

Bob & Carole near the put in spot at the Umtanum Bridge.

Can't complain about the Yakima River scenery!

The locals are charming too.

Bob and Carole had family commitments, so they headed back home on Tuesday morning. Rog did some fishing and we just enjoyed hanging out with the puppers until Thursday, 10/9, when we also packed it up to head home. It’s amazing how just a few hours’ travel to the other side of the mountains can make it feel like you’re in a different state. Sunshine and high desert vs. drizzle and evergreens, yep, we can do that again. 😊

Rog doing the fishy thing. :) 

I think he looks like a character from "A River Runs Through It".

This was probably our last RV trip for the year, but planning for our “big trip” in 2026 is progressing nicely. So far, we have a tentative route and about 45 stops mapped out from home to the Escapade RV rally in Fryeburg, Maine. The return portion needs some work, but we may leave some of that open and adopt Rog’s go with the flow travel vibe. We still need to make reservations for the national parks and most of the east coast sites since there’s not much in the way of boondocking there. We’re excited for another long trip and who knows what (mis)adventures await. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you!

Shakespeare, Bikes, Brews, Bodies in the Buff, and a New Baby

The cast of Into the Woods - Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

After leaving Redding, we arrived at Jackson Wellsprings in Ashland, OR on Thursday, 7/3. We have always wanted to spend time in Ashland and check out the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We’ve passed by more times than I care to count, but we were usually on a mission - taking the girls to college, visiting family, or rushing home. This time we scheduled three days and to say it was interesting, wouldn’t tell the half of it. I gathered from the website that Jackson Wellsprings had a very New Age vibe – promoting the sacred healing mineral waters, Goddess and Oak Temples, Tree of Life Gardens, etc. It turned out to be more Old Oregon Hippie. Lol. Rog called it the land of derelict schoolies, and with reason. 

They offer a variety of accommodations including RV sites and we had a huge shady pull-through site with full hookups, so no complaints on that front. The draw was the mineral springs. For $10 campers can access the community sauna, steam room, spring fed swimming pool and a large hot tub for soaking. You choose a session, either family friendly daytime (9am-5pm – swimwear required) or adults only evening (6pm-10pm – clothing optional). We opted for an evening session and they weren’t kidding about the optional bit. I’d say it was about a 50/50 mix. What was seen cannot be unseen. Enough said. Lol.

Jackson Wellsprings. Bring your bathing suit, or not. Lol.

The campground is about two miles from Ashland and we booked tickets to two performances at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. OSF was celebrating its 90th anniversary! On Thursday evening, we saw August Wilson’s Jitney at the Angus Bowmer Theatre and then on Saturday, we saw the Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods, at the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre. Both were excellent! The Shakespeare productions were sold out on the evenings we could attend, so we’ll have to come back next year (or maybe later this year, who knows!).

The stage is set for Jitney.

Into the Woods was set in the huge open air theatre. A wonderful evening!

If you go, don't miss the Green Show!
Free, outdoor entertainment prior to the evening theater shows.

We hung around the campground on Friday the 4^th, just in case it got noisy. Riley doesn’t hear as well as he used to, but he’s still not a fan of fireworks. We were quite pleased that it stayed quiet all evening.  Saturday morning, we checked out the small farmers market in town and one of the vendors told us about an Art in the Park event. Lots of amazingly talented craftspeople and artists, and yes, a few small things followed me home. 😊

Ashland Saturday morning Farmer's Market.

Art in the Park!

Before and after - raw stones with the polished cabochons.
What a transformation! Absolutely my favorite display. 

Dinner and drinks at the Noble Fox. Cheers!

On Sunday, 7/6, we had a one-night layover at the SKP Timber Valley park in Sutherlin, OR. There were no hook-up sites available, so we stayed in the boondocking area and ran the generator to keep the pups cool. The next two nights we had scheduled at Canopy Grove, a Boondockers Welcome site in Lebanon, OR. Super nice hosts! We chatted with Don several times, they had been full time RV’ers for six years and recently built a house in La Paz, Mexico. They’d been driving down there to boondock on the beach for 20 years. He even offered to host us in La Paz! The pictures he showed us were incredible, so we may take him up on that offer. We had pizza at Conversion Brewery and were introduced to a new pub game, DAGZ. That stands for Dice Angle Games, it's sorta like dice cornhole. Lol. We'd never heard of it before, but it's apparently very popular. Have you ever played?

What a posh Boondockers Welcome site!

Conversion Brewery was hosting a Paint Night when we visited.

On Saturdays there is live music on the patio.
The fountain is a nod to Lebanon's annual spring strawberry festival.

DAGZ - something new, something fun!

Our host, Don, was selling their 2002 Monaco Signature Series Class A, Monaco’s premier top-of-the-line diesel pusher. When I tell you it looked brand new, that’s no exaggeration. It was in pristine condition, inside and out, with all kinds of upgrades - full solar, residential fridge, solid walnut cabinetry, washer/dryer. Just wow! Don’s neighbor purchased it new in 2002 for over $600,000 (what would that even be in today’s dollars?!) and gave Don a good deal when health issues forced him to sell. If you’re looking for a quality coach at a reasonable price, I can hook you up!

 Gorgeous top-of-the-line Monaco for sale.
Glad I am happy with our Short Bus. Lol.

One of the perks of Canopy Grove, in addition full hookups (a lifesaver with temps still in the 90’s), was easy access to the city’s bike trail. Lebanon has plans to expand and connect several shorter existing trails and it will be great when it’s all done. In the meantime, we did the loop trail a couple times and rode on some city side streets to put together an 8-mile ride. I usually ride my e-bike in ECO mode, which is supposed to just compensate for its weight (the thing is a monster, weighing in at about 80 lbs). The trail was level and a pretty easy ride, so I tried something new. I turned off the electric assist completely. I could only do it on the flats, but it definitely made the ride more challenging. Lol.

A spur off the Marks Slough Trail leads to the South Santiam River.

From Lebanon we moved on to a one night at Hazelnut Haven in Hubbard, OR. This is the Boondockers Welcome site we stayed at in 2022 when we picked up 9-week-old Raney from her breeder in Portland. It will always bring back wonderful memories. The hosts provide a little welcome gift bag with cookies and a sample of the hazelnuts they grow. Such nice folks! They sell their nuts and some baked goods too, so I loaded up with delicious hazelnut treats to take home.

Hazelnut Haven is a Boonockers Welcome Hall of Fame Host.
A well-deserved honor, we've stayed here three times!

This year's crop is coming along nicely. Yum.

Not hazelnuts, but they're our nuts. Lol.

Sunset over the orchard.

Our final stop was another Harvest Host site – Matchless Brewery in Tumwater, WA. Matchless is a favorite of Rog’s and they just recently became a Harvest Host site, so we were excited to check it out. We don’t usually stop so close to home, but it was really nice to spend a final relaxing evening before tackling all the delayed maintenance, chores, and projects that were lurking on the horizon.

Matchless is pup-friendly and Raney approved, and...

...a fun place to hang out. Lol.

One more bit of exciting news before I close out this trip. Rian is a Mommy again! Losing Floyd was devastating and the house was too quiet and empty without him. She’s a fantastic dog mom and there are lots of pups out there that need a loving home, so she started looking. She picked up her new fur-baby from the Sacramento Shelter on Tuesday, 7/15. Rian knew the minute she saw her that she was the one. Gwendolyn is a 30-pound sleek little baby seal. Lol. She and two males, probably littermates, were picked up together as strays. They were very skinny and had been living rough. The shelter staff are guessing age at around two years and breed as Boston Terrier/Bully/Boxer? mix. Although we’ll never know for certain, it’s a good guess it was a garage/kennel backyard breeder/puppy mill situation. From her behavior, she was never in a house and isn’t even sure what to do with a grassy yard. She isn’t housebroken and it will take her a while to learn the ropes. Temperament-wise she is a total sweetheart and love sponge. Right now, she is glued to Rian’s side, which makes them both happy. It will be fun to see her personality and confidence grow with all the love and attention she could possibly hope for. Welcome home Gwennie!

Rian is a mommy again. Meet Gwendolyn.

They are so lucky to have each other.

We have no solid plans for our next trip. We’re kicking around the idea of going out again in the fall. Next year, if we can pull it off, will be an epic journey to visit far-flung family, attend the 2026 Escapade in Maine, and an attempt to pick up the remaining six National Parks on our list. Woohoo!