We are now winterized after our weekend at Fidalgo Bay – it is always sad to winterize for the winter. However, in this case we are only putting it away for six weeks. On Jan 4, we leave for our trip to California and Arizona. We will be at the Beaver Rally and FMCA Rally in Indio, CA followed by the RV Show and Rally in Quartzsite, AZ. See below for our planned trip in January:
Google Map

Sep 10, 2016 – Sep 18, 2016

We left home at 7:00 Saturday morning and we were on the road by 8:00 am (after loading up the RV, and hitching the toad). Our first stop would be Speedco in Aurora, OR for an oil change and lube. We ran into heavy traffic near SeaTac – with 7 lanes of traffic narrowing into one (5 lanes on I5, plus 2 lanes on the entrance ramp). We sat in this traffic for nearly one hour before finally getting past the construction zone. We ended up getting to Speedco at about 1:30 pm. They immediately got us in the bay, and we had 3 techs converge on the RV to perform the service while we ate lunch inside the RV. I went with Shell Rotella oil as recommended by the lead service technician, and we were back on the road by about 2:45.

We stopped briefly at a WalMart in Woodburn, OR at about 3:15 (stayed there once before on our way back from Indio). We considered staying there overnight, but there wasn’t an available spot to park where we could put out one of the bedroom slides. Also, with the heat approaching 85 degrees we decided to aim for an RV park where we could plug in, and run the AC. So, we departed for Rice Hill RV Park in Oakland OR (about an hour away from Seven Feathers) at about 3:45. We arrived at Rice Hill about 6:15, had dinner, and went to bed. While it was a full hook-up site, it was right next to the expressway and the only view were the neighboring RV’s (some in rather poor shape).

We left about 1:00 the next afternoon for Seven Feathers. There was a short line at Seven Feathers for check-in, and we got to our site (site 93) just after 2:15.

The remainder of the week, was well packed with activities:

Site 93

• Mon: We explored the casino, and had dinner at the buffet (“Italian night”?). After dinner, we returned to the RV to watch the last episode of the first season of Fargo.
• Tue: The Rally begins! The opening ceremony was held at the convention center which included new member introductions. Dinner was hot dogs and hamburgers with entertainment by Louis Foxx after dinner (comedy/magic).
• Wed: Breakfast buffet was at the pavilion (Bread pudding!), followed by Tech Talk (technical questions & answers for the Beaver coaches). We then went to a seminar on Driving Your RV Safely, and then a wine tasting in the afternoon (Henry Estate). Dinner was a choice of  vegetarian lasagna or chicken breasts, followed by cake truffles and carrot cake for desert. Entertainment today was via provided by Lino (jazz/instrumental music).
• Thu: Breakfast was french toast casserole at the pavilion. Beaver Coach Sales then had several new Entegra coaches set up for viewing – they were very sharp looking and ranged from $300k – $650k. In the afternoon, we relaxed outside reading our Kindles w/drinks in the hot sun, and then we wandered back to the pavilion at about 4:00 for the Wounded Warrior auction. Dinner was on our own today (home-made deep-dish pizza that we brought from home), followed by a movie (Bridge of Spies).
• Fri: Breakfast was held at the convention center (bread pudding), followed immediately by the Beaver business meeting. Pat participated in the slot tournament and came in 2nd place (out of her group of five).
  

  Pat Came in 2nd Place in the Slots Tournament!

  Larry sat in on Dave’s Diesel Diagnostics seminar while Pat sat in on “Women Can and Should Drive your RV”. Dinner was catfish with fruit cobbler w/ice cream for desert. Entertainment tonight was provided by Hwy 97 band (rock & roll).

• Sat: Breakfast at the convention center included cheese omelet w/ham and sausage. Later that morning there was a demonstration of a “quick carved beaver” which would be raffled off at dinner time. Early afternoon was a lumberjack show (chain-saws, axes, and log rolling contests).
  

  Lumberjack Show

  Dinner included chicken parmesan, prime rib, wine, and chocolate mousse cake and cheesecake for desert! Pat won the Beaver centerpiece from our table. Today’s entertainment was Mark Cordes (aka The Spouse Whisperer) – a very funny show!

• Sun: We left Seven Feathers about 9:30, filled our gas tank at Pilot in Brooks, OR at 12:30, stopped for lunch at Toutle River Rest Area at 3:00 and arrived home just about 6:00 pm.

Overall, we had beautiful weather every day – typically 80 degrees during the day, and dipping to 50 overnight (good sleeping weather). Everyone at the rally there was very friendly and outgoing, and made us feel very welcome. We had a great time at our first rally!

We now need to plan the next outing (Winterize at Fidalgo Bay?), and maybe January at the Beaver/FMCA Rally in Indio, followed by Beaver Rally and get together at Quartzite…?

Apr 2, 2016 – Apr 3, 2016

After a long winter break we felt that it would be relatively safe to de-winterize the RV and get it ready for another year of travels. Last Saturday (Mar 26), we brought the RV home for the day to clean the outside of the coach. At that time we took advantage of the good weather to wash the exterior using our new “foam gun“. In addition, we installed the bike rack (purchased via Craigs List), and swapped out the drop-hitch with a “dual-hitch” receiver so we could have the bike rack and tow car connected simultaneously.

This weekend, we went to Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothel, WA to prep the RV for the season. This includes cleaning/vacuuming the interior, sanitizing the fresh water tank and plumbing, waxing the exterior, etc… We only stayed one night, so it was a busy weekend.Tasks completed include:

1. Purged the antifreeze from the water system
2. Sanitized water system
3. Waxed lower half of coach
4. Polished all wheels
5. Vacuumed interior
6. Set up Temp monitors and Verizon JetPack

Daniel joined us in the afternoon after working on Saturday. In the evening, we watched “Before I Go To Sleep”. While not really a “getaway” – this was more of a working weekend. We are all looking forward to our next trip!

Apr 30, 2015 – May 3, 2015

We had a few odds and ends to have done to the coach, and we heard good things about Brazel’s RV in Centralia, WA. So, we planned a weekend to spend a few days in the RV, and then drop it off at Brazel’s for some minor work. We spent Thursday and Friday night at Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothel, WA.

Saturday morning, we then drove down to American Heritage Campground in Olympia, WA

Wooded area, with plenty of privacy

The view above…

We left early Sunday morning for the drive home. The total trip is 1295 miles,or about 23-1/2 hours if we averaged 55 mph overall.  We originally planned for three days, stopping near San Jose, CA the first night, and Canyonville, OR the second night.That would put the drive at about 460 miles (8-1/2 hours) each of the first two days, and then 355 miles for the final day. Our main concern was the possibility of snow at Siskiyou Pass.

The first day, we drove a bit further than planned, and ended up overnighting at the Walmart Supercenter in Willows, CA. Of course, we had shopping to do in Wal-Mart anyway, and bought odds and ends. We parked at the far end of the parking lot, which allowed us to open one of the bedroom slides.

View from Rest Stop

The next morning, we left early and hit the road again. We stopped at one of the rest stops on the way for breakfast – which offered beautiful views of the mountainsides. We made it over the mountain passes without incident and stopped for lunch near Azalea, OR.

The second night (Monday night), we stopped at the Walmart Supercenter near Woodburn, OR, and again, did yet more shopping at Wal-Mart.

Since we were making good time, we decided to stop on the way home to stay at an RV park Tuesday night, and relax.

Cruise ship coming down the Columbia River

We picked Columbia Riverfront RV Park in Woodland, WA. We ended up with a great site, overlooking the Columbia River. While relaxing in the RV, we glanced out the window to see a huge cruise ship coming down the river. The river didn’t appear wide enough to accommodate a cruise ship, so we were rather surprised.

The next day, we left around 9:15 am (after dumping the tanks), and pulled up in front of our house at about 2:45 pm.

We flew out early Friday morning (Feb 28, 2015 @ 6:40 am) to Palm Springs to pick up the RV. Upon arrival, we rented a car and immediately drove to the RV Storage site. The RV started right up, and we drove it about a mile down the road to the RV Park (Indian Waters RV Resort).

View from front window at site.

That’s us, on the right (with our rental car on the left of the RV)

We had a perfect spot right across the street from the clubhouse, and the person taking us to the site guided me right into the spot.

Hot Tub, Heated Pool, etc…

The park is very nice with lots of amenities: Heated Pool, Hot Tub, Pickleball Courts, and various activities scheduled for most days.

We spent the weekend (Fri-Sun morning) getting acclimated to the RV, and trying to figure out how everything worked, and where the switches are located. We also made several runs to Walmart to stock up on supplies (Coffee Maker, Toaster Oven, Pillows, Sheets, etc…)

Joshua Tree Nat’l Park is only about an hour away, but we didn’t make it there this trip. We would definitely stay here again when we are in the area in the future.