July 2002

Actually, June 30 we began another leg of travel for 2002, leaving Oceanside, CA early in the morning and arriving in Bishop, CA in 102 degree heat in the afternoon. The campground was lovely...until the voltage became low (only 30 amp anyway, but the voltage dropped too much), so we couldn't run the AC. As it turned out we would have been better boondocking with our generator on (which can run our AC and lots of other stuff fine.) However, the campground made up for its power shortage when we found they had delicious homemade peach pies! We have a lovely view of the Sierras, not to mention the Bishop Country Club, so overall it's a nice place. We're off to Reno tomorrow, but have a LOOONG climb that we hope to do early in the morning.

July 5th...we are in utter peace and quiet again...second campground in a row where we have only the birds and cattle as background sounds...no roads, planes, or trains.

(Photos: Chris playing Likely Place Golf Course in Likely, CA, and our site in Junipers Reservoir RV Park in Lakeview, OR. A packrat nest at Junipers, view to the RV sites from the meadow.)

We stopped for two nights at Likely, CA where we were in a private RV park that had a 9-hole regulation golf course...needless to say, Chris played a few times! We had the course all to ourselves the day we arrived...only a handful of other folks in the park which is deep into a cattle ranch. We enjoyed the peace and quiet! After two nights there, we moved only 80+ miles to our next stop which was also in the middle of a cattle ranch...this time an 8,000 acre ranch adjacent to national wilderness property. The RVers have access to the ranch property through dirt roads and hiking trails that have been thoughtfully marked with the historic sights to see...old Indian ruins, volcanic debris, rock formations, etc. We were warned about recent "cougar activity" in the area, so we kept in the Jeep last night when we went out at dusk. Only birds and cattle sounds.

After 3 nights at Junipers we were off on July 7 to Bend, Oregon at the foot of the Cascades. The RV park there is the "resort type" so we have huge landscaped pads with full hookups....a big change from the more rustic parks lately. We're here until July 14.

(Photos: our site in Bend, view of Mt. Bachelor, view from top of Mt. Bachelor...took a chairlift to the top, view of Cultus Lake, OR.)

July 18...we're in Junction City, OR getting our RV serviced. While here we've taken advantage of the area and picked blueberries and blackberries, and taken a quick trip over to the coast to see Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

(Photos: Heceta Head Lighthouse, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Phantom Ship in Crater Lake.)

July 22...We're in Crater Lake National Park...actually we're in a campground just outside the park, Diamond Lake RV Park. We arrived yesterday JUST in time to see the lake with its incredible blue color just before the smokey haze from numerous fires in the area obscured it almost entirely. The smoke was so thick you couldn't see the other side of the rim. This morning we got up early and had breakfast (great!) in the Crater Lake Lodge, overlooking the lake. Again, smoke obscured it. We were able to take the rim tour, see the wildflowers that are at their peak, and get an overall idea of the park...enough to know we WILL return for a longer period of time. This lake is beautiful, but our viewing conditions were marginal...too bad.