Day 67, Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - Hi-Way Haven RV Park, Sutherlin, OR, Day 2

Whitehorse Falls

Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - Hi-Way Haven RV Park, Sutherlin, OR, Day 2, 0 Miles, 1,443.2 Towing Miles For the Trip

After breakfast I stopped in at the local eye clinic to see if I could get a pressure test & visual field test. Unfortunately, no such luck. My local doctor wants me to get the field test to see if the latest regiment of meds is working. My left eye vision is succumbing to Glaucoma, and we both would like to keep as much vision as possible. I'll check again further down the road.

Today I decided that since I was close to one of my favorite "waterfall" roads, OR 138, I should give it a try. The fires that filled the area with smoke (and flames) are pretty much out, but cleanup is still going on. There was a 40 minute wait while they cleared logs from the road. Luckily, I had just purchased a turkey sub at a roadside store just before the road stop, so I got to eat it in peace. Lots of burnt logs piled up waiting for trucks to haul them out. I didn't get to all the waterfalls along the road, but there are more at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Like many of the waterfalls I visited this time of year, there is less water than during my Spring visits. In fact, the Fall Creek Falls, and the creek, were both empty! My favorite image is the Whitehorse Falls, although some of the river photos were OK. There is a bit of Fall color on the trees. If you look carefully, you can see a spout of water shooting out of the 12' pipe at the parking lot for Toketee Falls. I guess the leak isn't going to break the pipe - it looked the same in 2014. I drove through the Susan Creek BLM campground - lots of empty spots. I should have stayed there, but here I have electricity. Almost all the sites at Susan Creek are in heavy shade; not so good for solar.

The work crews were done for the day on the way back, so no wait, although a light rain fell most of the way back. Glad it held off until after my hikes to the falls.

Since I had lunch, dinner was just a burrito.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 66, Monday, October 9, 2017 - Hi-Way Haven RV Park, Sutherlin, OR

Site 75, Hi-Way Haven RV Park

Monday, October 9, 2017 - Hi-Way Haven RV Park, Sutherlin, OR, 140 Miles, 1,443.2 Towing Miles For the Trip

I had a bit of a rough night with a stomach bug, but managed to get to sleep around 3:00 & hit the road around 10:00. Most of the drive was on I 5, stopping for the night at the Hi-Way Haven RV Park in Sutherlin, OR. An interesting place. I don't know if it was built on an old movie drive in or if it is an add on, but they have a drive in sized movie screen on which they show movies during the weekends. They even have a FM transmitter so you can listen to the movie on your radio while sitting in your trailer.

Speaking of radios, there is fair (-101dBm) Verizon & AT&T coverage in the park. Not quite fast enough, at least the AT&T, to keep a streaming radio station going, but fast enough for mail & posting journal updates. I didn't try the park WiFi, but it is free (I just tried to log on, and the password they have in their printed handout doesn't work! I did toss the Verizon Jetpack in the amplifier & it seems to be streaming Phoenix, AZ OK,  with a 4 bar 4G LTE (-85dBm) signal.

I'm in site 75, a full hookup site for $34.50 per night for 3 nights. A very commercial, parking lot RV park with gravel sites, a concrete patio with a table & a pair of chairs. Nice showers, other than the high pressure, low volume shower heads. I got my first propane refill at $2.08 per gallon.

There is a couple from California staying in a Casita next door. We chatted a bit about fiberglass trailers & the area.

Rather than cook, I went out for pizza for dinner. I had a chicken garlic pizza at the Dakota Street Pizza Station in Sutherlin.  A very good thin crust pizza.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 65, Sunday, October 8, 2017 - Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, OR, Day 8

Steller's Jay

Sunday, October 8, 2017 - Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, OR, Day 8, 0 Miles, 1,303.2 Towing Miles For the Trip

After posting the photos from the pot luck dinner, I was down to 75% on the GoPower controller meter. Since I can't really depend on it for an accurate state of charge on the batteries (after a week hooked up is said 90%, and went from 95% to 65% making a pot of coffee that used 6 amp hours). I'm more of a believer of the voltage reading (at least when the sun is off the panels) which showed 12.5 volts, which, depending on which table you use, is anywhere from 80% to 90% full. In any case, there wasn't enough solar yesterday to fill my batteries.

I checked with the park ranger station, and there were 3 sites available in the "B" loop that have water & electric, so I decided to pack up a day early & move. B10 also has lots of sun, which helped drying out my ground cloth, and other damp stuff. We packed up the easy up after some sun, but it was still a bit damp. I'll have to set it up when I'm somewhere with warmer weather & more sun. Hope that isn't until Quartzsite!

Site B10 cost me an additional $7.00, but is level enough that I didn't have to unhook, so packing up in the morning will be quick & easy.

Most of the day was saying good byes to those that left. Donna left me her firewood, so I had a fire going all afternoon. The afternoon was spent sitting around the fire reading my Kindle. I had some taco chips and salsa, and a few small pieces ended up on the picnic table. There was an attack of a flock of about 4-5 Steller's Jays as soon as I moved a foot away. I have to admit I didn't have the camera, so I committed the sin of tossing out a couple more chips once the camera was in hand. They sure fight for the stuff - most of the photos were blurred by their movements since the table was in the shade, but I got a few, most at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Dinner was a microwaved Boston Market Chicken Parmesan dinner.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 64, Saturday, October 7, 2017 - Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, OR, Day 7 & The Fall NOG, Day 2

The Pot Luck Dinner

Saturday, October 7, 2017 - Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, OR, Day 7 & The Fall NOG, Day 2, 0 Miles, 1,303.2 Towing Miles For the Trip

The predicted rain started around 8:00 AM, and has been off & on all day. Very light, but enough to keep you inside, except to go out & move the solar panel when ever the sun came out. I made my second pie this morning, which kept the trailer nice & warm!

During one of the sunny breaks, I walked around the campground for a few photos, including a brand new 5.0TA Escape that left the factory yesterday. As usual, more photos at Page 2 of the rally pages.

The rain mostly held off for the pot luck dinner, with just a few sprinkles. We had enough "Easy Ups" to let everyone find cover.

Dinner was a great pot luck!

Until Tomorrow -

Day 63, Friday, October 6, 2017 - Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, OR, Day 6 & The Fall NOG, Day 1

The Hot Dog on a Stick at the Fall NOG

Friday, October 6, 2017 - Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, OR, Day 6 & The Fall NOG, Day 1, 0 Miles, 1,303.2 Towing Miles For the Trip

A quiet day spent at the campground. I did my usual walk around, taking the camera to take photos of the early risers (well, 10:00 early; some of the group are up at 5:00AM). In any case, it was too early for the camera. The lens fogged up; I had to warm up the camera in the trailer before I could take pictures. Just a few here, more at the Fall Northern Oregon Gathering page.

The rest of the day was taken up with the dinner on a stick & beer exchange, again, photos on the NOG page.

After getting back to the trailer at 7:00, I started the first blueberry pie for the pot luck dinner. I figured it was a good time since I could let the oven heat the trailer rather than running the furnace. With ten minutes to go on the pie, the trailer is at 72°F, so it works!

Dinner was a couple of hotdogs (dinner on a stick).

Until Tomorrow -