Increasing efficiency of our home 27 June 2013

                              

We've been trying to arrange our basement more efficiently.  This compartment on the driver's side of our coach used to be where the grill was stored.  In order to use it, we had to remove it and carry it around to the passenger's side that is our "living room" in most RV parks.  The grill has now been moved around to what used to be the tool compartment on the passenger's side and we've installed a better tool box in the compartment where the grill used to be.  It is on glides so it can be easily pulled out and opened for quick tool access.  Behind it, also on the back of the glides, are two compartment boxes containing various screws, nuts, bolts and miscellaneous hardware that can be easily accessed  to make a quick repair.

One of Ted's pet peeves was that whenever he needed to get the ladder out, he had to unpile the fishing gear and the window shades to get to it.  We built these shelves so that the ladder can now be pulled out without moving anything else.  Now, perhaps Ted will clean the windshield more frequently.   We have also built shelves that can be used to store off-season clothing and items that we seldom access in the dead space between the frame rails.  A lot more rearranging yet to do, but it's a start.  It's been sort of interesting what we've chosen to carry and what we've chosen to not carry as we enter our second stint of full-time RVing.

Tourists in our hometown, Portland, OR 22 June 2013

 Yesterday was our 33rd wedding anniversary.  We decided that we would celebrate today by being tourists in Portland.  We had lunch at Pine State Biscuits, 2204 NE Alberta St.  When we arrived, there was a line to the corner.  We met a young man from San Diego, who is medical school in Chicago.  He and his brother were enjoying the weekend here.  The medical student had been to this restaurant on a previous visit and couldn't wait to return. 

There are about five tables and a counter inside with more tables outside.  Orders are placed before sitting and seating is first come, first serve.  

The biscuits are made before your eyes.  The sandwich has fried chicken, cheese, bacon, egg, and gravy!!  It was terrific.  We should have ordered one and split it.  We did bring part of it home.  Our new friend told us to have the Aardvark Sauce.  It is a delicious Habanero sauce made in Portland.  

The hushpuppies were terrific.  

Alberta Street is lined with many cool eateries and shops.  It is funky and fun - very Portland.

After lunch we drove to Lloyd Center and left the car in the parking garage.  We walked about a block and caught The Max to the Skidmore Fountain stop.  

These dreadlocked musicians greeted us as we exited the train - so Portland, too. They played a sort of  zydeco fusion.

Saturday Market is held every Saturday and Sunday from mid-March to mid-October.  Most of the vendors share high-quality art and goods.  

Most vendors have tent structures, but this vendor has a real building that is moveable.  The feet of the bad witch from The Wizard of Oz sticking out from underneath the building made us smile.

People watching is rich at the market.

We have lived here for 23 years and never been to Voodoo Doughnut!  When we got there, this is what we found.  The line is about this much longer behind us in this photo.  We decided that we would have to return on a week day some other time.  Voodoo makes donuts in many different shapes, including ones that could be rated X.

Saturday Market and Voodoo Doughnut are located in Old Town.  This is one of the beautiful buildings in that area.

 Native American performers were singing and drumming next to The Max stop.  See the pink box on the right.  That is from Voodoo Doughnut.  Smile! 

The Max crossed the Willamette River on the Steel Bridge.  There are 10 bridges in Portland.  The brown one is The Broadway Bridge and the one in the background is The Fremont or I-405 Bridge.  If you have ever watched "Grimm" you may recognize the Fremont.  It is the bridge in the background when you see Nick's aunt's trailer.  Portland is a port city even though it is 70 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  In the 19th century, many sailors were Shanghaied from waterfront bars here.

Union Station is a historical landmark.  Penny's dad was stationed in Albany, OR for a short time during WW II.  He met her mother at this station when she joined him for the duration of his training.  The homes on the hills have fabulous views.  The high rises to the right of the train station are in The Pearl; a very upscale part of town.   Only a few years ago it was a warehouse district.

As we walked back to our car, we saw this bike path along a major street.  Eight percent of commuters in Portland, bike to work. Note the large flower pots separating the car and bike lanes.

Projector Clock 21 June 2013

  

Our RV friends from Illinois introduced us to the terrific clock.  Ted loves his gadgets, so when he saw this, he had to have one.  The red dot on the top right of the clock is the laser that projects the time on the ceiling.  We can both see the time any time of the day or night. No more searching for the clock face.  The time is regulated by the atomic clock in Denver.  It is electric with battery back-up.  It is manufactured by Oregon Scientific.  The date and temperature are available on the clock face. It also has an alarm. It cost about $35.  

The time we love this thing best is when we wake up at 5:30 A.M. and we can just look up at the ceiling and know that we can roll over and grab a few more zs.

Columbia River RV Park, Portland, OR 18 June 2013

 We have stayed here many times, but not during the three years that we owned our house.  We parked the RV in a storage area when we were in town.  During this time, the park added this new section.  The Jeep is parked on the other side of the coach and there is room for the grill and chairs.  

 However, you can see how close the sites are to each other.  Trucks and larger cars often block the sidewalk.  The older part of the park has long-termers.  

Can't say that our view is inspiring.  But, there are only 5 RV parks in this end of Portland and this is the newest.  None of them are destination parks.  They are just places to park while in the area.  

We are spending these first few days, sitting still, cleaning and reorganizing so that living full-time is efficient.  Ted went to our storage and "shopped" there for things that needed replenishing, e.g., kleenex, canned foods, pop.  We put our duplicate items from the house on shelves in storage for easy access.  We have a lot of boring things to do, like getting the Jeep serviced, hair cuts, prescriptions filled, etc.  We also have fun things to do, like watching our grandson play ball, sharing meals with our kids and friends, and doing some hobby stuff.  Portland is a really neat town, and we always miss it when we're away too long.  We have promised each other that when we are in Portland, we will be tourists and see the sights we missed during the 23 years we lived here.

Mountain Home, ID to Portland, OR 16 June 2013

 We entered Oregon on I-84; a route we have driven many times, but every time, we smell home.  It is hard to not put the pedal to the metal and blow our fuel mileage.

 This part of Oregon is arid with a beauty of its own.  We have more photos along this highway in our archives.

 We came around a corner and saw the beautiful Blue Mountains.  We have seen so much wonderful scenery, but we live in the middle of some of the best.

 The view coming through Deadman's Pass is always amazing!  However, its name is very appropriate.  Last year 9 people died and dozens more were injured in one accident here on New Year's Eve 2012.

 Pendleton,OR lies at the bottom of the pass.  The dark tall building is a Indian casino.  Pendleton Mills and the annual rodeo are its claim to fame.

 Love this slide into the plain and the endless view.  The casino is ahead on the left.  We have stayed there.  It was very hard to get level. 

 Most of this area is barren of buildings.  Here is a rare one.

 Here is that land.  Those clouds are magnificent.

 Miles back there was an electronic sign saying that there was an accident east of Cascade Locks and that there might be an hour delay.  We hit this traffic long before Cascade Locks.  We couldn't get an internet signal, so we couldn't get a traffic report about what had happened or how far east of Cascade Locks.  We inched along.  At least, Penny could get water, snacks for us.   Some of these people were going home from Father's Day.  We saw cars full of kids.  Ugh, for the kids and parents.  Smart people, who could, got off at Cascade Locks and took the Bridge of the Gods to Washington.  That would be the only other choice. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the accident.  It was an SUV and a jack-knifed trailer.  Well, our inconvenience was no match for their bad day.  

That is Vista House on Crown Point along the Columbia River.  It was built by the WPA during the Franklin Roosevelt's administration on the remains of a lava flow millions of years old.  The wind up there is often unbelieveable, but the 360º view is amazing.  We saw this sight on a clear day from our former house.  When the sun set, the dome glowed and the rocks shone.  

Victor, ID to Mountain Home, ID 15 June 2013

 We use GPS, MapQuest and Google Earth, but we check our trucker's road atlas to make sure that we travel on routes designated for big rigs.  This prevents us from coming to an overpass that is too low or a bridge that won't handle our weight.  Well, we didn't vet Hwy 31 before we left Victor, ID this morning.  It is good two lane, but had rough and narrow spots and a long 6% grade through the pass.  We made it with Penny holding her breath a lot of the 20 miles.  We relaxed when we emerged from the forest and saw this view.

 There are many log cabin homes in this area.  We didn't see older homes or trailers.  This house was all by itself high above Highway 20 and the Snake River.  It appeared quite isolated.  Can't imagine what winter is like up there. 

 This sculpture greeted us as we entered Idaho Falls, ID.  This is where we were to get on I-15.  It was not as straight forward as it looked on the map and GPS didn't agree with MapQuest.  We made it, but not without some more nail-biting because the signage was poor and we went under an old and very narrow overpass.

Boring scenery was a relief.  We missed some fun photo opts, however.  There was a beet stacker, fields of beets, hay harvests, and a Lotus.  Just couldn't get camera pointed fast enough.

 About 50 miles south of Mountain Home, ID, the geology became more interesting.

 The Snake River has run near or through most of the places that we have been on this trip. For most of the day we paralleled the Oregon Trail.  We will continue to do so most of the way back to Portland.

 Mountain Home RV Park, Mountain Home, ID.  The sites on the left are works in progress.  They were being graded when we were here in May 2012. The ones on the right are finished and very nice.

Here is another view for our RV friends.  This park is easy in, easy out, and not far from I-84 at exit 95.

The Tetons, 14 June 2013

 We stayed 22 miles on the west side of the Tetons this time because the RV park in Jackson, WY is not comfortable.  This sign is at the peak of the pass.

 See the white line at the bottom of this photo?  That is the road.

 The grade of the road going up and down through the pass.  Even in 2nd gear, we had to brake a lot.

 The most popular entrance to the park is north of Jackson.  We took one that is west of Jackson.  Teton Village and this ski area are on this road.  

 Part of this section is dirt.  We were happy to be driving a Jeep.

 We were happy not to miss this gem or

 this huge beaver lodge or

 the moose habitat.  No moose, but if I were a moose, I would want to live there.

 The stars of the park.

 This is the more popular entrance.  The all terrain RV had French license plates.  How much did it cost to ship this thing to the USA?  We have seen photos of the interiors of vehicles like this.  They are very efficient and have extra large water, waste, and diesel tanks so that they can dry camp for an extended time.  Note the two spare tires on the rear.  I would not want ot have to change them in the middle of nowhere. 

 Lupines and Arrowleaf Balsamroot in Lupine Meadows.  Made me think of my former teaching partner, Becky, who loved a book about a lady who was the Johnny Appleseed of lupines.

 We took 183 photos.  I deleted about half of them and then had to decide what to share on the blog.  How to give a good overview without causing mountain overdose?

 The rocks in the core of the range are some of the oldest in North America, but these mountains are among the youngest in the world.  Over millions of years, a combination of tectonic plate action and a massive earthquake caused the mountains to rise and the valley floor to sink. 

Then, massive glaciers up to 3,500 feet thick sculpted the mountains.   

 Jenny Lake is really clear and helped frame this photo. It and several more of these lovely lakes were formed behind glacial moraine dams. 

 There was a park ranger at this turn out educating visitors about wolves and bears.  This is a grizzly bear skin. Note the size of those claws.  The ranger said that this skin was from a bear that became too much of a danger to people.

 This park is well suited to biking, hiking, fishing, rafting, etc.  There is a paved bike path from near Jackson to here, and maybe further.  There is a shuttle boat across Jenny Lake to hiking trails in the mountains.

 The Jackson Lake Dam on the Snake River creates Jackson Lake at the foot of The Tetons.

 At the bottom of the dam, there were fishermen/women everywhere.

 Jackson Lake and The Tetons. 

 The Jackson Lake Lodge is very modern looking.  It is so different from the lodges we are used to seeing in national parks.  This is the patio that looks over the mountains and lake.  

 The interior had more of the feel of other national park lodges.

 Now that is a view!

 We had learned that there was an RV park north of the lodge at Colter Bay Village.  We wanted to see it for possible future trips.  We have seen far more rented RVs this year.  Owning a concession for these in this area would be almost like having a license to print money.  

These pronghorns were the only animals we saw today.  

We took Hwy 191 back to Jackson.  This provided a broader view of the range.

Jackson, WY ski runs.  The town is very touristy and crowded.   

The main street through town was under construction.  We were waiting our turn to go, when we saw this car pull out to turn left, stop, and back up, but only to this position.  He is blocking the right lane of the two lanes and stays there until the light changes and he can turn.  

This is our farewell to this side of The Tetons.    Our loop is complete.  We have almost reached the road that took us into the park.

We followed this school bus slowly up the pass.  There wasn't a place for it to pull over until we reached the peak.  Now the line of cars could spread out and travel at a reasonable speed.  The whole day took six hours.