Not Again!!!!

The dealer said we could tow the Puffin with this? Are you kidding us? Yeah, so the new Auk II didn't make it out of the Salt Lake City area. More issues. But the dealer was reassuring, telling us the savings on diesel and DEF, no need for new tires or tune ups... They run on all kinds of vegetation, sometimes meat and fish. Low maintenance costs and a top speed of 40 MPH for short bursts, we'd already become accustomed to that, so what's the problem?

File this sarcasm under "Learning Curve Lesson 39". Because of the shorter wheel base and All Terrain tires, the tow feel was extremely different. It seemed as if the front end of the truck was floating and couldn't hold the road. There was a marked difference in steering, as if we were snaking to stay aligned within our lane. The treads & tires are not optimal for highway driving. The tire shoulders are too soft and treads don't run correctly on highways.

So with a new weight distribution plan, better use of the rear air bag suspension, things improved a lot, but better highway tires will correct the tracking. Tell the camel we hope we didn't hurt his feelings, but we'll stick with the Auk II.

Again the terrain was changing where the grades were not as steep, but the highway seemed built to avoid climbing over the mountains. Our destination was Wendover, where we spend an overnight.

We were in a KOA campground down the street from a large casino and hotel. We weren't in the mood to make dinner, looked on line and saw that the casino up the street had a decent restaurant. Okay, we're not gamblers so let's go!

The parking lot was enormous and neither of us could understand why, as getting to Wendover, we didn't pass a lot of big towns. No idea why people would go to Wendover, it seemed as if the ratio was one casino per one person. A lot of casinos. Wendover is just over the Utah ~ Nevada border. Along the way, you'd pass the Tree of Utah.

This is designated as a tourist attraction, although you'll note how crowded it was the day we passed.

Mesmerized, we didn't stop.

Not making fun of the planners or designers, we're not sure this is a money maker for Utah.

Can't say for sure, but I'm betting Mitt Romney doesn't even know it's there.

So dinner was at the Rainbow Casino. We entered through a side entrance that took us past the hotel registration area. We noted a VIP registration area, complete with velvet ropes, although no one was in line.

We're not gamblers or regular visitors to casinos, but for one night, why not? Aside from table games, roulette, or black jack, all machines were digital. We took $10 and Julie and I tried our luck. I went first, choosing a machine with a lot of flashing lights and how much I could win.

Julie took this photo as I was reading the gamblers anonymous recovery creed. Feeling despondent and the subject of robbery, my only solace was the loss was less than $5.

Julie fared much better. She won $0.55. I provided security as she cashed out her winnings. At least she won as much as 1/4 the cost of a RV laundry washing machine. She bet $5 and got a win! She has a magic touch.

So we start the 15 mile trek through the casino to get to the restaurant. We were amazed at the patrons... A lot of older people, many in wheel chairs, oxygen tanks, an awful lot of smokers and everyone of them was clutching a drink. It was a sad thing to see. Still couldn't figure out where these people were coming from.

We finally reach our destination and are seated at a half round booth that can accomodate three couples.

This restaurant is super upscale and the prices for a lavish meal were more than reasonable. So, with table side service, we embraced the surroundings and the food. It was delicious and cooked perfectly.

We stopped in Winnemucca, NV for a couple of nights. We stopped at some small shops in the downtown area. While the town was busy, it seemed like a lot of stops in Wyoming were hubs along the interstate. Yet each was important and had a lot of history to explore.

We ventured up route 95 heading to Burns, Oregon, and camped at Crystal Cranes Hot Springs Resort. It is home to Cranes Natural Hot Springs. Camping there, the fees were waived to go into the springs and it was not real hot... kind of like bath water after filling the tub.

Getting there from Winnemucca was a pretty desolate drive... just passing vistas of the ever changing landscapes and no hint of civilization. We had to travel about 22 miles to get into town for groceries.

Julie loved it, as neither of us had ever been to a hot springs before, and there you were surrounded by all these great views....

The drive to Bend, Oregon was unremarkable, as the majority was desert looking until we got closer. The highway began to change to tall firs, slow, but steep climbs. We landed at Bend RV Resort, which was brand new and still expanding. The club house was beautiful, had everything from libraries, immaculate facilities for shower, rest rooms and laundry.

We stayed here for a week and it's our second time visiting the area. Our first was when we were in Klamath Falls for Julie's neice' wedding. While the town itself is seemingly small, it's not. We were only a few miles from the center of Bend and took full advantage of it. We enjoyed a late lunch at the Drake, that serves eclectic dishes. Go to Bend, make sure to eat at the Drake. Although, we think that there are a lot of other places that are just as good.

We spent a lot of time walking through and around Drake Park, which was gorgeous. There's a lot of tubing and the two guys pictured were hilarious and chatted with us as we walked and they floated.

Robyn Sparkes, Julie's niece and Andrew Sparkes came to spend a couple of days with us, which was terrific. We first met up with them at the Paulina Visitors Center in Newberry. It was deceiving because aside from the sign, there was a small building, more of a wood shack and then acres and acres of woodlands. This is but one area of the Deschutes National Forest, that spans approximately 2,500 square miles.

We had a quick lunch at a small, rustic restaurant that serves sandwichs and salads. You can also buy some small supplies, but for the most part it would be very wise to come equipped and provisioned, as aside from natural beauty, Walmart ain't around the corner. It's pretty remote.

Robyn knew where we should go, what we should see for the day and she did not disappoint. Hakuna & Link, their dogs, keep a sharp eye on everything!

Our first stop was at an Alpine Lake. The water is crystal clear and surrounded by the mountains. You'd almost expect Heidi to come skipping down with a smile and treats. Hypnotic and relaxing, it would have made a perfect place to camp.

Our next stop was to hike to the Big Obsidian Flow. To get there, we hiked the Silica Trail, which was very short. Along the way, the dead wood covering the trail, all around you actually, it's understandable how a forest fire can start by a thunderstorm or careless visitors.

At 1,300 years old, the volcanic flow is Oregon's youngest. The obsidian rocks are very glassy and mirror like. They're razor sharp and can cause serious harm if you're not careful. Softer pumice is also there. The stairs leading up to the top of the flow reveals stunning views. Robyn and Julie walked up to the top to take in the trail and views. Andrew and I stayed with the dogs.

Back at the RV Park, I did my best to poison Robyn and Andrew, with the steaks I bought from to local shoemaker. Fortunately they survived. After a hearty breakfast of Imodium, we set out for Tumalo Falls. Approximately 100 feet high, trails lead you to the top and an observation area. It's breathtaking and the day we visited, very crowded.

We said our goodbyes and started breaking down to launch the next stop. Fun is on the agenda!

We made it to Woodland, Washington and camped on the banks of the Columbia River. Years ago, when Julie and I visited her brother (Tim), and his wife (Danna), they took us to a science center where we learned about how the Columbia River Gorge was formed and how it plays a pivotal role in logging, paper mills, tourism and fishing. Lot's of fishing and boating.

We drove to Mount Saint Helens. We stopped at the Visitors Center and were told that we had another 50 or so miles to get to the science center. Before we left, we took a 1 mile hike beneath the center. Wasn't sure that we could see MSH, but were going there, so back in the Auk and off we go.

The road at times, is steep and winding. Every vista is better that then the last. Tandem logging trucks blew past us and there were places passing was okay, but they were scary.

We were disappointed to learn the observatory was closed, but not much further was National Volcanic Monument. We were fortunate to listen to a Park Ranger talking about the history. The volcano is still active, which prompted me to want to leave. I suspect if Helen blows her top, it would be worse than if I blew my top.

The 1980 eruption killed about 57 people. Located about 100 miles from Seattle and approximately 50 miles from Portland, it decimated homes, railways, bridges and was the most expensive/destructive geologic event in US History. Ash from the eruption fell in the midwest about 900 miles away. But here's the thing - go there! We were in awe and the views, as well as short hike, plus the overwhelming history is not to be missed.

We went to Kalama to meet Danna and Tim for dinner at McMenamins for dinner. Tim is Julies brother & Danna, his wife. These are fun people who love to travel and camp. Last year they hauled their camper to Alaska. After dinner, we walked through the hotel corridors where there were secret rooms. Fun stuff!

After a great few days in Woodland, we're now off to the coast...

On the way there, we are detoured to visit the Quinault Indian Reservation. While it was out of the way, two things stood out. The accumulation of large timber that collects on the beach and the seeming abject poverty.

The beach was a mess. A lot of folks were fishing and the area we thought was used for sunbathing had a collection of people in tents, old campers and abandoned cars. If there was a better beach area, we didn't find it. Didn't look for it.

Grayland, Washington is a small coastal town, where summer is the thing. Although it was September, we had days that still felt like summer, while others told a different weather story. As beach towns go, Grayland does'nt offer a lot of cuisine options, nor services. Mostly the beach. What restaurants that are there are the fried food variety. But we did explore a little and found this gem...

The museum is on the main drag, while some of the cranberry bogs are a couple of miles away. The Furford picker is not a person or service to assist you in choosing a Furford. If a good scam artist got creative, then sure, let's go get us a Furford. No, we're not going to tell you what it is, so quit asking. This thingy is a real tale and worth looking it up. At the very least you can bitch about how you'll never get back the time invested to find out.

Everything we did while in Grayland required us traveling to different areas. One afternoon, we visited Westport Winery in Aberdeen.

Wesport Winery is a destination. The grounds have a lot of gardens and sculptures. The winery has a very large and well stocked tasting room. There's a museum next door that has a lot of interesting exhibits and ties into ocean based themes and history. A restaurant is on site and if you like camping, there are full hook up sites on the property, although there are permit issues being sorted out. We'd go back.

This was the welcoming sign to enter the boardwalk down to Bottle Beach. We were told this was a great place to beachcomb to find sea glass. It was on South Bay and a major disappointment. No sea glass, lots of rotting seaweed. But you have to hand it to Ocastas town fathers for their marketing thoughts. They should have consulted the tides first.

Since there's only a small market in Grayland, we drove to Aberdeen to get groceries. Aberdeen wound up replacing Ocasta as the place to go and live. We were surprised at how depressed the area was. A definite change of moods and feel as we traveled through the downtown areas towards the outskirts of town. We ate at a family restaurant, which was pretty busy, but food was good.

We drove to Olympic National Park which was a place we'd come back to for camping and hiking.

We saw the world's largest sitka spruce, then had lunch and an Alpine lake, It was a beautiful setting and we plan to go back. Lots of lake life, hiking, fishing and boating.

Grays Harbor Light House is a part of the Maritime history of Grayland. It's located away from the beach. Don't know why, if it was moved, or if the land between the lighthouse was added like Boston's landfill. We saw it and at the risk of offending Graylanders, it ranks up there with Bottle Beach.

Brady's Oysters is a fresh fish market and is located on the way home from Wesport Winery, so we stopped. We did'nt buy fish, but did have an oyster shot. We got to keep the shot glasses!

Westport is next door to Grayland and it's home to the fishing industry. We visited twice and had dinner both times. Aside from large vessels that put out to the bay, or ocean, it's a really busy port.

Both times we visited, there were crowded docks filled with young to old people fishing. They'd be shoulder to shoulder and didn't seem to care. They were there for the Salmon, although we didn't see anyone having a lot of luck. Although it's hard to see, Julie captured seals or sea lions swimming all around the docks and ships.

This area of the Washington State coastline was not as pretty as we'd thought it might be. We understand there's a huge difference between New Hampshire and Maine coastal areas from scenic vistas, but exploring the areas around us turned out a lot better than we expected. I just hope Grayland bureau of tourism doesn't sue us.

The zig-zag in Washington continues, as we point the Puffin towards Mount Rainier.