Chaos Leaves Town

After the trip to Bodie, and resting for a week, Dan took me to Edwards AFB where he works. Wanted to show me some of the equipment they used when the shuttle landed here in California. Funny, I’ve been visiting my brother since ’04 and this is the first time I’ve taken a tour. Turns out that the base that hosted the space shuttle when it couldn’t land in Florida is starting to look a little sad and abandoned. At least those portions of the base that were used exclusively by the shuttle. The date of these pictures is 12-22-11. First we toured Dan’s office, he works for NASA as an environmental Engineer, making sure that the properties remain unpolluted or mitigating areas that were previously polluted. Containment in some areas, clean up in others, prevention in still others…you know the drill. Then we checked out a cart and drove around visiting buildings. Finally, after picking up some hard hats, and finding someone with a key to the gate, we made our way out to the towering gantry where the space shuttle was serviced after landing. Several days after a landing, and the craft had cooled off from the re-entry, and the toxic gases and fluids had been reclaimed, the shuttle would be stood on it’s tail while technicians, engineers, scientists, and the like would inspect it nose to tail. Repairs, maintenance, and modifications were done, as well as getting the shuttle ready for it’s flight back to Florida on the back of a jumbo jet.

One of the display aircraft on the base. Most of them have some sort of history. This is at the front gate.

More historical aircraft...

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After the visit at Mono Lake we headed north to a fairly well known State Historical Park at Bodie. It’s fairly popular with Californians but not many people outside of California have heard of it.  It has been a historical park since 1962 and though only 5% of the buildings remain since it’s heyday in the 1880’s, it is truly a ‘ghost town’ of the old west. It’s being maintained in a state of ‘arrested decay’ by the park service. Mining was what made it a bustling, bawdy, dangerous town of 10,000 at it’s peak. Back in the day, murders occurred with monotonous regularity.

After driving a typical modern freeway for a hour and a half, we turned off onto a windy, narrow road leading back up into the hills. Then the road turned to gravel and dirt. The weather up here is unpredictable much of the year, but when we arrived, Dec. 10th, 2011, it was fine, if a little coolish. The sun was uncluttered with clouds and though you needed a jacket, overall it was fine.

A plaque!

We drove right through the parking lot at first trying to find a place to park the RV, and following the ‘RV Parking’ signs. But those signs just lead us down to a dumpy area with snow on the side of the road. Thinking that must be wrong, we found a place to turn around and headed back up to the nearly empty parking lot, and parked across 3-4 regular spaces out of the way. Of course the Park Ranger wandered over and told us that, yep, we were suppose to park down the hill…along side of the road. Oh, well, could have been worse I suppose.

Head Frame and machinery.

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Those of you who have been following this blog might remember that I stopped at Mono Lake back in ’06 and took pictures of the lake as it was the year that the people here had finally convinced the legislature of California to stop the ruination of Mono Lake by LA. The city of LA had strong armed the region back in the 1940’s and grabbed water rights to the area, including the several creeks that fed the lake. Even building huge water works to redirect water. As a result, the lake’s water level had dropped so precipitously that this incredible area of unique wildlife and bird life was dying. One result of this wholesale theft of water was that an island in the middle of Mono had become a peninsula with a land bridge…allowing foxes to decimate the nesting birds on the island. So much so that the birds had deserted the island.

“The primary lake life is composed of algae, brine shrimp, and alkali flies, and is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Nesting birds consist of California Gulls (50,000, 85% of California’s breeding population and second largest colony in the world after the Great Salt Lake in Utah) and Snowy Plovers (400, 11% of the state’s breeding population). Migratory birds include Eared Grebes (1.5-2 million, 30% of the North American population), Wilson’s Phalaropes (80,000, 10% of the world population), Red-necked Phalaropes (60,000, 2-3% of the world population), and 79 other species of waterbirds.” – From the Mono Lake Committee web site link above.

We stayed in Bishop the first night of this mini trip at a nice RV park just 60 or so miles from Mono.

Thought I'd show you Dan's rig.

The rig drives nice, and it’s an adequate size…for one. The slides help make it reasonable for two, but it’s not really big enough for two adults, IMO. The cab over section doesn’t have the traditional bed that so many with Class C’s enjoy as it’s filled with a wide screen TV and all the associated electronics. What I can’t stand about it is that damn doghouse right in the way. It’s just uncomfortable to have to jockey around it whenever you move from the front to the rear of the rig. But, it’s not mine so…

And the rear.

You can see from the wet spot under the rig that the city water connection leaked all night. It had been frosty the night before and I had trouble getting the hose screwed onto the inlet. It’s design is not very robust.

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The weekend after I arrived at my brothers in Rosamond, CA, we decided to get Dan’s RV ready for a trip, not only to exercise the rig, but to see some interesting things up north of Rosamond. His (Class C)  RV has been sitting for a few months so we had to stock up on foods, supplies, LP fuel, and check all the regular stuff. After that was all done we headed on up the road.

Painted rocks outside of Bishop, California.

Dan lets me drive.

The desert is interesting in this area and some of the hills we top allow a clear view of huge desert valleys. Often with development, small or large communities, but just as often, nothing as far as the eye can see. There was one valley where they’d been mining borax for many decades and one area where they were mining salt.

Ancient cinder cone.

It’s much easier to see geological highlights in the desert, compared to treed areas of the mountains. Maybe not as large or spectacular but interesting.

Mostly empty valley.

We purposely left Rosamond late in the day because we weren’t in any hurry and the trip to Bishop and The Highlands RV Park was only a couple hours. The park is comfortable and we enjoyed the evening making our own dinner (need the practice), checking the internet and watching TV. Even watched a SciFi movie.

After my trip to the VA clinic to get my refills started I hung out another week in Portland. Then they tell me they’ll have to mail the meds and it’ll take 3-4 weeks to get them. No way to get them right now. So I give them my brothers address in California.

The rain and cold were relentless but it was better then -40°F like up in Fairbanks. My front window started leaking again so I had to go out in a downpour and run packing tape along the top. Don’t know what I’ll do about a permanent fix, but I think the main problem is that the closed cell foam seal is so old and compressed that it’s developed gaps and of course my 1st line of defense, a silicon seal along the top and sides, doesn’t seem to work very well. I smoothed it out too so I don’t know what happened there.

I was invited to the Nelson’s for TDay, which I gladly accepted. Turned out my last paid day at the RV park was Nov. 24th and I’d planned on leaving that day to head to California but the invitation was to good to pass up. So, parked my RV over at Walmart and TJ picked me up.

Jackie, Jeff, and Maddie sit for a family picture.

They have a pool table out in the sun room so that was fun. But the best part was enjoying the great food. Delicious!

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While I was in Fairview, I wanted to get my VA medicines refilled so I called the local Gresham VA clinic. They told me that they couldn’t fill the prescription I’d gotten from the clinic in Alaska and that I’d have to go to the downtown VA hospital emergency room for that. Huh? Well, I wanted to go downtown anyway so I planned a bus trip. I wanted to take the cool tram up to the hospital too. Trimet has an interactive route planner that is very well done. I had a great time using that resource and planning my trip. Caught the bus right outside the RV park. The buses are comfortable and it was a pleasure getting a good view of many of my old haunts on the trip to the tram. I’d lived in the Portland area for 33 years so naturally, I’d been everywhere.

The bus let me off about a block from the tram and I got aboard ready for a nice ride over the hill side neighborhoods.

Lower tram station.

Local color.

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Back on the road after a month in Arlington, Oregon. Had a good time there but was looking forward to moving on.

Heading West on I-5 towards Portland. Next to the Mighty Columbia.

As you can see the weather was a little gloomy but I’m use to it having lived in Portland suburbs for 33 years. Once I got to Cascade Locks, I pulled off the freeway and stopped at one of my favorite restaurants, the Char Burger. It’s a buffet with a kitchen where you can get most anything hot off the grill.  The view from the dining room is spectacular. The legend of the Bridge of the Gods is very interesting.

Sorry about the pink overcast, my camera does this every once in a while for some reason.

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with a leaking differential. I left Walla Walla and headed West towards Richland, Washington. Around an hours drive away. I’d planned on just heading straight over there to hole up in a RV park just 3.5 miles from the venue where my daughter would be having her and her bands CD Release Party. Place called Dax’s.

I was a day early trip wise and on the way there, it was around noonish, I decided to just drop in on that little RV park next to the Walla Walla river I’d passed hundreds of times and never stopped at. Pierce’s Green Valley R.V. Park and Campground is located between Wallula & Walla Walla. I always just pass by because their sign doesn’t say anything about WiFi, and I really like to have it.

Well, it’s a pretty nice park, 60 spaces, with older owners who happen to be running a farm. The RV park is mature and kind of has a ’60ish look.  They host lots of bikers that pass through the area. The owner was right there as I pulled in and knows nothing about WiFi, or so she said; what it is, why people might want it, nothing. Kind of out of the loop. I explained as best I could but she didn’t seem much interested in ever having it.

Mature trees, pull through sites, long and wide, 30Amp power, water at the site, hiking, playground for kids, badminton net, benches to sit on while enjoying the river, fishing. But it doesn’t have a laundry room, sewer at the sites or dump station. You can get a pump out if you’re staying long.  I enjoyed my afternoon, evening & night there. I’d asked her about the water and she mentioned they’d just had it checked and it passed with flying colors but sometimes had a slight sulfurous odor. Sure enough, the next morning, when I filled my coffee pot, it did have a slight odor. I just ran it a few seconds and it cleared up. Sulfur isn’t that bad for you anyway. All in all, I think I’ll stay there again. And it’s only $20/nite. I did try to talk her into getting WiFi someday since they have phone service to their farmhouse…DSL should be inexpensive these days in that area, so would a WiFi installation. Nice line of sight setup.

Next morning, Friday, I got back on the road and headed towards Wright’s Desert Gold RV in Richland. They do have sewer, water, & WiFi, but they’re also $30/nite, even with a GoodSam discount. Pull through sites on blacktop. Before I arrived I got some fuel, did some shopping, visited Columbia Park. Then I thought, hell, it’s still so early in the day, why not visit the Bridgeview tavern? Where my dad had been bartender 62 years before. Might be a free beer in it. Well, no, it no longer exists. Disappointed, I just headed out to Wright’s. They have a hill, so I had to put my front jack down so I wouldn’t end up in a serious situation if it rolled away (remember the burned out parking brake?).

(Some of the above may sound familiar as it’s a reprise of an earlier post, but the following has new stuff and pictures).

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The next morning, I head on south to Walla Walla where my kids are living. I usually stay at the Four Seasons RV Resort while I’m there for it’s convenience to the kids, shopping, and because it’s nice and quiet. My RV is old and grungy with 156,000 miles on it but though I could be turned away from many RV parks, simply because it’s over 10 years old, this park has never asked. ( I just checked reviews of this park and one of them said they won’t let you stay if your RV is over 10 years old. I’ve stayed there 3 times and like I said, they’ve never asked. And I’ve always parked right outside the office when I drive in). I paid $192 bucks for a week. They let me move my RV up closer to the office when I had trouble getting a good Internet WiFi connection.

On the road in Washington...

There’s the good old Snake river outside of Pasco, Washington. The surrounding area is dry here this time of year (Sept.)

Took the kids out for dinner...Mexican place, great food.

James always keeps his eyes closed, just in case someone is throwing something at him. Mush reminds him it doesn’t happen that often.

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It was a pleasure to be back in the US with it’s majority of good roads, even better freeways, and no worries about my CC or DC being frozen at the capricious whim of the fraud company that chooses to do so on my cards as though they don’t even think about it, like they’re using some stupid software algorithm and then never using their brains to connect the dots as I travel. This time I’d called my CU a couple days before we left Alaska and also sent an email. But I still felt relieved that I hadn’t been cut off, since they’d done it before, even with those preemptive warnings. But it seems they always have shut off my cards when I’m either in or very near a large city. Where I can get on-line and/or use a phone to get in touch with them. Anyway, enough about those idiots for now. No, I don’t want to change banks because they have such great & inexpensive policies about everything else. Like 5 free overdrafts per month, no CC charges for zero balance and the like.

So, where were we? Right across the US border in Oroville, Washington. As we passed through customs the evening before, they had all sorts of questions for me, like how long had I known Kenny, why was my drivers license from Oregon but the plates on my RV from Alaska? (That’s because when I checked getting new tags from Oregon a couple months before, it would have cost $362 for two years, and I hadn’t driven it for 9 months. No resetting of the clock, so I’d have lost 9 months. In Alaska, it was $125 for two years, would start at the date I bought the tags, and there is a one time senior discount of $100. So plates in Alaska only cost me $25). Did we bring any contraband (why would we tell them if we did?)? And of course since Kenny and I weren’t related, why were we traveling together. Once I explained his Dad was dying of cancer and we were rushing back so Kenny could spend some quality time with him, they seemed to back off and not be so confrontational, or nosy. They did inspect the RV inside,  and had a dog sniff outside, but didn’t ask me to open any of the compartments and only did a cursory inside inspection. I figured that they would have completely emptied my RV, inside and out,  because of our circumstances, but I guess they understood.

That lake in Oroville...Osoyoos.

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