We're back at the Eureka, California Elks Lodge...August 2013

This is where we stay when we come back to Humboldt County to visit family and friends.  Once you become a member of an Elks Lodge, you can stay at any Elks in the country that allows RV's.  Many of them have full hook-ups like this one in Eureka. 

Don't miss cook your own steak night every Friday, featuring an enormous outdoor charcoal grill and great steaks followed by live music with a really big dance floor.  Two great bands to check out; DR. SQUID and THE DELTA NATIONALS.

Nestled between the towering coaches.  This Elks Lodge RV area was totally full mid-week in late August.

Local rock cod, fresh off the boat.  Hah, we do have our connections!

More Humboldt County information at the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau:  http://www.redwoods.info/.   For a taste of the local scene check out the weekly magazine North Coast Journal http://www.northcoastjournal.com/ and the daily online newspaper Lost Coast Outpost http://lostcoastoutpost.com/

Alumafandango! 65 Airstreams just landed in Oregon...August 2013

 These two cool guys of R&B Events produce four large Airstream gatherings per year in separate parts of the US.  This one is called Alumafandango, held in Oregon.  The next event in the west will be held at the same place: Canyonville, Oregon in September 2014.  http://www.alumafandango.com/?page_id=54

You can attend tech and travel seminars during the day and then check out the five happy hour airstream hosts that change every night.  Just look for the green flag out front.  A great way to meet new people and get a tour of their Airstream.

Line 'em up!  Just loved seeing this many Airstreams in one place....

You sly dog, you!

Our lovely glampsite for 6 nights of fun....

Nice vintage rig....

Nightly cook your own dinner at the BBQ pavillion.

Looking forward to Alumafiesta in Tucson this February 2014! http://alumafiesta.com/

Arcata to Eugene * Elk Sightings near Praire Creek Redwoods State Park

Just a few miles south of Orick, CA.  Driving through Northern California on US 101 we usually see Roosevelt Elk herds off in the fields and hills but this time they were right on the road. 

Adult elk usually stay in single-sex groups for most of the year and this group appears to be mostly female with calves.

Grants Pass Oregon * Taprock Restaurant

In downtown Grants Pass on the Rogue River.  A good place to stop for lunch...or Sunday brunch on the deck overlooking the river.  http://www.taprock.com/index_or.html

The weather always seems to be just about perfect here...

Nice landscaping in front of restaurant.  You can walk around near the river after lunch.

Love this old sign across the street.  Only 400 miles to the Golden Gate Bridge!

Plaque near the Taprock parking lot...

Arcata, California...shopping on the Arcata Plaza

My friend Kate's store: The Garden Gate on the corner of the Arcata Plaza has some fun items for the Airstream.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Garden-Gate/209451335735326

Durable bamboo mats: I have one in the Airstream that pulls the color scheme together.

Unbreakable stainless steel shot glass sized cups.  Stacking works well when space is limited. 

Bought one of these clocks too to hang just inside the airstream door.  

Arcata, CA.....where the 60's meet the sea (also known as our home town!)

We stored our silver baby in Arcata for a few months.  She is now washed, dried, stocked up and ready for the trip north to Oregon.  On the way out of town, we stopped for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Carmella's. 

We like the Carnitas and the Chile Verde lunch specials and the Pacifico draft beer.  There is always enough food left to make a Mexican egg dish for breakfast the next morning. http://www.carmelasrestaurants.com/index.html

Just across the street from Carmella's is a good place to stock up on local produce, cheese, grass fed beef, excellent french bread (BRIO)  and bulk items.  Inside WILDBERRIES MARKETPLACE you will find a good deli, a local coffee shop (RAMONES), a salad bar and a fruit bar http://www.wildberries.com/

For the perfect RVers trifecta, you can do your laundry across the street at the very hip Arcata EMERALD CITY LAUNDRY.  They will move your clothes from the washer to the dryer for free.   http://www.emeraldcitylaundry.com/

Eugene Hike: Top of Spencer Butte

Just minutes from downtown Eugene, the main trail starts at 1300 feet and takes you through a Douglas Fir forest.

The last half of the hike up to 2000 feet is steep and rocky with lots of poison oak.   The town of Eugene along with the Cascade and Coastal Ranges are visible from the top.

Bring water and a snack and enjoy the view.

Myrtle Creek Golf Course...like a safari, looking for your balls

This course is gorgeous but huge and hilly with hazards everywhere.  If you are staying at Seven Feathers (15 miles south) you can play all day with cart for $42.  They should throw in a 1/2 dozen golf balls because you will probably lose them all!

The tires on their new golf carts are massive.  When they handed us the cart key the guy told us to be careful because they've had "near death experiences" with the carts.  Oh, and enjoy your game!

Don't hit the ducklings!

Oregon is impossibly green!

Lovely Seven Feathers Park in Canyonville, Oregon.  We had the entire back section to ourselves for the first two nights. 

Reno to Redding (in a Hailstorm)

It started out nice enough...easy drive north to Susanville then west over the mountains towards Redding on Highway 44.

Somewhere in Lassen National Forest the temperature drops to 40 degrees.  Suddenly, the dreaded hailstorm...hazard lights flashing, 15 miles per hour, nowhere to safely pull off the road, hoping we would not slide off the road.  The hail was so intense I thought our airstream would be pitted, but we made it to Redding with no damage.  Our 3.5 hour drive took over 5 hours. 

Long Drive--Las Vegas to Reno

We've never driven up the Eastern side of Sierra Nevada Mountains.

80 miles down, 380 to go.

We stopped for the night here in Hawthorne, Nevada.  I didn't realize the region hosted the world's largest ammunition depot -- most of it stored in the 2400 bunkers that line the desert south of town.  Hawthorne is also the eastern gateway to Yosemite.  Fascinating history but get me out of here...

Sedona to Las Vegas

How is it that I only have one picture from Las Vegas?  Our one night stop was at Oasis RV Resort,  located just south of the strip and across from the Silverton.  Twin Creeks Steakhouse in the Silverton has an amazing happy hour in the bar that starts at 8pm.  The tapas menu and premium cocktails are half off.  Wedge salad, perfect halibut, prime rib sliders, seared scallops, calamari, plus four perfect martinis--$47 bucks.  The chef was selected in this year's BEST CHEFS AMERICA guide. 

Rancho Sedona RV Park

We are always happy to get a site next to another Airstream.  That's us on the right and our neighbors from Sebastapol in their new Airstream Safari on the left.  Oak Creek runs just behind our site.  A grove of huge Arizona Sycamore trees provided shade.

Just a little peak of the spectacular red buttes and mesas nearby.  It would be great to have a few days to hike and explore but we are on our way after 2 nights.