We left our moochdocking spot in Newberg, Oregon with two goals in mind. The first was to get positioned for a Monday morning appointment. Our home for that night was just 100 miles down the road at Valley River Center in Eugene, Oregon. The mall allows two nights parking in each 30 day period.
On Monday we stopped by
AM Solar in Springfield to talk with them about possible installation locations on our Scamp. It was very nearly noon when we finally hit the road looking for the most direct route home. Nearly 350 miles later we were parked in the shade at the Walmart in Susanville, CA. for the night.
On Tuesday, I wanted to drive through Virginia City, just to see if it would be worth coming back sometime. Lots of historic buildings, activity, and ongoing mining. It seems like the sort of place I would enjoy except for the 15% (yup, that's right) grade when you're headed south out of town.
Our 275 mile day ended in Mina, Nevada qt the
Sunrise Valley RV Park which had huge sites. BJ was standing at the end of our site when she took this picture. They weren't very busy - two other RVs came in after we arrived. They're apparently popular as a base for ATV travel to old mines in the area during the spring and fall.
Our third day got us through Las Vegas ahead of rush hour. We stayed at Boulder Beach at the
Lake Mead RV Village in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area because they had full hookups with power to run the AC. It was HOT but going to get hotter. It was a 310 mile day and anywhere closer to home was going to be hotter yet. We did have an opportunity to get together with friends for dinner and had a wonderful time.
On Thursday we continued south and by 4 p.m. had another 300 miles done and the trailer in the garage. I have a list of projects we want to do on it, but those will wait until the garage temperatures are more hospitable.
All told we drove 7835 miles in 79 days averaging over 14 miles per gallon. Seventy-six percent of our miles were towing, and all of them included the canoe and kayak on the truck. The next Scamp trip isn't planned yet but I have a couple ideas.
Enjoyed following along with you, John. Nice to see the mall in Eugene allows 2 night's parking.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine driving on a 15% grade!!!
Sunrise Valley's RV spaces probably don't make good economic sense for the owners, but their spaciousness looks wonderful for the lucky RVers!
Glad you made it home safely, and looking forward to your next trip whenever it is.
The mall will even allow you to unhook so you can go sight seeing without your trailer in tow.
DeleteThe 15% downgrade was the most I've ever done. Two s-turns in it. I was wishing for an even lower gear!
Congratulations for making it home safely! Enjoyed your trip and it has inspired us to shoot for the the northwest next summer. You found so many great places!
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a painless reentry!
I loved spending 3 or 4 days in one spot! As for reentry, Amazon and the local RV parts store are glad we're back. A bunch of mods are scheduled as soon as the garage cools off.
DeleteBittersweet! I am sure it feels good to be home, but also good to start work on those ideas in the making! Would love to know how your AM Solar appointment went.
ReplyDeleteReally glad we arranged for a meeting with AM Solar. It's clear how they've earned their reputation. I'm going to use one of their 135 watt panels and some other bits and pieces from them.
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