Traveling South Visiting Old Friends & Family - Klamath Falls, OR
Klamath Falls, OR
Where I stayed
in our RV
What I did
ODFW Klamath Wildlife Area, Miller Island Unit
Friday 1NOV2013 Packing up after 6-7 weeks is no easy chore … everything inside the RV has to be stowed for travel. Everything outside, like the step, satellite dish, screen room & bicycles, needs to be disassembled and stowed in the basement or tote. Travel south makes this trip especially challenging as we are also transporting extra things to Arizona that we will leave in Arizona. These things take up space that in the 'normal' (as one of my VA patients would say ‘Normal is a setting on the dryer!’) short trip we wouldn’t have on board. Of course this limits our personal space while traveling. We also picked up our Honda CR110 while here so now we have to figure out how to get it on board too! We are finally packed up and ready to pull out around 11am and by the time we say our good-byes and pickup our final coffee for the road from the crew in the Gift Shop … We finally hit the road traveling thru the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area - About the Forest on I-84 around noon heading East then South on Hwy 97 at Biggs Junction http://www.a2zgorge.info/towns/biggsjun ction.htm . We passed thru many Eastern Oregon small towns with character like Shantiko, OR (a revived Ghost town) http://www.shanikooregon.com/ and landmarks like Smith Rock http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.c fm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId= 36 arriving at Thousand Trails RV Preserve in Sun River, OR http://www.sunriverchamber.com/.
Saturday 2NOV2013 Up early then off to Bend OR http://bendchamber.org/bend-at-a-glance / for Groceries and diesel fuel. We head out close to noon and travel Hwy 97 thru to Klamath Falls OR http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/vi sitors/klamath_wildlife_area.asp arriving around 4pm.
Bordering northern California, sleepy Klamath Falls sits on the southern shore of Upper Klamath Lake on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. Originally called Linkville, after the Link River on whose falls the town sits, the little burg was renamed for the falls themselves in 1893.
"K Falls," as Klamath Falls is nicknamed, has long been known as the crossroads of southern Oregon. Home to some 20,000 people within city limits, plus around 25,000 in the surrounding urban growth boundary, K Falls is noted primarily for its striking setting, the outdoors paradise that encircles the town.
Of particular note in the area are rafting on the Upper Klamath River and bird watching in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge complex of six lake and wetland units. The refuges host 400-plus bird species, including the largest concentration of bald eagles in the United States outside of Alaska (up to 800 in winter). The many lakes and marshes of the basin also make for excellent canoeing and kayaking, while waters such as Wood River and Crooked Creek are wonderful fly-fishing streams for brown and rainbow trout. Above comment from Klamath Chamber of Commerce.
As soon as we parked the RV we noticed our water pump on the truck had given out. It waited until we were safe and settled instead of stranding us on the road! Thank you, Lord. So, the first thing at hand was to get back into town and buy a new water pump, distilled water and anti-freeze. We also checked in with our kids here in town and found that they were all sick with an upper respiratory and upset stomach bug with fevers! Sorry we love you but NOT ENOUGH TO CATCH THE BUG! So we suggested that we would check back and see them when they all felt better! It’s supposed to be cold tonight ~ 28 degrees! And, we fall back to standard time… And tomorrow we need to install our new water pump on the truck.
Sunday, 3NOV2013 It’s cold! 26 degrees last night… and now a skiff of powder! Connie puts on layers to stay warm … long johns, wool sweater, down vest and a jacket! Still can’t get warm! Rowdy loves all the bird smells and is getting lots of ‘on point’ practice. Water pump is now installed and engine compartment washed out … runs GREAT! Checked in with the kids and they’re still under the weather… We promised to check in with them tomorrow. It’s supposed to be colder tonight ~ as low as 22 degrees!
Monday 4NOV2013 3am we wake and it’s a little chilly in the RV … the furnace is out of propane! Jim gets up and switches the tank and we warm up … Up at 530am run thru the shower and Jim’s out to meet with the Coffee group … Connie’s still dressing in layers! Our water froze in the kitchen area so opened up the cupboards to help thaw out … Rowdy is so funny! As the water opened up in the sink, I said something like "Here it comes, Here it comes!" Rowdy immediately puts his front paws on the couch and points out the window … Getting all excited … he thought the school bus was coming with Amaya and Tayla like last spring when I would say that the bus was coming! … We all chuckled … In Klamath Country the sky is blue and the temps are crisp … Lots of sunshine, fresh air and it’s beautiful out… in spite of the cold! Jay and the girls went to work/school today but Tami’s still puny and running fevers. Visited old friends today, had lunch with Jay and settled in for the night with a glorious sunset. It’s supposed to be a little warmer tonight ~ 24 degrees …
Tuesday 5NOV2013 It’s warmer this am … low was 33 degrees (almost summer!)… had a small skiff of snow that melted … was able to connect with old friends Susan & Nathan, Mickie & Randy, Bill & Darla, ODFW crew Jim & Ray as well as family. Sorry we missed seeing you Tami because you were still puny, Hope you are better soon! We had a nice visit and meal with Jay and our granddaughters Amaya & Tayla. It has been a lot warmer today … no freezing temps all day and night long! We will be packing up and heading south tomorrow morning … so we return to the task of packing up the RV to make ready for travel!
Happy Trails!
Jim & Connie and Rowdy too!