I did get out this morning when the weather was good, and made it as far as Roseburg, now I'll sit for two nights before moving. The forecast is for rain for the next week. My idea was to cut over to the coast if the weather improved. It isn't at all, and today there was a mudslide blocking 101 up by Sea Lion Caves. Now, I can think of about a thousand potential slides along that road, so it looks like it's I-5.

It's been almost a week of rain, wind, and sometimes sunshine. I've grown to like Ashland, when I can see it in between weather events. This is one of the more eclectic places I've visited. Think Ammon Bundy meets William Shakespeare at a pot shop. One fella claimed that 1 in 6 of the homes here grow marijuana, and that claim was repeated by another. I am extremely skeptical of the claim, but it wouldn't surprise me if reality was close. Anyway,...

I knew when I left Arizona that I would be encountering mean weather in Oregon, so I built in some extra time to wait out the rainstorms. I didn't know I'd be laid up as soon as I crossed the border into the state. And I didn't plan I'd be stopped for high winds, not heavy rain. Tomorrow the winds are expected to gust to 55, way over my comfort level for traveling, so no moving for a couple of days. Luckily I'm in a most intriguing town, and I...

Yesterday I got off the freeway as high wind warnings went up in front me. I pulled into Redding RV Park and the rain started. This morning it looked like I could avoid the incoming rain and the high winds if I went straight to Ashland as fast as possible. Competition from truckers at the Siskyous makes I-5 slow going, but that was the only hassle. Rain is now in the forecast for the next several days, so I'll likely stay put for a while. I'm at...

One day here and I see that I can like this town. It's got history, agriculture (almonds and other nuts, citrus, even olives), a college (UC Chico), and it's small enough for my tastes. And, it's where the typical California driver mellows out and the roads become safer and easier. One night only because I'm heading to Ashland. A storm is coming in tomorrow, so I'm getting an early start to head to Redding. That afternoon, high winds are...

Six days of driving and I need a day off. The passes over the Sierra are still closed, so taking I-80 was the choice. They were skiing at Truckee, so I guess the snowpack is pretty good this year. It sure is pretty in the mountains right now. And Spring is blooming on the lowlands. For my friends in Arizona, fuel prices here for regular are around 2.15. In the mountains it was around 2.80, and I saw 3.10 in an ultra-remote place. For California,...

It was a long hard drive today. As expected, I didn't see any other wildflowers to speak about. The run east to west to Lone Pine involves first a long climb, then a drop into the Panamint Valley. Then comes the real climb to get over the Panamint Mountains. 35 mph was the best I could do, and since it twists and turns so much there's no hope of anyone getting around me. Luckily those following didn't seem to mind. I pulled in at a viewpoint...

Usually when I visit DV the large parking-lot RV campground is closed because it's off-season. This time I get to stay in it. Hey, something new. It's remarkable that I can't see a single rental RV anywhere. Rentals are almost always used by Europeans, and were regularly seen in big numbers at the big-name national parks. It's odd not to see any at all around here. I'm not impressed with the wildflower bloom. There are some typical flowers to be...

It's been eleven months since I was here last. I'm assuming things will work out better this time. I made a stop in Quartzsite last night, and Steve and Sandy came by on their way to the Phoenix area, so we had dinner at Silly Al's. Q is a nice place except for those two weeks during the tent show. Anytime Death Valley is in play as I travel I take a look at it. The weather is excellent right now, and I spotted some talk that the wildflowers are...

On Monday I plan to leave Yuma and head to Chimacum. I have a doctor's appointment on March 24, so I need to get there by then. That leaves a month for the trip. The idea is to keep it moving through California, then slow down through Oregon. While the weather forecast looks favorable for me until I reach Oregon, I expect things to be quite different there. I plan on laying up frequently to wait out rain storms.

While they were great guys, I doubt either of us was sad to see me go out of there today. The work is well done. For the insurance work, I think the insurance company got screwed. My deductible was waived, so it cost me nothing. It was done entirely to my satisfaction. The price for the work on my bedroom slide came out of Junior's bullshit port in about a 1/2 second: $350. The work was done quickly and far exceeding my expectations. Since I was...

The guys are motivated now. They went like crazy today, then told me the rig would have to move indoors for spray painting. So I hitched up, then handed the truck keys to the owner's son. I couldn't even see how to maneuver through a gate, turn 180 degrees, then get through a narrow garage door. Backwards. I've watched Junior shuffle all kinds of vehicles around, so I knew he could do it. First time I've seen my house moved around by someone...