Carpe Dory (2)

This stay was a mix of high intensity emotions, both good and sad. I’ll start by saying I was well aware of the massive fire that tore through Jasper in 2024 and had heard about the damage. I chose to come back partly because I wanted to support the town, and at the end of the day, I have no regrets and would come back again. However, it is one thing to read about devastating fire damage, and quite another to experience places with images fixed clearly in your memory, only to see them completely gone. The emotional impact hit like a gut punch as soon as we turned onto route 93a. That little stretch of alternate highway holds very fond memories and was one of the chief reasons for visiting the Rockies. I can see in my mind’s eye pictures of a lush, wooded wonderland on an untraveled road that makes a bicycling paradise. We caught glimpses of animals through the thick forest and ponds and little lakes on either side of the road all the way from Athabaska Falls to Jasper. That is what we were looking forward to revisiting together on bikes, and we found it to be just totally obliterated, with only charred remains of standing dead trees from start to finish. The visual impact takes your breath away and to be honest, I found myself choking back tears for a good twenty four hours.

And yet. There is still so much beauty, untouched by the ravages of wildfire. I’ll start with the approach to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway. The last time we drove it, Richard biked the whole thing in sections. There was one piece in particular that he wanted to try again and that is the climb up Sunwapta Pass and to the summit. He got spooked last time by some road debris that he panicked into thinking came from Dory, so it was a breathless anxious ride for him to find me sitting happily at the Columbia Icefields campground, no cares in the world, despite what his imagination told him. So this time, I dropped him off at Coleman Creek Day Use and planned to meet him just after the Sunwapta Summit. The plan executed perfectly. The scenery in that area is awe inspiring, with grey blue glacially fed rivers winding through stark rugged valleys, making you think about the early explorers who traversed the land on horseback, or foot. After the switchback climb up to the pass, there is still a ways to go before the actual summit. I took pictures, as did Richard, from the top of the switchback, looking down on the road far below. No summit marker or sign tells you where the top is, but our mapping app, Guru Maps, marks the spot, even without cell service. After that, there is a little parking area next to a big sign saying you are entering Jasper National Park and Richard found me there with no trouble after a successful climb. Great day underway.

After he got to me, we drove together toward Athabaska Falls and had a thought to pick up 93a to get a preview for our planned ride the next day. We were both heartsick at what we saw and eventually arrived at the campground tired, hungry, and to some degree, grieving. We soothed ourselves by eating out at Wafflato. About a third of all of the structures in Jasper burned down, but most of the downtown area was saved and our favorite waffle place is still there. We got a jerk chicken savory waffle for dinner, with a mental health stop at Scoops and Loops for ice cream afterwards.

Then it was back to the campground to regroup. We both knew riding 93a would just be depressing, and I knew that what I most wanted to do was to find the areas that were spared. So we made new plans, acknowledged the disappointment, especially coming off such a superlative stay in Banff, and looked for the positives. The Universe helped us out by showering us with a late afternoon sprinkle, paired with the brightest double rainbow. There it is. Just keep swimming, Jasper.

The next day we rode up to Patricia and Pyramid Lakes, and boy that was a great call. Everything up there is green and untouched by what transpired just below. We caught a trail and walked to the lakes, avoiding paths that were too marshy. There is a nice lodge at Pyramid Lake and I got a small and expensive bottle of bug spray. My bad for not thinking to bring one of the four bottles we had back at the car. We enjoyed looking at the water and the blue skies, and the mountain tops, who have seen way worse natural disasters in their time.

We followed the advice of the visitor center park rangers and made a day of it the following day at Maligne (pronounced mah-LEEN) Lake. This proved to be another highlight of the whole trip. Maligne Canyon at the north end is closed due to fire damage, but just a short distance down the road, everything returns to normal. This valley, with the snow topped peaks adorning the background in all directions, and varied greens from the mixed forest of conifers and aspens, is simply stunning. We made a quick photo stop at Medicine Lake and caught some Hoary Marmots lazing about or hopping along the boulders. I kept my eyes on the road, but also in the gaps of the trees looking for moose, of course. We had gotten an early start and arrived by 10 to beat the crowds and get a parking spot. Then Richard went on an ambitious hike up Opal Hills while I sat in front of the Waffle Hut and blogged about Banff until it was time for my 11:30 Maligne Lake Boat Cruise.

Richard is not a fan of boats, but I made the decree that next time, he has to do this with me. It was well worth the splurge to reserve the tour across Maligne Lake to Spirit Island. It’s a very long lake and takes about a half hour to get from one side to the other. Along the way, the tour guide points out natural phenomena, gives you history and stories of the land, and impresses upon you the intensity of the harshness of the winters there. It was a perfect balance of tour guidey talk and quiet time to appreciate the views. Once you near the southern end, the water has changed color from green tones to glacial “rock flour” blues. The color in all of these rockies lakes is so unique because of the fine silt that comes from millions of years of glacier ice grinding against rock and then carrying that powder down through melted runoff water. The effect is indescribably beautiful and lures photographers from all over the world to try to capture it.

Spirit Island is actually an isthmus, with a thin land bridge connecting the main land to a tiny stand of trees on an area that is only three acres. It holds deep spiritual significance for the indigenous peoples and they still hold sacred ceremonies on the island today. At first, as you come around the bend, it doesn’t look worthy of all the hype. But then the boat comes around and the island is framed by the spectacular range of rocky peaks, reflecting in the unnaturally blue green water. I lucked out on weather and got blue skies and sunlight, which made the colors all the more vibrant. The lack of much wind allowed the clouds above to be reflected in the fairytale water. There is a short trail after you get off the boat and onto a dock, so that everyone can take pictures from every possible angle. It must be one of the most photographed locations on the planet, but we all happily participated in grabbing our own. No one is allowed to set foot on the island, due to its historical and spiritual significance. As subject matters goes, you can’t beat Spirit Island and I’ll admit that I felt a kind of healing happen following this visit.

After fifteen minutes, they blow their horn and everyone gets back on the boat for the long return. Richard meanwhile had gone up and down Opal Hills without getting lost, so we both met up at the dock giddy and ready for a waffle with blueberry compote and sweet ricotta sauce. Damn that was good. We followed with a short loop up to Moose Lake, for obvious reasons. Nope, did not see a moose. But it’s a pretty loop trail anyway.

It was getting to be late in the afternoon, and as if this place hadn’t more than made up for the sadness felt seeing the fire damage, we were gifted the treat of a lifetime in the form of a glorious bull moose with a full set of moosey antlers, close by the side of the road. Oh my goodness he was a beauty. We were second in line in the “moose jam” of cars and were therefore able to get a perfect close up view of him as he munched shrubberies and gave us a full moosey show. I could not have been happier.

We rounded out our stay at Jasper Pizza and enjoyed their rooftop seating. We split an outstanding Canadian 10 inch pizza with thick chewy, yet perfectly crispy crust and perfectly spicy pepperoni. Richard got in one more trip to Scoops and Loops and then we stocked up on groceries at Nester’s Market. We headed back to Dory with full hearts, stomachs, and grocery bags. All we had to do then was sit in our Nemo chairs and enjoy the numerous elk as they grazed and pranced around the campground.

What an incredible stay. What started with our hearts dropping in sadness, ended with some of the best experiences we’ve ever had. There is so much still to love in Jasper. I would absolutely return and would whole heartedly encourage everyone I know to visit. Go with the understanding of what it feels like to witness the aftermath of one of the world’s most intense natural disasters, but also know there are ample wonders of nature to be enjoyed and treasured. The people of the town are clearly a resilient bunch and they very much appreciate the much needed income from tourists. There are portable residences set up all around the outskirts and there is a lot of construction as they rebuild. I said something to one of the visitor center rangers about how I was sorry for their town, and she sort of shrugged and said, “Oh we’re fine, we’re rebuilding.” Just keep swimming. Well done Jasper. Taught me a lesson.

Total miles from Tunnel Mountain: 181.4, 17.6 mpg, 7 hours 49 min with stops. Site 28R no hookups. Good solar (because sad burned trees), good cell for both, good multi-station dump with potable water. Noted that loop 56 has some live trees and hookups. Loop 1 has some live trees. Also, randomly noted sites 21a, 21b, 21c, 19a have some live trees. Richard notes the campground trail that goes to Whislter’s Summit is overgrown and impossible to find. He also notes that Guru Maps has been inaccurate lately.

This was definitely a highlight stay of the trip. For the record, we really loved staying in Tunnel Mountain and far preferred that to being out at Two Jack Lake. Since there are so many city things to do in Banff, it was awesome to be able to easily ride into town. We ended up eating out a lot, which we need to remember is a tendency when we’re doing city camping. No regrets, but we should remember to maybe not shop for Blue Aprons in those situations.

Coming from Redstreak, we basically just traversed Kootenay National Park. We thought to maybe to some short hikes around Marble Canyon, but the parking areas were really busy, and since we had Dory in tow, we opted out. We’d done Marble Canyon and Paint Pots before, so we didn’t have FOMO about that, but just want to note that from one end to the other is a pretty long drive. We’d have to leave earlier in the morning if we want to get uncrowded parking. This stop in Kootenay was intended to check out the Redstreak area, and we did that quite well. I’ll also note that we didn’t think to look at our gas tank until we were under way and into the park. If I’d been seriously worried about it, I would have turned around to go back and fill up in Radium Hot Springs. We were ok, but cut it kind of close and that is something that hangs over one’s head unnecessarily. We should have thought to fill up before entering the park, but oh well. We stopped to gas up at a tiny place (the only place) in Castle Junction and that was fine.

The first thing we did after getting unhitched at the campground was ride down to town. What an awesome campground though! The views of the surrounding mountain peaks are just stunning, and a delightful way to enjoy morning coffee. To get to town, it’s about a one mile downhill easy coast (coming back uphill is another story if you don’t have an e-bike). We had some shopping to explore, namely, we did end up getting Richard a new camping backpack to match mine. Monod Sports is an excellent store and I had spoken with one of their employees prior to coming, just to make sure they had what we were looking for in stock. You can pack their packs with sand bags to get a feel for the weight and the Talon 22 was a great pick.

The next thing we hit was Beaver Tails. OMG. These are kind of like churro batter, but made into long flat cakes that are fried to order and topped with your choice of all kinds of sweet treats. We chose the classic, which is generously adorned with cinnamon sugar. They are hot and chewy and delicious. We split one of those a day, eschewing all of the ice cream possibilities in town. While downtown, we succumbed to the pungent aromas of delicious foods and grabbed an early dinner in an unassuming food court place. Banff Shawarma was a great choice, seemed to be authentically prepared, and boasted the only long line. We went with a chicken and beef combo rice bowl with vegetables and a perfectly spicy dressing. Yum!

Since it stays light so late at this latitude at this time of year, we had time to check out some viewpoints and get beta on the Tunnel Mountain hike. The latter was for Richard’s morning cardio planning and not something I was interested in. There is a view of the river down below and lots of trails in and around the campground to go see the hoodoos or get to town via the river and Surprise Corner, where you can see Bow Falls.

The next day we got to do another stellar ride and check off another must-do of this summer trip. Weather reports threatened, but when there was any rain, it came in short spurts of like ten drops from the sky before clearing to blue skies. We got out early and hit the Bow River multi-use trail to get through town. Water levels on the river are high, but the bank-side paths were clear and untrafficked in the morning. From there, signs point the way for bikers to follow Vermillion Lakes Road for a couple of miles. This is just gorgeous. You are right next to the lake the whole way. Lots of people come and park along the banks and fish or picnic, and there is a steady stream of bikers making their way to or from the Legacy Trail that picks up at the end of the road. 

On the Legacy Trail, you skirt the highway and have to go through an intimidating looking wildlife gate. It looks like you are either entering or leaving the Velociraptor paddock, but I guess all of this, plus the impressive wildlife over crossings, is really effective at keeping wildlife related accidents down along the highway. Eventually, the Legacy Trail ends and you get to the start of the Bow Valley Parkway. Unbeknownst to me, this stretch of road is closed to car traffic from May 1st to June 25th during the day, which was only three days away from our visit. Like we accidentally nailed this so hard, it was like an unexpected gift. I’ve biked this now three times, Richard four. This was the first time I had gotten to do it on my own e-bike and it was just the best. 

We stopped and parked our bikes at Johnston Canyon, which was open to cars and very, very crowded. We decided to do the trail up to the falls, even though a good portion of the trail goes across suspended metal walkways that make Richard very nervous. We discovered that the best way for him to endure these is to cover his eyes and hold on to me. Once we got to the Lower Falls viewpoint, there was a long line to take pictures at the cave where you can see the falls through an opening in the rock. I passed, having done that before. We continued on to the Upper Falls this time, which we hadn’t done before. There was only one stretch of boardwalk until you get to the end. Again, there was a long line, and it was entirely off solid ground, so Richard kindly waited for me to get through the line to get pictures. I’m not sure how long it took. Twenty to thirty minutes I’m guessing. Yes, I got the picture, but I wouldn’t do that again. Instead, you can keep going up the trail a bit more and come to an equally picture worthy view point from above and avoid the line. On the way back down, Richard took an alternate trail that avoids the Lower Falls boardwalks entirely. This was far preferable to him and something to note for the future. He got ice cream and we got back on the Parkway. It was a fabulous day, with even a bear spotting along the side of the road. Yay!

Our next full day was spent investigating the Cave and Basin area across the river. We rode bikes to a visitor information building where there was also a nice exhibit about the area and its history. There is a paved road that goes for two miles and skirts the river for a while. At the end, there is a trailhead marker and you can catch the Sundance Canyon loop trail from there. The first part of the trail, if you go in clockwise fashion, takes you up a climb right next to a rushing, tumbling, cascading river. There are falls all along the way and sometimes the trail goes up small stone steps and crosses a couple of bridges. Eventually, it veers away from the river and runs under a deeply shaded forest canopy. Before you turn to go downhill on the other side of the loop, you can catch some sweeping views of the Banff valley. They say that this trail gives you all the water beauty of the Johnston Canyon, without all the people. I will say it was one of my all time favorite trails, but I give the waterfall points to Johnston. However, if you deduct points for crowds, this one might come out ahead. We were supremely happy we had ridden the paved path, rather than walk it. That would have dimmed our enthusiasm considerably having to needlessly walk the extra four miles. I think I would recommend doing the trail clockwise like we did. I would not have liked coming down those steep stone stairs and I think it’s nicer to view falls going up, as opposed to coming down.

We rode back into town, split another Beaver Tail, and checked out the IGA market. We would need to restock groceries before moving on. We also needed to refill propane tanks, but couldn’t find any place in Banff to do so. We ended up taking care of that in Jasper. Before heading back to Dory, we got in one last dinner in town at a place right by the downtown park called Hankki. It is a Korean street food place and I guess corn dogs are the thing to get. That seemed surprising to me, but I didn’t argue. Who doesn’t want a corn dog covered in crispy fried potato bits with a choice of dipping sauces? These were really good, though I still question their Korean roots. The beef bulgogi dumplings were also good and felt less bastardized. 

That was it for our three night stay. We really loved staying at Tunnel Mountain to enjoy Banff. It was great having hookups and there was no sacrifice in views or natural beauty. It’s definitely a parking lot type situation, but you are not that close to your neighbors and the sites are pull along with plenty of room down the middle for people to get through without making you worry they’ll run into you. We loved the short rides into town because that meant we never had to find parking for the car. It is centrally located to so many activities and there is every kind of service or store you can imagine. In addition to purchasing a really nice day pack at a good price, Richard got a cute bottle of chain lube from Banff Cycle & Sport. It also had some good trails close by for morning hikes for Richard. He liked the Tunnel Mountain trail a lot and rode his bike to the start. You can also walk the trails along the Bow River all the way to Surprise Corner. We ate out two out of three nights and are now addicted to Beaver Tails. Such a great stay!!

Total miles from Redstreak – 93.0, 16.3 mpg, 3 hours 43 min. Site B60 hookups. Good free dump. Potable spigots near bathrooms. Good cell for both. Riding distance from downtown. Showers, trash & recycling. 

Another excellent stop on our Canada adventures, this time with an unexpected happy surprise! We had perfect travel weather and loved seeing the birthplace of the Columbia River stretch across the long valley of Fairmont and Radium Hot Springs. We always remark on how many bodies of water there are in Canada, even in their drier years. Somewhere along the way, I spied a perfect moose, standing at the riverbank down below the highway. We were going way too fast to get a picture, but we both saw him. I never don’t get excited about seeing moose.

We drove up the rather steep approach to the campground and got set up in the early afternoon. We had lots of time on the day, so we hiked down, down, down lots of stairs into town. The visitor center had a fantastic relief map of the Kootenay ranges and valleys. I love relief maps because they really help me understand trails and roads.

We were hungry, so we got an early dinner at Goat St. Kitchen and Tap. We got the tacos al pastor with a kale, candied walnuts, feta and greens salad, which was all excellent. While we were waiting for dinner, I got a message that two Altoistes were staying at the same campground and identified us by our Dory decal! So fun! We arranged to say hi the next morning, offering me ample time to make it back up the stairs with no time pressure.

To bolster both my strength and courage, we popped in to Screamers for a chocolate brownie ice cream on a cake cone. This is the popular choice for ice cream in town. But we also walked through the local market, the Mountainside Market, to see what treats they had in stock. I was happy with my ice cream life choices, but the market is very well provisioned and we would be able to find just about anything we need there. They have hot food in their deli area too, in case we wanted to grab a dinner to go. I’m happy to report I made it back up the steps.

The next morning we set out to do the Sinclair Canyon trail, but first stopped to get in some hugs with our Altoiste friends. We hadn’t seen Janet since the first Altogather we went to back in 2018. Kimberly is a new friend! We will get to see them both again in September for an Altogather on Vancouver Island. We’re super looking forward to that. They were confused as to why we were up in Canada so much before the gathering, and we explained how we are going to go all the way home, start the school year, and then come all the way back up. Good thing gas prices aren’t totally stupidly screwed up right now. Oh wait….

We had a lovely chat and set out to find the part of the trail that descends from the campground into the canyon. That turned out to be closed due to road construction. Hmm. We figured we could go the other way around the loop, but then we would end up close to town. Richard’s smart brain figured out that would be an ideal situation for getting more ice cream after the hike. My smart brain figured out that I could send Richard back up the stairs to get the car and save my ass. And that is exactly what transpired. I think the only flaw in that perfectly executed plan was that we didn’t think to fill up with gas during that rescue maneuver. We made through Kootenay the next day, but with not much to spare in the tank.

The Sinclair Canyon trail is on the other side of the highway and you first have to take the trail over to the hot springs. We got nice views of the pools, but we are not hot springs people, and so were not motivated to pay the entry fee to sit in piped hot springs water. Still, it is a pretty atmosphere and I can imagine it being nice. Just not gonna put on my swimming suit for it.

Leaving the hot springs building, you cross the highway and start up the trail on the other side. It’s a climb at first, and then you come to some nice views. Eventually, you get to a fenced overlook just above the rock canyon. Even with all the construction going on, it’s an impressive sight.

Descending from that point, you go down, down, down to the river where it cascades dramatically at Sinclair Falls. The trail gets you close enough that you can hear it and mostly see it, but trees block a full view. There would normally be an overlook off the highway where I assume you can look directly down on it, but that is closed. It’s a really nice hike with lots of wildflowers that make up for all the switchbacks.

We walked along the highway about a mile to get back into town. There was a sidewalk most of the way and we never felt nervous about cars. I can’t say that part is pleasant, but it wasn’t scary or grueling, since it’s all downhill. Once back in town, yes we did go back for more ice cream. I happily plopped myself in a red Adirondack chair and waited while Richard speed ascended the steps back up to the site to get the car. Great plan!

We had one more chat with our friends and they gave us a ton of information about places to go and things to see in Canada. I just love Altoistes. What an amazing community this has become. My favorite thing is to run into them on the road and this stop was made far more special because of it. We loved the campground too, and would for sure stay here again.

Total miles from Cranbrook: 94.5, 15.8 mpg, 4 hours 48 min. Site E4 hookups. Really good free dump with potable water. Pretty good cell service, but not awesome. Just walk toward town and it comes in full throttle. Pull along site going the wrong way if you want the door to open to the picnic table. Electric pole on same side. We turned around so we could have the door open away from the campground road, ran the electric cable under Dory and it reached, no problem.

Wow, what a great stop! Last time we came, it was dumping rain and the drive was terrifying. I couldn’t even see all the beauty we were driving through. I was just happy to get to the KOA alive, but was still grateful for full hookups and laundry. This time the skies were blue and we got to enjoy gorgeous views the whole way. It was windy, but it was a tailwind, and with good visibility, I could drive slow and people could pass me. There were no issues whatsoever at the border crossing. Glad they did not ask me how much wine I was carrying. It feels good to be in Canada, particularly after seeing that the Bonners Ferry billboard saying, “Welcome to Tr@mp Country” is still up. Jesus, people. Still?? Definitely not a cult though, right?

We did five loads of laundry in all, with one being a waterproofing treatment of all of our rain gear. Weather forecasts are calling for rain in Banff, so we used this stop to refresh and prepare. Richard used the campground wifi to replenish our movie and shows options. While he was doing that, I made a Bertoli pan dinner, threw in some frozen peas, and brought plates over to the laundry room so we could dine in style with the spin cycle.

The backdrop on Cranbrook is really beautiful. I hear that as towns go, it may not be the most hip and happening, but it was plenty for us. In fact, given that there might be a nice bike ride from Cranbook to the local hip happening town of Kimberly, maybe we’ll stay two nights next time.

After laundry, I blogged and Richard walked along the river. There’s some place called “Dirty Darts” that is 1.8 miles from the KOA, so he chose that as an investigatory walking mission. Seems like a darts place. Not sure why it’s dirty. Scared to Google it.

Cranbrook continues to make a perfect post border crossing pit stop. It has all the things and we left feeling recharged and clean smelling. Before leaving town, we drove to Sportcheck and I got myself a new daypack. I’ve been researching options that are bigger than the lightweight Marmot I’ve been cramming with clothes and food. Went with an Osprey Tempest 22 and I love it. It holds my hiking sticks and I can get them and stow them while walking. It’s so awesome in fact that now Richard is jealous. I see an Osprey Talon 22 (men’s version) in his future. All good! So fun!

Total miles from Priest Lake: 181.2, 18.9 mpg, 6 hours 29 min with stop in Sandpoint for groceries and waterproofing stuff. Site 88 close to laundry room. They gave us a 50amp to 30 converter so we could use that site. Very nice staff. Laundry room is awesome with 4 front load washers and dryers (one dryer out of order). Really nice bathroom. Tempted to use shower, but did not. Great fast wifi for downloading movies. Full hookups. Sewer pipe too high so we had to snake, but oh well. Richard got coins at the casino next door.

Our second stay at Priest Lake was not quite as enthusiastic as the first one. We still had a good time mind you, but it could be that part of the initial dazzle from four years ago had a lot to do with getting a break from rain, paired with an electrical system that was working properly. There is also the fact that since I’ve gotten my e-bike, I am less motivated to get my boat out of the roof box and put it together. So lake stays become more about hiking and biking than water sports for us. As such, there seem to be a lot more nice trails around the other side, plus cell service, so that might be where we try to stay next time.

The drive up from CDA was pleasant, with a stop in Coeur d’Alene for groceries at Safeway. Duford Road was just as pretty as we remembered, as it follows the southern bank of the Pend Oreille River until you cross at Priest River. We then took 57 all the way to Dickensheet Road, which turns into Cavanaugh Bay Road, and finally East Shore Road. It’s a long drive, but at the end of it, you are treated to a real lakeside spectacle until the road bends back away into the trees. The state park staff are very friendly and the campground roads look newly paved. In fact, the whole place seems to have gotten a sprucing up. We checked out the cute little campground store and tried to get onto the wifi. No luck there, but that was ok.

The next day we rode to a little known trail and treated it as a treasure hunt. As it was a Sunday, there were not many cars on East Shore Road heading north to the end of the lake, so it was a nice ride. I should mention that it was quite hilly. Not an issue for my battery powered legs, but Richard got a workout. The trail description said to go 8.3 miles from the campground entrance and that is spot on. There is a nice big sign saying “Moose Lake” at that location, so the treasure hunt was easy. We turned down a short dirt road and locked our bikes at the trailhead, which was also nicely signed. Getting to the lake is an easy hike. We had our lunch and tried to circumnavigate the lake. We could have done it, but there was a pondy spot with a dodgy looking log we didn’t feel like risking. Instead, we went back around the other direction and made it all the way to that log. All told, the hike was just over a mile, even with messing around at the lake.

We had some time left on the day and decided to hang out at the beach and get caught up with service things. There were tons of families hanging out, playing in the sand and enjoying various water sports. It’s a crowded campground on the weekends, but there was a noticeable difference on Monday. We weighed a couple of options and chose to explore the west side of the lake and see if we could maybe bike along West Lakeshore Road. The answer to that question is: no. That road is not paved. It’s a dirt road in good condition, but it’s not really suited for bikes. In fact, most of the roads around the lake are not paved. I suppose you could mountain bike some of them, but really the main focus of the area is to get in the water. Makes sense.

We did stop at a museum parking area and walked the Beach Trail from Luby Bay to Kalispell Bay. That was a very nice walk. We sat at what used to be a marina cafe and tried to find more information on other trails. Richard discovered that the Lakeshore Trail he was thinking of was further to the north. That is a seven mile hike that hugs the shoreline all the way up to Beaver Creek Campground. It was getting to be the afternoon, so no one was going to do 14 miles out and back. Richard wanted to check it out and I had some internet research I was interested in, so I dropped him at the trailhead in Reeder Bay and he just went as far as he could get in a half an hour, and came back. He returned with impressive pictures, which makes us both want to try to do more of that trail in the future.

As far as future visits go, there are pros and cons to staying at the state park. On the one hand, it’s pretty far from some of the longer hikes, and it doesn’t have cell service (and wifi may or may not work, even if you go to the office). On the other hand, ice cream at the cute little camp store, and hookups. There are several forest service campgrounds on the other side. I did not go look at the sites to see which ones would be the most trailer friendly. There are no hookups of course, no dump stations, etc. but oddly it might feel less rustic simply because of hitting the 5g cell tower.

So here are the things we want to remember to investigate on any future stays. We could consider staying at the forest service campgrounds on the west side (Outlet, Osprey, Luby Bay, Reeder Bay, Beaver Creek). We could try to figure out how to hike the Lakeshore Trail. We could see if we can maybe ride to Hunt Creek Falls. There’s a very long trail up to North Priest Lake that we could maybe do part of. No matter where we stay, there is always ice cream to be had in Coolin at the Moose Knuckle or scoop ice cream at the Leonard Paul grocery store. Priest Lake a very family friendly place with all manner of lake activities and worth coming back to.

Total miles from CDA: 109.9, 16.9 mpg, 4 hours 28 min. Site A11 hookups. Cell and Wifi were both disappointing. No cell from campground, but could hit it from the beach. Most places along west side of lake could hit cell, but the state park appears to be in a little cell blocking valley. Wifi went down frequently. Electricity shut down on third day for maintenance, but otherwise worked fine before that. Dump would have been good and $10 but it was closed because of the power shut down.

This was a bucket list stay for us. Last time we came, we were battling rain and electrical issues, but remained undeterred in our quest to get Richard on his bike to do the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. I dropped him at the starting point in Plummer and towed Dory from there to the campground at CDA Resort. He got beautiful blue skies and a 43 mile day on a paved rails to trails bike path that skirts the Coeur d’Alene lake and runs through some of the prettiest scenery you can imagine. Now that I have an e-bike, it was my turn to join him. Richard was able to find a private shuttle service that will bring you and your bikes to the starting point of the trail, and he got that scheduled months ago.

On arrival, we had some time left in the day, so we got our bikes out and did a short out and back, taking the eastern part of the trail, as far as the town of Pinehurst. There wasn’t any particular goal, besides me looking for moose and Richard checking out the little grocery store to see if they had milk. No moose were spotted on this outing, but the store checks out for having half gallons of milk. We did spot an unexpected pack of coyote pups across the river. I didn’t know coyotes hung out this far north, but it seems they are becoming a local nuisance. They were pretty cute though and it was a fun sighting. Back we rolled to Dory and got ourselves ready for an early morning shuttle pickup.

I highly recommend Rich’s Bicycle Shuttle Service if you are interesting in doing this. They not only get you and your bikes where you want to go, but provide an in depth history lesson of the area. Rich and Susan are both native to the area (from Harrison and Wallace), with vast knowledge of how the silver mining and logging industry has shaped and transformed the region over time. The very trail we were going to spend our day appreciating was the product of a once booming silver mining industry. Legend has it that Noah Kellogg discovered the first motherlode of silver because his jackass dislodged a large rock. Accordingly, many of the businesses are named, not only for Kellogg, but for his jackass. Over time, the silver mining companies had to change their ways, or shut down, because the methods they used to extract the metals produced highly toxic byproducts. This sledge was used to form the foundations of the rail line. The land and waterways were becoming deadly to wildlife and hazardous to people, so a monumental cleanup project was negotiated with the railroad. They agreed to remove the rails and ties, but rather than remove miles of contaminated foundation, they covered it all over with clean dirt and paved it. There are still signs warning visitors not to eat or drink from the ground or water, and to stay on the trail. It’s likely for liability purposes, but it does remind one of the lasting impact man can have on nature. 

The drive from Cataldo took about an hour, but it was time well passed, listening to all of the local history. From the start of the trail, we just headed east and spent the whole day gawking at the view. When you get to Heyburn State Park, the trail goes up and over an old bridge to cross the St. Joe River. The surface looks wavy, and this apparently is for accessibility. You skirt the eastern side of the river until you get to Harrison. 

We took a side jaunt off the trail to enjoy the historic little town of Harrison. There are bike cafes and little stores, and most importantly, a creamery. The Harrison Creamery and Fudge Factory served us up a couple of ridiculously huge scoops and topped mine abundant hot fudge. It was an indulgence my calorie app said I could not afford, but I didn’t care. It was delicious. 

You are never far from water on this section of the trail, sometimes riding on a raised dike that splits two bodies of water right down the middle. There are not many services or places to get ice cream (which is probably for the best), so my advice is to definitely stop in Harrison. There are however, plentiful vault toilets along the way. We never worried about needing to find a bathroom. The trail is flat and meandering the whole way, with marshes, rivers, a few houses. There is a place Rich told us about where a local woman has set up a food and water cooler for bikers on the trail. Donations are welcome, but all she really asks if you take something is to sign her book. She has a Facebook page and posts regular updates. That’s pretty cool. 

My moose pursuit was satisfied with a single grazer, way out in a marshy meadow. We stared at her(?) for a long time before she disappeared into the bushes. We also saw numerous turtles. One of them was slowly making his way across the bike trail and would have been run over if we hadn’t spotted him. We tried to verbally coax him to hurry up, but he responded instead by freezing and retreating into his shell. We scooted him to the edge of the path, just to be sure he wouldn’t get squished. 

There were water Lillies everywhere, some pink and some yellow. There were also yellow irises along the shores. The skies were blue and the temperatures perfect. We could not possibly have asked for a better day. We rolled up to Dory, just sitting there waiting for us along the trail, at around 3. We got to bask in the joy of the day and I got to grill at night. Five stars.

The next day we headed in the other direction, not intending to go all the way to the end in Mullan. That would have been a very long day and it is not nearly as scenic. This section of the trail begins pleasantly, following the Coeur d’Alenes River to Pinehurst, the section we had done previously. Then, it changes to a much more urban experience. Highway 90 joins up and follows the same valley, all the way to the end. There are bigger towns here, with stores and services, even a Walmart, just to your left. They do a good job of getting the trail away from the highway as much as possible, but it’s nothing like the other side, where there are long sections with no other cars or people visible. The upside of this is that you can stop and find food or bicycle repair places if needed. 

We pushed on until we got the historic town of Wallace. This is where Susan, our shuttle host, is from. We heard lots of fun stories about the town, like how the Oasis Bordello stayed in business all the way up to 1988. Eventually, the governor told them they had to shut down, but Ginger Murphy, the madam, got all the girls evacuated before they were raided. Apparently she was quite a character and a much beloved business woman. The town is incredibly well preserved, thanks in part to the cleverness of the town leadership when plans were being made for the interstate to get built, running right through the middle of town. Immediately, most of the buildings got officially declared historic sites so they could not just be bulldozed. The post office got moved a half a block to make room for the highway support pillars, but they were able to preserve the town and run the roadway above it and as far along the outskirts as possible. It was a worthwhile fight, because the town is delightful and draws a considerable number of tourists. It also sounds like the town is full of characters. In 2004 the mayor Ron Garitone called the press together for an important official ceremony. He showed up in a top hat and tails and declared the town to be the Center of the Universe. There is an official marker right in the middle of 6th and Bank Street where countless tourists, us included, take their pictures. The story goes that the justification used for such a claim included: “Why not?” and “Prove it isn’t.”

We made a stop at The Tin Snug for, you guessed it, ice cream. It is also a cool vinyl record store and has a lot of charm. We then went around exploring the historic buildings. Many of them were built in the 1800s and are still standing. The Oasis Bordello building is still there, now a museum that welcomes guests with tours of the upstairs rooms for a small fee. Susan had her own stories about the brothel, seeing as it was still in business as she was growing up. Like how her brother, who was a flower delivery boy, once split his pants setting down a flower pot intended for one of the ladies upstairs. The girls felt so bad for him, they got together and fixed his pants for him and sent him on his way. It turned out they weren’t really seamstresses though, and when his mother examined the repair, it turned out they had used staples. We had the best time exploring this preserved little treasure of a town.

What this side of the trail may lack in natural scenic beauty was more than made up for with these historic towns. Plus, I spied my second moose, this time much closer. There are lots of places to stay on the eastern half, including a popular ski resort with a gondola for skiers in the winter and mountain bikers in the summer. It was an epic stay and we would do it all again in a heartbeat. 

Richard notes that he “civvy” rode the whole thing, both directions; meaning he wore mostly normal clothes and shoes and used non clipped pedals. It was overall a good call, but he needs better hip support on his backpacks when he’s carrying a lot of stuff for a long ride. I note that highways 95 and 90 are easy to drive and that the smaller highway 3 is a much curvier, hillier, and edgier road. They are repaving highway 90, so they must have read my blog where I complained about the surface last time. Thanks Idaho. I appreciate you.

Total miles from Lewis & Clark: 178.5, 19.1 mpg, 4 hours 35 min. Site 10 hookups. Good cell for both. Solar but didn’t need it. Site is on the end of the second row, so not waterfront, but nice view of grassy area. Wifi at little campground store. Right on Trail of CDA. 

This was a one night stand, getting from Oregon to Idaho with a convenient stop in eastern Washington. We’ve stayed here once before and it is very pleasant for this purpose. I wouldn’t stay more than one night, and I wouldn’t go out of my way. Last time we were here, the whole area was flooded. The tiny river that now shows sand bars and a gentle current was full up to the top of the banks, causing me to question whether we were in danger of getting flooded out.

Last time there was a warning about “extreme fluff danger” from the abundant cottonwoods. This time we were safe from dangerous fluff and got to enjoy lots of blooming wild roses.

Speaking of fluff, I am really pleased with myself over a specific storage item. Carrying stuffing for amigurumi crochet animals is trickier than you might think. That stuff expands like crazy. I have an entire dry bag dedicated to fiberfill and I don’t want to have to go into the roof box every time I’m ready to stuff a body. So I google searched, trying various combinations of descriptor phrases that would lead me to some kind of squeezable cylindrical container where I could compress a whole bunch of stuffing into a small space. I finally landed on a makeup brush container that can adjust its height depending on the size of your brushes. I can therefore stuff both tubes to overflowing, push them together, squeeze them down the volume of one of the halves, and lock them in place. Storage efficiency makes me unreasonably giddy.

After a yummy dinner of Vadouvan chicken with mango chutney, mustard seed rice, and green beans, we walked around the limited and overgrown campground trails and checked out the state park displays across the road. Lewis & Clark really got around. So there are many things named after them. Got it. They stayed in this location for a while, so there’s a handy little park which makes for a nice midway point for an otherwise daunting jump. I’d even stay here again.

Note to us for the future: if we do stay here again, Richard needs to get over his high standards for morning walking and just do laps around the parking lot or something. We left the next morning and Richard didn’t do a morning walk before a four hour car drive. He was dysregulated all day and that made the end of the day at the other side unnecessarily stressful. If I can accept that I need to do Yoga every day, like it or not, Richard can learn that he needs to speed walk in the morning on every travel day, interesting trail or not.

Total miles from Viento: 207.2, 22.4 mpg (big head wind!), 4 hours 35 min. Site 5 no hookups. Good dump with potable water, $5. Ok cell service for both, better for ATT. Didn’t hear road noise or train.

This stay was an example of Plan B executing extremely well. Our purpose for this stop, in addition to getting miles tracking northward, was to ride the last section of the Columbia River Gorge. The last time we came, Richard set out and had to cut his journey short because of a wildfire. We aimed to arrive on Sunday and ride together all day Monday. Small hitch: the weather reports for Monday said rain all day. Bummer.

We did some rethinking and figured there might be enough time at the end of the arrival day for Richard at least to section ride it as long as I could drop him off somewhere. Then, I could either wait in The Dalles with Dory and he could ride to me, or I could try to get into our site early (check in time is a very late 4pm at many Oregon State Parks) and come get him. Either way, his day could consist of riding from exit 62 in Hood River, to the Columbia River Discovery Center in The Dalles. We got to exit 62 around 1:30, so that gave him plenty of time to do the ride.

It was only about five more miles west to go to Viento, so I figured I’d see if the site was empty and if anyone was policing early check ins. I lucked out on all fronts and easily backed into the site, unhitched, and chilled for an hour or so. I followed him on Find My Friends, and as soon as he looked close-ish, I hopped in the car and drove out to fetch him. It’s about a half hour drive, but he was fine waiting at the Discovery Center. He had a great ride and we both felt triumphant at our flexibility given weather obstacles.

It was late in the afternoon at that point, so we opted for dinner in The Dalles. Richard found a 5 star food truck that serves Chili Cheese Coney Dogs and that place was a definite winner. It is Cascade Coneys and the cheese was piled so high on top of the hot dog, you couldn’t even see the chili. Oh man, that was good! They even give you a gummy dog as a little treat. There are two different food trucks (the other has Mexican food) in a nicely decked out permanent patio, with covered picnic tables, cute decor, and even a fire pit for gatherings. 5 stars is right. Afterwards, we walked to our favorite ice cream place: Shannon’s. Richard had an apple caramel crumble on a waffle cone, and I had an Oregon hazelnut chocolate. I hadn’t earned mine, but didn’t care. It was great, as expected.

The next day didn’t start with rain, so Richard went out walking the trail, documenting waterfalls. He made it to Cabin Creek, Starvation Creek, Hole in the Wall, and Lancaster Falls. He even scrambled up a bit to get a shot of the backside of water from behind Cabin Creek Falls. He made it back before any rain at all.

While he was out getting steps before the rain started, I was gingerly easing myself back into crochet. I’ve been a very good girl and let my hands rest a solid week. I’ve read lots of blogs and watched videos from professional knitters and crocheters, and they all give much the same advice: 1) watch your posture and grip, 2) take breaks, 3) stretch. There are other tips out there, including seeing a medical professional if the pain is bad or doesn’t go away, but these are the top tips. I’m happy to report that I got in three twenty-minute sessions with no pain, taking breaks in between, and did not suffer ill effects the next day. I have really missed it, so I’m super motivated to be careful and not go crazy and overdo it again. The other lesson I am learning the hard way is that some form of yoga every night before bed is a non negotiable for me. I’ve been on and off about that, but I’m sixty and I need to stop screwing around. Luckily, I still have a yoga mat stashed away in Dory, and I’ve still got an audio routine on my phone. I’m out of practice, but it felt good anyway.

With some time left in the day, we braved the gentle rain and walked down to see the river. I wanted just a couple of miles to work out hip kinks, so walking to Starvation Creek Falls and turning around was plenty for me. The rain was steady, but gentle, and we were often shielded by the thick tree cover. We spotted a Bald Eagle roosting above the river and noted how strong the rock catching metal nets are all along the trail. We returned to Dory, hung up out wet jackets in the shower, and I made a Blue Apron of Sambal Peach Chicken with Sesame Brown Rice. So good!

Viento is a really nice campground, despite the road noise and sometimes alarming train whistle. Those downsides are well documented in campground reviews. Neither really bothered us, and the trains don’t sound off at night, but they are admittedly quite close. It’s got a nice day use beach by the river, proximity to town stuff, whether Hood River, or farther to The Dalles, and direct access to the bikeway. If biking west, which is almost always with the wind, be aware that there is a section after Viento where you have to travel on Highway 84. It’s not long, but not pleasant. After that, it’s a beautiful ride on Highway 30 with some sections not open to cars. I’m really glad Richard got his ride in. That would have been disappointing. Next, we track east and northwards toward another highly anticipated bike ride. Hopefully, we can do that one together!

Total miles from La Pine: 187.6, 4 hours 35 min, 17.2 mpg. Site 35 electric and water hookups. No solar, heavily shaded campground. No dump. There is a dump at Memaloose SP. Good cell for both, but better for ATT.

National Donut Day, celebrated on the first Friday of June, is an important and highly revered holiday in our family. Richard has been planning for where he was going to get doughnuts on this day for months. We planned our route from Ashland to La Pine specifically so that we could go by Puck’s. Why are you laughing? This is serious business.

Richard helped get us all hitched and dumped in the morning and then headed out. When he texted me that he was there, I pulled Dory out to meet him. They had hot, fresh apple fritters, so calories be damned, we each got one. Then we continued on our route up through Eagle Point and then followed the Rogue River until we got to our second food destination: Trail Market. I blogged about this place before and raved about their tacos so much that someone who follows the blog told me they made a special trip out that way to try them. That had me feeling nervous and potentially guilty to have coaxed someone into making a special trip. What if they didn’t find them as great as we did? On second tasting, I am doubling down. Their tacos are that good, and if you make a special trip and don’t find them to be worth the detour, that’s on you. We also picked up three different kinds of tamales and took them to go. Those served as dinner the next two nights and were also fabulous.

It was a straight forward drive up to La Pine, via Highway 62 to 97. La Pine campground has three loops with lots of sites, some with hookups and some not. We got full hookups and that was very much appreciated. After a microwaved tamale dinner, we walked around the trails by the river. I kept it short because my right hip flexor is bothering me (I’m 60). Richard tried to continue on and do a loop, but his super power kicked in and he got lost. He made it back to Dory, but was frustrated by how wrong he is about which way to go so much of the time.

We had one full day to do something fun in the area and Richard was set on making sure we included Richard’d Donuts in Bend as part of the equation. He really wanted to make it there for National Donut Day, but logistics were not in his favor. His first idea was for us to ride there. That sounded fine, but ambitious, seeing as it is about thirty miles one way. We geared up for a long day and I packed my extra e-bike battery on my rack, but shortly before departure, he had second thoughts. Instead, we did what I’m sure was a far better plan and drove to doughnuts first. While it would have been possible I think to ride the whole way, I don’t think most of it would have been that scenic. Plus we would have been stressed about getting to Richard’s before they closed, or ran out. This way, we got to enjoy an excellent raised chocolate glazed and a lemon filled, fresh for the morning, with no worries or rushing.

We then set out to try to figure out how to ride the Deschutes River Trail. It’s tricky to figure out just from reading reviews and online information, which parts of the trail are suitable for regular bikes vs which parts are really intended for mountain bikes or off road bikes. Richard has a set of wide tires that he can put on his road bike for these occasions, but that doesn’t create a mountain bike. My bike has thick tires, but is still really made for paved, or at least hard packed dirt or gravel, roads. We tried going to a staging area first at a place called Meadow Day Use and found the trail there to be really just a hiking trail. Honestly, I couldn’t see how it would be ok to have any kind of bike go on that because it was so narrow and you’d have to navigate big rocks and tree roots, in addition to hikers. We were confused, so Richard got on the phone with a local bike store and asked for beta. He talked to someone named Tanner from Gear Fix in Bend and that was super helpful. We then drove out to the next staging area at Lava Island and set out from there.

The first section of trail was sort of a packed gravel rails-to-trails type terrain. Not too difficult to ride for either of us. After we went past the staging area at Dillon Falls, it became more like a walking trail. It was a narrow single track on exposed dirt. I’ll be honest, I was nervous about how mountain bikey this adventure was going to be, but that section only lasted a mile or so. We got back onto a wider section, and later on an unpaved road for cars that took us all the way to Benham Falls. There is a parking area and a short walking path down to a falls overlook there. That was a lovely place for a bit of lunch before deciding whether to keep going. It turns out to be a very pretty and easy ride from the falls to a bridge that gets you to the other side of the Deschutes River.

From that point, there are fully paved bike trails that take you either to Sunriver, or to Lava Lands National Monument. We opted for the lava experience and rode a peaceful and easy three miles up to the cinder cone. We’ve been there before, and Richard has ridden to the top before, but I hadn’t. Now I could and I switched the power to Turbo and cruised on up the 8% grade no problem. It’s an incredible view of rivers of lava flow from the top. You can also get a good view of Mt. Batchelor, the Three Sisters, and Mt. Washington.

Turning to go back, we coasted almost all of the paved three miles back to the bridge. Taking the return route, I fully enjoyed all of the biking. The first time traversing it, I was just a bit anxious about how rugged it was going to get and whether we’d be able to make it to the bridge part. Now that I know, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. You are not right by the river the whole way, as you would be if you were walking the actual Deschutes River Trail, but the bike routes run parallel and you get beautiful views, or access to a day use area with beautiful views, every mile or so. We saw two impressive falls and lots of rapids. We also saw a group of rafters starting down the river. For sure you’d want to do that with a professional group so you don’t accidentally find yourself on the upstream side of one of those falls. If we wanted to ride all the way to Bend, I think we’d have to take surface streets after the Lava Island Day Use. There are bike trails all through Sunriver, and many surface street routes to get down to La Pine. I think we did the pretty part, but there is a lot more to explore in the Bend area.

Before heading back to Dory, we stopped at Gear Fix to see if I could get a better rack storage solution for when I take all my clothes with my bike and later take them all off. It’s a huge consignment store, so many of the items are gently used sports gear. You can get everything from outdoor clothing, to climbing gear, to kayaking gear, to bicycles. I didn’t find a rack bag I liked, but I did find better straps with which to better secure my dry bag. That might do it. We were happy to support their business since they gave us such good advice on how to ride the river trail.

We got back to the campground, ready to be cozy and warm indoory in Dory. Before leaving the next morning, Richard wanted one more shot at doing that trail without getting lost. He was super careful not to trust his intuition on directionality, and successfully navigated himself all the way around the loop. We departed the campground triumphant, having achieved Doughnuts, off road biking, and campground trails, all without getting too lost.

Total miles from Emigrant Lake: 176.5, 4 hours 53 min with stops at Puck’s and Trail, 17.2 mpg. Site 88 full hookups. Better cell for ATT than Verizon. All up and down 97 seems to have poor cell for Verizon. Good dump at site so didn’t need to pay $10 for campground dump. 30 amp service at site and water spigot.

Ashland still feels like our second home, in addition to being a Disneyland for this former thespian. In a three night stay, we saw four shows at the Shakespeare Festival and got to hang out with our son and grab drinks with special Cabaret friends. All activities were wonderful, as was the chocolate caramel apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I’ve been watching calories, but this splurge was worth it. Plus, it’s an apple, so technically it’s good for me.

For our first evening performance, we saw “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the Bowmer. Richard thinks he’s never seen this before, which seems weird. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the play, plus having been in a high school production of it, but I guess he didn’t ever join me to see it before. It was of course a very good production, with especially stand out performances in the roles of Puck, Hermia, and Titania/Hippolyta.

Before curtain time, we cruised the gift shop and I texted our daughter to see if she wanted anything, like a fancy leather bound papyrus journal, or perhaps a tiara. She said she was good on tiaras, but told me to keep a lookout for D&D dice. Lol, I said, because how likely is it that I would find dice? Imagine my surprise when we walked into FunAgain Games where they had more dice than I have ever seen in my life. They hold game nights all week for D&D, board games, Magic, and people can also arrange meet ups through their Discord group. They have puzzle tables and a whole wall devoted to puzzles. I sent pictures and picked up rainbow dice, a nerdy sticker, and a pair of tiny swords for her. For “dual wielding.” Obviously.

The next day we got to see our son and his new puppies! He works in special education at the local elementary schools. His school year is just wrapping up this week so he’s exhausted, but we got to grab him and take him to dinner. We met up with longtime friends at Martino’s and shared calzone and catch up stories. Man it was great to see these faces. Missed a picture with Darcy, so I look forward to the next opportunity when we come through again.

Shows that day included “You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World” in the Thomas Theatre, and an evening performance of “Come From Away.” The former is a powerful new play that deals with terminal cancer and how a family processes it all. I was very moved by it and impressed with the performances. The latter is a musical about the time after 9/11 when all planes in US airspace were grounded and the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland found itself hosting thousands of stranded passengers. I’m not usually a musical fan, but this one was a fascinating depiction of a unique moment in time. The stories portrayed are all based on true events and I never thought about what an incredible undertaking that was on the part of these unexpected host cities. It is nice to be reminded of human decency and goodwill these days.

On our last day in town, Richard rode the Green Way bike trail to Medford, with a stop at Puck’s Doughnuts. I met him with the car and we got in a shopping trip at Trader Joe’s. Then it was back to Dory to put everything away and later, we made one quick stop at our son’s to say goodbye. On our way back into town, we swung by the location of what used to be our house, but it has been completely erased. I’m not surprised really, nor sad exactly. We, or rather my mom, bought that house when it was in quite a disgusting, dog pee infused, state. But we worked hard to fix it up the best we could. Richard removed a load bearing wall and we stripped old paint and refinished built in wood features. When we later sold it, the adjacent university was anxious to make an offer. I figured they would someday bulldoze it to make way for student housing. I go look at it when we come to town and it was looking pretty decrepit. It makes a very final statement to just be totally gone, but I can’t say I’m wistful. I do love our house now, and you can’t beat having a Dory campground in the back yard. But little things, like realizing those irises I planted are gone, does feel kinda sad.

We shook off the nostalgia with a delicious dinner of street tacos at Taqueria Picaro. And lastly, we rounded out our theatre fest with “A Raisin in the Sun” in the Bowmer. This was a classic Festival production, packing an emotional gut punch through outstanding writing and world class performances. I’ve never seen this one before and I recommend it highly. For most of the performances, the house has been filled with high school groups, which is wonderful to see. The energy is super high and you can feel the excitement as a new generation is introduced to high quality theatre. I tip my hat to the chaperone teachers giving them the run down on theatre etiquette and behavior expectations. I saw one separate students before curtain time because she didn’t trust they wouldn’t whisper to each other during the performance, and I loved that. Well done teacher chaperone!

One rain cloud to an otherwise sunny stay is that I am on a self imposed knitting/crocheting break. I clearly overdid it on the enthusiastic start to all of this, and my hands got really sore. I was thinking that by switching to different techniques, it would get better, but The Internet has convinced me that I really need to stop and rest for a bit to let all those tiny unused muscles and tendons adjust. I know I strained them after a marathon day where I spent many hours knitting nonstop, and even if they haven’t gotten worse, they have also not gotten any better. I reluctantly accept it’s better to stop for a week than cause permanent damage, but I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been easy. I’m in a “can’t stop, won’t stop” mode, but my body assertively disputed with, “can, will.” After a four day hiatus, I can tell my hands are healing, so that is encouraging. In the meantime, I got to hang out at The Websters (a close knit community), a yarn store in downtown Ashland where people gather once a week for community knitting. That got me excited to join the Lafayette knitting community at our own yarn store, Busy Stix. I picked up a pair of compression gloves at Websters and instead of reading articles or watching YouTube videos on techniques, I am now learning about the importance of posture and taking breaks. I didn’t think of this as a particularly physically challenging hobby, but I guess if you do anything repetitively for hours and hours, you need to treat it with respect. At least Ashland is a great place to pause because there is so much to do.

It’s been a lovely stay, as usual. We have reservations and tickets for a stop over in September. We had perfect weather and could not have asked for a better time. On we go, tracking northward!

Total miles from Fowler’s: 91.7, 2 hours 24 min, 17.5 mpg. Site 4, full hookups. Excellent cell. Great view. Always a nice place to stay.