We left home on Interstate 5. As we crossed the Columbia River and entered Oregon, we turned east, onto I-84. This was to be our route for the next 764 miles, until I-84 merges into I-80, in Utah.
Highway 84 takes us along the Columbia River. It is a beautiful drive . We passed the Cascade Locks, Hood River and The Dalles. We stopped for the night in Boardman, Oregon. It was dark and we just pulled off the road, into a field full of burrs, fox tails and jack rabbits. The dogs had a quick walk and we tried to stay out of the stickers. We got an early start the next morning. From Boardman on, the highway veers southeast.
June 1, Monday, at a stop in Baker City, OR. we went for a walk, and sat in the shade on the grass .
Very hot here! Maybe that's how it got it's name.
Spirit, Pirate & Quest
We made it to Boise, Idaho today. I found a nice RV park and my niece, Jill came over to visit. We had fun catching up and celebrated with a bottle of wine and snacks. I had not seen her for years. She helped me walk the dogs. We stayed up late and talked and laughed and talked some more. It was a fun evening.
It is Tuesday morning, the 2nd of June.
Our mornings normally begin with putting the water on to boil, for coffee. I use a French Press to make the coffee. It is just the right size for 2 or 3 cups. It is good coffee, and fast. If it is cold I turn up the furnace and go back to bed while I wait a couple minutes for everything to warm up. That doesn't take long in a motor home. This morning Pirate needed to go out. It seemed urgent. Three walks later I decided we should stop at a vet's office to get something for his upset tummy. After a visit to a nice vet, we left Boise some time after noon. I cannot imagine what upset their stomachs. I only let them drink bottled water when we travel. It is just not worth the gamble. I keep planning to have a water filter installed on the RV, but have not got around to it yet.
Tuesday evening and we are at a rest stop near Ogden, Utah. We have traveled 800 miles. I love road trips. We are meeting nice people all along the way. The White dogs are such good ambassadors and they make it easy to meet people. We travel with some toys and exercise equipment. I have an extending jump stick that they use as a hurdle for some exercise. We also have a fuzzy toy that is attached to a cord that is at the end of a pole. (Kind of like a fishing pole.) The dogs love to chase it and can really get going, even in a small area.
It was kind of a rough day. Pirate had a very upset tummy and Quest was a little upset too, but not as bad as Pirate. Their dinner tonight was rice and boiled hamburger with a little cottage cheese. They loved it and they are all sound asleep. Spirit loved the meal too. He didn't get the bug - he is too tough!
Some of the pictures are taken through the windshield - so please excuse the squished bugs and the nose prints. I did not actually catch any shots of the lightening although it seemed hard to miss, there was so much of it.
And then it began to rain!
Today I drove through an amazing thunder and lightening storm between Idaho and Utah. Big signs said it was a "Severe Storm Area". I didn't even know there was such a thing as a severe storm area. I do now! It was wonderful - if a little scary. I kept wondering if I should stop and wait a while, but the way the lightening was coming down made me think I would rather keep moving. It was so beautiful. Strike after strike of bright white lightening splitting the navy blue sky. Once a fork came down and hit on both sides of the road. It was a ways ahead of us. I just followed the big rigs. Nothing seems to stop them. I had to drive a little slower, so it was a long day to do just a little over 300 miles. The first two days were terribly hot, but today was just right. The rain was a relief, and it was about 63 degrees.
June 3, Wednesday morning. Pirate seems much better. Being sick when you are traveling is no fun. He is a little new to this and he was restless last night. It was quite windy and he was pacing a little during the night. The wind was causing the RV to make a lot of noises that Pirate thought were all wrong. He has decided that while we are traveling, his place to sleep is with me. He is very warm and the first two nights I did not appreciate his added warmth. Last night was good though, as the wind was coming off of the snowy mountains and it was much cooler. We parked overnight in the rest stop and they have a lot of truck traffic going in and out. I was hoping to stay at a nice campground, but we got off to such a late start after finding a vet.... and then driving through the storm was tiring. I was just anxious to get some sleep.
This morning. the storm has passed and the day is gorgeous. I can see the mountains and they still have snow on them. From the map, it appears that the mountains are The Bear River Range. We are going for a walk and then we will head for Wyoming.
Utah
Let's go! Hurry up mom.... we need to go see cows and cowboys in Wyoming!
It is so pretty here and we are having so much fun. Utah is beautiful Both of my parents were born here and I recall so many stories they told me about it. Wish we had time to meander.
On our walk we got to watch some horses run to greet a man in a pickup who pulled up to the fence with treats for them. They whinnied to him and went bucking and kicking across the meadow as they ran to greet him. The dogs were fascinated.
Guess we will get on our way. It is a long road! Next stop: Wyoming. I am kind of aiming for Laramie. Tonight I want a real campground with a picnic table and a big shower without White Shepherd noses poking through the curtain. We need time to go for a long walk. We did not stop until 10:30 PM last night. Of course we are losing time as we travel east - because of the time change. We need some extra relaxation time.
