Week Two in a Camper Van

So we pack up our things in La Push and embark on our second week with Minnie Winnie, continuing our journey down the Olympic Peninsula, on scenic Highway 101, along the Pacific Coast, headed for Astoria in Oregon.

Hall of Mosses

As we approach Hoh Rainforest, we decide to stop there for a quick tour of the site. Due to the Pacific coast climate, the fogs and the rains, the Rainforest is constantly damp and humid.

A windy road takes us deep into the forest where Leo and Oda look like Hänsel and Gretel. A relaxed one hour walking tour takes us to the so-called Hall of Mosses, where massive trees hanging full of moss give the impression of a natural cathedral. We live a moment of silent appreciation.

Entering Oregon

When the day slowly comes to an end, we have traveled all the way down the Washington State part of Highway 101 and prepare to cross the mile-long Astoria Bridge across the Columbia River estuary. And what a spectacular view and exciting ride. Minnie Winnie seems to hold her breath and to suck her belly in, or maybe it’s just me.

And while we cross the river, we enter the state of Oregon, with Astoria on the other end of the bridge. We have not expected anything, and find Astoria quite charming and inviting. We stop for groceries and continue to head on to our next campsite, but I would have loved to take a stroll as there appear to be nice little streets and a lively, laid back atmosphere in the golden evening sun.

Later on during our trip, we come to realize that Astoria marked something like the end of Lewis & Clarke’s Oregon trail back in 1806 after their two year journey from Missouri by order of President Thomas Jefferson to explore a safe passage out West. The Oregon trail will be a recurring topic in the next couple of days, raising mixed feelings.

Astoria, in any event, has caught my interest. I hope to be back sometime. That does not necessarily apply for our campsite in Fort Stevens State Park, but at the end of the day, any place to hook up Minnie Winnie is as good as any. And the burgers on the grill and the appetite of my children make up for everything anyway.

Along Columbia River

The next day, we continue our journey down Highway 101 to a little town called Seaside, considering another stay on the Pacific, that has grown dear to us over the last couple of weeks and which we have a hard time to let go.

Yet, we are scheduled to be in Homedale, Idaho, where my wife Juliane spent her senior year in high school as an exchange student, for the celebrations of July 4. So we confer and plan and discuss while having some stuff washed at a Laundry place, and finally decide to move on.

A major challenge we are confronted with is finding campsites somewhere along our trail over the next couple of nights that have space for Minnie Winnie, because all campsites are fully booked due to the long 4^th of July weekend.

We take Highway 26 across the Saddle Mountains all the way to Portland and into its afternoon traffic congestion. There is no time to stop here, but again, just from the snap shots we take with our camera out of our camper, we feel that this is another place to return to another time.

Heading further East, our main road now becomes the “Inter-State 84” along the Columbia River, which appears to be more or less where the Oregon Trail once went along. As the day is coming to an end, we finally manage to reserve a boon docking spot for Minnie Winnie in Home Valley, an hour east of Portland, on the north shore of the Columbia River. Crossing the bridge at Stevenson as the sun sets and the golden evening light reflects on the river, is a stunning and heart opening experience.

We reach our destination, the Wind Mountain RV Park, which is run by a Dutch couple, and are most friendly welcomed by their man on the ground Brae and his colleague, who help us set up camp and stabilize Minnie Winnie with a few wooden boards. All is well, that ends well.

Into the Wallowa Mountains

After a relaxed morning and an extended chat about various aspects of living and working in America with our charming Dutch host Astrid, we fill up our reserves in the little grocery store next door and roll further East along the Columbia River. We have managed to reserve another spot for Minnie Winnie in Enterprise near the Chief Joseph Monument in the Wallowa Mountains.

We cross the river again onto I-84 at Hood River, one of the prime wind and kite surfing spots on Columbia River and head further East across Hermiston, where we have to leave the river on our left, turning further South East past Pendleton and exit the highway at La Grande to turn onto Highway 82 into the Wallowa Mountains with our final destination being the Log House RV Park in Enterprise.

While the vegetation has already become very different a few miles after Home Valley with fewer trees and more open yet already somewhat burned grasslands, we are now entering luscious green farmlands with wide rolling hills, red barns and black cattle, spread across the scenery.

Our host Brian welcomes us with open arms and a mountain view to remember. We spend a lovely evening and have a wonderful good night sleep. After all, it’s not so bad having left the Pacific North West.

 Joseph

The next day, we explore the nearby little charming town of Joseph where we find a wonderful country store and Juliane buys a real hat. I also get something which I have to keep secret until the end of our journey, because it’s a surprise.

As the sun is beating down, we decide to take a dip in the nearby Wallowa Lake, and enjoy the fresh clear water and the beautiful Mountain scenery.

And this is where we start to feel a bit uneasy. After all, all this land once belonged to the tribe of the Nez Percé whose Chief Joseph, as he was called after having been baptized, stands out as one of the Native American tribal leaders of his era. He helped his people in a difficult time when his tribe was forced by the US government to leave its territory and was eventually relocated. There will likely be a separate article on him later on this blog, which is why I don’t go into further detail here. But Chief Joseph’s grave is today situated just a few walking minutes away from the beach, overlooking the lake and with a view on the Wallowa Mountains. It somehow doesn’t feel right.

We can’t shake off this feeling even over our nice lunch in the sun at the Ember Brewing House in Joseph, and it bears with us, as we head back to I-84, on our long drive to Idaho. The splendid farmlands left and right of our path were once Nez Percé territory, and they are not anymore. How to cope with it?

Arriving in Homedale, Idaho

Eastern Oregon is just huge, but eventually, we cross the state border to Idaho, and arrive in Homedale late at night and almost without detour in the dark, turning Minnie Winnie around on a dark highway, flashing the warning lights.

Juliane’s host mother was so nice to reserve an RV site near their house and we are scheduled to have breakfast with them in the morning. What a reunion it will be! Several days together are ahead of us, and I am sure there will be much to tell afterwards. So long!