We set out on our first real road trip a day earlier than originally planned. As had been the case on our last trip, wildfires in Northern California disrupted our itinerary. The Delta fire had burned an area around I5 around Shasta City, and while the highway itself was open, we opted to leave a half day early and add Hat Creek Hereford Ranch to our circular tour of the Northwest states. The trip had multiple purposes: test The Road Haus on a long-haul outing, do some camping and fishing, and…. see a couple Avett Brothers’ shows.
First night out found us in our familiar Hat Creek location. We tucked ourselves into a cozy full hook up site, heated up some ravioli in the Instant Pot, and enjoyed acampfire before bed. It was sort of nice being in such a familiar place with our still somewhat unfamiliar rig.
Day two was a nice route along rural, two-lane roads northward through Modoc county and into southern Oregon. We had reservations at the campground at Crater Lake.
After picking our campsite (D33) we figured out that the West Rim Drive around the lake was on our path northward tomorrow, so we
just enjoyed a lazy afternoon of reading (and napping) before cooking up a dinner of wild goose and early to bed.
Ww woke up to just freezing temps, but had been warm all night inside with just some extra bedding on us. OK, not just “some” bedding, but a really nice Pendelton wool blanket had added to our comfort. Coffee and a quick breakfast before heading out to see Crater Lake. The morning was slightly cloudy, but as sometimes happens, it created a more interesting light pattern that made for some nice photos.
As we wound our way north on Highway 97, we realized we had not stocked our beverage cabinet completely, and a stop in Bend was probably in order. Barry had been there a few years ago. Okay, well, more like 25 years? As frequently happens, towns change in that amount of time. We ended spending more time than we planned negotiating traffic and looking for the proper place to purchase tequila. But eventually we were back on the highway, and as we drove northward, the malls and fast food joints thinned out, and we were back in rural loveliness again.
Our destination that day was The Gorge.
However, I realized that the monitor for the solar panels had gone blank. While it was not critical to have the solar working, having two days at the Gorge without a hookup and probably not wanting to run the generator would be less than ideal. We actually had no idea if the solar itself was working, and just the display had gone dead. We posted our issue on the amazing Facebook Group we’ve been on, and literally minutes later, a troubleshooting response was posted. New fuse, inline to the batteries, may be the culprit. So, we planned a lunch stop where we could also visit a hardware store, and either the new fuse or the process of undoing and reconnecting the batteries to the solar fixed the problem.
Back on the road, it wasn’t hard to navigate to our destination, but it certainly was out in the nowhere land. As we followed the well-placed signs to the VIP Camping area, we were immediately impressed with the number and friendliness of the staff working the venue. They clearly had done this before. Tickets and wristbands were exchanged, directions and logistical information given, and in a short time, we were perched on one of the terraces overlooking the Gorge and cuddled up to fellow concert goers.
The evening was pleasant, not hot, not cold, and there were plenty of folks showing up on that Friday evening and setting up their campsites to provide entertainment for those of us mellowing out over our dinners. The vibe was relaxed but fun, with families and young people and old folks like us all enjoying the night. Kids running around in the semi-darkness, a few campfires, games and quiet tunes.
The next day was the daylight version of the previous evening. People wandering to get free coffee and doughnuts, use the showers, cook brunches, play mellow music, eating lunches, visiting with each other, early suppers. At 3:00 or so, people started lining up for the Shuttles to the actual amphitheater. After we cleaned up our own “camp”, anticipating an early morning departure, we joined a Shuttle group at around 4:30 or so.
The Amphitheater was incredible – you get off the Shuttle and walk a bit up to where the amphitheater itself swoops down to the river, and you are spellbound. We wandered around during the opening acts, which were great, and sat in our seats for the headliners, The Avett Brothers. The Shuttle took us back to our campsite afterward, and we snuggled into our mobile nest.
Another day, another concert. We had a five hour drive to Missoula, where Barry would be seeing another session with The Brothers; I had opted to spend Sunday evening hanging out in the Road Haus. We were up early, and fueled by free coffee and doughnuts, we quietly fired up our chariot and hit the road.
The drive started out with Nevada-desert-looking landscape, but after driving through Spokane, turned more mountainous and forested. Highway 90 East, all the way. Lake Coeur d’Alene sparked below the roadway which twisted and turned across the Idaho panhandle. On the other side, things flattened out again in Big Sky Country.
We had reserved a space at the Missoula KOA, and could tell that the well-worn, but well-maintained, campground probably started out being just outside of downtown, but was now encircled by retail excesses. The good news is that it turned out to be just a few minutes drive from the concert venue, Big Sky Brewing, and there were Uber drivers in the area. Mid-afternoon, Barry headed to the show, and I settled in for an evening of washing some clothes, and cooking up a bunch of meals we could re-heat later. I was already in bed when Barry returned a bit before midnight.
So, we slept in, an bit, started talking about our next days’ activities. One thing we did need to do was re-stock our food and drink, so we packed up and found a big grocery store on Highway 97 South, our intended direction. Realizing we did not have a guide, or even fishing licenses, we ditched the idea of fishing and decided to accelerate our schedule home by a day.
The drive down 97 and then Highway 75 in the Sawtooth Wilderness was amazing. Rural Montana farmland with the mountains as a backdrop turned to a winding path hugging the banks of the Salmon River. Given we didn’t start out until after 1:00 in the afternoon, we ended up driving over five hours. We started pulling into potential campsites, but none seemed to be just right.
Finally, as it was getting dusky, we pulled into what turned out to be a perfect, off
the road but not too far, private riverside spot. Barry tried his hand at fishing for a bit, but no luck. Dinner and a campfire ended our day.
The next day was a morning of more amazing scenery as we pulled off to check out Redfish Lake, where we had gone 36 years (gulp) before. The list of places we will need to come back to for a longer visit grows again.
And the rest of the morning continued to be beautiful as we passed through picture perfect Stanley, and over Galena Summit into Ketchum.
The afternoon drive, especially south of Twin Falls, was predictable. Still following 97 South into Nevada, and then West on I80 at Wells, across the desert. Having done this part of the drive several times in the last few years, we knew we could make it to Winnemucca and find the KOA there. And, lo and behold, a few minutes after we pulled in and got set up, a 2016 Unity Murphy Bed (Silver!) pulled in one spot away from us. We visited with the owners the next morning; Canadian folks on their way to Southern California for a family reunion of sorts.
The next day was an easy drive across the familiar north Nevada landscape; point the Road Haus west and keep the accelerator down. We did make a short stop at Tyrol Haus in Truckee to say hello to my parents. They had not really gotten much of a chance to see the rig when they visited us a couple months ago. The Road Haus looked really big sitting in their driveway, for some reason.
Back at Madrone Haus – take everything out, prepare to put it back in. After a day off, we hit the road again. The Road Haus headed even further west, to Sonoma County for another Avett show. Through the generosity of a fellow Avett fan who could not use the reservation at the last minute, we had a nice spot to park for the night at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. It was quiet and lovely weather, and only a few minutes from both the concert venue, and to the new homestead of Barry’s long time friend Nazar, who also was going to the show with his son. They are both musicians and that made attending with them a special treat. Another musician and childhood friend of Barry’s, James, came by just after we arrived and visited for an hour or so, and then Nazar joined us for dinner al fresco, and some mezcal tasting (of course.)
In the morning, we headed over to Nazar’s. His son Aidan was our designated driver, and we left the Road Haus comfortably parked in the front of their acreage. The short drive to the BR Cohen winery where the show as uneventful and uncrowded. Unlike other concerts, this was more of a day long festival, with multiple bands playing all day before the final Avett Brothers performance. It was lovely, mellow and very warm.
Returning to Nazar’s place afterward, the music continued. A fabulous barbeque, and Nazar playing the guitar and us trying to remember lyrics to old songs and watching the moon come up.
We stayed comfortably in our little rolling home and after coffee, said our goodbyes – Nazar and Aidan were attending the festival again that day, and we wanted to get back home. Along the way, I had the bright idea to stop at the Nut Tree for brunch, but we found that, as so often happens, the old Nut Tree restaurant had been replaced by more of a traditional mall situation. Nevertheless we found a nice spot outdoors to be fed, and then continued our ride home.
It was a fabulous, long-but-not-long-enough trip. Just getting started….
The Road Haus Chronicles 