May 2010 Camping Trip Cont.

Frenchglen, Oregon - Day 3

I have to admit that there is nothing like helping to bring in the herd! Little did we know that our "Thurlacki Adventure" today, would involve helping to herd cattle! I guess a little bit of the "City Slicker" rubbed off of us today. Why... we might even have to call ourselves Cow Pokes! :-) But before I get into that, here are a few more pictures to start out with.

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Close Encounters of the "Mustang" kind

California Quail


Avocet


Great Egret

Juvenile Red-Tail Hawk

Closest picture of a Prong-Horn Antelope we've ever gotten!

OK... now about the round-up. While out wondering the OutBack (actually... we were on a wrong road for going to where we wanted to be), we came around a corner and happened upon a real cattle drive... right in the middle of the road! I asked one of the "Cowgirls" if it was OK to proceed down the road, and she said "it sure was... just go slowly". So slowly ahead we moved. This was actually fun! We didn't need to ride horses to rustle up the cattle, we could just sit comfortably in the Dodge 1-Ton Ram, and mosey them off the side of the road while our trusty Yellow Lab Abby, kept them in check. And all from the front seat of the cab. :-) Of the three roads in all of Haney County, we just happen to get lucky to be on the wrong one. All this with Dave & Sandy's truck with only 1/4 tank of gas. Luckily, all ended well, as Dave's truck fuel light came on within 4 miles of Burns, Oregon. Such is the simple life of the "Thurlacki" way... it's almost like being a Cowboy living on the edge, and bring home the herd.

After we rounded the last curve, the cattle moved slowly off to the open range. A man who was parked and hunting for rocks, saw us moving the cattle, and stood there with his mouth opened. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. I rolled down the window, smiled, and told him... "Hope we didn't bother you much, this was our first cattle drive". (that's the truth)

Get along little doggies


Real Cowboys keeping the herd in check


Modern day herding... all from the comfort of the truck cab


Home, home on the range, where the deer & the antelope play...

As today's adventures come to an end, happy trails to you, until we meet again.

Gary, Karen, and our trusty side-kick Abby

May 2010 Camping Trip - #1

Frenchglen, Oregon Trip - Day 2

This morning we woke up to light snow falling. It dropped down to 27 degrees again last night, but we always stay nice and warm in our HitchHiker. Last night while eating dinner in Dave & Sandy's trailer, we decided that we would drive North for today, following the "Center Patrol Road" which runs through the heart of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. It follows the Blitzen River, which helps to flood the marshes, ponds, and lakes. Below are today's pictures.

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Snow showers falling on Frenchglen

Buzzards roosting in a tree at the end of the Center Patrol Road

3 - Mule Deer & 2 - Greater Sandhill Cranes grazing together

Cinnamon Teal

The very illusive Ring-Neck Pheasant

A flock of Ibis

"One Tired" Old House - Look closely... did you get it?

Prairie Dog - a.k.a. Ground Squirrel

American White Pelicans


Badger Butt... just to dang quick!


Peter French's "Round Barn"


Inside the round barn

After visiting the round barn, we decided to head off to the town of Diamond, Oregon (population 5)! We ate our lunch here... but found the parking meters to be just too damn expensive, so we moved on quickly! :-)

When someone dies in town, just spray paint over the number and add a new one

See parking meters in front of the car on the right. They just like to see how much money they can make off of the "City Slickers" that don't know it's a joke

These animals are hard to get a picture of... they're the Prong-Horned Antelope

The snow covered "Steens Mountains"

That's all for today. Tomorrow we're off on another adventure... so check in to see the pictures!

Happy Trails...

Gary & Karen... and Abby Too!

April 2010 Camping Trip - #2

Frenchglen, Oregon - Day 1

Karen and I, along with our "side-kicks" Dave & Sandy, arrived at Frenchglen, Oregon this afternoon. We headed down to Eugene on Hwy 99 (South), then cut over on Hwy 126 (East), then over the Santiam Pass along Hwy 20 (East) to Burns, Oregon, then finally South on Hwy 205 to Frenchglen. We took this route to allow for the melting of the snow that fell overnight onto the mountain passes. Luckily... the pass roads were clear, but we still had falling snow as we drove through.

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Following Dave & Sandy over the mountain passes

Camp site... early morning

Peter Cotton-Tail

Frenchglen is way back in the background

One of our favorite areas to see while here, is the National Malheur Wildlife Refuge. It's only a short drive to the lower end of the "Center Patrol Road" from the Steens Mountain Resort (about 1 1/2 miles), which you can drive though grasslands, ponds, and lakes where beautiful birds and wildlife reside. The following pictures are an example of this area.

The "P-Ranch" along the Center Patrol Road

The P-Ranch

Mule Deer

Wetlands in the Malheur Refuge

More wetlands

More wetlands

Note the snow covered Steens Mountains in the background

Ibis

Young Raccoons

Canadian Geese

American Coot

Huge Cowboy silhouettes Branding Cattle (you can see the real size of the cattle around them)

"Star" - The wild free-roaming "Kiger Mustang" here at the RV Park

Karen feeding "Star" some oats

Abby (a.k.a. - The "Chicken"), gets close to Star

The Malheur Overlook

Overlook - looking South towards Frenchglen

White Puffy Clouds...

We are staying at the "Steens Mountain Resort" (Site 38), which has Full-Hookups (30amp/Water/Sewer), and also contains a small store, propane, and laundry facilities. There is also a BLM Campground nearby for dry camping that is beautiful as well. It's called "Page Springs", and has been recently upgraded. Below are a few pictures of this campground.

Page Springs BLM Campground

New group cooking area


New Pit Toilets

Please make sure to check back over the next 4 days, as I'll make updates and post more pictures from our travels and adventures in this area.

Gary & Karen

April 2010 Camping Trip - #1

Spring has finally arrived, and with it the Willamette Valley is blooming in beautiful pinks & white blossoms. Karen and I took advantage of some warmer weather, and drove up to McMinnville, OR for a visit with our son and daughter-in-law (Kevin & McKenzie). They just recently moved into a newer home in February, and have been working their fingers to the bone painting and fixing up the yards. Ahhhh... first time home owners. :-) A few weeks ago, both Karen and I helped out with building a fence to enclose their backyard, as a Golden Retriever is in their sights for someday. They have a beautiful open field behind them, and a gate was placed along the back fence so that their future dog can run to its heart content. Abby got to try it our herself just to make sure everything was up to par. :-)

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Abby and Karen playing in the field behind Kevin & McKenzie's house

Karen and I stayed at the Olde Stone Village RV Park in McMinnville, OR (located right next to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, and across from the airport on Hwy 18). This park is very clean, and our site came with Full-Hookups (30/50amp, Water, Sewer, Cable TV, and Wifi), all for around $25 a night. Being that it's close to the McMinnville Airport, your daytime noise consists of airplanes, helicopters, and an occasional jet taking off, but at night it is very quiet here.

Site 256 from the front

A backside view, with the bathrooms and showers in the background

One of the other nice perks for this RV Park, is its location right next to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (and an IMAX Theater as well). There is a very nice paved walkway (about 1/4 mile) to the Evergreen Museums, or you can call a shuttle to come pick you up if you don't feel like walking.

The nice paved walkway, with the Space Museum in the background

Karen and I have been to both the Flight and Space Museums, but this time we went to the on-sight IMAX Theater, and watched our first "3-D" movie about the Hubble telescope. I highly recommend seeing this movie! All the 3D images were taken from the new cameras mounted into the Hubble Telescope (from it's last visit from a space shuttle crew), in April of 2009. You get to experience "flying" through Nebula's, Millions of Stars, and the lift-off from one of the few remaining shuttle missions. You'll experience objects that are trillions of light years away from Earth (right at your finger tips), all from the comfort of your padded chair. It's Awesome!!!

The Evergreen Museum is home to the "Spruce Goose", and the Space Museum located next door contains rockets (a fully upright Titan II Defensive Missile), Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury equipment. This museum was constructed to hopefully be able to display one of the retired space shuttles some day into the future!

In front of the Evergreen Aviation Museum. The "Spruce Goose" fills the building behind the pictured F-15 Eagle, from wing tip to wing tip (over 300ft. in width)


You can just make out the nose of the Spruce Goose through the glass windows

They have also started construction of an inside "Water-Slide Park". A Boeing 747 will be lifted onto the top of the steel structure, and the water tube rides will start from inside of the jet, emptying you out into the pool below.

The new Water Park under construction, with the 747 Jet being readied to be lifted onto the top of the steel framed structure. Note the Grape Vineyards on both sides of the construction road.

Where else can you get "Spruce Goose" Wine?

Thanks for traveling along with us once again. Hopefully we've given you some ideas on what to see and where to go in your traveling future. Happy Trails...

-Gary & Karen... and Abby too!-