Emigrant Lake - Ashland, Oregon

In celebration of the end of the academic year and the 4th of July, Paul and I are taking the week for more Oregon exploration...first stop...Emigrant Lake County Park in Ashland, Oregon.

We absolutely love the arid, picturesque beauty of Southern Oregon...and of all of the cities in the region Ashland is by far our favorite.  It is a hotspot for people watching, gourmet dining, unique shops, and abundant outdoor exploration, as well as the home of two very good friends Carl and Annette.

The choices in campground right near Ashland are pretty limited, but we certainly did not sacrifice at The Point RV park located at Emigrant Lake, a park with over 1400 acres and 12 miles of lakefront.  A hotspot for fishing, water activities, and escaping the heat, Emigrant Lake is popular for residents of Ashland and Medford, particularly when the weather is in the high 90's like we are experiencing!  The Point has 32 RV sites and there is a nearby tenting location that has 42 sites.  There is an upper level and a lower level to the campground.  The lower level has several sites with perfect views of the lake...#19 and #21 being the highly coveted.  The upper level sites all have tremendous views of the lake, mountains, and the valley.  Site reservations are essential here in the Summer, particularly if you want one of the prime spots.  We reserved #29 which had a sweeping lake view from our living/dining room.  Each of the sites has a fire pit and picnic table along with full hookups.  The shower rooms are private and locking and the restrooms were very clean, although with limited sink and counter space.

There is no shade at the campground, so plan accordingly.  We are happy our 2 A/C units are pumping out enough to keep us comfortable, but have watched several campers without A/C scoot out early.  The rates are $30 a night and in our opinion, for the views, well worth it.  Check it out....

Restrooms

View from Upper Level Sites

One of the coveted sites #19 - teasing us

Cluster on the Point - #21 pull through at end

View from our picnic table

Our site #29 on Upper Level

View of campground from Emigrant Lake Park

Gambling Escape

Busy schedules have left us with one night to get away this weekend...which is ALWAYS better than no nights, but definitely does limit the options.  We have been craving breakfast at Spirit Mountain Casino for a few weeks now, so decided to pack it up and make that our overnight for this weekend.  There is no official RV park attached to this casino, but there is a large lot where dry camping is allowed and if you time it right you can get one of the 3 spaces facing the wetlands next door.  Lady luck must be traveling with us as were able to snag the best spot in the lot...literally 5 minutes before a herd of Class A's came into the lot.  Could this mean that those loose slots are ready to fill out pockets? We'll see...

Of course parking here is free, but if our normal gambling luck holds true, this night will probably cost us much more than even a fancy RV park....but who knows...right?  If our next post contains the words "new coach" you will know the answer.

Our coveted "view" space

The 3 "view" dry camping spots

Our view on the living side

Back to the Oregon Coast

We have not fallen off the face of the earth, been kidnapped by pirates, or anything of the like.  I have been trudging through the final months and weeks of a doctoral dissertation and just have not had the energy to update the blog.  Now that I am on the tail end of THAT project, blogging AND weekend travel updates will return!

This weekend, thanks to our generous friends Barb and Linda, we are back on the Oregon coast at Pacific Shores in Newport.  The HOA is clearly getting the place ready for the summer season with the landscaping crew working at full speed.  The weather on Friday was rainy and stormy, but today brought bright sunshine and a visit from friends in the valley....Margaret and Melissa.  We took a quick beach walk and sat around enjoying the afternoon sunshine and spring weather.  It is this type of weather that gives us Oregonians hope for summer!

Melissa, Margaret and Paul

Favorite new route from I-5 to Palm Springs, CA

In our quest to find the most pleasurable way to make it from I-5 South to Palm Springs we happened upon a route we had never tried before that has now now hit our "favorite" list.  Our friend Garmin always wants to take us through the grapevine and over on the 210/10 combo.  Not only is the traffic unpredictable, but the road quality is marginal as well...certainly not relaxing in any way.  Last trip we tried Hwy 58 East, connecting to the 395 south and then the 215 down to the 10.  The traffic was better than I-5 but the 395 was a bit of a two-lane nightmare with impatient truckers, RV's, and cars all trying to pass each other.  The road quality was also just as bad if not worse than the 10.  This time we took Hwy 58 East all the way to Barstow where we connected to the 247 South and then to the 62 South.  Other than the 58 it was primarily 2-lane roads with very little traffic.  Best of all it only took 20 minutes longer than the route our friend Garmin loves.  The only hair on your knuckles portion is an 8% grade right before connecting to the 62...nothing a strong foot and exhaust or compression brake can't handle and certainly beats the downhill drama of the 215.

Orange Grove RV Park - Bakersfield, CA

Who wouldn't love the concept of an RV park in the middle of an orange grove where you can pick all of the oranges you want?  On our southern trek to the desert, the Orange Grove RV Park is our favorite for night two of the trip.  Located about 15 minutes East of Bakersfield, this small oasis makes for a perfect stopping point and is a great location if you prefer the HWY 58 routes to the desert as opposed to fighting with LA traffic.  Definitely plan on calling for a reservation here as the night we arrived even the overflow lot was full....VERY glad we called ahead.

Setting 4  This place gets extra bonus points for uniqueness.  The office loans you orange pickers and even has bags so you can pick whatever you like.  About 1/3 of the park on the North end is for long term residents while the remainder is for shorter stays.  There certainly is not privacy, and the lots are gravel, so you should probably look elsewhere if that is a concern.  We absolutely love the feel of the place.

Amenities 3  Take a look at the hookup picture below.  Everything functions, but the sewer hookup is a bit on nasty side...it has a t-joint and you had better make sure the cap on the t that you are not using is on tight.  We started dumping our grey and noticed bubbles and water seeping out of the other t.  Were were very happy we weren't dumping our black tank at the time. Very generous cable channels...WIFI typical for a park like this where an access code is required.  Bathrooms were clean, but minimal services.  The office has RV supplies and some groceries.  Of course the orange pickers were a huge bonus.  There are not restaurants or grocery stores nearby so make sure and come prepared with what you need for the stay.

Accessibility 3.5  The park is directly south of Highway 58.  The approach could not be easier.  There are some sites that are difficult to access so make sure the office knows the exact size of  your coach and tow car so you don't run into a surprise "back up" situation.  Some of the sites are a bit uneven but all seemed to be manageable.

Friendliness 5  Both the park employees and residents were extremely friendly.  As most residents are only at the park for a night it is fun to walk around and find out where everyone is going and coming from. 

View down on of the lanes of the park

Our rig and tow in our spot for the night

Front view of the site

Yes...really surrounded by an orange grove

Another view of our site and neighbors

Bathroom area

Hookups at site

One of 3 showers...plenty of privacy

Durango RV Resort - Red Bluff, CA

Traveling from the mid-Willamette Valley in Oregon, the Redding/Red Bluff, California, region is generally our first overnight on the way to the desert.  It is about a 5-6 hour drive which is really all we care to put in on any given day...when we have a choice of course. Durango RV Resort is literally on the edge of I-5 and the Sacramento river in Red Bluff and is a nice place to crash, refresh and take a first dose of California sunshine for those of us with web feet. 

Setting 3.5  Of course I would boost this rating if being right on I-5 was THE most important aspect....but unfortunately being right on I-5 does come with the usual traffic noise, and with Durango, also a nearby train track.  Of course like any urban RV park, these things are expected.  What does boost this rating for us is the gorgeous view of the river....which includes a short walking path.  There is nothing more relaxing that sitting next to the ocean or a nice river and stream and that boosted our rating of the "setting". 

Amenities 4.5  With our coach at 39 feet and with pulling a toad...having a pull thru that is wide and long is always appreciated for parks that are one night stops.  This place has tremendous hookups that are positioned in exactly the right place, a huge cable channel selection, meticulous cleanliness and landscaping, a welcoming front office with supplies and some groceries, and a clubhouse/lounge that has the feel of a ski lodge.  Everything felt brand new and spotless.  The only downside is the lame exercise room that was clearly an afterthought and has two exercise machines, no weight machine, no free weights or space to really exercise. 

Accessibility 5  Just a 1 minute drive off I-5, easily accessible by any size rig.  Spaces were all wide and able to accommodate anyone. 

Friendliness 5  From the front desk check in, to the employee that guided us to our site, to the friendly and outgoing residents that we encountered...this place couldn't have done more to be warm and welcoming.  Always appreciated after a long day's drive.

For a quick dinner....take a quick walk to Luigi's Pizza.  Recommend getting the slice and salad combo...the antipasto salad is almost big enough for a meal and the pizza is outstanding.

Riverfront Site on Sacramento River

View of sites from river area

Clubhouse area with warm inviting fire

Another view of sites

Utility hookups. GREAT water pressure as well.

To the Desert

Dewinterizing without a trip planned?  That would be blasphemy in the RV world....so of course off we go.  We are off to the desert....unfortunately only one of us will be staying in the desert.  Paul owns his own business as a personal concierge and has some client work so will actually be staying in the desert for the month of March.  I will be making the trip down with him, help him and Kasha get settled in the coach and then will be flying back home for school and work.  I hope to get down a weekend or two for visits and then will make the drive back to Oregon with Paul and Kasha at the end of the month.  Our first stop was the Durango RV Resort in Red Bluff, CA....stay tuned for a review to be posted soon.  The next stop will be the Orange Grove RV Park in Bakersfield, followed by Paul's home for the month at Outdoor Resorts Indio in the Palm Springs area.  The weather so far has been absolutely gorgeous...always a great surprise when traversing the Siskiyou Pass during the winter....stay tuned....