Digital Nomad Summer - Part 13

Did you miss Part 12?

In the last installment of the blog, we packed up the girls and the rig, as we closed out our week in Baker City, Oregon at Union Creek Campground.

Sunrise over the hop farms of Wilder, Idaho

As I mentioned on the last blog, although we really enjoyed staying at Union Creek Campground, the lack of robust internet connectivity while we were trying to work was super stressful.  We'd been taking a look at our next scheduled location, Davis Creek Campground in Washoe Valley, Nevada, and we were growing increasingly concerned that the same tree coverage issues we'd experienced in Lakeside and outside Baker City would be replicated once again.  While Chris was attempting to maximize our work experience at Union Creek, I did some searching and found us a spot that might work better for the next week, the Coleville/Walker KOA, in Coleville, California.  We made reservations checking in one Saturday and checking out the next, but since the drive would be a bit longer than we originally planned, we also found a spot just a few hours away from Baker City to stay on Friday night, the Rivers Edge RV Park in Wilder, Idaho.

On Friday after work, we said goodbye (again) to Oregon, and headed into Idaho for one night.  As we drove closer to our destination, we passed field after field of hops, which was super neat.  Hops grow on long vines, and farmers tether them to ropes, so they can climb up into the air.  Once they're ready, they're harvested as shown in this video, provided by the YouTubes.  While we visited the Rogue Brewing hop farm several years back on our first trip to Oregon, we hadn't yet seen so many hops all in one spot, and it was really cool!

Welcome to Idaho, where they grow lots of things

So many hops!  We passed at least 20 blocks like this during our time in the area.

Technically, this plant is in Oregon, but it seems appropriate that

it's right across the river from Idaho.

We made it to our home for the night at the River's Edge around 6pm, and we quickly set up and got everyone inside into the AC.  After we cooled down a bit and ate dinner, we took a stroll around the grounds; although it was a small park, it was quiet and picturesque - right on the banks of the Snake River, with hop farms separating it from the local 95 highway.

Happy hops, happy girls!

(Obligatory warning - hops are extremely dangerous to dogs, as eating them

can increase their body temperatures to levels above safe amounts.

If you homebrew - or tromp around in hop fields - be careful with the fur kids!)

Not too shabby a view, right?

The stroll around the park didn't take long, so we found ourselves back inside pretty soon, enjoying the AC and watching tv (we were working our way through the final season of Amazon's Jack Ryan around this time).  Bea did her level best to rearrange all of Chris' leg hair while we relaxed.

They are both enjoying this so much.

August used to do this to Chris, and I'm beyond pleased that Bea is continuing the tradition.

"Day is done, gone the sun..."

This reminds me that while we were staying in Union Creek Campground,

we actually heard someone playing "Taps" on a trumpet one night.

It was really cool - took us waaay back to our scouting days.

We slept well at River's Edge, although the morning started early, as folks launched their boats into the River for some dawn fishing (my eyes had already been open for awhile, of course).  Before too long, we were on the road once more and re-entering Oregon, for the last time for reals, on our way to Nevada and eventually California; our morning stop was at Skinner's Rockhouse Coffee, in Jordan Valley, Oregon.  We saw the signs as we were approaching advertising coffee, pastries, and awesome bathrooms; we love all of those things, and the Rockhouse didn't disappoint!

The neat mosaic tile around the mirror

Close up of the mural - I don't really know what's happening here, but I dig it

There's not an awful lot on this stretch of highway 95 (not interstate 95, mind you - that's way further east), but we found a few gas stations and rest areas for bathroom/food/stretch breaks, and we enjoyed the lovely scenery.

Look, a new state!

Those are bleached out cow skulls hanging on the building in the back -

you see some interesting things on these roads.

Mid-afternoon, we arrived in Mono Country, which crosses the Nevada/California state line, and where we'd spend the next week.  Passing Topaz Lake, we were waved through the California agricultural inspection station, and we arrived at the KOA around 3.

Those of you who have met Zoe know she's pretty high strung most of the time.

She likes the truck, but she's not the best traveler - she likes to hover

over Chris' shoulder and softly whine while he drives, which isn't great -

so on long travel days, she gets 1/2 an anti-anxiety pill to take the edge off.

She's feeling pretty good in this shot.

Topaz Lake - such a gorgeous area

We made it back to CA!

This whole area is around 5,000 feet of elevation, so the chain warnings aren't an idle threat.

When we made the change in our reservation for this week, we not only uprooted our plans, but also those of our friends Bryan and Jen; they were going to join us at Davis Creek Campground, but when we adjusted to the KOA, they were thankfully able to do so as well.  We really appreciated their flexibility as we scrambled to find reliable internet for work.  As we arrived, Bryan, Jen, and their boys, Bogey and Bronx, were on their way back from visiting the east side of Yosemite National Park (only about an hour away), and after we got settled in, we all convened at their site to hang out and catch up with one another.

Always great to see these two!

The KOA is surrounded by these huge granite cliffs on one side,

and when the sun goes behind them (in the late afternoon), it's incredibly nice outside

We visited until we were about to fall asleep, and then we said goodnight with plans to get together again to make a big breakfast the next morning.  The 395, the main road in the area, runs right past the KOA, and since our site, number 601, was the first one in the park, it was pretty loud most of the evening; needless to say, we were up early, so we took the girls for a stroll on one of the KOA's nearby trails first thing.

Looking south along the 395 toward the town of Walker

That's Zelda all the way on the left

Across the 395 is the West Walker River - you might be able to tell how high it is.

So much snow fell over the winter that the melt completely changed the course

of the river, adjusting a normally placid waterway into a fast-moving, rapid-strewn mess. 

Apparently, the fishing was horrible this year because of all of this.

Post walk sisterly snuggles

In order to avoid missing too much work while joining us on this adventure, Jen actually flew from Phoenix to the Reno/Tahoe airport while Bryan drove the rig up with the doggos (his Dad accompanied him from their home in Tucson to Coleville, then hopped a plane back in Reno as Jen was arriving).  Bryan had originally planned to take Jen the 1.5 hours to the airport from Coleville, drive back, hook up the rig, then drive the 8-9 hours to Las Vegas with the dogs; that seemed unnecessarily complicated, so I was happy to offer the services of our truck and my driving skills to take Jen to catch her flight.  It worked out great - Bryan got a chance to leave at a normal hour, and Jen and I had a fantastic time chatting and sharing stories on the drive north (plus, I got to see Reno!  Well, the airport and the TotalWine!).

While I was gone, Chris hung out with our babies at the campsite, and he had a chance to talk to the kind folks in the office about potentially relocating to a new spot further into the park.  They were happy to oblige us, and once I returned with the tow vehicle, we hooked Zelda up, moving her 8 spots nearer to the cliffs (into site 609).  We were further from the road and its noise, and we were way closer to the larger dog park and the afternoon shade - it was a great move!

Zoe keeping an eye on a new arrival from our original spot, 601

Bob posing with the cliffs

Nature!

Tons of lizards like this guy lived at the KOA;

I became well acquainted with one near the laundry room

who had blue stripes and was just starting to regrow his tail.

There were also signs everywhere warning of rattlesnakes, but thankfully,

we didn't encounter those while we were staying here.

Settled in to spot 609 - it was nice to have this huge fifth wheel next to us each afternoon -

it cast a huge shadow, and our camp chairs fit right into the shade.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll keep your hoodie safe!"

Bob's glamour shot at the new site

On the next blog, we take advantage of our (unintended) central location between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe to visit both!

Later!

Amy