Oregon Living 2025 – Blog #29 – More Travel and Trying to Get Home

 

Sunday, July 27^th., 2025……  This morning we broke up the gang. Shaun and Lila were headed home. Nate and Lizanne would be going on to visit friends/family? Mike and Cheryl and us were headed back down to Pendleton to the Casino RV park for two nights. We got out of the fairgrounds and made our way through Spokane and south. I don’t think we stopped until we got to Wildhorse Casino RV. We would not be together in the park but we were not too far away. After getting set up, we spent the afternoon in the pool. Later, we played cards and had dinner.

Monday, July 28^th., 2025…… This morning we had reservations for the Pendleton Underground Tour. We had been before but Frank and Maryanne had reservations with Mike and Cheryl but weren’t able to go on the trip. So we took their place. The tour was better than before!  Our guide said when he was a kid, he used to sneak down with his friends and play and explore the tunnels. He also shared info we didn’t know – about how the miners would come in to the bar with gold dust to pay for their drinks. The bartender would pour the dust into a scale for payment. But he would be sloppy and spill a bit on the counter. When you always see the bartender wiping the counter, it came from these days  - when the guy would sweep the gold dust on the floor, to pick up later by getting his shoes muddy and walking in it. He said they panned the mud and made some good money. Also interesting was the fact that spent rifle and pistol shells would also be used as payment for drinks. You would stand the shell up next to the glass and be poured up to the height of the shell. The larger the shell, the bigger the shot. This is where ‘having a shot’ was started!  The rest of the tour was interesting as well and we learned about the life and times back in the day, especially the 17 brothels in town!   

We came back home and relaxed for the day. We visited with our neighbors who had Rylee's brother!  Not really but I have never seen an English Cream that looked so much like Rylee than Sonny!

We are finding leftovers to clean up before we make it home.      

Tuesday, July 29^th., 2025…… This morning we checked out and drove the short distance to our next (and last) campground for this trip. We are at Peach Beach RV Resort in Goldendale WA. It was right off of US 84, just over the bridge on the Columbia River. We had never been but we heard it was nice. We already had sites reserved and found them and got parked. It was super hot today. We heard it was the highest temp in Goldendale this year!  Temperature would get to 97° today! I went back to the back thermostat just to see if I could get it to work. In the past, I have struggled with this one and could only get the heat bar to work. Didn’t need that! I did something (needed to set the time I think!) and managed to get the system on cool!  Boy, did that help!  Poor Rylee has been hot and was panting. Hope this will help. After a bit, we left and headed to Stonehenge. Yes, that’s what I said! It seems that local magnate, Sam Hill, decided to build a memorial to the local soldiers lost in the war. He based it on the original structure in England – full scale! It was very moving. We learned it was very controversial and thought of as a folly. It coined the term, ‘What in the Sam Hill are you doing?  Didn’t know that! 

Afterward, we drove the short distance to Maryhill Museum of Art. This was the majestic home on the hill that was also built by Sam Hill for him and his wife and named after her. Today, it is a magnificent museum of art. There are countless rooms of paintings, dioramas, and sculptures, even one wing with nothing but Rodin´ items. We also both enjoyed the massive collection of chess sets. Here are pics from there….

 

After that, we stopped by the Gunkel Orchards

 

on the way home. Cheryl told us they always try to buy their peaches there when they can. They bought 2 cases, we bought one.

We will pit, peel and slice and then freeze them for either canning or pies. We got back home and rested for the day. The air was working well and it was pleasant inside. We were parked under trees so no satellite reception, but we were able to pass the evening by watching what we had taped. We leave tomorrow for home.    

Wednesday, July 30^th., 2025……  We were up and had a bite to eat and then got the rv ready to go. Mike and Cheryl left and headed to get gas. We left shortly after that. We made it about 25 miles or so and then BAM! We blew a tire! I was able to get safely pulled over. We were in Celilo Park and I found a nice level spot out of the way of traffic. It was the rear inside passenger tire that blew. I called Good Sam and they made arrangements to get me a tire and the guys in Biggs (25 miles away) were out in about 1 ½ to get it changed. Problem started when they rolled the new tire out. I checked it and saw it was the wrong size. It was about 2 inches shorter. So, they had to find another.

After several calls, long story short, it would be tomorrow morning when they could get one to us. So, we were here for the night! We were able to walk the dogs and enjoy the area. Beautiful sunset too!

I opened up one slide and started up the generator. That gave us the a/c we needed for the day and night. We were lucky to be parked where we were and no one bothered us – except maybe the folks coming and going who were noisy. Cathye went back to the bed and I stayed out and slept in my chair. Rylee struggled with the heat but after giving her ice water and ice chunks,

she finally settled down. We did have some folks who came in around 1:30am and were right outside for 30-40 minutes, but we all managed to sleep some. 

Thursday, July 31^st., 2025……  We were up and ready this morning. Cathye made breakfast and we settled in to wait. They told us yesterday that the tire would be coming in a truck from Portland to Biggs and then to us. They expected it around 9-9:30am. About 9:30 they called and said the truck was on its way. This time they had the right tire and got it mounted and we were good to go. I had given them the extension stem to put back and luckily the guy noticed that it was leaking. That was the reason that the tire blew! 

We left the park at 10:45 and headed back and made it back home at 2:15. It took a while to get everything unloaded and the rig parked, but aside from laundry, we were done for the day! Penny came by and visited and we spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching tv. We went out to Dos Arbolitos for dinner, then watched a little tv before going to bed early.   

Friday, August 1^st., 2025……  Nothing on the agenda today. We spent the day just relaxing and catching up on taped tv shows. Cathye left to go to Detering Orchards with Lyn and Judy. They didn’t find too much and she only brought back some zucchini. But they had lunch and visited and had a great day!  

Saturday, August 2^nd., 2025…… Today was mowing day! Penny came over and we got started around noon. The grass in the field is pretty much dead so it didn’t take too long to get things done. We came in and rested for a while, then Cathye got started on the peaches. She asked for her sous chef and we pitted, blanched and peeled and sliced 42 peaches in about 45 minutes. After that, we showered and got ready for the evening. We were going over to the church for a wedding. Robin’s granddaughter was getting married. It was a little warm and they had the ceremony outside but it was short and sweet and we were back inside in no time!  After a bit, we left and came home for the day.