We left Verdi, NV under cloudy, rainy skies. Evidently it had been raining most of the time we were in California because when we pulled in the living room slide we found lots of water pooled on top. I dried as much as I could reach, and Dave finished the job before we drove away. (For those of you who don't drive a motorhome with slides, if one doesn't dry any water that has accumulated on top of the now retracted slide before driving away, one runs the risk of the driver receiving a surprise and very unappreciated shower! We learned that the hard way)
This was a new route for us, our next stop was Winnemucca, NV. We didn't expect much but were pleasantly surprised.
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| a Georgia O'Keefe ish picture of Winnemucca Mtn. |
We drove to the top of Winnemucca Mountain and enjoyed expansive views of the desert below. We even saw our campground in the distance.
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| Beluga is waiting at the distant campground, right below the little cloud |
Another day we drove into nearby Water Canyon for our usual alfresco lunch beside the stream. It was a lush spot of vibrant green in the tan and grey desert.
When you stop and look closely, color is everywhere.
After our usual overnight stop in Caldwell, we arrived in Baker City, Oregon. We last visited the area in 2012 so we thought it might be time for another look. They were paving the park, and we weren't looking forward to the usual disruption, noise and smell. Mt. View RV Park did a stellar job of minimizing the unpleasantness and the result was a beautiful and well-kept park. We'd definitely stay there again.
Baker City is a nice, small city with beautiful flowers everywhere. Some cultivated in people's yards and parks, and some growing on the mountain slopes.
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| OH DAVE! |
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| Oh Dave |
We drove mountain roads, ate beside the rushing Power River, wandered pine lined trails, explored the shores of Phillips Lake and watched a new to us bird - American Dipper - walk underwater looking for a meal! We enjoyed a good breakfast and a few delicious Cardamom rolls at Sweet Wife Bakery in the pretty downtown area. More left to do there for sure. Dave always says if we do it all we won't have a reason to come back!
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| Powder River |
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| a lone Sandhill Crane |
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| I wondered what the story behind this is...... |
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| Larch leaves |
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| a Wigwam burner in Pine Valley |
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| a resting American Dipper |
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| three ladies |
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| downtown Baker City |
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| public art on Main Street |
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| he doesn't always bring me flowers, sometimes its baked goods.... |
On our last day there we decided to try and drive the Elkhorn Scenic Byway. The mountains looked pretty snow-covered, but we thought we'd just go as far as we could; if we were lucky, we'd make it the whole way!
We weren't lucky. A little more than halfway through we ran into relatively deep spring snow on the road ahead. End of the road for us. We turned around, content with what we'd seen thus far.
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| uh oh |
I thought I had seen a possible alternative road at a lower elevation, so Dave indulged me, and we turned off the byway to check it out.
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| nope |
End of the road, again! A Pine tree blocked our passage, so we decided it was "a sign" that it was time to head home!
Actually, the "sign" was right, it was time to head back home the way we came, and that decision allowed us time to stop at an interesting sight we'd passed by.
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| Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge |
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| it was a monster |
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| inside the dredge |
The Sumpter Valley Dredge was assembled on the Powder River in 1935 to facilitate large scale gold mining in its rich riverbed. For various reasons, the dredge's mining operations were shut down in l954. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and opened to public viewing as the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Park in l974. It continues to be restored. Phew! We were blown away by its sheer size and complexity! It was late in the day and there was no one around to give us a tour, the visitor's center closed. Next time for sure!
We left Baker City last week with a vow to return. Lots more to see and do.
Tonight is our last night in Walla Walla, Washington. It's a regular stop for us on our way to Spokane and family. We really enjoy it here, the restaurants and multiple wineries surrounded by the oddly beautiful and soothing, rolling hills of grain.
We'll be in Spokane tomorrow!
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| Dave is a happy man with a bowl of Bouillabaisse |
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| it's fun people (and hot rod) watching at Brasserie Four |
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| a huge Dutch baby with strawberry/rhubarb sauce |
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| our new favorite - Zerba Cellars |
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| Zebras at Zerba Cellars |
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| he sneaks out the back way....is that a case? |
And....here's Annie!
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