"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Seeing the entrance sign for Champoeg State Park was a welcoming sight for we had so many memories of this park from our days of hosting here. In 2007 we camphosted twice at Champoeg. Here are our blog links to them both. First hosting stint and second hosting stint were during a different season, with extreme weather challenges. This visit, though not as colorful, had pretty tame temps that did not warrant flannel sheets and a heater going on and off throughout the night.
We had a site reserved in B Loop, not far
from our old hosting space. As we hosted during the fall, with the beautiful
colors, green lawns and unbelievable rainfall, the park looked different during
these summer months, but no less beautiful.
During this stay, there wasn’t a day that
Imkelina and Sydney did not walk almost ten miles (occasionally with me in
tow)…almost as if she was catching up on what she missed during the cold months
we were here before. She definitely gorged on trails this trip.
We strolled down memory lane by walking up
and down the River Trail. This beautiful paved trail above the Willamette River
is favored by campers and locals alike, as it offers miles and miles of scenic
views with several alternate side trails to interesting points.
Although we were told that during the
summer months the campground was full, we were still surprised to see it so
each day. A new wave of tent, cabin, yurt or RV campers would fill any vacated
site. Frisbee golfers filled the course each day and many people visited the
Visitor’s Center with it’s interpretive displays. But even with all this
activity that went on from daytime to late evening, it did not compete with the
craziness that comes to Hearst San Simeon Campground during the summer. Call
these Oregonian campers tame and docile…but we see it as respectful…to fellow
campers and to the park…quite refreshing.
On the day of our arrival, we were able to
connect with our friends Patrick and Cheryl…and Splash. As they live nearby, it
was not a long drive for them to stop by for pupus. We met them when we hosted
together at Champoeg in 2007 and have stayed in touch ever since.
The next day, we spent an evening with our
dear friend Pat and her partner Michael. We had also met Pat in 2007 when we
were staying in McMinnville, Oregon. We immediately connected and have become
close friends, so it is just natural for us to plan our itinerary to include an opportunity for a visit. Pat has generously offered us the use of her RV
lot in Port Ludlow, Washington for a few days as we explore the Olympic
Peninsula.
On our last day, we drove to Newberg for
some grocery shopping and were shocked to see this restaurant…A Taste of 808.
The 808 is the area code of Imkelina’s beloved Hawaii. We had to stop for a mango/passion
fruit shaved Ice. I would have gotten a couple dozen of Malasadas to pig out
on…but fortunately for my body, they only made them on certain days of the week
and we were departing the next morning.
After three days, we left this wonderful
State Park and headed north. Our plans were to spend one night in Cougar,
Washington and then head up to a Forest Service Campground in the
Gifford-Pinchot National Forest.
A wonderful multi-use piece of furniture
for your rig or home is this Folding Storage Ottoman. We use it for
games, Sydney's goodies and anything else that will fit. When we travel, we
just slide it underneath our dining table or it can be emptied and folded to
fit anywhere. And best of all, Imkelina uses it as an ottoman when Sydney gives
her room to be a couch potato.
As a footnote to our many
readers and subscribers; you probably have noticed we advertise the Amazon link
on our blog and provide the link to that site for all the cool RV Accessories
we feature on our posts. The reason is that we are enrolled in the Amazon
Affiliate Program and earn a minimum of 4% advertising/commission fees on your
qualifying purchases. We know it isn’t high, but it can add up, especially when
our readers are buying multiple items. We have all come to know that Amazon is
a trusted brand and their site is one of the safest to make purchases from. Plus they
also offer an unlimited variety of items to choose from, providing one stop
shopping at a competitive price point or in many instances the lowest. So if
your are going to shop via Amazon.com, please consider connecting to their
website through our blog.
One last note, we have had a couple of
inquiries of what to do if you have an Amazon account or concerns that going
through our link may be too confusing or difficult. Here is how difficult and mind boggling it is…NOT. Once you access
BlaNicS Waypoints, click on the Amazon Link/Icon. If you have a regular Amazon
Account or Prime Account, just sign in as you always do. Now search, shop and
buy. WE HAVE NO WAY OF ACCESSING YOUR ACCOUNT OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION. You are
able to browse any department, make any type of purchase and provide us an
opportunity to earn a commission. Pretty simple, very painless and the only
confusion is “what should I buy?” So a sincere thank you in advance for choosing to make your Amazon purchases
through our site.
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