We headed out towards the Hood River area about 9am. Everyone else in the campground was getting packed up to leave. Based on this experience, the 4th of July week had no impact on the level of campground use. There was lots of traffic from people heading home from the mountains.
Our route took us through Sandy. We, and thousands of others, can't pass through Sandy without stopping at Joe's Donut Shop for, perhaps, the worlds best donuts. Two apple fritters, two blueberry and two of the fluffiest cake donuts ever. When you go to Joe's on the weekend, you do need to bring your patience; there is always a line.
After pulling into a closed weigh station to eat some super fresh donuts, we continued the Toll Gate Hood County Campground. It's conveniently located on US 35 about ten miles south of Hood River. We've been to the day use part of the park before but this is our first stay in the campground. It's very nice. There are tent/dry camping sites for $15, water/electric for $20 and full-hookup for $22 and a handful of river front water/electric sites for $25. We sprang for the $22 rate for two nights while we go explore our camping options. The 4th of July holiday is a non-event here as well. A walk around the campground showed there were perhaps 20 campers out of 80+ sites.
If Gopher came back as a cat, heaven forbid, she would look just like this. The white collar, chest and two white paws. An uncanny resemblance.
As I type this, the cat is sitting on top of the picnic table about 20' away and Gopher is sitting on the passenger seat growling and whining. She wants out. Not guna happen, Gopher. Like a lot of places we've camped, there's a good supply of feral cats.
Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday:
We drove all around the Fruit Loop stopping here and there. Cherries and berries are the only fruits available. It will be a few more weeks before the pears are ready. We bought some excellent local cherries.
We drove all around the Fruit Loop stopping here and there. Cherries and berries are the only fruits available. It will be a few more weeks before the pears are ready. We bought some excellent local cherries.
Cherry trees with Mount Hood in the background
Hood River has a very nice waterfront area that's popular for windsurfing, kite boarding, kayaking, etc. We found a nice parking spot each day and enjoyed watching the activities. Seems people come to Hood River from most of the Western states and Canada for the great windsurfing.
Along the waterfront. Hood River.
We came across an area of unofficially free camping right near the downtown riverfront area. It was mostly the people who were here for the wind surfing activities. That's not us so we decided to just stay put through the 4th.
The 4th of July was spent catching up on maintenance, cleaning the camper, and staying off the roads which we'll leave to the drunks today.
Change of plans:
Initially, the plan was to head east from here, through the Wallowa-Whitman NF, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area then into Idaho and Montana. Looking ahead to the weather forecast for those areas show mid to upper 80's to close to a 100* depending on where you are. Since we don't like hot weather, if we did we would be home, and almost never stay in campgrounds with electrical hookups, we decided to head to the coast instead. We'll take cloudy, overcast, but cool, to a clear sky, blazing hot day. So, in the morning, we head to Tillamook then south from there.
The 4th of July was spent catching up on maintenance, cleaning the camper, and staying off the roads which we'll leave to the drunks today.
Change of plans:
Initially, the plan was to head east from here, through the Wallowa-Whitman NF, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area then into Idaho and Montana. Looking ahead to the weather forecast for those areas show mid to upper 80's to close to a 100* depending on where you are. Since we don't like hot weather, if we did we would be home, and almost never stay in campgrounds with electrical hookups, we decided to head to the coast instead. We'll take cloudy, overcast, but cool, to a clear sky, blazing hot day. So, in the morning, we head to Tillamook then south from there.
2 comments:
Didn't know about Joe's Donut Shop!! One more place to stop when we go go through Sandy. We like to go to Calamity Jane's there. Wonderful burgers.
I think you are wise to go to the coast. Cannot believe how hot it is everywhere else. I just love Oregon!!
Know what you mean by the long week-end drunks on the road. And, like you, we are not 'hot weather' people either & we too stay away from camp grounds, RV Parks etc. Guess that put's us in quite a minority eh.......
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