Another scorcher in Las Vegas with the official temperature 109 and 10% humidity. The thermometer on the outside of my rig reads 115 so the pool is most inviting. My shower this morning was interesting. With the outside hose I didn't have to use any hot water as the “cold” water wasn't. Thank goodness for 50 amp service feeding both air conditioners. Today I made up at the Las Vegas Rotary Club and heard Lawyer Mark Hutchinson talk about the 26 state lawsuit against Obamacare (led by Florida) and its probable appearance before the Supreme Court this fall. Sitting at the same table was a local fellow Rotarian born a couple of miles from me in Columbus, Ohio. Small world! Mary is off testing the machines while I plan an auto trip to the various local ... read more

Yesterday we toured Sheels Sporting Goods store with fish tanks, presidential anamatronic manicans, magnificent taxidermied animals and the most helpful staff I've ever seen. It obviously helps to have an employee owned store. One last breakfast buffet “deal” at Fudruckers and we headed south. We decided to travel down US 395, although many of our “advisers” wondered “why” because of traffic, logging trucks, etc. We discovered a wonderfully scenic roadway with minimum traffic on the highway but chances to see National Forests, scenic visitor centers, and magnificent vistas of isolated lakes and mountains with glaciers. We saw some amazing sights of lakes, though drained by LA.'s quest for water, multitudes of people, though cramming themselves into Mammoth Lakes resort areas on Sunday (preventing us from taking a bus to see the Devil's Post-pile National Monument), and ... read more

Moving south from Eureka we continue enjoying the redwoods, especially as we traverse old US 101 – The Avenue of the Giants. There were times when our 36 foot motorhome seemed to squeeze between the “giants” and we wondered how the trucks, etc of old managed to travel this major north-south highway in years past. The new 101 is a four lane marvel paralleling the Eel River and various meetings of the old and new allow you to stay long enough to visit the wonderful Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center and then escape to the new highway. We were fortunate up the coast to be able to walk a short trail through an especially preserved grove. Our overnight RV park turns out to be on the floor of the valley retirement ranch home of the ... read more

Friday, July 29th along the Oregon coast began with a little morning fog but by mid morning the sun came out and the welcome warmth returned with the winds. The temps are still in the ideal range vs what we expect when we venture inland. We brunched at our newly favorite restaurant across the street and explored the local communities. In the evening with early bird and senior citizen discounts our seafood buffet was reasonable and the quality and quantity in the excellent range. They seem to have a unique flavor to their chowders here and this same type of flavoring is used to boil the shrimp and flavor other seafood. The Mill Casino is owned by the Coquille Native Americans, a name derived from the native word for a fish (lamprey) that was once very ... read more

Thursday we move toward the coast. Drizzling, cool rain amplifies the traffic concerns through Portland so we cross the Columbia River before the city and proceed up I-5 on the Washington side, crossing back over at Longview. We rejoin US 30 through Astoria where we pick up US 101 and start down the coast. Our stop tonight is Seaside's Encore Park which turns out to be several short blocks from the center of this Hampton Beach (NH) style summer beach community. A broad beach allows easy access with free parking (if you can find some in the heat of the day), usual beach fare including food and souvenirs and small hi-rise motels/hotels. We set off the next day in search of National Wildlife Refuges and National Parks by going inland and, instead, viewed clear cut (logged) ... read more