Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

Canyonville is a great starting point for some of Oregon's most scenic drives. The Cow Creek trip is about 50 miles, starts in the little town of Riddle, and ends at the town of Glendale. Both communities are unincorporated and offer few amenities.

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

The Byway follows Cow Creek and the railroad, and although I was a little disappointed that we saw few wildflowers and absolutely no wildlife (not even a squirrel or chipmunk!) the creek was pretty and a few signs posted along the way told some history.

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

Apparently a few hunters excel at bagging signs if not game!

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

Would you believe this was the only other vehicle we saw on the circle tour this day.

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

Prior to the advent of railroads, mules and horses were the primary means of transportation. These RR trestles are over 100 years old and are still in use today. Alas, the towns formerly along the route stand no longer.

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

Arriving at the town of Glendale, we are at the end of our Byway tour. The pretty RR car shown stood behind one of the last buildings in town. The sign shown to the right offered no explanation as to its history or heritage.

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

From Cow Creek Scenic Byway

Coming next: Umpqua Falls Scenic Byway

Heading to Oregon

As we travel north on I-5, we pass Mt. Shasta. Lots of snow this year. We spend the night at the Yreka Walmart and continue on to Canyonville tomorrow.

From Grass Valley

Photo taken by Bob through the window - no place to pull over!

Hey - We're "on-the-road" again!

Finally, we're back on the road, and after an overnight stop at the Flying J in Frazier Park, we make it to Grass Valley for our service appointment. Since our stay here is brief, our biggest excursion was the Saturday growers' market. No pictures were taken.

This is our chance to visit with son David and his daughters Brooke and Hailey, and of course, Dave's wife Wendy. Mother's Day provides a chance for the whole family to join together and celebrate all mothers. We get together for a wonderful Sunday brunch complete with champagne! What a great way to celebrate.

From 2011 05 08

Bob takes the above picture which includes from L to R top, Wendy's sister Judy, Hailey holding Susie, brother Bill, Dave and me. On the bottom, L to R is 1st cousin Leslie, (Wendy and Judy's) mom Dot, Wendy, and standing next to Wendy is Brooke.

From 2011 05 08

The above photo features the same lineup minus Susie (the kitty) and of course, I switched places with Bob to get this picture. Family relationships are linked to daughter-in-law Wendy. Since Bob and I are both only children, our family is down to two children and 5 granddaughters.

Tomorrow we're off starting our long journey north.

Off to meet a celeb!

As I sit at my computer waiting for the IRS and FTB to suck the money out of our bank account, I thumbed through the pages of The Milepost and came upon the small town of Talkeetna, AK. Now this is a town with character! We immediately called and made a reservation for a week, which will encompass the 4th of July and includes a jet boat ride on the river; ditto an airplane ride over Denali National Park.

But the story gets even better. It seems this small town of somewhere between 700 - 900 (but who's counting?) got fed up with politicians; and boy, do I ever relate to that. So, they had a write-in vote for the Mayoral election, and the winner is: Mayor Stubbs.

"Palin may have a political reason for opposing cats. According to a letter sent to the Palm Beach Post, it seems that the residents of Talkeetna, Alaska - who the Wikipedia tells me is the inspiration for the fictional burg of Cicely, as depicted in the teevee show Northern Exposure - chose a cat named Stubbs as their official mayor. Stubbs has executive experience, hunts prey with his bare paws, and does not bilk the taxpayers of Alaska out of money for fake per diem expenses, like Palin does. Stubbs the cat hangs out at Nagley's General Store in Talkeetna, with a bunch of other cats, all of whom have been thoroughly vetted, by actual veterinarians.”

The above quote comes from a blog written September 10, 2008 by Doc 40. Where this quote originated, I have no idea; but loved Mayor Stubbs qualifications and his vetting! We did, however, confirm the story when the lady at the Talkeetna Camper Park called to confirm our reservations.

The above picture was downloaded from a website containing pictures of Denali National Park. Sorry, but I really don't know who to credit.

We'll be northern bound in 13 days - soon I'll be counting the hours!

The loss of a Family Member

Our precious Daphne passed away last weekend, and our hearts are truly saddened. Daphne always had something to say, she was a prolific speaker, and loved to touch us with her right paw directly on our skin. She was my constant companion, working on my desk with me by day, curling up in bed with us at night. She never complained, and never told us she was sick. Her end came very fast, just one day after taking her to the vet. We miss her terribly.

And, on a brighter note, after four long weeks, my RV blog for taxes is up and running again. You can now go directly to RV Income Tax Help.

Looking forward to May when we get on the road again! Until then, stay safe out there.

Tax Season Begins!

Today is the first day of the 2011 income tax filing season. As many of my followers are RVers, I want to share this with you. If you have income tax questions relating to your RV lifestyle, this blog is for you. Please visit me at http://www.rvtaxhelp.blogspot.com/

Happy travels and stay safe!

Monaco International Luncheon, Friday Balloon Festival

From Monaco Luncheon at El Pinto

Part of the festivities with the Monaco Group include two really nice luncheons. We didn't take any pictures yesterday, but today we thought to include them. We had a great Mexican buffet which included all the goodies. Here are a few pictures of our group:

From Monaco Luncheon at El Pinto

From Monaco Luncheon at El Pinto

From Monaco Luncheon at El Pinto

The following picture includes our table mates: From the left, our neighbors parked next to us, Mary & Jim Richards, Jeff & Teri Huntington, and Bob.

From Monaco Luncheon at El Pinto

At the opposite end of the table: Kay and David Piper and Peggy & John Rahkola.

From Monaco Luncheon at El Pinto

David Piper was kind enough to take this final photo of Bob & I.

From Monaco Luncheon at El Pinto

Tonight keep your fingers crossed for calm winds and the Balloon Glow!