The Big Escape

 

Heading into the Redwoods, Northern Cal

Yes, we have temporarily left the Sacramento area.  We are currently at Huntley Park, Gold Beach Oregon...one of our favorite places to just kickback and camp, enjoying the peacefulness and friendly atmosphere that we enjoy here.  Thursday we left the upcoming 100 degree weather, drove to Bear River Casino near Eureka where we stayed the night, and continued on to Huntley Park Friday.  We will be here until Monday when we continue up the coast.  

Ferndale is known as the "Victorian Village" because its entire downtown resides on the National Register of Historic Places.  

It has been a comfortable ride.  Drove through the Clear Lake area, through the Redwoods, and a side trip to Ferndale, a quaint little town near the Bear River Casino.  Got gas at the Casino gas station paying $5.65 a gallon, way less than the $6+ offered at regular stations.

Bear River Casino

The Bear River Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria.The Bear River Band is a federally recognized Native American tribe composed primarily of Mattole, Bear River, and Wiyot people.

 

Friday we enjoyed a nice drive along the Newton B Drury - Redwood Scenic Parkway, in the Redwood National and State Parks.  Traffic along Highway 101 was not too bad, a few ongoing construction zones, but no long waits.  In Brookings Oregon we stopped at Fred Meyers for some gas, low $5 range, and groceries. 

Camp at Huntley Park

Arriving at Huntley Park around 2 pm, we were greeted by the park manager Shawn, who after 6 years still remembers us.  We have not moved the van since parking.  The only slight downside was needing the generator running to operate our AC yesterday for 3-4 hours due to the 90 degree weather.  FYI: when we first started coming to Huntley Park in 2017.  In 2019 we were going to be here for most of the summer...but Dad went into the hospital, then rehab.  He survived that scare, but not the one in November...we all sure miss him.  Then COVID hit, and as the years went by, we just never made it back to Huntley Park until this year.  Part of me wants to stay the remaining 3 weeks of our planned trip sitting right here...but there are other places we want to return to...and one new National Park to visit...so tomorrow we will continue up the coast.

One of my favorite Cooper Pics from Nancy's Blog

 Our hearts go out to our blogging friend Nancy who lost her BEST BUDDY Cooper to heart failure a couple days ago.  We know how hard it is to lose a dog, especially a great companion that Cooper was.  So sorry for your loss...and your hurting Nancy  Read her blog about Cooper HERE:   

 

We also heard a couple of weeks ago that Gerry, Marcia's oldest friends, passed away with Gerry's daughter Ruth holding her in bed.  A quick and peaceful passing, but it leaves a huge hole in Marcia's heart.  We just saw Gerry back on March 29th.  You can read about that visit HERE:    Above is one of my favorite pictures of Marcia and Gerry, taken back in January of 2016, Amelia Island, Florida.  YES, that is Skruffy on Marcia's lap.

 

A Frickin Frog

So last week, Thursday I think, the weather outlook for today, Monday, was HOT!!!  Well, better check the AC in the Camper Van. Got my App going, turned on the AC and I hear this "Bang, swish, followed by a HUM.  Quickly turn it off. look at Marcia and shrug my shoulders.  Hit the on button again, get an instant HUM.  Must be a Hummer Bummer...the AC is going to need work.  Figured I had maybe 800 hours of use...no more than 900...and it won't work.

First thing I think is that some how a small new growth tree limb must have gotten into the AC cover...and the noise I heard was the fan wrapping the new growth around the fan until it binded to a quick halt.  I called a very good mobile RV repair guy, but that was Friday,  and it was Mother's Day weekend...left a message.  After getting back from a visit with the grand kids Saturday, I just did not see anything that supported my theory of it being the tree.  CRAP!

Monday (today) I got a hold of Vince, owner of Oliveri RV Mobile Repair.  Says he can make it here around noon, which is GREAT...but it cost $100 for the visit AND $180 per hour.  I agree to it.

At 1 pm Vince shows up, after a call telling me he was running behind. Gets up on the roof, takes cover off AC, and puts his meter on the starter capacitor just to find that it was fine.  He goes over to the fan, which won't turn...he turns it hard the opposite direction, and from my viewpoint on the ground I hear this patter on the RV roof, and I see the fan moving freely.   HUM, he says, never seen this before...it was a mummified FROG!  It was caught between the fan fins and the AC frame.  That is what I heard when I tested it Thursday...the fan hit the mummified frog, which lodged against the AC frame, and then the fan would not work.

 

The frog looked like this, did not get a pic of real frog

$280 to retrieve a Frickin Mummified Frog!!!!  What a Bummer...but we now had AC and that's a great thing!  So where did the frog come from???  Well, I am guessing Egypt...