Oregon: Center to Northeast

I thought my tires were dirty!

June 2, 2026: I headed up the highway from Klamath Falls to Bend, but the traffic was so congested with construction stops making it worse I veered to the east toward Christmas Valley. That sounds like a festive area! It was not. Dusty, desert landscape with ugly scrub brushes and tumbleweeds. Not one tree as far as the eye could see. There was nothing Christmasy about Christmas Valley. Very disappointing. 

I continued driving through a very boring desert turning north into the Malheur National Forest. I was very thankful to see a a beautiful green landscape with huge pines, twisty highway through the canyons. I camped north of Burns on one of the forest roads. With the exception of rodents chewing at Big Blue all night, it was peaceful. I was worried they were rats or mice so I got up early and banged at the floors and walls, starting the engine hoping to scare them away. Later as I was making breakfast and toasting some bread, which smelled heavenly, a whole herd of chipmunks came running out of the woods and circled my van. OMG! There must have been about ten and one of them was big and fat. I opened the side door and screamed at them to go away. They did!

I continued driving north through some cute towns like John Day and Prairie City. I was really tired from waking up so early so I pulled off on forest road 300 to Social Security Point. The road goes down to a lake, but on the way are a handful of campsites tucked in among the pines. Lots of chipmunks here, too. I hiked down to the lake and along it for a while before returning to the van. This campsite was in the Wallowa Whitman National Forest. It sprinkled off and on all day.

June 4, 2026: Headed to Hell's Canyon through Baker City (cute town with cathedral and food co-op), Le Grande (outstanding food co-op in an artsy neighborhood), Enterprise (beautiful court house), and Joseph (really cool town!)

Enterprise Court House

Gorgeous landscape all the way with canyon highways, pine forests, agriculture, and a mountain range that looked like Switzerland!

The road to the Hell's Canyon Lookout was paved all the way, but Google Maps kept sending me offroading on roads that were "NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PASSENGER CARS!" WTH?? 

They were dirt with deep potholes and water ruts. The first one I went down for about a mile and then Google Maps said, "Turn right" and the dirt road was overgrown with weeds and bushes! Can't trust Google ...either that or they have it out for me. I realized quickly I needed to stick to the pavement and hope for the best. If pavement runs out, hopefully there is enough room to turn around and go back. Gorgeous views with every color of wildflower covering the landscape. June is wildflower month!

The road all the way to Hell's Canyon Lookout was paved including the lookout itself with paved walkways and pit toilets. I love parking on pavement! Last year when I was in Idaho I wanted to see this canyon, but the only way to the rim was on a rocky, dirt road with no guarantee of a view. And it was July so very hot. I'm glad I finally got to see it...from the Oregon side.

I stayed the night. Quiet and peaceful. A few vehicles would pull in, their passengers would look at the views, and then leave. I was alone all night. Just the way I like it!

June 5, 2026: Made my way back to Minam Friday night. Not much on iOverlander for overnight parking locations so I pulled into the Minam State Recreation Area next to the river where all the fishermen were hanging out. The office was closed. I walked around and looked for "No Overnight Parking" signs. None. Then I noticed on the side of the office "Park Host" with an RV. I asked if I could park overnight and she said, "Yes!" This is so convenient as the RAILRIDING is across the river. I did want to stay another night at Hell's Canyon, but worried leaving early in the morning in the dark to get here to my RAILRIDING appointment I might drive off a cliff.

I walked to the Minam Store to find some carbohydrates to load up for tomorrows ride. Asked how much the eggs were...FREE! They look like fresh eggs from real chickens. FREE! Can't beat free! I am so easily entertained!

June 6, 2026: RAILRIDING! Eva was my guide for the 9am tour. It was just the two of us which I liked and she was not scented. I feared proximity to stinkers. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and cold. It wasn't supposed to rain until Monday, but...of course as soon as railriding was over, the sun came out! It was fun, not as relaxing as I thought it would be. Eva is an Amazon woman! Tiny, little eighteen year old who has a lot of strength and energy. I think we went too fast. Maybe she had other plans for Saturday? Still, I pedalled all the way and back for two hours. The river was gorgeous and the air smelled so fresh. My legs were wobbly, my butt aches, and my knee twinged as we arrived back, but I kept pedalling. I'm exhausted. It was good exercise and I wasn't even sore the next day.

Camped at Spring Creek between Le Grande and Pendleton. I was exhausted and thought I'd rest around 2pm...I didn't wake up until 7pm and then slept all night! Very quiet night once the ATVs stopped racing up and down the dirt road throwing dust all over.

June 7, 2026: The Pendleton Wool Mill is closed on the weekends so I drove to Kennewick for some supplies then to Walla Walla to see the Whitman Mission. (See post for Washington) This whole area called the Walla Walla Valley in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon is all agriculture, patchwork of crops. It's very beautiful, but I worry about all the pesticides. 

June 8, 2026: Left Washington and back tracked to the Pendleton Wool Mill hoping for a tour, but they had a fire last week so no tours for two weeks. Instead, I bought a wool blanket!!

It was flawed so I got a discount. I cannot tell where the flaw is, but I know their inspectors are very picky. I am worried the dyes are giving me problems. I get a sore throat when around it. I put it in a duvet and hope that works, but it just made the duvet stink. I might have to wash it and then rinse it in vinegar. It might shrink! The longer I'm around it the sicker I feel. I remember this feeling the first time dyes poisoned me in college. I guess I should have bought a white or natural color instead of brightly dyed, but I live in a van and I kept thinking it might get dirty. Live and learn. Problem is I always forget my lessons and repeat my mistakes.

Washington Over the Border

June 7, 2026: Most of the small, country towns don't have health food stores or if they do they are closed on the weekends. I found a co-op AND a Natural Grocers in Kennewick so that's where I headed. Although it's further away from where I want to go, it's very close to Pendleton, my next stop. I turned on Google Maps, switched off highways, and meandered through the gorgeous countryside to the Tri-Cities. A beautiful, peaceful, good-feeling, early morning drive. Hardly anyone on the road on a Sunday. Sometimes I just love driving! I ended up on "The Old Oregon Trail" that switchbacked back and forth, up and down hills, and criss-crossed over, under, and around Interstate 84!! It was fun imagining how wagon trains might have negotiated these hills.

Kennewick was lovely. A lot of train tracks that were too bumpy, but the city felt very clean and well-maintained. I found nothing at the food co-op I wanted to buy and too much at Natural Grocers!

Bridge to Pasco or Richmond? Not sure which.

When it came time to leave it was too early to camp for the night so I looked on the map and thought how I've always wanted to see the Whitman Mission near Walla Walla since as a grade school teacher I used to teach children about it. It was a great history lesson, great memorial, great balance of native and white culture, and great film.

I stayed overnight in the Walmart parking lot in Walla Walla. This is the first Walmart I've encountered that logs overnighter RVs, campers, and vans and gives you a sheet of paper that says you've checked in. Awesome! So organized. More Walmarts should do this. I think it would make the bad people who take advantage of this generosity to reconsider being bad and then the store can continue to be generous without reprocussions and with recourse if someone is stupid.

Back to Oregon....

Nevada: The Northern Part

May 30, 2026: Highway 140 from the Nevada border to Winnemucca was not so pretty. Boring, bland, desert dust as far as one can see. I lost a hubcap on the way. I am not happy about that! Most of Big Blue's hubcaps are cracked (cheap plastic) anyway so I see another van expense in my future. It's neverending!!!!

I'm nearly out of plastic bags! They are an intregal component of my elimination process (my toilet!) so this is seriously inconvenient. Both Oregon and California have banned plastic grocery bags. What do I do? I head to Nevada! I skipped northern Nevada the first time so I have things to see, but the deciding factor in which way to drive...there is a Walmart in Winnemucca and Nevada doesn't have a ban on plastic grocery bags. The checker told me to take as many as I wanted! I took her generosity seriously and left with two piles. Not sure how many bags in a "pile"? Maybe 100? For FREE! I used to boycott Walmart, now I love them! Does that make me a bad person?

After hoarding plastic "bathroom" bags and feeling pretty proud of myself (I have sunken to a new low...), I decided to go into the town of Winnemucca and see if I can find the First National Bank, the bank Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed. I assumed it would be large, imposing, and a celebrated slice of history. Instead it was a tiny building on a corner. I almost missed it as it's not much to look at, but it does have a sign with not much explanation of its historical significance.

I thought I'd walk around Winnemucca just to see anything of interest. I think there are more casinos here than in Reno! Many of them are named after the outlaws. I noticed there are murals being painted all over! What the heck is going on? I just walked into Winnemucca's Mural Festival and artists are invited from all over to paint a wall! When I started asking questions, I was invited to join a tour. Most of the murals have historical or cultural themes. They sure add a lot of color and interest to alley walls of old buildings.

That night I stayed at Water Canyon Recreation Area. Camping is free and allowed for three days. People driving up and down the dusty dirt road. All night I felt like I was suffocating! I needed to know this about Nevada. Do I want to move here? NO!

May 31, 2026: Thunder Mountain Indian Monument is a man-made vernacular sculptural garden near Imlay, Nevada, off Exit 145 on Highway 80. I've had this on my list of "must-sees" for a long time. Entrance to park is free, but they request a $2.00 donation per group for site preservation. Ah, it doesn't look they they have attempted to preserve anything in the almost forty years it's been abandoned! I find that sad. I'd love to volunteer to help preserve it! It's a creative and fascinating artistic endeavor that was clearly a project of passion. The structures were built with found objects, cement, wire, and bottles. The themes are the accumulation of trash from white society that enroached on the already existing Native American culture. It was built by the self-proclaimed Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder (a "Thunder Mountain" doesn't exist) and covers about 5 acres. Most of it is now in ruins after he committed suicide in 1989.

This is the main structure fenced and protected as an historic landmark.

Entrance to the hostel where hippies stayed in the 1970s. It was burnt down in 1983 (arson).

Love the sculpture all over. Too bad it's not being preserved....

I always wanted to build something like this...

Next I drove to Unionville, supposedly a ghost town. It was a disappointment. Some old buildings are privately owned. Not much to see. I continued to Reno and Whole Foods. I love shopping at Whole Foods! It makes me feel like normal person with a real life. 

Today was a stupid driver day for sure. First, I'm on the freeway going 65 miles per hour (the speed limit) and I'm behind a Sprinter van. They are huge so I can't really see what is in front of them. I think I followed him uneventfully for about twenty miles. Then a car comes up passing us on the left and before the car gets to the Sprinter, Sprinter pulls out unexpectedly in front of the car. I think, "That was reckless." Little did I know, in front of the Sprinter was a camper trailer traveling about 50 mph! I barely had time to slow and slam on my brakes. Asshole Sprinter! Please learn how to drive! He should have attempted to pass the camper when he had enough room giving me enough time to see he had someone in front of him and before another car was attempting to pass!

Next I'm going through Reno on the freeway at 65 mph like everyone else and this idiot girl who just pulled off at an exit decided it wasn't the right exit and slowly pulls back onto the freeway going about 45 miles an hour! I slammed on my brakes and nearly skidded right into her. She sped up fast or it might have been really ugly. I laid on my horn. What is with these stupid people? 

Next outside of Reno (Reno has very bad drivers!), I'm casually driving along again at 65 mph, and a car in the oncoming lane decides to pass the semi in front of him. There isn't enough room to pass, you dingbat! Again, I slam on my brakes because he doesn't look like he's going to make it. Now I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and be KIND, but instead I threw my hand out the window and flipped him off. I couldn't help myself. You'd think these experiences would make me afraid to drive. I was slamming my brakes on all day long. Nevada drivers are idiots.

I forgot to get gas in Nevada...it was $5.23 per gallon three miles from the border. In California, it was $6.29 a gallon! I know better! Jeez!

View of Valley near Alturas

I stayed at the Crowder Flat Road in the national forest just east of Alturas. The dirt roads were very rutted and still damp from the rains. I almost got stuck at one point, but survived.

Big Blue made that mess in the bottom part of photo
inching way out while trying to turn and run!

The night was incredibly peaceful, perfect temperatures (72 during the day and around 45 at night). 

I finally arrived in Oregon early in the morning and got stopped behind a school bus picking up students. As I waited for the bus to load students, I glanced to my left to a very decorated house. I love creative people. I noticed the flag -like looking sign and thought, "Eeeww...Trump supporters?" but then I looked closer. HA! "TRUMP IS AN IDIOT" and "FUCK TRUMP" AND IF YOU LIKE TRUMP FUCK YOU TOO" LOL! I have found MY PEOPLE! I love Oregon. I had to take the photo fast since the bus started moving so it's a bit blurry. The second photo is zoomed in on the smaller sign. 

I can't believe it's already June!! One month down, and four more months of adventure to go!

Oregon: The Medford Pilot Experience

May 25, 2026: Medford is rather nice and green. It has a glorious food co-op with healthy foods. Unfortunately, there are not many options for overnight parking. I stayed at a Petro truckstop along Interstate 5 which was a noisy nightmare. In addition, there is a forest fire somewhere and the smoke makes it difficult to breathe. It was a harsh night on top of all the stress and worry of dealing with another dealership.

I vowed I'd never go to another dealership after all the problems I've had with too many of them, but at the independent shop last week after they had me wait a week for an appointment then told me they couldn't work on the van, I didn't have a choice. They didn't have the equipment to hoist it in the air. They couldn't have told me that a week ago?? 

So Ford...this service agent knew exactly what I was saying, understood the issues without staring at me like an idiot deer caught in headlights, and agreed with me on all my mechanical theories! Even my theory on the all-terrain tires screwing with the transmission. He looked on the computer, checked my tire size, agreed with me, and gave me a quote for better tires! OMG! He didn't once try to gaslight me or tell me "that isn't possible," "that wouldn't do any good," or "that wouldn't cause that". I was very surprised and once again hopeful.

After the initial diagnoses to figure out why I am losing coolant and overheating, he came back and said the mechanic couldn't find a leak! My dreams were dashed. But they were now going to take it a level higher and add dye, do all kinds of things to find the leak warning me I may have to take it, drive it for a few days and then bring it back. Didn't have to! They found the leak hidden in the gills of the radiator. UGH. Another $2,000! And I was warned, it would be a whole second day to get it done AND they may need to keep it overnight. Oh god, no, please, no! Where would I go?

I scouted a nearby 24-hour Pilot Truck Stop that had a restaurant sitting area and my plan was to sit up all night. Oh, god, please no! I spent my second night in Medford at a freeway rest stop that limits stays to 12 hours. One minute over 12 hours and an AI system will call a tow truck and haul your ass away! The place was filled to the max with every space and even every non-space taken probably because there are so few places in town to stay the night. I actually felt really safe! And it was raining all afternoon. I tried several times to head up to a mountain BLM spot where people paraglide, but every time I tried the rain was pounding so hard I couldn't see. I'm not going to go up a twisty turning one lane dirt road up a mountain in a thunderstorm!

GORGEOUS!

Ford employees gave me an empty office to work and I spent the next day all day at Ford. At one point I needed to go for a walk to stretch out my very stiff butt. There was a trail along the edge of the dealership ... filled with CATS!! At least thirty cats just laying around in the grass with some sitting on the walkway. Most were not frightened, looked healthy, and someone told me later they are well-fed by kind, cat-loving people.

And a turkey!! It was surreal! Thirty cats and a turkey! The turkey was just wandering in and out of the cats that were looking like they wanted to pounce, but since the turkey was twice as big, they were thinking twice about it. I am certainly easily entertained these days!

At almost 5pm, the service agent tells me the mechanic won't finish and their driver can take me to the truck stop. I inform him I can't get in a vehicle with air fresheners. He says all the cars here have air fresheners in them. I start to cry and I ask, "No one here has a car without air fresheners?" He isn't very good at thinking out of the box. He says let me check something, comes back and asks if I can test their shuttle car as it hasn't been detailed in a long time. Sticking my nose into a toxic space is always a risk, but I say "Yes!" for lack of options. It was fine. As I'm getting my backpack and supplies from my van, the service agent tells me the manager has approved a $200 voucher to a nearby hotel. I thank him kindly, but tell him I cannot go to a hotel as they use air fresheners. This is why I live in a van. Welcome to my world! I packed planning if the truck stop is too toxic, I may have to walk the streets of Medford all night. Good, god! How did this become my life?

I sat up all night at a the nearby 24-hour Pilot Truck Stop in the area where there are tables for Taco Bell and Subway. Initially I was scared. There is an app somewhere I saw once where you can check to see which are the most dangerous truck stops. I did not check to see if this truck stop was dangerous. I don't have a choice and I don't want to know. 

However, the employees were really nice. The woman who was working until 11pm took a break, sat in the restaurant, and talked to me. It was kind of interesting watching the people come and go at all hours of the night. I wondered if they worked late night shifts or early morning hours? Why are teenagers here at midnight on a school night? Why are people bringing toddlers in at 2am? To kill twelve hours of nothing, I took photos almost every hour documenting my experience. They had one high table with stools and outlets for phone charging.

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

Midnight

2am The table in the corner is where I sat most of the night.

3am

5am

6:30am

At 6:30am I was so ready to leave! I was stiff and cold from sitting. The shuttle doesn't start until 8am, but I realized that trail behind Ford  with all the cats - it goes all the way to the front door of Pilot! I walked back, incredibly tired and incredibly hungry, it was more like stumbling and trying really hard not to fall.

Van was fixed around 11am (2 1/2 days!) and I couldn't wait to get out of there! It never ceases to be an adventure!

I headed back to Klamath Falls in the rain. The first campsite I attempted was in the woods next to a creek. I arrived when it was sprinkling, but within an hour it turned into downpour. The down-hill dirt road became a waterfall and the little puddle in front of my parked van a lake. I saw on the weather app this downpour would last 24 hours. I'm outta there! Beautiful or not, and so exhausted from lack of sleep I can hardly move, I have no desire to get stuck in mud!

Beautiful but deadly!

I quickly left and drove fifteen miles up the highway to a Snow Park: flat, paved, huge! Safety! I never slept so good in my life! In the morning there was a camper trailer behind me about 20 feet and a Sprinter van in front of me 20 feet. I didn't even hear them come in!

The next night I stayed at another Snow Park on Quartz Mountain east of Klamath Falls. Paved and quiet, but I woke to 37 degrees! Too cold. I headed to Lakeside to warm up the van and make breakfast.

On to Nevada!