Summer 2010: Colorado or Bust

7/29/10

10:23 am

Much to our chagrin, and very typically of our Gearbox, we have discovered yet another catastrophic problem. Last year, on our summer vacation, Mom smelled mold in the front bedroom. After much goading, Dad finally investigated and uncovered a monumental mold infestation covering the entire front panel of the trailer. We only just got that fixed, as well as the dry rotted corner in the back that came with the trailer. All our problems were solved, until this morning as we were packing up (Sierra learned -- very, very slowly -- how to load the ATVs) that the big back door that swings down to be the ramp, is broken. The pin on which it swings has been completely sheared off, and is only held on by the other pin, and the tracks in which it’s laid. We’re googling Good Sam Club to find a place in La Grande to get it check out or fixed.

I got to call Rose, and hopefully we’ll be to Idaho Falls by Saturday, in time to see her swearing into the Army. ‘Cause my crazy friend Rose is turning her life around and joining the military. She’s such a sweet girl, but she makes some bad decisions. Hopefully the army will be what she needs.



At 11:20, we pulled into Ron Lee’s RV repair in Island Circle (or, just outside La Grande, since I honestly have no idea where we are). The older guy, Ron, promised he could fix it and if he didn’t have the part, he’d make one. Mom, Aspen and I took the truck (I drove) back into town to get some Taco Bell (we should have gotten gas, but Sierra couldn’t be bothered) and by the time we returned, Dad and the two guys from the shop were trying to unhook the door. The second pin broke, and now, after some grunting and a lot of Dad shaming young guys with his strength, they unhooked the springs that aide the door, chocked it up with boards and are doing manly stuff.

By 12:40, they hooked up the trailer to a pushback, and hauled it around to the garage to get some pins put in it. The theme of this place is ‘God helps those who help themselves’, so Dad’s doing a lot of the work. I don’t think Dad’d trust those pot smokin’, beer drinkin’ bozos alone with out stuff anyway. I think they’ll get the job done, but I wouldn’t leave them alone either. They might hurt themselves.

AT 5:17, WE FINALLY PULLED OUT OT HE MECHANIC’S SHOP. They did an amazing job, and only for $400. We kept them an hour after closing, but they stuck with us all day and got it done. They did an awesome job.



The country here is beautiful. It’s 95, but the wind blows all the time, so it doesn’t feel too bad. We’re looking for somewhere to stay the night. No ATVing today, and I think we’ll probably push on to Craters tomorrow. I’m exhausted, and I didn’t even do anything. Once we finished with the trailer, we were advised to go to Eagle Hot Lakes RV park for the night. They had a pool, and as soon as we had basically gotten stuff unloaded, we booked it for the pool. It was round and only 3 feet deep, but it was so nice. It rained, but was sunny too, which was weird. The sky was black over the foot hills, and thunder kept rolling, which scared Mom, of course.



After that, when it cooled down, we took showers and went to dinner in town. The Union Stoplight, for pizza, burgers and fries. Good stuff. On our way back, however, a fawn had gotten hit by a car, so we all had to slow down to pass it. It wasn’t dead yet, and dad almost stopped to shoot it, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. No one felt like eating their ice cream after that.

Summer 2010: Colorado or Bust

7/28/10
After many years of being ignored, the Traveler’s Journal has finally resurfaced, and is in the hands of Sierra. Results may vary.

1:20 pm

In typical Seiver style, our planned ship out time was nine o’clock. We pulled out a little after noon. The trailer has alternately simplified and complicated traveling. Now that we have it, packing up means bringing actual bed sheets, food in a fridge and quads and bikes. The volume of creature comforts is huge, which may or may not be good. The more we can bring, the more we end up bringing. Takes a long time to get it all together. We try to maintain the semblance of camping, with Dutch ovens, hot dog roasting sticks, and crappy mattresses. So don’t get too comfortable.



Our plan is to drive southeast to La Grande, Oregon by tonight (We may stop before then because of our late start,) then from there we wanted to head further east to Craters of the Moon in Idaho. We’d like to meet up with my old friend, Rose, so hopefully if we don’t get in too late, I can give her a call and we can hook up in the coming days. From Craters, we’d like to keep going into Colorado to see Uncle Dave. Sierra wants to see Albuquerque, but we’ll see if we can get that far. Utah is the trip back. We’ll be out for 3 weeks, and home in time to vote and Aspen to turn out for high school football. We brought a ball to toss around. Maybe I’ll improve my catch/stop being such a wimpy girl. Nothing too exciting, since we’re still in Washington.

4:36 pm

Passed some interesting things. Cheese tour at the Dairygold factory, anyone? And they put up telephone poles with boxes on the tops to bring in eagles. It’s working. Went through a lot of farmland ‘til it dried out and turned into Yakima. It was 91 at the rest stop where we let the dogs run. Beyond Yakima, it’s been treed, but still hot. The wind blows constantly. Richland is 31 miles away, and another 60 to Pendleton, or where ever in Oregon where we can stop. The roads are crap, I’m not having a seizure. More to come after these semi trucks pass us.



We past into Oregon at 5:42 pm over the beautiful and broad Colombia River, the source of so much trouble and excitement for foreign and American explorers over more than 200 years of sailing and discovery.

6:00 pm

Took a detour through Hermiston, Oregon. Someone may or may not have missed the only gas station eight million miles, so Mom google mapped us a chevron and we pulled off in Hermiston. There was a very interesting looking factory -- we concluded it was an electrical plant -- and passed a man on a John Deere tractor, driving on the road. Then, after pulling into a gas station behind a guy who only spent five dollars on gas, and being stuck waiting to pull out on the only high-traffic, two-lane road in Hermiston, Oregon, as we rejoin the highway, we pass a huge truck stop with gas, food, and lodging. We also had to squeeze to the right as we passed an International Harvester going over the over pass. Good times.

We settled for the night, about 8:30, in Emigrant Springs, Oregon, in the state park. Nice place, even if it’s near the freeway. Public showers, toilets, firewood for sale and full hook ups. Washington doesn’t have stuff like that at our state parks. Just saying.