We visited Lassen Volcanic National Park again. The main visitor center was closed, but the museum was open, so we went there first:
And unlike last time, the road through the park was open, so we enjoyed the sights:
The Sulphur Works area was like a tiny Yellowstone. I know many people don’t like the sulphur smell, but we enjoy it, probably thanks to that association (and with Rotorua in New Zealand):
It was nice to be able to see more of the park this time.
We stayed at Red Bluff KOA Journey in Red Bluff, California. (Campground Reviews listing.)
A nice campground, except for the road and train noise.
Dates:
Weather:
Noise:
Site:
Utilities:
Internet (in usage priority order):
Amenities:
Our review on Campground Reviews:
A bit expensive but convenient
This campground is very convenient along I-5, and we’d probably stay here again for a one-night stop, but for a longer stay, the noise from the interstate is a bit irritating. We had a nice, long pull-through site with plenty of room. The major downside was that we faced our first-ever ant infestation while staying here. They marched up our water hose, into the wet bay, and then into the living area. However, a bait station in the wet bay and a spritz of pyrethrin along the hose deterred them. We camped at Red Bluff KOA Journey in a Motorhome.
Tip for Other Campers: It’s a nice day trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park….
Campground map:
An interactive map:
Our site (which we picked out when booking) was on an edge, with nobody on our driver side (which I prefer):
This site used to be two back-ins, so has two utility pedestals, one at each end. Which is equally inconvenient if parking in the middle of the site. When I first connected the sewer, I used the hookup at the back, which needed three 10-foot pipes plus two 2-foot pipes:
I later switched to the one at the front, which let me remove one of the 10-foot pipes:
Though having the pipe in front of the cargo doors is less preferred, since it gets in the way. Notice also that I used the elbow extenders on both connections, as the sewer ports were too recessed.
While here, we had an invasion of ants; amazingly, the first time we’ve had that:
A fancy entrance:
When checking in, we picked up some sourdough bread that they were selling in the office:
Dog wash:
Pool and clubhouse:
Games area:
Dog park:
Bathrooms:
Group fire pit:
Tent area overlooking the river:
River and freeway view:
Fountains:
Other sites:
Freeway view:
L-shaped sites:
We wouldn’t mind staying here again for a short time, but would probably look elsewhere to avoid the freeway and train noise.
A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 165 miles from Ashland, Oregon to Red Bluff, California.
We drove our coach 165 miles, about four hours of driving, from Ashland, Oregon to Red Bluff, California.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:
An interactive map:
Goodbye super-low Emigrant Lake:
Joining I-5, with lots of wildfire smoke:
“Long steep downgrade ahead”:
“Siskiyou Mountain Summit elevation 4,310 feet, highest elevation on I-5”:
“Oregon thanks you, come back soon”:
“Welcome to California”:
A glimpse of Mount Shasta in the background:
Agricultural inspection station, unstaffed when we went through:
Mount Shasta view:
Rest area with RV parking:
Roadworks:
Shasta Lake:
For comparison, a view of the lake when we last went past here in 2021, quite a lot lower:
Fuel stop:
The pump said “Dispenser Reserved”, so should have been blocked off; we had to pull around to another pump:
Our destination:
Our site:
We bought electric bikes a couple of years ago, which we mostly enjoyed, but Jenn didn’t find her one very comfortable, so in due course we sold it, with the idea of replacing it with a trike or something.
A while back we had the idea to try an electric scooter instead, as a more compact alternative.
After some research, we decided to buy a ENGWE Y600 830W electric scooter (see that link for the price and stats).
One reason we chose this model is that it comes with a seat, but it can be removed and replaced with a foot guard, if you always want to stand while riding. We wanted both options; it’s easy to both stand and sit while riding.
Here are some photos of unboxing it:
The assembled scooter:
It folds up fairly small, with the seat and handlebars folding down:
And easily fits in the back of our truck:
Charging port:
Fold down seat post latch:
Fold down handlebars lever and lock:
Brake, head and tail light switch, turn signals, horn:
Display with gear, speed, odometer (or other values), and battery level, plus power and mode buttons and throttle lever; a second display with the battery voltage and key:
For now we have kept my ebike, and have the scooter as a second option. So either we each ride one, or I can quickly get the scooter out when exploring the campground or taking out the trash, etc. The scooter isn’t as useful as the bike, since it doesn’t have any cargo capacity (like a trash bag or when picking up packages), and doesn’t have any exercise benefits, but being more compact and easy to set up are big benefits.
In due course we’ll decide whether to keep my bike and buy a trike for Jenn, or sell my bike and get a second scooter, or just keep both options, or some other variation.
Some miscellaneous photos around Ashland, Oregon.
Ashland Springs Hotel:
Oregon Shakespeare Festival gift store:
We enjoy the hills around Ashland:
Varsity theater:
Creekside restaurants:
Lithia Park pond:
On our last day staying in Ashland (a Saturday), we took a scenic drive along Dead Indian Memorial Road and Green Springs Highway (OR-66), along the historic Applegate Wagon Trail, through the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
An interactive map of our route, traveling clockwise (with a fuel stop first, then a stop at the “Boat Launch” waypoint; the other waypoints are just to force the route:
We really like the Ashland area, and Dead Indian Memorial Road is one of the favorites, the kind of terrain we enjoy.
Some interesting rocks:
A bit of wildfire smoke in the area:
A glimpse of Mount Washington, a 7,795 foot peak in the Cascade range:
Smiley face on a tank:
We stopped at the Sunset Day Use Area of Lake of the Woods for a picnic lunch:
Another angle of Mount Washington across the lake:
A dog with shark fin, carrying a stick:
Ducks:
Back on the road, on highway 140 W:
Upper Klamath Lake:
Reservoir:
OR-66:
A nice drive.
We attended a couple of performances of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
Back when we had a homestead, we used to be members of OSF, and did annual visits to Ashland to attend performances and enjoy the town. (Though we do plan to be back in Ashland next year, and probably every year, so we could resume our membership.)
This time, we attended a performance of Jane Eyre, and of Much Ado About Nothing.
“Allen Elizabethan Theatre, America’s First Elizabethan Theatre”:
Before each show they have a “Green Show” musical performance outside the theaters:
Into the theater:
A view of the Green Show from the theater balcony:
Inside the theater; yes, it’s open air:
Another day, another Green Show:
A larger crowd:
Selfie:
A little different set dressing in the theater:
Sunset:
Audience:
Some samples of food in Ashland, Oregon.
Firstly, an ice cream snack from Zoey’s Cafe & Artisan Ice Cream:
After the cabaret (which also had food, covered previously), we went to an old favorite, Louie’s of Ashland for a small dinner creekside:
Salad and truffle fries:
Before a play, we had a fancy dinner at Chateaubriand 36:
I enjoy absinthe (Jenn doesn’t), so I got an absinthe drip:
Finally, before another play we had dinner at Cocorico (which used to be Amuse):
Tasty stuff. Our only regret was that we missed the delightful breakfasts we used to be served when staying at Ashland Creek Inn each year. Now that we live in a motorhome, we don’t have that particular pleasure anymore.
While staying at our Washington home in previous years, we were careful to avoid filling our gray and black waste tanks, since we didn’t have a way to empty them until after we left; we used a bathroom in the house instead of in our coach.
This time, we were staying longer, but we also had new tools available: we had purchased a waste tote tank, and a macerator pump. I used both while staying this time.
The house has a septic system in the backyard, with inspection/cleanout ports:
I initially drained the waste tanks into my tote:
I then pulled the tote around the back using the handle (not too difficult with the steerable front wheels), and drained it into the septic system:
Using the other port to drain the last liquid out of the tote:
That was pretty easy. But then I tried a different approach. I bought two 100 foot hoses (that will only be used for this purpose, left in our shed), and used my macerator to mash up and pump the waste through the hoses directly into the septic system:
I plugged the power cord into the electrical outlet in the wet bay, via a plug-in switch:
A power supply, to convert the 110V to a 12V car-style connector (there is a switch after the power supply, but the power supply has a fan that runs as long it has power, hence my plug-in switch):
(Hmm, there is 12V power for a light in the wet bay, so I could hook up a connector to that… nah, probably not worth it for this occasional use.)
A closer look at the macerator, connected to my sewer hose closure and the hose:
200 feet of hose going around the house:
The end of the hose into the septic system:
Taking a peek; it isn’t a high flow, so takes longer than usual, but is much easier than using the tote:
I removed the hose and re-sealed the inspection plate when done each time, to avoid smells getting out or animals getting into the septic system. If we were to ever do this longer-term, we could no doubt devise some sort of gasket or port to let the hose remain hooked up in a sealed way, though it really wasn’t a huge hassle.
With the 50 amp electrical hookup, a water hookup, and these waste solutions, we are able to stay home as long as we like.