Travel 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:

Route map

An interactive map:

Goodbye super-low Emigrant Lake:

Emigrant Lake

Joining I-5, with lots of wildfire smoke:

Joining I-5

“Long steep downgrade ahead”:

Long steep downgrade ahead

“Siskiyou Mountain Summit elevation 4,310 feet, highest elevation on I-5”:

Siskiyou Mountain Summit elevation 4,310 feet, highest elevation on I-5

“Oregon thanks you, come back soon”:

Oregon thanks you, come back soon

“Welcome to California”:

Wlecome to California

A glimpse of Mount Shasta in the background:

Mount Shasta view

Agricultural inspection station, unstaffed when we went through:

Agricultural inspection station

Mount Shasta view:

Mount Shasta view

Rest area with RV parking:

Rest area with RV parking

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Shasta Lake:

Shasta Lake

For comparison, a view of the lake when we last went past here in 2021, quite a lot lower:

Low water level

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

The pump said “Dispenser Reserved”, so should have been blocked off; we had to pull around to another pump:

Dispenser Reserved

Our destination:

Our destination

Our site:

Our site

Emigrant Lake – The Point RV Park

We stayed at Emigrant Lake – The Point RV Park in Ashland, Oregon. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A nice county campground, very convenient to Ashland.

Dates:

Check in: 2024-08-31
Check out: 2024-09-08
8 nights

Weather:

Mostly sunny
High temps 79-100°F, lows 51-64°F
A little wind, gusts to 19 MPH

Noise:

No road noise
No train horn noise
Negligible neighbor noise

Site:

#19, back-in, asphalt
Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
Somewhat unlevel site; high on back and driver side; used hydraulic leveling and extra blocks under the front
Asphalt driveway about 50 feet long by 15 feet wide
18 feet to neighbor on driver side
No neighbor on passenger side
Picnic table
Fire pit
Some trees
Clean site

Utilities:

50 amp power, conveniently located
75 PSI water, conveniently located
Loose sewer connection, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

T-Mobile: 57 Mbps down, 11-18 Mbps up, 32 ms ping
AT&T: 35-72 Mbps down, 0.5 Mbps up, 100 ms ping
Verizon: 5-22 Mbps down, 14-22 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
Starlink: not used
Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

Garbage dumpsters
Lake

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Perfect park close to Ashland

This is a great spot to stay and explore Ashland and the local area. It’s a shame the lake is so low, but that’s just the reality of the West these days. We still enjoyed the view from our site, regardless. Access to the campground is a little dicey for big rigs, but it is doable. Just watch out for the final turn into the campground, where you have to navigate between a rock wall and a barbed wire fence that comes close to the road. Our site (19) had a terrific view of the lake, and I think the only better view would be from site 21 (a pull-through site), which sits at the bottom of the loop. We camped at Emigrant Lake – The Point RV Park in a Motorhome.

Tip for Other Campers: Ashland has one of the best dining scenes in the PNW, so be sure to explore some options (Cocorico was our favorite this time). Take in a show at the OSF, even if it’s just the Green Show, which is free. The Oregon Cabaret is a fun experience as well. And don’t forget to tour the many different wine trails in the area. We’re partial to the Applegate Valley…

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Utilities:

Utilities

Other sites:

Other sites

The very end of the point is site 21, a pull-through site; we would have preferred to have this site, but it wasn’t available:

Other sites

Lake view from site 21:

Lake view from site 21

Campground entrance, with a tight corner:

Campground entrance

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms

A view of the lake from behind the bathrooms:

View now

From the website, much the same view from many years ago when the lake was full:

View then

Another view now:

View now

And the same view then:

View then

Some more years-ago views of the full lake:

View then

A similar view of the much lower lake now, from our site:

Lake view

More lake views from our site:

Lake view

Sunset:

Sunset

A truck stuck in the mud (see a timelapse video of it getting stuck and unstuck):

A truck stuck in the mud

A couple of shots of the same part of the lake, where people enter it; the first one taken soon after arriving, and the second towards the end of our stay; if you look closely, you can see a significant drop in the water level:

Lake view

And an animated GIF of the water level dropping:

Lake view

(Check out today’s timelapse video of the lake level dropping noticeably during our stay.)

A view from below our site, that should have been underwater if the lake were full:

Lake view

Looking back up at our site:

Our site

The very low water level was rather sad; the lake would have been much nicer if full. But still a nice place to stay.

We plan to stay here again next year. Hopefully in site 21 next time, but site 19 would be a good second choice.

Travel from Welches, Oregon to Ashland, Oregon

We drove our coach 321 miles, about six hours of driving, from Welches to Ashland, Oregon.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:

Map

An interactive map:

Toading up in the maintenance area, as usual:

Toading up

“Welcome to Boring, Paired with Dull, Scotland”:

Welcome to Boring

Our favorite garden center in the Sandy area, Tony’s:

Tony's Garden Center

Willamette River:

Willamette River

Joining I-5 South, with heavy traffic:

Joining I-5 South

Rest area:

Rest area

I-5 South:

I-5 South

Lunch stop at Coburg Crossing Cafe at a TA Travel Center in Coburg, Oregon:

Coburg Crossing Cafe

Coburg Crossing Cafe menu

Breakfast for lunch

Rail bridge over North Umpqua River:

Rail bridge over North Umpqua River

“Slow Down” for a sharp curve:

Slow Down

Rest area:

Rest area

Nice Southern Oregon view:

Nice view

A glimpse of Mount Shasta from I-5 South:

Glimpse of Mount Shasta from I-5 South

A glimpse of downtown Ashland:

Glimpse of downtown Ashland

Emigrant Lake entrance:

Emigrant Lake entrance

The lake was very low (and has been for a long time):

Emigrant Lake

Unstaffed fee station (campers continue to site):

Emigrant Lake entrance

Entrance to The Point RV Campground (with a disconcertingly tight corner):

The Point RV Campground

Our site:

Our site

Mt Hood Village RV & Camping Resort, yet again

We stayed at Mt Hood RV & Camping Resort in Welches, Oregon. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Our third visit to this nice Thousand Trails Encore park; we stayed here last year in September, and the previous year in late July.

Dates:

Check in: 2024-08-25
Check out: 2024-08-31
6 nights

Weather:

Mostly sunny
High temps ranging between 64-88°F, lows around 43-61°F
Only a little wind (fairly sheltered); gusts to 20 MPH

Noise:

No road noise
No train noise
Negligible neighbor noise

Site:

Hemlock Meadows #94, back in, gravel
Needed to disconnect toad; parked in front of coach (on gravel)
A little unlevel; high on passenger side and front; used hydraulic leveling
Gravel driveway about 50 feet long by about 22 feet wide, plus about 20 feet wide
15 feet to neighbor on driver side
18 feet to road on passenger side
Picnic table & fire pit
Somewhat clean

Utilities:

50 amp power, conveniently located
70 PSI water, conveniently located
Good sewer connection, a little inconveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

T-Mobile: 20-35 Mbps down, 15 Mbps up, 40 ms ping
Verizon: 1-5 Mbps down, 1-3 Mbps up, 100 ms ping
AT&T: 2-6 Mbps down, 0.05 Mbps up, 300-2,500 ms ping
Starlink: not used
Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

Garbage dumpsters
Indoor pool
Unfortunately the onsite restaurant has closed

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Same as it ever was, minus the restaurant

We stay here every year to do errands in the Portland Metro area. We requested a site in the newer Hemlock Meadows area so we could use our Starlink, but our original assignment was in the trees in a site that would’ve been too short for us as well. Since we’ve been here several times, we knew we needed to confirm these things at check-in, and they were able to move us to a more appropriate site. The newer Hemlock Meadows sites are more open than some of the other areas of the park, so there’s no separation between you and your neighbors…but if they keep letting the weeds grow unabated, they may eventually give you some privacy between sites. The biggest disappointment was that the onsite restaurant closed, and I had been looking forward to their eggs benedict. Alas. We camped at Mt Hood Village RV Resort in a Motorhome.

The campground map:

Map

Interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Utilities:

Utilities

We were disappointed to discover that the Dragonfly Cafe & Bakery was closed down, having enjoyed their food during previous stays:

Dragonfly Cafe & Bakery

Tiny homes:

Tiny homes

Other sites:

Other sites

See our previous visit and the one before that for lots more pictures.

We enjoyed our stay here, and would definitely stay again in the future.

Travel from Shelton, Washington to Welches, Oregon

We drove our coach 187 miles, about four hours of driving, from Shelton, Washington to Welches, Oregon.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:

Route map

An interactive map:

A bay near Shelton:

Bay near Shelton

I-5 South:

I-5 South

Rest area:

Rest area

Another rest area:

Rest area

Deer next to the freeway entrance:

Deer next to freeway entrance

I-5 bridge:

I-5 bridge

Roadworks on another I-5 bridge, which caused major traffic delays:

Roadworks on I-5 bridge

Yet another rest area:

Rest area

Entering Oregon:

Entering Oregon

PDX airport across Columbia River:

PDX airport across Columbia River

Welcome to Oregon:

Welcome to Oregon

A glimpse of Mount Hood:

Glimpse of Mount Hood

Arriving at Mt Hood Village:

Mt Hood Village

Campground

Our site:

Our site

Travel from Quincy to Shelton, Washington

We drove our coach 248 miles, about 4 hours of driving, from Quincy, Washington to Shelton, Washington.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west (with exact destination omitted, for privacy):

Route map

An interactive map:

Columbia River:

Columbia River

Upside-down vehicle:

Upside-down vehicle

Eastern Washington hills:

Eastern Washington hills

Columbia River:

Columbia River

Vantage Bridge over Columbia River:

Columbia River bridge

Columbia River

Rest area:

Rest area

Truck with corn:

Truck with corn

Wildlife bridge:

Wildlife bridge

I-90 along Keechelus Lake:

I-90 along Keechelus Lake

Guye Peak:

Guye Peak

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

Joining I-5 South:

Joining I-5 South

Tacoma Dome:

Tacoma Dome

Heading into Shelton:

Shelton

Narrow bridge entering Shelton:

Shelton

(Probably the last time we go this way; we found an easier route.)

Thousand Trails Crescent Bar

We stayed at Thousand Trails Crescent Bar in Quincy, Washington. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A Thousand Trails campground overlooking the Columbia River.

Dates:

Check in: 2024-08-02
Check out: 2024-08-03
1 night
We had booked two nights, but decided to leave after one, since it was so hot, and we just wanted to get home

Weather:

Partly cloudy
High temp 102°F, low 71°F
Little wind, gusts to 17 MPH

Noise:

No road noise
No train horn noise
Little neighbor noise

Site:

#81, back-in, sandy gravel
Needed to disconnect toad
Fairly level site; a little high at the back; used air leveling, since only one night
Sandy gravel driveway about 55 feet long by 12 feet wide
15 feet to neighbors on both sides
Picnic table
Fire pit
A tall tree
Somewhat clean site (some paper trash)

Utilities:

50 amp power, somewhat conveniently located
55 PSI water, conveniently located
Good sewer connection, very conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

T-Mobile: 15 Mbps down, 5-12 Mbps up, 108 ms ping
AT&T: 230 Mbps down, 28 Mbps up, 160 ms ping
Verizon: 12-18 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up, 45 ms ping
Starlink: not used
Campground Wi-Fi: not used

Amenities:

Garbage dumpsters
Pool

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Typical older TT, but killer views

This park is typical of an older Thousand Trails park and needs some TLC. As usual, it’s first come, first served, which is not our favorite. We were lucky to find a 50A site that was 1) in working condition, 2) large enough for our 40′ motorhome, and 3) had a peek of the Gorge. All the best sites with views of the Gorge seem to be taken up by seasonals, but it was nice to see what we could between them. All the short-term sites are a bit run down, with sparse landscaping. We camped at Thousand Trails Crescent Bar in a Motorhome.

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Utilities:

Utilities

There’s a clip for the tag, but it’s broken, so they’ve replaced it with shoelaces, rather than replacing the clip; really says something about Thousand Trails maintenance:

Shoelose to attach tag

Other sites:

Other sites

Gorge view:

Gorge view

Sunset:

Sunset

A campground in a nice location, though the access road is rather steep. But we’d be happy to stay here again.

Travel from Missoula, Montana to Quincy, Washington

We drove our coach 338 miles, about six hours of driving, from Missoula, Montana to Quincy, Washington.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Map route

An interactive map:

Clark Fork:

Clark Fork

45 MPH next 4 miles:

45 MPH next 4 miles

Rest area:

Rest area

Welcome to Idaho; Entering Pacific Time Zone:

Welcome to Idaho; Entering Pacific Time Zone

6% grade:

6& grade

Rest area:

Rest area

Welcome to Washington:

Welcome to Washington

Spokane:

Spokane

Bridges:

Bridges

Truck stop:

Truck stop

Iron Skillet for lunch:

Iron Skillet for lunch

Paladin on the dash:

Paladin on dash

Dust devil:

Dust devil

Rest area:

Rest area

Paladin in his dash bed while leaving the rest area:

Paladin in his dash bed

The farms along I-90 in Quincy had signs on their fences indicating what the crop was; we’ve sometimes not recognized a crop and wondered, so wish everyone would do this. Beans:

Beans

Potatoes:

Potatoes

Sweet corn:

Sweet corn

Timothy:

Timothy

Mural in Quincy:

Mural in Quincy

Heading down into the Columbia River gorge:

Columbia River

Our destination, Thousand Trails Crescent Bar:

Thousand Trails Crescent Bar

Our site:

Our site

Jim & Mary’s RV Park

We stayed at Jim & Mary’s RV Park in Missoula, Montana. (Campground Reviews listing.)

That name may ring a bell, as this is actually our third stay here; our first time with a trailer on our Yellowstone trip, and in our coach the following year.

Dates:

Check in: 2024-08-01
Check out: 2024-08-02
1 night

Weather:

Sunny
High temp 93°F, low 61°F
Little wind, gusts to 11 MPH

Noise:

Some road noise
Nearby train horn noise
No significant neighbor noise

Site:

#A8, pull-through, gravel
Didn’t need to disconnect toad, and didn’t, since only one night
Perfectly level site; used air leveling, since only one night
Gravel driveway about 72 feet long by 15 feet wide
20 feet to neighbors on both sides
Picnic table
One small tree
Clean site

Utilities:

50 amp power, somewhat inconveniently located
65 PSI water, somewhat inconveniently located
Didn’t connect sewer until departure; good sewer connection, a little inconveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

Campground Wi-Fi: 33-37 Mbps down, 3-13 Mbps up, 10 ms ping
Verizon: 13-18 Mbps down, 12 Mbps up, 55 ms ping
AT&T: 55 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up, 150 ms ping
T-Mobile: 4-5 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up, 60 ms ping, unreliable
Starlink: not used

Amenities:

Garbage dumpsters
Gardens

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Third time, still a charm

This was the third time we’ve stayed here, as it’s convenient along I-90. We’d be happy to drive further afield because it’s so lovely; the landscaping brightens things up after a long day of travel. Our site was on the exit row, so it was easy to get in and out. It was also perfectly level, and the utilities all worked well, but they were a little far back with our tow vehicle attached. We camped at Jim & Mary’s RV Park in a Motorhome.

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Utilities:

Utilities

Other sites:

Other sites

See our previous visit for more photos. We still like this RV park, and will likely stay here yet again in the future.

Travel from Hardin to Missoula, Montana

We drove our coach 399 miles, about seven hours of driving, from Hardin, Montana to Missoula, Montana. Having recently been on the east coast at the time, driving seven hours within one state was a bit of a change!

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Route map