ENGWE Y600 830W electric scooter

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:

Carton

Unboxing

Unboxing

The assembled scooter:

Scooter

Scooter

It folds up fairly small, with the seat and handlebars folding down:

Scooter

And easily fits in the back of our truck:

Scooter

Scooter

Charging port:

Charging port

Fold down seat post latch:

Fold down seat

Fold down handlebars lever and lock:

Fold down handlebars lever and lock

Brake, head and tail light switch, turn signals, horn:

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:

Display with gear, speed, odometer (or other displays, and battery level, and lever to accellerate; 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.

Ashland, Oregon

Some miscellaneous photos around Ashland, Oregon.

Ashland Springs Hotel:

Ashland Springs Hotel

Oregon Shakespeare Festival gift store:

Oregon Shakespeare Festival gift store

We enjoy the hills around Ashland:

Hills

Varsity theater:

Varsity theater

Creekside restaurants:

Creekside restaurants

Creekside restaurants

Lithia Park pond:

Lithia Park pond

Lithia Park bridge

Lithia Park pond

Scenic drive along Dead Indian Memorial Road and Green Springs Highway

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:

Interesting rocks along Dead Indian Memorial Road

A bit of wildfire smoke in the area:

View from Dead Indian Memorial Road

A glimpse of Mount Washington, a 7,795 foot peak in the Cascade range:

Mount Washington

Smiley face on a tank:

Smiley face on tank

We stopped at the Sunset Day Use Area of Lake of the Woods for a picnic lunch:

Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods

Another angle of Mount Washington across the lake:

Mount Washington

Lake of the Woods

A dog with shark fin, carrying a stick:

Dog with shark fin

Selfie

Ducks:

Ducks

Duck

Back on the road, on highway 140 W:

Highway 140 W

Upper Klamath Lake:

Upper Klamath Lake

Reservoir:

Reservoir

OR-66:

OR-66

OR-66

A nice drive.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

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”:

Allen Elizabethan Theatre

Before each show they have a “Green Show” musical performance outside the theaters:

The Green Show

The Green Show

Into the theater:

Theater

A view of the Green Show from the theater balcony:

The Green Show

Inside the theater; yes, it’s open air:

Theater

Another day, another Green Show:

The Green Show

A larger crowd:

The Green Show

Selfie:

Selfie

A little different set dressing in the theater:

Theater

Sunset:

Theater with sunset

Audience:

Audience

Theater

Ashland food

Some samples of food in Ashland, Oregon.

Firstly, an ice cream snack from Zoey’s Cafe & Artisan Ice Cream:

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:

Louie's of Ashland

Salad and truffle fries:

Salad snd truffle fries

Before a play, we had a fancy dinner at Chateaubriand 36:

Chateaubriand 36

Chateaubriand 36

Appertizers

Mains

Dessert menu

Absinthes

I enjoy absinthe (Jenn doesn’t), so I got an absinthe drip:

Absinthe drip

Absinthe drip

David with absinthe

Desserts

Finally, before another play we had dinner at Cocorico (which used to be Amuse):

Cocorico

Cocorico

Menu

Front dining room

Selfie

Appertizers

Mains

Desserts

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.

Dumping waste tanks into house septic system

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:

Septic system inspection ports

I initially drained the waste tanks into my tote:

Draining waste tank into 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:

Draining tote into septic

Using the other port to drain the last liquid out of the tote:

Draining last of 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:

Macerator

I plugged the power cord into the electrical outlet in the wet bay, via a plug-in switch:

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):

Power supply

(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:

Macerator

200 feet of hose going around the house:

Hose

The end of the hose into the septic system:

Hose into septic

Taking a peek; it isn’t a high flow, so takes longer than usual, but is much easier than using the tote:

Hose into septic

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.

Ashland wineries: Quady North & Belle Fiore

While staying in Ashland we visited a couple of wineries that we’ve enjoyed in the past: Quady North & Belle Fiore.

Firstly, Quady North:

Quady North

They used to have a tasting room in Jacksonville, but recently moved to a building at their winery:

Quady North

Quady North

Quady North

Quady North

We did a couple of tastings, which included some bonuses, along with a  charcuterie platter for our lunch:

Quady North

We bought several bottles, plus a box of wine:

Quady North

Another day, we went to Belle Fiore Winery, another winery we’ve liked:

Belle Fiore

A somewhat fancier building:

Belle Fiore

Belle Fiore

We did the Reserve and Chateau tastings:

Belle Fiore

Belle Fiore

I admit it, we mostly go here for their truffle fries; this time since this was our dinner we also got a charcuterie board, though I think we would have preferred just getting a full-sized order of fries (this was the small):

Belle Fiore

We didn’t buy any bottles from here; after doing the tastings, we decided we didn’t particularly enjoy any of them enough this time. Their wines are too tannic for us.