Camping trip--101

The trip from Salem to Bend was lovely with lots of snowcapped peaks along the way.


There was evidence of a major forest fire that covered a vast amount of the forest...always sad to see the effects.


I was not expecting to see so many lovely mountains on the approach to Bend.  The town was also very interesting but I was there such a short time I failed to explore it or get any pictures.  It is one town I would like to get back to someday.


Cousin Cherie, her husband, Jerry, their grandson, Dillon, and their two dogs, Peppermint and Gus drove in their RV from their home in Yakima, Washington to join up with me for a week of camping.
We met up with their son, Patrick and his girlfriend, Tammy, and headed out for a long trip down this dusty, bumpy dirt road....


....to this beautiful and very isolated campsite on Lake Wickiup.


It was perfect, but cold.  The clouds were threatening but I was assured that Patrick was famous for keeping the campfires going.


I had last seen Patrick when he was about 3 years old so this was a time to get reacquainted. This is his girlfriend, Tammy, who was an all-time good sport on this trip.


And then there was Patrick's son, Dillon, who also got very sick with a sore throat.  (Thankfully I managed to avoid any of the illnesses that were around me over several weeks) But Dillon toughed it out and remained cheerful the entire time.


Jerry kept us entertained with campfire stories...


...and when we weren't listening he still had an audience.

The weather kept getting colder but Patrick lived up to his reputation and kept the fire blazing.


The next morning Sigh Me refused to get out of bed--even when I opened her can of food.  And I couldn't blame her--it was sooooo cold.


How cold was it?  Well, this was what greeted us when I raised the back curtain...


And it didn't look like the day was going to clear up.

Cherie admired the moss on a stick...covered with snow...hmmm.    

Patrick's fire felt really good.   

And when the weather began to clear it was beautiful.

Cherie and Peppermint explored...


Gus showed Jerry how much he appreciated the stories.

It was a perfect camping trip.

Jerry, Cherie, the dogs, Sigh Me and I left Lake Wickiup after 4 days and headed (once again) to the coast.  We drove first from Bend to Eugene where I had dropped sister, Mary, off two weeks earlier.  I couldn't resist so I called Mary and said, "Guess where I am."
"Washington? Canada?" she guessed.
"Nope.  Eugene!"
"You're not moving very fast.  Next you are going to tell me you are going to the coast."
"Yep! I may never get out of Oregon."