Sun City to Victoria BC

 

Wheelers Pass Road Dispersed Camping - Pahrump Nevada 

Look west Pahrump NV

4082026 GPS: 36.2152, -115.9586 I got a good start out of the desert habitat and the 5 1/2 hours drive to Pahrump Nevada went by quick. Pahrump, Nevada, is famous as a rural, fast-growing getaway an hour west of Las Vegas, known for its proximity to Death Valley National Park, wineries, and motorsports.

    There were plenty of spots to park. The gravel road was rough but I found an empty spot and pointed the Van north and set up. There was snow still on the mountain peak to the west, A good place for an overnight.

    I headed north after breakfast, next stop Sportsman Beach on Walker lake, about 4 hours NW.

Pahrump photos

Sportsman Beach BLM Campground - Walker Lake, NV

Walker Lake - Mt. Grant

4092026 GPS: 38.6914, -118.7716  The drive from Pahrump was uneventful and went by quickly. The camping area was a pleasant surprise. Nestled in the shadow of Mt. Grant the views were splendid.  I got a space right on the lake right next to one of the geocaches in the park. The cost was only $6 and there was plenty of spaces to pick from. I walked to the pay station and then strolled down by the bank of the lake. The water was low and it looked very mossy. It appears the area has suffered from severe ecological decline, with high salt levels leading to the collapse of its fishery.

There are boat ramps, but I didn’t see any boats in the lake, and no one was fishing. According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife conservation efforts are ongoing to restore the lake's water levels, which have declined significantly over the past century due to agricultural diversions from the Walker River. Around this campground they have posted signs showing what the water level was in past years. So today it is a nice place for a overnight, but there used to be much more going on here.

Sportsman BLM Campground

I really enjoyed my stay, finding the few geocaches and visiting with other campers and their pets. I packed up early in the morning thinking that maybe I should stay another day, but there were dark clouds coming over the mountain so I hit the road heading towards Reno and into California. Not sure where I'm parking next, I have my eye on a couple rest stops but it looks like all the campgrounds are still closed in the Shasta mountain area. There is a parking area right on the CA/OR state line that might serve, weill see.

Sportsman's Beach Photos

Oak Slope Campground - Emigrant Lake, Ashland OR

4102026 42.158309, -122.619725 Well shortly out of Reno entering California it began to rain and would rain all day. I  drove through the Lassen National Forest from Susanville, past Mt. Shasta, although I did not see Mt. Shasta because it was raining, stopped for gas in Weed before crossing into Oregon.

Oak Slope Campground

I found the parking area at the first exit but it was just a muddy turnout on Highway 99 with road construction. So I got back on the 5 and after 8 hours of driving stopped at the Oregon State Welcome Center Rest Area I could rest here for 12 hours, I was the only one there, plenty of spots to park. I don't know why, but I just didn't feel right.

So I drove into Ashland and found a nice paved camp spot on the hillside north of Emigrant Lake in Oak Slope Campground. I didn't have any cash so I wrote and check and hunkered down in the van and let it rain.

In the morning the sun was out and the park was very nice. I went for a walk and took my time, again thinking it would be nice to spend another day, but there was more rain coming and I have a reservation at my next stop on the Umpqua River less than a 3 hour drive north.

I was able to dump my grey tank, fill up on water and I even got a nice shower. It was raining again by the time I left. I bet this place is nice when it is not rainy, maybe I will find out someday.

Oak Slope photos

Tyee Campground, Umpqua River - Roseburg OR

Tyee Campground

4112026 43.484506, -123.483565 I had high hopes for this campground. I originally booked 2 days, I changed it to 1 after the refrigerator repair. Surrounded by tall trees right on the banks of the Umpqua river, only one of two rivers in Oregon with headwaters that begin high up in the Cascade Mountains and meanders on down to the Pacific Ocean. I stay at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park on my way back from Thanksgiving last year.

This is a small campground and must be well used by locals during the summer. But in April, there was plenty of room, only a few other campers. Not sure what is going on in space 10 which looks like an abandoned yard sale. I only saw 2 other people and they were the camp host making their rounds.

stairway to Umpqua river

Tired of waiting for the rain to stop, I donned what rain gear I walked down to the river and up and down the stairs to the river. I walked the entire park which only took a half hour.

There was no cell signal and Starlink connection was weak and unreliable, but good enough to listen to baseball. So I pretty much spent my time inside the van staying dry. I cooked up a can of soup and enjoyed the game.

It rained all night and the tall trees dropped water on the van roof. Of course I was not bothered and by the morning the rain stopped for about 15 minutes, but I didn't notice. I slept until well after sunrise, but I didn't notice.

Tyee campground photos

Glenwood Dr. Vanway - Olympia, WA

Glennwood Dr. Vanway

4122026 - 4132026  Safely parked at Todd & Kate's, thus ending the first phase of this trip where we will spend a week in an Airbnb. Once settles we enjoyed a salad and delicious sausage rolls.

The next day was all about getting ready for the trip to Victoria. I decided to go ahead and take the Van, mostly because I will have all my stuff with me. Also I will not be taking up space in the car so it can be packed for a week in a Airbnb. I also want to be able to say I took my Van on the Coho Ferry.

In the morning we got ready for a busy day. I was able to get my COVID 19 booster shot at Walgreens and then we went on a nice walk/geocaching at the Grass Lake Nature Trail. After our walk, we gathered up the string instruments and had a quick Jam at a friends in Olympia.

Then it was back to Glenwood to make final preparations for a 0430 departure to get to the ferry on time.

Grass Lake Nature Trail.

Vannie Refrigerator replacement and GFI work

 

4062026 - 4072026 There is a lot to say about this emergency project, but most of all it made me really consider what needs to be refrigerated. The morning after I got home I took out the refrigerator that was not working and prepped to install the new one. I purchased a BODEGA COOLER 12 Volt Refrigerator 65L(2.3cu.ft.). It is smaller than the old one but has a bigger freezer and a bigger salad cooler drawer. I wanted to make sure it was smaller so I do not have to modify the cabinet. So I waited for it to be delivered. Time to troubleshoot the 110V issue. 

I first inspected all the wiring but I didn’t find anything loose or disconnected. The issue is all the GFIs, 3 each, will not reset. There is one on the right side of the cabinet, labeled “Heater” and 2 on the left, the front one is labeled “Cooktop” and the back one is labeled “GFI”. GFI has 4 outlets in the line after the GFI outlet. This one was blinking red on the reset button. 

I was able to verify that there is power to all of them by testing the wiring at the back of the outlet before the GFI. I was able to talk to Camping World Electrical support, but they just said that the GFIs need to be replaced if they will not reset and they have power to them. They recommended that I take it in to get looked at. This means I would have to leave Vannie for who knows how long. Oh and by the way my warranty expired at the end of March! 

Before I hung up with tech support I told them I will need to fix this on my own. But they would not help any further. So I sat and considered that it was something simple and it is unlikely that all three GFIs would go bad all at once, It just needs to be reset. I thought about disconnecting the batteries but before I do that I decided to connect it to shore power. 

I have a 20A outlet at my bench in the workshop, so I connected it to the shore power. Immediately I was able to reset the heater and cooktop outlets, but the GFI outlet would not reset, but it did go solid red and buzzed when trying to reset it. I asked Ai and the results were that the plug is likely bad. So I went to ACE hardware and bought a new GFI, installed it but it would not reset until I hooked the van up to shore power, then it reset and had a green light. So they all work on shore power and on battery. 

The next day, I stayed out of the van until the new refrigerator was delivered. It showed up at 1330. Plenty of time to get it installed. The hardest part was tearing off the plastic on the front. I was able to connect it using the existing 15A fused wiring, just connect positive and neutral wires using water proof heat shrink straight connectors. This unit has an app that can be used to set the temperatures. Next thing I knew, it was getting cool and it was ready to be loaded. Super easy to install. 

Follow up. I have been using the Bodega and new GFI for about 2 weeks with no issues. The old one had a crack inside on the shelving and I reported it to Thor Motor Coaches before my March 31st warranty deadline and they said they will send me a new one. I called them before I left and they said the replacement has just been ordered and they have no idea when it will be shipped. They told me to call back in a couple weeks. 

Boulder Beach Campground - Lake Mead Recreation Area - Hoover Dam

04032026 - 04052026  Popular campground for Boaters and Family Weekends. I arrived just after lunch and got all set up in space 13. The campground was pretty full which is expected for a holiday. This is a nice area for the e-bike, so I unpacked Jagurandi and took off down to the beach area. I spoke with a Park Ranger that golf-carted by and received a great introduction to the Historic Railroad Trail. You can ride all the way to the Hoover Dam and the other way, all the way into Boulder City. The Ranger gave me maps and directions. 

Ready for some supper, I returned to camp and started to make a salad. That is when I noticed the refrigerator was not staying cold. It was getting power, but the compressor was not running. After finishing my supper, I decided to give it until the morning, thinking that it will work itself out and start running. In the morning I used Ai to help me troubleshoot and through this troubleshooting process I determined the problem was a component that cannot practically be replaced. For example: start relay, overload protector, control board or a locked compressor. So I ordered a new refrigerator. To be delivered on the 7th. So I will be heading home to receive and install. But before I do that, I can last another night without the refrigerator and I still need to ride to the Hoover Dam.

At about 1400 I took off on the e-bike, a 6+ mile ride to the Dam on the Historic Railroad trail that goes through a series of tunnels where the railway delivered materials and parts for the Dam. When the building was over, the railway just rotted away until they made it into a hiking/biking trail. The ride was easy on a e-bike but it was epic nonetheless. The views were outstanding and the tour of the Hoover Dam was nice. There was a Virtual cache at the Dam site about a Dog that worked with the builders. Tragically, one day the dog was killed when a truck ran over him. There is a plaque memorial at the spot it happened. 

With the ride complete, I went and bought a bag of ice to keep cool until I return home tomorrow. In the morning, ready to pull out, I discovered all the 110V outlets were not working! Now what? To be continued………….

Here are the photos I took

Forest road 108 - Kaibab National Forest

 

04022026 There is something calming about a walk in the woods. The breeze through the top of the trees and the smells of pine and dirt. This is my first stop on my journey to Victoria BC, Canada, I originally scheduled to leave on April 3rd, but I thought I would cut the first leg in ½ keeping in mind that this year, I want to slow down and spend more time camping.  So I left today and found a nice boondocking spot 35.19424, -112.2696, near Williams, AZ. I have heard that the full timers "Nomads" venture up to this area when Quartzite area get too hot. There are a lot of areas to set up camp but it's not as wide open as the desert.

I arrived in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day just wandering around the forest and enjoying the cool weather and the smell of the pines. 

The temperature dropped to almost freezing over night, but I was able to stay warm and cozy inside Vannie. 

In the morning I went to find some Geocaches, then hit the road. Next stop is Boulder Beach, Lake Mead 

here is a link to the Photos I took FR108

Santee Lakes Campground, Santee Ca.

03202026 - 03242026  Record high temperatures forecasted for Sun City, so I decided to visit the Grandkids and try out Santee Lakes campground.

Santee Lakes is more of a resort than a camp, meaning full hookups, there is a lot to do and many other amenities like pool, fishing, paddle boats, showers, restaurant and store. They have cabins for rent and easy access. I usually stay away from big public campgrounds, but Santee Lakes is very convenient for visiting family and running around San Diego county. 

I stayed for a long 4 day weekend. I had planned to visit more but I caught a cold and mostly just relaxed in the Van.

I did get my walks in and found a few more geocaches in the park. 

Looking forward to my next stay.

👀 Santee Lakes shared photos 👀

Spring Training 2026 - Peoria Sports Complex

02202026 - 032326 The first game is always the Mariners vs Padres. I was able to get a ticket for the first game to kick it off. Then Todd arrived in town and we saw Texas vs Mariners, an expedition game WBC Great Britain vs Padres, finishing with head to head Padres vs Mariners.

Then Jim and Tracey visited and we saw Giants vs Padres and Mariners vs Padres. This is my 10th spring training going to games and one thing I learned is that it is never the same. This year the weather was hotter and the cost of beer was higher, but who’s counting. A lot of the star players left for the WBC playing for their countries, but the young talent was featured and some old veterans as well. On to the regular season. Play Ball! Go Padres ⚾

⚾ 2026 Spring Training shared photos ⚾

Southwest Old TIme Gathering and Fiddlestix 2026

 

03052026 - 03102026 

Todd and I left the baseball game in Peoria at 1637 headed to the Southwest Old Time Gathering campout in Tucson AZ. We arrived after dark and didn’t get settled until about 2100. But all ended up well. We met up with friends David and Allie. Todd took accommodations in the bunkhouse and I found a spot in a bend in the road for the night.

The next day, Friday, we were able to move to a better spot and Todd was able to set up his tent cot. The music started up around noon with several groups throughout the camp. I joined a group near the pavilion after lunch and I recognized some of the people from Centralia. Everyone said the same thing when they saw Todd "where's Kate"!

photo by Todd Thedell

Saturday was the same, Todd and I got a nice walk/geocaching in, played some more music and attended the potluck that featured Carla’s Gumbo! 

The next day we packed up and moved north to Catalina State Park to attend FiddleStix music campout. They had already had the “pre” jam here before the SWOT gathering, so this was the “post” event. We camped in a group campground with David and Allie with others and the music started right back up.

On Monday a thunder storm came through with some pretty hard rain, but it was short and we were able to keep most of the stuff dry.

One exception was my brother Todd who was out walking when the storm hit.

It rained off and on for the rest of the day and overnight.

In the morning we packed up all the wet stuff and headed out early enough to drop Todd off at the airport.

👀 SWOTG & Fiddlestix shared photos 👀

‎⁨Tonto National Monument⁩, ⁨Roosevelt⁩, ⁨Arizona⁩, ⁨United States⁩

02202026   I took a quick trip out to the Tonto National Forest about 2 ½ hour drive. ⁩Visiting the Roosevelt Lake area, I stayed one night at Cholla Campground and one night at  Porter Springs Campground. The weather was wonderful and I got some geocaching and exploring. The Roosevelt Lake Bridge spans the Apache river right in front of the Roosevelt Dam. The highlight of my trip was the hike up to the Cliff Dwellings at the Tonto National Monument where you are able to see the historical living of the ingenious people that began about 1300 CE. 

 

Tonto National Monument shared album

Desert Tortoise Campground

 

Desert Tortoise Campground Lake Pleasant Regional Park 

02102026 This is the place where I took my sailing class last March. It's a nice size lake and often has good sailing wind. Fed by the Colorado River via CAP system,  the lake was formed by the completion of the original Carl Pleasant Dam in 1927, which was then the world's largest multi-arch dam, intended for irrigation.The campground is popular during the winter months and not only because of the weather, because of the Wild Burros in the area. When I arrived space #126, there was a drove of five to greet me. 

02112026 After morning coffee, I took off to hike the Wild Burro trail that follows the bank, although the lake water level is down now, but will be rising during the spring. There were plenty of people on the trail hoping to see a Wild Burro. I did run across another one on my way back. The day was overcast and cool, perfect for a morning hike.

I visited the Discovery Center that sits on a rise with a good view of the lake. I bought a park sticker and took some panoramics of the lake. 

👀 Lake Pleasant shared album 👀