Okay, so here’s the deal: We had planned to leave two days ago, but the rainy weather—nay, the miserable, rotten, God-Forsaken, hell-is-really-a-flood kinda weather—kept us from making any progress on loading up Mr. Coach House for bear. I ask you, what’s the point of getting sopping wet, to the bone, if all you’re going to do is carry stuff out to your RV? Exactly. No point. So fortunately (that is will become debatable as you shall see later) early this morning the sun was shining intermittently between monstrous, gray clouds.
We left at 10:30 in the morning and drove until our first “pet break” at the Cascade Locks Rest Stop. Walked the dogs (Roscoe is still borderline schizophrenic when it comes to traveling in any kind of vehicle moving in a forward direction; I don’t know about backwards, but it’s probably the same anyway), and then had a snack and a smoke to relax. Take our time, that’s our motto! What’s the rush?
But taking your time, as it turns out, is very hard work, not for the feint of heart or those who lack the courage to ignore the demands of the clock. Forty years of “time-clock” punching has a way influencing behavior considerably beyond that last day you had to be on time. And so is the case with us that no matter how hard we try to take our time, there’s that little “hurry up our you’ll be late” voice screeching in your ear. So you keep it under control (the voice that is) as much as possible and proceed at a leisurely pace in the direction of your first destination: Hermiston and the Hat Rock State Park (yes, there is a big rock in the shape of a…well a hat!).
After six hours of of I-84 freeway driving, it was time for a quick Subway s andwich dinner stop. While waiting for Jackie to come back with the Subs, out of no where I heard a loud, metallic thud. Checked for obvious issues underneath, saw no problems. But now at the park the slide out is malfunctioning and the electric jacks are not working at all. But the bed still opens, only it blocks the pass-through. Time to problem solve: on the road style.
The Hat Rock State Park Campground is pleasant enough and this time of year has its share of full-timers as does every park probably during the off-season. The sites are grassy and level and we go for the water and electricity only sites. Cheaper that way.
Note tarp covered bikes loaded on the back of Coach House.
Upper rim of rock formation south east of hat rock and outer edge of campground.
Call and Response 