219 miles via I-5. Cumulative distance: 5,104 miles.
GTW Hop 29: Redding CA to Canyonville OR
Yes, folks, we have actually made it to Oregon, the last state that we will visit on the GTW. From here to the end it will be a trip down the coast to San Jose.
I wish I could be confident that we will arrive safely, but the forecast is just plain awful: between now (Sunday) and Tuesday some areas of the Oregon coast will receive over 10 inches of rain, with some flooding of streams and rivers. That makes our intended RV park destination – the Wilson River RV Park on the banks of the Wilson River – a risky choice. Our backup park, on Netarts Bay, in under a high wind advisory, with hurricane-force gusts possible. Neither sounds like a safe option right now, so I will have to watch the weather forecast *very* carefully for the next couple of days.
In the meantime, we are hunkered down at the Seven Feathers Casino and RV Park in Canyonville, OR. This is arguably the best RV park we have seen on the GTW. Spacious sites, beautiful landscaping, a fine lodge, a heated indoor pool and the most amazing bathroom/shower facilities I have seen anywhere, hands down. Not a bad place to be while waiting for the weather to pass.
The route from Redding to Canyonville was very interesting. On a sunny day I am sure it would have been spectacular (I hear that Mt Shasta is a beautiful sight), but it rained most of the way. We didn’t catch even a glimpse of Mt Shasta. We were fortunate to get a sunny break for lunch, at a very nice rest area just south of the Oregon border. We ran into an RV couple there who were headed to Yuma, AZ, for the winter. Both were 83 and were driving a rig that looked new, but in fact was over 10 years old.
Rest area
Patience at rest
Lunch stop
A sunny break
Rainbow
I was surprised at the elevation of the pass over the mountains at the border – it topped out at 4,200 feet. I was expecting no more than 2,500 feet. It is good that we got over it today because the forecast was for snow down to 4,000 feet overnight.
I will talk more about the Seven Feathers RV Park when we leave, but it had a great first impression: the sign at the entrance directed us to the portico. An RV park with a portico at the office? That’s a first. Under the portico, a man was waiting to greet us. He took some notes (my license number and RV type) and handed me a slip to take into the office. It had the feel of a valet parking service. Indeed, once I completed the registration process, the greeter hopped into a golf cart and led us to the site, directed me in and then took the time to explain the hookups. I really didn’t need the help with the hookups, but the individual attention was impressive. It was the best service we have received anywhere.
Approaching the Seven Feathers portico
That’s a good start. Now if only the casino is that friendly…