Still no Ollies

[Ray and Susan Huff]

We're on the road, headed to the Palouse region of Washington state.  Today we traveled from Corvallis, OR to Dayville, OR, along the John Day River.   Saw four fiberglass trailers - a Trillium, an Escaoe, a Scamp, and our first ever Happier Camper.  We've yet to see an Ollie 😧

[John E Davies]

Where on the Palouse? There are not a lot of camping options, it is 98% wheat fields. Plus the USFS campgrounds in Idaho are still mostly closed.... Tell me what your route will be and maybe I can advise..... It should be pretty, everything is turning green now. Walla Walla is worth a stop if you go that way, it has a nice downtown and lots of wineries. Steptoe Butte State Park near Colfax is way cool for photography if the clouds are dramatic (shadows and sun breaks on the hills). This is NOT my picture:

There are some possibilities further north around Coeur d’Alene and Spokane, do you like state parks? Rail trails?

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

10 hours ago, John E Davies said:

Where on the Palouse? There are not a lot of camping options, it is 98% wheat fields. Plus the USFS campgrounds in Idaho are still mostly closed.... Tell me what your route will be and maybe I can advise..... It should be pretty, everything is turning green now. Walla Walla is worth a stop if you go that way, it has a nice downtown and lots of wineries. Steptoe Butte State Park near Colfax is way cool for photography if the clouds are dramatic (shadows and sun breaks on the hills). This is NOT my picture:

There are some possibilities further north around Coeur d’Alene and Spokane, do you like state parks? Rail trails?

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

Thanks for the ideas.  We stopped overnight at The Fish House Inn (Dayville, OR), a favorite stop over.  Stopped by the Painted Hills . . . yep, still there 😉

You are right about the lack of campgrounds.  . . . even RV parks. There are quite a few USFS CGs along Hwy 26, but they are still closed.  We discovered a nice BLM dispersed CG just a mile in on the road to the Painted Hills.  We are setting up base camp at a fairly new KOA on the Snake River near Colfax - Boyer Park & Marina, where we have 3 nights reserved in the quieter, more open portion of the park, away from the marina and overlooking the river.  We'll drive the Palouse scenic route.  Planning to bike the rail trail from Pullman to Moscow, ID.  We like poking around small towns and photographing landscapes and old buildings.  Will most certainly go up to Steptoe Butte . . . . hoping for clear skies after today's rains pass.

I'm especially excited to see the Palouse when it's green.  We explored the Scablands and the Grand Coulle a couple of years ago, but in early Fall.  We plan to drive through the Palouse on our way to Montana this Fall; I understand it's also impressive when the wheat fields are ripe and being harvested.

We're returning to OR via a route that goes across the northern part of Hanford Reach;  anything in that area to see?

I will post pics if we have decent Internet.

[John E Davies]

If you will be near Othello (Hwy 26) and want a delightful spot for the one or two nights, go SE about ten miles and check out Scooteney Reservor CG (Bureau of Reclamation). It is a popular fishing spot, with lots of wild birds, the campground is a GEM and gorgeous but no hookups and no reservations, but mid-day on a weekday you will find a spot. It has toilets and a dump station, and some shade. It was CLOSED all last year, we went by a couple of weeks ago and it was still closed, but a crew was furiously clearing downed branches and cutting the grass, so it may be open now. Call their contact number to find out.

NW of Othello is the Columbia National WLR and also Potholes State Park, with lots of interesting scenery and birds. Going further north that way gets you into lots of Missoula Flood features (channeled scablands), Banks Lake and the Sun Lakes/ Dry Falls SP..... and eventually to the Grand Coulee Dam area.

Palouse Falls is cool, but only if you are nearby, it is in the middle of nowhere and the CG is tents only. It swarms with people on holidays.

If you wanted to venture into ID toward I90 there are lots more things to do, the ID state parks are very nice, Heyburn especially at the south end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, it has the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes rail trail, if you stay at their WEST CG you can easily bike to the long trestle that crosses the lake to Harrison, (ice cream, burgers) then on up the river valley as far as you can pedal...

Shoot me a Message if you have specific questions, I will be camping this week but should have cell connectivity.

John

[John E Davies]

if you will still be around at the end of this month……. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5519-good-news-in-wa-corps-and-other-federal-campgrounds-will-be-opening-by-memorial-day-and-by-reservation-only

John Davies

Spokane WA