Grants Pass - Oregon - JULY - 2015

7-21-15

We arrived at Schroeder County Park in Grants Pass at 11:00 AM.

After setting up the motorhome I made a broccoli salad for the Shanty Shaker pot luck at the Miller’s house. Thirty eight members of the Shanty Shakers, the Southern California chapter of the Escapee Camping Club, have come here for an outing.

We met at 5:00 PM At the Miller's house, and there was, as always, a lot of food.

I had not seen some of the people for over a year, and it will be wonderful to spend some time with them the next few days.

We socialized for a while.

And then we started the eating process.

7-22-15.

In the morning we signed up for the Thursday dinner cruise on the Hellgate Jet Boat. We were lucky and got tickets. The group had made arrangements a long time ago. Since both of us had done the boat ride we did not want to go. When Doris found out that it was a dinner cruise she changed her mind.

At 1:00 PM we attended with the group a safety seminar at Henderson’s Line-Up. We made arrangements to have the motorhome checked out at Henderson’s when we are coming back from Portland.

The seminar ended with a large portion of ice cream with strawberries.

In the evening we all had dinner at the Taprock restaurant which is located next to the Rogue River. It was voted the best restaurant in Grants Pass.

We had our own room and it was a pleasant affair.

We are finally getting rid of our uninvited motorhome guests. In Ashland we picked up ants. They were all over the motorhome. We killed some with bleach wipes and the rest ate the bait we located in the bathroom and kitchen.

7-23-15.

We visited my friends Emmi and Bert in the morning. They live in Wilderville. We knew each other in Chicago and later in San Diego.

At 4:15 we boarded a Hellgate Jet Boat and cruised on the Rogue River.

The boats are getting ready.

The boarding is done next to the Taprock restaurant.

We are on our way.

At that point it was still smooth sailing. As soon as we came out of the residential area the captain raised the engine and we flew over the water. Doris and I were sitting in the first row, behind the windshield. The last time I went on a jet boat I was able to get off the boat dry. The people behind me got wet.

This time I was not so lucky. I was sitting near the outside and when the captain spun the boat around I got hit with a solid wall of water, not spray.

We saw two bald eagles.

At one point we had to wait until rafters came by.

After going through the canyon we turned around and stopped at the restaurant. The eight boats unloaded their 380 passengers.

We got served family style. First they brought bowls of salad and bread and then the scalloped potatoes and spare ribs and chicken. One could eat as much as one wanted. There were pitchers with wine, beer, water, and lemonade on the table.

It was a really good meal. The Shanty Shakers sat on three tables.

We were in boat number two. On the way home we were racing with the first boat.

Doris and I got wet again. Back home at the motorhome we had to empty our bill folds and dry out the money and other stuff.

We took a warm shower and went to bed. It was fun though, especially being with a group.

7-24-15.

In the morning we visited the Wildlife Images Animal Rehabilitation Center. We had a pretty and knowledgeable guide.

The center has camps for school children.

The bear was begging for apples.

At the bird center they have all kind of birds, including several bald eagles.

Because of the tight fences I did not take many pictures.

The wire was in the way.

On the way home we stopped at the place where the old cars are getting ready for the evening parade.  

When I arrived in Canada the 57 Chevy was very popular and now it is a classic.

Some of the cars are refurbished to its original design and other cars are equipped with modern engines.

My first car was a 1957 Pontiac Star Chief, similar as this one. 

  

Here I am in Indiana Dunes State Park in 1961 on my first date with Hanna.

  

We saw this car in the evening when we went down town. The city had closed one street and cars from the fifties and older were lined up on both sides of the street.

After we walked around for a while Doris wanted to go to the Josephine County Historical Society where they had an ice cream social.

We just made it. The band in the gazebo played one more song and they stopped serving ice cream.

  

We are leaving tomorrow morning and will miss the parade of all the old cars.

This was a wonderful rally. Carol and Jerry Miller did an outstanding job hosting it.