Gypsy Wind Part 4

Day Six

April 27, 2016

Peach Beach RV Campground

There is nothing like waking up in the morning and kick-starting the camp stove for a hearty

PEACH BEACH RV CAMPGROUND

breakfast and fresh hot coffee. We had enough leftovers to provide the breakfast part. However, the coffee was dumped after a single sip. I’ve never had a problem with individual serving pre-packaged coffee before, but I’d never purchased Folger’s before, either. That was a huge mistake, and will never be made again. It was the absolute worst coffee I had ever tasted, and no amount of cream or sugar would disguise it. Horrid, horrid, horrid!!!! 

We managed to survive without the needed caffeine fix long enough to eat, clean up our mess and load the truck. Crystal went to speak to the campground manager, just a few feet away and find out where the nearest coffee could be found, after showering of their dogs with lots of love, she returned and we were enroute to satisfy our caffeine cravings. We had to cross the Columbia to the nearest town of Biggs, a huge truck stop catering to the kings of the road. We picked up the coffee and a few other essentials, then took a look online for information on the Maryhill Museum. It wouldn’t open until 10:00am and it wasn’t even 9:00am yet.

Stonehenge with the mornings first cuppa, sounded like a grand idea!

STONEHENGE

Ok, it's NOT the real Stonehenge, but it is amazing! Tucked away, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, overlooking verdant orchards and the Columbia River. Plaques adorn the silent standing stones, memorializing 13 men from Samhill Co who gave their lives. Silent and stunning, this is an attraction that you don't want to miss!

STONEHENGE REPLICA

This Stonehenge was the first monument in the US to honour the dead of WWI.  It stood as a memorial to the residents of the area who had fallen in the war.

What an amazing piece of craftsmanship! I stood in awe before the monolith outside of the structure, then slowly made my way within. The altar stone is aligned with sunrise on the Summer Solstice, a grim reminder that humanity is still sacrificed to the god of war, and probably always will be. The monument was originally located in the center of Maryhill, which later burned down leaving the  Stonehenge replica. A lonely fire hydrant stands only feet away from the replica, a rather ironic reminder of the past.

CRYS IN FRONT OF THE ALTAR

There is a dedication plaque which is inscribed: "In memory of the soldiers of Klickitat County who gave their lives in defense of their country. This monument is erected in the hope that others inspired by the example of their valor and their heroism may share in that love of liberty and burn with that fire of patriotism which death can alone quench.”

An inspiring place for many reasons, including itself and of course, the incredible views of the Columbia River and Mt Hood’s brooding hulk. Amazing and so wonderful to have had it all to ourselves for a full exploration!

 

MARY HILL ART MUSEUM

We arrived at the enormous mansion that Sam Hill built for his wife so long ago just before opening and uncertain of what we would find within. A true visionary, Sam Hill made some exceptional additions to his mansion, adding electricity and underground parking for motor vehicles!

SAM HILL - VISIONARY GENIUS

Crystal and I agreed that the man resembled James Doohan of Star Trek fame, at least here. Other paintings and sculptures, not so much - but it was good for a few running jokes throughout the tour. This man was almost singlehandedly responsible for paved roadways in the area, and the history will blow your mind. The rather extensive grounds hold some delightful outdoor pieces, and walking about looking at them and trying to find them all helped us kill the time until the Museum itself opened. We were told to tell them “2-4-1 Wednesday” by someone, I believe the cashier where we got our coffee, which got us in for half price. The artwork within contains some phenomenal pieces including the breathtaking treasures of Queen Marie of Romania! Rodin’s sculptures fascinated and amazed, not too mention clothing, paintings, sculptures and numerous other delights such as chess sets from around the world over which Crystal and I spent a fair amount of time drooling. Stopping at the museum cafe for a quick bite after exhausting the exhibits led to yet another experience not to be missed!

MARY HILL MUSEUM

Loie’s is situated in a very modern addition to the mansion, offering views of the Columbia Gorge and River that literally take your breath away. Conversation was almost non-existent as we shared a divine smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich on gluten free bread, with a side of potato salad AND perhaps the best dill pickle I have ever tasted in my life; cold, crisp and perfectly spiced! It was a huge portion and I’m glad we decided to split it. I enjoyed a relaxing Americano while Crystal was tantalized by a delightful Italian Soda.

LOIE'S CAFE

Feeling happily stuffed and lost in thoughts of the history we had just experienced, we were once again on the road. Since it was once again much later than we had planned on, we ended up taking I-84 instead of the back roads we had originally intended to travel. Rest areas gave us plenty of information about the Oregon Trail as we followed along the route that the emigrants had journeyed years ago, albeit backwards. Stopping for supplies in Nampa, Idaho turned into an all out exploration and by the time we left we were looking out for likely camp sites to spend the night.

I’m at a loss as to how difficult it is to find a decent camping spot. In BC, oh hell, in Canada there seems to be an abundance of them and you get used to being able to count on seeing them every so often. This didn’t seem to be the case for us on this trip.

GLENNS FERRY, IDAHO

After driving until well into the evening, as it was difficult to find any campgrounds near Boise, we made our way to historic Glenns Ferry. Where we had a choice, there was an RV park in what looked like it would be “downtown” and then a State Park, which while further out, was pricey and offered very little, not too mention there was no-one around and checking in was difficult without the exact amount.  We ended up returning to the Trailbreak RV Park where we had the luck of running into the owner just returning from walking his dogs.

Michael was fantastic! Checked us in after 11pm without any problems whatsoever, even went so far as to walk us to the site and explain everything. He was very charming and extremely informative about the area, as well, and ensured that we would be okay before leaving us on our own. The washrooms had a passcode, and were amazingly comfortable and the water was really hot - a  total blessing when your hands are freezing! The Trailbreak offered free WiFi, laundry facilities, firewood and even a large gazebo. It is an amazing deal for the dollar, much cheaper than the State Park just up the road, and I wish we could have stayed a second night here.

It wasn’t long before we had the tent set up, our gear organized and a little internet activity accomplished. We enjoyed a bag of popcorn for our supper as it was just too late to cook and we were both kind of tired, Crys more so as she had been driving all day. A phone call from home kept me up far longer than I’d intended or wanted, luckily Crys was able to fall asleep even though I did my best to keep it down. Glenn Ferry is a small town, and the RV Park is within its borders, but due to the design of Trailbreak and a large berm, the traffic honestly doesn’t interfere with sleeping soundly. I was kept awake even longer by a pair of hunting owls, by my choice and as I wasn’t anything to be considered food the haunting calls were lovely.  When I did drift off, I slept like a baby. We were visited in the morning by wild quail and a couple of squirrels, who were entertaining and quite far from annoying. A great place to pitch a tent, or park an RV.

Gypsy Wind is an 8 part adventure, please use these links if you've missed any previous parts:
Part 1 
Part 2 
Part 3