Click to Return to RVeCafe Homepage

Spring/Summer

2026


Return to "Fall/Winter" 2025-2026



Saturday, June 6, 2026: Today is the city wide garage sale in Sutherlin, Oregon.  About 30 spaces in our park decided to participate by stacking all their unwanted stuff near the road for buyers to inspect. I chose to participate by parking my little trailer at the entrance to our park with a "For Sale" sign and a flyer with all the details. Unfortunately, we experienced short bursts of rain which would drive Dave and me inside occasionally. I had only a few lookers but I was ready for them with my flyer. The sellers which I visited reported good sales. Check out the best seller by clicking on the left photo. Since Dave and I were at the entrance we got to see all the traffic coming into the park. A volunteer was parked at the entrance handing out a map to all those sellers who were participating. I bought a treasure, an electric fireplace. Click on the right photo to see it.



Friday, June 5, 2026: My son Joe has been talking to me about how much he enjoys his turntable. I owned a turntable when in college, 60 years ago. But I gave up my last turntable 30 years ago when CDs became popular. Then I gave up the CDs when I began streaming music. I'm not giving up streaming but hope to get my CDs back since now I have a way to play them after 20 years of no CD player. There is something to be said for having to work for the music, more than just pushing a button. This turntable is entirely manual. I must set the arm on the record and pick the arm up when it finishes the last tune. As several of the YouTube videos say, "it forces you to pay attention to the music."Another positive, this turntable plugs into the Teton audio system.



Thursday, June 4, 2026: I added another coat of sealer to the slide roof this morning.

I've been in the Teton since April 28. The Teton has hydraulic leveling jacks which seem to work just fine for leveling. The front jacks have posts to support the trailer weight rather than expecting the jacks to support the weight for longer days of parking. However the rear jacks have nothing to take the weight off the jacks. I have noticed occasionally a "bump" and it's not Dave. I figure it is a tiny amount of hydraulic fluid seeping from the rear jacks. Today I finally did something about that. I lifted the rear of the Teton slightly with the jacks then stacked concrete blocks under the frame. Then I dropped the Teton back to the original height onto those blocks. That takes the weight off the jacks. Hopefully no more "bumps"!



Monday, June 1, 2026:  My day began with pressure washing some of the Teton to prepare it for some roof sealant which will arrive late tomorrow. I also pressure washed some spots the guy George hired to wash the Teton missed. Then I trimmed our Weeping Willow Tree so I don't have to duck the branches. Then I fixed a leaking outside faucet just how the Home Depot man showed me what to do.

Now it was time to take Dave on another forest hike to avoid the warm sun. I let Dave pull his leash behind him. I'm not sure he didn't realize I wasn't holding the other end.


Saturday, May 30, 2026: After a trip to Roseburg, Dave and I hike the River Forks County Park again. This time, since it is Saturday, it was very busy with parties, reunions and athletic games on the ball fields.  Dave about pulled me over when he spotted two squirrels. We enjoyed our hike.



Friday, May 29, 2026: Dave and I did some errands in Roseburg then drove to Oakland, Oregon to visit the historic hardware store. After that visit we decided to walk the entire shoreline of Ford's Pond. That was a 2 mile walk for us. Enough that we were both tired after the walk. At the mid-way point we came across this sign for the Goebel Family Farm. So we followed the sign to learn what was happening. We came to the Goebel table and found all sort of Lavender choices including cookies. But I didn't have a way to carry anything so I will return with a carry method. Click both photos for more views.



Thursday, May 28, 2026: On my bike ride today I stopped at the old Tolly's Restaurant in Oakland, Oregon to photograph the community art project pasted in their windows. Fourteen years ago the Tolly's Restaurant was the hot spot and corner stone of the Oakland community. However, the original owners sold to another buyer. Unfortunately, that buyer couldn't maintain the customer base of the original owners. The restaurant has passed through several owners since. The city of Oakland does not have the population to support this restaurant so it must rely on travelers and nearby communities to supply the customers. It is empty and for sale again. A local art group has created "Vacant to Vibrant" to provide art in vacant buildings. The entire Oakland community provided the window art for Tolly's. Tolly's won't be special again without some investment and a talented Chef. Click the link and these two photos for more views and information.




Wednesday, May 27, 2026: Dave and I went grocery shopping. On the way home we stopped at the Amacher County Park for a bit of a hike. I was surprised with the number of trails along the North Umpqua River. That's a railroad bridge across the North Umpqua in the right photo. The Interstate 5 bridge is just beyond the railroad bridge. We traveled on home for lunch. After lunch it warmed enough I gave Dave another bath using his medicated shampoo prescribed by his vet to help his skin condition. Dave doesn't like the baths but I believe he is beginning to tolerate them better.



Saturday, May 23, 2026: Another hike at Ford's Pond today. The pond has a paved walkway around the lake but also has a mowed grass walk I assume for hikers with pets and perhaps for runners who don't want to run on pavement. We mostly enjoyed the grass walkway. This time we got to see a Beaver. I don't know if there is a family of beavers or just this one but it stuck around long enough for me to get a couple photos. Click both photos for another view.



Friday, May 22, 2026: Weeks ago Bud and Anita moved the Teton Homes fifth wheel to my lot using their Ford F350 dually pickup truck. I took them to lunch today to one of our favorite restaurants. It's the Lighthouse Bakery and Cafe located in the tiny village of Umpqua about 6 miles west of Sutherlin. They have marvelous bread and pastry as well as a vegetarian lunch menu. I had a guacamole burger, Bud had a Rubin and Anita had a half sandwich with a salad. Nothing we ate had meat. Their food always has wonderful flavor.  Even though the restaurant is located in a remote rural area it is very popular with Sutherlin and Roseburg residents. It is also very popular with cyclists since it is on popular cycling routes. Click the photo to see the pastry. I purchased a Plumb Danish which I plan to have with coffee tomorrow morning. 





Wednesday, May 20, 2026: Dave and I drove to the River Forks County Park. It is named River Forks because the North and South Umpqua Rivers join at this location to become the Umpqua River. The Umpqua River is the second largest river in Oregon. The Willamette River is the largest. The Columbia River doesn't count because it originates in Canada, flows through Washington State then becomes the Oregon/Washington border. Douglas County has done a good job creating children's play areas in this park which you will see when you click on the photos. The center photo is of a huge Oregon White Oak. No doubt it was here long before the pioneers. I have hiked the entire 70 mile North Umpqua trail. The North Umpqua River head waters are high in the Cascade Mountains to the east. The headwaters of the South Umpqua River are near Crater Lake, also in the Cascade Mountains to the east. Dave and I walked the perimeter of this 79 acre county park. The park is well maintained and the location of many county events.



Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Dave and I stopped by Saving Grace Animal Shelter today. Dave got some new dog food and an "Adopt Me" bandanna. He also saw his vet again and was issued some medicated shampoo for his skin problem. I also learned that the shelter has no knowledge of Dave's history. He was turned into the shelter as a "stray". I needed to visit the Home Depot and Tractor Supply so I put the bandanna onto Dave and walked him into the stores. I have no idea if Dave has ever been inside a store but he seemed comfortable and we will do it again on the next trip.



May 18, 2026: I first went on a bike ride where I caught some curious cows. You won't find these on the Loop in Tucson! Click on that photo for another view you won't find on the Loop.

After the bike ride I took Dave for a forest walk which he always enjoys. It was enough of a walk for us both to be tired at the end. I learned today after the walk that Dave like the canned French cut green beans from Costco. He also reluctantly ate a hard boiled egg when cut in half. Click that photo for a second view of Dave on the trail.



Sunday, May 17, 2026: The Saving Grace Animal Shelter where Dave came from (and they are still Dave's owner) sponsored the "Barks and Recreation" event in Stewart Park, Roseburg. It was raining but Dave and I decided to attend anyway. I wasn't expecting a crowd but the rain did not stop any Oregonian from attending. It was very busy with booths and lots of people with dogs. We stopped to talk with the Saving Grace booth and only walked by all the other booths. Dave was very good with all the people and dogs. He didn't want to visit with any but liked watching from a distance. I checked with Saving Grace for a vest which said "Adopt Me" and was told they had bandannas but none at the show. I have learned to connect Dave to the seat belt harness so he doesn't jump into the front seat.  It also allows me to open the windows further. Click this photo to see a wider view of the event.





Friday, May 15, 2026: I have the trailer listed on Facebook Marketplace and showed it to my first potential buyer. He acted like he wanted it but had only $15,000 so that wasn't a good enough offer. Perhaps I'd take an offer like that if I still own the trailer in a couple months. This afternoon I took Dave to another new location, this time to the Cooper Creek Reservoir. This reservoir is actually closer than yesterday's Plat I Reservoir. I believe both are owned by the city to provide water. This hike had some hills to climb and descend. Click all three photos for more views.



Thursday, May 14, 2026: I went for a 1.25 hour bike ride this afternoon. I learned from my neighbor that Dave moaned softly while I was gone. After the ride I took Dave to the Plat I (letter I) reservoir for a walk someplace different. Dave was not interested in the water, just in all the new smells. Click on both photos for another view.



Wednesday, May 13, 2026: I have nothing in the freezer portion of this RV refrigerator. Look at the amount of frost after only 8 days. I'm not sure why, I'd guess high humidity. Click the left photo. I used the hair dryer left by George to help remove the frost. It still took time to clear all of it. The photo on the right shows all the frost clear. The freezer has an ice maker which George never connected and I doubt I will either.


Monday, May 11, 2026: My morning began with washing the outside of the Camp Lite then touching up the inside. My Amazon package arrived at noon with my new stainless steel cutting board. So far I'm very pleased with having enough room for one. I learned while inviting guests for dinner that I have few dishes because everything came from the little trailer. I took myself to Saint Vincent de Paul in downtown Sutherlin where I found these dishes for $9.60. They are all microwave safe.



Saturday, May 9, 2026: My new desk chair arrived today but needed assembly. It looked complicated but the instructions were clear one step at a time. I spend time on my computer every day so I wanted something comfortable to sit while I type. Click both photos to see the assembly progress.



Friday, May 8, 2026: I spent the entire day taking photos of the Camp Lite to post to the Camp Lite Facebook page. I then made a list of all the extra items which will go with the trailer. I don't plan to do any more RV travel or I would have kept most of the extras. I have not posted the sale to any other location yet. If no one from the Camp Lite Facebook page buys it I will need to spend a lot of time writing about what makes this trailer special.
Here is a link to the Livn Lite Owners Group however, it may be a private group where you would need to join in order to see posts. If I post to Facebook Marketplace I'll provide that link but I hope I don't have to post to FB. 



Thursday, May 7, 2026: Today was a busy day cleaning out the Camp Lite storage hatches. I then decided what items would be sold with the trailer and what I would keep. For example, I'm keeping the mats.

The second project of the day was to install the sun shade onto the aluminum awning. Fortunately George had already installed a track so all I had to do was to slide the shade into the track then tie it down.




Sunday, May 3, 2026: Two big jobs today. The first was to pressure wash pavers and the concrete pad. I also pressure washed the steps before giving them to George. I pressure washed parts of the awning which were full of crud.

Second, I trimmed our Willow tree so the fifth wheel and awning would fit further into the lot. Those branches had to be taken to the burn pile in the back of the park. That required multiple trips with the Highlander.




Tuesday, April 28, 2026: I'm here barely a week and I've already bought something much bigger to put on our lot. I took Dave for a long walk then stopped by to get some photos of what I bought. The Teton Homes brand is a premium brand for fifth wheel which went out of business during the 2008 financial crisis. They are super high quality, built to last. This is a 2004 triple axle model with washer/dryer. It will be moved to my lot in about a week. The purchase includes the awning and steps. This means my little 21 foot Camp Lite is for sale. I'll add interior photos once the trailer is moved. Click these photos for more views.



Saturday, April 25, 2026: Today was the day my bike club, Umpqua Velo Club had organized a bike ride for Earth Day. We were to meet at Ford's Pond in Sutherlin. I had hoped to go but Dave has been with me less than 48 hours and I had no place to put him except the trailer. I haven't trained him to be alone in the trailer so I just couldn't ride. I did, however, drive Dave and myself to Ford's Pond to meet the club, introduce Dave and take Dave for a walk at the pond. It would be his second long walk of the day. After our pond walk, I drove Dave to Tractor Supply where I can use their dog was station for $10, they supply the shampoo. Dave did NOT want into the tub so I'll bet this was his first bath. We were both successful and both wet. After the bath I picked up a vegetable burrito at my favorite taco truck. Their vegetable burrito is by far better than any in Tucson. Click both photos for another view. Here is a short drone video of the Umpqua Velo Club today. You will see me and Dave in the first few seconds of the video.



Friday: April 24, 2026: The morning was cold and foggy which kept me in a sweatshirt all day. I took Dave for a long walk on the park trail. It is something Dave likes to do. During our walk I took some photos of the wildflowers happening on the trail. Click both photos to see them. Once we were back from our trail walk, I brushed Dave for the first time. He enjoyed the brushing and looked much better after the brushing. He also chose to stay close to me after the brushing. Dave did not eat breakfast nor did he eat dinner last night. I called my contact at Saving Grace to get some canned dog food thinking mixing with the kibble would get him to eat. I was right. Here is a photo of the bag the shelter set out for Dave.


Thursday, April 23, 2026: Abby and Gwen are in Tucson while I'm in Oregon. I thought I would foster a dog from our local shelter. Saving Grace is a no-kill shelter in nearby Roseburg. I was hoping to get a 12 year old Labrador but that dog was given to another foster. This is Dave, he is a Husky mix. Right now we have been together for six hours. He has not been like the videos I've watched where shelter dogs get so excited they are leaving the shelter. I've been invisible to him unless I have a treat in my hand. He and I went on  a long walk and we were both tired when we returned. We saw deer, rabbits and turkeys on our walk. Dave does not bark. He walked next to me the whole walk, no pulling. He has some skin problems so I was able to give him his evening medication but he has not eaten dinner. When a person fosters a dog, the shelter is still responsible. The shelter supplied food, medication in this case, a leash, bedding and a crate. The advantage for Dave is not being in the noisy shelter (lots of barking dogs) and small space.  The advantage for the shelter, they now have a space for another dog. Click the right photo for another view.



Sunday, April 19, 2026: This was a long driving day from Reno to Sutherlin, Oregon. I began with a strong tail wind so I got better than usual gas mileage. When I got into Oregon the wind had mostly disappeared. Northern California has a couple of impressive mountains. On the left is Mount Lassen. On the right is Mount Shasta.  I arrived in Sutherlin after 6 pm so enough time to level and connect water and power. I'll take care of everything else tomorrow.



Saturday, April 18, 2026: This was a short driving day from Hawthorne to Reno, Nevada.  I have parked in front of Ben's house for a rest. Ben always has a collection of bicycle tires he has no intention of using. They are perfect for my bikes so  I benefit from Ben's discards. There is a storm arriving on Monday so I will complete my journey to Oregon tomorrow.


`

Friday, April 17, 2026: This was a tough driving day due to the strong winds and having to climb to 7000 feet at Tonopah, Nevada. Glen had recommended Spicer Ranch for the night but they were having a private function and turned me away. I drove on past Tonopah to Hawthorne, Nevada. I parked at the Elks club where they offered free electric hookups. The bridge in the left photo is for wildlife.  Click all three photos for more views.



Thursady: April 16, 2026:  This was a travel day from Tucson to Kingman, Arizona. I had an early doctor appointment but was able to leave right after. I ended up with a tail wind until I reached Interstate 40 when it was an awful side wind. It was enough to stop the semi-trucks but I made it 20 miles to Kingman.  I've parked in the Elks Lodge RV parking area with several others. Some sort of function is happening, I'd guess the installation of officers, because the parking lot is full.  I will get an early morning start hoping to beat or benefit from any wind as I travel north.



Saturday, April 11, 2026: During our trip to Cottonwood, we took a drive over the Mingus Mountains to the historic town of Prescott (pronounced Pres-cut). We walked the city and found a nice location for lunch at the Palace on the historic city square.  This historic part of Prescott is fun to explore. The square is surrounded by fine art and locale craft stores. This wasn't our first time to walk Prescott but it was our first time to drive over 89A, the Mingus Mountain road to get here. It was very scenic. Click both photos for another view.





Tuesday - Friday, April 7-10, 2026: We took some time off from Tucson to stay a few nights in the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona. Cottonwood is only a few miles from Clarkdale where the Verde Canyon Railroad Depot is located. We rode the train with our friend Glen and his friends, Johnnie and Suzie. This is a very popular 38 mile train ride (4 hours), through some of the most scenic geography in Arizona. Much of the time you are within an arms length of the red rock walls. Click these photos for more views. Here is a video of our train ride. 
 

Sunday, April 5, 2026: The "Summer Buddies" invited everyone in the park to an Easter meal in the clubhouse. Gwen helped by making deviled eggs for our table of 13 guests. Gwen knew all 13 at our table. I knew only one of the guests. That's because Gwen volunteers every Tuesday to be the monitor in the craft room so she meets lots of people and other administrators. None of my riding buddies were at our table. Click both photos for more views.
 		    
 
Return to RV Trips Copyright, 2026 by RVeCafe.com