With our unseasonably warm weather this year we decided to take a weekend trip up the Gorge to check out the wildflower blooms at Rowena Crest. We were extra lucky because besides the sunshine, we also were able to enjoy the last of the pear and apple blossoms in the Hood River Valley! We had reservations at Memaloose State Park which is situated right on the Columbia River between the towns of Hood River and The Dalles – the perfect base camp for exploring the area. It’s a beautiful, lush park surrounded in willows, lilac bushes and cotton wood trees. We’ve enjoyed ourselves every single time we’ve stayed here.
Hiking through a scrub oak forest near Rowena Crest.
Wild poppies along the side of the road.
A few blossoms left in the apple orchards.
View down the Gorge on the Washington side. You can see the rain coming down in the falls area.
Looking over to Oregon
Relic from the past in Hood River.
Hood River, Oregon
The park had only been open for a few weeks and didn’t look to be busy, but we made reservations just in case. We chose a full hook-up site that we’ve used before because we knew it was somewhat private. When we got there, every trailer site was full, and the one we had reserved was surrounded by GIANT motor homes. The tent sites along the river however were completely empty, so we opted to forgo electricity and move to a site with a view.  We couldn’t believe our luck…totally by ourselves, situated right along the river. We were congratulating ourselves on our good decision as we set up camp. Just as we finished unpacking and the car had been unhitched, the first gust of wind hit…with such force that we could hardly open our trailer door. Our little Airstream shook like a tin can all that night and the next day. Campfire and cooking on the bbq outside was totally out of the question. Just a few feet up though, the wind completely disappeared. Apparently there was a good reason nobody had camped along the river. The Gorge winds are notorious and seasoned campers in the area probably had a chuckle watching us chasing down our camping chairs during the day 🙂
Amazing river view!
All alone along the river!
View from our bedroom.
We enjoyed our meals inside the trailer…
Lone poppy
Hanging around inside…thank you wind!
The whistle of the train didn’t bother us a bit….we couldn’t hear it over the wind!
At any rate, the weekend was lovely and we enjoyed our beautiful view…from the INSIDE!!
If I might indulge myself for a moment, I wanted to share a bit more exciting news for our family. Our son is a senior in high school. He is an IB (International Baccalaureate) student and it has been a stressful month of exams for him. We found out this week that he is valedictorian for his senior class….a pretty amazing accomplishment with his class load of college level calculus, physics, biology, history, literature, psychology and theory of knowledge. His dad and I are awfully proud of his academic achievement. He’s on his way to OSU to study biology/pre-med. Thought I’d share a quick photo of him on his way to prom this weekend…he cleans up nicely!
It has been a stressful..worrisome….crazy….yet somehow… completely WONDERFUL year! We are grateful indeed!
The (not so) Small Small Trailer 
Great photos, and congrats on the good parenting!
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Thanks Josh…so much to photograph in the spring!
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Hello Kim, Thanks for sharing your amazing photos, what an amazing country ( and family ) Do you sell your camping pics? If you do, would be interested to use a couple in some advertising over here in New Zealand. You can contact me on vern@euroquip.co.nz. Regards Vern
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First: Congratulations to the parents and to your handsome son. Here’s sending him the very best wishes! Second: Wow! Love all your photos, but the butterfly, Bambi all alone along the river, the view down the Gorge on the Washington side pics are just outstanding!
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Gris, Aren’t we lucky to be Pacific Northwesterners 🙂 There’s just so much to see. Thanks for the well wishes for our son, too! It’s an exciting time of life!
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Kim, you are *killing* me with these pictures. So beautiful. Can’t wait for the next free weekend to hitch up and head out. Congrats to your son!
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Wow, these photos are amazing!
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Amazing pictures as usual. Congrats on your son.
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Thanks Kim for sharing so much with us, including your very beautiful photos of nature, your Airstream Bambi, and your family.
I was thrilled to read about your good news in your last posting.
And I bet you are so proud of your handsome son… a doctor in the making!
Wonderful!!!
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Congratulations to your son and to you and Todd for most excellent parenting. We need compassionate health professionals to meet America’s ever growing health needs and challenges.
To be able to dry camp away from full hook-up sites, which are being occupied for frequently by the mega-RVs (essentially mobile metal walls), it is easier to take advantage of the beautiful isolated sites. Prepared for weather/high winds, we are quite content to cocoon inside our trailer, enjoy our corgi family, and appreciate the incredible environment that only nature can provide.
The Anza Borrego Desert, our favorite campground, is noted for its wildlife, beauty, periodic high winds and renegade dust devils. Agua Caliente County campground, which is within the ABD State Park, is up grading its infrastructure, adding WiFi and phone reception, and additional sites, which, unfortunately, will attract more big rigs. As we prefer less occupied campgrounds, we will return to dry camping at Vallecito Stage Station campground (see Bill’s blog post for 11/8/08), and William Heise County Park until the maximum temperature highs reach the upper 70s.
Cheers,
Larry & Bill
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Amazing photos,what a sweet trip
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Reblogged this on hellokittyairstream and commented:
This is a life of luxury. The view is spectacular.
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Wow, this blog is incredibly well done. Very enjoyable!
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Thanks, Tom…It’s a pretty great hobby!
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