Sandy Dreams

 The ambulance didn't get a proper test flight. I finished it and hopped in and drove 3200 miles then lived in it for 5 months. Needless to say I had a few unfinished projects and need a few upgrades. My list is around 25 projects. Some more important than others. Some are small items for example the ambulance doesn't have a mirror. I went 5 months without looking at myself!  New battery charger  The large inverter on the right will charge my batteries if I'm plugged in to shore power. The problem is the onboard inverter on the ambulance side isn't large enough to power the charger while I'm driving. So I installed a smaller charger that the truck system will power. The entire trip was done with solar only! I had no other way to charge the house bank. I had to plug the truck in twice in the 5 months I was gone. Now with the new system the truck engine will charge while I drive. I upgraded my switch panel. When I purchased these new from Blue Sea they arrived with th...

 Since I've been back I started a complete remodel of the basement at the farm. We are turning it into a wine/whiskey/beer/champagne/tequila cellar. So far lots of cleaning filling in cracks and painting. All the wood we are using is reclaimed from the basement itself or old barns. I will keep you updated on the progress. The head inspector checking out my work.

 We swung into Roswell to see the aliens (I promise not to let Sis get abducted).  As we made our way downtown they had lots of vendors and live music outside the court house. The aliens singing country and Jimmy Buffett songs.

I had a hard time in Taos the roads were small and confusing, finally after parking we walked around the square there was lots of shops a few bars. I tried to spend the night in town but around 1:30am we got kicked out!! A skunk sprayed something really close to the ambulance so we drove 15 miles to the Taos gorge and spent the night there. That is the Rio Grande the shadows messed up the pictures.

 We took the ambulance up to 10000 feet today, pressurization held, we did not need to go on oxygen. I guess my turbo is still working good she had no problem climbing up there! My altimeter. Sis looking at the world from 10,000 feet. It was cold and windy up there. This was her view!

 We spent last night in Moab. It is a lot different than I remember. I remember a small desert town with not a whole lot going on. Now it is like Disney land, people everywhere. The main reason I wanted to stop was to see the arch and balanced rock, but you have to get reservations way in advance. I did get to see a different Arch and it was a very pretty drive. Not the arch I was looking for, but I guess it will do! I took the ambulance rock climbing. She can keep up with any jeep! Excellent scenery on the drive!

 I had another expensive dog walks. I went to High West Distillery in Utah. This alcohol and wine collecting is getting expensive! I quit doing the tours, just in and out! It is a very beautiful property.

 Stocked up with enough alcohol from Idaho to make it through Utah we made it to Salt Lake City, I feel like I'm almost to Oklahoma which is funny because I'm still a long ways away.  I was able to find good parking downtown I am a 5 minute walk to my whiskey bar that I want to go to and then another 2 minutes to the piano bar. I don't even need to get the bike out of the garage. The ambulance is a cheap way to experience downtown cities. This is my third one and parking has cost me 10 to 20 a night and I can walk everywhere. Definitely cheaper than an Uber. I can't park in the covered lots I'm too tall, plus I need solar, but everywhere I've wanted to stay I have been able to find a parking. While walking to the whiskey bar I saw a couple of homeless people get into a fight. I wonder what they were fighting about? I didn't ask!  At the "Whiskey Street" I ordered the Short Rib Polenta Poutine.  It comes with polenta fries, braised short rib, Cabern...

 We went to Twin Falls today. It is a very clean town lots of golf courses with a mini Grand Canyon going through the middle. I went to the falls which are higher than Niagara falls. It wasn't flowing much but it's also the end of summer. I bet it's pretty incredible in the spring. The bridge going into town. People cliff jump off of this bridge daily. That is a golf course down in the valley.  It's hard to see in the picture but on the right bank they built a ramp for evil Knievel to jump the mile wide canyon. The video and this picture is where the falls would be flowing. Taking a break.

 Today we went to the craters of the moon. It is a massive lava field.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craters_of_the_Moon_National_Monument_and_Preserve Dog dog dog dog!

 I arrived in Pendleton today and had a great drive along the Columbia river. I did a little of both sides the small road on the Washington state side and the nice interstate on the Oregon side.  My dilemma is Pendleton is having their annual rodeo starting on September 14 that's only A couple of days. It is the third largest rodeo in the country.  Hmm hang out for a couple of days and get to experience the rodeo, or keep traveling.  Absolutely gorgeous drive.  Fun fact! Sis was around 2 years old when I first made this drive and she rode in the back of the truck the entire way.  Baby Sis riding in the back!! The plants name was MM. Old Sis upgraded to the front of the vehicle watching the map to make sure I don't get lost again. That or she is thinking about turning the sirens on again.

 So being as I love big cities and it was Friday night I thought I would stay downtown Portland. I found parking pretty close to everything. At first it didn't look so bad. But as day turned to in evening all the normal people went home and the weirdos came out. I got to see some gangs spray painting the side of a building. I went to two different bars each place had around three customers. Lots of homeless living in tents on the sidewalks Homeless living in tents. I did remember to lock the ambulance up that night. We made it out with no spray paint on the ambulance!

 We stayed the night at Arch Cape Beach it wasn't a town just a pull over area. Definitely one of the coolest beaches I've ever been to. The trail to the beach. I found another cool camper conversion like mine. Out of all my travels this is only the second weird conversion I've seen other than sprinter vans. 

 After a two days in Seaside I decided to move on. I had every intention of making it to Willamette Valley Oregon so I could have another really expensive dog walk. But I got side tracked again and ended up in Cannon Beach!  Seaside and Cannon Beach are extremely dog friendly probably the most dog friendly places I've been. Not that Sis cares about going into a fine establishment she would rather be on the beach or some trail rolling in something dead, or eating something she isn't supposed to eat. But in any event I appreciate the dog friendly community.  I did some math if I only go 8 miles a day it's going to take me about a year and a half to get home. My new beach. That's about as much as Sis will get into the cold water. Sand dunes in Seaside.