|
[Home] [Camper Add-Ons] [Campsite Map] [Interviews] [Photo Albums] [Sporadic Blog] [Tips] [My Music] [Contact Me]
|
Tell your friends about this site
Check out
my latest YouTube video of Ramblin' 2019 here
- Check out my YouTube Channel for a couple of videos here
- Read my March, 2017 interview in Truck Camper Magazine, where I pick 25 of my favorite campgrounds.
- A map of every campsite (715 of 'em, with no dups) I was in for my previous sixteen years of travel is here. Check it out!
- Follow me on Twitter
and Instagram 
for occasional posts - Sign my guest book and leave comments
- Photos submitted to the Truck Camper Magazine Calendar Photo Contest: Winner: 2011 Runner-Up: 2013, 2016
| 2006 GMC 2500HD w/2001 Lance 845 |
Previous years' travels: 2006
2007 2008 2009 |
States
Visited Map |
VISITS
I bought my new truck and used camper in late October of 2005. The following May, I "hit the road" full-time for 6 months. I've done the same every year since, and now 2021 will be my 16th year of ramblin'! My how time flies. Not all of my nights are spent camping, but most are. I don't make entries that are repeats of previous campgrounds or when I stay with my kids or friends. Campsite fees are for one night with no discount (and no hookups, unless specified). However, being the old geezer that I am, I get 50% off at U.S. Guvmint CGs with the valuable Golden Age card, plus free entry to National Parks. One of the few ways (in addition to retirement) it pays to get older. All the aches and pains sure aren't fun. :)
I started my travels this year with about 136K miles on my camper and 202K miles on my truck. I took my camper to the Lance factory before my 2014 travels and had some structural repairs done to it (pics here and here). It should be in good shape for several more years of travel. Of course, my old body will probably wear out before the camper. :)
Note: Click on small photos for a larger one. Click on
the USA flag-map (
)
to see the actual camp location (balloon marker) on a map (+/- 50 ft).
|
Ref # |
Date |
Location |
Campsite & Other Photos (click links) |
Comments |
|
|
|
Ramblin' 2021 has started! I used to start in early May, but I used to be younger, too. :) I'm sure hoping it's better this year than last. TBD. Last year's short Ramblin' 2020 can be seen here. Sign my guest book or email me with any questions or comments. Safe travels to you! |
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE: Probably be doing more boondocking this year, so posts here might be delayed several days due to no Net access in the boonies. :) |
|
|
|
15 |
7/27/21- |
Kiahanie CG (USFS). From Oakridge, OR take
hwy 58 W about 1 mi, then right on Westfir-Oakridge
Rd and Aufderheide Dr for about 23 mi. Watch for
campground sign on left. Note: Once in CG, you
take a dirt road on the left about 1/4 mi before any campsites. 2200
ft. Aufderheide Dr is paved and very scenic. Sometimes you're in a "tunnel" of overhanging trees. |
|
Nifty, peaceful CG with 19 gravel sites on level land. Excellent privacy between sites. Beside a fork of the Williamette River, although it can't be fully seen from the sites, due to heavy vegetation. Very short walk, though, and you can hear its music from the sites. Tall, tall Douglas fir trees, various short leafy ones, and some ferns. Moss hangs on the lower branches of some of the large trees. Beside a paved road, but very little traffic. Very few skeeters. Water pump. Vault toilets. Freebie this year, for some reason. $0. 3rd time here. One of my favs! Highs were reaching about 90F and it was humid, so I left. Had planned on heading N from here, but found out the road was closed by a landslide (as it was in 2018). Backtracked to US97 to get N. |
|
14 |
7/26/21 |
Gold Lake CG (USFS). About 25 mi NW of the
US97/OR58 jct, then 2 mi N on gravel Gold Lake Rd (less
than 2 lanes with some pullouts). 4800
ft. |
21 sites near or beside a small lake. Some sites near the lake and others (like mine) a bit above it. Plenty of pines, although some large ones have recently been cut down and left on the ground. Hardly any skeeters. Vault toilets. $21. Rained a bit that night, so I left. Was worried a hard rain would come and make it difficult to leave. |
|
|
13 |
7/23/21- |
Broken Arrow CG (USFS). About 2 mi NW of the
OR138/OR230 jct N of Crater Lake National Park. 5200
ft. |
Very nice CG with about 130 paved sites in many loops. Sites are usually large and spead apart well, making the CG one of the more spacious I've been in. Plenty of tall pines, but one area seems to have had many cut down. Diamond Lake is across the paved road, but not visible from the CG. Flush toilets, showers and dump station ($10 donation). $15 ($20 for pull through). Just a few miles S of last CG. That one was filled for the weekend. |
|
|
312 |
7/21/21- |
Thielson View CG (USFS). About 5 mi NW of the
OR138/OR230 jct N of Crater Lake National Park. 5200
ft. |
|
60 paved sites on level land in 3 loops. On the large Diamond Lake. Sites well apart and well screened. Dense trees give many sites shade most of the day. Not many sites right on the lake (vs. just across the CG road from it). Great view of the unique "spikey" Mt. Thielson across the lake. Minimum skeeters. Vault toilets. $15. 4th time here. A bit hazy across the lake, sometimes. Passed through Crater Lake NP to get here. |
|
11 |
7/19/21- |
Farewell Bend CG (USFS). About 54 mi N of Medford,
OR on OR62. 3400 ft. |
Very nice CG with about 60 paved sites in 2 separate
sections. Loaded with tall trees and "Oregon
Green Stuff". Very good privacy between most
sites. Rogue River (small near my site) is along
one side of CG. OR62 is on the other side, with
moderate traffic. Flush toilets. $25. 2nd time here. One of my long time followers, who lives near Medford and I'd never met, came up for a visit. Had a very enjoyable time!! |
|
|
10 |
7/16/21- |
Patrick Creek CG (USFS) 26 mi NE of Crescent City, CA on hwy
199. 800 ft. |
|
Nice small CG on the beautiful Smith River. 13 paved, level sites, well apart and well shaded. Right on a busy hwy, so quite a bit of daytime road noise. However, the peaceful river music offsets it some. River access difficult from campground, but easy from picnic area about 100 yards away. Beautiful clear river. Flush toilets. $14. 2nd time here and the price is the same as 2009! |
|
9 |
7/14/21- |
Florence Keller Park CG (County). About 4 mi NE of Crescent City, CA
on US101, then W on Elk Valley Crossroad. Follow signs from there (sign
for park entrance kind of hidden).. 150 ft. |
Nice CG with 50 paved sites on level
land, although some sites sloped considerably. In a
beautiful, dense Redwood forest, so plenty of shade.
Some gigantic stumps around. Several
walking trails. Just
off of US101, but the trees do a good job of decreasing
the noise. No reservations taken. 2nd time
here. Flush toilets. A real deal at $20!
On the way here, I was stopped on US101 for about 1/2 hour. If I'd left earlier it would have been worse. 101 was closed from 8->noon and 3->7 for landslide repair. My lane was the first to be let though. Wow, you should have seen the 2 to 3 mile backup coming the other way! |
|
|
10 |
7/13/21 |
Elk Country RV Resort CG. About 48 mi S of Crescent
City, CA on US101. 50 ft. |
|
100+ grass/dirt RV sites with full hookups. Also
many tent sites, some with electric. About 40
RV sites and some tent sites are in the woods. The
rest are in a large meadow. CG near US101,
but not that noticeable. Wild elk come into the CG some parts of
the year, but didn't see any. 2nd time here.
Flush toilets/showers/sinks/laundry. $38
(tent site with w/water&elec).
I was in the meadow the last time I was here, in 2017. No meadow sites available this time, so I took a tent site in the woods. Liked it better than the busy meadow. |
|
|
7/11/21- |
Motels in Redding, CA and Arcata, CA. |
|
Got up to 100F at my last site, so I decided I'd better head for the coast. No use looking for a CG around Redding, since it was 110F. Tried one RV Park in Arcata and it was full, so I said to heck with it and found a motel. Around 60F in Arcata. Almost too cool for me. :) |
|
9 |
7/7/21- |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. Go about 4
mi S of Old Station, CA on CA44, turn on Big Pine Rd
then about 2 mi to the site. |
|
Popular boondocking area, but plenty of room (like 100 yards) between existing sites. Lots of tall pines, but shade varys between sites. Nice, small creek alongside sites, but about 10 ft below my site. Weather hot, so would have been nice to take a dip, but too steep to get to it. FS developed CGs in the area. $0. To get here drove through Lassen NP from S to N. Beautiful drive. Around 8500 ft at the peak of the hwy. |
|
8 |
7/6/21 |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. 6+ mi
E of S Entrance to Lassen NP on CA36 take gravel Wilson
Lake Rd about 2.5 mi E. |
Easy to get to, since only 2+ mi off hwy. Several "sites" to chose from. Lake is filled with lily pads (or similar). Some FS CGs further down the road. Very little traffic on road when I was there midweek. Very quiet at night. $0 While here saw a small black bear and heard a pack of coyotes howling at night! |
|
|
7 |
7/2/21- |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. From
I80 near Truckee, CA, take CA89 N for 8+ mi. Turn
left on Sagehen Rd and take the next 2 right turns. |
|
Super nice boondockiing spot near CA89, but far enough from it to barely hear traffiic. Amid tall, tall pines. No other feasible sites within my view, so I had it all to myself! Road in front of my site had a few vehicles a day pass. Road about 50 yards away had more, but not loud. $0. Was worried about finding a place on the 4th weekend, but iOverlander pointed me to a winner! Hated to leave. :) |
|
6 |
6/30/21- |
Alpine Meadows CG in Martis Creek Lake NRA (COE). From
I80 near Truckee, CA, take North Shore Blvd S about
3 mi then 2 mi E on Martis Creek Rd. 5800 ft.
Note: I hope to be on the road continously for the next 3 months!! Where? TBD. |
Nice CG with 25 paved sites on level land. Groups of tall pines provide varying shade to sites. Beautiful view of large meadow from back of CG. Very peaceful at night. Dirt road from CG leads to small, narrow lake with good fishing reputation (catch & release only). Some small aircraft sounds from nearby airport. Some planes are towing up gliders. Fourth time here. I like this place! $20. Would have stayed longer, but all booked for the 4th weekend. Oh well, you snooze you lose. :) Ironically, the last time I was here was the 4th weekend in 2015 and I got a spot. |
|
|
|
6/19/21- |
Visiting my kids in the Bay area. |
|
|
|
5 |
6/18/21 |
Boondocking site (USFS). Not a developed campground. South of Lake Tahoe, CA
in the Hope Valley area. 2.5 mi SW
of the hwy 88/89 jct and 4.5 mi S of hwy 88 on Blue Lakes Rd. 7500
ft. (Note: GPS might not find proper entry road)
|
|
Popular boondocking area spread out over about 3/4 mile alongside Blue Lakes Rd. Spots for both small and large rigs. Views of creek/meadow/mountains vary with site. Creek size Carson River (West Fork) nearby. $0. Camped in this area over 10 times I like it here!! :) |
|
4 |
6/11/21- |
Robinson Creek CG (USFS). 9 mi SW of Bridgeport, CA on
Twin Lakes Rd. 7000 ft. |
|
Very popular CG with 54 paved sites in tall pines on level land. Shade varies significantly with site. The very nice Robinson Creek wraps around the CG. Usually good fishing, if they have stocked recently. Many sites on the creek. My favorite Sierra CG. Several other CGs and two large lakes nearby. $23. Another fun family campout with my daughter and son and family. This was my 45th straight year to camp in this area! Had to change sites for last 2 days, since we stayed longer than expectd. |
|
3 |
6/6/21 |
Gilroy Garlic USA RV Park. In Gilroy, CA 200 ft. First stop of the summer part of Ramblin' 2021. |
|
Very nice commercial RV park with 170+ paved sites. Most RVers here appear to be "extended stay" folks, but the park does have short stay spots. All the usual amenities: showers, laundry, pool, etc. Close to large shopping centers with stores and eating places. Some hwy noise from nearby US101. $60 (back-in with full hookups). 5th time here. Don't usually stay in this type of CG, but it's what worked into my schedule best. . |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAMPER UPGRADES DURING WINTER |
|
|
|
|
|
SHORT VIDEOS MADE DURING WINTER |
GMC
Hits 200K Miles Critter
Cam |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SHORT TRIPS DURING WINTER |
|
|
|
2 |
4/14/21- |
Washburn CG in Hearst San Simeon State Park.
5 mi S of San Simeon, CA on CA1. 200
ft. |
|
65+ gravel sites on mostly level land on a plateau. Sites usually well apart. Some small trees. Nice views from the CG. Hiking trails. About a mile walk to the beach. Vault toiilets. $25. I stayed a the nearby SP Creek CG a few years ago. I like this one better for its open feeling. |
|
1 |
3/25/21- |
Selby CG (BLM) in Carrizo Plain National Monument.
43 mi E of Santa Margarita, CA on hwy 58, then
16 mi SE on Soda Lake Rd, then 4.5 mi S on marked dirt
road. 2500
ft. |
|
12 primitive sites in the foothills overlooking the valley. Each site has a picnic table with a shade structure (the only shade you'll get) and firepit. Vault toilet. Very secluded and peaceful. $0 (w/donation box) 4th time here. Nice weather in the high 60s to low 70s. Campers filled all sites and overflowed to adjacent grass area on the weekend. |
|
[Home] [Camper Add-Ons] [Campsite Map] [Interviews] [Photo Albums] [Sporadic Blog] [Tips] [My Music] [Contact Me]
|