A few days ago we trundled down I-5, across the Columbia River and out US 30 to Astoria, Oregon and beyond. (Just beyond.) We have now attended our first NOG, which is a Northern Oregon Gathering of Fiberglass RVs, and also a Non-Organized Gathering. This is the third and largest “rally” we have attended, and it was a great experience. We’re learning that, the more you attend these things, the more fun they are, because (a) you get to see people you met months before, and they have already forgotten your flaws, and (b) you get more comfortable with the routine.
The routine is: walk the dogs around the camping loop, talk to people, admire their dogs (and trailers, of course); then, hang out outside your own trailer, be friendly to passersby, and (of course) try to keep the dogs from too much of their territorial oratory.
We went a day or two early, mid-week, and the campground was deliciously quiet.
Just over a day later, things had filled up.
With almost zero effort, we made what feels like a few new friends. Really nice folks. Maybe it’s just that they have such good taste in RVs.
It was fun to hook up with folks we met at previous rallies at Maryhill State Park and Taidnapam Power Park, both in Washington. How delightful! We were even able to remember some names, which is real progress for me. One couple actually comes to these things in a non-fiberglass trailer (the nerve!). However, their rig has maximum cool factor, and also they have two nice dogs, and they live on Whidbey Island, so wouldn’t want them around?
You will note a blurry spot in a couple of these pictures. It’s not your eyes! It’s my lens, or more specifically a smudge on my camera’s lens. It has since been removed (the smudge, not the lens). I have been poking around Picasa for a couple of days looking for the De-Smudging Tool, but no cigar. I’m sharing the pictures anyway because, hey, this is priceless stuff, right? Memories, slightly blurred.
So. On Friday night there’s a giant weenie roast. It was fabulous, despite the mail-order, low-carb hot dog buns (our dieting efforts continue). Then on Saturday evening we all gathered for a pot luck. Sooz made a favorite recipe of ours (Chuckwagon Stew) — wisely choosing actual potatoes over any low-carb substitutes — and I sampled lots of chili recipes. Hey, these people can cook!
We drove home on Sunday — got very lucky with light traffic between Olympia and Tacoma, where I-5 usually crawls along at 5 mph on weekend afternoons. What a wonderful time we had.
Fort Stevens State Park is quite large, and there’s a lot to see. We didn’t even see the whole place. But we definitely got some touring in, which I’ll share any minute now.
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