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.
When we arrived on Wednesday, the campground’s “O loop” was quite empty. We found we had reserved a great site for watching other rigs arrive. Excellent!
Just over a day later, things had filled up.
The next day, the place began filling up with fiberglass eggs. Even with all the campsites occupied, the campground felt uncrowded; another advantage of small trailers! The “organizer” of this non-organized gathering belongs to that Escape Fiver on the left. Like most fiberglass trailer owners, she seemed energetic, bright, personable, knowledgeable and capable of anything.
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.
Toto rests comfortably at Loop O, Site 1. That’s another Escape 21 next to us on the left — just recently hatched in Chilliwack and on its wandering way home to Austin, Texas. Note: the Seahawks mini-flag worked; our team won the next game.
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?
Simon and Sharen have restored this Airstream from another century. It’s a motorhome! Also, Simon set up a most fascinating light display. Quite lovely.
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!
Lots of chitchat here, but it got surprisingly quiet for a while after people had gone through the buffet line.
How many different kinds of stew or chili are there? At least 20 by my count, and that’s just on this one Saturday evening. Yumm.
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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Following is daring.
When we were up at Colorado Heights for the last two weeks, two of those loooong Airstreams came in. I thought they were the three bedroom, two bath models! And yes, RVers are some of the nicest people. We have made some great, long time friends. The people parked next to us this time out are going full-timing and they’ve bought a spot in a park in Newport, OR. Small world!
I hear Airstreams are more prone to leaking. That and $25,000 explains our choice of fiberglass. But I sure do like looking at those silver bullets.
So nice to see you two again! Thanks for joining us for a glass of wine. And thanks for letting us check out all your great work. Sooz, your dish was wonderful, and I hope to make it soon.
Ft. Stevens is a lovely campground, and, yes, it was so nice to not be dwarfed by monster RVs. Room to breathe. By the way, on the way home, we went back to Cape Disappointment for a night, and, low and behold, Serious Pizza was still there, albeit not on park grounds, but right outside the entrance. Their pizzas are fabulous, their ingredients are top notch, and they deliver to your campsite! Nothing like sitting around the camp fire, sipping a glass of wine, and, voilá, dinner is served…! No clean up.
Chatting with you two was great fun. Now we can say we have friends in cool places (like Port Townsend). Pizza! Another reason for us to get back down to Cape Disappointment when we can.That park is one of our favorites so far.
We’re planning an Oregon coast trip for next year — want to hit the annual gathering at Bullard’s Bay — then maybe a Cascades Loop trip in the fall. Planning is at least half the fun.