2022 – ARCTIC FOX RALLY

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June 27^th:

We left Caldwell at 10am and traveled south on Highway 95, to Winnemucca, Nevada.

We’ll be spending one night at the New Frontier RV Park.

We are scheduled to leave Winnemucca at 5am tomorrow, since most of our trip will be through the HOT Nevada desert.

Should be home by 11am, to beat the afternoon heat.

*** Next trip is to Colorado Springs, CO…… Branson, MO ….. Poteau, OK, in September – Stayed Tuned.

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June 26^th:

Last night we had dinner at a small restaurant in nearby Union, Oregon. Just a small town hole-in-the-wall with great food!

We left the La Grande area at 10am, after saying our goodbys to our rally friends.

Drove south 2.5 hours on Interstate 84 to Caldwell, Idaho.

We’ll be spending one night at the Ambassador RV Park. It’s 90 here… and we already miss the 70’s during the rally.

We’re off to the Nevada desert tomorrow, towards home.

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June 25^th:

Last evening, we all met at the nearby Hot Lake Hotel to visit, walk the hallways and the grounds of this 120+ year old hotel.

The Hot Lake hotel, originally built in 1864, received its namesake from the thermal spring lakes on the property, and operated as a luxury resort and sanitarium during the turn of the century, advertising the medicinal attributes of the mineral water and drawing visitors worldwide. It is also the first known commercial building in the world to utilize geothermal energy as its primary heat source.

After a fire burned down over half of the hotel in 1934, the remaining building was used for various purposes, including a retirement home, asylum, and a nurse’s training school during World War II.

After that, operations were intermittent under various owners before the building’s abandonment in 1991. The hotel and surrounding structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Today, the hotel (some say it’s haunted), is owned by the same couple that own our RV park next door, and is currently being renovated to it’s glory days.

This morning, Donna met with several other ladies in the clubhouse to do crafts and swap stories about cross-stitching, quilting and who-knows-what…..

TorkLift (RV parts manufacturer) did a presentation for members.

Tomorrow we depart La Grande and head south towards Idaho.

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June 24^th:

Just before lunch, all rally attendees met at the clubhouse for a rally group photograph we take every year… of course all wearing our 2022 Northwood t-shirts.

We had another perfect sunny weather day with a light breeze and highs in the low 70’s.

After the photo, we lined up for the Northwood catered BBQ lunch with all the fix’ns. There were delicious ribs, chicken, potato salad, etc.

After the BBQ, we enjoyed the Northwood sponsored raffle, where everyone received a cool prize. We won a 12-piece camping dinnerware set.

Tonight is a gathering at the nearby old Hot Lake Hotel.

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June 23^rd:

After breakfast, we all met in the clubhouse for a very interesting history talk about the nearby hotel, 1800’s pioneers and the surrounding area, from a history buff that grew up nearby.

Donna went into town with some of the ladies to visit a quilt store.

After lunch, Northwood factory employees arrived and had a demonstration on exterior trailer maintenance.

We then all went to the nearby town of Union, Oregon and walked the small town streets, visited the local history museum and the historic Union Hotel.

In the evening, was the much anticipated potluck dinner for all rally attendees. Great food was had by all.

Tomorrow is the Northwood sponsored BBQ and raffle.

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June 22nd:

We had our rally ‘Welcome Get Together’ last night, with all in attendance.

This morning, we had a guest speaker tell us all about the Harvest Host RV camping program.

After lunch, we all met under the Big-Top tent for an all-you-can-eat ice cream social and the anonymous surprise gift “White Elephant” exchange. Fun was had by all.

In the afternoon, many rally members drove the short distance to the Northwood RV headquarters for a factory tour.

Was up to 88 today, but the forecast tomorrow is only a nice 72 degrees.

Tomorrow is an excursion tour of the small town of Union, Oregon and the ‘potluck dinner’.

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June 21^st – B Reactor National Historic Landmark :

Got at early start on the road at 5:30am and drove north on Interstate 84 into Washington state, near Richland, WA. We’ve had reservations through the federal government for several months to tour this still off-limits area.

Our goal today is to visit the B Reactor National Historic Landmark, which was the world’s first full-scale plutonium production reactor and is part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

B-Reactor, the world’s first industrial-scale nuclear reactor, was built during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb.

One of three plutonium production reactors built in total secrecy at Hanford during World War II, B Reactor produced plutonium for the Trinity test at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, and for the atomic bomb exploded on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The area was closed in 1968.

As of 2014 six of the nine production reactors at Hanford were considered to be in “interim safe storage” status, and two more were to receive similar treatment. The exception was the B Reactor, which was given special status for its historical significance.

We started our day at the visitor center to learn about the area. We then boarded buses for a 45 minute drive out to one of the reactor buildings. Once there, we were able to enter the B Reactor to learn about the once secret production of plutonium for atomic bombs during WWII. The reactor building tour lasted two hours.

The area and tours were very interesting and fascinating. We returned back at camp in the late afternoon.

Tonight, was the official start of the rally and the ‘Welcome Aboard’ get together.

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June 20^th:

We had a beautiful sunset and some sprinkles last night. This morning we took the trailer for a short drive into town.

Drove the couple of miles into La Grande to the local Arctic Fox RV dealer. We needed some routine maintenance on the trailer, so decided to schedule it four months ago, the day before the rally starts.

I usually do all the maintenance / minor upgrades on the trailer at home, but I don’t have a hydraulic grease gun to lube the suspension ‘wet-bolts’ on the trailer.

The dealer completed the work in quick time, while we went grocery shopping nearby. We then returned back to the RV park after lunch.

Today, 30+ rally members arrived at the RV park. The rally officially starts tomorrow evening.

Tomorrow morning we travel to Hanford, Washington for a tour of a closed WWII plutonium reactor facility.

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June 19^th – La Grande, Oregon:

We left the Boise area at 11am and traveled north on Interstate 84 towards Oregon.

Traveled through Ontario, Baker City and miles & miles of potato farmland.

Arrived just south of La Grande, Oregon at 1pm, at the Grande Hot Springs RV Park.

This large park borders a marsh area and natural hot springs. In fact, a large hotel was built nearby in the 1800’s for the springs, which were along the original ‘Oregon Trail’.

We’ll be here for seven nights, during which time the 2022 Annual Northwoods RV Rally (builder of our trailer) will be held with 90+ other owners, starting Tuesday morning.

Happy Father’s Day

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June 18^th – Day at the Races:

Cooled off nicely last night after dark, into the low 50’s. Did a little swimming in the RV park’s swimming pool.

Today, had a leisurely morning, went for a morning one hour fast-walk and did a few travel chores.

After lunch, we drove 15 minutes east to the small Boise suburb of Eagle, Idaho.

We discovered that the Boise area’s drag race strip was holding weekend NHRA (National Hot Rod Assn) drag races at the Firebird Raceway.

We had a great time walking the pit areas and watching the ‘Funny Cars’, ‘Dragsters’, ‘Roadsters’, ‘Blown Alcohol’, ‘Wheelstanders’ & ‘Pro-Jet Cars’ racing down the strip.

There were even ‘Sled Racers’ that are snowmobiles with wheels on the front rails. The jet cars get up to 280mph!

We had a blast & great weather during the races.

Tomorrow we’re leaving the Boise area and traveling north to La Grande, Oregon.

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June 17^th – Caldwell, Idaho:

We left Winnemucca at 8:00am and headed north on Highway-95.

Hwy-95 took us from Nevada, through the far south-east corner of Oregon, then into Idaho.

We stopped in Jordon Valley for a quick snack and continued to Caldwell, which is just outside Boise, Idaho.

Like most years, we encountered the ‘Mormon Crickets’ along the side of the road. These crickets come out in early summer and for some reason, love to walk on the highway.

Luckily, these crickets don’t jump or fly, so the truck stays mostly clean… except for the tires.

Arrived at the Ambassador RV Resort at 2:00pm. We’ve stayed at this full service park several times in the past, and love it. We see a dip in the swimming pool in our future!

There’s a big-rig rally going on this weekend at the park. Humongous RV trailers being pulled by semi-trucks.

Tomorrow evening, we have tickets to the nearby NHRA drag races.

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June 16^th – Winnemucca, Nevada:

We left Rocklin at 9:00am and traveled east in I-80 over the Sierra Mountain Range. Stopped for lunch at the Donner Lake Rest Area.

Continued east through Reno and then out to the hot flat expanses of the Nevada Desert. The temperature rose to 95 degrees most of the trip and a strong tail-wind.

Arrived at the New Frontier RV Park in Winnemucca, Nevada at 3:00pm. We usually stay at the nearby Cosgrave Rest Area, but due to the heat, full hook-ups with air conditioning is a must today.

We leave tomorrow for the Boise, Idaho area.