Camp Hope Riders

We didn’t quite make it into Crater Lake National Park from Oceanside, Oregon as planned.  Instead we stayed the night in Chemult, Oregon 40 or so miles outside of the park.

Besides a date with Crater Lake, we were meeting up with Ron again after leaving him in Boise, Idaho while he serviced the RV.  And, after arriving into town, there was no question Ron was either in town or had passed by.  As soon as we arrived we were celebrities;  Ron had already spread the word about Camp Hope and the ride.  “Are you guys the Camp Hope Riders?” Or “You must be those guys riding for Camp Hope… thank you for your service”, etc.

 The next morning we were up early to ride up to the rim, and with the rim at somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, it was extremely cold.  Check out the photos below… and, yes, that is snow.

Next stop Eureka, California or thereabouts and hopefully some warmer weather.

Chemult MIA-POW Memorial Park just outside of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Crater Lake National Park

Views of Crater Lake National Park

Seattle to Oceanside was definitely cold and wet, but when we finally arrived we were received with a warm welcome by a very dear friend of mine, Bob Ulrich.  We enjoyed his signature Clam Linguini in the evening, homemade egg muffin sandwiches for breakfast, and great company and conversation throughout. 

Before leaving, Bob made sure we got the best view of Oceanside and the Oregon coast and then escorted us for a stretch to make sure we were headed in the right direction and were sure to see the best views.

Oceanside was absolutely beautiful as was the ride along the coast and winding mountain highways as we made our way to our next destination:  Crater Lake National Park.

Bob, thanks again for a wonderful time.

With Bob in Oceanside, Oregon

Views from Oceanside

After leaving Durkee, Oregon and the stories of close encounters on Oregon’s mountain passes we decided to stop for the night in Baker City, Oregon.  We all needed the rest and were able to get plenty of it.  Right off of I-84 we found a very nice motel, the Eldorado Inn, and the staff was absolutely fantastic.  Thanks Melody and Lana!

In order to stay on schedule though we had a lot of riding to do.  From Baker City we would have to make it to Seattle, Washington—Kristen’s hometown and our final destination for the evening.  However Kristen also has family in Othello, just east of Ellensburg in Central Washington, and we had to make a stop there.

What a wonderful family!  In Othello we met Kristen’s grandmother and grandfather, Ludean and Larry; an aunt and uncle, Janelle and Mike; and two of her cousins.  Ludean and Larry invited us into their home for some refreshments and made sure we didn’t leave with an empty stomach.  They all were very excited about the ride and the purpose behind it, and asked about getting involved.  Janelle is an owner of a local fitness center, Anytime Fitness, with franchises across the US:  http://www.anytimefitness.com/en-us/clubs/1323/Othello-WA-health-club.  She brought us by the gym where she plans on posting our brochures, and while there she mentioned her idea of spreading the word across all of the franchises by getting Anytime Fitness corporate offices involved.  The word is getting out, and the beneficiaries will be our Veterans.

From Othello, we were off to Seattle and Kristen’s home.  When we arrived, her mother, Linda, welcomed us with a warm house and some hot soup.  The soup was great!  And after the cold, wet ride across I-90 between Ellensburg and Seattle, it definitely hit the spot.

Don’t forget to check Video Clips link for updates… talk to you soon.

Kristen, Larry and Ludean

Janelle and Anytime Fitness

After leaving Craters of the Moon National Park we rode into Boise, ID to spend the night and get some service.  The service wasn’t planned and took a little longer than anticipated, but allowed us to get some much needed downtime.

 We spent much of the day relaxing and working on the Blog, etc.  Did you check out the links section for some of videos of our ride?  We’ll get some more of that out there soon.

Besides working on the Blog, as always, we were busy plugging for Camp Hope and the work being done and so desperately needed for our disabled Veterans.  And, as always, we met some wonderful people. 

In Boise we met Amber at the Boise Airport’s Inn America where we spent the evening.  She was very patient with us as we crowded her lobby while we busily worked all morning long.  Thanks Amber! 

Also at the Inn America we met Connie Fenty, an author working on a travel book of her journeys across America.  Connie is also a Yoga teacher and thought perhaps the Veterans at Camp Hope could benefit from relaxation techniques.  She was talking about the possibility of volunteering her services.  I mentioned the long-term plans for Camp Hope and how that might very well be an option.  Well have to keep Connie and her offer in mind:  www.yournatureconnection.com.

While at a Walmart in Boise we caught a lady admiring our bikes and trailer… another opportunity… Maurine “Mo” Johnson is a member of a unique church in Meridian, ID; the Common Ground Biker Church.  They hold services in the Busted Shovel Bar & Grill in Meridian and reach out to the biker community.  As a rider herself, she was very interested in the cause and our ride.  I noticed she’s already been on our Blog and has posted a comment.  Thanks Maurine for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers and helping us spread the word.

That evening on our way through an Oregon mountain pass on I-84 we were in need of some fuel and stopped in  Durkee, Oregon.  The proprietor was kind enough to allow us to fuel although he was about to shut down for the evening.  We shared with him the purpose for our ride, and we enjoyed his “country wit”… of course, he could have kept the comments about the deer and bear collisions on the mountain pass as well as the unfortunate recent accidents in the area to himself.  Our ride after the fact was just a bit disconcerting.

Until tomorrow…

Chris and I busy working in the Inn America Lobby...

Fueling up in Durkee, Oregon