Enchanted forest

I am not a seat-of-your-pants traveler.   Get off at a light rail stop just to see what’s there?  Great idea.  Drive a 27-foot motor home plus tow car to the mountains (when you can’t back up and have to be on level ground to unhitch) without a reservation on the weekend before a holiday? Not a great idea.  But that’s what we did and the result was wonderful.

We’re at Lazy Bend Campground in Mt. Hood National Forest about 50 miles southest of Portland, not far from the little town of Estacada, OR, and right on the Clackamas River.    I called the local ranger and was told there was a “60/40” chance we’d get a spot.  Instead we found lots of spots and have a great one in what looks like an enchanted forest.

Jim wanted to go in this general direction to check out the Olallie Lake Scenic Area; Season and Lee want us to go there with them in August and we want to make sure the road (described in a brochure as “rough and without auto repair shops") is OK for the RV.

Our beautiful camping spot at Lazy Bend Campground. We have no electric/water/sewer hookups, but are only paying $10.50 a night.  Makes me realize why I like a campground instead of the pricier private RV campgrounds. Prettier and quieter. 

Jim and Cooper walk along the Clackamas River, a tributary to the Willamette. We’ve seen lots of rafters and kayakers on the river.

Later in the day we went in to Estacada and found a (what else) a brew pub.  Jim had his usual IPA. They didn’t have any chocolate stouts for me, but they did have chocolate wine.  Whoa.  Tasted like chocolate liqueur and Bailey’s Irish Creme. 

The information regarding the pub’s “Soup of the Day” kind of cracked us up.