There are a few tried and true tests to see if you are compatible with your loved one. At the top of my list is assembling an item from IKEA. The second best indicator is planning and actually going on a vacation with one another. Growing up, our family took our yearly adventures into the woods. Anticipation was always high and my dad and mom worked together like a pro team preparing for the outing.
I knew Ron and I were destined to be together the first time we went camping into the Klamath Wilderness area. He was my kind of organized camper and I knew that we would have to have children to pass down the “camping gene”, thus keeping a vital skill, necessary for many memories, bug bites, and the assorted mishaps. Plus, you get to have an excuse to shop for equipment and meet fascinating like-minded people! My favorite!
On our previous camping vacay I started to notice other camper’s tents. Ours was a smallish one, one that did not allow for standing in an erect position. I made a pact with myself to immediately go home and find that two room tent that many joyful families were using. Amazon here I come! I purchased the huge Coleman of my dreams. Fast forward to the present and here we are on our way to Crater Lake, Oregon. As we were gathering all our necessary equipment, we realized two days before we were to leave that our lantern was a POS. Forty bucks of batteries and replacement lights did not bring it back to life. Another hunting opportunity presented itself and I had great luck on Craig’s List. We now have an adorable red Coleman with two lamps, a nightlight, and the beauty of it, it’s rechargeable! I haven’t named it yet, but trust me, it will come to me.
The only item of my dreams that was missing was a fold out table. Shopping again! We were in luck as we were cruising through Klamath Falls looking for gas and noticed a great big store and gas station. Fred Myers! We pulled in for gas and were immediately approached by a young man in a bright yellow vest. At first we thought we were going to be robbed or asked for a handout. Instead, he wanted to fill our tank and wash our windows. That could very well be the #1 reason to live here! We inquired about the store merchandise
and the first words out of his mouth were “camping supplies”. The vision of the table was turning into reality. We are traveling with our little dog, Sandy, and wanted to know if we could take her in the store. “I don’t see why not”! Music to my ears. Let me just say this, a visit to Oregon is not complete without a stop over to a Fred Myers. We put the pup in the top of the cart and made a bee line for the sporting equipment. There it was....my table. It was only $35 and guess what, there is no sales tax!
We found The Maverick’s Motel in the AAA travel guide. It took dogs and was pretty inexpensive. I did have my doubts as I worried that there might be some other kind of business that went on there. Take my breath away! We checked in and noticed two young men with bowl haircuts and they seemed to be wearing Amish style clothing. We immediately started to try to put the pieces together. Ron made the comment, “Well how would they get here, in their horse and buggies?”
Not so fast mister! We soon found ourselves face to face with the Amish as we were leaving to get gas. We met Eli, Melvin, and Amos. Questions just started flying out of my mouth that I couldn’t seem to control. They were very patient and explained to us that they were a group of ten from Missouri and Tennessee and were traveling by AMTRAC. They had been to Sacramento and were headed to Crescent City to go camping. Then on to Chicago and Niagara Falls. Who would have guessed? What healthy looking folks, and facial hair that would make ZZTop envious. Of course I embarrassed Ron by asking if they knew of the reality show “Amish Mafia”. Of course they hadn’t, they don’t watch TV.
Apparently the Indian front desk clerk had already beat me to the punch with that question. They seemed to see the humor in it which still didn’t save me from a “tsk tsk, what were you thinking” admonishment from my spouse.
There is a bright blue neon cow on the top of the restaurant next to The Mavericks. The Creamery and Klamath Basin Brewing Company both seem to occupy the building. I noticed earlier that there were motorcycle people enjoying food and libation on the lovely patio. I kind of had a feeling that they weren’t having Black and Tans out there. We wandered over for dinner and Sandy put on her excellent manners and she was leashed just outside the patio (no dogs allowed in food establishments). Of course many people stopped by to comment on how cute she was and the wait staff was super nice. They are proud of the fact that their beer is made on the premises, and what makes it unique is that they use the natural geothermal sources in the brewing process. I had a hoppy IPA and Ron had their house made root beer. Salads were in order...spinach, feta, and huckleberries with a huckleberry dressing and a grilled chicken salad with all kinds of goodies. Great service. Look for the neon Blue Cow if you’re ever here. Ron is off to a 7 a.m. AA meeting, I’m off to shower with a bunch of teeny green bugs, and then to the complimentary continental breakfast in the lobby. I wonder who I am going to meet!
N
No comments:
Post a Comment