The team worked together to put the Smitanic into slip number 25. Then the the jacks were dropped, shore power attached as well as the water, and sewer lines. The lawn chairs and grill were also extracted from the storage bays. Ah almost there! The final task was to expand the slides, extend the patio awning awnings, and take in the views of the location. It took a whole 20 minutes to set up camp. Not bad!
As part of the effort to explore the campgrounds a short walk down to the marina was initiated. This path also led to a nice park and beach that seemed like it would be very popular in the summertime, however everything was shut down and there were no boats nor people doing anything in the water! Must be the end of the season.
As the afternoon hours unfolded the spots around the Smitanic space 25 filled up with other motorhomes, trailers, fifth wheels and even one guy in a tent! One of the neighbors, Merle, introduced himself as a retired school teacher and now is a firefighter for hire. He had all sorts stories of and pictures from recent blazes he help extinguish. One of the pictures he took was a wall of flames 500 ft into the air. He and his wife and 2 corkies were on their way to the Oregon coast to check out a beach house that he had bought site unseen ! He seemed like the kind of guy that would love that kind of challenge and the thrill of dealing with all the unknowns. Good luck to him.
The weather was a perfect warm day with a nice breeze and cooled off for a pleasant nights sleep. The team did notice for the first time in weeks that they were having to deal with bugs. (Flys, small gnats, and a few mosquitoes.)
In the morning, Kevin reported that the park's washer and dryers where only $1 each, the cheapest yet, though there were only 2 of each so waiting for an open unit was required.
The sky was clear for the first day in 2 weeks and the wind was calm making the river look like glass and reflecting the distant shoreline. It was also perfect for a Drone fly over.
Kevin updated once again the drone Software and Firmware to get some long awaited features. Kevin has anticipated that several features would slowly be added to the Drone's abilities. With this most recent updates of firmware and software the Drone will have the ability to be programmed to fly a specific pattern of way points, or perform a fly around a specific landmark, or perform a Follow ME flight. Each of these new features will require additional reading and YouTube video reviews before Kevin attempts them on his Drone. The software that has to be used with the Drone is very configurable and each function and feature needs to be properly configured for the proper results to occur. THIS IS NO TOY. Right?
This required another flyover.
When Theresa was finishing the laundry she spotted a stand with flyers for various visitor activities of the area... she was immediately drawn to the local Winery flyer. With just a quick google search of the area she discovered several wineries in the area including one she recognized, Colombia Crest. It was a bit of a drive, 45 min, but it was a nice day and the reward would be well … wine! The country side had it's own beauty with Tree farms lining the highway as well as corn, onions and apples being harvested in the fields.
The Columbia Crest winery covered 12K acres of the Horse Heaven Hills area that was home to several other wineries as well. The tasting offered a selection of 'Reserve' wines that could only be purchased at the winery itself. A Cabernet and Melbec were selected to fill a case. The Sommelier mentioned another sister winery that was one of Kevin and Theresa's favorites, 14 Hands. It was another 30 minutes up the road, in Prosser, WA but what the heck what is 30 min when more than 4500 miles have already been traveled?
Kevin and Theresa were very impressed with the modern look and feel of the winery's tasting room. It had windows that could be opened on a nice summer day with outdoor seating and a colorful flower garden. A very similar tasting format once again led to the selection of a nice Reserve Melbec and Cabernet (must be a common theme here). During the tasting the Sommelier was talking a bit about the history of the area an revealed another surprising local resource... deposits of plutonium (mined for the first A-Bombs), mustard gas and agent orange are stock piled in the surrounding hills and is now being 'dealt with'. Hum, perhaps is this the reason that the wine made one glow a bit?
This required another flyover.
The Columbia Crest winery covered 12K acres of the Horse Heaven Hills area that was home to several other wineries as well. The tasting offered a selection of 'Reserve' wines that could only be purchased at the winery itself. A Cabernet and Melbec were selected to fill a case. The Sommelier mentioned another sister winery that was one of Kevin and Theresa's favorites, 14 Hands. It was another 30 minutes up the road, in Prosser, WA but what the heck what is 30 min when more than 4500 miles have already been traveled?
Kevin and Theresa were very impressed with the modern look and feel of the winery's tasting room. It had windows that could be opened on a nice summer day with outdoor seating and a colorful flower garden. A very similar tasting format once again led to the selection of a nice Reserve Melbec and Cabernet (must be a common theme here). During the tasting the Sommelier was talking a bit about the history of the area an revealed another surprising local resource... deposits of plutonium (mined for the first A-Bombs), mustard gas and agent orange are stock piled in the surrounding hills and is now being 'dealt with'. Hum, perhaps is this the reason that the wine made one glow a bit?
Once back at the RV the days haul was safely stowed and dinner was put on the grill. As dinner was cleaned up, the entire park was rewarded with another brilliant sunset over the river. Kevin did a sunset Drone fly over. See video here.
This indeed is a place worth repeating!
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