Pendleton, Oregon

We have made it to Pendleton, Oregon tonight. As we often do, we are at the KOA camp here. It is nice and clean, and quick to find off of the Interstate. (Costs too much!, but with the discount, it was $32, which is normal for a commercial park.)

I don’t bother to take pictures of these places as they are all pretty much the same.

We left about 10 AM and headed South for Seattle. We arrived around noon, and made the 405 turn without t0o many cars all around us. I don’t mind busy, but socked in bumper to bumper at 60 mph, isn’t my idea of a good time.

Once headed East on I 90, the traffic slimmed right down. Heck, I even had 10 car lengths at times. But as we began to climb, all the trucks slow to a crawl, and the faster ones try to pass. The cars are not slowed at all, but weave their way in and out of the faster trucks.

I was one of the faster trucks, but not nearly as fast as the cars. Seems like this rig, shifts down to 4th gear and slows to around 50 and then hangs right in there for even the largest of hills. I do have to watch the temp gage, as it will begin to heat. But once the fan clutch engages, then it cools off.

I am surprised by the power of the Cummins. Bring on Loveland Pass!

We rolled off onto I 82 and headed for Oregon in mid afternoon. We stopped here about 5:30, as I was tired of listening to the diesel!

I have written the Whale Watch blog in the entry after this one, as a separate post. Please scroll down and read it! I posted a bunch of pictures. It took forever to upload even with the excellent Wifi we have here in the KOA.

Tomorrow is the 25th already, so we will again head out and make some miles back East, and South.

We will change into Mountain Time, as we cross back into Idaho, so we will be giving back that hour we gained on the way out here. See we are behind already.

Now scroll down and read the Whale entry.

Retired Rod