Onward to Washington

On Tuesday, July 29 we departed Farewell Bend State Recreation Area and drove 187 miles to the Oregon/Washington border on the Columbia River. We booked three nights at the Pymouth Park Campground operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers downstream from the McNary Locks and Dam Complex.

McNary Lock and Dam was authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1945. The project includes a powerhouse, navigation lock, two fish ladders, a removable spillway weir and a juvenile fish bypass facility. It provides navigation, hydropower, recreation and incidental irrigation. The dam, located on the Columbia River, is 7,365 feet long, rising approximately 183 feet above the streambed. It is a concrete gravity type dam, with an earthfill embankment section.

Located along the Lake Umatilla section of the Columbia River, Plymouth Park Campground sits just below McNary Lock and Dam on the Washington State side. If you are looking for a clean and easily accessible campground with pull-through parking, Plymouth Park Campground is the place for you. The campground is right off the highway, but surrounded by many tall trees making it feel quite secluded.

The campground is a loop of pull-through parking spots with nice pavement throughout. The paved loop provides a perfect place to bike, scooter, or skateboard throughout the day. The electric and water hook ups for trailers are nice, easy to get to, and in good working condition. There is a dump station at the campground as well. With our National Park Pass we got our site for a mere $15 a day!

It was fortunate we had a three day stay scheduled at this time because we needed to get the truck serviced.. Our low coolant light came on during this leg of travel so I wanted to get it looked at as soon as possible. We found a repair shop in Kennewick, Washington, the Tri-Cities area, that could get us in so we jumped at the opportunity. I knew the truck needed some major servicing at 150,000 miles and we had delayed the inevitable. With 157,000 plus miles on the odometer it was time, so we dropped off the truck that Tuesday and got a rental car at the local Enterprise for the next two days.

We used the time to explore the tri-cities area of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. Tri-Cities, WA offers a diverse range of attractions, including winery and vineyard experiences, river recreation, history and science experiences, events and entertainment, as well as sunshine and open spaces.

The Tri-Cities area is a semi-arid climate, receiving an average of 5 to 7 inches of precipitation every year. Winds periodically exceed 30 mph when Chinook wind conditions exist. While there are an average 225 clear days every year, these are mainly between April 1 and November 1. The Tri-Cities in Washington State are known for a blend of scientific research, agriculture, and wine production. They are also recognized for their 300 days of sunshine, the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, and various recreational opportunities related to their rivers. Additionally, the region is known for its strong economy in R&D, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, retail, and healthcare.

After a day of checking out the area we decided to contact and meet a local real estate agent to explore the housing market options. Karen likes the 300 days of sunshine and I like the fact that there is plenty of water around. Nothing for certain, just researching options for the future.

Wednesday afternoon the shop called with our truck's service estimate based on the needed and recommended servicing. Fortunately I was sitting down.

The list was long but we needed the following;

1. Removed Radiator, cleaned all debris; radiator itself is in good shape, re-installed.

2. R&R DPF pressure sensor. Verified after installing that the desired pressure is identical to the actual pressure sensor. Tried to perform a regen to complete procedure however vehicle would not complete regen due to faulty DPF filter sensor. Recommend replacing DPF filter sensor and clear codes and perform regen.

3. R&R DPF filter sensor, cleared codes, performed regen and test drove. Codes did not return and no issues at this time. Repair verified.

4. Disassemble air box and remove filter. Clean filter assembly in aqueous part washer, flush and dry filter. Apply K&N filter oil to entire element and reinstall filter.

   -- Technician Notes from AutoVitals SmartFlow --

   Cleaned and oiled K&N air filter

5. Drain and refill engine oil, change engine oil filter and lubricate chassis grease fittings and friction points as required. Check and top off fluid levels, additional charges may apply where fluids are required. Complete a complimentary visual vehicle inspection.

   -- Technician Notes from AutoVitals SmartFlow --

   Changed oil and filter utilizing 12 Qts

6. Drain transmission - Remove transmission lower pan, remove and replace internal filter. Clean pan and gasket surfaces and reinstall pan replacing gasket if needed. Flush transmission, torque convertor, oil cooler, and valve body. Replace all transmission fluid and road-test vehicle.

   -- Technician Notes from AutoVitals SmartFlow --

   R&R transmission pan and filter. Refilled transmission with 7 1/2 qrts atf, overall utilized 14 Qts ATF

7. Drain power steering fluid from reservoir, fill with fresh fluid. Flush system until clean fluid remains in the reservoir. Top off and test drive.

   -- Technician Notes from AutoVitals SmartFlow --

   Performed power steering service and topped off power steering reservoir

   
   

   I'm including all the shop's detail for the benefit of our future diesel truck owners and RVers. You need to know what to expect. As you can see, this shop was very thorough. They even provided a written 14 page report with photographs to back up their evaluation and recommendations.

   
   

   Bottom line....$4,127.82. The reality is that diesel trucks are expensive to operate and maintain but they'll last if you take care of them. I was expecting a big bill but Karen wasn't. Fortunately we had our credit card to defer the cost. We have since discovered we needed to tweak our truck maintenance budget which was too low. We adjusted our fuel budget which was too high to add more to our truck maintenance account. Our 2018 RAM 3500 one-ton needed a little TLC after three and a half years of pulling a 13,995 pound trailer. In the end, it is what it is. I'm hoping to get 300,000 or more miles out of RAMBO and all this love will help.

   
   

   Thursday we did some more exploring and later returned the rental and picked up the truck. Believe it or not, we still need to do some additional work, but that will wait for our return trip to the area at the end of August. I was very impressed with Meyers AutoTech. After documenting everything they are uploaded the service notes to Carfax and provided us a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty on all their work.

   
   

   

   
   

   Friday, August 1 we started the new month and departed Plymouth Park Campground driving to Hyatt Vineyards in Zillah, Washington located in the Yakima Valley. We discovered the location on our Harvest Host application and enjoyed a one night stay after wine tasting in the afternoon. In 1983, Leland and Lynda Hyatt started as a simple vineyard planting, but soon turned into a booming full production winery. Over the last 4 decades they’ve been honing their craft to cultivate some of the finest wines in the region. We enjoyed three varietals enough to purchase and add to our wine cellar.

   
   

   

   
   

   As we traveled through the Yakima Valley it reminded us of Mendocino County back in California. Especially the Cloverdale, Hopland and Ukiah areas with the mixed of agricultural crops. In addition to vineyards we observed expansive orchards of apples, pears and cherries along with the distinct trellis' of climbing hops. Saturday, August 2 we pushed on to the beautiful and quaint town of North Bend.

   
   

   North Bend is a city in King County, Washington on the outskirts of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 7,461 at the 2020 census. The city is 30 miles east of Seattle on Interstate 90 and lies in the foothills of the Cascade Range near Snoqualmie Pass. The town is famous for its association with the television series Twin Peaks. The town served as the primary filming location for the show's exterior shots. Additionally, North Bend is known for its proximity to outdoor recreation, including Mount Si, Rattlesnake Lake, and other hiking trails.

   
   

   We stayed one night at the North Bend Mountain View Assembly of God church, yet another Harvest Host venue. On Sunday morning we enjoyed the worship and fellowship with their congregation.

   
   

   

   We had an amazing view of Mount Si as you can see.