Similar in distance to the trip from Malibar, Fl to Santa Fe, NM is the next segment to Eugene, OR. My standard operating procedure is to book Harvest Host venues roughly 200-300 miles apart. A friend flew into Albuquerque, NM a few days before departure and we took in the local sights before heading to Eugene. The first stop was a winery in Poncha Springs, CO named Vino Salida Wine Cellars. The route took us past the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Th e dunes looked impressive from a distance and if I am ever in the area again, I would love to spend some time there. Poncha Springs is surrounded by mountains, so it was an exceptional place to have a happy hour drink. Unfortunately, the winery was closed to an unforeseen issue, but things worked out fine. It was a blast drinking some wine (I had some with me) and talking with some locals who stopped by hoping to get some for themselves.
We got an early start the following morning made possible because I did not need to unhook the trailer. Destination Moab, UT and a visit to Arches National Park. The drive was fairly easy and I was able to park at a RV campground and then head the Arches. Moab was a bust little town and it would have been nice to spend more time there but I had a schedule to keep.
Arches was a beautiful place to visit. There is a looping road that allows you to see the promanate features from the car or from parking areas. Some had short trails to walk for even better views.
Back no the road with the next stop being Willard, UT which is just north of Ogden UT. I encountered some of the busiest traffic of the trip as I went from Provo to Salt Lake City and Ogden. Our stay for the night was the Uinta Alpaca Farm. This is a hobby farm that had about 30 Alpacas. In exchange for parking there overnight you need to purchase a $15 tour and perhaps but something at their gift shop. I declined the tour since I was beat and sent my friend in my place. Sitting outside with Jasper enjoying a Moscow Mule seemed a better use of my time and energy. Take some vodka, sugar free ginger beer and lime, mix together and enjoy.
The thing about Harvest Hosts is that most do not have electricity or water. Having heat is not an issue because I use propane and the fans can run off of the batteries. The problems that remain are showers and keeping cool. I can carry enough water for a shower or two although most visitors opt for campground showers when available. Staying cool is usually not an issue because the evenings tend to cool substantially. I selected my next stay at Y Knot Winery in Glenns Ferry, ID, which is just short of Boise. This winery featured beautiful grounds, well regarded wines and restaurant.
The wine and food may have been a little too good and we called it an early night. The problem was that it was still hot. It took many hours for the temperature to drop making sleeping a real challenge. This may have contributed to some of the angst the following day. The next stop was Diamond, OR. After we passed Boise, we entered some of the most desolate territory in the US. There was a 4 hour stretch where we saw maybe 50 other vehicles in total. There was a lot of nothing including no cell service and no gas stations. While pulling the trailer with my gas-powered Ram 2500, I get between 8-10 MPG. I was getting low on fuel with about 40 miles cruising range left when we were able to get internet and find a nearby gas station. The next one would have been 35 miles away headed west or 125 miles away if headed east. The experience unnerved my travel friend, but I said, “Nah, it will be fine.” and we headed to the Round Barn in Diamond.
As we pulled into the parking lot a Miata club was just leaving and a herd to bicycle rider were arriving. They stayed for about 20 minutes before leaving and the only people left were me, my friend, and the two workers in the gift shop. We walked the mile to the Round Barn with Jasper, who enjoyed the chance to run free. My friend thought this was an ideal location for serial killers to lurk and no one was around to hear you scream, but every now and then you just have to roll the dice. I did set up my generator in case we needed to cool down, but it wasn’t needed much.
Pete French built three round barns for training his horses during the winter months. However, only one still stands today, exactly as it was 130 years ago ago. While the circular barn was somewhat common by the late 19th century, it was rarer in Oregon, and French’s exceptionally large round barn was an engineering marvel at the time it was built in the 1880s.
The inner ring of the 100-foot-diameter barn held the stables, while the outer was a track used to exercise the animals. Each ring was separated by a circular wall built from lava rocks. The umbrella-like ceiling was held by local juniper posts (which now house a family of owls). French most likely learned about these engineering techniques in California before bringing them to Oregon, where he used local materials to create the same design.
Because of French’s shady land dealings, he was somewhat disliked by locals. When he was murdered by rival homesteader Edward Oliver after an argument, Oliver was not found guilty. Supposedly, French had whipped Oliver with a cattle whip before riding away and getting shot in the back.
Final Destination; Eugene, OR
