tall

Well, Finally took my long awaited road trip in Ezmerelda, the 1975 VW Bus. My ten year old son and I started out on a rainy Sunday morning. The prospect of camping out in the rain with a ten year old wasn't thrilling, and we promptly scrapped the idea of going to the coast first, because if its raining in Portland, it will be pouring at the coast. Instead we headed to the Cascades, guided by my son's statement: " want to go far".

So we traveled towards Crater Lake, stopping at the Tokettee Hot Springs an hour from the park, getting there around sunset. Wanting to soak before the partying started at the springs, we went o soak right away and there was a gaggle of kids there. They were all part of one family from Arkansas (there were four). The parents were obviously tired but the kids were as lively (and dirty) as monkeys. Tristan had sun with them and it gave me a few moments peace from a child who falls asleep (and wakes up the next morning) talking. After short soak, we left the springs to the stoners and set up am a mile down the road; the clouds had been left behind on the way, so the evening was perfect: warm with a light breeze. Tristan was ecstatic: he was helpful and in good spirits up until it was time to go to sleep. He did finally settle down, and I wasn't far behind him, having been up late the night before getting ready. About 2am some kids from the Oregon Country Fair pulled in right next to me and scared the shit out of me. I went out to see who the hell they were and once I figured they were OK I went back to bed.

The next day we headed back to the Springs for a quick soak at dawn. we packed up before we went, so after we soaked, we headed off to Crater Lake. Ezmerelda made the climb in good spirits, but along the way developed a low idle and slow acceleration that would bug me the rest of the trip. I adjusted the valves and the timing the next morning which helped, but she still seemed slow to respond to the gas pedal. . . but everything else went well, so I figured that it was going to have to wait till I got back. Mean while Tristan and I hiked down to Crater Lake (a goodly hike, but not a killer) and ate lunch by the lake. Then we went over to the visitor center to get some swag for the boy. . .He likes his National Park Swag. . . we headed on to find some camping and make some hot dogs, causes the boy likes his meat byproducts too..

TBC