June 15th to 19th - Rock Creek & Jewel Lake

June 15^th – Sat – to Rock Creek

We had a short drive today.  We stopped to check out a farmer’s market in Rock Creek and wandered through “Rags, Relics & Rutabagas” which is a building stuffed with every collectible – and not so collectible – whatnot imaginable.  It started as a museum but then everyone brought in “stuff’ and it became mostly a consignment store.  We went across the street and had a very nice lunch at a rustic eatery where we sat at an outside table.

We carried on a few miles to Kettle Valley RV and checked into a pull-through site.  We went to the golf course across the road, made a tee time for tomorrow and then continued along Hwy 3 to Greenwood where we stopped at the visitor center to get directions to Jewel Lake.

There was a fishing derby at Jewel Lake so the campground was packed with vehicles but we found the owners – Jim & Caroline Harrison – and chatted for a while.  Jim & Caroline have a park model across the street from Julie & Larry in Val Vista Villages.  Darlene & Bob have stayed here a couple of times so Darlene put together a group to camp here for 4 nights starting tomorrow.

Back at our RV park, I cleaned the inside of the truck as I just couldn’t take the dust any longer.  After dinner, we wandered around the lovely lawn at the back of the RV park and enjoyed watching the river for a bit.

June 16^th – Sun – to Jewel Lake

Our tee time this morning was at 10 so we had time for a bite to eat and to pack up.  When we registered here, we mentioned that we might golf today so the lady at the office marked us for “late departure” so we didn’t have to maneuver the rig into the golf course parking lot.

The golf course is in very nice shape and we enjoyed our game once Terry settled down and found a few fairways.  Unfortunately, I ended up worse than I started.

I had left sandwich makings where I could access them with the slides in as we planned to park at a big empty area in Greenwood to have lunch.  As we entered Greenwood we saw Moe & Trish’s motor home parked on the side of the road so we circled the block, parked and walked over to where they were eating lunch.  We ended up eating there as well.

Even before we got our lunch, Darlene & Bob and Ron & Terri drove into town.  They parked a ways down and came back for a round of hugs & greetings before they went back to a pub for their lunch.  We and Moe & Trish went to the large parking area to wait for the others and to kill time until our arrival time of 2 at the RV park.  Caroline had asked us to wait until then as the fishing derby ended today and they needed time for everyone to leave after it wrapped up.  The road up to the lake is paved but narrow, steep and winding so we didn’t want to meet tons of traffic coming out.  We did meet quite a few rigs but Caroline had warned them that we were on our way.

We all set up in an area where we have lots of room for a communal gathering place between us and Moe & Trish.  We moved some picnic tables, set out lawn chairs and it was time for happy hour.  We were almost done when Dennis & Gloria and Julie & Larry drove in.  They will be staying in cabins just down the road.

 Trish & Moe and Darlene & Bob were responsible for dinner tonight so the rest of us just got to relax.  There is no burn ban here so we enjoyed a big fire.  Moe & Terry did the most “relaxing” and were the last to head for their beds.

June 17^th – Mon

Darlene had made tee times at the Kettle Valley golf course for tomorrow but the weather forecast yesterday made her change the reservations to today.  After Dennis & Gloria, Moe, and Ron & Terri came over for coffee, we decided to pick up some firewood that we had seen along the road when we came in.  Terry, Ron, Darlene, Gloria & I went in our truck and discovered that the nice rounds were from a green tree so we ended up picking up a bunch of dry limbs.  We just had time to unload the wood and load golf clubs before we had to leave again.

We all rented golf carts, loaded up & headed out.  Terry & Ron went first followed by me, Terri & Darlene.  Bringing up the rear were Dennis & Gloria and Moe & Trish.  We all had a great time.

Jim told us we could use a big shelter which sounded good after a bit of rain last night and the continued ugly weather forecast.  Six of us went to a different camping area to carry back the PVC frame – one for each leg.  Then we put on the plastic tarp roof, fastened it down and drove in some big nails so the whole thing won’t crash into Moe & Trish’s motor home if the wind comes up.

Dinner tonight was provided by Terri & Ron and Julie & Larry with some leftover ham from Trish.  Ron cooked a small turkey on their BBQ and Julie & I spent some time at their cabin cooking & mashing potatoes.  Caroline loaned Julie a golf cart to go back & forth from the cabins to our area which has come in very handy.  The rain held off for dinner & a fire.

June 18^th – Tues

Ron & Terri were the last to leave last night and luckily they put all the chairs under the shelter as it rained during the night.  Terry asked me to make jelly biscuits this morning and then only Moe and Dennis & Gloria showed up for coffee and they had all had some breakfast – but they helped us with the biscuits anyhow.  I put together 2 pans of potato casserole as it is our turn for dinner with help from Dennis & Gloria.

About 10 we went to Greenwood with Dennis & Gloria.  Gloria just wanted to wander around the little town and I needed something for dessert tonight.  We wandered, had lunch, picked up whipping cream and came back.  I made dessert – cookies & cream – before some of us walked around the campground.  While we were gone to Greenwood, Bob & Darlene went fishing, Ron & Terri did some work and then went to Greenwood and Moe & Trish went on a short hike.

We had some time to kill so we and Dennis & Gloria played Ponytail Canasta.  When you are as lucky as the guys you don’t have to be good card players!!

Before we settled in for happy hour, the guys moved the 3 picnic tables under the shelter which was enough to keep the rain away.  Terry cooked pork tenderloin on 2 barbeques, Gloria cooked both pans of potatoes in the large oven in her cabin and I made a big salad.  Trish added some carrots to leftovers from her dinner and provided peas & carrots.

Thanks to Terry’s overestimating, we had lots of food for dinner but I was amazed at how few potatoes were left.  Some of us tried singing around the fire so I finally took out the tablet & speaker.  A few of us even did one line dance!

June 19^th – Wed

It looks as if the rain has settled in.  Everyone was moving slower this morning and did their own thing for a while.  Finally we all agreed to go to Grand Forks for lunch and maybe a bit of sightseeing.  But first we had to wait while Moe & Terry had showers as they both had antifreeze on them from fixing a leak under Moe’s motor home.

Julie was not feeling well so she & Larry stayed in their cabin to read.  Darlene gave us walkie talkies so our little 3 car caravan could find a pub for lunch but it didn’t take long for the hills and curves of the road to break up the signal.  We ended up at the pub which had been recommended by someone and had good lunches.  It was still raining so we and Moe & Trish decided we would just come back.

We cleaned tables, chairs and barbeques and packed up what belonged to us.  Caroline offered the use of a large room by the office for our dinner tonight so Moe & Terry carried a couple of tables over there.

I was working on the blog when Moe came back to say that we were going to play cards at Dennis & Gloria’s cabin so I got the Wizard game and our booze bag and headed over.  Moe won the first game and I won the second and by that time others were joining us.  Trish made spaghetti sauce yesterday so we were heating it and cooking the noodles in the cabin.  Terri brought some rolls to be warmed in the oven and Trish made a Caesar salad.  Jim & Caroline joined us for dinner again as well as their employee Benita.  They offered the use of their plates & cutlery which we accepted once we knew they could be put in a dishwasher.  A fine dinner was followed by birthday cake for dessert.  Gloria had bought the cake for any of us (me included) whose birthday is not in a month when we are all together in Mesa.  Dennis washed up all the cooking pots so we could sit and have a nightcap with them before dodging raindrops on the way back to the rig.