Paddle Boarding

STEHEKIN WASHINGTON CAMPING IN OUR BOAT

What if you had an idea to camp in your 19 foot boat, drive 55 miles on Lake Chelan to reach your destination of Stehekin. Only way to get to Stehekin is by a Ferry, your personal boat or I guess swim. A very isolated but magical location well worth the journey.

Stehekin is located at the head of Lake Chelan, there are no roads connecting this tiny community of 75 permanent residents. A fifty mile scenic journey in which you can reach Stehekin only by foot, horseback, your own boat or by passenger ferry boat. We opted to use our own 19 foot boat and boated the fifty miles exploring the shoreline as we traveled. The panorama of stark steep mountains took your breath away. The beauty of this country left us speechless. It actually only took less than 3 hrs to reach our destination and well worth it. A fee of $5.00 a day to dock your boat was a good deal as we were also camping on our boat. Cheap Digs with a view to remember. Fortunately we brought our Blix foldable electric bikes to explore with. Bikes are available to rent or you can bring your own highly recommend for exploring.

First Stop :

The Stehekin Pastry Company and log cabins are located two miles up the Stehekin Valley Road from the boat landing where the Ferries let off passengers. The bakery was built in 1989 and has a homey rustic feel besides the aroma of home baked goods and killer coffee and espresso. Delicious Cinnamon rolls the size of a small dinner plate for $2.25, pastries, cookies, ice cream, I could go on and on. The selections are varied depending on the day you visit, we visited everyday for 6 days, need I say more. The bakery is very considerate of those with special dietary concerns ( low carb and gluten free) are also very delicious. Their from scratch soups, sandwiches and quiches are also delicious with people coming from a far just for the goodness. As we headed back towards the boat dock one more stop a mere mile from the bakery was mandatory. Karl’s Garden!!!

Second stop:

Another hidden gem called THE GARDEN. Owned and fully operated by KARL a BAREFOOTED ORGANIC GARDENER.

Karl is amazing with a fairyland entryway into his garden lined by gorgeous flowers as big as your hand. You immediately feel transformed to another land with the aromas of flowers, goats he raises for yogurt and cheese, to the bees buzzing everywhere which help with his honey harvest. OK lets start with the goats: He raises them for making the most incredible creamy Chevre cheese (plain or herbed) or homemade yogurt flavored with his incredible honey he harvests on site. He uses the goat poop to fertilize his gardens which appears to be on steroids. Everything is on steroids I think even the bees were bigger . His garden is seasonal with homemade cosmetics, holistic medicine to some of his own bakery goods. A bit about Karl, he owned a Organic bakery called the honey hole located in Wenatchee years ago. Get him talking and you can learn some fascinating garden and baking tips. We left with our bike bags overflowing with giant beets, kale, fresh honey, chevre and fresh made goat yogurt. I myself was in organic heaven, Jeff wasn’t to far behind..

Stay Tuned for part Two of our Stehekin Adventures CHEERS FROM JUST AROUND THE BEND

NOTE: We visited Stehekin in early August 2019 beautiful time of year for perfect weather.

Union Creek Camp Ground Oregon 2018

Every year we migrate to Union Creek Campground, it happens to be one our favorite peaceful RVing locations. This year we are being joined by our good friends Dave and Jen and Ross and Cheryl, fun times ahead with this group of friends.

This year we decided to mix it up a little and ride The Historic Narrow-Gauge Sumpter Railroad. A six-mile round trip ride staffed by all volunteers and two fully restored original steam locomotives we were sure to have a great experience. Running on the reconstructed gold rush train tracks between McEwen and the historic mining town of Sumpter, its a guarantee that the whole family will enjoy this relaxing trip back in time. DON’T forget THE TRAIN ROBBERY BY THE GOLD RUSH BANDITS!! A historic shooting group with period firearms, costumes, all performed on horseback. This was a highlight of the train ride.

Your round-trip ride begins at McEwen station to the rustic town of Sumpter. The train allows you to get off to tour the town and visit the

historic dredge. For reservations call 541-894-2268,

sumptervalleyrailroad.org.

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Now back to our camping experience, Union Creek Campground offers a wide range of amenities and activities. Boating and fishing is one of our favorites as catching fish is abundant. The water is a very comfortable degree which makes kayaking, paddle boarding and just plain old-fashioned swimming an enjoyable experience. A well-groomed 6.5 mile hiking trail traverses around the lake with numerous scenic views. The trail is one of several mountain bike and hiking trails that are found in the Phillips Lake Trail System.

Campsites are very large, spaced well from each other and set in the pines. Includes water, electric, fire ring, BBQ, picnic tables, immaculate restrooms with flushometer toilets. A Boat launch with bait shop is a nice amenities with the most helpful and friendly staff we have ever encountered they will even deliver worms and ice to your campsite. Golden Age passport rate was $13.00 a night, we love site B17 very private, flat with a scenic view of the lake.

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Until our next destination CHEERS from Jeff and Liz

UNION CREEK CAMPGROUND, OR

We love this campground, with this being our third return visit. Beautiful, Quiet and well maintained, with the most helpful camp hosts we have yet encountered. The camp hosts deliver ice and even fishing worms to your camp site on golf carts. Ha, too funny, but we loved it. Our favorite site is # B17, a large very private site overlooking Phillips Lake.

This year we were very fortunate to be able to meet our good friends Dave and Jen from Enterprise, Oregon. We kayaked, BBQed and drank a lot of homemade Kombucha together and just caught up on our lives and what adventure and great fun awaits us. Planning on making this an annual camping experience with our great friends, oh and Mocha!

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Facilities

The parking spurs are paved and gravel and large enough for any size RV. Several sites offer full hookups,and some others offer water and electric.

Units are equipped with picnic tables and grills. Drinking water and very clean restrooms with yes flush toilets are available. Some of the facilities are handicap-accessible. Upon leaving is a very modern and free dump station, very important.

This camp is part of the Union Creek Recreation Area, which includes a picnic and day-use area. Union Creek Campground is set on three loops with separate walk-in tent camping, and it has four group sites that can accommodate from 60-100 people.

Natural Features:

Phillips Reservoir is a popular destination within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest because it offers scenic views of the surrounding Elkhorn Mountains. The shoreline is forested with a mix of Ponderosa pine and various firs interspersed with small grasslands.

Visitors enjoy several varieties of colorful wildflowers in the spring.

Recreation:

The campground is near a boat launch and a small, rocky swim beach. Activities include swimming, fishing, boating and water skiing.

Anglers can fish for bass, trout and perch. There’s an access point for the Phillips Lake Shoreline Trail, a 6.5-mile scenic trail for hiking and mountain biking.

Nearby Attractions:

The historic gold mining town of Sumpter is about 10 miles away. Visitors can explore the Sumpter Dredge State Heritage Park, browse the holiday weekend flea markets or take a ride on a historic steam locomotive.

Overview

The Union Creek Campground is one of the largest Forest Service campgrounds in eastern Oregon. It’s nestled on the northern shore of Phillips Reservoir amid mature Ponderosa pine, with a few sites offering views of the lake.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
Accessible Boat Ramp Accessible Flush Toilets Accessible Swimming Beach Access Birding Boat Ramp Boat Trailer Parking Boating Canoeing Concessions Drinking Water Dump Station Firewood Fish Cleaning Stations Fishing	Flush Toilets General Store Grills Group Camping Hiking Host Lake Access Mountain Biking Paved Parking Spurs Paved Roads Picnic Area Restaurant Security Lights Self Pay Station Swimming

Getting There:

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
44.69694, -118.01861
44°41’49″N, 118°1’7″WFrom Baker City, Oregon, travel south on Highway 7 for about 18 miles. The campground and day-use entrance is signed on the left side of the road. Follow the signs in the Union Creek Recreation Area down to the various campground loops and areas.

Contact Information:

Recreation.gov for reservations

Phone Number: 1-877-444-6777

Getting Ready To paddle

Paddle Boarding

Our Camp at North Twin Lake

Cheers from Just Around The Bend♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
PLEASE JOIN US ON OUR NEXT ADVENTURE AT CLIFFSIDE RV PARK WHIDBEY ISLAND

Body Glove Performer Paddle Board

What do 66 year old retired people do in Bend, Oregon? Yes!!! that is correct we play hard and buy paddle boards. Ok mom I hope you never read this. Our first plan is to get in shape with the Body Glove Performer 11′ Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board.
The Body Glove ISUP (Inflatable Stand-up Paddleboard) PERFORMER is a multipurpose design for families, fitness activities, fishing and on water yoga. The Performer is designed for incredible stability and durability while also exhibiting an industry leading performance shape from paddling professional Luke Hopkins. He designed this board to be the ultimate board for family fun, fitness, and on water adventures.

The ISUP is made from incredibly durable puncture resistant heavy duty PVC and can support over 320 pounds. This allows for an adult to paddleboard with a child (children) on board. The traction deck pad is made from EVA foam and provides a soft yet grippy feel, perfect for children or as a platform for yoga. The bungee tie down area is perfect for securing gear from fishing tackle to a cooler.

This ISUP package is easily portable, and includes many convenient accessories. When you are ready to hit the water, the high-pressure hand-pump can be used to fully inflate the board in as little as 5 minutes. When it is time to pack up, the board can be quickly deflated and will fit into the included backpack. The 3-Piece travel paddle allows increased portability and ease of use. Including accessories and the board, the backpack only weighs 32 lbs.

COSTCOS PRICE WITH FREE SHIPPING IS $479.99

Accessories include:

Lightweight 3 piece travel paddle
High pressure pump that can switch from single action to dual action
Leg coil/leash
Repair kit
Cell phone dry bag
Specifications:

Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board:

Length: 11 ft.
Width: 34 in.
Thickness: 6 in.
Nose Rocker: 4.5 in.
Tail Rocker: 0 in.
Board Weight: 24 lbs.

Paddle:

Length: 70 in. – 85 in. (Adjustable)
Weight: 29 oz.
Design: 3 Piece
Shaft: Aircraft Grade Aluminum
Blade: Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon

More Paddle Boarding

PERSONAL NOTE: Very stable, easy to carry and glides through the water very nicely, with easy effort. We also love the way the board deflates and packs away for easy storage, highly recommend. We rate the body glove inflatable board a 10 with no reservations.

Until our next adventure, stay tuned and Cheers from Just Around The Bend ♥♥♥♥

NOTE: We have not been contacted by body glove or Costco.

Twin Lakes Resort RV Park

The Twin Lakes Resort RV Park sits adjacent to the Deschutes Channel into Wickiup and across the street from the Resort general store, restaurant, and cabins. All sites come with 30 amp electrical hook-ups, water, and sewer. Take a short stroll down to the channel shores for sandy beaches and amazing views. They also have real restrooms and showers available for RV Park guest use.

Nothing beats the lakeside dining experience at Twin Lakes Resort! Join them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on Wednesday through Sunday from opening day through Labor Day weekend. They offer a full menu for dining in or take out service, with a wonderful selection of beer and wine. Make sure to check back for daily specials, but you can count on their famous Slow Smoked Prime Rib dinner every Saturday evening. Don’t miss Sunday brunch as well.

Coffee! Oh yes Java Hut, located in the main parking lot. It’s worth stopping by for a Wickiup Wakeup or delicious espresso drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, and sno cones.

Restaurant Hours:

Wednesday through Sunday: 8am – 8pm
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for our Lakeside Patio Cookout

Java Hut Hours:

Open Thursday through Sunday: 8am – 2pm

FISHING NEWS:

Fishing is open all year round at South and North Twin Lake and April 22nd for Wickiup!

General Store

The Twin Lakes General Store has most everything you’ll need for your stay at the resort.

Single day fishing licenses and live bait.
Large selection of fishing accessories.
Oil and other small items for your boat.
Souvenir t-shirts, sweatshirts and gifts.
Grocery and pharmaceutical items.
Snacks, drinks and ice cream Jeff’s favorite food!!!
Beer and wine
Crushed and block ice, fire wood
Most things forgotten when camping!
They also have both unleaded gasoline and propane available for purchase

Java Hut

I Love Bears

Dining

Patio

View from restaurant

Store

We reserved RV Site 9 and definitely will return again. Nestled in a waterfront, back-in site approximately 65 ft long, with 30 amp electrical service, water, and sewer hookups. Two picnic tables and a nice over sized fire pit. The featured picture is a view from the kitchen window from our RV.

The Twin Lakes RV Park is located on the shore of the Deschutes Channel leading into Wickiup Reservoir, and each site has a fire pit and a picnic table. Check-in is at 1:00pm, and check-out is at 11:00am.
Price includes one RV, one vehicle, and no more than 2 pets that must be on-leash at all times. Each additional vehicle is $5 per night, parking tags available at the Twin Lakes Store. They do not allow tent camping, however you may set up a tent in addition to your RV and there is a $10 fee per tent per night and a limit of 2 tents per site. We paid $32.00 a night, in addition to a 8% Deschutes County lodging tax and 1% Oregon lodging tax.

Deer everywhere

View from camp

Sunset

Our Camp at North Twin Lake

Exploring the lake

Nu Canoe adventures

We had great fun boating, paddle boarding, fishing and swimming. The water was incredibly warm and felt so good on a 90 degree day. We even found 4 geocaches by walking around South Twin lake which is a very picturesque and enjoyable one mile walk . We will be back.

Cheers From Just Around The Bend ♥♥♥♥♥

PS: Our next Adventure takes us to Union Creek Campground located on Phillips Lake just out of Sumpter Eastern Oregon.

North Twin Lake Oregon

This is a small but popular campground and lake just north of the South Twin Resort. Located next to North Twin Lake, this site offers opportunities for fishing in the summer as well as the winter. There is also a little beach at the shallow end of the lake that is great for wading and swimming.

There’s an interpretive trail leaving the campground near the water that informs visitors about “dwarf mistletoe” infecting the ponderosa pine trees in the area.
There is a boat launch area within this campground.Water levels vary little over the season and the lake is rich with weed beds.
At a Glance
Reservations: visit HoodooRecreation.com.
Fees Per night, per site fee: $14/first vehicle; $7/each additional vehicle.
Open Season: 4/20/2017 – 10/31/2017
Usage: Medium-Heavy
Restrictions: Maximum site spur length is 30 feet.
Water: No
Restroom: Vault Toilet Not my favorite, and heavily used!!!
General Information : Motorized boats are prohibited on this body of water.
Directions:
From Bend, OR: Travel 26.8 miles south on Highway 97 to Wickiup Junction, then 11.0 miles west on County Road 43, then continue 4.6 miles west on County Road 42, and finally 0.2 miles south on County Road 4260.

On a personal note, we made it around the lake on a very nice groomed trail and found two very nicely placed geocaches. I also left a painted rock on a log, hopefully someone special will find and it puts a smile on their face. Next we are going to Paddle Board this lake as it is so calm, serene and scenic. Please join us for the next adventure and Cheers to all from JUST AROUND THE BEND♥♥♥♥♥

Paulina Lake Campground

2016

A scenic 23.5 mile drive from Bend,Oregon and you are at Paulina Lake. With large camp sites, beautiful trails and amazing fishing, this is truly nirvana. After September 19th, its first come, first serve, with plenty of sites available. Sites include standard non electric, a picnic table, fire pit, large camping site which we paid $27.00 for two nights. In early season the mosquitoes can be troublesome and late season the meat bees. There are 4 campgrounds on the lake. Paulina being the first, then chief Paulina horse camp second, Newberry Group Camp Site third and lastly Cinder Hill Campground.Cinder Hill is the most popular although the most windy.You can reserve the sites through Recreation.gov.
To do: Boat, kayak, canoe, paddle board, swim or fish.The state record for brown trout was at Paulina Lake weighing in at 28 pounds-5 ounces.Other species are kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. There is a maximum 10 mile per hour speed limit on the lake which affords you spectacular views of the lake and the Newberry Caldera. These campgrounds are all in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.There is an entry fee if you do not have a pass. Check out the obsidian Flow and Paulina Peak which on a clear day you could see Mt Shasta. If you make it to the other side of the lake, just right of the red cinder rock slide, you will find a beach that is actually a well hidden hot springs. Dig in the small rocks near the water’s edge and it will quickly fill with very clean hot water, so hot you will need to dilute it with some lake water, very clean and relaxing. You can also hike from the parking lot on a very nice groomed trail about 4 1/2 miles around to reach the hot springs. A lot of people were hiking around the whole lake which is posted as a 7 1/2 mile loop. In addition dont miss East Lake just past Paulina Lake which has a nice store and lodge , boat rentals and small cafe. There is a Mercury warning on fish caught on East Lake, check the Oregon fishing regulation before you fish. There are 2 public campgrounds and 1 private including (full hook ups) on East Lake.

Drive up 6000 + feet and explore Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

August 2017

This year we decided to spend a whole week at Paulina Lake and really get to dig into all of the activities the area has to offer. We had a really good week of fishing, getting up at 5 am and being on the water at 6 am. yikes, really early but worth it, seems that’s when the fish like to bite. NOTE:We did not keep any of the fish and returned them safely back into the lake.

Next we GeoCached a lot. Walking each day around a portion of the lake looking for hidden treasures. FUN.

Then we paddled boarded, finding we are getting better everyday, Jeff only fell once (darn boat waves).

So if you love to camp, fish, paddle board, hike and swim in a beautiful setting this is the place. This year we stayed in space 38, paved, huge and extremely quiet. Here are some pictures to show you of our great camping experience.