Glamping in Madras

We spent the (long) weekend of August 17-22 in Madras, Oregon so we could see the 2017 eclipse. Madras is in the path of totality, but just out of town there was Solar Town, dead center in the path. We got a “Glamping” (Glamorous Camping) package, which got us a very large tent (including set-up and tear-down), two cots, two blankets, a table and two chairs. Also included were showers, which were a luxury to have while camping. We brought everything else needed to survive for a week with minimal services.

We brought the canopy that is in front of our tent, which was really nice to have as the sun was very intense for the weekend. (It was August, after all.)

We arrived early Thursday evening, but got stuck in a two-and-a-half-hour line of cars waiting to get in to Solar Town. It was almost 9:00 P.M. when we finally got into our tent.

With the influx of people continuing Friday, and everyone immediately going to the kybo after the long wait in line, the maintenance crews were unable to empty the shower grey water. The showers were down Saturday and Sunday, which was a bummer. (Kybo is a scouting term for a Porta-Potty or Outhouse.)

Sunday night the Day campers arrive and inundate the kybos (pun intended). They all left Monday after the eclipse, most on the road by noon. The line of cars was very, very long – probably a couple of miles of cars and RVs.

We rode the shuttle into town for a dinner out. We went to Rio Restaurant, which makes Mexican cuisine. We had what were marked specialties on the menu: Puerco Moreliano and Puerco Enmolado. Two big thumbs up! That meal was muy delicioso. See https://www.zomato.com/madras-or/rio-restaurant-madras (The “festival” prices were much higher than normal.)

Sometime after the hordes departed, the crews caught up with emptying kybos and got around to the shower grey water. The showers returned to operation Monday night! We departed Solar Town on Tuesday morning. We encountered just normal traffic and had a pleasant drive home.

One idea we had worked really well: We filled two one-gallon plastic jugs with water and froze them solid in our freezer to use in the ice chest. It was three days later (Sunday) before the ice was mostly gone, as was our perishable food, so we had cold water for drinking!

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