Five O'clock Trail
Airstream Adventures across the USA
Val and Keith are North Carolina Airstreamers who set out Memorial Day 2026 with the Nuts For Ruts gang and followed the historic Oregon Trail from St. Louis to Oregon. Keith brought a personal connection to the journey—he is a three-times great nephew of Marcus Whitman and read from Narcissa’s diary at campfire each evening. Val chronicled the miles: pioneer museums and wagon ruts, potluck dinners with fellow travelers, early-morning coffee stops, and the small moments that made a 2,170-mile trail feel like home. Follow along as we head east in July 2026.
Oregon Trail
St. Louis → Oregon · 2026
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Heading East
Days coming soon
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Final Oregon Trail day at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood — Magic Mile sky ride, farewell dinner, Keith's recognition, the 2026 Nuts For Ruts gang, and Little Zigzag Falls.
Mt. Hood, OR — Oregon Trail kiosk at Government Camp, Cultural Center and Museum, Barlow Road wagon steps, ski town history, and a 1919 deed to Oregon.
Columbia River Gorge, OR — Multnomah Falls parking with the Airstream, Mt. Hood back roads, Barlow Road pioneer grave, and lunch at Trillium Lake with fellow Airstreamers.
Brunch cruise on the Columbia Gorge sternwheeler past Bonneville Dam and treaty sturgeon platforms, Vista House at Crown Point, and a fish hatchery with ancient sturgeon and rainbow trout.
Bypassing Pendleton for the Columbia Gorge: Oregon Trail rest-stop history, I-84 and the Columbia River, Hood River breweries, and two nights at KOA Cascade Locks with Bridge of the Gods views.
A Pendleton day touring the underground saloons, bathhouse, ice cream parlor, meat market, gaming rooms, Stella Darby's brothel, wartime balloon-bomb history, and a good lunch downtown.