Eugene to California and Beyond!

Leaving Eugene we pointed our long rig southwest following the corridor that leads you to Reedsport and the ocean. Our plans were to boondock at a wide pull-off Linda found by using the iOverlander app. We took our time driving down the windy highway leading to the coast. It was a bit of a hard drive due to the rain and the high winds.

When we hit Hwy 101, we checked the weather reports and found that there were gale force warnings for the next 24 hours. It was predicted that winds could get higher than 35 - 45 knots.  Of course, we Googled that and found that 35 Knots is about 45 mph, anyway they were strong and we felt we needed to keep up-to-date on weather changes.

As we drove down the coast we were buffeted by the strong gusts, but it was not something we needed to be concerned about.  We reached our first boondocking spot and found that there was no protection from the winds, so we moved on. The next spot Linda chose was a good one, but I goofed up and we shot on past. As a large rig, turning around takes some space so I convinced Linda that we should continue on to Harris Beach State Park near Brookings, OR.

When we arrived the campground was almost full, but we found a nice spot. The campsite was a back-in site, so we had to disconnect the Jeep and back into the slot. We had a nice evening and got some needed rest while the rain pounded down on the top of our home.

Our morning routine, in this case, was to eat breakfast, use the bathroom facilities, pack the camper, and finally move everything to the day-use area where we linked up with the Jeep. This took no time really and the views at this day-use spot were beautiful.

We were on the road by 9:30 AM and headed south on Hwy 101. 

This stretch of 101 is very curvy with steep climbs and some white knuckle, downhills.  The truck and Jeep performed like champs as we moved through the lower part of Oregon, into California. We swung past the Redwoods but this time we didn’t stop. It is our goal to get into the country we have never explored and then start looking at the sights.

We rambled on past Del Norte Redwoods State Park and into Klamath. At this time the sun popped out for a few minutes and we had a break from the rain.  Next, Eureka, CA was a very busy place with a ton of traffic. Of course, we hit it exactly at noon so it was bumper to bumper all the way through. 

Just past Orick CA, at 12:10 PM, our phones started squelching with an earthquake warning! The road was rather rough at that point and with the wind, we didn’t really notice anything drastic. Linda started a Google search for information dealing with the seismic event and found that there was a 6.2 quake 45 miles southwest of us near Petrolia. We continued on! 

Looking forward to our next boondocking spot at Bear River Tribal Casino, we exited I-101 near Fernbridge. We climbed the steep hill leading to the casino and turned the corner to the property. Immediately, we noticed that the gas station was blocked off and not in service. Continuing around the facility we started to see that all entrances were blocked off and no one was around except casino security. We walked to the front doors and were greeted by several employees. The entire grounds had been closed due to damage within the casino by the earthquake! They said everyone needed to move off the property until a structural engineer could assess the damage and assure everyone the place was safe. They told us that pipes in the building had broken and they were working on cleaning up.

We walked back to the truck and fired up the internet. I scanned iOverlander and spotted camping availability at the Humbolt County Fairgrounds, near Ferndale.  Linda called and the manager said that there were spots available so we fired up the rig and drove to our next night’s spot. 

Humbolt County Fairgrounds camp spot.

Linda went into the office and found that we could have a spot in the camp area for $35 with full hook-ups. For those spots, we would have to break apart from the Jeep. Now for $20, we could park in the flat parking log, use the same restroom facilities and not have to break apart the Jeep. We chose the semi-boondocking parking lot and were happy as clams.

9:30 AM seems to be the time we generally get on the road as we travel, and today was no different. We backtracked the path we came into Ferndale and stopped for fuel at a nearby station. Fuel is expensive! In California, we have averaged about $5.10 a gallon. Not for the faint at heart, I would say.

Trees and Cows

The rest of our day was spent driving in downpours of rain along very curvy highways. We made our destination by about 2:30 PM and snaked our way into our slot that we paid for the next two nights. We got set up and then watched the Seahawks football game. The team lost, they played better than we thought they would and if the officials would have made two correct calls, we may have beaten the Rams. Oh well, we have next year to look forward to, but we will watch the remaining games because we always do.

Our lay-over day spot!

Funkey bus that you can rent for the night.

Clear Lake from Aurora Rv.

The Big Snowbird Adventure Begins

The anticipation of getting on the road at this time of the year has been killing us. You make plans, get your gear ready, and then wait for your departure date. Once you are ready, the day to hit the road takes forever to come. This time of year does not help the situation at all. Weather is continually changing, and not for the best. Each time a new front moves in and passes through you look into the next week and hope to see a break in the pattern that is favorable to your upcoming travel plans. All you can do is cross your fingers and hope you catch a window of clear roads and favorable driving conditions.

Thus we waited!

Two days prior to our Thursday date of departure, Linda looked at the projected weather patterns coming off the Pacific and made a decision to move our exit up 24 hours. There was a short window of fair weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, then a big front would move in by 5:00 PM Wednesday evening. What this did was compress the time we had to pack the final items into the camper, while still celebrating Linda’s mom’s birthday, Tuesday, going to doctor appointments, and visiting friends to celebrate Christmas. Our schedule was packed and this really put pressure on us.

Tuesday I thought things were all on track. I was out moving the camper and getting it plugged in so that we could pack the refrigerator. Linda came out with a hand full of mail and told me we had a bit of a problem. Our truck license plates needed to be renewed. They were set to expire come January. Usually, we just send in the registration with our check and they come in the mail in late December. If I followed that method we would be driving on expired plates which wouldn’t be good. I looked at the time and it was 3:20 PM, so I jumped into the Jeep and went to the licensing office. It was packed! I took a number and waited. There was nothing I could do, we need those tags today or we were up a creek. So I sat, thinking of everything I could be doing, cussing to myself, as my anxiety grew. My name finally came up and I purchased the tags. There was a three percent service charge because all I had was my credit card, adding salt to the wounds.

Wednesday Linda had an appointment in the morning and needed to have a final visit with her mother. I did the final packing of gear and then closed the camper. Hooking up the Jeep was easy and everything connected properly. Lights worked when connected and tested. The new Jeep travel break system fired up and signaled things were in good shape. All I could do was keep busy until Linda returned and we could jet out of Post Falls.

As soon as Linda arrived we did our final duties, walked next door and hugged our neighbors, who are taking care of the house, and loaded in Canyonwren (our camper). At 1:30 PM we drove away, starting our three-month adventure into the warm and dry southwest.

We drove through Ritzville and pointed south to the Tri-Cities. The roads were great and we followed the setting sun to Kennewick where we fueled up and used the restrooms. From there we drove on Hwy. 82 connecting to Hwy. 84. At the bridge over the Columbia River, the weather changed to snow sleet, but it was not sticking to the road surface. Pushing on we kept with the flow of traffic until we came to the town of Rufus where we exited and followed the iOverlander App's directions to a US Army Corps of Engineers spot where we could boondock for the night.

This first boondocking spot was great for us because we were so very tired that the highway noise and the million different trains didn't bother us much. We slept like a couple of logs.

When we awoke, the weather was improved.

The drive from Rufus to Eugene was pretty much uneventful. We traveled in rain most of the way along I-5 and traffic was not too bad. We arrived at the Sollinger's at 1:00 PM and dropped the Jeep before backing into our usual spot.

As we were approaching Eugene, I sent a message to one of my friends from when I worked at NIC. Kirk Koenig was the admissions person (I can't remember his exact title) at the college when I worked there. He shot me a note back and we decided to have lunch on Friday at noon in the heart of Eugene. We ate wet burritos at Nelson's Taqueria while sitting in the sun. It was great to visit and catch up on our lives!

Friday night we were invited to attend Diana's office party at the home of her boss, Sarah Bennett, of the Bennett company. Diana presented me with a new hat that has Bennett stitched on the front, so Al Dee and I wore twin hats to the event. The Bennett home is beautiful! It sits on the thirteenth hole of a golf course and has been remodeled impeccably. Chris, Sarah's husband, gave us a tour of the place and told us of all the changes they made. After the tour, we sat around and ate great finger foods until we were stuffed. It was rather funny because every time I was introduced to someone they had a weird look on their face because I was a Bennett. In fact, Sarah's sister-in-law thought she knew me, and when I said I was a Bennett she was totally confused. We laughed a lot about that one.

Our group exited the party rather early. This gave us time to go home and play a game. Let me tell you something, I am the worst game player in the world. I am so bad that everyone had to work their tails off to let me win. It was great fun and we laughed till we cried.

Saturday morning Linda and I watched the Gonzaga Basketball Team play Texas Tech in Phoenix. The Zags won and that made our day.

I had to work on the camper a bit. The water system in it needed to be started up. During the cold fall, I had cleared all the water lines of their contents and now that we were heading to warmer climates I needed to fill the tank and make sure everything was in working order. To do this I needed to get a second water hose. Ours was about ten feet too short to reach Al Dee's water spigot. Al Dee and I jumped in his sports car and drove to Camping World where we purchased a hose. 

Upon returning I filled the water tank and turned on the pump. Water ran freely into the hot water heater, out into the toilet and the bathroom sink, The kitchen sink was a different story. Nothing came out! Not a drip. I checked all pipes, valves, and connections. Nothing was leaking or looked cracked or broken. I checked the new Sea Flow Accumulator and it was working correctly.

Under the sink, I disconnected the water intake from the faucet. In doing so water started running out on the towels I had placed to catch spills. My reaction was to put the hose into my mouth to catch and control the flow. As I sucked the water, a bunch of tiny plastic shavings gathered in my mouth. I spit them into the garbage and then blew air back up through the faucet. Once I did that I tightened everything back together and tried the water in the sink. It worked! The only thing I can think happened is that when I winterized the lines the air dislodged the plastic shavings from somewhere in the pipes and they clogged the lines at the faucet.

For dinner, we ordered Papa Murphy's pizza. Afterward, we piled into Sollinger's car and drove around looking at Christmas lights. Eugene has some pretty spectacular light arrangements.

Our exit the next morning from the Sollinger household wasn't as smooth as we wanted.  The family loaded up and headed for church and Linda and I got to work hooking the Jeep up to the truck. All went well until I tried to connect the umbilical cord. One of the pins was bent so a usually quick hook-up turned into a fifteen-minute fight.  All this took place in a torrential downpour.  Once again we prevailed and this soggy duo climbed into our seats and set off for our next adventure.

Rare Fall Sun on the Coast

Lunch stop at the Port of Arlington rec site.

These are unfamiliar times.  Through our final years of work and into our retirement we have had the amazing freedom to travel when and where we wanted. We were able to have wonderful experiences connected to these adventures.  Over the past few years, our windows of escape have gotten harder and harder to come by.  With Linda's parents aging and all that comes with that, the added drama that the Covid pandemic provides, and a change in the overall need to stay closer to home, we have found that we now have to "schedule" our adventure opportunities.

Gorge windsurfers in action.

The last two weeks Linda and I did just that, we "scheduled" a week away from home. Linda spent the week before we left making sure that her parents were going to be attended to properly and that her siblings were aware that we would be gone. We would be a phone call away most of the time and our plans could be changed in the event of an emergency, so off we drove.

Four weeks ago (our last blog post), we drove to visit Linda's sister and her family, and during that visit, we got a short taste of Oregon beach life. The draw was huge. After our return from that short visit, Linda got on line and secured two camp sights for three nights each at coastal state parks. 

We drove down through the Tri-Cities and stayed our first night at the same little campground that we did three weeks prior. Wyeth Campground is 329 miles from Post Falls. This distance is well on the edge of being too long of a drive for me, but the highways we follow are straight and well maintained. We can make the trek without getting too tired. 

Oh, the Beach!

Our second day of driving took us to our first destination, South Beach State Park. This park is a very large and popular stop-over. The park is located just south of Newport. Linda had secured a spot for three nights.

Arriving in the late afternoon we found our spot and set up. The first thing Linda wanted to do was take a walk on the beach. The days were nearly cloudless and spectacular. Once we finished our walk, I unloaded the bikes and we went for a ride around the campground. The sun set and we had a nice dinner before we went to bed.

Linda on her eBike as we explore.

The next day Linda had a beach day in her head. We did our morning things and she then walked down to take in as much ocean beach time as possible. I got on the bike and started exploring. By 1 PM I was back at the camper and Linda arrived for a late lunch. Once we were full, we hopped on the bikes and went for a ride.

I led the way and we rode north to the Yaquina Bay South Jetty where we followed the road inland and under the Yaquina Bay Bridge. This path took us over to the area where the Hatfield Marine Science Center Oregon State University and the Oregon Coastal Aquarium were located. Since we had visited them before we rode around looking at the boats, docks, and harbor workings in the port of Newport.

Yaquina Bay Bridge from the Jetty. 

To get a few more miles under our belts, we followed the signs to an abandoned RV park out on Idaho Point. I took some photos and we rode slowly back to the camper. Linda settled into her chair, taking in the sun, and because of the bright sunshine, I continued exploring.

One of the plans we had made included a bike ride over the Yaquina Bay Bridge. I had no clue how we would approach this task so I went off to figure out how we could get onto the structure and how we could make this crossing. Yaquina Bay Bridge with its Art Deco & Gothic design look opened in 1936. It spans the bay covering 3261 feet of distance from one side to the other. At its highest point, it is 133 feet above the surface of the bay. When you stand on the bridge walkway and look down it gives you the heebie-jeebies. 

Yaquina Bay Bridge from Idaho Point.

I rode to the entry point to the bridge and found that to go over the structure you were required to walk your bike. This was a relief! I pictured myself riding up to the crest of the bridge and falling off my bike. Walking would give me a better chance of making the crossing. 

Looking at the small sidewalk and then looking around at the beautiful blue skies, I decided that I needed to walk over the bridge now so that I could get good photos of this great weather. On the coast, who knows what will blow in off the sea. 

Walking briskly I proceeded up and over the bridge. It was spooky, but I was able to make the trip and I decided that Linda would be able to do the same when we chose to cross over.

The port, boardwalk, and Jetty.

Back at camp I told Linda all about the adventure and assured her that she could make the walk very easily. I told her it was scary but that she could do it and this put her mind at ease. We ate dinner and played cards before we went to bed.

The next morning we got ready and rode to the bridge. An offshore fog was moving in and out. One minute the bridge was fogged in and the next it shimmered an elegant green.

Linda led the way. I had told her to keep the bike on her left, between the traffic and her. Because of the height, she looked straight ahead. Off we pushed. A steady stream of traffic on our left and 133 feet of air on our right. It was nice to have the bridge railing keeping us from rolling off to the right. It would be almost impossible to take a plunge off that edge. Psychologically, it was quite nerve-racking.

Just before we reached the peak of the climb, Linda stopped in her tracks, looked at me, and shouted something.  I heard her say, "I'm cold!" I looked at her and she had her jacket on so it didn't make sense at this point to stop. I shouted "What?" She replied "Cold!" I stood there confused. Then Linda pointed down and yelled "HOLE! There is a HOLE in front of me!"  

I looked in front of her tire and sure enough, there was a large hole in front of her. An access hole was wide open in front of her! We stood there for a moment looking over the situation. The access hole had two cover doors opened so that we could not step around it, with the bikes, without stepping into the bumper-to-bumper traffic. We were stuck!  

Suddenly a construction worker popped up in the hole, like a gopher! "Oh, sorry about this! I didn't think that through too well!" He closed the covers and vanished. 

We moved on and made the remainder of the walk with no problems.

Looking south over the bridge on my walk.

On the north side of the bridge, we jumped on the bikes and rode to where we caught the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route into the Nye Beach shopping area. We mostly people watched and followed the trail north. We arrived at Agate Beach, we used the restrooms, and made the decision to turn back and retrace our tracks back to South Beach. The ride was very exciting, the bridge walk was a thrill, and the entire day was a great success.

 

The next day we packed up and drove to our next camp spot at Cape Lookout State Park.

View of the mouth of the bay
from the north side of the bridge.

The first thing we noticed at Cape Lookout was the difference in the type of campers using this campground compared to our previous site at South Beach. At South Beach, the park was filled with huge diesel pusher RVs, long 5th wheels, and massive trailers.  Cape Lookout sets closer to the ocean but has very narrow driveways with brushy parking spots, no hookups, and no water. People camping there were more organic with smaller rigs, many tents, lots of kids, and about three dogs per campsite. 

During our stay, we spent our time walking or riding the beach and enjoying the sun.  This was one of our best stops, much of which was due to the sunshine.

Fixin' dinner!

When we left Cape Lookout we drove through Portland and headed north to Tacoma. There we visited some wonderful friends at their home. We met Hal and Jenny, Pete and Rita in Mexico and have kept in touch for several years. We had a delicious dinner while catching up with everyone's COVID lives. The next morning we hit the road and drove the remainder of the way home. We both agreed we had a wonderful getaway.

Crossing day! Note the fog.

Linda starting over the bridge.

A little shopping stop at Nye Beach.

The beach at Cape Lookout State Park.

Biking the beach!

Linda walking as the day slips away.

Jellyfish heart. Even Jellyfish love the beach!

This bunny protected our campsite each evening.