2013 June 23-26 Newport to Oregon Beach

Rain, Clouds, Rain, Clouds…bummer.   Started raining in the night and rained off and on all day on the 23rd.  We left about noon to move to the Chinook Casino in Lincoln City – about 1/2 north.  Free camping and a view of the ocean!  Glimpsed some huge kites – part of the kite festival being held in Lincoln City.  Lots of traffic and people!  Weather cleared up in the afternoon a bit. 

June 24 still raining.  Did a bit of shopping at Safeway and then on the road north.  Highway 101, then to SR 18 where there is a scenic corridor through the H. B. van Duzer Forest.  Followed the Salmon R for quite a while, twisting and turning.  Then up to 500’ to a “snow zone”, skirting the Siuslaw Nat. Forest.  Spotted a “Barber Litter Picker” (looks like a street sweeper) cleaning up the shoulders of the highway.  Nice to have those alligators off the road.  Saw a cute sign at the Pendleton Store:  “Shearing our prices.” 

Arrived at the Oregon City Elks Lodge RV Park which is about 18 miles south of Oregon City near the village of Mulino.  Instructions were to look for a small sign above some mailboxes on this narrow winding road.  Yup, there it was, but it was only a narrow winding lane through shrubs and weeds.  We started down it…it said this was it!  No place to turn around if it’s not.  No signs.  Finally after going past a couple of driveways to private homes, we spot a sign Elks and Guests only!  Greeted warmly by Sandy the park caretaker.  She remember our conversation when I called to make reservations.  Led us to our campsite right on the banks of the Mulino River.  What a wonderful green, natural place to be after so many weeks of asphalt parking lots!  We both kind of gave a sign of relief!  Lovely quiet spot! 

Enjoyed happy hour in this beautiful setting.  Then I made delicious shrimp, lime and cilantro tacos…yum.

June 26, we drove to cousin Chuck Hale’s home about 15 minutes north in Oregon City for 11:30 lunch and to look over Lord, Vinall and Hunter photos in his collection.  Found some great tidbits which answered some mysteries in our tree, but we still have puzzles to solve.  Had a wonderful lunch which he prepared, homemade pea soup using frozen peas which gave it the most wonderful fresh taste.  A salad from his garden with garnish of nasturtium flowers and leaves…a wonderful spicy flavor to perk up the salad greens!  Grilled cheese sandwiches were yummy as well…what a feast!  While we indulged in the trip back in time through photos, Jerry took the truck to see about the squeaky brake on the Dodge.  A Napa Care Center in Bend had done the work and we found another Napa Care Center in Oregon City.  Apparently the Bend shop had neglected to grease one of the brake pads. 

Then we traveled about 15 minutes further north to Clackamas and met our Boomer friends Chet and Gaye at the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant for dinner.  Squeaked in before the 5 pm deadline and got our huge buffet dinner for $6.99!  What a deal…  Delicious food and great catch-up conversation!  They invited us to come to the festival they have at their home in Twillingate, Newfoundland the 3rd week in July in 2014!  Wouldn’t that be fun!  Maybe…….

All in all a wonderful day!

2013 June 21 Newport and Cape Perpetua

 

On June 21 we moved from Bend to the coast.   Settled in at the Marina and RV Part in South Beach just south of Newport. 

June 22, we day-tripped south on 101.  Occasional glimpses of the ocean, kites, Seal Rock State Park and Driftwood SP.  Ate lunch there with a beautiful view.  (Oregon has a series of state parks, sometimes just an acre or so right off 101 looking over the ocean.  All are free! 

 

 

Wonderful fresh ocean smell that you just want to take deep breaths and try to memorize it!  To Waldport.  Cute shop called “Upscale Resale.”  Through Yachata and huge cliffs with houses on the beach.

Imagine living in these houses on this spit of land!

 

or on this piece of land perched between the bluffs and the Pacific!

Arrived at Devil’s Churn in the Siuslaw National Forest.   It was not high tide so it wasn’t really churning for us but still scenic. 

Walked down 500’ on a lovely path with wildflowers blooming. 

Here’s a closer pix of the “churn”.

We walked all the way down to the bottom and out onto the rocks by the ocean.  Jerry spotted a tide pool with sea anemones, starfish and sea urchins!  But the batteries on my camera ran out so I didn’t get any photos.  Darn!  Back up the path into to souvenir shop.  Watched a movie which was kind of interesting but very ancient.  Ran into Boomer friends, Tom and Kay…they are Workkamping at a nearby RV facility.  Surprise!  We also spotted a Scott County, Iowa license plate in the parking lot but weren’t able to find the people belonging to it.  Small world!

Stopped at Cook’s Chasm, another broiling spot but wrong timing again for us, as it was very calm.  Back north, crossing the South Beach to Newport Bridge across Yakina Bay and a nice view of the marina and our RV park.  Drove around Newport to explore the village.  Spotted the historic Yakina Bay Lighthouse but it closed at 5 PM so we didn’t get to tour it.

 

2013 June 18-20, Bend to South Beach, OR

 

Tuesday, June 18 was an R & R day.  Did a bit of cleaning, cooking and resting.

Wednesday, went to the grocery store (forgot my wallet at home and Art had to come rescue my groceries from the back room!  Thanks, Art!  Just got back home and unloaded the groceries when the heavens let loose with pouring rain and pea-sized hail.  Didn’t last too long.  Got laundry ready to take to Rawhide Estate and we went there for happy hour, pool games (I actually won a couple of games).  Vikki and Terry’s son, Josh and their daughter Missy, her guy, Nik and their daughter Lily all joined us for salad, pizza and apple pie!  A fun evening!

Below is a picture of Terry, Vikki and Art at their dining room table. 

Thursday, we took off for the coast.  Stopped about a mile from the Elks to dump and buy propane at the Beaver Coach Co.  Huge place!

  I think this is Mt. Washington below.

 

Peaceful scene outside of Bend.

Scenes from Sister’s, a small town north of Bend.

A typical sight as we traverse the mountain roads.  On the side of the road is a sign:  “Over the river and through the Woods – Oregon Scenic Route.”  Clever…and true!

 

We head north and west on US 20, through the Deschutes NF, climbing into Willamette NF and skirting Mt. Washington Wilderness.  Sprinkles, sun, clouds and over Santiam pass at 4817’.  Sign saying no vehicles over 75’ on next section of road, so we know we’re in for twisty-turny times.  At one point, we get three warning signs, marked 1st warning, 2nd, 3rd that there is a 6% grade for 11 miles just ahead!

Soon we are following the Santiam River…down to 1500’

 

We see glimpses of various wildflowers including azaleas. Through small town of Cascadia where there is a business called Drunken Horse Saloon! Then through the quaint town called Sweet Home, pop 8995, where there are beautiful flowers on every corner and in every yard.  The peonies are just now blooming (a bit later than Iowa’s Memorial Day date for seeing them shine.)  We see a sign for the Green Peter Dam.  What?  Would love to know how it got that name!

Occasionally, our trailer brake sensor comes on with a warning…short! Oh No!  In the mountains, up and down the hills, and no brakes!  Egads.  Well, then the light goes out and we give a sign of relief.  Well as we get into Newport, Jerry thinks we should have them checked and I agree!  Gave a call to the Newport Marine and RV service and they said come right now and we will check it out.  This is at 4 PM!  Bless their hearts.  Crossed over an ocean inlet from Newport on 101 into South Beach to their shop.

 

 

 

After about 1/2 hr of checking things, determined it is probably the magnet on the right front trailer tire.  They did not have time to repair it but we do have 5 working tire brakes, so not a crisis. They recommended the Newport Marina and RV Park about 2 miles away.  (We had planned to go north to Beverly Beach SP but the repairman said he didn’t think we could get in with the length of our RV. 

Checked in and started to set up.  Immediately Clay came over and introduced himself as the Park greeter.  Told us about some interesting things to see near here.  Included in the advice was to walk across the parking lot to the Rogue Nation’s Brewery and restaurant called Brewers on the Bay. 

After finishing setting up, we checked it out!  In the background is the bridge we crossed over to get to South Beach.

Clever entrance!  Through the tower and enter into the brewery and through all the brewing equipment to get to the restaurant.

 

 

Climb up a set of stairs and are seated at a window table.  We can see the marina and huge bridge.

 

Huge list of available beverages.  All the ones in the left-hand column are made there on premises.  I had the Dead Guy Ale, a Platinum winner and 1988 Flagship beer,  which is so popular it is shipped to 16 countries.  Jerry had an orange wheat beer.  Both excellent!

After ordering, a nice couple at the next table offered to take our photo.  They are locals and heard us talking to the waiter, obviously not from the area, about what to order from fresh catches and the various brews.

Jerry had the special ham sandwich and I had fresh-caught local albacore tuna, which had been breaded with a dill batter.  Was delightful and a great flavor combo!

 

Walked back to the RV park, seen here as we approach it.

 

2013 June 13 – 16 Bend, OR

Arrived at the Bend, Elks around 4 PM and got set up.  Hurried to Art, Vikki and Terry’s home (cousins) for happy hour, a couple of games of pool and a delicious pork chop dinner.  So great to see them again – it’s been 4 yrs.

Friday, June 14, we picked up beer and pizza for the guys and took it for Jerry, Art and Terry.  Vikki and I joined 8 other gals for delicious Mexican dinner at Amanda’s and then to The Stone Church for a Beatles Singalong!  It was a fundraiser for their local public broadcasting station.  Several bands played Beatles music and all sang along.  Great people watching event! 

On Saturday, I took advantage of their hot tub in the morning, then we went to Costco for some supplies and to a few garage sales.  After lunch we did some gardening – plants inside some bird cages to hang from the trees in their back yard.  Fun.  Home for a bit to change, then to their next door neighbors for a great happy hour/bbq.  Great food, I played “ladder ropes?” for the first time and even made one ringer.  Thanks Bonnie and Gary for inviting us!

Sunday, Father’s Day, Jerry chose to do a motorcycle ride.  Pictures below tell that story.  Are we going to get wet?

High desert scenery.  Bend is 3500+ feet.

The crooked river has cut quite a swath through the hills.

 

 

Escaped the rain with a minimum of sprinkles!

A few wildflowers poke through the dry ground.

 

 Jerry chose The Bend Brewery for Father’s Day dinner.  We ate on the patio, great micro brew, Old Outback Ale, J had huge burger and onion rings and I had the fresh fish tacos with pineapple salsa and black beans.  All was yummy!