The Redwoods

Since we can't travel right now, here is more about our trip in August, 2008.  We left Brookings and traveled south to Crescent City.  From there we took US 199.  This is also called the Redwood Highway.  The Redwood Highway has two segments.  It begins north of the Golden Gate Bridge and follows Route 101.  It then veers inland near Crescent City, Ca. and continues through the redwoods on US Route 199.  This is a twisty, turny road and there are often construction delays, but it is certainly scenic.

Our first stop was Stout Grove, part of California's Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park.

This is a very easy, level trail winding through some giant redwoods.  There is an ample parking facility and restrooms are available.  The road into the park is partly paved and the rest is well maintained dirt.  It's narrow though so you don't want to go speeding around corners!

Dirt road into Stout Grove

We weren't even to the grove yet when we saw this giant stump.  I don't know who this person is in the photo, but it shows how large the stump is.

That had to take a really big chainsaw haha.

The path takes off right from the parking lot.  Very easy for those of us who don't get around as good as we once did.  The entire loop trail is .6 mile.

Even on a hot day it was comfortable because of all the shade.

Stout Grove does not contain the biggest redwoods but they are still impressive and they go WAAAAY up.

And they are BIG around.

Makes Russ look positively tiny and he
hasn't been tiny since he was a 5lb. preemie!

Two trees for the price of one

Russ tried to save this tree but he just couldn't do it....

...It came crashing down - okay so it's not the same tree, we had fun pretending!

This one doesn't look so big.....

...until you add a little perspective.  Yes it IS the same stump!!!

After enjoying our walk through the woods, we stopped at the picnic area of the park for a nice lunch.  We had purchased Subway sandwiches in Crescent City so all I had to do was lay them out.  It was the perfect spot for enjoying our lunch.


There is a laminated notice on every table: DON'T FEED THE WILDLIFE

 In 1974 Russ and I stayed in the campground here for our 1st anniversary trip.  We borrowed a 1963 pick-up and a 17' camp trailer from his parents and we thought we were living high on the hog.  His parents had even put a porta-potty in the closet of the trailer and we thought that was really uptown.  I did most of the cooking over an open campfire, just like my parents did on all the family vacations that I remember from my childhood.  The concept of full hook-ups, cable t.v., and a shower in the RV never entered our minds.  We didn't need hook-ups as the stove ran on propane and the frig was not a frig but an ice-box.  My how things have changed. 

A visit to the ladies room showed that this area was not without its problems.  The high water mark on the restroom door shows just how bad the area was flooded in 1964.

As were were getting ready to leave, we noticed just how dusty the car had become from our drive into Stout Grove.  I couldn't resist adding an editorial comment.

We left the park and continued our journey to Grants Pass, Or.  We made a couple of roadside stops for pictures.

The Smith River is WAAAAY down there!



Some may call this a weed but I thought it was pretty.
It tried so hard to live, growing right out of the gravel
and dodging the cars that pulled into the turnout.



We didn't see any access but it must have been there cuz there were people down there.

Smith River beach access (somewhere!!)

From there is was a pleasant journey on the ever winding Hwy 199 to Grants Pass.  From Grants Pass, just the boring I-5 freeway to home.  Tomorrow I will share a fun attraction just off the freeway - Seven Feather's Casino.  Here's a sneak preview:

Some old folks just can't grow up!  This is my older
sister at the Seven Feathers RV Park playground.

Oregon Coast - Brookings

Brookings is the southernmost city on the Oregon coast.  You go any farther and you'll be in California, and we wouldn't want that!!  Brookings is known as the Banana Belt of the Oregon coast.  Although they have their overcast days, it is still usually warmer than anywhere else along the Oregon coast.

We last visited in August 2008.  Unfortunately, on that trip, we experienced some of that low overcast, but the temperatures were still warm.

We stayed at a Best Western located directly on the beach.  Although it was a bit spendy, it was worth it for the view and the sounds of the ocean. 

The room was large and clean and well furnished.  We ended up in a spa room as that was all they had left.  That's what we get for traveling without making reservations ahead of time.  We neither wanted nor used the spa but that room is about $50 more than just a basic ocean-front room.  Live and learn.

The spa tub was more like a hot tub.  It was HUGE.  I was
worried that we could get in but maybe not back out again!

The king-sized bed was very comfortable.  The easy chair and
ottoman were perfect for surf-gazing or reading.

I really liked the additional seating options.  Plenty of room to stretch out.

The seagulls stopped by regularly looking for a handout.

If you are traveling by RV, there is an RV park right next door to the hotel, http://www.port-brookings-harbor.org/.  Most of the campers were fishermen and it appeared they were there for the season.  But it is a nice place to park for a day or two and it is RIGHT on the beach. 

See my happy face...

Look ma, I'm a walrus

Right across the street from the hotel is a great little gift shop and restaurant.  We had breakfast there every morning.  The Early Bird special was a great deal and Russ enjoyed his to the max.

 He's just a laugh a minute!!   Does anyone else, beside Russ and Nellie, play with their food?

  

 Just north of town is Harris Beach State Park.  That is where I took the photo that appears on the title page of this blog.  It is a beautiful rugged area, with many picturesque rocks.  Bird Island is the largest island off the Oregon coast, and is the breeding ground for the rare tufted puffin.  This National Wildlife Sanctuary is part of Harris Beach State Park.  The park also has a day use area and a campground with full hook-up RV spaces and yurts for rent.  We didn't see any tufted puffins but we did see plenty of the not-so-rare sea gull.   

When the sun goes down, some people gather on the beach for bonfires.  One night when we were there, there was quite a party going on, but they were not loud and obnoxious - just having a good time. 

That is the moonrise, not the sunset!

Looks like they were having a good time

There are many pelicans in the area and they are a sight to behold.  My dad used to love quoting this little limerick to all his kids and grandkids:

A wonderful bird is the pelican

His beak can hold more than his belly can

He can hold in his beak

Enough food for a week

And I'm sure I don't see how the hell he can

I have continued the tradition with my grandkids.  They think it's soooo funny that grandma says a "naughty" word!  Of course you've got to say it like "helican" but they still giggle...and then go repeat it to the parents!

Two pelicans trying to get home before sunset...

And as the sun sets slowly into the west...

Sunset at Brooking, OR

When we left Brookings, we drove south to Crescent City and took a section of the Redwood Highway (US 199) to Grants Pass.  We stopped at Stout Grove and walked through the redwoods.  More on that tomorrow but here's a sneak peak.

I LOVE Oregon - Especially the Coast

I have to confess - I am NOT an Oregon native.  I was born in So. Ca. and moved to Oregon when I was 20.  I think I have been here long enough now to have earned my webbed feet! 

A more sheltered part of the 804 Trail

There are many places I love in Oregon, and many of them are on the beautiful Oregon coast.  I didn't know where to start on my coastal journey so I am starting pretty much right in the middle in Yachats.  That's pronounced Yaw Hots believe it or not!

Yachats is a small village with a population of around 600.  About the only "industry" they have is tourism and once you visit you can understand what draws people there.  One of the popular attraction is the 804 Trail.  This is a 3/4 mile walking trail right along the rocky and scenic shoreline.  At the end of the trail is a six mile long sandy beach.



Not sure what happened here.  Not a fire,
most probably just victims of time and
the elements.



The 804 is a VERY easy trail.  There are a few slight ups and downs but mostly it is a well-maintained, level trail.  You can go from gorgeous scenery to spooky forest in a matter of minutes.   Some parts of the trail overlook what seems to be an inaccessible rocky coastline.  But these rocks are very accessible and provide myriad tide pools to explore, and sandy beaches on which to play.  However, this is NOT Disneyland.  There are real dangers here and almost every year someone is injured or needs to be rescued because they did not respect the ocean.  There are real waves and real tides to contend with and the wise person pays close attention at all times.



One of the tide pools that can be easily accessed.



It's really not a drop off, just a way down to the rocks. 

Even though the rocks and tide pools can be accessed, one must be use reasonable caution.  The rocks and sand can be very slippery.  I find a walking stick is a great help.

A resting place along the trail. 

One of the many varieties of wild flowers found on the trail.
Look closely at the center - this one comes complete with worm!

We came across this strange display of stacked rocks on a small
portion of the beach.  There were dozens of these stacks.  I think
someone had too much time on his hands.

When we visit Yachats, our favorite place to stay is the Overleaf Lodge.  Our favorite room is called the Whale Watcher and it is, serendipitously, the most inexpensive of the rooms they offer.  One caveat; you must ask for the Whale Watcher in the NEW wing as the older wing rooms, while nice, are quite a bit smaller.  The hotel also has a spa, a library, a computer room, and free WiFi.

Side entrance to the Overleaf

The Overleaf serves a buffet breakfast every morning.  This is not packaged sweet rolls and cold boiled eggs.  They have their own kitchen and every morning features a hot egg dish of some sort, plus they always have biscuits and gravy (good stuff, fresh and tasty), their very own home-made granola, several other hot and cold cereal choices, plenty of fresh fruit, plus juice and coffee.  One thing I thought was unique...they keep the coffee mugs on a warmer.   I hate pouring hot coffee into a cold mug and having the coffee become lukewarm. 

Part of the buffet breakfast

The breakfast area.  Very spacious and open.  A wall of
windows looking out onto the ocean.

The lobby.  There are French doors that lead outside to the
grounds and trail.  The fireplace is almost always burning.



More lobby.  Little "nooks" everywhere for relaxing or reading.



I want this sign!

Okay, I guess you can tell I love this place.  If you are ever in Yachats and need a place to stay, here is the link http://www.overleaflodge.com/  I really want to share some photos of the room so hang on!

I love the little reading nook in the far corner.  It has two windows
for an uninterrupted ocean view.

Vanity area - gotta have two sinks!

Wet bar

Mini frig and microwave and a FULL sized coffee pot.

Sliding door with a view and either a patio or balcony

The Overleaf does not allow pets but their sister hotel, The Fireside, right next door does.  When we bring pets or grand kids we stay at the Fireside.  Same view, a little older, no breakfast, but still great service and comfortable rooms. 

It may seem forbidding but...

...there are plenty of places to play and explore - for kids and pets
(and Grandmas!)

That's the Fireside in the background.  The Overleaf would be just to the left.

Granddaughters Anna (L) and Bekah enjoying the beach

And so that is a little bit of Yachats.  I apologize for my lengthy narrative; I could go on and on about the Oregon coast but it is time to say good night.

Unexpected Blessings

Rain, yesterday's forecast said.  Not only that but RaiN, RAiN, and MORE RAIN, until (maybe) a few sun breaks on Thursday.  I wasn't surprised then when I woke this morning to mostly cloudy skies. 

But wait...what is this...a small patch of BLUE???  Yes, it is a break in the clouds.  And by mid-morning, the sun was shining and the clouds were high and white and puffy. 

This is a photo I took a couple of years ago but it looked just like this today.

After working all morning around the house, we decided to go grab a burger and get the grocery shopping done.  As we were enjoying our burger, we decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather and take the dogs for a walk out at the lake.  And of course, I hadn't brought my camera as we were just going to grab a bite and go to the store.  I should know better.

The lake is WAAAAY receded from the shore this time of year but what a beautiful day it was for a walk.  I started with a sweater and a windbreaker and soon shed the wind breaker.  I had to lose the sweater as soon as we got back to the car.  The temperature hovered around 56F and that's warm when the sun is shining...at least in Oregon in January it is!!

As we were walking along the lake, I heard geese in the distance.  That is not unusual around here!!  But as they approached overhead, the honking got louder and LOUDER.  I looked up to watch the fly-over and was amazed to see THOUSANDS of Canadian geese flying south.  It was like wave after wave of geese, some in formation and some just trying to catch up I think.  I have NEVER seen so many geese at one time.  Why were they flying south NOW?  I don't know.  Perhaps they were looking for a nice field to browse.  They didn't stop at the lake so they seemed to have a destination in mind.  Could be they were tired of the snow up north and decided to head for California.  I like to pretend they were just out for a nice "fly" and enjoying the mild weather!!

So what were the unexpected blessings?  First, the beautiful weather and second, the sight of all those geese.  And still more blessings...a great walk with my wonderful hubby and my fur babies, and a yummy lunch.  Now who could ask for more.  Thank you, God, for this beautiful day.

I was going to write about the Oregon coast today but it will have to wait until tomorrow.  This day was too good to bypass.

But it was on SALE!

Inspired by Tioga George http://blog.vagabonders-supreme.net/2011/01/cabinets-drawers.html I decided to clean out one of my kitchen cabinets today.  This is kind of the "catch-all" cabinet...the place where everything goes when I don't know what else to do with it.

Let me explain - I have eight grandchildren and they all like to come to grandma's house.  Every summer I have kids around pretty much all the time.  From the time they were little, the grand kids all wanted to have "pink juice" when they visited.  That was their name for Crystal Light Raspberry Ice.   So I dutifully made certain that I always had "pink juice" in the house.

I ran out one time and the kids never let me forget it.  So it seemed every time Crystal Light was on sale I would buy a can or two.  Then in the last couple of years, I figured the kids were old enough to make their own drinks, so I started buying the single packets of drink mix.  Seemed easier than always having half-finished containers of mixed up Crystal Light in the frig.

So when I cleaned out the cabinet today I started finding Crystal Light...behind the sugar, back in a corner behind the crackers, hiding behind the oatmeal...you get the idea. 

When all was said and done this is what I ended up with.


There are 12 tall cans and each can makes 12 quarts of drink.  The
smaller can makes 8 quarts.  That's a total of 152 quarts of Crystal Light!



This is a basket of "singles".  I didn't count them - I don't want to know.

 I guess it's true,  memory really is the first thing to go!   Hopefully, now that the cabinet is clean and organized, I'll try to remember to NOT buy anymore Crystal Light- EVER! (even if it's on sale)

Good News/Bad News



Doesn't look that much different from the
last photos, except for the
masking tape...



...but the front is still a mess

 Good news/bad news... The good news is, I won the bet.  The bad news is, Russ bet that we would hear from the factory by TODAY that our motor home was ready for delivery.  We did talk to the factory on Friday but it will be at LEAST another 2 - 3 weeks.  I guess that's not so bad.  Maybe the mountain passes will be clear and dry by mid-February (well, it *could* happen).  The Siskiyou Summit was 43F at 10:30p tonight so maybe all the worst is over.







So today we did laundry, since we couldn't go get the Lazy Daze!  I have been heeding the advice of all you more experienced RVers out there and trying to plan ahead.  One thing I DO NOT want to do, is pack clothes back and forth between house and RV.  So I have been collecting "extras" that I can just leave on board all the time.  I recently ordered a two week supply of new, ummmm, undergarments!  The package came last week, but since I was sick and was in no hurry I didn't bother to open it.  Today, being laundry day, I opened the package so I could wash the new items.    I am very utilitarian when it come to my underwear (I know - TMI) and just order plain, white cotton.  At my age - who cares.  They're comfy and cheap!  So I pulled the 'drawers' out of the package and they looked like just what I had ordered.  Then I looked back in the bag and saw nothing but BLACK.  What the ...???  I think something went wrong with the BSA (Brassiere Sorting Agency).  Instead of my serviceable white cotton in my size, I have 14 little black bras NOT in my size.  They're not even the same brand.  I think someone was trying to get done early and just grabbed and stuffed whatever was in the nearest bin.  Okay, gotta do it...

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

Lovely, isn't it.  But it isn't white, it's not my size., and it's not my brand

I HATE doing returns but that's what I'll be doing on Monday.

More good news (to me).  I posted the other day about all my JUNK.  My sister saw that post and immediately called me and said she wanted the sugar bowl and a couple of the other items.  My sister doesn't travel.  She likes to stay home and she does not have any plans for downsizing or moving.  So this is PERFECT.  I don't have to sell or give grandma's heirlooms to strangers, someone else gets to store them, and if I miss them, I can go VISIT.  Now if I can just find homes for the bells, spoons, shot glasses, mugs, cassette tapes, records, books, yarn, fabric, craft supplies, cat ....





Junk not Junque

I love this commercial for Geico...you know the one that does a parody on Antique Roadshow.  The woman brings in a ceramic hand which is holding a brightly colored bird.  After some discussion the "evaluator" tells her the piece is definitely worth two in the bush.  Pretty funny stuff the way it's done.  In case you haven't had the pleasure, here's a link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdfeW2h8Qo4

So I thought with all the junque I have around here, I must have something that's worth "two in the bush."  I have some German ceramic dogs, lovely old glass vases,  an antique sugar bowl (that belonged to my grandmother),

I can still remember seeing this on my grandmother's table.

...and a set of salt and pepper shakers that I salvaged from her vast collection.

I love this set.  My grandmother had TONS of salt and pepper shakers in her house.

 My latest thought was that I have several stacks of old 45rpm and 78rpm vinyl records.  Surely some of this stuff must be worth SOMETHING.  Even my old Roy Rogers record is not worth anything - and I LOVED that record (sniff, sniff). 

Not in very good shape - it was played a LOT!

And so I have been prowling E-Bay and other online sources to see what I could find.  You know those stories you hear about someone picking up a priceless painting at a garage sale for $10?  Well, it ain't happen' here!!  Seems like every baby boomer in America has the exact same items I do and they are worth about 99¢ each!  Well, okay, some might actually be worth a couple of dollars but that's about as good as it gets.  I suppose I could have a garage sale and try to find someone who is actually interested in these items, but I don't think it would be worth the work involved.  I think the best bet is to just tell my children these items are very special to me and I want them to have them.  Do you think they'll swallow that?

Alas, I think my junque is just plain junk and I am going to have to deal with it.  Where does old clutter go to die?