Brookings – The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales

11-24 to 11-27-2020 Bandon Thanksgiving and a night at Harris Beach

Don’t forget that you can click on any photo if you wish to see if full resolution in my gallery

Site A47 had more privacy than we
expected

Between the time we made our reservation and our trip to the coast, COVID numbers began rising in Oregon and the governor once again shut down restaurants for indoor dining. One of the reasons we chose Bandon over Brookings for this trip was to have an opportunity to spend some time in the little shops and restaurants that make Bandon so charming. The weather forecast was for rain most of the week, so we wanted to have other things to do than walk the beach.

We traveled north via I-5 toward Roseburg and turned west toward the coast via Highway 42. However, instead of following the Google Girl directions to stay on Highway 42 all the way to HWY 101 and then back south, we thought the quicker route along 42 S made more sense. In hindsight, Google Girl sometimes gets it right and we don’t. I spent most of the time hanging on while Mo navigated the very narrow, very winding road toward Bandon. It was not fun for me, but I think it might have been for her. She used to drive a TR7 among other sports cars.

Don’t try this route in a motorhome

It rained a bit along the way, but the afternoon was dry enough that we had time to enjoy a walk along the beach after we settled into our site.

The campground is about a mile from easy beach access at the Coquille River Lighthouse

We were a bit disappointed in the condition of the lighthouse

Adjacent to the town of Bandon, the Coquille River empties into the Pacific Ocean. The river extends inland a great distance and was a natural link to the virgin stands of timber in the area, but the bar at the mouth of the river, formed by the interaction of the river and ocean, was a major obstacle for ships entering the river. At times, only a few feet of water would cover the bar, but vessels still attempted to navigate the river in hopes of reaping the rewards that lay upstream. In 1880, Congress passed a bill funding the construction of a jetty on the south side of the river’s entrance that created a deep channel, resulting in a rapid rise in the number of ships entering the river.

A lighthouse at the entrance to Coquille River was the next logical step for improving navigation. Congress appropriated $50,000 for the project on March 3, 1891, but it would be four years before land was purchased, plans were solidified, and the construction crew was assembled.

In 1939, the Coast Guard assumed responsibility for Coquille River Lighthouse and decided it was no longer needed. An automated beacon was placed at the end of the south jetty, the dwelling was disassembled, and the lighthouse was abandoned. The lighthouse stood neglected for twenty-four years, until Bullards Beach State Park was created on the north side of the river. The grounds of the original eleven-acre light station were included in the park, and the park assumed responsibility for the lighthouse.

Over the years there have been several attempts at restoration, since park funding isn’t sufficient to maintain the old lighthouse. In normal years, the lighthouse tower is open for visitation from May through September, however at the moment the old lighthouse looked quite sad.

The air smelled so incredibly fresh, and the surf was loud enough that we could hear it in camp across the dunes at least half a mile from the beach where we were camped.

There were high tide and surf warnings posted for the next couple of days so one evening we drove through town in the dark to the south jetty where we could watch the huge noisy waves breaking over the jetty rocks. Lots of warnings for “sneaker waves” kept me alert and when a big one came roaring in I immediately jumped back into the car.

It rained off and on that first night and the next morning dawned cloudy and wet. We settled into the MoHo for a cozy morning before driving the a mile south to Bandon to explore the small town. The rain came and went all day, usually with a downpour at just the moment we would head for the car after visiting a shop. About half the shops in town were open, with masks and social distancing, and we especially enjoyed the beautiful Second Street Gallery, Winter River Bookstore, and the Coastal Mist Chocolate Boutique, where we had two tiny cups of creamy drinking chocolate, to go of course.

This photo is from last year when there was still inside service

The rain poured down as we ran to the car with our little cups of chocolate. I also purchased my first ever macaron (not a macaroon). I wasn’t impressed, although I do think that maybe the high humidity at the ocean makes it hard to make a light crispy meringue cookie. Who knows. I don’t have to try again.

We then meandered around the famous Cranberry Sweets. The store has been in Bandon for more than 50 years and specializes in all sorts of cranberry confections. I learned that more cranberries are grown around Bandon than anywhere else in the west. Although Bandon is referred to as “The Cranberry Capitol of the World”, more research informed me that most cranberries come from Wisconsin and Massachusetts. Five states grow almost all of the country’s supply of cranberries with Wisconsin producing more than half of all cranberries in the US. Massachusetts harvests another third, and New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington produce most of the rest. So much for “Cranberry Capitol”.

Still, the shop was charming and old fashioned, with lots of candies and confections behind the counters. The hostess told me that they usually had lots of samples around the shop but due to COVID we had to settle for a little bag of free stuff.

I decided it was time to get some fish and chips to go and tried out Tony’s Crab Shack where I was politely told that Tony didn’t fry ANYTHING, and perhaps I might like to try to fish tacos. Made with fresh caught crab and halibut, they were delicious. Everything in town was take-out only, with all the restaurants closed for inside seating. We returned home in the pouring rain and it continued to rain all night long. Funny how wonderful rain on the roof of a motorhome can sound, especially when accompanied by the roar of the ocean. Great for a good night’s sleep!

The next morning was Thanksgiving, and we woke to beautiful clear skies. I had precooked much of our dinner, and simply had to reheat the turkey, bake the sweet potato, mash the potatoes, cook a pot of Stove-Top stuffing, and open a jar of gravy. It wasn’t gourmet, but was completely and totally delicious for the two of us and our socially distanced Thanksgiving dinner.

On our first day in camp I discovered the tsunami evacuation trail. The path is narrow with signs leading to an area high on a heavily timbered hill behind the campground where people are instructed to assemble if the tsunami warning horns go off. It would do no good to attempt to drive out of the campground in that situation since most of the highway is in the tsunami zone.

It was a lovely little trail, with moist moss, and lots of mushrooms in the duff under the trees.

On this beautiful morning it was a perfect time to share the trail with Mo. Mattie loved the trail and we enjoyed walking in a place where there were no dogs or people around. Mattie gets so excited when she sees other dogs and always wants to “play”. That entails lots of energy and training time, trying to get her to sit and calm down. Walking around the campground can be challenging sometimes when all I want is a nice simple walk. The trail was perfect for that.

It was surprising how full the campground was on this holiday weekend. By the time Thursday rolled around, all sites were full and everyone seemed to be having a great time celebrating. We even saw an outdoor TV broadcasting a football game.

After our early afternoon dinner we went for another great beach walk, and were amazed that the weather was so perfect. There was very little wind and the temps must have been in the 50’s. Beautiful day.

Home again to the MoHo where after many years of hearing about it, I actually figured out how to cast the phone to the TV with the included app on my Samsung phone. We turned on Netflix on the phone, and with our unlimited Verizon plan we were able to watch movies and even live television on the big TV with the right apps. My daughter Deanna told me about this capability a long time ago, but I never managed to figure it out until this trip. On a chilly evening having some TV was great entertainment. The Verizon signal in the park was perfectly adequate to stream a movie.

Bullard’s Beach State Park has some beautiful picnic areas

On Friday morning we took our time with a lazy breakfast, a little bit of news, and some reading time before packing up. Checkout time wasn’t until 1PM, and we only had a little over two hours to travel along the coast south toward Brookings and Harris Beach State Park. I didn’t make a reservation for Harris Beach, thinking that winter on the coast would be open without a problem. We planned to arrive around 2 in plenty of time to snag an open site before evening. Things have changed in the camping world! When we arrived the park was completely full except for one site, the only ADA site in the park, number 37 in the B loop.

I must say I was grateful for once to have my little blue disability card to hang from our windshield. We settled in to enjoy our last evening on the beach and Mo built a nice big campfire. Only problem with the campfire is that the ADA site has a very tall metal fire ring, I suppose so that it is safer. It took a very long time to get that metal warm and I spent campfire time in LOTS of clothes and blankets trying to warm up.

One of our favorite holiday treats are the wonderful lights at Azalea Park in Brookings. We knew that this year the big light show wasn’t happening, but the city of Brookings was attempting to do something at least and made arrangements for businesses that usually displayed their lights at Azalea Park to put lights up on both sides of Highway 101 and down into Harbor. We hopped into the Tracker at dusk to go check out the show. I must say that it was a bit of a bust. There were a few nice lights near Fred Meyer, but the rest of them were scattered along the road with lots of space in between displays. Oh well, at least they tried. We heard the next morning that someone had stolen one of the big displays on the very first night of the show, the 4 piece Dragon. So sad. Maybe that is why so many businesses chose not to display their lights in the unprotected lots along the highway. Eventually the dragon was recovered.

Here is a photo of the dragon from the park show last year

The next day we didn’t have to check out until 1PM and with no rush to get back home we enjoyed every last minute of park time. I took Mattie around the campground, and walked out toward the overlook that has such a beautiful view of Harris Beach. I felt no need to climb down to the water.

There were so many people on the beach I was amazed. More people and dogs running around on Harris Beach than we have ever seen even in summer. I guess as many people have said, RVing is the great COVID escape and everyone and their dog or dogs is on the road and filling up the campgrounds.

We left in brilliant sunshine, driving as far as Cave Junction about 30 miles west of Grants Pass before we encountered the fog. Grants Pass is often foggy in winter, sometimes without any lifting in the afternoon. This was one of those days. I always say, if we must have fog, we might as well have it at the beach. It was nice to get home to our cozy house, the steamy hot tub, and TV without having to figure out the casting thing. It was a great four days of ocean time, and a perfect way to handle a quiet Thanksgiving for just the two of us.

October and November

Current Location: Old Fort Road, Klamath Falls, Oregon, at 9 degrees F and cloudy.

Our new digs: closeup on the upper right is a view of the apartments from the tower trail.

I am sitting at the same desk as usual, but the view outside my window has changed. Instead of the dark forest I am looking at open sky and the back side of Plum Hill in Klamath Falls. Life has finally shifted a bit, and Mo and I are now spending most of our time at our cozy apartment only 3 miles from town. Yes, we still have the house at Rocky Point, decorated for Christmas, on the outside at least, and still comfortable for Rocky Point stays now and then.

We also have our little cottage in Grants Pass, where we also spend time, working on the property, enjoying the little cottage and the green grass that pops up when the first fall rains come to the Rogue Valley.

It is all part of the transition from living in the woods, plowing snow, driving 45 minutes each way to the grocery store, and our plans for the future, living in mostly snow free Grants Pass. We chose Grants Pass because of the lack of snow plowing and shoveling days, the proximity to the ocean, and the ability to travel north or south on I-5 when we want to soothe the hitch-itch that strikes often. We are gypsies. That travel bug is ingrained, and not likely to dissipate any time soon.

View of Klamath Falls from the tower trail near the apartment

The apartment in Klamath Falls is an interim stop, at least that was the original plan. At the moment, I feel so comfortable and cozy here, enjoying it so much that I don’t think I will ever want to leave it. I love the Klamath Basin. Here on Old Fort Road, we are at the edge of the high desert, with tall ponderosas and a few Doug firs around, but the hills are also covered with sage. Love that smell, love that air, you all know I love the desert.

Each of our places has its own special feeling. Rocky Point for the huge cool forest in the summer, the beautiful refuge just a short walk from the house, the birds, the deer. It is a wonderful place to live in many ways. Grants Pass is wonderful in spring and fall, ten to twenty degrees warmer than either Rocky Point or Klamath Falls, with good shopping just minutes away, and yet a lovely rural feeling on our little piece of land that was once part of a walnut grove more than 100 years old.

Old Fort Road is part of the magical basin, with views of Mt Shasta, the Klamath River, the dry winter air, and as stated before 10 to 20 degrees cooler than Grants Pass in the summer. I am glad that at the moment I don’t have to choose any one of these places over the other. Of course, the MoHo always waits as well, with the road to the desert, to the ocean, to other mountains always waiting for us. It may be a bit complex at the moment, but it is so good and I feel incredibly lucky. And thankful.

I keep waiting for life to settle in a bit, for things to slow down. I have waited since mid October when we returned from Ireland, all through the month of November, and here, finally, on the last day of November, I have some time that isn’t allocated to anything else. I can write.

I began this post as usual, with a visual cruise through my photos. I have to admit I was a bit shocked to realize that I haven’t written a thing since we got back from Ireland, six weeks ago! Geez. I do have some good reasons. Just a couple of days after our return from Ireland, best friends Maryruth and Gerald drove up from California to spend a long weekend with us at Rocky Point. Daughter Melody was starring in the musical Chicago, playing Velma Kelly, and they wanted to see the show.

The final performance of the show was amazing, and the reviews reflected what a wonderful job the Linkville Theater did with the staging, the casting, the dancing, and of course the music. It was wonderful. I was amazed at how a small community theater could put on a production as lavish and complex as Chicago. Fabulous. And not just because my daughter had a major role. We had a fabulous weekend, visiting the Lower Klamath Refuge where Judy volunteered this summer, enjoying the gorgeous skies and the birds. We shared good meals and lots of talking and laughing and fun. It is so wonderful when friends can visit. Next month we will go south to visit them and share in Maryruth’s mother’s 90th birthday celebration. Elsie has been in my life since I was 18, and is like family to me. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the big gathering.

A few days later, Mo and I managed to get out on Pelican Bay for another gorgeous paddle. With the fall migration in full force, there were so many birds out there. Gorgeous skies and perfect weather are part of the Klamath Basin wonder in October. Late September and October are the very best months to be here, in my opinion. Nearly perfect, and no mosquitoes.

We spent a few days in Grants Pass, for an exciting project on the property. With a low GPM well, Mo decided that our solution would be to add a cistern, rather than taking the chance on a new well. The cistern holds 1750 gallons, is filled automatically by the well pump, then the water is pumped from the cistern through the pressure tank to the cottage. Now we can water the trees and small lawn during the summer without fear of drawing down the well too much.

There are 27 trees on the .89 acre, several of them are gorgeous old oaks and a couple of pines and firs that are more than 100 years old. Tree work was in order, and it turns out that the guy who ran the backhoe for the cistern installation was also an excellent arborist. He did a great job on our trees, removing dead branches and making it much safer. He also removed 5 huge stumps that were still in place from tree removals prior to our purchase of the property.

Then it was time for the “big move”. Late in the month, Mo’s brothers drove down to Rocky Point to help us with the heavy lifting. Dan and Chere came from Beavercreek near Portland, and Don came all the way from Spokane. I have no idea how we would have managed without them, short of hiring some expensive movers, which we promised both brothers that we would do when it comes time for the next move.

We had fun in the midst of the moving stuff, and I did my best to cook good meals and make sure that both homes had food and beds for everyone, even though said beds were in transit. Dan and Chere’s two dogs were especially helpful, making sure that everything done just right. They also provided a bit of entertainment and company for Mattie, who has developed a great love for big dogs. Most of the time, they know how to play with her and like Judy’s Emma, will lower themselves down to her level for playtime. It is fun to watch.

By November 1, our target date, almost everything we needed to be comfortable in the apartment was moved and we settled in. We spent five beautiful days doing the “nesting” thing, enjoying the sunshine, the smaller space, all the little things that can make moving to a new place fun and exciting.

As the main cook, I was a bit concerned about my new kitchen. Compared to Rocky Point, my current apartment kitchen is about the size of my big counter in RP! I discovered that a small kitchen has some advantages: I can reach all the drawers from one standing position, the floor is a quick wipe up rather than a major mopping event, and without a dishwasher, running a sink of soapy water as I cook keeps things in line. I am actually enjoying it, although I still sometimes open four cupboards before I remember exactly where I have stored a particular item.

Another fun thing about the apartment is that we actually have two. One for living, and the one next door for an extra guest bedroom, storage of “stuff” and best of all, an entire dining room and living room for my sewing, craft, and quilt room! I can make a mess and don’t have to keep cleaning it all up mid project. I do love that part. In RP I did my sewing on the dining table which required lots of bringing out and putting away of stuff when meal times approached.

With the early November sunny weather, I took some time to explore places to walk nearby. Daughter Melody and grandson Xavier live in another apartment in the complex and it is fun to walk down the path to her door and go for a spontaneous walk together.

Granddaughter Axel and her room mates also have an apartment here, and just last night Mo and I were invited to dinner at her place. This family compound thing can be pretty nice at times.

Mo has had these apartments for years, and decided last year that property management companies and weird renters were no fun at all. Now it is an inside deal, everyone pays their rent on time and pitches in to keep the place looking nice. It is a good place for us to be while we transition, and I get the benefit of being closer to my daughter and grandkids. Mattie LOVES the beach!

At last, with the major chores of moving behind us, it was time for a quick trip to Brookings. The MoHo was waiting patiently in Grants Pass and we needed a break. Seems as though the only way to get a break from chores is to leave home where there are no chores!

We had a great three days, enjoying the clearest skies I have seen in a long time at the ocean. Judy had mentioned that Harris Beach SP would be closed to camping this season, so we didn’t even bother checking. We decided to stay at Beachfront RV Park, on the Harbor. sunset and sunrise at Beachcomber campground (11 of 12)

It was so much fun to listen to the surf all night, and to watch the waves right outside our front window. One morning we drove up to check out Harris Beach, and were surprised to discover that the campground is still partially open, albeit without reservations. As usual, the front view row was full. We were glad that we did something different this time.

I loved taking Mattie for walks right out the door to the beach. It did rain on one day, but that was the day that we had scheduled some maintenance for the MoHo generator. Seems as though the fuel pump gave out. Brookings Harbor RV Repair had good reviews, and Mo decided that a trip to Brookings was worth it to get someone we could trust for the repair. They did a great job and I would highly recommend them for this kind of work.

With a few days of gorgeous beach time and quiet afternoons in the MoHo reading and napping, we were rejuvenated and ready to return to Grants Pass. We hauled the tractor from Rocky Point to the cottage on our way to the beach, and Mo was ready to make an attempt to level the huge pile of dirt left behind from the cistern installation.

She made quick work of that pile and got most of it leveled and moved in just one day! We raked and moved a LOT of rocks, and then seeded the sticky red soil with a good fall mix, hoping that it will take before spring.

Back to the apartments with a load of firewood from our stash in Rocky Point, and we settled in for the rest of the month. I enjoyed cooking and sewing a bit, going for walks with Mattie, visiting with kids, and doing a little bit of shopping in town (takes 8 minutes to get to the main intersection of Klamath Falls!).

The day before Thanksgiving, we got hit with the first snow and some really cold temperatures. It is still white out here, and Mo was really smart to haul the tractor back from Grants Pass so that she could plow the apartment parking lot. With just a tiny walk to shovel, we got the snow removal job done in record time. One BIG benefit of not living in Rocky Point.

By Thanksgiving day, the skies were clear, and the temperatures were in the single digits. It was a great day to travel over High Lakes Pass on Highway 140 to Shady Cove, where daughter Deborah and her sweetie Bob hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner for us, and for Melody’s family, and Bob’s parents, who live in Rocky Point.

All I had to do was bring the candied yams! Such fun having daughters who take on the big family celebrations sometimes and being only a guest. We had a lovely day, with sunny skies and a warm cozy home to enjoy.

Instead of driving all the way back to Klamath Falls, Mo and I opted to take the short drive to the cottage and spent the night there before returning home to the apartment the next afternoon. With a shortage of groceries in the Grants Pass fridge, we decided to go out for breakfast. Sitting at the warm and cozy dining room at Elmer’s, with the sun pouring in through the windows, the fire crackling in the fireplace, and a fabulous breakfast, I felt that crazy happy feeling that comes without warning. I do love that feeling so much, can’t make it happen, can’t really explain it, and it comes quite often ever since I first noticed it while hiking in Joshua Tree last winter. Later we actually managed a little bit of shopping on Black Friday, something I usually avoid like the plague. However, most of the stores we visited mid morning in Grants Pass were not busy at all.

Home now, settled in and cozy with a nice fire going, office space all set up and comfortable, quilting and card making projects waiting in the apartment next door. Life really IS good.

06-10-2015 Visiting Judy at Harris Beach and something new

Current Location: Rocky Point Oregon 80 degrees F at 7pm Nice

I didn’t take my computer with me to the beach on this trip. Didn’t even take the MiFi for internet, and instead depended on the LTE Verizon signal on the iPad and the 3 bars of AT&T on my phone. Sometimes I get a bit tired of all the cords and devices and packing up all that stuff. No photo processing, no writing, nothing completed on the blog while we were playing at the beach. In fact, some of the photos in this blog were…gasp…taken with my iPhone. Judy said to me that she prefers blogs that are at least somewhat close to “real time”, otherwise what is the point.

I suppose I could agree in some respects, but then again one of my favorite bloggers is currently writing about her Antarctic adventures that took place months ago, and I wouldn’t miss a paragraph. To me it is every bit as exciting as if it were in real time, probably better, because she has time to flesh out the posts properly. If I tried to blog with the iPad using Blogsy, I have a feeling it would be more like a hit and miss thing…and of course, no photos. Can’t get RAW photos from the camera to the iPad without something to process them.

I am sure you don’t care a whit about all this anyway…you came here to see Judy. So I am slipping back in my mind to a few days ago, and with a little help from my photos, I will recreate our moments as close to real time as I can manage.

After all the hoopla with the tire thing, we were happy to slip into our site at Harris Beach and settle in for the evening with tasty leftovers for supper. After walking up to Judy’s site to let her know we had arrived, Mo and I enjoyed the beautiful warm evening. with Judy at the beach (1 of 13)

In spite of my plans for Tuesday, I somehow lost 24 hours to who knows what that knocked me flat. With the surgery thing recent enough that I am watching for infection, I was glad that I didn’t have a fever. Whatever. The whole thing was frustrating and boring and I hate to even talk about it, but needed to explain since Judy already gave away that we missed her fabulous planned chicken supper. I think Mo enjoyed my down day, and did not much of anything except truly relax and read and enjoy the gorgeous sunshine, something we don’t often get at the coast. I think this is the part where Judy is thinking Mattie is a puny pipsqueak.

By Wednesday morning I was fine, although the gorgeous sunlight and warmth of the previous day had returned to June gloom and fog usually expected at the coast before noon. with Judy at the beach (4 of 13)

We waited till afternoon and then met Judy for a beach walk and then went back to the overlook where Judy set up her scope. We enjoyed listening to her stories about the birds of Goat/Bird Island, and she even solved a mystery for us. Last fall when we visited, we saw something that looked like humans on the island where no humans are supposed to be. Judy trained her scope over there and showed us the regularly spaced wildlife cameras set up to try to document a very rare bird that only comes out at night. As Judy says, Cool Beans.

I also learned there is no such thing as a “seagull”. That bird on the post is a “western gull”.

Supper at Judy’s site was great, although we did decide to leave Mattie at home. Emma is nothing if not exuberant, and Mattie is about the size of a big cat, and we do remember how Emma got along with Jeremy the first time we met her. Ha! I am sure Emma would be fine eventually, but Mattie is still new enough to us that we aren’t exactly sure how she is with other dogs, so it was better to wait for that meeting. Maybe next time.

The New York chicken was wonderful. I found out why Judy’s is so much better than mine, even though I followed her recipe. All except for the poultry seasoning, which somehow didn’t make it to my copy of the marinade. No Wonder. We had so much fun talking about Judy’s new home base in Jojoba Hills, and our tire adventures, and eating great food, that both Judy and I forgot to take any photos. I think that is a good thing.

Thursday morning Mo and I drove to town to pick up a new tire and buy a few groceries. The day was again sunny and gorgeous, without a trace of fog and very little wind. Amazing! Leaving Fred Meyer, we just sort of ambled down the road and found a brand new place we had never visited before. You must realize that Mo and I have spent no less than a dozen years visiting Brookings, we even spent a good year looking for property to buy there until we decided on Grants Pass instead for MoHo winter storage. So it was crazy to me that we found not only one, but two brand new places we had never seen in all our explorations of this very small town. Our first discovery was Mill Beach, which on a Wednesday morning was quiet and peaceful with only a few folks ambling around. There was no leash requirement for dogs, so we walked to a deserted portion of the beach and turned Mattie loose. Oh My! You have never seen such a frenzy in your life. That little dog was like a bullet train, loving the soft sand, and running in circles in such happiness and joy it make my heart just sing.

Mo had taken her to the beach the day before without me, so she knew that Mattie loved that sand. The other thing she loved a lot was all the smelly things that she could drag around and try to eat. Especially appetizing to her were the loose clumps of mussels wound up in dirty seaweed. Yum.

After hiking around on the beach, we noticed there was a trail above us on the cliff, and I thought it might be the park that Russ and Donna spoke of. Sure enough, another little drive with the iPhone led us to the parking area for Chetco Point Park just off the road by the sewage plant. Who would have thought?! Except I did have a memory of Russ and Donna writing about walking this trail a few years ago.Here Mattie had to be on leash, but we would have had her leashed anyway. As good as she is, there are moments when her little dog brain gets focused on something that isn’t us and she forgets what “come” means.

The trail was easy, not to tough for ole slo-poke Sue. Ack. I am usually a fast walker with a long stride. All those years in the mountains of course, but now I toddle along like an old lady, barely able to keep up with Mo, much less the dog. At least I could walk, and that was heaven, believe me. Especially with such gorgeous views, warm temperatures, and balmy breezes. I spent many moments during this day just enjoying the skies and the air and the views. It is interesting sometimes to be forced to slow down. I see and feel more it seems. I hope as I heal and get back to my old ways, I’ll remember to slow down and take it easy now and then.

On Thursday evening it was our turn to treat Judy to supper at our site. Unlike Judy’s shady spot, Site A11 on the front row is wide open, with full sunlight until almost 9pm. I had to wear sunglasses to eat and Judy made sure she was facing away from the sun so she could see. Mo had enough wood for wonderful fires every night and even in the full sunshine of a bright evening, she started up another great campfire. I managed to eat one marshmallow with melted chocolate inside. Couldn’t tempt either Judy or Mo to partake of the gooey sweet, neither care much for sweets. It isn’t about eating the marshmallow anyway, it is about roasting it to perfection. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t. Fun either way.

With plans to leave early enough on Friday morning to get to Grants Pass by noon, we were all dumped and ready to roll when Mo noticed the right rear tire was flat. Oh no…Not again?!? This truly WAS one of the 2013 tires. We pulled down to the overlook parking area, called Brookings Les Schwab, and waited for them to come and air up the tire so we could get to town for a tire change.

The best part of this story is yet to come. The previous night I had received a call from my realtor saying that she may be calling me with an offer for the Klamath house in the morning. I told her we would be without telephone for a few hours as we traveled back home and she was a bit concerned about it. At 9:30, while we were still at Les Schwab, she called with a very good offer! I needed to receive 15 fax pages, sign then and fax them back.

Brookings is a small town, with not much around for office stores, (remember Judy’s story about finding a place to fax her papers!). Then my realtor suggested that I go talk to the office people inside Les Schwab. Sure enough, they let me receive the fax, and fax everything back, all for no charge, just a “Thanks for being a Les Schwab customer”.

Another great part to this story is that it wasn’t the tire, it was the valve stem. That always seems to be the problem. They fixed the tire, we put the new one on in its place, and the bill for all that work, including coming out to the park to air us up was $10.50. Amazing how things work out.

We left for home at 11:30, a bit late, but in time to stop at an icon restaurant along Highway 199 in Gasquet called She She’s. We have driven by here a bazillion times and never stopped, but today just seemed like a day to celebrate. Big thick blackberry milkshake, a great burger and home made fries, shared between us, was perfect for the brilliant sunshiny hot and windy day along the Smith River toward home.

5-09-2014 Leaving Brookings and Highway 199

Current Location: Rocky Point Oregon Sunny and in the 70’s today

We were so lucky to have three gorgeous sunshiny days at the Oregon Coast. Thursday and Friday were dark and rainy, but we thought our entire time at the beach would be dark and rainy, so we were prepared.

After our morning hike on Wednesday, I checked the weather radar and with the wispy clouds in the west and the low cloud bank over the ocean and knew that anything else we wanted to do that required sunshine should be done soon.

Azalea Park is one of the treasures of Brookings. Located on the east end of town, the park has a rich history dating back to the 1800’s. I read that some of the old azaleas in the park were there when Lewis and Clark wintered here in 1805-1806.

Unlike the gorgeous hybrids of rhododendrons and azaleas we have today, these old beauties are tall and rangy, with soft muted colors. Still, it is great that the city of Brookings has preserved the park and the old azaleas.

We have visited the gardens in the past, at different times during the spring, but this one I think was the best. As I said previously, it is a crap shoot, and there is no way to plan a specific date for the best bloom.

We again walked the same paths that we walked last December in the dark of winter, enjoying the Christmas light show. The paths meander around the grounds lined with every possible color and variety of rhododendron you can imagine.

Another favorite of mine are the pastel spring growth of the Pieris japonica.

Huge gunnera plants I first saw at Butchart Gardens in Victoria are reminiscent of a fairy tale world where people are tiny and can hide under giant leaf umbrellas. With blue skies and brilliant sunshine, we had no need to hide under any kind of umbrella.

Thursday night the rains started, and we didn’t mind a bit. Lowering the awning on one side let the water pour off without pooling in the canvas, and we picked up the rugs and kept the chairs safe from rain. Even a walk or two around the park was a welcome break from reading, watching a couple of great movies, and doing that ‘relaxing’ thing that we had promised ourselves for this trip. Loeb Azalea Gard_218

I have often mentioned traveling home via Highway 199, but usually I never manage to get any photos of the route.

It is a magnificent drive along the wild Smith River, past the redwoods at Jedediah Smith State Park, winding into the mountains adjacent to the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

There are steep drop offs along the way, some narrow roads with signs warning of even more narrow sections and sharp curves.

Still, we saw full size semi’s negotiating the curves easily, with even more large fifth wheels and Class A motorhomes along the route. It can be done, and isn’t difficult in a big rig. It just requires slowing down and enjoying the view.

There are a very few parking areas along the way, but plenty of turnouts to let the speedy ones pass, and a few places with passing lanes.

Hiouchi RV Park is just a bit east of the redwoods, and is a nice private park. We stayed there once in 2011, and enjoyed sunshine away from the coastal fog with only a short drive to either Crescent City or Brookings. After leaving the river, at the Oregon-California state line, there is a large tunnel, with plenty of clearance for most any kind of big rig.

When traveling to and from Brookings and Grants Pass, the route crosses over the Oregon-California border twice. Sometimes the ag inspection stations are open, most of the time simply asking us if we have fruit, plants, or firewood on board. We do say ‘no’, in spite of the occasional apple or head of lettuce hiding in the RV fridge. So far, the inspectors are usually so taken with Jeremy on the dash that they smile and nod and never give us a bit of trouble.

It takes a short two hours to travel from Brookings to Grants Pass, and we arrived back at the cottage early in the afternoon to mixed sun and rain. It was that blustery kind of spring rain that comes and goes, however, and Mo managed to mow the property on Friday afternoon. I did a bit of weeding, visited with the neighbors, and made plans to enjoy the next two days of Mother’s Day weekend with three of my four kids. Lucky Me!