The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales

Living in Grants Pass I have a few favorite months.  May has always been high on the list, but this year June was almost as spectacular as May, with clear sunny skies and no rain.  As is often the case, the month was filled with the usual “stuff” associated with living on almost an acre of ground filled with flowers, shrubs, lawns, and a touchy water system.  

Rather than going through all that again, as I often do at the beginning of a springtime blog post, I decided that I would wait till the end of the post to write about the everyday stuff and begin this time with the best part of the month, our trip to  Eastern Washington State.

This June trip wasn’t planned many months in advance as is often the case.  Just a few weeks ago Mo’s brothers let us know that they planned to get together on Brother Don’s property for a family gathering.  

The view from Don’s property near the Spokane River

Don’s RV property isn’t far from his house in Spokane, near historic Fort Spokane and the confluence of the Spokane River with Lake Roosevelt, the dammed portion of the Columbia River behind Grand Coulee Dam.  Don has created a lovely spot for family gatherings and getaways, with 30 amp hookups for 3 rigs, water, and an RV dump onsite.  

In addition to visiting with Mo’s family, I was excited to make this trip because my daughter Deanna and her family live less than an hour south in the small community of Lincoln on a hill overlooking Lake Roosevelt.  The timing was great because we would be in that part of the country just in time for Deanna’s birthday.  I was tickled.

Always pleasant to park at Dan and Chere’s home 

We began our trip a day early, traveling north to Dan and Chere (Mo’s brother and sister-in-law) at their home in Beavercreek, Oregon to spend the night before continuing north toward our destination.  Their place is a perfect in-between spot to break up the 600-mile drive north.  We arrived mid-afternoon, in time for a nice visit and a short drive down the hill to enjoy supper at the nearby Kissin Kates Restaurant.

The next morning, after a simple breakfast that Chere provided for us, the four of us were on the road before 9 AM.  Dan led the way through morning traffic in greater Portland as we traveled toward I-84, then along the Mighty Columbia River east toward the Washington State border.  It was easy following Dan and not having to make any decisions about routing or directions.

Eastern Washington State south of Tri-Cities is wide open, with Dan in the lead.

We arrived at the property in mid-afternoon, with plenty of time for me to put together a supper for everyone of tacos with all the fixin’s and cooked-to-order corn or flour tortillas. Don’s wife Wynn, Chere, and I agreed to do one night each for supper. This was my night.  The storm clouds were interesting and kept things quite cool and pleasant without any rain.

Left to Right:  Brother Don and his wife Wynn, Brother Dan and his wife Chere, and Mo

Level sites with electric hookups made for a pleasant visit

Don has a building to protect his tractor and motorhome from the weather

The next morning while the brothers worked on a few projects around the property, Mo and I took the kayaks down to the nearby launch on the Spokane River.

As you can see in the photo, the launch site was beautiful, with no current to worry about, a nice smooth launch area, and on this day, no wind.  We paddled upstream against the gentle current for about an hour before turning around to paddle back downstream.  Needless to say, it didn’t take as long to get back downstream as it did for us to get upstream, but by the time we got out of the boats the winds were rising.

Mattie enjoyed being in the kayak and didn’t get restless as she sometimes does after a couple of hours

The boat launch is to the left on the east side of the bridge across the Spokane River near the confluence with the Columbia River and Lake Roosevelt.

After lunch, Don and Dan launched Don’s boat and took the six of us out on Lake Roosevelt.  It was a beautiful day and the lake was wonderful.  Being in a motorboat is considerably different than cruising along in a kayak.  

The wind kept us cool and Don took us all the way south toward Deanna and Keith’s place in Lincoln where I called Deanna from the boat to see if she could see us from her big view windows overlooking the lake.

We couldn’t actually see Deanna’s house since it was up in the trees behind the white house.

That evening it was Chere’s turn to do dinner and she made a yummy meal of pulled pork and cabbage over rice Hawaiian style.  After kayaking and boating, Mo and I slept well on that first night.

The other two couples have tandem inflatable kayaks

The next morning Don had scoped out a kayaking location not far from the compound.  Within minutes we arrived at the boat launch at Hawk’s Creek.  When we first left the property, the winds were howling, and we weren’t sure if we could get out on the water in the kayaks.  But once down in the Hawk’s Creek Canyon there was less wind and we didn’t have any trouble.  But as we continued downstream toward the lake the strong winds picked up. After an hour or so the group decided it was time to return.

Hawk’s Creek was beautiful, with steep basalt cliffs rising on each side of the waterway.  We saw several red-tailed hawks soaring over the cliffs.  In the photo, Mo is looking up at the huge eagle perched high in a ponderosa pine above the water.  My phone camera wasn’t good enough to get a decent photo of him against the dark tree.  It reminded me of why I shouldn’t get lazy about packing my Lumix camera to get better wildlife images.

Dan and Chere’s dog Sophie (in the back kayak) is a great kayak dog.  She was making sure that they went in the right direction.

We got home before lunch, just in time to get a phone call from my grandson Steven, who lived about an hour north of Fort Spokane in Gifford.  My great-grandson Matthew is again living with Steven, and working as a pharmaceutical technician in Colville, about 45 minutes from Steven’s home.  Steven also had my other great-grandson Theron with him for part of the summer.  Steven called and said he would be glad to come down to Fort Spokane to meet us for lunch.  

Check out the boy’s fancy shirts and ties.  Matthew (on the right) was responsible for making sure Theron was properly dressed to see his great-grandma.

It was great seeing all of them, and the burgers were superb.  Steven said people come from miles around to have burgers at that restaurant.  The brothers and wives went there for lunch earlier but waited until Steven and the boys showed up so they could meet my grandson and great-grandsons.  Everyone enjoyed their meals.

With full tummies from our late lunch, no one was particularly interested in supper so we all decided to skip the planned venture south to Davenport to try out the Mexican restaurant.  Davenport is the closest town with any amenities other than the little cafes along the lake here and there.

As we spent some time visiting, Mattie and Sophie sat together enjoying each other’s company.  Sophie is so good with Mattie and Mattie adores her.  Mattie loves big dogs that aren’t afraid of her rough-and-tumble play style.  Mo and I then said goodbye to the Oukrops and packed up to travel south to Deanna’s place, just about 45 minutes away.

Left to right:  Wynn, Dan, Mo, Don, Chere

It was now time for the next phase of our travels to Eastern Washington.  Buttoning down the MoHo and hooking up the Tracker for the short trip, we headed south along the lake to Keith and Deanna’s home.  The winds had dissipated from the previous day and the weather was gorgeous.

We parked the MoHo in their driveway, hooked it up to 20 amp power, and settled in.  With temperatures rising it was clear that we would need the air going in the MoHo, but the house power wasn’t up to the task so we opened up all the windows to take advantage of the afternoon breeze before joining the family at the house.

The view of Lake Roosevelt in the distance from Deanna and Keith’s deck is lovely.

We were tickled to discover that Deanna’s grandson (my great-grandson) Orion would be joining us for Deanna’s birthday weekend.  He lives with his mom, brother Theron (seen in a previous photo), and sister Tearany, in Wenatchee, about a 2 hour drive from Lincoln.  Keith made the short trip south toward Davenport to connect with Orion’s other grandparents who were taking him back to Wenatchee after a visit with them, and arranged to meet Keith so Orion could spend the weekend with his grandparents and with us.

I still have a hard time thinking of my daughter as “Grandma” and when Orion says “Grandma…?” I invariably answer.

That evening Keith fired up the BBQ on their lovely deck and we had a great supper of steaks from a local rancher, baked potatoes with all the fixins, and yummy broccoli and cheese.  The company was great and the view was spectacular.  We were lucky that first evening because, by the time the next supper rolled around the next day, it was too hot to eat on the deck.

Great way to spend a summer evening with family

The next day, Saturday, we were in for a treat.  Keith loaded up the boat and we traveled the quarter mile down the road to the boat launch on the lake for a day on the water.

At that time of day, the launch wasn’t too crowded, but notice all the parked vehicles.  Also, notice the two engines on the boat.  One is a big Merc 150 horsepower engine and the one on the right is a small 9 horsepower engine that they use for trolling or when they need to go slowly in shallow waters.

Keith piloted the boat in the beginning.  Keith and Deanna were both impressed with how well-behaved Mattie was in the boat.  She likes the kayak, and after visiting Jeanne and Alan in 2022 and going out on Lake Champlain in their boat she is a little bit less worried about boating.  It is a lot different than the kayak, which she is used to.

Sue and Mo and Mattie with Alan on Lake Champlain in 2022

After a short time, Keith asked Orion if he wanted to drive.  Keith was so patient with him, instructing him to pilot the boat properly.  It is great that a 16-year-old kid can have opportunities like this.

With the hot sun and the wind, Keith decided to keep the top and side awnings closed which protected us from the sun and water spray.  We never got wet. You can see how easily Mattie settled in with Mo, napping until it was time to disembark.

Keith asked if we preferred to go east and north toward Kettle Falls or west and south toward Grand Coulee Dam, and we chose the southern route, thinking it would be fun to see the dam from the water.  On the way they took us to some of their favorite spots along the lake, especially the “cracked rock”  which I am sure I haven’t named properly.

Deanna likes to fish and has all sorts of fancy rigging for her poles to catch the big ones, in addition to fancy motorized weights that take the bait and hooks down to the bottom at more than 300 feet in some areas.

We enjoyed the beautiful waterfall cutting into the steep cliff before continuing south toward the dam. Lake Roosevelt is a National Recreation Area, and there are bathrooms on floating platforms that Deanna said were closed the last time she was out on the lake.  We saw one that looked open and decided to take advantage.

Keith took over driving and Deanna got ready to come alongside the dock to tie us off.  It wasn’t hard even for me to get out of the boat and onto the platform.  I must say, I haven’t seen cleaner bathrooms anywhere in our travels.  It was a delight with plenty of toilet paper, a place for hand-washing, no smell, and clean as a whistle.  We passed a couple other toilets on the lake as we traveled toward the dam.  It was nice that the lake was full, since being on a dam-created reservoir the lake level changes often throughout the season.

We motored all the way to the dam, but it wasn’t very impressive from the waterside view. The other side of the huge dam is incredible, and visiting the information center is imperative if you are in the area.  The history of how it was built in the 30’s is a great American success story.

A screen shot of the river and our route from Lincoln toward the Keller Ferry Marina

Keith was a little bit nervous about going so far, and he really didn’t know why, although his intuition was right on as we found out a bit later.

After reaching the dam and meandering around a bit, we motored back towards the Keller Ferry and Keith asked if we wanted to see the Sanpoil River Arm north of the ferry.  It was quiet and beautiful, and Keith slowed the big motor down so that Deanna could take photos of the eagles in the trees on the banks of the river.  

It was gorgeous and the water was clear and clean.  The river is surrounded on both sides by the Colville Reservation, and development is minimal except for a very few small ranches and in-holdings.

As we turned to travel back toward the mouth of the river, suddenly the big motor gave a cough and after a few tries she simply died.  Now Keith knew why he had that gut feeling that we shouldn’t go too far away.  We were grateful that they had a small motor on the boat to get us back home, but Keith said that would take hours and hours so instead he decided to go in toward Keller’s Ferry Marina.

The water was so silky smooth on the Sanpoil River

In the meantime, Deanna called their neighbors and they had just launched their boat but said it was no problem returning to shore.  Deanna told them where the key was to the house, where her purse was with the keys to Keith’s truck, and where they needed to meet us with the truck to pick up the boat.  It was about 45 minutes to drive from Lincoln to the marina and they insisted it wasn’t a bit of a problem.  Good neighbors I would say!

In the meantime, Mo and I enjoyed the lazy slow trip back to Keller’s Ferry with the little engine that could get us there.  Keith kept apologizing and said he felt bad about it, but Mo and I weren’t the least bit worried.  For us, it was easy and simple and all we had to do was sit back and ride.

Once we landed at the marina it was getting really hot, and Mo and I walked up toward the shade at the marina park to wait.  An hour later the neighbors showed up with the truck, Keith and Deanna loaded the boat and we were off toward the little town of Wilbur where Keith gets the boat regularly serviced.  The place was closed, but Keith called and reached the owner who said it was fine to simply drop off the boat and pick it up after it was repaired.  Later we found out it was exactly what Keith had surmised, the alternator. I am sure it wasn’t fun for Keith and Deanna worrying about the boat, but Mo and I had a great time.

Once back home it was time to celebrate Deanna’s birthday.  I had planned to make a taco supper for everyone and had all the ingredients ready to go.  Sadly, my personal battery power was completely wiped out and I delegated most of the dinner tasks to the rest of the family.  It all worked out just fine and everyone pitched in for a great supper.  There was birthday cake and ice cream but I had no candles and Deanna brought out her little candle that sings Happy Birthday.  

The next morning Mo and I left early to drive back north in order to visit Grandson Steven and his wife  Stormy at their homestead north near Gifford.  Their place is beautiful, and Steven is committed to a permaculture lifestyle which he pursues with gusto.  It was nice to see the young boys again as well and see how much fun they have together.  As we were leaving, Matthew was packing books, a couple of hammocks and snacks and hiking up to the spring with little Theron for a day of reading and relaxing together.  No phones or tablets in sight.

Back home at Deanna’s we relaxed a bit before packing up for our trip back home.  Here is a photo of the two of us at the dining table.  Mo said I should delete the photo, but it makes me laugh out loud to see just how exhausted I was after the week of visiting and traveling.  No one can say I can’t laugh at myself!  

To be fair, I was hamming it up a bit, but Mo looks great.

As we prepared to leave, the local herd of bighorn sheep that live on the cliffs behind Deanna and Keith’s home decided to visit their property.  They are almost as bad as deer for getting into stuff and eating fruit off the trees, but they are so fun to watch.

We left early in the afternoon, with enough time to drive south toward Richland and then Tri-Cities, across the Columbia River into Oregon and then east on I-84 toward Biggs Junction.  It is a trip I have made many times throughout the years I lived in Northern Idaho and traveled to visit in California.  The strong winds that had shut down much of the interstate between the Dalles and Portland had dissipated a bit as we approached our intended boondock site along the river just below the John Day Dam.

We have passed this area many times, talked about how nice it looked for an overnight, but this was the first time we have stayed.  There is no fee, and a 7 day limit for overnight parking, but it is a very popular place for windsurfers.  If you look closely in the photo below you can see a kite surfer rising above the river.

Reviews suggested the nearby interstate and train tracks could be noisy, but we slept well with very little noise to bother us.  For a moment, sometime after midnight, some crazy person in a car tried to drive up the rocky embankment right in front of the motorhome but he didn’t do any damage and was gone in a flash.

A full moon rising illuminates the interstate and railroad tracks behind us.

The next morning dawned quiet and clear, with very little wind.  We took our familiar route south from Biggs on Highway 97, avoiding the busy city of Portland and I-5.  It is a lovely drive with very little traffic except for the stretch between Redmond and Bend.  We stopped at the Mountain Identifier along the roadside just south of the almost ghost town of Shaniko and for once had a view of all the mountains south, west, and north of us.

Did I mention at the beginning of this blog that I would talk about the month prior to our trip at the end?  Ah well, the blog is long enough so you will have to imagine the rest of the story.  

Maybe a few keywords will suffice:  mowing, trimming, watering, cortisone shots for both of us in various parts, skin doctor for me, twice this time with a “procedure”,  weeding, cleaning the MoHo, catching up laundry, and on and on.  

One last thing to share:

The view from the Hummingbird Winery terrace is spectacular

The final day of the month was gorgeous and we celebrated with a trip to a winery on the eastern edge of the Rogue Valley.  As a member at Hummingbird Vineyard and Winery, Deb is allowed 4 free wine flights per visit.  We love the view from the tasting room terrace overlooking the valley.  

Deb always ensures that Maryruth and Gerald are invited as well and the five of us enjoy the yummy “snacks” and wine as we relax and listen to pleasant music.  

It is always a treat, and it is hard to believe that Deb has been a member of this winery for two years now and Mo and I and Maryruth and Gerald have so loved our pleasant afternoons with Deb overlooking the valley.  Their wines are excellent, but I still love Red Lily more and Deb and I decided that a Red Lily membership would be smarter since the wine is better and the snacks more tasty.  Red Lily is a bit closer to us, just down the Applegate Valley highway south of home. Still, it doesn’t have that gorgeous valley view.  What to do what to do?? Next month in the blog I would bet there will be a visit to Red Lily to share in the blog.

The weather was very nearly perfect and it was a wonderful way to end a beautiful month.  We know that there is an intense heat wave predicted to build over our part of the West within a few days and with heat comes fires and smoke.  The anticipation of a hot and smoky summer made this last day of June all the more sweet.

I was reading some emails and comments after posting the last blog and suddenly realized I forgot to write about some other happenings during the latter part of May.  

The big event was our Memorial Day celebration here in Grants Pass.  There is always a town parade, but after attending for several years we decided we could skip it this year.

Obviously, I stole this photo from the Kingsley Field website with Mt McLoughlin behind the jets

However, the one thing I refused to miss was the Memorial Day flyover of the fighter jets from Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls.  Last year I made sure that we were in the park in time for the flyover, and after the invocation and flag ceremony, we all waited for the planes.  They came in a flash, just a streak of gray through the tree tops and a roar as they flew just 500 feet above the river.  It was impossible to photograph and we barely saw anything.

People waiting on the bridge for the planes to appear

This year I planned it differently.  I found free parking near the big fire station on the south side of the Rogue River and scoped it out last week.  Sure enough, it was a short walk from the parking area to the main bridge over the river with wide open skies to ensure we would see the planes.

View of the Rogue River from the Bridge

Here they come!

Right over us on the bridge!

And there they go!  It was almost too fast to catch with the camera.

Sure enough, at exactly 11:45 AM as scheduled, two F-15 fighter jets flew toward us from Medford, right over the waiting spectators on the bridge, and then down the river toward the other two bridges over the Rogue by the park.  They then did a big loop straight up into the sky.  It was glorious.  I do love those airplanes, and I have no clue why, I just love them.

The other important thing to enjoy is the annual and traditional corn dog, purchased at the city park where the carnival is in full swing for 5 days throughout the Boatnik festival which has been a tradition in Grants Pass for over 60 years.  

I brought my walker to the bridge and then decided I felt good enough for us to walk to the park rather than attempting to deal with traffic and parking.  It was about 2 miles round trip, but easy on pavement and sidewalks.  The carnival was in full swing, and sure enough, my favorite corn dog vendor was there.  We walked around a bit, listening to the jet boats and the hydro boats on the river in preparation for the races to commence that afternoon. We had no desire to wait for the noisy races, especially since all that is visible is the beginning of the race before they disappear down a bend in the river.

The corn dog was luscious, as perfect as the one I had years ago at 5:30 AM in Albuquerque waiting for the balloons to lift off.  We left before the races began, returning home to a lovely afternoon.  It was a perfectly easy way to celebrate the holiday.  

The weather was close to perfect, on the cool side on the morning of the parade.  By Sunday mid-day, however, when it was time for the flyover, the skies were the deepest shade of incredible blue, the sun was brilliant and a slight breeze made it all so comfortable.

The day after Memorial Day I went downtown on the sunny morning to meet my book club friend Lisa for coffee at a lovely little shop in town.  New tables and chairs set up for outside dining were lovely and we had a nice visit.

Downtown Grants Pass is charming, especially historic G Street

Just a few days later we celebrated Matthew’s birthday.  It wasn’t very exciting but Matthew seemed to enjoy the BBQ rib dinner and the store cake I purchased.  We shared the evening with Matthew and Deborah, once again happy to have Deb living so close. 

2024 birthday for Matt

We all loved remembering the birthday we celebrated with Matthew when the house was being built. I also made BBQ ribs then, and we ate on the recently installed subfloor of the as-yet-unfinished house.  It is still a fun memory for us and for Matthew as well.

2017 Birthday for Matt when Sunset House was still a dream

On the last day of the month, Mo and I took ourselves out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant located right next to the Applegate River.  The Lindsay Lodge was recently sold and we heard that it had improved considerably since Mo and I went there with Maryruth a few years ago.  

The reviews were right, our shared dinner of a wonderfully seasoned flatiron steak, with flavorful green beans served with some kind of delicious sauce, and another secret BBQ sauce with dates as a main ingredient.  

My spicy fruity “marguerita” was also interesting and delicious.  We will definitely be returning to this lovely place.  We did learn that reservations might be smart since on this early summer evening they were booked solid and we were lucky to get a table when they opened at 4:00 in the afternoon.

Our table overlooking the river was delightful, and Mo and I finished our dinner before they ran us off to make way for one of the 80 reservations they had for the evening.

When we left the restaurant, our route home led directly past our favorite spot in the valley, Schmidt Family Vineyard.  We decided it would be nice to stop for a glass of wine accompanied by a bit of live music.  I didn’t think to take photos since we have taken so many over the years of the beautiful grounds at Schmidt.  It was a perfectly pleasant way to end the month of May.

 I started writing this blog post a couple of days ago, following my usual routine of checking the calendar, looking at the photos for the month and making sure all were uploaded to SmugMug, and even checking the Google Timeline app to see where we had been during the last 30 days.

This morning I looked at the blog to remember where I left off.  It took a minute for the shock to wear off as I discovered that my April post was actually on April 5th!! I am fairly certain that doesn’t count for a monthly post for April.  And here I am at the end of May.  Goodness. As many long-time bloggers have mentioned, blogging is becoming a thing of the past.  So few left who blog on a regular basis, and even fewer who still blog daily.  Al at the Bayfield Bunch is still doing his thing, and I am so impressed that he does. I still check in for his amazing photography and for news of Kelly and her heroic struggles.

The daffodils opened in late March and lasted for more than six weeks

Thank goodness for photos and my calendar or I wouldn’t have a clue what we did during the last two months.  I used to journal obsessively, but lately, even that old habit has gone by the wayside.  This blog will keep me honest, and even if I have to work at remembering what to write about it is worth the effort.  I write to remember much like the few bloggers who remain in this world. The older I get the less I remember without all these helpful little tools like cell phones and calendars and lists and most of all, the photos.  So I will begin.

Tulips on April 11.  I used deer spray since tulips are one of their favorites

April and May here at Sunset House are mostly about springtime, with winter cleanup in full force, and watching the daily parade of flowers that break ground and then unfurl with incredible beauty.  I take photo after photo of the process, following each new change in the mornings as I walk around the property.

Between walking around and taking photos, we made time for the extensive list of various doctor appointments that seem to aggregate around this time of year.  Mo and I both managed eye and skin appointments, and doctor appointments with our GP who specializes in sports medicine and gives the best cortisone shots ever.  My shoulder thanks him.  Then there is the irritating swallowing issue I have that goes along with IBM.  After an especially scary choking incident, the doctor insisted on an endoscopy.  That also required more than one appointment before our delightful and superb gastro doctor let me know I had simple issues, which he fixed with some stretching and some meds. I can eat meat again!

In early April, I took a mini vacation with my lifetime friend Maryruth.  We wanted to celebrate 60 years of friendship, and although the actual date when we met was in September of 1963, we didn’t manage to get time scheduled for just the two of us until April.  

We spent two luxurious nights at the Ashland Springs Hotel, in the top floor room with a view of downtown Ashland and the mountains in the distance.  It was a perfectly lazy bit of girl time, with eating and shopping and lying around all high on the agenda.  After 60 years we know each other well, and the friendship is something I treasure.

Home again after our little outing and back to the springtime chores with Mo.  We started working on the sprinkler system in mid-April, always a bit of tweaking required after the winter months.  We were lucky this year and didn’t have to make a lot of changes, but with our home installed drip system it seems there are always blowouts somewhere along the line that need replacing.

This is the view of the blooming rhodie from the bedroom window.  

April was cool, sunny, and absolutely gorgeous, and I spent a lot of time just walking around and soaking up the beauty.  In between yard chores Mo and I found time for another puzzle.  I think we are addicted to puzzles, but there is no way I would want to go more than 1000 pieces.

As April came to a close, we spent an evening playing dominoes with Maryruth and Gerald, and then invited blogger friend Bill Joyce to the house for lunch.  No photos this time, even though Bill brought a full quilt bag so that he could show us all the quilts that Diane made over the winter.  They were on their way north and once again stopped in Grants Pass for a few days and let us know that they would be around. Diane and Bill stay in Arizona all winter at a park where she can quilt to her heart’s content.  She is one of the most prolific quilters I know.

The photo is from last year’s visit since I neglected to take a photo this year.

As we talked, I learned that Bill and Diane were good friends with Laurie and Odel and Rick and Paulette back in the early days of RV blogging.  Bill hasn’t blogged for years and I had no idea who he was when he started commenting on my blog last year.  It was a bit embarrassing to ask him “Who are you actually?” in an email and find out he had been following my blog since 2009.  Sheesh.

Toward the end of April there was a bit of excitement as Daughter Deborah made the decision to look for a place closer to Grants Pass.  Her teeny tiny apartment in Trail was getting to her, with too many problems associated with living on someone’s property on a very rural dirt road.  No matter how “cute” the place was, it was really too small for Deborah, and the local dog that barked a lot, the visiting pigs that rooted through her flowers, and the sound of logging trucks on a nearby road were a bit much.  She started looking at rentals, but things shifted when she realized that she could buy a house.  Mo and I went with her shopping, but Mo is the one that was with her when she found a place she could afford and that was in decent shape.  It has a new roof, and while small, is twice the size of her tiny apartment and there probably won’t be roaming pigs and loose dogs roaming through her nice fenced yard. And no more steep stairs to climb every night when she gets home after a long day at work.

Best of all, it is right here in Grants Pass, just 15 minutes from us.  Deb is thrilled that she will no longer have to drive an hour each way to visit us and check on her son Matthew, who lives across the street from us, and won’t have to drive home in the dark on rough roads any more.

Donna at American Title was kind enough to take a photo to celebrate the closing

The house closed fairly quickly, and by mid-May Deborah was out of the apartment and moved into her new place.

In the midst of the simple everyday stuff of life, Mother’s Day showed up with flowers and cards and lots of love from all three of my daughters.  I am so darn lucky to have such sweet and loving girls in my life.   

Mother’s Day flowers from Daughter Melody 150 miles away in Brownsville, Oregon

Mother’s Day flowers from Daughter Deanna almost 700 miles away in Eastern Washington

Mother’s Day lunch from Daughter Deborah right here in Grants Pass.

Deborah and her son Matthew on Mother’s Day.  The Red Robin thing is becoming a tradition.

After celebrating Mother’s Day it was time to prepare for a trip to the coast.  Mo and I wanted to go to a place at the beach where we could also do some kayaking.  Many times on our way north toward Florence we have passed several inland lakes and thought they would be great for kayaking.  A few years ago we camped at Honeyman State Park, just south of Florence, and remembered that it was quite pleasant there.

The park is adjacent to the huge sand dunes that are so popular for 4 wheelers, and we avoided it thinking it would be noisy.  Instead, the noisy vehicles are restricted to certain areas, and what we discovered was that in the park they are restricted from May 1 through October 1.  I managed to get a reservation, with Honeyman for some reason being a park where everything isn’t booked solid months in advance.

Site 192 in the D Loop

The park isn’t close to the beach, with the huge dunes forming a great barrier between the ocean and the campground.  Hiking the dunes is fun and exhausting, and getting to the beach across the dunes is an activity for people much younger than we are. It didn’t matter, though, because we decided to focus on kayaking the local lakes rather than spending much time at the beach.

Phil and Joanne were right next to us

I made our reservation, and then when talking with my friend Joanne, got a real suprise.  “Suzanne!!” (Joanne still calls me by my official birth name I used back in the 80’s).  “Maybe we can go too!”  Within minutes I got another call and Jo told me that they had a reservation right next to us.  The next day Joanne called me again saying our mutual friends, Harvey and Colleen, from Bellingham, Washington, were on their way back home from Southern California and got a reservation right next to the four of us.  Oh my.  Our little two person getaway turned into a social event.

Harvey and Colleen were right next to Phil and Jo

I had forgotten how lovely Honeyman State Park was.  It was surprisingly uncrowded, with just a few rigs around us, well hidden by the old growth forest that graces the park.  

On that first night, Phil and Joanne were responsible for our shared supper.  Both couples are vegetarians and Phil made spaghetti and “meat” balls which were delicious.  It was a lovely supper and the six of us settled around the campfire that night laughing and sharing stories and memories.

Before traveling to Honeyman, Mo and I read about Cleawox Lake, located near the entrance of the park, and knew it would be a good place to kayak.  On our first morning there, we launched at a small spot referred to locally as the Eye of the Needle.  It was a perfect easy place to get in and out of the boats, with shallow water and not too muddy.  

On that first morning we meandered around some of the small arms of the lake before returning to the large dune that we learned later is encroaching on the lake.  The lake itself is created from small streams that enter from the north but are then blocked by the dune from continuing to the ocean.

The water was quiet for most of our paddle, and we had no trouble getting out of the boats for a dune walk with Mattie.  She did her usual sand zoomies, but at nearly ten years old, she is beginning to wear out a bit sooner than she used to.  Still, it is wonderful to see her zooming around in the sand.

The winds were up by the time we got back to our launch site, and rolling into the water was definitely a bit chilly.  I was happy to get back to the MoHo with the heater going and another cup of hot coffee to warm up.  

The afternoon slipped by easily with a couple of walks and some visiting with our friends before it was time for supper.  This evening was my turn and I chose to make tacos.  I brought my big electric pancake grill and set it up outside to grill corn or flour tortillas to order, had a big pan of sauteed peppers and onions fajita style to add to all the extras for tasty tacos.  They were a big hit.  

Left to right:  Mo, Harvey, Joanne, Phil, Colleen

That evening, with Colleen being sensitive to smoke, we sat by their propane campfire for the evening visiting time.  It was pleasant, and easy, and of course there was no smoke, but I missed the crackle and Mo does love to fiddle with the campfire, so she missed that.  I don’t think we will be interested in a propane campfire any time soon. I had forgotten that marshmallows contain gelatin, a no no for vegetarians, so the pack I bought to share around the campfire remained unopened.  Next time.  I am not that crazy about marshmallows, but I do love to cook them over the campfire.

The next morning Mo and I went kayaking again, leaving at 7:30 in order to beat the winds.  On the previous day we met some women kayakers who were part of a local kayak group and they told us that if we followed a nearly invisible arm of the lake to the north we could paddle a mile and a half to the headwaters of the lake.

It was absolutely gorgeous at that time of day, with very little wind and silky smooth water.  We paddled in the morning silence all the way to the end where there were a few houses along the shoreline.  

I laughed when I told Mo I could never live in such a beautiful place.  It was so dark and shady and so very damp.  Lovely to look at but I could only see mold and mildew inside those houses so close to water and fog and the ocean.

Native rhododendrons in bloom on the shores of Cleawox Lake

When we returned, it was time for a bit of relaxation before saying goodbye to Harvey and Colleen as they departed for their home in Bellingham.  We then piled Phil and Joanne and Mo and I into the Tracker for a trip just a couple of miles north into Florence.  

I stole this photo from the website of Pono Hukilau

It was a lovely sunny afternoon with a chilling breeze so we were grateful for the glass walls that protected us as we sat outdoors at Pono Hukilau for a fancy cocktail.  Their menu looked interesting, but Phil and Joanne had another place in mind for supper in the waterfront section of Florence.

When we asked for “cruise cocktails” we got umbrellas and pineapple treats

We first enjoyed a visit to Joy of Quilting, one of my favorite quilt shops.  The ladies were helpful and delightful and Joanne fell in love with some gorgeous fabric and I said sure, I can make that for you.  So they bought the fabric and pattern and I now have a lap quilt project to make for their motorhome.  I couldn’t resist buying a few yards of fabric for myself, in spite of the stash I have in my quilting closet.

We spent some lovely hours wandering the streets of Old Town Florence, enjoying the high end galleries and the kitchy souvenier stores as well.  Phil and Joanne live in Eugene, not far inland from Florence, and have eaten at several of the restaurants there.  Their choice for the evening meal was a place called Nosh Eatery.  

The evening special was meat loaf, although I never saw one presented like this before

The restaurant didn’t feel especially fancy, but the food was excellent.  By the time we finished our meal the place was completely packed, so evidently it is very popular.  We didn’t choose to eat at Mo’s, the famous fish and chowder restaurant just across the street.  It seems the food isn’t as good as it used to be so it was time to try something new.  

The next day it was time to pack up and head home.  With checkout time at 1pm Mo and I decided that we should leave by 11.  There was just enough time for me to take a walk with Phil and Joanne on the park trail that led to Woahink Lake, just east of the highway.  There is a pedestrian bridge on the trail that crosses the road to avoid having to deal with traffic on 101.

Woahink Lake was beautiful at that time of day, although afternoon winds would make kayaking difficult.  As the women from the kayak group said, most of the time the winds come up by 11 so it is imperative to get out early for peaceful kayaking.

Phil and Joanne on the pedestrian bridge that crosses Highway 101

When I returned from my walk, Mo had readied everything for our departure and I was sorry I had dallied so much on the walk.  

Woahink Lake just east of Highway 101 at the edge of Honeyman State Park

On the way home, we stopped along the highway at the elk viewing area where a large herd of Roosevelt elk could be seen in the distance across the meadows.  It was much warmer inland than it had been at the coast.  

Roosevelt Elk at the O.H. Hinsdale Elk Viewing Center

Even though our focus for this trip was kayaking, I was a bit surprised that we never actually made it to the beach.  It was an excellent trip with time spent with good friends that we don’t see very often.With almost two months to write about, I am feeling a bit disjointed.  What have I forgotten?  What do I remember most?  Looking back it seems the times spent with daughter Deborah as she went through her transition from a rental to her own home was the most memorable.  She spent a few weekends with us, saving her the need to drive back and forth from Trail to Grants Pass.  We had good meals, watched some fun tv together, and as a mom, there is nothing quite as sweet as waking up in the morning to a sleepy-eyed daughter meeting me in the hall.

I will end with the other incredibly memorable moment that happend on the 10th of May.  Right here in Grants Pass, we were treated to a truly spectacular light show as the aurora lit up our skies for several hours that night.  It was one of the nights that Deborah stayed with us so I got to share it with her.  Deb and I sat outside on the hot tub deck watching the lights toward the northern skies.

People have said that the photos must be enhanced, but I am here to say they are not.  The photos I took with my Galaxy phone captured light in a way that wasn’t quite as visible with the naked eye.  All over the internet when people discussed the lights, which were seen as far south as Alabama, they talked about how phone cameras were one of the best ways to truly capture the magnificent display.  

This shot was taken at 11:22 PM on May 10.

So yes, these photos are exactly as they came out of the camera.  I used no enhancements or contrast or saturation fixes as I sometimes need to do with everyday photos.  It was a beautiful experience to share with Mo and my daughter Deb.

This shot was taken 11 minutes earlier at 11:12

This was a bit earlier, taken at 10:49, before we knew how bright it would get.  Notice the Big Dipper at the top of the photo.

I will end with the last photo we took of the aurora on the following night, May 11, from the back deck at 9:42 PM PST.  It was barely visible to the naked eye and we very nearly missed it.  This last bit of the aurora on that night only lasted 20 minutes or so unlike the night before which lasted until almost 2AM.  What a truly amazing experience to see lights this spectacular this far south and in reasonable proximity to the city lights of Grants Pass.  No doubt a once in a lifetime experience.

As is often the case, I am writing about our most recent trip after the fact.  Planning just 4 nights at the beach, I decided taking a laptop with me was a waste of precious time.  After all, we were sharing this little trip with Daughter Deborah, and sitting around writing during the day wasn’t a great idea.  The other time I use for writing is very early in the morning, rising before Mo at 3 or 4 am to sit at the dinette to write.  However, Deborah’s sleeping space is that very dinette, with the table removed, and the benches extended to make a somewhat comfy bed.  This time I made sure we had an additional pad to put under Deb’s sleeping bag and she said the bed was great.

Deb is so easy to travel with.  She adjusts to our travel habits with grace, waking when we do, going to bed when we do, and enjoying most of what we enjoy.  As always, it was a delightful trip and a wonderful way to get extended time with Deborah.

Another thing that made the trip extra special for me was a chance to share with Deborah some of what we love about going to the coast.  Deborah had been through Brookings on the way to Gold Beach but had never visited Bandon.  We added a day trip to Bandon to our simple itinerary and it was a highlight of the trip for all three of us.

However, I must begin at the very beginning of our adventure.  The night before we departed in the MoHo, the three of us enjoyed an amazing performance by Melissa Etheridge at the historic Craterian Theater in Medford, not far from home here in Grants Pass.  I have seen Melissa perform live several times, the first in 1993 in Spokane Washington at the Opera House.  I was excited when I saw an ad for her upcoming tour and discovered that she would be near us.  We purchased the tickets back in January, with seats reasonably close to the front with a great view.

It was a spectacular performance, over two hours of non-stop entertainment with a bit of commentary thrown in about her experience doing a successful Broadway run.  The nice thing was that she didn’t slip into the “preachy” thing that stars sometimes do and spent 99 percent of the time singing.  Mo was amazed at her prowess on the many types of guitars she played, and at the end, she played the drums as well as any I have ever heard. It was a fun beginning to our time with Deborah.

Deb spent the night at our house and the next morning we took our time with the final loading of the MoHo.  Our check-in time at Beachfront RV Park in Harbor (just down the hill from Brookings) was 1PM, and with a 2.5-hour driving time from home, we didn’t have to rush. Beachfront wasn’t our first choice, but with our favorite campground at Harris Beach State Park fully booked since early January when I started looking, we decided that Beachfront would be a fine alternative.

The campground is considerably more expensive than Harris Beach, $55 per night compared to $32, but still with full hookups.  The park is also not exactly picturesque, but we did have a direct ocean view out of our front window, with surf loud enough to hear at night with closed windows.  

The sites at the park are all lined up on gravel, and the front row where we were has a nice cement patio and picnic table for each site.  Neighbors are close, but we lucked out in that no one parked on either side of us until Friday night.  Also, the county parking area for the beach is directly in front of the sites.  It was whale watching week, spring break, and Easter week, and many cars came and went as people enjoyed the surf and the views.  

A strong storm kept us company on the drive to the coast but let up in time for us to get hooked up and settled in.  Mo brought in an extra chair for relaxing indoors in the rain and whomever was in that chair got a direct view of the ocean right out the front window.  As lovely as Harris Beach campground is, the ocean is much further away from the campground than it is here at Beachfront.

With the sun appearing to brighten the afternoon it was a good time to show Deborah a bit of what we love about Brookings.

Our first stop was the beautiful Azalea Park, where Mo and I go annually for the magnificent Festival of Lights at Christmastime.  I barely recognized the park without the 4 million lights we are used to seeing.  It was lovely, smaller than I realized, and the beautiful church was closed.    

The hundreds of azaleas that the park is named for weren’t yet blooming, but as we walked we discovered a trail lined with rhododendrons, some already in full bloom.  The park will be breathtaking in another month, but we were happy to see even a few rhodies blooming this early in the spring.

We then drove the short distance toward the north side of Brookings to show Deb our favorite campground.  It was full except for the tent sites, and there were lots of people out walking.  Deb’s vacation time is tied to spring break, so our choice of a week to go camping was definitely affected by our timing.

I had one of our favorites ready in the freezer.  The Olive Garden version of Zuppa Toscana is so delicious.  I have learned to wait to add the kale and the cream until the base of the soup comes out of the freezer.  So yummy and perfect for a cold, rainy evening.  The sound of the rain pounding on the roof of the MoHo was surprisingly soothing if a bit loud.

The next day it rained all day, with temporary high winds and lightning to keep us settled indoors most of the time.  I wanted to share a special little shop in Brookings that I love.  The shop that now houses Feather Your Nest used to be the location for an old favorite.  Keepsake Quilting was a shop I discovered many years ago when I first started quilting.  Sadly, like many other quilt shops, the owner retired and the shop went out of business.  Feather Your Nest was previously located in a little shop down the hill in town, off the beaten track.  It had now matured and the shop is a delightful spot to just “look at stuff”.  However, the looking allowed Deborah to find some truly charming and inexpensive tops, and I found a few treats as well.  

After a short run into Fred Meyer for some necessities, Deb and I returned to Harbor.  The Freddy’s store in Brookings is huge, with two floors, and it is easy to get lost in there.  It is also almost always incredibly busy and this day was no exception.

After our shopping spree, we drove back down to Harbor to check out the fish shop.  Pacific Ocean Harvesters has some amazing smoked steelhead, fresh live or cooked crabs, and fresh tuna, halibut, and other fish brought in almost daily.  

We knew that Thursday and Friday had a great weather forecast and when we woke to sunshine Thursday morning we were happy that we had altered our original plan and saved our day for a trip to Bandon.  The drive north was beautiful in the sunshine, with coastal views for most of the route toward Port Orford.

We stopped in the tiny town for a few minutes to read the interpretive sign at the visitor center and take a break.  Port Orford is most famous for the only “dock dolly” on the West Coast. Vessels are launched and retrieved using the huge yellow cranes, and if you are there at the right time it is great fun to watch.

As we approached Bandon I chose the oceanfront route along the beach to visit the Face Rock Scenic Overlook.  When we arrived the parking lot was nearly full, and there were several whale watch volunteers with telescopes and binoculars.  Despite the clear skies, they had no whale sightings yet that day and attributed it to a pod of orcas seen farther south along the coast.  The gray whales know that their babies are a top food for orcas, and according to the volunteers were likely to have gone farther out to sea to avoid them.

Those hairdos might indicate just how strong the winds blew at Face Rock Overlook

As always, the winds were strong at the viewpoint, and the chill wasn’t conducive to walking down the many steps to walk on the gorgeous beach.  As much as I love the beach at Bandon, I have never visited when it wasn’t windy and cold.  That is another reason we do enjoy Brookings and Harris Beach.  It is almost always at least ten degrees F warmer than anywhere on the coast.  They call it the “Banana Belt” of the Oregon coast for a reason.

We didn’t linger long at the overlook.  We had important places to visit, the first being the famous Tony’s Crab Shack, with highly touted crab offerings on the menu.  The popularity of the place was obvious without any tables available when we first arrived.  Inside dining is nearly impossible with only a half dozen or so tables, but people waited for outside tables as well.  We got lucky at just the right moment when a nearby table suddenly emptied and I grabbed it while Deb went inside for our order.  Mo took Mattie back to the car because with all the dogs and people crowding the street, it isn’t fun dealing with Mattie and her reactive nature toward other dogs when she is on a leash.  It was cool enough that she could wait in the car for the time we remained in town.

Lunch was delicious, with Deb and I choosing a toasted crab sandwich and Mo opting for a well-made burger. We then walked toward Second Street in Old Town Bandon just a couple of blocks from Tony’s.

Coastal Mist is a gourmet chocolate shop that I try to visit whenever we are in Bandon.  I especially love the sipping chocolate, but Deb enjoyed a yummy macchiato and Mo said the Americano coffee was good as well.  Deb treated us to a few sweets to take back to the rig for after dinner.

Mo and I visited our favorite independent bookstore, Winter River Books where I found one of those treats of “real” bookstores, an interesting-looking hardback for half the price of a Kindle book.  There was lots more to see, but the little clothing shop I have frequented for years called my name.  I just knew Deborah would love it, and sure enough, she found a couple of great items.  Deb is still working in a real office most of the time, and as a director, she needs to wear nice clothes to work.  She had fun shopping with the only problem being making a decision as to which items to purchase.

It was a fun day, and we returned late afternoon in time to relax with a glass of wine while Mo set up our first campfire of the trip.  We were entertained by new neighbors who had moved in next door to us with kids playing catch and extended family gathering around and laughing.  

We were happy that Beachfront allowed campfires and brought a fire ring to our site upon our request when we checked in.  Nothing quite as lovely as a great campfire waiting for sunset.  Even though it was a bit cloudy, the sunset was enjoyable.  It was a perfect end to a nearly perfect day on the coast.

Saturday dawned clear and beautiful and the three of us woke to the loud sound of more than 300 sea lions barking in the harbor area just behind the park. 

Deb and I took the short walk to the view across the harbor to check them out.  Of course a bit of research was required, because Mo and I had never seen sea lions in the Brookings Harbor.  It seems these are California Sea Lions, with more then 200,000 of them along the Oregon Coast.  There are only around 40,000 Oregon Sea Lions on our coast.  The main differentiating characteristic between the two is the large hump on the forehead of the male California Sea Lions.  No matter the variety of sea lions, they were VERY loud and sort of fun to watch with all the jostling for position between the big boys and some of the younger ones.

We originally thought we might drive south on this day to Crescent City for fish and chips at another favorite place of ours, the Chart Room.  After a bit of ruminating, and seeing the beautiful day that awaited, the three of us gave up on the idea of wasting much of the day driving and decided instead to spend it right where we were in Harbor and Brookings.

Deb had never actually visited Harris Beach, and that was the first thing on our agenda on a gorgeous morning.  There was very little wind and the sun was warm.  Mo and I have traveled to Harris Beach for years, and in all our visits we have never seen the beach this crowded.  There were people and dogs and families everywhere.  Little kids in shorts were jumping into the icy Pacific waters and screaming loudly.  It was a very different experience from the last time we visited when we had the beach almost completely to ourselves.

It was beautiful, as always, and even more so seeing it through the eyes of my daughter who was seeing it for the first time.  

Something a bit surprising to us was the drifts of thousands of small sea creatures that were left behind at the high tide line.  I had never seen them before, but again a bit of research yielded information about the velella creatures that are washed up on the beaches after especially strong winds.  Friends warned me that as they begin to decompose the smell is horrific.  Lucky for us, they were still quite fresh, with bright purple bodies, and funny little “sails” that felt exactly like the wings on a badminton shuttlecock.

After our long beach walk, we again settled in at home for some afternoon relaxation time before deciding where we might like to go to supper.  In the past, Mo and I loved to go to the Sportsman Bar and Grill, with outside seating.  Some time back it changed hands and was a pizza place.  Now it is called Zola’s on the Water, and the menu looked very interesting.

An image of the bar in Zola’s that I took from their website.  No photographer attributed

We went to Zola’s around 4, and it was already crowded.  We had a drink at the bar, and after 40 minutes or so were seated at a table.  At the bar, Deb ordered an appetizer for us that easily fed the three of us.  It was something with a name I don’t remember, but it was basically really good french fries, drizzled with “hot” honey, and covered with crunchy bacon and some other stuff.  It was sooooooo good and I have no idea how to duplicate it.  As filling as the fries were, dinner was a bit of an afterthought, but the shrimp in my shrimp cocktail was fresh, and Mo and Deb had flatbread pizzas which were tasty.

Surprisingly, at 6 PM when we were finally able to order, they were completely out of clam chowder, and they didn’t even have crusts for small pizzas.  The excuse was that they had been slammed all day.  I guess it might have been a reasonable excuse considering the crowds on the beach.

Our last day at the beach was on Easter Sunday, and it wasn’t yet 7am when we were awakened by the sound of music and singing nearby.  There was an Easter Sunrise service with a couple of dozen people on the path to the jetty singing and speaking.  It didn’t last long, and I never did figure out who was conducting the service.  

After breakfast, Deb and I took the opportunity to walk the beach in front of the RV park.  With the tide out we were able to walk almost a mile down the beach before turning back. We discovered to our delight that the tide had completely washed away all the drifts of velella that were on the beach on the previous days.  We both hoped that many of them survived the temporary beach landing.

Mo was tickled because Deb and I brought back some sweet little pieces of driftwood.

We checked out of the park before noon after Deb and I made a quick shopping trip to the fish store. They had some tuna and halibut in from the previous day but sadly were out of crab.  We left and drove just down the road to Catalyst Seafood, a restaurant where Mo and I went often in the past for fish and chips.  They did have fresh crab, and Deborah purchased two big beauties for a very reasonable amount of money.

Our trip home along the Smith River on Highway 199 was gorgeous.  The river was up from all the recent rains.  We stopped for lunch at a wide place that Mo and I remember well.  It was the spot where we had to pull over fast after a blowout on the MoHo 9 years ago and wait for AAA to arrive to change the tire.

On this beautiful Easter Sunday, the river ran wild and gorgeous with the turquoise color that is so magical.  This photo is honest-to-goodness real, that river really is that color! No need for any kind of enhancements from Lightroom for this one.

Arriving home in Grants Pass felt a bit strange.  After Deb left for her home in Trail, I looked around and thought about all the times I have gathered my family to share in Easter celebrations.  Not this time. but I told the gang to be ready for next year because I don’t want to miss hostessing another Easter family celebration.

It has become a tradition for the last few years:  Mo will start thinking in January about where she might like to spend her March birthday and what she would like to do.  

Sometimes, as we did last year, the trip involves several days of camping and we traveled north to the part of Oregon where Mo was raised. We camped on nearby Sauvie Island and spent a few days exploring the places that Mo remembered from her youth

One year we spent a very cold and windy day playing in the snow at Crater Lake.

In 2021 Mo decided that we should spend a day exploring some of the covered bridges in Southern Oregon. 

One year we drove over the pass toward Klamath Falls and ended up spending a beautiful starry night at a wonderful campsite in Lava Beds National Monument.

Whether we are at home, or traveling the country, most often Mo will decide in advance what kind of day she would like to celebrate her birthday.  The one thing that I can be sure of is that under NO circumstances is there to be any kind of a party for her. That is the only request that she is adamant about.  Most often we will celebrate with a nice restaurant meal.  I have come to look forward to her birthdays, and to enjoying whatever outing she plans for us to share.  This birthday was no exception. 

Mo decided this year that she would like to explore some ghost towns.  She did as she often does, researching extensively to learn about places to visit.  The problem was that there are not a lot of ghost towns in this part of Oregon that have buildings that are still standing.  

Mo did find some historical sites to visit that were interesting to explore, and a couple of them were places that we have passed many times driving here and there without paying much attention to the history.

Our first stop on our birthday tour was the small community of Rock Point, Oregon.  Rock Point is just north of the junction of Interstate 5 and Oregon Highway 99 along the Rogue River.  The small community was founded by John B White, who fought in the Rogue Indian Wars.  In exchange for his service, he was awarded land in this location and developed a homestead on the north side of the old stage road now in the vicinity of Highway 99 and continues on a road fittingly known as “Old Stage Road”.

We read that there was a tavern and a stage stop and that John B White was the postmaster.  We also read that the tavern and stage stop were still standing, but there was no actual location for the existing buildings listed.  Imagine our surprise to discover that the existing tavern and stage stop was now the location of the beautiful tasting room for Del Rio Vineyards, a site we have passed often without a clue of the history behind the building.

Mo also wanted to visit the beautiful and historic bridge built in 1919, famous for its lovely arches.  Unbeknownst to us, we have traveled over this bridge countless times without a clue about its history.  We never had a clue that beneath us as we crossed the bridge were the lovely arches that made the bridge so special.  

We exited our normal route toward Gold Hill near the winery and parked along the old road to walk beneath the bridge.  Even though it had snowed earlier that day, the sun was brilliant and the snow was melting enough that walking around wasn’t terribly difficult.

Mo also read about the Dardanelles Post Office in the community of Dardanelles, which we discovered was simply an extension of Rock Point, or what it was once called, “Point of the Rocks”.  The old post office just across the river opposite Rock Point still stands and is now a convenience store and gas station.  The original postmaster was none other than J.B. White himself.

Another site in Rock Point that we have passed many times is the historic Rock Point Cemetery. More than 100 years ago, a local landowner deeded 26 acres of land for a cemetery just south of the tavern and stage stop.  Part of the cemetery land was deeded to the IOOF and that side was maintained but another section became known as the Pioneer Cemetery and declined.  In 1955 a group of citizens got together, cleaned up the cemeteries, and recorded tombstones and grave markers.  There are many stories still out there about hauntings, including eerie lights and sounds and a green fog that suddenly appears.  

On this lovely sunny, chilly day, we saw no evidence of hauntings but thoroughly enjoyed viewing the old gravestones and inscriptions in the part of the cemetery that we visited.

The ghost town of Golden is north of Grants Pass near Wolf Creek, but Mo didn’t want to go that far north so visiting that ghost town will have to wait for another day.  The second ghost town that remains in our area is Buncom, Oregon.  

We continued south along Old Stage Road toward Jacksonville and decided that traveling to Buncom via Sterling Creek Road would allow us to avoid backtracking as we left Buncom.  Sterling Creek road is narrow and winding and crosses some steep hills as it leads toward the old ghost town in what is now called the Little Applegate.

As the road climbed the hills, the snow got deeper until we decided it was snowy enough to kick in the ECT drive on the car, which helps in snowy conditions.  By the time we got to Buncom, however, there was no sign of snow and the sun was again shining brilliantly.

The tiny town of Buncom was settled in the 1850s by Chinese miners.  Locals got wind of the find, pushed out the Chinese, and established a general store, a saloon, and a post office before the 1900’s.  In 1918, however, the town was abandoned because the region’s gold dried up.  Shortly after that, many of the remaining buildings in the town were destroyed by a fire.  Only three buildings survived, the town post office, a wooden bunkhouse, and an old cookhouse.

In 1990, the Buncom Historical Society was formed by local residents who wished to preserve what remained.  Beginning in 1993, they organized the first “Buncom Day”, an all-day annual affair designed to promote interest in local history.  There are events including a BBQ, a parade, a petting zoo, and craft and food booths.  According to something I read, up to 500 people attend to help raise money to preserve the buildings of Buncom and promote the history of the Little Applegate Valley.

Mo and I sometimes enjoy attending local gatherings like this but the last Buncom Day information I could find was from 2016.  I also found a notice indicating that Buncom Day 2023 has been postponed indefinitely.    Perhaps Buncom Day is going the way of Buncom town and may only be a memory.

No matter.  We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the old buildings in the sunshine, imagining the life that was once there.  Mattie thought the place was great as well since it allowed her to get out of the car and run around a bit.

The next town on Mo’s list wasn’t an actual ghost town, but the Ruch area had several buildings listed that were of historical significance.  The town was originally named after Casper M. Ruch, who bought a tract of land in 1896where the community now stands.  

The Historic McKee Bridge at Christmastime

Mo and I have traveled through Ruch many times on our way to visit the McKee Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The local people decorate the at Christmas time and it is always fun to drive south on a snowy day to see the bridge decorations.  

Ruch is also of significance to me personally since it is the town where my youngest daughter Melody moved to from Eastern Washington in the mid-90s.  I lived nearby at the time and I was devastated that she had to move so many hundreds of miles away from me.  I visited later that year and still remember she and her husband at the time and the little house they lived in. I often point out the driveway when Mo and I drive through Ruch and always am grateful that we are now only separated by 3 hours instead of 800 miles.  

Sweets-n-Eats in Ruch, Oregon for lunch

There are at least 8 historic markers within 7 miles of Ruch, but since we were looking for ghost towns rather than old town sites, we decided to stop at the local store for a bit of lunch instead.  Lunch was delightful, as we shared a hot dog between us before continuing on our journey.

Our next stop was the small community of Provolt where the Provolt Country Store is located on the Jackson/Josephine county line.  Local lore says Samuel Provolt, who established the store in 1875, later moved the store from Jackson County so that it would be in Josephine County because the taxes in Jackson County were getting too high.  This is an interesting story because, at this time, taxes in Josephine County are generally much lower than taxes in Jackson County.

The store has been a hub of local commerce continuously ever since it was established in 1875 and is thought to be the oldest continuously operating establishment in Southern Oregon selling an eclectic mix of convenience foods and nuts and bolts. 

The post office was established in 1895 and the first postmaster was Mary Provolt.  That post office was discontinued in 1955.  The historic Provolt Store is a popular site in Jackson/Josephine County, where people journey from town to enjoy the old-fashioned store and its popular delicatessen.  We visited the store once during our travels along Highway 238 through the Applegate Valley and didn’t feel a need to go inside on our visit this time.  We were still full from our hot dog lunch and knew that suppertime wasn’t far off.

North of the store, we drove a little bit further to discover a place new to us, the Provolt Recreation Site, a BLM Day use area with bike trails, walking trails, and picnic areas adjacent to the Applegate River.  It was quite chilly and beginning to rain, but we could see how it might be a fun place to visit on a hot summer day.

Our final destination for the day was at the northern end of the Applegate Valley and is a place that will be familiar to friends and readers of this blog.  We arrived at Schmidt Family Winery in time to get a nice indoor table near the fireplace to wait for daughter Deborah to arrive.  Deb agreed to come to help celebrate Mo’s birthday with wine and pizza at Schmidt and when she walked in the door she was carrying a beautiful bouquet of birthday flowers.

The music was perfect for the evening, the company was great, and the wine and pizza were delicious as always.  The entire day had been wonderful, without any mix-ups or surprises.  Mo does a great job planning these birthday trips and she said she was very happy with how the day turned out.  

Next year we will be in Desert Hot Springs and I look forward to seeing what Mo comes up with for us to do then.