North to Portland

Today we decided to follow Jack's advice and discovered the route he wanted us to take to Florence was a rather nice, scenic drive that didn't involve going over every mountain in sight. Guess that's a lesson learned. The Suislaw River is very pretty with lots of houses and docks. One thing we've learned in Oregon is that everyone seems to own at least one RV and most also have a boat. The RV and boat are not only at the better properties. In fact, some of the poorer appearing properties have multiple RVs and/or boats, some of which may even be in working order.




The clouds were hanging very low over the mountains along the Suislow River. That created an enjoyable view but could be tough if you were one of the lumberjacks working on the peak.











We passed through an interesting tunnel. It didn't have any height marked but looked tall enough for us to pass safely. After we go in the tunnel we realized it was a slight hill, with both ends lower than the middle. I don't remember ever seeing that in a tunnel.








We finally got to I-5 and headed north towards Portland. We were amazed at the flat land we were seeing. I guess we always envisioned Oregon as one mountain on another. There were some lone hills along the way and they looked strangely out of place. The I-5 corridor from Eugene to Portland is mostly agricultural. There are a lot of very large nurseries and even a cut flower farm. The farm was pretty but did not photograph well at 60 mph.








Then we hit Coburg OR, the home of Monaco, the company that makes our motorhome. Well I should say former, since they have been bought out by another company. We did see several support companies for the motorhome industry and even passed Marathon coach. It had some units in the parking lot but somehow looked pretty deserted.












Oregon prides itself in being a "green" state. I guess this cell tower is their attempt to naturalize the unnatural. We did find there is a nickle deposit on each of the small water bottles when we bought a case and they charged us $1.20 deposit! Of course, there is a deposit on aluminum cans also. The water bottle deposit only started in January. Our last campground had recycling containers for "pop" cans and when I took our last load of trash and recycle over this morning, there were no aluminum cans and very few plastic bottles. We had put at least 8 cans and 12 bottles in yesterday! We think we now know why we kept seeing a couple that didn't look like they belonged in the RV park. ding. Maybe when times are tough visiting RV camp trash may be worth while.













Our campground, The Sandy Riverfront RV Resort, is very nice. There are quite a few permanent sites but plenty of room for us. After we set up and ate some lunch we decided to explore a bit. The Columbia River Gorge is not far from here and that was on our list of things to do. It was crowded so we decided to return tomorrow. But we did see a GSP finally! And it was being walked/dragged along the Columbia River. Years ago there was a famous kennel in this area and they produced some great champions. Don't think this was one of them.





It was hot here today! Low 90's was quite a change from the 60's we were experiencing along the coast. When we were on our drive along hte river, we saw several parking lots full and crowds of people. Apparently the thing to do on a hot day is go on down to the river! Families were wading in the river up to their waist with a few using kayaks and rubber rafts. Very interesting!

Tomorrow Dennis will attempt to get his routine bloodwork done at the Quest lab nearby. I will be contacting a dentist - any dentist capable of regluing the cap that came off on Saturday morning. Once our health needs are tended to, we will do some more exploring and even visit Mt. Hood, which looks beautiful in the distance.

The other lighthouse

We made a short trip to Umpqua Lighthouse this afternoon. Even though we had already toured one lighthouse in Oregon, this one was slightly different. The site was the first lighthouse commissioned in Oregon (1857). Unfortunately the first structure was not very stable and fell into the river in 1861! The present lighthouse is a 65 ft tower, a few feet higher than the Heceta Head lighthouse. The signal is red-white-white, while Heceta head was all white, with 10 sec between flashes. The Umpqua lens was built in France, Heceta's was from England. Umpqua is still a Coast Guard Station with private housing on base. We're not sure exactly what they do but the guide said they do go in and out of the jetty and appear to be working on homeland security.








There was a very interesting museum at Umpqua. Part of the museum was devoted to the lighthouse and the second floor was a museum for the Coast Guard station. It was interesting to see the acommodations and equipment used during the time the lighthouse was in active use. Since it is in the Tsunami zone we didn't stay too long.











Umpqua is in the area of the sand dunes and dune buggies are very popular. Somehow the buggies we saw reminded me of the turnpike ride at HersheyPark. We were told rentals can run up to $80 per hour. Of course we aren't the dune buggy types so we just watched. On the way back to the highway, we passed 2 campgrounds that were frequented by dune buggy riders - glad we didn't pick one of those for our stay.










After the lighthouse we stopped at an elk viewing area. Of the hundred or more elk in this herd, only 3 were visible - 2 cows and a bull. One of the cows was hosting a string of cowbirds on her back. After she laid down, the birds moved to another smaller cow, who chased them from her back by swinging her head. We always heard the birds on the back of animals are helpful and don't harm the animal. But these elk didn't get that memo!









The clouds and fog started to move in by the time we were heading back to the RV. Looks like we'll have another gray morning for our next leg of the journey.














Another visitor to one of the pulloffs made us glad we only travel with 4 dogs. This person had 2 dogs and 2 sheep in the trailer.














We forgot the eagle story from our trip yesterday. While viewing one of the water spout sites, we saw a bald eagle flying over the trees. It was being harassed by 3 small birds. Maybe eventually we'll get close enought to get a really good picture.

To the Oregon coast

Driving from Medford to Florence was somewhat tedious. We knew we had to go over 4 mountain passes but it actually turned out to be more like 7. It seems only ones noted in the Mountain Advisory publication are those with numerous curves and speed restrictions. So we did a lot of ups and downs.

When we exited I-5, Jack wanted us to take one route but a fellow camper had suggested another road. We've had other examples where Jack didn't know _ _ _ _ and figured this was one of those times. So we didn't follow Jack and like all good navigators, he recalculated and recalculated. As it turned out, Jack's route would have been the quickest and shortest but maybe not the most scenic.





Oregon has a reputation for being a logging giant but we had not seen any evidence of that up until now. Someone commented that most of the forests are Bureau of Land Management properties and logging isn't allowed. The land between Medford and Florence is privately owned and logging is extensive. Unlike the logging we do back home, the land is clear cut here. And everything is on steep slopes. We wished we could see some in operation as it must be quite a feat getting the trees down and out. We're heard they use helicopters but didn't see any evidence of that.




We finally reached the Coastal Highway at Coos Bay and headed north. We crossed a drawbridge and noted that the signs indicating height restrictions on the bridge were partway across the bridge. It sure would be tough to turn around if you were too tall to clear! We also saw this swivel bridge beside the drawbridge. Don't know if it was for trains or just tall trucks!








Then the ocean disappeared! So much for seeing the Pacific on this drive. We were inland several miles, which may have been best considering all the Tsunami warning signs we have seen. Finally we started seeing dunes and knew we were near our destination.

Our site in Florence is Pacific Pines RV Resort and it is very nice. Plenty of space and all the amenities. The rhododendron festival was 2 weeks ago but we are still enjoying the blooms beside the motorhome.






On Friday we set out to drive north to see some of the coast. Our first stop was the well-known Heceta Head Lighthouse. It was quite windy and cool along the coast and also the day for numerous school trips. We were fortunate to get the tour between groups of 2nd and 5th graders. The life of a lighthouse keeper must have been rough. Supplies arrived every 6 months and that also appears to be the only time there was contact with the outside world. Of course, the keepers had families there and there was even a school for their children and the few locals that had settled in the area.




The house that is still standing was the assistant lightkeeper's house. Two families lived there - the first and second assistant's. The head lightkeeper's house was sold in 1940 for $10 after it wasn't being used. The new buyer tore it down and used the lumber to build a store inland. The view from the lighthouse was great and we even saw a seal in the water below. There were a number of different types of seabirds and wild flowers on the property.







We continued up the coast and made several stops at ocean overlooks, including one at Strawberry Hill. Some Stellar sea lions were sunning on the rocks at this point. Dennis watched as one climbed onto the rock from the water and he was quite agile. But generally, they looked like shapeless bags of flab. And because of their coloring, are somewhat hard to pick out on the rocks (there are 4 in this picture).








Our northernmost destination on this day was the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. The center had some beautiful exhibits of native fish and inhabitants of the coastal tidal pools. It was a lot easier to photograph the sea urchins here than try to climb over wet rocks. The starfish are some of the largest we have seen, and also the most colorful. There is a bacteria or fungus growing in the tanks that has spread throughout their "hands on" exhibits. This has caused the pink background and has even coated some of the organisms in the display.








This fairy shrimp was just begging to be photographed! It's a tiny thing but the Nikon did very well shooting through the glass of the tank.












We drove back to Pacific Pines and stopped at a few interesting overlooks but apparently were either too early or too late. There was a front moving in with strong westerly winds and some of the areas were very misty. We couldn't decide if it was sea mist or smoke at one site.











Several stops had interesting wave action during storms or high tide - we had neither. But there were still some pretty sights and it was interesting watching the waves hitting the rocks.














By the way, for those of you interested in what you do with four dog crates when you have no dogs... drying jeans after 40 minutes in campground dryer, storing ice chests not in use, holding reference materials and reminding us of the four dogs that love and miss us!

Searching for Eagles

We wanted to see another Bald Eagle or two and hoped to photograph one close enough to be recognizable in the picture. So, according to the tour books, we needed to drive to Klamath Falls, a town about 60 miles east of our campground. So after a leisurely morning, and a quiet walk with Bert Jr, we packed our lunch and off we went.















This drive was through ranch land with a lot of cattle and horses. Now I am starting to feel better about eating beef. The ranches were some of the largest we have seen. Lush green pastures and cool shade with plenty of water for the stock. It also is good for elk according to the roadside signs. That would be a thrill having one of those animals run across the road in front of the van!











The drive was pleasant and then, of course, came the mountains. It is hard to go anywhere around here without driving up and down a mountain. But this one had some surprises. We came upon a beautiful lake near the top and decided to pull in to stretch our legs.




















While we were walking around the lake, a pickup truck marked "Pilot Car" came to a screeching halt outside the bathroom. A few minutes later, the driver jumped back in the truck and left. When we got back on the road, we saw the dreaded Road Work Ahead Be Prepared To Stop signs. And stop we did. We waited and waited and finally saw a line of traffic coming from the other direction - LEAD BY THE PILOT CAR!!! Then it was our turn to follow the pilot through the construction. This procedure is a new experience and we can't imagine being the pilot for a full shift. B-O-R-I-N-G... almost as bad as those truck drivers in the copper mine.


We came into the Klamath Valley and discovered Upper Klamath Lake right beside the road. The highway departments out here don't believe in using guard rails so one false move and... We drove into the town of Klamath Falls and found the Tourist Information Office. We were looking for the birding trail maps advertised in tourist brochures. The office is located in the Favell Museum and we had been told this was a worthwhile stop. So we decided to check out the museum, which has a fantastic collection of Indian artifacts and art. They also have a collection of working miniature guns. These are interesting but apparently do work and can inflict damage.



After the museum we tried one of the birding trails and only saw sparrows. It was hot (upper 80's) and we decided to check out another trail where Eagles were often seen. Well, no eagles today but we did see some Western grebes, an unidentified duck, and a pelican that was flying overhead. We started back to the RV park and as we passed Upper Klamath Lake - there were the pelicans!









And going up the mountain - an eagle's nest on top of one of the spruce trees. No eagles but that's ok. It was a pleasant day and beautiful weather (again). Tomorrow we're off to Florence, along the Oregon coast. Lighthouses, seals and beaches, here we come!

Botany 101

Our excursion today was focused on seeing some of Northern California's animal and plant life, especially the redwoods. The Redwood Highway is an interesting road, through a few small towns and up and down large hills or mountains. The drive along the Smith River reminded us of a road rally - twists and turns on a somewhat narrow road with steep drop offs and rock slide areas. A drive not for the faint of heart. Thankfully we were in the van, can't imagine driving this in the motorhome.

To our surprise, we came upon the tunnel! We never expected to see tunnels through the mountains but this is the third one we've gone through on this trip. Usually we turn an corner and there it is. The interesting part about this one was the bicycle notification system. If the light is flashing it is because a bicyclist has pushed the button to notify you there is a cyclist in the tunnel. We didn't see it in operation - in fact we didn't see cyclists on this leg of our trip, for a change.





We saw a pull off for the Darlingtonia Trail and decided to investigate. It was a nature trail to a bog and the wild flowers were in bloom. It has been a long time since we've attempted to identify plants, especially without the aid of reference materials. So we took the pictures and then consulted the internet to try to put names on the plants. The darlingtonia are pitcher plants. They were in the bog area and very plentiful. We've never seen these in the wild and they were quite large.













The signs cautioned about the presence of poison oak in the bog. We don't see that in PA but recognized it here and avoided it. These inside-out flowers were pretty and rather unusual.






















There were several wild orchids, including a species of lady slipper and this pretty pink one that we still have not identified.

















These cats ears were unusual because they have lots of hairs on the petals. We can certainly see why they are called cats ears.











But the prettiest flowers were on the western azalea. We lucked out when we decided to travel at this time of year since there were a lot of wild flowers in bloom. After this pleasant stop, we continued south on our route to the redwoods. Then the 50mph plant id started. We used to do this when we were taking botany and for a few years after we graduated. But it is much more challenging when you are out of your home territory. Most of the roadside plants were in areas that prevented stopping.







Dennis slammed on the brakes when we crossed this bridge. His grandfather was Allen D Lehman! We backed up and got a picture of the sign just for posterity. I googled Allen F Lehman but couldn't find out who he was.











The redwoods are in parks that are managed jointly by state and federal agencies. So some maps list the Redwoods State Park and others the National Park. We were prepared with our old fart pass but didn't need it. Our first stop was the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The employee at the gate recommended we take the Howland Hill Road drive. We were warned it was a dirt/gravel road with some potholes. Yep! it had potholes. But we drove right through a stand of redwoods and could stop and gawk and photograph.







There were quite a few cars taking that trip, which was about 3 miles. We could have continued for another 8 miles but decided to head back to the main road. Besides, how many redwoods can you look at?























The drive continued along the Smith River. We were amazed by the color of the water and concluded there must be copper leaching into the river from somewhere. The water was so clear (compared to back home) and the color so intense.

















When we drove south of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, we realized we could have seen the same sights while driving on a main road! The big difference was we couldn't stop and touch any of the trees.
















Route 101 (the Redwoods Highway) took us through the town of Crescent City and we had our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean (on this trip). The water seemed rough but not quite enough to make the Tsunami warning posters a reality.














Eventually we reached the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. This is where we had hoped to see the Roosevelt elk that are only found in this area. And sure enough, there they were. We saw the smallest herd in the park - several bulls still in velvet and several cows. They were grazing and laying down in the field. As tourists (including us) stopped they would watch but never seemed to be in a panic.

Drive back to the RV near Medford Oregon was almost 3 hrs with a stop at the local Rite Aid to pick up Dennis' prescription refills. Nice service from Rite Aid to be able to fill Rx at any location!

Crater Lake area

We have been blessed with great weather - sunny, low 80's and slight breeze. It dips down at night so we have been running the heat pump since we don't have any dogs to keep us warm. This RV park has a lot of full-timers/permanent residents and most are in 5th wheels. But our site is nice and we have everything we need.

Today was our trip to Crater Lake and part of the Umqua-Rogue River area. We packed drinks and sweatshirts and off we went. The road seemed to go on forever. It is great to see the big tall Douglas fir but after 10 minutes of driving through the trees, it does get a bit boring. We were hoping to see some wildlife or even Harry from Harry and the Hendersons. But all the animals were elsewhere.








Then we came upon the Rogue River Gorge and pulled in to check it out. The rocky chasm is narrow and the water rushes through with quite a roar. The mist at some spots creates a rainbow. This was a very pleasant stop to break up the drive.









Finally we arrived at the entrance road to Crater Lake. As we went up in elevation, snow banks started to appear along the road. First in patches and then some serious snow! Of course it was blackened from the road dirt but it was still a beautiful contrast to the evergreens. We had learned on the internet this morning that the rim drive was not open but we could get to the Inn and Discovery Point. We had expected this to happen since late may is "early" for visiting Crater Lake.
















Our first stop was the visitors center where the snow was about 8 ft deep at the entrance to the building. We watched a short video about the snow removal efforts in the park. Anyone who is afraid of sharp drop-offs along a road had better not apply for a snow removal job here. They have copper wire embedded in the road and sensors in the plows and frontend loaders. But, it was scary seeing them clear the road where there are dropoffs on either side. There was also a video about how the lake was formed, some factual and some mythical information about the volcano and some information about how it was discovered.










By this time we were getting hungry so we headed to the Crater Lake Inn for lunch. The building has been restored and is very pleasant. Our waitor is from Massachusetts and must have been having a bad day. He messed up our order and it took forever to get our food, we were not offered additional coffee till long after we had finished and the bill was also slow in coming. Needless to say the tip was a comment on his service!







We walked to the observation deck on the front of the Inn but it was hard to see the Lake because of the high snow banks. So off we went to Discovery Point for an unobstructed view of the lake. All the tour books mention the blue color and they were not wrong. It was beautiful. We think the snow enhanced the view and took a lot of photos (again thankful we are taking digital photos and not spending for film and developing).







The road was closed above Discovery Point but we could walk up the road as far as we wanted to go. We walked for some distance but when we saw the road open far ahead, we decided we would not reach the area where they were clearing snow so we turned back. A lot of people had written messages in the snow bank and we saw this one and thought it could be appropriate for us. A couple spoke to us as we were returning to the car. They are from New Jersey - Sussex County! They were familiar with the Hershey area and he has a brother who lives north of Palmyra.








When we left Crater Lake, we decided to venture further north to Diamond Lake. We stopped along they way at the Mt. Mazama viewpoint and met people from Bend, OR. The women is originally from PA and graduated from Millersville. Later we viewed Mt. Thielsen's craggy peak. It is different than the other mountain peaks we have seen. Diamond Lake was a disappointment after seeing Crater Lake. It is more of a recreational site.







On the road to Diamond Lake we had a real thrill- a bald eagle was soaring overhead. Of course, the photo did not turn out as we would have liked as we were buzzing along at about 50 MPH, but it was a thrill seeing the eagle in the wild. We did see a few mule deer and turkeys but their presence was definitely topped by the lone eagle.









At one of our stops this friendly chipmunk crawled under the van and then came out to pose for pictures before scampering off into the woods. It is different that the ones at home - larger and more stripes I think. But just as cute.

Tomorrow we are heading south to the California redwoods. Now those will be some BIG TREES. BTW, regular unleaded was $2.559/gal this morning. Diesel is actually cheaper at $2.439/gal.