Travelin' On

It’s that time of year again and we have begun the annual southward migration back to the boat. I know she is patiently awaiting our arrival and anxious to get back into the water. We left Vancouver September 29^th and this year we are taking the scenic route. In addition to the numerous stops on the list to visit friends and relatives, there are some new places we’d like to see as well. Besides, the weather in Mexico is still pretty warm so we aren’t in a big hurry to get into that. Our first stop was Astoria, just because. We spent so much time there in ’08 waiting for the bar conditions to be conducive to crossing that it was like revisiting an old haunt. It was awfully nice, though, knowing that all we had to do was climb into the truck and drive instead of heading out into the cold, intimidating Pacific this time.

Driving the coast route is a wonderful choice in this part of the world. The scenery runs the gamut between deep forest and breathtaking ocean views. Coastal towns of grayed shake buildings that huddle together in small inlets, atop shifting sands or perched high up on sheer cliffs with waves crashing at the bottom are interspersed often enough that there is little chance of driving too fast and missing the view.

A few miles down the road, in Seaside, we stopped for a couple days to spend some time with our friends, Rod and Debo. We had a nice visit, did a little shopping and walked the spectacular beach that goes forever. In this area the powdery sand and row upon row of frothy breakers seem to go on forever. The day we arrived the tide was way out and we walked for what seemed like miles looking for a whole sand dollar to take home. Alas, between the number of people who scour the beach for treasures and the sea gulls who eat the animals inside, all we found were halves and pieces.

After two days in Seaside it was on to Pacific City…about 50 miles farther south…and a much different beach. This tiny place is off the well used path (hwy 101) but is worth taking the bumpy ride to get there. Again, the sand is soft and fine, but here the waves pound around a rocky outcropping and onto a somewhat sheltered beach area. Holding court in the middle of this area is Haystack Rock. Here is where dorymen have launched and landed their boats since 1927. There were no dories working while we were there so I purchased a CD and Chris & I were appropriately impressed with their daring as they row over and through huge breaking waves. It brought back a few memories of Astoria bar crossings caught on tape…scary! This beach is also a big favorite with surfers and it was fun to sit in the brewpub on the beach watching the breakers and the surfers while we enjoyed the excellent food and beer. The trailer was just a short walk across the street so no worries about driving.

Yesterday we continued the drive to Florence and in and it is such a beautiful drive along the coast road. The highway is mostly lined with beautiful evergreens but regularly opens to spectacular views of the Pacific and miles and miles of beautiful beaches.

Today we are in one of Oregon’s beautiful state parks, snuggled down in the trees, waiting for the coffee to finish perking and just beginning to move around a bit. This state has wonderful camping available (for RV’s as well as tent campers) in most of their parks and most have yurts and/or cabins for rent as well. The rates are quite reasonable nd thus far we have had little trouble finding a vacancy. Our biggest challenge thus far has been getting into some of the spaces as the roadways are quite narrow and the other campers tend to park their tow vehicles such that it is sometimes difficult to maneuver around them. I’m not quite sure why they do that as there is plenty of room to get them clear off the road but it seems to be their preference. It just makes it more exciting to get the trailer backed into the space. Fortunately, Chris is pretty darn good at that.

This park, the Jessie M Honeyman Park, is just outside Florence and practically across the street from Chris’ brother, Lee’s, home. It is lovely area in the forest with trails, a lake or two and the main attraction, the huge sand dunes just beyond the trees. October 1^st is the first day of the “Discovery Season” which means that the ATVer’s are allowed to drive their vehicles directly from the campground onto the dunes instead of having to take highway 101 around to another area. I couldn’t even guess how many of these sand buggies are here but at 7:52 am they were already starting them up and heading out for a day of play. Sand racing isn’t something I have a lot of interest in but those who do it (and that includes my son and his family) love it.

We’re off to visit Lee and Julie and see their pictures from Ireland & Scotland. Can’t wait!