Road Trip

What fun! We've been traveling around the NW in the "dirt yacht" since the 2nd and I have been enjoying the heck out of showing Chris the sights. Since I grew up here it is sometimes a bit Deja Vu-ish but playing tour guide is really quite fun. We spent the 4th in Florence, OR at Chris' brother's home and since both his children were there we got in some nice visiting. Also managed to show photos of cruising in Mexico (again) to everyone. Monday we drove up 101 to visit friends in Lincoln City (OR) , Seaside (OR) and Ocean Shores (WA). On the drive north, I made Chris stop at Depoe Bay (OR) so he could see the incredible surf and unbelieveable harbor entrance there. Every time I see it I am amazed that boats (NOT sailboats!) go in and out all the time. While we were there two boats entered the harbor and, even though it was a relatively benign day surf-wise, it still made us tense right up just watching. It was really great seeing our friends again, sharing pictures and stories and getting caught up on what has been happening in their lives.

After leaving Ocean Shores we started doing some serious meandering and making more stops. The first was Lake Quinault. This is a place I have always thought was unbelieveably beautiful. The Lake Quinault Lodge was built by the CCC in 1926 and is very elegant and the grounds and view of the lake are gorgeous .

Continuing north we got more and more ocean views and we finally decided to stop at Ruby Beach. This place gets it's name from the garnets that are often found there. Alas, all we saw was sand, round, gray rocks and lots of driftwood. After the warm sunshine at Lake Quinault it didn't take long to feel the chill of the fog and the gray, wind-whipped ocean brought back memories of our southbound trip last year. We were both happy that "Faith" is in Mexico now and we don't have that miserable passage to look forward to again. Even though we didn't find any garnets, this beach was quite beautiful in a wild and rugged way but we were soon ready to climb back into the motorhome and toddle on.

Next stop was the Hoh Rain Forest. I had been there before but it had been many years and it was fun to watch Chris' awe. The first night we had a very nice camp spot just across the roadway from the River. It was late afternoon by the time we arrived and got the motorhome parked so we decided to just enjoy the quiet with a glass of wine and a book before making dinner. Hmmm...a lot like what happens after the anchor is down and set on the boat! The Hoh is a beautiful, peaceful place. There were no TV's, no "hook ups", no lights, nothing but the sigh of the forest in the wind and the gurgling of the River as it moved among the rocks. Next morning as I was fixing breakfast, the people with the spot right NEXT to the River left! We had decided we wanted to stay another night so we quickly took the eggs off the stove and moved into that primo spot. Way cool!! I was especially intrigued by an elderly woman (at LEAST my age but probably older) who was t-e-n-t camping with her dog in the spot next door. I intended to go visit with her but by the time I got around to it she had already left. I am as surprised and amazed by women who camp alone as some of my friends are at my wacky exploits!

After breakfast we were off to the Visitor's Center to find out more about the forest and then do some exploring. We first followed the 1.5 mile "Spruce" trail and it was like being picked up and deposited in the middle of a movie set. I kept waiting to see Bigfoot or fairies or Ewoks or some such creatures but, alas, no luck. When we got back to the Visitor's Center there was a guided trail walk about to begin with a park ranger so we joined that as well and wandered through the Hall of Mosses with the group. It was, again, very cool, but we decided we both would rather have done that walk by ourselves.

After walking trails all day (it wasn't particularly warm) both of us were suffering some definite joint issues ("You're not in Mexico anymore, Dorothy")! We hobbled back to the motorhome, ingested some aspirin and sat down to listen to the sound of the River while we recuperated enough to put dinner together. Chris took a shower (as it turns out, the RV has a shower that is twice the size of the one on the boat!) while I sat out by the water to read. A few minutes later I began to think I was drooling on my book...only to realize it had begun to rain. Aah nutz! Well, time for dinner and a game of Quiddler. Still, we are INSIDE a toasty motorhome (as opposed to the people next door in a tent) so it can't be all bad! Oh...and we never gave the critters a reason to come and bother us (see sign on top of picnic tables)!

Summer Fun

So far we are still having way too much fun. Having my parents' RV to live in during our visit here has been the perfect solution to the "where are we going to stay this summer" question. It means that we have our own little furnished apartment on wheels (and the friends & relatives don't have to worry that we'll move in on them), AND we can "take the house with us" and go "cruising" to do some visiting and sight seeing. Last weekend Chris & I towed Sue's little Catalina up to Sequim for her (she got a great new job necessitating the move) and I had a wonderful time giving him just a taste of that part of Washington. Sue will work and keep the boat in Sequim but is living in Port Townsend (the wooden boat capital of the western U.S.). That whole area is beautiful and Chris loved the scenery. Sunday we spent the night at the Tides Inn ("the romantic setting for the love scene in An Officer and A Gentleman") and Chris probably got tired of listening to me speculate on whether Richard Gere slept in our bed. As it turned out, the next morning we saw a sign on room 10 that stated THAT was the room the love scene was filmed in. sigh...
Tomorrow Chris & I are driving the motorhome to Florence, OR to visit his brother, Lee, and since both his kids and their families will be there as well it should be great fun. After the 4th we start meandering our way north on Hwy 101, visiting friends along the coast and then following the loop around the Olympic Peninsula. This is the part of the world where I grew up and I can hardly wait to show it to Chris. As a boy from the desert he is blown away by the amazing forests in the northwest. Being the facilitator of that awe is really, really fun.
Today is my friend, Mary's, first day of retirement so she & I have spent the day shopping. As I write this we are sitting in the "dirt boat" drinking wine and having cheese & crackers while Chris prepares a fabulous dinner for us. How can you beat it? I was happy to be the impetus for her to retire early. When we left for Mexico the seed was planted and her visit there last winter was the "straw that broke the camel's back". How great is that?

Road Trip

We’re back in the NW and trying to get used to the c-o-l-d again! It averages around the mid-70’s during the day but when the sun goes down so does the temperature and Chris & I have a blanket feud much of the night. My parents are letting us stay in their 29’ RV while we are in town and that has made life much easier in all sorts of ways. We are currently parked at the Jantzen Beach RV Park (right in the PDX flight path so it’s just like when I lived on the boat). This is a nice park with the River on one side, the shopping mall on the other and just a short walk to the marinas on the other end of the Island.

The trip home from Mexico was very nice though a bit rushed and it wasn’t without it’s share of “excitement”. First we had a blow-out in the middle of the Mexican desert but Chris, being the he-man that he is, had the spare on in no time and we were back on the road. Crossing the border involved an inspection of the truck contents but the Homeland Security people made it a pleasant enough experience and didn’t find any contraband. We had a nice visit with Chris’ mother, brother, sister-in-law, niece and cousin in Tucson but were only able to stay 2 days because Friday morning while brushing my teeth, one of my brand new crowns popped right off . This necessitated a trip BACK to the dentist in San Carlos in hopes of seeing him that day. As it turned out, we cooled our heels at the Adelaide apts for the weekend and it was Monday before I got the crown re-installed. Tuesday morning it fell off again when I was brushing! My dentist back here has kindly re-cemented it but it is apparently too big and may end up being replaced. Sigh…

From Tucson we drove to Las Vegas to see Chris’ son, Sterling, & his family. We crossed the Hoover Dam on the way (after successfully passing through two security checks). We didn’t have any drugs, guns or bombs and only 4 cans of Pacifico but we did have to explain what the mainsail was! The dam is an awesome accomplishment and the new suspension bridge they are building there is especially amazing.

We had a great dinner and nice visit with Sterling, Julie & Vivian and will be seeing them again when the family congregates in Florence (OR) over the 4^th. Next morning we left for Sutherlin (OR) where my daughter, Amanda, is. This is a two day drive so we decided to take the state highways instead of the interstate in order to see some new scenery.

The Nevada landscape was pretty much desert but many of the cacti were blooming so it was pretty cool. We spent the night in a lovely room at the Nugget that had a view of the RR tracks and a metal scrapyard. Chris doesn’t gamble but I managed to throw a half dozen quarters into slot machines as we walked by. No luck. No surprise.

Northern California, between Reno & Mt. Shasta, began as desert but before long we were ascending into the mountains of Lassen National Park. This is a beautiful area which is reminiscent of eastern Oregon. We passed a large military area around Susanville and saw a number of munitions bunkers (at least that’s what they appeared to be) that were camouflaged so they couldn’t be seen from the air. I was fascinated and tempted to snap a few pics but after thinking about it decided not to chance having MY picture taken by a surveillance camera. We passed beautiful Honey Lake and were intrigued by its gorgeous sky blue color. Over the past year we have become very attuned to the different colors of water which are influenced by such things as the depth, what the bottom consists of and the current sky conditions. This lake is surrounded by what looks like limestone so we thought that might be what the makeup is of the bottom and thus the reason for the color. Apparently it has a very high concentration of mineral salts and in the summer becomes an alkali flat.

Shortly after we’d stopped in Tonopah for lunch we passed the Desert Lobster Café and were disappointed that we were no longer hungry. This is a very large powerboat that sits in the middle of nowhere and has been converted into a diner. We definitely intend to stop here next time!

After a nice visit with Amanda’s family (where I got to meet my brand new great-grandson) we made the short trip to Portland, spent a night with Keely & Josh (Chris’ daughter) and then picked up my folks’ RV. We are quite happy to have the use of their “dirt yacht” while we are here. Now we are using our remaining time to visit friends & family, take care of business, reorganize our stored belongings, start collecting the things we need for next year’s cruising and do a little sight seeing. Stay tuned…the adventure continues!

Season End

I am sitting in our air conditioned room writing this and waiting for Chris to return from working on the boat again. We both went over and did some work this morning but then I spent 2 hours in the dentist's chair again and he thought I should just relax for a bit. We have been working, working, working for the past several days trying to get as much accomplished at the slip as possible. We are so grateful to Chris' friend, Wally, who allowed us to use his slip while he was gone as it made it so much easier to get the boat ready for dry storage. Top photos show Chris washing lines and yours truly going through all the stores to decide what to leave, what to give away, what to toss, etc. Only two of the myriad things that needed doing.

"Faith" was hauled out yesterday and it was a pretty amazing production. We had an appointment for a 2pm haul out so we spent all morning working and hauling things off the boat & to our little motel room. At noon we left the slip to go pump out the holding tanks one last time and arrived at the boat ramp right on time only to find that a gigantic power boat was in our spot! There is no room to turn around so we tied up to the dock on the other side temporarily but it was a little tricky as the wind and current was pushing us toward a row of powerboats docked there. Once the powerboat was out, the line handlers took over and pulled "Faith" to the correct side of the dock where we waited for the tractor and trailer to arrive. They pulled her onto a very large trailer that has 6 or 8 pads on hydraulic arms so they can be positioned for about every kind of keel. Then, out of the water she came, slick as could be, just like your average skiboat behind a pickup. Next she was off to the work yard where they would pressure wash the bottom and Chris & I will do some last minute chores to get her buttoned up for the summer.

Tomorrow at 11 am they will move "Faith" to the dry storage yard where she will wait patiently for us to return in November so we can all resume our travels. In the meantime, Chris & I will stay here for one more day to re-organize all the "stuff" that is going home with us and then will be off to visit family and friends before our big adventure in French Polynesia aboard "Carinthia". All I can say at this point is "What a ride this is!"

Mexican Dental Care

This is going to be a multi-blog weekend. I can see it coming. We have so much going on in the next few days and it is always fun to share the good, the bad & the interesting with all our friends.
Today's topic is Mexican dental care. I broke a crown several months ago in Tenacatita (honest, Mom, I was only eating Cheetos...the puffy kind!) so I needed to get that replaced. In addition, I have two teeth that have begun to let me know they are there. In La Paz I went to a dentist but we weren't going to be there long enough to get any work done beyond cleaning so I still needed to get this taken care of before we leave Mexico. After all, who can afford dental in the States?? Even with insurance it is phenomenally expensive. Last Friday evening we were hanging out with Chris' friends from Tucson Sailing Club and Stu mentioned that he'd just had 3 root canals done that day by a great dentist in San Carlos. He was in the chair for 3 hours and that evening was feeling great...an endorsement I could appreciate. So, Monday morning, on our way to Guaymas we stopped to see if I could get an appt and was told to be back that afternoon. Whoa! Well, OK. I was prepared for the old x-ray/evaluation deal with another appointment so imagine my shock when Dr. Martinez did the exam, said I needed 2 root canals (jeez I hate getting old) and did the first one right then! He gave me a prescription for antibiotics as I had a slight infection beginning and some pain pills and told me to return on Thursday. Yesterday he did the 2nd root canal, did some more prep on the 1st one, removed the broken crown, did impressions, and told me he is there 24 hrs a day so if I have ANY problems to come back any time. Oh...and did I mention that he is drop dead gorgeous???? Can you say Fabio look alike?? Another nice touch is that he stops working frequently so you can relax your jaw while he massages it. Yesterday he worked on me for 2-1/2 hours and in the middle he took a break and had a masseuse come in to apply hot & cold packs and massage my face & jaw. Wonderful! I have had zero pain or problems but today Chris & I were hard at work on the boat when who should come walking down the dock to check on me but Dr. Martinez! OK...I ask you...when was the last time your American dentist made a house call to check on how you are doing?? I suspect your answer will be the same as mine - NEVER! I'm betting your next question is "How much is this all costing?". Well, it is $1600 U.S. Considerably less than two root canals and 3 crowns would cost in the States. Oh...and did I mention that he is lovely to look at????

Summer Break

I can hardly believe how fast this past 9 months has flown by! What an incredible experience it has been to actually be "living the dream" I have had for so many years. We have seen places as diverse as busy, "Americanized" Mazatlan to the pristine uninhabited island anchorage of Cardenal on Isla Partida where we were the only boat there. We have snorkeled and swum in crystal clear emerald green water where you can see bottom at 30', searched for shells on white sand beaches, had lunch under thatched roof palapas with our feet in the sand, climbed a mountain to see the "view from the top", sailed in cobalt seas with whales and rays playing around us and had too many wonderful experiences to name. And the best part has been the wonderful people we have met along the way. Cruisers are an amazing tight-knit community of people from all walks of life who share the trials, tribulations and magic of a lifestyle others only dream of. A large number of the cruisers in Mexico are from the Pacific NW and Canada but we've also met some from Australia, New Zealand, South America and lots of other places. Now we are in San Carlos and preparing to put "Faith" to bed for the summer and saying good bye to some of our new friends. It feels rather like the end of the school year. Some we will see next year and some won't be back. Some have already gone on to new destinations and others will be making longer journeys next season. We are looking forward to seeing friends & family at home and then heading off to cruise the South Pacific for 3 months. And we'll be back next fall for another great season of exploring Mexico, renewing friendships and meeting new people.

Birthday Surprises

Wow! What a birthday! Last year I saw the big 6-0 pass by and my friends and relatives celebrated by throwing a big party for me. This year was a different celebration entirely. It was a bit surreal to be birthday-ing in Mexico but I managed to get used to the idea. Patty got a room in a hotel for a couple nights to give Chris & I some time alone as well as springing for me to get a manicure and pedicure (a luxury I have not had since San Francisco). Chris had been telling me for days that he wanted to go “shopping” for my birthday but was mumm about what he wanted to purchase. I rarely shop anymore as living on a boat means there is not much room to put “things” and clothing is limited to swimsuits, shorts and the occasional sundress. Finally, over lunch at Rancho Viejo (which has world class Arrachara beef tacos) he spilled the beans and said he’d been planning to buy me some jewelry…however…he was re-thinking that and wanted to know my feeling about the options. Our friends, Dietmar & Suzanne, sailed their 44’ catamaran to the Marquesas this year and had just emailed to invite us to join them in Tahiti for 3 months of sailing the South Pacific islands with them. How would I feel about him paying for my airfare for that trip instead of buying something sparkly? I couldn’t say yes fast enough! So…July 21^st we fly to Papeete for the next great adventure. We are very excited. I have always wanted to sail in the South Pacific so this opportunity is like a dream come true. And when we come back…we have another season of cruising Mexico to look forward to. Life is very good these days!