Sat 20th - Charleston, Oregon

Oceanside RV Park
Site #12 - $29, p/w/s, Internet,

Well we drove 170 km today and it took us 3 1/2 hrs!! We are NOT making good time!! It is so nice to set up camp early and have the whole afternoon to explore. I keep thinking we must have seen the best of beaches and the best of the ocean, but then.... another few miles, and it's another "best"!!

I can't quit taking pictures and then I am disappointed when they don't turn out as well as the 'real thing' !! This "Coos Bay area" has to be 'right up there' however! We are actually camped at Charleston, a small fishing port on the Bay -- lots of crab and clams and some quaint little homes.



The Sunset Bay State Park was full, so we are at a RV place just out of the park. Frommer's travel book says that Coos Bay has some of the most 'breathtaking shoreline in the Northwest" and yes that is a fact! We sat for sometime at three of the parks. Sunset Bay which is almost completely surrounded by sandstone cliffs and with it's narrow ocean entrance gets warm enough for swimmers and they were taking advantage of it today.

Further up from that Bay is Simpson Reef where hundreds of harbor & elephant seals and sea lions hang out.... You can hear their 'barking' for miles and we enjoyed watching the young ones frolic in the water.

A third beach area is popular with the surfers and we again enjoyed another surfing display..... So much entertainment and we could sit for hours just watching!!



There is also a former estate of shipping tycoon, Louis Simpson, which is now open to the public and you can wander through the formal English & Japanese gardens and around the 100 ft. lily pond. His ships would bring him plants from all over the world and he spent many years developing his gardens. We just did a quick drive by, but I'm sure one could spend a day walking about.

We stopped at one of the Myrtlewood Shops along the way today and I bought a serving dish--beautiful wood! While I was 'shopping' Ron had a good visit with a fellow traveller from Moose Jaw. We are seeing more Canadians on the road now.

That's about it for today's travels.  We had another campfire this evening and here it is bedtime already!

Fri 19th - Brookings, Oregon

Harris Beach State Park
Site #B19 - $21, p/w.s, Temp 15C & sunny

It was another short travel day. If we keep stopping at all the beautiful spots along the coast, we may never get home!! We LOVE the sights and the sounds of the ocean. FANTASTIC!! And the sun even came out for us again today, even though rain had been forecasted. (It was raining when we left Arcata this a.m.)

Crescent City, California

So we are in Oregon now. Just barely -- at Brookings. Over 90% of the world Easter Lilies are grown here! Also, it is known for it's azaleas of which we've seen lots.

We are camped in Harris Beach State Park. We were told that the State Parks here are REALLY nice, and this one certainly is. We even have power and water which many state parks don't provide. Our site is quite secluded in the bushes and trees. There are a number of twisted trees in our site -- I'm thinking they must be the myrtle trees which are unique to this southern coast, but I had no idea that they would grow so big!! The local artisans make bowls, clocks and golf putters from them, so I'm guessing they must grow much bigger than the ones I've seen!!???

Brookings, Oregon by Harris Beach State Park

Anyway, it is certainly a much nicer campsite than those parking lots that I keep complaining about! We don't have internet here, so when you receive this email, we will have already moved on.

We drove the scenic route through the Redwood National Forest and it was every bit as beautiful as the Avenue of the Giants. The road was much wider and smoother, the trees as big, if not bigger and the lush green undergrowth was gorgeous!! Did you know that the bark on Redwoods can be 3 feet thick!!??  And....some scenes from Star Wars, E.T. and Jurassic Park were filmed in this Redwood Forest. So, from the forest to coast.



We only drove 160 km today but it took us 3 1/2 hrs. to get here! (We did stop for lunch and pulled in to many of the lookouts, but, it is also hard to go the speed limit when there is so much to see...!! I'm sure the Americans are cursing the damn Canadians in the red Dodge!!) As we were driving down one of the steeper hills today we noticed a number of senior bikers pedaling up. It was a very long hard climb, so we were pretty impressed when we saw all those white heads! Anyway, we pulled over at one of the lookouts and one of the bikers was there. It turned out they are a group from AB! This fellow was a retired teacher from Tofield and knew a cousin of mine! They (22 of them) road from Vancouver and are on their way to Mexico.

All through the Arcata area and along highway 101 in the low spots we've seen signs "Tsunami Hazard Zone". There are pamphlets in some of the stores outlining what to do in the event of one. It seems weird, but not really when you see the height and the power in some of those waves crashing on the shore!

We enjoyed a campfire tonight and tomorrow we will tackle a few more kilometers!!

Thurs 18th - Day 2 at Arcata , California

We decided to spend another night and check out Arcata, but more particularly the beaches on the Pacific Ocean. Wow!! One could move here in a minute if the weather was always like it was today -- sunny and 19C.  Absolutely gorgeous! (We had a taste of the cool, dull and cloudy day yesterday and no thanks!)







We did a driving tour this a.m. to the end of the spit -- where Humbolt Bay is on one side and the Ocean is on the other. This was called Samoa Dunes Park and during WWII the military had a base there and patrolled the waters. Supposedly several Japanese submarines were sunk just off shore.

Today it is a great ATV trail -- up and around all the sand dunes and over all the bunkers that are still there and were formerly used to store war ammunition. There were cars parked all along the roadway and the 'surfer dudes' were out doing their thing. (Don't these young California guys work??) We could have sat for hours watching the activity and enjoying the sounds of the ocean..... wonderful!!

After lunch we drove to "Mad River Park" and took our bikes along the bike trail. It was a great ride through various terrain. Through the country side by the feedlots and dairy farms, along the ocean and in to a newer area of the city. I couldn't believe some of the houses and had to take pictures.

It's like these people always dreamed of living in a castle on the ocean and they literally built 'castles' complete with turrets and the works!! Unreal !! We didn't get much exercise because we had to stop so often to see the sites and take some pictures - the cool trees, crashing waves, the houses and the sea lions.

cows also use the bike path

It was a great tour!
We will be in Oregon tomorrow.  We've heard good things about the camping in the State Parks there, so we are looking forward to that!

Wed 17th - Arcata , California

Mad River Rapids RV Park
Site #14 -$33, p/w/s, Internet, Temp 16C

We REALLY enjoyed the scenic drive along the "Avenue of the Giants" and through Humbolt Redwoods State Park. It was a winding drive along the old highway (originally a stagecoach and wagon road) and it was so cool to be in amongst all those giant redwoods.





They are indeed beautiful!! At over 300' high, they are the tallest living trees in the world (almost as tall as a football field is long!). Many trees are over 2200 yrs. old. We stopped for lunch at Leggett where the "Drive Thru Tree Park" is located. That tree is labeled at 2400 yrs old. Our 5th wheel was too high, but we watched some vehicles drive through.







We also stopped at the Tourist Centre in the State Park and they had Charles Kellogg's "Travel Log" on display. It is a 'dwelling' hollowed out and hued from a section of a giant Redwood. It is mounted on a Nash Quad chassis, so it's like a travel trailer complete with kitchenette - stove & table, folding lavatory, folding double bed, dresser, lockers and a single bed 'guest' room. The log weighs about 6 tons and this particular tree was almost 5,000 years old, -- walls, ceiling and floors are all from the one piece. You can plainly see and count the rings on one end if you want to take the time! Anyway, you can get a bit of an idea from the picture I took.



We got our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean as we drove through Eureka and we camped across the bay at Arcata. It is only 16C here. I guess that's typical along the ocean this time of year. It was much warmer where we were last night and I see it's also much warmer back in Med. Hat.@!
Anyway -- I am now trying to come up for an idea for supper.

Tues 16th - Night 2 in Nice, California

We decided to spend another night at "Nice" on Clear Lake, cuz yeah, it IS kind of nice! We are on the lake with all the amenities. We were able to get caught up on all the laundry, plus some 5th wheel cleaning (vacuumed & washed the floor) which was long overdo!

We went for a bike ride along Lakeshore Drive. It's an interesting resort area. A mix of rich and poor, new and old. You get the impression that they are trying to develop it to a 'destination place' and people are beginning to move in from the big cities. There are still lots of areas that need to be cleaned up, however. Some of the residents look like 'left over hippies' and there are nearby Indian Reservations. It's kind of like Canada where the Casinos are springing up on Reservation lands.

What a cool B&B. Sleep in a rail car!

In American style they brag it's the cleanest air and the largest natural (spring fed) lake -- and oh yes, the 'best' Bass fishing in N. America! I find the lake a little disappointing. There is quite a bit of 'green growth' along the shoreline which isn't very inviting. Although a swim on a day like today would be great!

We also went for a driving tour. There are lots of vineyards and pear trees across the lake from us and it looks more developed there. A "Birkenstock Sale" sign caught my eye and I finally splurged and replaced my 'old faithful' sandals (but I'm not quite ready to give them up yet!)

There is an arbor in the campground and Ron was picking and sampling some concord grapes growing there. He is enjoying watching the bird activity. A blue heron, the grebes and all the ducks eating (and fighting) out front.

Tomorrow we head to "California's Redwood Coast" and the "Avenue of the Giants" which is listed in the "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" book.  It is just a couple of hours south of the Oregon Border.

That is about it from here. We will bbque steak when Ron gets back. He went to check out the "Second Hand" store down the street. (I'm surprised he stayed away this long!)

Mon 15th - Nice, California

Aurora RV Park
Site #5 - $25, p/w/s, Internet, Temp 39C

It's 11:15 a.m. We just left Tahoe area and are now hung up in traffic on I-80 with construction taking place - for the next 4 miles it says. We aren't travelling much more than 30 km/h at the moment. The highway is a disgrace - rough rough concrete, so it is in need of these repairs!!

We left Washoe Lake at 9:15 a.m, drove through Carson City and then took the scenic route along the north end of Lake Tahoe. It was very pretty, winding along the blue blue lake.





It was also a steep downgrade coming out of Lake Tahoe. The brakes were smelling hot and then we had another big climb through the Sierra Mountains. So far the Dodge is hanging in there. (It's already 29C).

We exited the I-80 and found Hwy 20 much smoother driving. Unfortunately, there were some construction stops here, too. We didn't make good time today. It was a tough drive with all the upgrades and downgrades!

We had lunch just out of Yuba City. It is only about 67 km. north of Sacramento and there was lots of smog in the valley. At 34C, it was very hot and dry looking. There were some orchards in the area, which are obviously irrigated, but the rest of the land around there looks pretty scruffy. On to the town of "Nice" on Clear Lake (and more climbing to get there).

It was a relief to stop for the night. So we are camped on the lake, but a it's a typical RV Park where the sites are too close! Only 3 of us are parked here at the moment however, so it's not too bad.

                                Nice camping.. on Clear Lake

Can you see the Blue Heron?

It's a good thing for the breeze off the lake and I am making use of the air conditioner inside. We hit 40C today, but only 30C here. We need to take some time for laundry tonight :-( yuk!

Sun 14th - Washoe Lake, Nevada

Washoe Lake State Park
Site #? - $14, n/s, Temp 31C

Driving through Reno yesterday, I saw about as much of it as I want to see!! It is far TOO big with TOO much traffic for us. It was a real 'hair raising' experience to switch lanes, find our exits and get through the city!! That was certainly one time when the GPS proved it's worth. I'm not sure we would have found our way on our own!! (and Ron actually listened and followed the directions!!)
And then, the GPS took us right to Washoe Lake State Park!!

What a neat camping experience!! (I would have used the word "cool", but it isn't a very appropriate word when staying in the desert!! At 34C, it is NOT cool here!!!) We are parked in amongst the sagebrush and yes, it is hot hot. There are little 'canopies' built at each site to provide some shade and of course we have our own canopy out.

It's a real different experience to camp in the desert like this, but both of us love it! (except for a neighbor which I'll explain later!) The landscape is beautiful -- sagebrush, sand dunes, a view of the lake & the mountains. Very pretty. Washoe Lake is a very small lake close to Lake Tahoe.



We will see more of Tahoe on our way west tomorrow. As mentioned last email, we are only about 9 km from Carson City, the capitol (and where Sarah Palin was giving her campaign speech last night, if anyone is watching and heard!).

We drove to Carson City to pick up some bread & buns when we arrived yesterday as I am unable to use our breadmaker with no power available. We didn't stay to hear Sarah, or to tour Carson, but it seems like a nice community (named after Kit Carson). It was much easier to maneuver then Reno was !!

We were able to sit out quite late around the fire last night in our shorts, but as typical of deserts, it cooled nicely overnight and we slept quite comfortably. We toured the park area on our bikes this morning, but other than that, just pretty much lazed and read in the shade. Too hot to do much else! We had some kite flying neighbors and we enjoyed watching the colourful display.





So, we have an asshole neighbor across from us. If it was easier for us to hook up and move to another site, we would have done so! He started up his generator shortly after we arrived. We didn't appreciate it, but you learn to live with it. (what a way to spoil the great outdoors though!) Anyway, we went for bread and when we got home, the generator was off and we were enjoying a beer and some quiet conversation. It was SOOOO peaceful and then, this asshole sets his radio outside, turns it WAY UP and goes back in his truck camper and shuts the door! We couldn't believe it. (Some stupid talk show on neutering cats!) Ron finally went over and knocked on his door and says "DOES YOUR RADIO HAVE TO BE SO LOUD??" (he had to yell to be heard.) The guy says "Yeah it does, so I don't have to hear you" and slams his door!! Unbelievable! We were afraid to complain to the wardens cuz the bugger may get his gun out next!

Luckily, we haven't seen much of him as he stays in his truck camper all the time. I'm thinking he's an alcoholic sitting in there drinking and he had probably passed out while we were in town. Our truck may have woke him up when we got back and it pissed him off. (??) Who knows!!?  We've never run in to the likes of him while camping!!

He finally turned down his radio a bit towards evening, but then he started up his generator again! We were glad when he finally went to bed (9 p.m) and we were hoping he would be leaving this a.m., but no such luck! He's been a little bit better today his radio is on low and he's had his generator on & off... He's also started his truck and gunned the motor a few times :-) We found that if we sit at the back of our 5th wheel, we can't hear him as well! We certainly won't miss HIM when we leave tomorrow!! I don't know why people like him don't just stay home. It's got to be hot sitting in the little truck camper all day! Weirdo!

Well, that's it from Nevada.



On to California tomorrow.