Saturday, September 19, 2009
Westward Ho Washington
The Harborview Inn with it’s cement block walls and pretty blooming rose bushes out front and clown fish windsocks hanging from the roof line was fine for the night but it was time to get on the road! The fog was not nearly as thick as it was the day before and most of the time we were heading north so the sun wasn’t shining in our faces except when we headed into a curve that wasn’t surrounded by tall beautiful pine or spruce trees. The towns sometimes ran from one to the other – all old and now, all - very touristy. Cannon Beach even has a boardwalk and a very busy downtown – very Deco! Hello Florida! We stopped at a small market and bought a ½ dozen of eggs and began our search for a good spot to stop and fix breakfast! We found a small county park right on a pretty little lake and H went to work! Soon we were dining on perfectly prepared bacon and eggs with a side of fresh red tomatoes brought all the way from Michigan. We now only have 3 left from the big bunch that we brought from home! They’ll be gone on Saturday.
We crossed from Oregon to Washington at Astoria over the Columbia River and worked our way north, staying as close to the coast as we could – hoping to visit even more amazing stunning vistas. The views we encountered were pretty in their own right but not what we expected. This part of the state is lumber country and a lot of Indian Reservations. The coastline, when we did get to see it, was rugged but the waters were rough and coffee with cream colored with frothy foam. Fish hatcheries abound and seafood restaurants are in every town.
We are spending the night in an old, small, lumber town whose real claim to fame is that the ”Twilight” book and subsequent movie were from right here. The movie was actually produced down in Oregon because the taxes and other costs to film it here were too high. Go figure – they made copies of everything up here and rebuilt them down there. We ate in the coffee shop/restaurant where Bella used to go. The town even has a map marking all the places in the book where the kids used to frequent – the high school, the hospital, the coffee shop, the store where she bought her prom dress and the beach where she used to walk. H says we can get some pictures of these places to take home for our granddaughter, who is “into” Twilight stuff!
The Town Motel was painted a bright sky-blue and had fuchsia and purple hanging floral baskets everywhere. Each room had a white plastic loveseat in front of the lace-curtained picture window. The grounds were all abloom with flowers in every hue of the rainbow! The inside of the room - out dated English floral. Oh well. We slept well and there was plenty of hot water. However - - the 3 water fixtures did not drain very well. Time to move on!!
H agreed that we could backtrack a bit and drive up into the Olympic National Park and the Hoh River Rain Forest since we would not likely be in this area again. On the way up into the mountain we drove thru drizzling rain in the forest but the sun peaked thru weakly when we reached the top. After going thru the information in the visitor center, we took a short hike thru the dripping wet, moss laden, verdant green Spruce Forest. The trees had lime green moss draped all over them like the live oak’s silver gray Spanish Moss down in Florida. The dead trees were even wrapped in green velvet. On our way back down out of the forest, the sun really shone and managed to filter down thru the dense treetops. A sunny end to a very gray beginning!
Out of the park and on to Port Angeles! After a stop at the visitor’s center to gather a pile of pamphlets and a list of motels, we had lunch at Wendi’s and then selected the Riviera Inn, which has turned out to be a way better choice than the evening before. We have now “shopped” the downtown area and then went for a walk around the neighborhood where H found a 2 story Colonial house for sale that he liked. It faces the river with a wonderful view and a price tag in 6 figures – starting with a 7!
Tomorrow is Sunday and we will be on the 8:20am ferry to Victoria Island for 2 days. The van will stay in an overnight parking lot in Port Angeles. Our necessary items are downsized into one bag to carry on the boat which will dock right downtown. We will be staying in the downtown area to make things easier. A tote bag has replaced my purse. The camera batteries are charged and our passports are ready. This laptop will not be going with us so don’t look for the next blog for a few days. OH, just think of the things we are gonna see! I’ll tell you ALL about it soon!
We crossed from Oregon to Washington at Astoria over the Columbia River and worked our way north, staying as close to the coast as we could – hoping to visit even more amazing stunning vistas. The views we encountered were pretty in their own right but not what we expected. This part of the state is lumber country and a lot of Indian Reservations. The coastline, when we did get to see it, was rugged but the waters were rough and coffee with cream colored with frothy foam. Fish hatcheries abound and seafood restaurants are in every town.
We are spending the night in an old, small, lumber town whose real claim to fame is that the ”Twilight” book and subsequent movie were from right here. The movie was actually produced down in Oregon because the taxes and other costs to film it here were too high. Go figure – they made copies of everything up here and rebuilt them down there. We ate in the coffee shop/restaurant where Bella used to go. The town even has a map marking all the places in the book where the kids used to frequent – the high school, the hospital, the coffee shop, the store where she bought her prom dress and the beach where she used to walk. H says we can get some pictures of these places to take home for our granddaughter, who is “into” Twilight stuff!
The Town Motel was painted a bright sky-blue and had fuchsia and purple hanging floral baskets everywhere. Each room had a white plastic loveseat in front of the lace-curtained picture window. The grounds were all abloom with flowers in every hue of the rainbow! The inside of the room - out dated English floral. Oh well. We slept well and there was plenty of hot water. However - - the 3 water fixtures did not drain very well. Time to move on!!
H agreed that we could backtrack a bit and drive up into the Olympic National Park and the Hoh River Rain Forest since we would not likely be in this area again. On the way up into the mountain we drove thru drizzling rain in the forest but the sun peaked thru weakly when we reached the top. After going thru the information in the visitor center, we took a short hike thru the dripping wet, moss laden, verdant green Spruce Forest. The trees had lime green moss draped all over them like the live oak’s silver gray Spanish Moss down in Florida. The dead trees were even wrapped in green velvet. On our way back down out of the forest, the sun really shone and managed to filter down thru the dense treetops. A sunny end to a very gray beginning!
Out of the park and on to Port Angeles! After a stop at the visitor’s center to gather a pile of pamphlets and a list of motels, we had lunch at Wendi’s and then selected the Riviera Inn, which has turned out to be a way better choice than the evening before. We have now “shopped” the downtown area and then went for a walk around the neighborhood where H found a 2 story Colonial house for sale that he liked. It faces the river with a wonderful view and a price tag in 6 figures – starting with a 7!
Tomorrow is Sunday and we will be on the 8:20am ferry to Victoria Island for 2 days. The van will stay in an overnight parking lot in Port Angeles. Our necessary items are downsized into one bag to carry on the boat which will dock right downtown. We will be staying in the downtown area to make things easier. A tote bag has replaced my purse. The camera batteries are charged and our passports are ready. This laptop will not be going with us so don’t look for the next blog for a few days. OH, just think of the things we are gonna see! I’ll tell you ALL about it soon!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Westward Ho Oregon Coast
We slept late this morning but by 9am we were on the road heading north finally! Thursday’s forecast was supposed to be “cloudy” in the morning and clearing by afternoon. “Cloudy” means FOG!! The other day when we crossed on Rt 42S we came over the crest of a big hill and below us was a valley that was veiled in soft white Angel Hair fog. It reminded me of a science project that son Dave and I did on fog when he was in grade school. “We” made a diorama of hills and valleys out of paper mache and used angel hair for the fog! Today as we went around one curve, we would drive into the mist. Around the next curve we drove out of it. We stopped at several turnouts to see high cliffs with crashing white waves, huge rock formations with sprinkles of birds on top and beaches and blue water! In Depoe, we parked by the break wall that was right by the bridge and harbor and enjoyed breakfast at the Sea Hag Restaurant!!
Our afternoon side trip was 40 miles inland to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. Inside the mammoth beautiful building was the Spruce Goose, built by and flown by Howard Hughes! It took the 4 years from 1942 to 1947 at a starting cost of $18 million to build this wooden flying boat!! It flew once and went 70 ft high for about one mile and was never flown again. It cost $1 million per year just to store it after Mr. Hughes passed away. Then, for a few years it was displayed in California, next to the Queen Mary. In 2001 it was purchased and moved to Oregon to be completely restored and put on display with a multitude of other restored historic planes and memorabilia. Sheltered under one of the huge wings is also one of the remaining Tri Motor airplanes that was built by the Stout Airplane Co. in Dearborn Michigan! When I was a kid, our family had flown in one of the other “Tin Goose” from Port Clinton Ohio to the island of Put in Bay! We have pictures of my father getting his old service cycle motorcycle out of that plane. This one has many more fine appointments like curtains on the windows and wood trim!
From the museum we headed back to the coast to find yet MORE scenic turnouts to satisfy my picture taking addiction and found Cape Meares State Park and Lighthouse. The lighthouse is only 38 ft tall and you approach it from above and behind it. The view from there was spectacular! H sat in the van while I ventured further up another path thru the tall pines and spruce to see the “Octopus Tree” – a misshaped spruce that has no main trunk, just 8 or so wide spreading limbs. The tree has a spread of 46 ft and is estimated to be between 200 and 300 years old.
Further up the road, and around several more curves and thru more quaint towns, we stopped for the night at the Harborview Inn in Garibaldi. This “Inn” strongly adheres to the minimalist theory! A bed with a nightstand, a wall hung TV, a small table and 2 chairs that could have been made at Michigan Tube & Swagger!! Painted white cement block walls complete the décor! But it is clean and not nearly as expensive as the motels on the main road! Behind the 16 unit motel is a RV Park and in front is the harbor! The tide is out and the water is calm. The commercial fishing boats and all the charter boats are all docked and quiet for the night, making interesting reflections on the harbor water. The birds are squawking across the cove and we saw a seal swimming near the fishing pier. And the fog is trying to sneak into the quiet cove again!!
Our afternoon side trip was 40 miles inland to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. Inside the mammoth beautiful building was the Spruce Goose, built by and flown by Howard Hughes! It took the 4 years from 1942 to 1947 at a starting cost of $18 million to build this wooden flying boat!! It flew once and went 70 ft high for about one mile and was never flown again. It cost $1 million per year just to store it after Mr. Hughes passed away. Then, for a few years it was displayed in California, next to the Queen Mary. In 2001 it was purchased and moved to Oregon to be completely restored and put on display with a multitude of other restored historic planes and memorabilia. Sheltered under one of the huge wings is also one of the remaining Tri Motor airplanes that was built by the Stout Airplane Co. in Dearborn Michigan! When I was a kid, our family had flown in one of the other “Tin Goose” from Port Clinton Ohio to the island of Put in Bay! We have pictures of my father getting his old service cycle motorcycle out of that plane. This one has many more fine appointments like curtains on the windows and wood trim!
From the museum we headed back to the coast to find yet MORE scenic turnouts to satisfy my picture taking addiction and found Cape Meares State Park and Lighthouse. The lighthouse is only 38 ft tall and you approach it from above and behind it. The view from there was spectacular! H sat in the van while I ventured further up another path thru the tall pines and spruce to see the “Octopus Tree” – a misshaped spruce that has no main trunk, just 8 or so wide spreading limbs. The tree has a spread of 46 ft and is estimated to be between 200 and 300 years old.
Further up the road, and around several more curves and thru more quaint towns, we stopped for the night at the Harborview Inn in Garibaldi. This “Inn” strongly adheres to the minimalist theory! A bed with a nightstand, a wall hung TV, a small table and 2 chairs that could have been made at Michigan Tube & Swagger!! Painted white cement block walls complete the décor! But it is clean and not nearly as expensive as the motels on the main road! Behind the 16 unit motel is a RV Park and in front is the harbor! The tide is out and the water is calm. The commercial fishing boats and all the charter boats are all docked and quiet for the night, making interesting reflections on the harbor water. The birds are squawking across the cove and we saw a seal swimming near the fishing pier. And the fog is trying to sneak into the quiet cove again!!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Westward Ho Oregon Coast
Wednesday, September 16th - - Can you believe it – we have been on the road for one whole week and we’ve finally reached the Pacific Ocean! We are officially west!!
This morning we left Roseburg behind us and picked up Rt 42, then Rt 42S a narrow, winding, un-touristy road (SO glad we were NOT pulling the trailer!) that was a “shortcut” to Bandon where my Aunt Dorie and Uncle Paul reside in an assisted living complex. Our GPS, Lola had guided us around all the curves in the dizzying back road and had gotten us to within a ½ mile of the large beautiful building but then deserted us when we needed her guidance the most! Our directions were for a 6th Ave West and there is NO such street in Bandon. The kind ladies at the school where we stopped to ask directions realized we were looking for Heritage Place and gave us the correct information and we quickly drove right to the front door - past all the neat stores and shops right on the edge of the harbor, up around the curve again! This time, instead of going back up the hill, we turned right - - right on to Jetty Rd - the right road! We had a lovely time visiting with my 90-year-old Uncle, my father’s younger brother and my sweet 86-year-old Aunt. She didn’t remember who I was but kept saying how happy she was that we came to visit them!! And she meant it! She is still a cutie!! H was extremely patient and even hooked up their TV and VCR and then arranged to get them a light bulb for a lamp that has not worked since they moved there for lack of a silly little bulb. Uncle Paul is very frail and short of breath so at lunch time H made sure Dorie made it down to her table in the dining hall and then he and I chatted with several of the office staff and caretakers, thanking them for taking such good care of my Aunt and Uncle.
Before heading north we stopped at a neat rock formation just south of town called Face Rock. There is an Indian story connected to the huge rock out in the surf that looks as if it is a large head reclining and looking up to the northern sky. Can you see it? Our route for the next day or so is now 101 and today’s portion took us thru the Oregon Dunes National Seashore. H was wishing he had the Jeep with its ORV sticker and big orange sand dunes flag! We stopped at several (not ‘nuff for me tho!) scenic turnouts to watch the huge waves crashing to the shore and I did get to go get my feet wet at one of those surf stops. One turnout was at the top of a high cliff above a cluster of large rocks where several seals were resting and several more were bobbing in and out of the rolling waves. It had drizzled on an off during the day and the fog had rolled in, giving the coastline a sometimes spooky, mysterious appearance. Tonight’s resting place for us is in Newport, just one of the MANY touristy towns along the coast complete with “historic” areas and artsy shops.
This morning we left Roseburg behind us and picked up Rt 42, then Rt 42S a narrow, winding, un-touristy road (SO glad we were NOT pulling the trailer!) that was a “shortcut” to Bandon where my Aunt Dorie and Uncle Paul reside in an assisted living complex. Our GPS, Lola had guided us around all the curves in the dizzying back road and had gotten us to within a ½ mile of the large beautiful building but then deserted us when we needed her guidance the most! Our directions were for a 6th Ave West and there is NO such street in Bandon. The kind ladies at the school where we stopped to ask directions realized we were looking for Heritage Place and gave us the correct information and we quickly drove right to the front door - past all the neat stores and shops right on the edge of the harbor, up around the curve again! This time, instead of going back up the hill, we turned right - - right on to Jetty Rd - the right road! We had a lovely time visiting with my 90-year-old Uncle, my father’s younger brother and my sweet 86-year-old Aunt. She didn’t remember who I was but kept saying how happy she was that we came to visit them!! And she meant it! She is still a cutie!! H was extremely patient and even hooked up their TV and VCR and then arranged to get them a light bulb for a lamp that has not worked since they moved there for lack of a silly little bulb. Uncle Paul is very frail and short of breath so at lunch time H made sure Dorie made it down to her table in the dining hall and then he and I chatted with several of the office staff and caretakers, thanking them for taking such good care of my Aunt and Uncle.
Before heading north we stopped at a neat rock formation just south of town called Face Rock. There is an Indian story connected to the huge rock out in the surf that looks as if it is a large head reclining and looking up to the northern sky. Can you see it? Our route for the next day or so is now 101 and today’s portion took us thru the Oregon Dunes National Seashore. H was wishing he had the Jeep with its ORV sticker and big orange sand dunes flag! We stopped at several (not ‘nuff for me tho!) scenic turnouts to watch the huge waves crashing to the shore and I did get to go get my feet wet at one of those surf stops. One turnout was at the top of a high cliff above a cluster of large rocks where several seals were resting and several more were bobbing in and out of the rolling waves. It had drizzled on an off during the day and the fog had rolled in, giving the coastline a sometimes spooky, mysterious appearance. Tonight’s resting place for us is in Newport, just one of the MANY touristy towns along the coast complete with “historic” areas and artsy shops.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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