Sunset State Beach, Charleston 7/10

Okay – before I begin writing about our trip today, I just gotta comment on the State Parks in Oregon. OH MY GOD! Complete nirvana. They have it all over California State Parks. For $17 you get a great campsite, flush toilets and get this – unlimited hot showers!!! Ned and I have a small fortune in quarters that we carry in a little box. We are so used to California State Parks that basically give you 2, or maybe if you are lucky, 3 minutes for .50. Here – unlimited hot water. The showers are also pristine clean, nicely tiled and completely private. Did I mention that Ca. State Parks cost about $25 to $30 dollars a night?! Also, we noticed that the Oregon Coast campsites have been raked, some have hand built rock retaining walls and ours has a beautifully, rather large azalea bush among lots of other vegetation. I rest my case…(Note to self: begin a new list of rating State Parks, particularly bathrooms and showers. Should be interesting when we get to Louisiana). We spent a leisurely morning at the campsite before heading up the coast. As we began our drive it was a bit foggy and a little chilly (62°) so we decided to pull into Gold Coast Bean and Bookstore. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m addicted to bookstores! We had a cuppa and browsed thru the local Oregon books. We then continued up the coast, stopping at some State Parks along the way. (I was determined to keep checking out the conditions of the showers – my new obsession). We went by Humbug Mountain, the Oregon Coast’s highest peak, really lush and green right up against the highway. Our next stop was the historic Hughes House. The info we had said it was closed on Tuesdays, but we decided it would be fun to check it out anyone. Much to our surprise, it was opened! It was built in 1898 by an Irish family that eventually had 100 acres of dairy farm. Spectacular home especially when you consider how bleak and remote this place is. Down the road was the Cape Blanco Light House (Oregon’s oldest and highest) so we decided to check it out too. WOW! I had never been inside a lighthouse and this was a pretty interesting one to check out. Cape Blanco point (where the lighthouse is located) is the westernmost point in the contiguous U.S. (or so they claim). We were able to venture inside the lighthouse and go clear to the top – right next to the fresnel lens. I am terrified of heights so it was a bit scary to climb, round and round and round to the top and then take a steep ladder to the lens. (Check out photo above). The view was spectacular and it was equally interesting to hear about the history of this lighthouse from the local docent. Only 5 people at a time are allowed on the tour and as luck would have it – there was an older gentleman who was on our tour, who happened to have the “honor” of cleaning the lens decades ago. The docent said that a Coast Guard “specialist” arrives every 90 days for the cleaning. The older gentlemen kinda chuckled, and then said that “back then if you were in the doghouse while serving in the Coast Guard your punishment was cleaning the lens. I had that distinguished honor.” Cute. By this time it was late afternoon and we were getting hungry. We thought it would be fun to explore the fishing village of Bandon (or as Ned called it, A-Bandon). Quaint little village. We finally decided on some fish and chips at Bandon’s Fish Market. Afterwards, we thought we should start scouting out a State Park to stay in for the night. We settled on Sunset Beach State Park in Charleston. What an incredible find! Turns out we got the last camping spot of the night. Once again, it’s pretty sweet. We are up against a mountain and completely surrounded by ferns. We parked the Eurovan and within 5 minutes jumped on our bikes and headed to the beach. Really, really beautiful little cove. We found out that we were a couple of miles away from Shore Acres State Park botanical gardens. It was one of the places we were interested in seeing, but had no idea we were so close. We decided to bike on over (actually up!) and check it out. Fortunately for us, the Gardens are open until 9 pm. Again, another big “wow” of the day. I don’t know what was more fun, the path through the woods to get there or the actual gardens. We stopped along the way and took tons of photos from the cliffs looking down on another lighthouse, the wild coast and evening light thru the trees. I’ve decided this is the trip of a lifetime. Just when I think things can’t possibly get any better – they do. Lucky me.

Harris Beach State Park, Southern Coast Oregon - 7/9/07

We pulled out of Klamath Falls and headed over to Ashland this morning. The drive on Highway 66 completely surprised us. We were expecting typical Southern Oregon conditions (rolling hills, farm country), but instead we were in mountainous terrain heading over several passes. We had a great view crossing the Klamath River, it was mirror flat and glassy. When we reached Ashland, we decided to do a bike ride checking out Lithia Park and the surrounding area. It turned out that none of the plays are going on Monday night so we decided to blow this town and return later on our trip back. We did stop at a cute walk-up coffee bar and have time for a mid-morning muffin and coffee break – nice! Ned mentioned how beautiful the Applegate Valley area was so we decided to check it out and eventually catch up with Highway 199. We had a great drive thru Jacksonville, Applegate and Williams – and this is where the adventure began. Years ago Ned stayed with some friends near Williams and he wanted to see if we could find the place. In the process we ended up on road that appeared to be a shortcut toward the Oregon Caves National Monument. Mmm – we wandered around the Siskiyou Mountains on a curvy, scenic asphalt road, expecting it to turn to gravel at any moment. We stopped at a beautiful creek that was pristine and completely idyllic. We only saw two cars the whole trip – one of which was a logging truck parked on the side of the road. We ended up near a place called Lake Selmac – near highway 199, about 8 miles north of where we had hoped to come out. The Lake looked so inviting after our afternoon drive that Ned and I decided to put on the swimsuits and take a dip. (See picture above). We swam out to the dock and hung around this swimming hole for a refreshing afternoon respite. We then took Highway 199 back to California, hung a right at Crescent City and headed up 101 to the Oregon Coast. We pulled in at 5:15 at Harris Beach State Park. Eureka – we made it to the Coast! We got a great campsite on the Oceanside and within 5 minutes of pulling into the campsite, we popped a good bottle of red wine (7Deadly Zins for those who want to know), and brought out the cheese, grapes and French bread. Turns out this campsite has hot showers, flush toilets and wifi. Oh be still my beating heart. (Sorry Josh, not exactly roughing it in the backcountry, but boy is this living). After dinner we took a bike ride around the campsite and down to the ocean. The fog is beginning to roll in – we plan to return in the morning when the view is a little better. For now – we got a fire going, french-press coffee brewing and are ready to settle down for a cozy night. Tomorrow – exploring the Southern Coast.

Tingley Lake Estates

We left Lassen Park at about 8:30 this morning. We were on a quest to heal ourselves at Medicine Lake. (Thanks James and Patti for the tip on this spot). We headed north on 89 (thru Hat Creek) and turned onto Powder Hill Rd. also known as Highway 49. We decided to bypass McCloud on this trip and hit it on the way back home. McCloud happens to be the spot where Popy grew up. I'm lookiing forward to seeing it first hand. It might give us some clues as to why he is who he is. We got to Medicine Lake at about 11:30. The folklore around Medicine Lake is that it will "heal what ails you." Once the center of a volcano, Medicine Lake has no known outlets, yet its water remains crisp and clear. Native Americans believe it has healing powers. I was ready to jump in and become 20 years younger (okay maybe just heal the mosquito bites). Ned said that if he jumped in he would be worried that I might vanish., i.e. I am what ails him. (isn't he the funny one). It turned out that Medicine Lake was a bit breezy and much too cold for me to do much more than dip my toes in. It was also overrun with Sunday Bubbas in power boats, houseboats, catyaks, and jet skis. So much for our spiritual experience. We then decided to backtrack a few miles and head to Glass Mountain. We had to venture down a washboard dirt road for 6 or so miles. However, we were not disappointed! Imagine a 4200 acre glass flow created when glassy dacite and rhyolitic obsidian flowed from the same vent without mixing. We stopped by the glass mountain and did some exploring and picking of obsidian rocks. Very cool! (We brought back one for you too James & Patti). However, our biggest surprise was venturing farther down the dirt road and coming upon the most spectacular view of the Modoc Valley, Cascade Mountain Range, and Lava Beds framed by the brightest green noble firs we had ever seen. We tried to take some pictures, but it just didn't do it any justice. We then went back to Medicine Lake and followed the "Modoc Volcanic Scenic Byway" signs. Do not be fooled - it was a single lane road that turned into a dirt road for miles and miles. We finally made it to Lava Beds National Monument. (We joked that we would be eating omelettes tonight since we didn't think the eggs made it). After viewing the visitor's center, we did a quick tour of the Lava Beds and Ned explored a cave. (I was too chicken and decided to read up on the local petroglyphs instead). We decided to head for Klamath Falls and call it a night. We fortunately made it to the Oregon Welcome Center just before closing and found out about a "wonderfully delightful quiet campground" close by. Otherwise known as Tingley Lake Estates (see photo above). So, here we are in our favorite little moblile home park campground hosted by Nell and Frank. This place is a hoot. We are the only nomadic residents. We are parked near a little pond which has 110 varieties of birds spotted per year (per Nell). The good news is that we were able to use their hose to wash off our bikes and van, hook-up to electricity and I have pirated someone's wireless. wahoo! We have been invited to use Nell's paddle boat when it "cools off a bit." (It's 8:00 pm and still about 90 degrees). This little bit o' paradise also comes with free showers & flush toilets. We expect to take off e-a-r-l-y! Tomorrow Ashland! Ah to sleep or perchance to dream.

Lassen Volcanic Park – 7/6 - 7/8

We had a beautiful drive today from Nevada City to Lassen. Our original plan was to head up to Reno and then take 395 thru Susanville to Chester and on over to Lassen. However, when we reached 89, just outside of Truckee, Ned thought, hey why not go thru Sierraville so that we could stop at our favorite Mexican Restaurant. Adhering to one of our road rules, meandering encouraged, and also not one to bypass a good meal at Dos Hermanos, 55 minutes into our trip we already changed plans. Everytime we’ve been to Sierraville it has been in the dead of winter with lots of snow and freezing cold. I must admit it was quite pleasant to sit on the porch and enjoy the warm breeze and vibrant flowers. We then headed up 89, thru Quincy to Lake Almanor. By going this route we completely missed Susanville and Westwood, where we were going to bike ride the Bizz Johnson trail. Mmm, oh well, we headed to Lassen Park and decided to do a hike instead. We got to the park and started the Bumpass Hell hike at about 3ish. It was still rather warm, but well worth the hike! The geothermal activity is so strange – boiling lakes, steam vents, mudpots all oozing and stinking out of the earth. The water temperature is thought to be around 240 degrees! (Yes, I have a picture of Ned sticking his hand in one of the streams to test the waters. I was brave enough to take the picture – ahem). The hike back was gorgeous with great views of the surrounding areas, the late afternoon light on the adjacent mountains, and it had cooled off with a nice light breeze. Our first night we camped at Manzanita Lake and were quite surprised by the nice camp spot we had reserved. Despite being a relatively full campground, our spot was secluded, well shaded and very quiet. The big question is what activity for Saturday? Go on a hike, relax around the campground, bike ride? I’m taunted with Mt. Lassen Peak beckoning to us “climb me, climb me”. Mmm, what’s a girl to do...

A Couple of Test Runs

The first trip we took with the new Eurovan, "Winnie", was to Folsom Lake. Admittedly, not far from home, but since it was still rather cool in the mountains we wanted to head for lower elevation. A great bike trail also runs from Folsom Lake along the American River to downtown Sacramento. We thought this would be a great way test out Winnie and get in some biking too! (Note - we did not ride the entire 32 miles! Just did about 23 miles or so). We slept on the lower bed and the first night our feet hung off the bed. Considering I'm just a smidge over 5 feet that was an experience I wasn't used to. Mmm. The second night, we lost one of our pillows and totally tore up the van looking for it. Aha! We not only found the pillow, tucked behind the seat, but also saw that we did not have the bed pad totally extended. (blush). Needless to say, the second night was much more comfortable. Ned has definitely perfected the french press coffee. This was such a fun maiden voyage! A couple of weeks later we headed down to Santa Cruz to see Molly. We camped at Cowell State Park and hosted our first overnight guest. Molly picked the top bunk. I think she felt a little claustraphobic. Poor kid kept hitting her knees everytime she turned over! Nancy, Ned's sister, also joined us for dinner. We also took a bike ride through Nisene Marks Park. Okay, I'm totally hooked... Can't wait to start really tootoling around! Stay tuned.