Lincoln City

We have arrived at the Lincoln Center KOA. This is the view outside our front window. All is well.

Today's journey began at Port Orford RV Village. After a week of lots of fun, and a bit of rest in between, our freshly washed moose was ready to go.

Inside, our boy kitty was looking rather longingly toward the road. Is it possible for kitties to get "hitch itch"?

I think so!

On our way out, Tim gave our propane tank a much needed fill.

While we were filling up, we snapped a quick picture of Sue, Doug and Tucker in front of their pre-fulltiming rig.

We also grabbed a picture of Gordon and Juanita in front of their lovely new rolling home. (Where, oh where, was Bodie?)

With our propane tank full, we finally headed out. Our friends bid us a paparazzi adieu. What a wonderful send off! Thanks for a delightful week, friends! Safe travels to you all!

Our 175-mile trip up the coast was a little bit of stop and go. This is a shot of the "stop" part.

In the spirit of our friends Linda and Steven, we made the trip like lemmings to the sea, with just one off-the-road stop. If you travel the Oregon coast along 101, we recommend you make the trip from North to South. There just aren't many places for a northbound motorhome towing a Jeep to stop. I did my best to get a few quick shots of the coast from a moose on the move.

We made it through the much anticipated tunnel with ease, even with oncoming traffic!

There's nothing like a hairpin turn to keep your concentration sharp.

The sun was shining along the coast on this beautiful day. And, see those white caps down there? That could mean just one thing: It was very windy!

Wind, waves and a curvy highway can make a nice picture on the move.

You think these pictures are for you, dear readers. Not so! They're actually for Paul. With his eye on the winding road, he missed much of the scenery today.

Do we get to cross that bridge? Oh yes!

Here's a very focused driver crossing the bridge.

Yes, we blew through some very lovely spots today: Winchester Bay, Florence, Newport and Depoe Bay, just to name a few. Next time we pass this way, we'll stop and spend more time. But, for now, we'll enjoy a peaceful night at this KOA and prepare ourselves for another day along the coast as we cross into Washington.

Cape Blanco

One of the stops we've been meaning to make all week is a visit to the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, about 10 miles North and West of Port Orford. It's one of those places that is best viewed on a clear day. But, it is a lighthouse. So, by nature, chances are pretty good that the place is enveloped in fog, especially in the summer.

The sun was shining brightly at Port Orford this afternoon. So, we figured it was time to head to the cape. As we approached the lighthouse, a blanket of fast moving fog was moving just above our heads. It made for some interesting views.

In addition to touch and go views, this fast moving fog was accompanied by very brisk winds. It was really chilly out there!

We flashed our National Park Pass for free admission to the lighthouse tour. We climbed the three flights of spiral stairs and a steep ladder to reach the lantern room.

The Cape Blanco Lighthouse is noteworthy for several reasons. It is Oregon's oldest, western-most and highest from the sea lighthouse. It's been a beacon for sailors since about 1870.

With not much to see outside, thanks to the fog, we focused our attention inside to the amazing lens. It's a beautiful work of art.

With the help of this artful lens, the light of this 1,000 watt incandescent bulb can be seen, on a clear night, some 26 miles out to sea.

This is our last night in Port Orford, and the second to the last night for Sue and Doug. Juanita coordinated a cozy pot luck dinner with she and Gordon, Sue and Doug and Paul and me. We started things off with a toast to good friends and safe travels with Linda and Steven's signature blue chouters. Gordon did a fine job of mixing up these tasty cocktails!

A fine dinner and lots of fun conversation followed. Gordon and Juanita gifted us some of their fine Alaskan halibut and salmon. We look forward to having a couple of very special dinners down the road that will remind us of these very special friends and our wonderful first visit to Port Orford. Thanks so much, guys!

Tomorrow, we head up the Oregon coast for an overnight in Lincoln City. Then, it's on to Washington. (On Friday, Sue and Doug head north to Canada, where they have to go to wo...)

Oregon's Bay Area

When we hear the words "Bay Area", we think of place in Northern California we used to call home. But, in these parts, The Bay Area is about 50 miles North of here. It's the area around Coos Bay, North Bend (which is nowhere near Bend) and Charleston. With Gordon and Juanita as our guides, we joined Sue and Doug for a very fun tour of this very scenic region.

Our first stop was just up the road at Misty Meadows Jams in Bandon. Before we stepped inside, we noticed several bees heading into the store near this sign: The Office of the Queen. (Yes, I was intrigued.)

Inside, we took a look at the inner workings of this busy hive. 

But, soon our attention was drawn to the variety of jams on the shelves. I picked up a small jar of Oregon-made strawberry jam. I can't wait to make a PB&J sandwich with this stuff!

With our purchases complete, we headed back outside where we saw several members of our party in caching mode. The cache was called "Got Jam". That was enough of a clue for this group to make it a very quick find.

This truck followed us all day!

Oh, look! It's Tucker.

After cruising through Coos Bay and fog shrouded Sunset Bay State Park, we headed for Shore Acres State Park. With five acres of formal gardens, this park was something to see, even in the fog.

There's always something in bloom at Shore Acres. Today, the roses were in their glory. This was one of my favorites.

If you don't count the roses, this was my favorite.

I can have more than one favorite, can't I?

The 100-foot lily pond was just beginning to flower.

Lava Glow was Juanita's favorite.

Just down the bluff from the gardens is Simpson Beach. 

Back on the bluff was the perfect place for six friends to capture a picture.

If this picture had sound, you would know what was out there in the fog at the Simpson Reef Overlook. Even though we couldn't see them, we could hear the thousands of California sea lions, harbor seals and northern elephant seals barking from their rocky posts.

Simpson Reef is located south of Shore Acres in Cape Arago State Park. We appreciated the beauty we could see (and hear) and look forward to visiting on a sunny day in the future.

Sue, Doug and Tucker paused for family photo. Don't you think this should go on this year's holiday card?

Here's another lookout at Cape Arago. The sun was trying to come out. Really, it was!

The lookout provided a perfect spot for Gordon, Juanita and Bodie's family photo. That's another holiday card keeper! 

We wrapped up our sightseeing with a very scenic tour of North Bend and Coos Bay as we searched for the perfect spot for some very tasty old fashioned burgers and shakes for lunch. On the way home, we searched unsuccessfully for some key ingredients for our dinner tomorrow night. (We'll find them tomorrow!) We quizzed Gordon and Juanita about places to park in South Texas over the winter. They gave us great ideas, which we need to hop on soon. Before we knew it we were back to our rolling homes, ready for some rest, relaxation and heavy duty blogging.

Many thanks to Gordon and Juanita for being such perfect guides on our wonderful tour of this better Bay Area.

Gold Beach

Our very leisurely Monday started with Juanita and I making a mid-morning trek to Quilter's Corner, a very lovely quilt shop in Port Orford. Inside we found lots of inspiration, and I chose these four "fat quarters" to represent the state of Oregon. I am on a mission to select bits of fabric from each state we visit. Though I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with this traveling stash, I am pleased at these initial choices.

Our major task for the day was to receive our first bundle of mail. With the help of the good folks at the Port Orford Post Office, which just happens to be right next to Quilter's Corner, we got that job done.

After lunch we headed south on 101 for a scenic drive to Gold Beach, some 30 miles away. With no particular agenda, we decided to simply enjoy the views along the many pullouts on this sunny day. 

While stopped at our first spot, we captured a clear view (see above). Moments later, the fog came in. We played peek-a-boo with the fog all the way to Gold Beach.

Gold Beach is the place where the Roque River meets the sea. It all takes place right here.

As the fog continued to roll up river, a fleet of fishing boats came in from the sea.

It took almost no time at all to see all the sights in Gold Beach, especially in the fog. So, we headed back to the north. Before long, we could see crystal clear Port Orford off in the distance. We just had to make one last picture stop.

While we snapped pics of Port Orford, we met a couple cycling south on 101 on a tandem, pulling a small trailer filled with camping gear. They took the train from their home in Santa Rosa, CA, to Seattle. There they hopped on their bike and started pedaling along the coast toward home. What a way to spend a vacation!

I told Paul he'd better not get any ideas.