The Great Northwest: Part Two -- along the coast

The second part of our recent travels took us from the Oregon Coast, down through California's Redwood coast and ended up at a great County Park at Mount Madonna. 

We left the Columbia River Gorge, zipped by Portland, and started a week of exploring what was mostly new territory for us. We talked with the Oregon State Park folks on the phone, and took a chance on arriving at a popular beach park without reservations for the night. We were welcomed with a smile, and private campsite surrounded by shrubbery just behind the beach dunes. Cape Lookout State Park occupies a stretch of coast almost due east of Portland, and it was busy but not crowded.

Morning coffee in "Snowflake"

Lunch in a diner at Tillamook

Cape Lookout was just one of the many state parks scattered along the coast for the entire length of the state. We picked it because we had never seen it before, and we were able to get in! 

On the approach from the highway it was not all that impressive, but the campground turned out to be excellent, like all Oregon parks, with hookups available for those who want them and more open/isolated sites for tent campers who those who don't. Predictably, the section with electrical hookups where we stayed tended to be mostly retired or older travelers, and the tent area was full of younger couple and families.

But we were alone on the beach for sunset

And one dog walker

And this little girl had all that sand to play with

And Pat explored the stream flowing into the sea

Our only company was young people stacking rocks

One of many arch rocks offshore

And lots of plants along the trails

After two days lazing on the beach, and enjoying the cool weather, we were lured to our friends' home at Scapoose, on a tributary of the Columbia River, near Portland.

Michael and Sylvia have been friends since Sacramento, when we all sailed, camped, ate, drank wine and traveled the Mexican coast with them in their sailboat. After retiring from Sac State they dropped anchor on San Francisco Bay for a while at Point Richmond, then cashed out their condo and bought a floating home in Oregon. It is a three-bedroom house that floats, not a houseboat. Complete with decks, great views, a nature sanctuary across the waterway, and neighbors who paddle by. Michael is still a journalist, writing columns for a New York newspaper and other stuff, and Sylvia has re-invented herself  from her original professor role through Zumba and Yoga teacher, and now has a life coaching business based on the Internet.  The only thing they've done that surprised me is  added a lovely dog to the family. Turns out a floating home is safer than a sailboat on the ocean.

Catching up on the front deck

The neighbor, who provided salmon earlier, paddles by with his dog

The view out the back door. 

The greenery out back is vegetation growing on floating logs, the base for all the floating homes. It is old growth wood that has been wet for years, and does not sink. If you don't set a house on top, you get a garden every Spring.

The neighbor and his boat

Even I eat vegetarian when they cook.

Cape Blanco near Port Orford, Oregon, was our next stop after a boat tour of the neighboring houses in the area.

  The park at Cape Blanco may have been the best we experienced, but with so many good places it is hard to choose.

Another extraordinary place

The day we arrived it was storming, with what was initially a cool rain off the ocean that by morning turned into a howling gale -- for just a short while.

The campsite was tucked into the trees back from the edge of the bluff over the ocean.  

A good fire helped keep us warm, and the camper kept us dry.

About a half-mile to the North was the Cape Blanco lighthouse, a popular site and destination for visitors.

The lighthouse was closed due to high winds

But the park was still stunning, including a taste of real Northwest weather. No captions needed.

We went into Port Orford for some clam chowder at the Crazy Norwegian, and discovered a treasure: a 1930s-40s Coast Guard coastal watch station museum, with a great trail, big trees, views of the ocean, and a reminder that in this place the United States was attacked by a submarine-based airplane during WW2. 

Coast Guard crews launched rescue boats from this cove.

And then back to the beach.

Taking the same bluff-top trail to the South we came to the road down to the beach, one of most unusual we former Floridians have seen. It was almost paved with giant bleached logs, washed out the the rivers into the sea during winter storms, and then carried up on the beach by high tides.

Cape Blanco was a hard place to leave, but we had been on the road two weeks and had a family gathering further south.

But not before one-night stop at Gold Bluff campground at Prairie Creek State Park, back in California. Where the elk, not the deer, enjoy beachfront campground privileges.

Traffic was unpredictable

We moved further south, discovering a great park we had never visited: MacKirchener State Park near Fort Bragg. Great beaches. Great campground. Lots of trails and chances to watch for whales along the coast. Plus tide pools and sea lions.

The state park is on the right and runs for miles along the beach

A segment of Glass Beach at Fort Bragg

Our final stop on the 3,000 mile trip was at Mount Madonna County Park in the Santa Cruz mountains south of San Francisco.

Our daughter and son-in-law have been camping here for decades, and his family long before that. It is a quiet spot created on the former summer estate of a California land baron/cattlemen named Miller. Miller once owned more than a million acres stretching from Gilroy way into the San Joaquin Valley, and even up into Oregon and Washington.

The county has turned it into a place of respite. with emphasis on hiking trails, easy walks, an archery course and the ruins of the Miller summer home.

The pictures speak:

Footnote: sorry about the overload (tmi)  but I could not help myself.

Safe travels.

The Great Northwest -- a trip -- Part One

At the river park in Spokane

 

Back home in Murphys after 20 days on the road, we are amazed at how easy it really was to travel 3,000 miles in our 2002 VW camper. And we saw some of the most beautiful parts of the country, particularly along the upper west coasts. 

Our goal was simple: go to Spokane, Washington, and visit with our son. We took advantage of the route, and the country on the way up and back.

We went through five states -- California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.  We spent 14 nights in campgrounds, and six in motels. The camping was all five star experience, and the motels not that interesting  (but we had hot showers and laundry facilities).

We ate what we wanted, when we wanted, including a lot of clam chowder and very little fast food. I lost one pound and Pat may have gained one. 

We spent some quality time with both our grown children, Zack and Ruth, and saw  several old friends. 

Yes, gas was expensive, ranging from a low of $4.99 to $6.99 a gallon. Touristy areas and big cities cost more than small towns and places along the highway. Everybody complains. 

The bills have not all come in but because we camped most of the time, and ate at good small town cafes instead of 5-star spots, it was reasonable. 

We would do it again.

Here's how it went:

Ebbetts Pass/Hermit Valley with some snow remaining

DAY ONE

We left Murphys after lunch, drove across Ebbetts Pass  which had just been cleared of snow the previous week, and headed north through Nevada. We've been  there many times, and the high spot remains seeing herds of wild horses out on the hills, and passing through Fernley, Nevada, home town of my late friend and a great journalist Frank McCullough. Frank  was one of the best bosses I ever had. No matter what you faced, he had been there and done that and offered gentle counsel. He started in Fernley, and went on to play professional baseball, joined the Marines, got more education and became a star covering the Vietnam War, and senior editor of the three biggest newspapers in California.

We flew right past Fernley.

We had set our first night goal as Winnemucca, but came up short in Lovelock. We checked out an RV Park, which turned out to be a shabby unattended spot for seasonal workers, so opted for the town's biggest motel. The highlight was me winning $25 on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine. The low-light was the dog that barked outside the room all night long. A bed. Two stars at best. Moving on.

DAY TWO

Because we were not in a hurry, we stopped the next morning at The Grill in Winnemucca for a massive breakfast, and then drove north through the rolling farmlands of Eastern Oregon, with a quick look at the area where Lewis and Clark explored along the Columbia River. 

The Columbia below the Tri-Cities

Eastern Washington in the Spring is Green

The destination for our second night was Boise, Idaho, where our friends Anne and Alan Christie have retired. We were neighbors in Modesto in the 80s, and they were the people who fed us our first Thanksgiving dinner in California and introduced us to hot tubs. Alan and a friend taught me to drink beer in the hot tub and toss the empties into the trash can. 

 Our children attended school together, and we all camped and skied and hiked in the Sierra.They were the people you never forget: they made us welcome in a new home.

Downtown Boise believes in art

We stayed at a Red Lion near the Boise airport. A good place, but noisy due to the Interstate outside the window.

We visited their home, under renovation, and shared a meal and a tour that included seeing their daughter Andrea for the first time in at least 20 years. 

Reunion time with Christies

Daughter Andrea at her work

A quick look affirmed what they told us: Boise is a beautiful town, worth a longer stay.

But we pushed on to a spot the Christies told us about, a campground/RV Park near the town of Lagrande, located at the foot of a hill beside a natural hot spring. Trees. Grass. Plenty of room and the bonus of a the hot springs pools on the property. 

103 degrees and happy

We remembered our bathing suits, and jumped in for a long soak.

Plenty of space, cool night and a few raindrops

It looked like rain but the folks there said if anything we might get some snow.

It was a good, chilly night.

DAY THREE

Morning in the VW Eurovan

A Friday: A quick drive north and we arrived in Spokane in mid-afternoon, called Zack, and checked into the airport Best Western Motel. (All the downtown hotels were filled with people who came from all over to see/hear "Hamilton" playing at the big theater downtown.) 

The motel was a good choice: quiet and less than 10 minutes from Zack's house.

We ate nearby, had a good long visit, and got ready to see the town on Saturday with him as our tour guide.

Zack's home

DAY FOUR

Pat and took off early to see the famous river parks in downtown Spokane. The town is essentially split by the river and its rapids, and they have taken advantage of it and created parks that are easy to access.  One part is dedicated to families with children, and has ever imaginable swing and toy to play on, and it was packed with young families.

Another section uses the old river bridge as a walkway, and you can stand right over the rapids and look down on the cascade.

Zack then took us around the town, showing us the artsy section, the heart of town and then a drive through the  rich neigborhoods. When we got hungry he flipped out his phone and found a delightful small cafe, the South Hill Grill, with a line of people waiting to get in. Pat interviewed the locals while waiting and had the best meal of the entire tip. Her's included roasted avocados, he had Sushi rolls. I just recall mine was really good. More visiting back at the hotel and we called it a night.

Zack

DAY FIVE

On Sunday we went for a long drive in the country, traveling south of Spokane to the college town of Pullman, to see an old friend of Zack's who moved there in the past year. 

The drive down was through rolling farm country, with everything an incredible shade of bright green. The scenic beauty of the farmlands in eastern Washington and Oregon is stunning. 

At Pullman we picked up Brett and checked out the town, including a thrift store they both like, and had coffee on the patio by the creek before heading back to Spokane.

For dinner Zack suggested Frank's Diner, a popular restaurant built into railroad cars. We sat at the counter and watched the cooks do their magic. I had something called Meatloaf Benedict, Zack had a big steak and Pat had French Toast on cranberry orange bread. All the food was excellent.

DAY SIX

It was Monday and Zack had to go back to work, so we made a decision to head for the coast to enjoy the cool weather and fantastic beaches. (We had planned to come back through Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to see my niece, but she was tied up and we promised to come back another time.)

Looking for Woody 

The route we chose followed the Lewis and Clark Trail along the Columbia River. The river is legendary, partly because the WPA hired a song writer named Woody Guthrie to write about it as a way to promote the recovery from the Depression. He captured the moment in his lyrics:

At Bonneville now there are ships in the locks

The waters have risen and cleared all the rocks

Shiploads of plenty will steam past the docks

So roll on, Columbia, roll on

And on up the river is Grand Coulee Dam

The mightiest thing ever built by a man

To run the great factories and water the land

So roll on, Columbia, roll on

The Bonneville Dam today

We stayed at an Oregon state park alongside the river, actually tucked in between the Interstate and the railroad track. The good news was that the railroad. while busy, was in a cut below us and the sound of the trains was soothing. The highway was a bit loud, but more than made up for it in the beauty of the campground: oak trees and grass and flowers, spread out with views of the Columbia rolling buy on downstream to Bonneville and Portland. Here's a couple of views from the campground.

The view from the campground to the east

Pat enjoying the green all around

Uninvited guest at the table

The next stop of the journey took us to the Northern Coast of Oregon, a place we'd never stayed before, a detour to visit friends is a town named Scapoose, and a wonderful week down the coasts of Oregon and California until we joined our daughter and son-in-law and extended family.

That, with lost of beach pictures, will be in Part Two of the Great Northwest.