You might want to get your Atlas out if you have one handy :) First we got on the road, battled the bay area traffic and finally left the 'city folk' behind us. From then on the everyday stressors slowly disappeared as we headed down the road, minute by minute. I love that feeling! On day one we saw a herd of Roosevelt Elk, and Trudy actually spied one swimming in a slough.
That night we camped at Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP ;amongst the big trees and starry skies and had our own private redwood grove to chill in. (it's in NorCal near Crescent City)
It was a good start to the trip which next brought us up to a little campground in Tiller, Oregon- smack dab in the middle of the Rogue and Umpqua River Divide. The drive out was amazing- we either got slightly lost or enjoyed it so much we did it twice :) :) We camped there with Ray, Heather, Aaron, Carrie and their little boy Josiah (and of course the trusty canines Bodie and Coltrane) We hoped to get lost and utilize Ray's GPS but were not set up to bushwhack or blaze new trails. Maybe next time. It was serene, beautiful and a blast to share it with friends. We ate well (thanks to Heather and Ray), got to know, enjoy and completely fall for Josiah (who has to be the cutest little 14 month old boy on the planet!) and assemble a lean-to , to combat the infamous Oregon rain.
The next day we decided to all move on over to Diamond Lake ( near Crater Lake) and camp another night before going our seperate ways. The lake was in the shadow of Mt Thielsen, an amazing looking peak right out of middle earth- daring you to make your way up it. I think it's one of the cooler things I've ever seen!!!
That night we assembled a 'Tarp City' to counter that famous Oregon rain which soon turned into a fast moving wall of hail that had to be mothball sized. We were all scrambling for cover and trying to get our suppies into Tarp City ( which maintained it's structural integrity despite my association with it's construction ) and piled in the truck, trying to avoid the welts it promised us. It was comical, a bit scary and invigorating all at once. We didn't let it dampen our spirits and continued right on. We actually were camped close to Carrie's folks and they had good food, a warm fire and plenty of fish tales to keep everybody happy. I am talking some serious fish stories, the likes I've never heard before !!! Our tent held up ( that's an old school A-frame for ya! ) and kept us dry and cozy throughout the trip. Ray and Heather continued to amaze me with their ability to whip up the tastiest of meals with limited resorces and some propane- McGyver style! They then headed into California to Murphees, Aaron was preparing to fly back to Jersey and Carrie was staying at The Lake with her folks and Josiah. It was awesome that we all found a fork in the road to converge at....
We next headed up 97 through Deschutes National Forest, that winds along its namesake river towards Bend, home of the 3 Sisters. From there we took the 20, 126 and 22 through the Cascade Range. It was an amazing drive suggested by the Oregon guys and took us through sections of The Deschutes,Willamette and Mt Hood National Forests. Breathtaking is the best description I can think of to describe it.
We headed up to Seattle from there and stayed with my buddy Kyle . The first night we saw the Fremont Troll - a strange project which features a cement covered Volkswagon bug that becomes a spooky looking troll that stands guard over the entrance to the bridge. (You have to google it on your internet machines people, take my word for it! ) We also ate good sushi, argued the proper birthplace of a roll with cream cheese (Philly vs Seattle) and were entertained by my buddy's jokes- which always feature him cracking up uncontrollably-- before he can get to the punch line. They are the best and even funnier when you are on vacation and hangin' loose.
Trudy and I headed out to Pike's Place Market, watched the fish get hucked around, enjoyed the amazing food, flowers, art ,cool little shops and interesting folk that make it such a well visited spot. Ohhh, Trudy will insist I mention it was here that we ate the best little donuts we've ever had, fresh out of the coolest little donut machine. ( I thought she was going to try to run off with it and open up her own shop! )
We also went and spent a bunch of time at the Music Experience Project, which was too cool for school and full of things to see, hear and do. It was a blast and a can't miss if you are a big music fan. We found a cool little Undergroung Tour of the city in Pioneer Square where we toured the original Seattle that they were forced to build over and learned all about the trial and error that went into the construction of the city before they got it right. Very fascinating stuff! Trudy very quickly proved her Public Transit navigation skills were A+ on the trip and allowed us to leave the truck parked for the duration of our stay. I think I could get lost in a cul de sac so I thank my lucky stars Trudy has internal GPS !!!We checked out different parts of the city, found a killer little view of the skyline from the top of the water tower in Volunteer Park (and found the best little deli around the corner) , expored Capitol Hill and saw some of the Univ Of Washington, and got to hook up with Kyle for a Mariner's game at Safeco Field. They opened the roof and the game was played under clear skies, as baseball should be!
The next morning we shoved off early and caught our first view of Mt Rainer and it was worth the wait. Seattle was a pretty place with a really good vibe, and we even got some sunshine mixed in with the rain. It was awesome to spend some time with Kyle and we'd like to thank him again for making us feel so at home. I know I have said it here before but it is people like him that make our life so rich and joyful. Thanks Bro!
I suppose I've gone into more mundane details than necessary so I will try to wrap it up and post some pics. From Seattle we headed down the 5 and out to The Oregon coast on the 38. (Another great drive if you are ever in the Eugene area) We took the Coast Highway from there and camped down at Cape Blanco, where the trippy, isolated cape beach, giant Needle rock, piles of driftwood, and sun making its way down behind the classic lighthouse and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean combined to create a most amazing visual feast.
Trudy and I were both speechless and I could not snap off shots fast enough before the battery died on my digital... What an amazing little place! We camped in a protected little forest right above the beach with a peak of the water... and then headed down towards the Mendicino Coast where we camped a final night, made some new friends that fed us Carne Asada and had our final Smores of the trip before breaking camp one last time and heading for home. We were glad to see our little Koda and sleep our on comfy bed that night for sure!!! It was a great experience and good to unplug for awhile and sleep beneath the stars, be on the road and experience new places together! Eveything always seems a little sweeter when you have build a fire to eat it , construct a shelter to enjoy it or are seeing it for the very first time, ya know?? Anyway, we are glad to be able to share some of our trip with all of ya and hope you enjoyed the post!!!
Until next time, take it easy and be well. John
Jolane (she's the one in the middle) is one of a handful of friends that I have known, and kept in touch with, since my sophomore year in high school at BHS (go drillers!! it's an oil town, go figure). We have all been through our share of ups and downs and no matter how far away, we have always managed to stay in touch and be there for each other. I've even had the privilege to be a bridesmaid in a couple of their weddings. It was so great to catch up with the girls (see pics below) and see their families and new babies!
