Astoria and the Columbia River Gorge & headed back east

Astoria, Oregon - Still on or near the coast we visit Astoria, Oregon - one of the first cities settled on the west coast. This stop was high on my list because of the west coast encampment (Fort Clatsop) of the Lewis and Clark expedition during the winter of 1805 & 1806. But we learned there is much more in this area - while here we visited Cannon Beach (a few miles south), the Lavel House, the great Columbia River Museum, and we crossed the river and checked out a couple towns in Washington State where we saw a sand sculpture contest in progress.

Astoria Waterfront & Bridge to Washington

Sand Sculptures - Long Beach, Washington

Columbia River Sunset

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Columbia River Gorge - Don and Deb left a day before us headed on a similar path (at least in the beginning) so they were sending messages back about what to see and do. We took a very pretty drive along the Colombia River and bypassed Portland - some really nice scenery. We opted to stay off the interstate and take the scenic route (Hwy 30) that proved to be a challenging drive with the trailer. Kathy said it was beautiful but the roads were so narrow and windy that I didn't see much. We will come back without the trailer! We ended up in a Forest Service campground called Eagle Creek near Cascade Locks Oregon. From there we spend the remainder of that day visiting the Bonneville Dam and Locks and a fish hatchery there.

Relaxing at Eagle Creek

The damn area was very entertaining - we toured the hydro-electric plant (pretty interesting) and spent most of the remainder of the day enjoying the fish survival stories there. This was our first experience actually seeing how the fish ladders look/work for allowing the Salmon (and other species) to navigate back upriver above the dam. It was quite impressive and the Army Corps of Engineers has done a great job of making it so folks like us can get a good look at how it works. I am amazed at how those fish can swim upstream against that current!

Bonneville Dam

Fish Ladder

At the fish hatchery we were also amazed at the size of Sturgeon - who knew? I'd heard of them before but was not aware how long they lived (up to 100 years) and can grow up to 20 feet long and 1500 lbs.

Next day we spent the morning driving the scenic highway 30 drive again (without the trailer) and enjoyed some waterfalls, hiking and nice views from the Vista House.

Columbia River Gorge View

Vista House Interior - Gorge Waterfall

In the afternoon we went to Hood River where the wind is boss - an amazing atmosphere of kite surfing and wind surfing on the Columbia River. We were there on a Monday afternoon (workday) and were amazed at how many people were there. I talked to one guy and asked "doesn't anyone work in this town?" and to that he replied "not when the wind is blowing!"

Hood River

From the Columbia River Gorge we are making a turn to the eastern USA, albeit slowly and heading for home with multiple stops planned. We are going to drive easy and plan to play golf in several cities on the way home. First up was Bend, Oregon - for no particular reason other than we'd never been there and the drive there would route us through the Mount Hood National Forest for a closer look. As we arrived in Bend we quickly learned that camping spots were few and the one we found was $110 (yes a campsite) so we visited Walmart for groceries and moved on. Next destination is Boise, Idaho.

Mount Hood National Forest

Don & Deb update - they traveled to Craters of the moon national monument in Idaho and reported it was a good stop - we plan to visit there after Boise. They moved on from there to the Grand Teton, Jackson Hole,  & Yellowstone National Parks area. They are having a grand time - saw buffalo, bear and elk. Last we talked they have also traveled to the Bear Tooth highway, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and are now pointed eastward via the Badlands.

Cowboy Bar - Jackson Hole Wyoming

We visited Craters of the moon after a two day stop in Boise where the town was very cool but the temp was very hot - 100 degrees. We stayed at an Air National Guard base there that only had 7 campsites but very nice and a good location to see the town. We had met at least two different people on the trip that said you HAVE to try a restaurant called Barbacoa's - fine dining! It was a great meal. We really enjoyed Boise.

Volcanic remnants at Crates of the Moon National Monument

Greenbelt trail in Boise, Idaho

Dinner at Barbacoa's

We are headed home now and have planned stops for rest and golf on the way. Since leaving Idaho we stopped at Park City, Utah (beautiful area) and played golf at the Jeremy Ranch country club. Next stop was Fort Collins, Colorado where we also played golf at the Fort Collins Country Club. Another nice course and great time.

We have additional stops planned for rest and golf at Topeka, Kansas, St. Louis, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee before arriving home in a week to ten days or so. This will serve as the last post on this blog unless I do a post trip write up. We've had a great time and really enjoyed being with Don and Deb.

Headed North - Good Bye California, hello Oregon

We left Napa and drove along the foggy Sonoma coast with a coastal town, Fort Bragg, California in view - no particular reason - just looked like a good stopping point based on hours and miles - we had booked a reservation at a commercial campground called Pomo RV park and it turned out to be a nice park. We spent two nights there and did some maintenance and exploring the area along with dinner at a local resort that included an acoustic guitarist - he was pretty good but dinner was just okay.

Sonoma Coast Drive

Dinner view from Restaurant in Mendocino, Ca.

Moving farther north we drive the redwoods highway and see some pretty amazing redwood trees. We exit the highway with trailers in tow and drive a route they call "avenue of the giants" that really had some impressive trees on it. About midway of that scenic drive was a state park (Humboldt Redwoods) and we opted to stay one night there (first come first serve spaces) - we got lucky and nabbed two cool camping spots. We enjoyed a nice long hike before grilling out and just soaking up this unique place.

Avenue of the Giants

Hiking in the redwoods

We first entered California on or about 9 June and on the 17th of July we are making our first entrance into Oregon. California is a beautiful state with much to see and do. We spent a lot of time there and feel as if we've only scratched the surface. We saw some beautiful sights, met some very nice people and yes, drank some good wine 🍷

When we left Humboldt Redwoods we were initially going to go to Crescent City, Ca for the night but discussions with someone along the way suggesting Rogue River Jet Boat tours had us looking towards Grants Pass, Oregon - it is also a little closer to our next stop. We got two camping spots at Valley of the Rogue (river) State Park - first experience with Oregon State Parks - nice!

Valley of the Rogue Campground

Tent Camper with an A/C attached 😕

At this stop we got the chance to look around the Grants Pass area and we ended up on an early morning jetboat ride on the Rogue River through a canyon they call Hellsgate Canyon. The jetboats have three engines and can really move surprisingly fast in what looked at times to be pretty shallow water - we had about 50 people onboard. I'd describe the experience as part nature tour and part amusement ride. The guide was very good with his boat handling skills and also was informative about pointing out animals (eagles, deer, etc) and he also entertained by turning the boat about 270 degrees and getting folks wet....it was a lot of fun.

Here is a link to a short video of the jet boat ride

Hellsgate Jet Boat Ride - We had a blast!

Next up was a national forest campground called Whiskey Springs near the town of Butte Falls Oregon. From there we visited Crater Lake National Park and words can't describe just how beautiful this place is.....the pictures help but you just have to see it. I have never seen water so blue and the lake is almost 2000 feet deep. The park was about 40 miles from where we camped so after a stop at Beckie's (recommended by other campers) on the way in we spent the remainder of the day there.

Crater Lake

After seeing the obligatory visitor center movie and exhibits, we did the drive around the lake with a plan to take one or two of the hikes that seemed to be within our skill level. This included one that the ranger (looking similar to our age) said took 15 minutes out (I should say down) and laughed that it took about 3 hours to get back up. This trail takes you to the lake shore where you can even swim if you want - off we went. As we reached the shore they also had boat rides for sale but were sold out 😡 - As we arrived at a rock outcropping we noticed a bunch of folks (much younger than us) jumping off the rocks into the water. Donald almost immediately began taking off his shoes and shirt (we didn't have bathing suits with us). Yes, he and I both jumped in and that water was so cold it nearly took your breath away. And our videographer (Kathy) said she didn't catch me so I had to do it twice in order to record the event 💪

Slow motion video of Darrell diving into Crater Lake

Group photo at Crater Lake

Back to the southern Oregon coast to begin our drive up the coast. We get back to some cool and very foggy conditions again. The glimpses of the coast we see are really pretty. We make it to a small town called Golds Beach where the Rogue River (we seem to be stuck on this river) empties into the Pacific Ocean and begin looking for camping spots. We had in our minds that we wanted to camp on or very near the beach - the temp had dropped to 58 and the wind was howling so we decided to move inland a bit. Just 6 miles up river (and on the river) we found space at Huntley Park - temp was back at 74 with sun and very little wind. It felt so nice! ☀ In that campground we met some nice neighbors who also provided tips on things to see and do on the coast and we learned a bit about the Salmon fishing that was taking place there. The next day the sun was out - no fog and the coast looked beautiful.

Oregon Coastal Scenes

Headed farther north our next camping spot is in the Jessie M. Honeyman State park which is also a nice park at the Oregon dunes (no beach access in the park) but lots of four wheel drive activity and a nice camping spot. The Oregon dunes was a surprise to me - in my pre-trip research it never came up on the radar but was a fascinating area. 45 miles of sand dunes that provide off road vehicle recreation to many folks and it provided us with a tour of the dunes via Sandland adventures...it was great fun and we learned a lot about the dunes and the hazards associated with playing there.

Oregon Dunes

Posing in front of our ride

On the way to Jessie M. Honeyman park we took a detour to an area that was recommended for viewing elk near the town of Reedsport, Oregon.

Elk near Reedsport

Heceta Head Lighthouse near Florence, Oregon

We left the Florence, Oregon area headed for Astoria which will be the last stop for the four of us together as Don and Deb are turning east from here a day or two earlier than us.....they plan to visit Yellowstone and we did that a couple years back.  Kathy and I have also decided to make a slow turn east and save the Washington State exploration for another trip. We will still be doing some touring on the way as we still have many miles to go. We've had a wonderful time with Don and Deb and this entire trip has produced memories we will treasure forever!

Couldn't pass up the Tillamook Creamery

Some additional photos below:

Lunch stop at Rockaway Beach

At the Sea Lion Cave

Oregon Dunes Seashore

Coastal Overlook

Union Creek near Crater Lake

Pinnacles in Crater Lake National Park

Searching for a cell signal

Crater Lake

Trail down to the lake

Monterey (second act), Napa and San Francisco

We'd already been to Monterey to see the U.S. Open and visit with Abe & Kathy back in June. We are returning because of Abe's generosity we are playing a round of golf at Pebble Beach....you have to be a golfer to appreciate this experience.

Prior to this point, we have had campground reservations made well in advance and from here on we are just gonna wing it and hope for the best. Well......we experience difficulty (without reservations) in obtaining a place to camp on our return to Monterey. Luckily, Abe's friend Ed Bennet, who we met and played golf with on the first visit has a home on several acres and offered for us to boondock on his property. We tried our best not to have to but thank goodness we have that option.

Turns out that Ed's place, in Prunedale, Ca.,  is a very special experience also - his property is atop a hill with a very scenic view. He has a huge shop (with lots of toys 😉) and a level, gravel spot for us to set up.  He and his family were perfect hosts, he even changed the fuel filter on Don's truck while we were out playing golf 😕 - and his wife Jodi gave us some home made jelly (strawberry & apricot) as we departed. Our last morning there, as the sun came up, we were above the marine (fog) layer that was blanketing the valley below and provided a unique looking sunrise. We said good bye and hoped they will make a trip east and come visit us!

Boondocking at it's best!

Sunrise over the fog below

Golf at Pebble Beach - as you know the US Open was played there a month ago so the course was still set up in very difficult conditions. Our caddy, Chris, said that in order to bring it back to resort conditions they have to slowly cut the rough down so it won't kill the grass - I'd say the rough was about 4" when we played it and hitting out was difficult. We could see where they had started widening the fairways (thank goodness) and the greens were fairly small - but the bunkers size made up for the small greens!!! We gained a new respect for the pros. And worse than the regular rough (for me on several occasions), the grass bordering the bunkers was at least a foot tall and impossible to hit from. I've never found myself hoping the ball would MAKE IT IN the bunker so much!

9 July 2019

X's indicate we picked up

Debbie was the only one in the group without a bogie 😎

Enough for the excuses - we had a wonderful day we will never forget. Don (and Deb) and I opted to walk the course and let our caddy drive the cart with the clubs on it. The caddy (forecaddie) was an added expense but we were glad we had opted to use one. The skies were clearer that day than the day we went to the open and the temperatures were a pleasant 65 degrees. Making memories!!

Pebble Beach Golf Links

18th Tee Box

Hole #7

That evening after golf we took Abe & Kathy out to dinner at Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch Restaurant in Carmel. We laughed and told stories about the day and just had a big time and dinner was fabulous! The mission ranch has an interesting history (you can read it below) but Clint Eastwood bought the property in 1986 to prevent building condo's there - great move as it is a pretty special place.

Mission Ranch History

Moving on - Next we headed to Napa, California and after much difficulty finding a place to camp there also, we ended up at Skyline RV Park. It is probably the worst campground we have been in on the trip...hopefully it will remain the worst experience as we continue. It is adequate and we can make the best of it - we are here (with full hook-ups) for four nights and three days with intentions of doing San Francisco and the Napa Valley from this stop.

We'd done some research and found that we could take a ferry into San Francisco from Vallejo, Ca. which is only about 10 miles from the campground. We set out for a day in the big city - after a one hour ferry ride, we land at the SF ferry terminal. We had obtained an app (and tickets) for the public transportation that included cable cars, street cars and buses so off we went.

Our ride (ferry) to and from San Francisco was a catamaran type boat with seating for (estimated) 200 passengers

In the course of the day we visited Market Street, Union Square, Chinatown (lunch), Ghirardelli Square, Lombard street, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and the shopping district inside the ferry terminal. We hoped to visit Alcatraz but tickets were sold out - didn't realize they sold out so far in advance.  Our ferry went near Alcatraz and you could see it from the pier area in SF.  It was a long day with a lot of steps (that we needed) and included a walk down the crooked street (Lombard). We saw a great acrobatic show on Pier 39. We saw the golden gate bridge (covered partially in fog) from a distance this day.

Alcatraz Island - home to some infamous people

Waterfront View

San Francisco Ferry Terminal

After our wine experience in Paso Robles we were seasoned vets and decided that in Napa we wanted to just find a winery with a nice setting and live music and just buy wine by the glass (or bottle) and enjoy the atmosphere at one place......that was not to be - not how they do it. So in the end we just did two wineries, Sutter Home and Louis Martini (no music at either) and we enjoyed both and a nice lunch at the Farmstead restaurant in St Helena California.

In order to satisfy our desire for some live music we purchased tickets to a show at the Blue Note Napa jazz club for the evening. We saw a band called "Acoustic Alchemy" - they were great and we were practically sitting on the stage - yes that close!

Stage photo taken from our seats

 Acoustic Alchemy -  For a sample of one of their songs click here

Last day in Napa we have a leisurely morning and head to Sausalito for the afternoon for a look and walk through town and on the waterfront. It was very crowded with people (damn tourist 😝) some of whom had apparently ridden bicycles onto the ferry.....the town was packed with folks on bicycle.

Sausalito Waterfront

Sausalito Marina

On from there we headed nearby to take a closer look at the Golden Gate Bridge. It was cool in Sausalito but in the Golden Gate Recreation area the wind was howling and it was downright cold....estimated 58 degrees with about 30-40 MPH winds. We viewed the bridge from a couple different vantage points - shrouded in fog so the views (nor the phots) were not the best but the bridge is spectacular. We had thoughts of walking across the bridge but the weather quickly nixed that thought.

Back at camp we had a nice dinner and discussed the highlights of this stop and made plans to move on farther north. Headed for the northern California coast and into Oregon soon.

A few more photos from this stop below:

Tired Tourist

Streets of San Francisco

San Francisco Waterfront

Taken at top of Lombard Street

Taken at top of Lombard Street

Streets of San Francisco