Six Weeks with Friends – 7.10.17 thru 8.22.17 - Glacier, WA & OR

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Year 4, Year 3, Year 2 or Year 1 to see where we have been and where we are going. You can click on the markers to view where we stayed. If you want to meet up with us, see the RV Schedule and let us know so we can spend some time with you!

Glacier National Park in Montana – 7/10/17 thru 7/20/17

We arrived at the West Glacier KOA a few days earlier than our friends, Nancy and Terry, with whom we plan to travel with for six weeks. We spent ten nights in West Glacier. It was a very nice, upscale KOA in a beautiful setting just outside of the West Glacier National Park entrance.

We took a short drive into the park to take a peak before our friends arrived. Glacier National Park was established in 1910. The Going-to-the-Sun-Road was completed in 1933. It is a two-lane National Historic Landmark that extends 50 miles through the park. Glacier has 762 lakes. Nearly 3 million people visited Glacier in 2016.

There are only 25 glaciers remaining that are large enough to be named, down from an estimated 150 in the mid-1800s. Glacier has 175 mountains, including six with elevations of more than 10,000 feet. The Continental Divide runs through the part for 106 miles.

FLATHEAD LAKE – Visit with Friends

We also made a day trip to Flathead Lake to visit our friends, Bill and Mary. We first met them at dinner on the last night of a Tiffin Rally in Gillette, Wyoming. We hit it off and told them we would visit the next time we were in Montana where they lived when not on the road in their motorhome.

It was a beautiful sunny day in Flathead Lake. Bill and Mary toured us around the lake in their classic Chris Craft wooden boat which was immaculately maintained. The lakefront properties were amazing and the views were spectacular.  We spent the afternoon with Bill and Mary at their lakefront home sharing many stories about RVing and learned about their interesting life story. 

We had a delicious dinner in Flathead Lake at Tamarack Brewing Company.

KALISPELL – Arts in the Park

When our friends, Nancy and Terry arrived we had so much to talk about and there was so much to do in so little time!

The first day, Nancy joined Mike and Sharon to visit Historic Kalispell for Arts in the Park. It was a juried festival with very high end art. It was the first art show we ever had to pay an entrance fee! We would have loved to buy, but we have limited storage, counter and wall space in the motorhome! Although that never stopped us before!

On the way home we stopped at Kehoe’s Agate Shop and it was one of the best rock shops we have been to. Mike bought Sharon a Montana blue agate to add to her collection! When we got home, it was time for Mike’s delicious ribs!

RED BUS TOUR – Glacier National Park

We decided the best way to see the park was on a vintage narrated Red Bus tour. The impressive vistas from the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road, with its winding turns and plummeting cliffs, can best be seen with someone else driving! The Red Bus fleet consisting of 35 buses, have been traveling the road since the 1930s and the Red Bus drivers, called Jammers from the days when they could be heard “jamming” the gears of the early fleets, are specially trained to teach visitors about the park.  Our driver still jammed the gears!

Our tour began in the great cedar and hemlock forests that lie within the Lake McDonald Valley and traversed the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road to the high alpine region of the park and across the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. The two-hour drive gave Sharon a great opportunity to photograph incredible mountain ranges, glaciers, waterfalls, and wildflowers along the way.

POLEBRIDGE

We heard about a little place called Polebridge. We wanted to drive later in the day in hopes of seeing some wildlife. The hour and a half drive on Camas Road, a gravel road, took us to Home Ranch Bottoms BBQ, a destination for tourists and locals! We had the best Texas brisket sandwiches and homemade huckleberry pie in the area! And we were in luck to enjoy the music outdoors and do some people watching! 

 


It was nearing dusk and we wanted to get to the Polebridge Mercantile that houses the best bakery in northwest Montana. The bakery is off the grid and uses only generator and solar power to make the most delicious pastries including the huckleberry bear claw, sticky buns and other treats. We ended the day with our favorite pastry! Polebridge is remote but worth the scenic drive to a quiet out of the way place!

LAKE McDONALD

Lake McDonald is the largest lake in Glacier National Park. It is 10 miles long, 6,680 feet wide and 440 feet deep. So we took a boat tour on the historic DeSmet. Our guide, a young park ranger, talked about the area’s history and its geology.

Following the boat tour, we drove to Apgar Village for lunch at Eddie’s Cafe and a cool ice cream for dessert!

 

DAY TRIP TO MANY GLACIER

One thing we have not seen is Glacier National Park’s is the diversity of habitat. So Mike and Sharon decided to drive to Many Glacier on the east side in search of grizzly bear, black bears, bison, mountain lions, wolves, elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wolverines and hoary marmots! The scenery was magnificent, but no animals. Along the way we stopped at several overlooks, including Jackson Glacier. Before continuing our drive, we stopped for lunch at Two Dog Flats.

The Many Glacier area is often referred to as the heart of Glacier for hiking, bringing visitors to unmatched subalpine scenery. We will never be in shape to hike the 10-12 miles round-trip hikes said to be “moderately strenuous.” The view of the swiss chalet style Many Glacier Hotel on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake was spectacular. 

Once we entered Many Glacier, we laughed and pretended we were so excited to see cows, our first animal sighting! We drove to the end of the road to a lodge where we decided to get out and hike to Fishcap Lake. While we were in the parking lot someone spotted a grizzly bear high up in the mountain. We were elated and stared in awe. Sharon used her monopod to capture the magnificent animal!

Our hike to Fishcap Lake was more strenuous than Sharon expected and she almost didn’t make it to the lake until some hikers passed us and said there is a moose at the lake! After hearing that Sharon picked up the pace almost to a jog so as not to miss this great opportunity! We reached the lake and there was the moose swimming across the lake toward us. We were standing on a sandy bank and it was the only place for the moose to come ashore. So we moved up a hill to watch in amazement! It was a moment we will not forget!

 

On our hike back to the lodge several hikers passed us and said there were two grizzly bears on the trail! OMG! Mike had his bear spray and picked up the pace so we could see the bears! Sharon wasn’t that anxious and soon joined another group of hikers. Safety in numbers. Thank goodness we did not come across any bears on the hike back, but deep down we would have embraced the moment! But we did see another grizzly along the drive out of Many Glacier. He was busy eating berries and paid no attention to us!

On the drive back we stopped at Logan Pass to hike up the mountain to see the mountain goats. It was a grueling hike and Sharon had to stop half way. 

Mike continued on with the camera to capture the goats. It was getting late and the sun was beginning to set. It was getting cold and Sharon began to worry. Mike had not returned yet, but what she didn’t realize was the hike was much farther than she could see. So she hiked up and reached snow and came over the rise when she saw that the hike went on and on. 

She waited until finally Mike came over the rise! Sharon let out a sigh of relief. We hiked down the snow together and marveled at how far down we still had to go. Mike got great photos of the mountain goats and also spotted a Big Horn sheep higher in the mountain! The mountain goats frequent the area right beside the trail because they like the salt deposits on the hand rails left by human hands.

When we returned to the parking lot of Logan Pass we encountered bighorn sheep that came down from the mountain to graze. We were in the right place in the right time! The sheep were very close so Sharon was able to get amazing photos using her monopod. As the sheep made their way closer to us, Gracie, a blue-eyed border collie known as the “Bark Ranger” barked and scared them off. In 2016 Glacier initiated a pilot study on the use of a specially trained wildlife herding dog to move mountain goats and bighorn sheep out of the Logan Pass parking lot and away from the visitor center area, where they would tend to eat and drink things that are hazardous to their health.

Needless to say this day was a highlight of our visit to Glacier National Park.

HIKING WITH RANGERS

Nancy, Mike and Sharon took the Rocky Point Ramble with the same park ranger who was on our boat tour. It was a two-hour, moderate 2.25 mile hike that had some steep inclines. We enjoyed the scenic vistas and diverse landscape along an ever-changing trail to the shores of Lake McDonald.

After a quick lunch at Apgar Village and a rest on the shore of Lake McDonald, Nancy and Mike took the Seeds to Cedars two-hour, moderate 2-mile walk with a park ranger.  They discovered wildflowers, trees and other plant life, including the variety of berries. They got to taste huckleberries, thimbleberries, and wild strawberries. The other hikers tasted the buffalo berries which were not very good! The bears love all of these berries!

Sharon opted out of another hike, and instead took a drive along a gravel road and stopped to enjoy the landscape and flowers. And she took a snooze with one eye open to watch for bears!

DINNER AT LAKE McDONALD LODGE

The historic rustic Lake McDonald Lodge was built in 1914. Huge logs support the lobby’s high ceiling, and an enormous fireplace beckons visitors to sit and relax.  The lobby was adorned with beautiful lantern fixtures and mounted wildlife! On our last night in Glacier National Park, we enjoyed dinner at Lake McDonald Lodge and it was delicious!

As of the writing of this blog, we have learned that a severe storm moved through the park on August 10^th and triggered approximately 150 lightning strikes. Multiple fires have been reported including the Sprague Fire that has grown to over 13,343 acres.  Lake McDonald Lodge closed for the season due to air quality concerns. The fire activity across the nation is extreme, including Oregon and California where we are headed. We were fortunate to see this beautiful national park before the fires!

Coeur d’Alene in Idaho – 7/20/17 thru 7/23/17

We arrived at Blackwell Island RV Park on July 20 for three nights.  Blackwell Island was named after Frederick Albert Blackwell who was one of the most powerful men in the Inland Empire in the early 1900’s. He acquired the Coeur d’Alene mill and it was renamed Blackwell Mill along with the Island in 1909. The City of Coeur d’Alene acquired Blackwell Island from the army. As the city developed and recreation grew the land was purchased in 1968 by James Emory Hall who built a yacht club and The Cedars Floating Restaurant which has become a local landmark. The son of James Emory Hall, Mark Emory Hall, developed the plans to build the RV park on the island in 1994. Blackwell Island RV Resort was the first property west of the Spokane River to be annexed into the city of Coeur d’Alene.

Scenic Drive to Sandpoint

Nancy, Mike and Sharon took a drive north on the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway.  On the way to Sandpoint we stopped at the Farragut State Park near Bayview which gave us a beautiful view of the lake which is Idaho’s most magnificent lake. It is the state’s largest lake at 43 miles long, 111 miles of shoreline and it is the deepest lake at 1,158 feet. There are only four deeper lakes in the nation. We were in search the mountain goats on the rocky cliffs at Bernard Point near Echo Bay, but were unable to see them during this visit! We arrived at Sandpoint where we strolled through the shops and enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant.

 

On our way home, we drove to the Barrister Winery in Spokane, Washington where Mike and Nancy enjoyed a wine tasting! Sharon was the designated driver!

 

Cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene

On our last day, we all took a 90-minute cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene.  The lake is 26 miles with 135 miles of shoreline with an average depth of 120 feet. We took our chairs and sat on the stern of the boat to view homes along the shoreline, including a house on the rock! The owner waves to the cruise boats every day! Some of the homes still had mail boxes on their pier as a reminder when mail used to be delivered by boat when there was no road! We also saw the world-famous Floating Green on The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course. Sea planes flew overhead! 

Monitor, Washington – 7/23/17 thru 7/28/17

We stayed at the Wenatchee River County Park in Monitor, Washington for five nights. It was a quiet park along the Wenatchee River. The park was centrally located to the all the Cascades had to offer.

Ohme Gardens

Nancy, Mike and Sharon walked through Ohme Gardens nestled above the Columbia River. On our way, we were surprised to see these three deer along the road. Ohme Gardens began as a family garden retreat with sweeping views of the valley. Nearly a century ago, the Ohmes dreamed of building an alpine vista on this sun-scorched rocky outcrop, sustaining their haven by hauling buckets of water up from the river by hand. We were amazed at the natural stone pathways, lush foliage, tranquil pools, towering cedars, and rustic huts through the hillside gardens.

Terry found a golf course and played a round of golf and tested his luck at a casino.

Leavenworth’s Bavarian Village

The drive to the renowned Bavarian Village of Leavenworth took us through spectacular Tumwater Canyon that twisted around the rocky gorge of the Wenatchee River with sheer canyon walls.

Leavenworth is a quaint town located in the Cascade foothills and features restaurants from around the world, culinary boutiques with handmade chocolates, wines, imported and local cheeses, and salami made in-house following traditional, time-honored techniques. We bought some delicious nuts at the Almond Blossom Roasted Nuts & Specialties and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Andreas Keller Restaurant with entertainment by an authentic Swiss accordion player.

Wenatchee Valley Museum

Wenatchee is located at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers. We toured the Wenatchee Valley Museum that showcases local and regional history, science and art, featuring exhibits on natural history, local stories and events, the world’s first Trans-Pacific flight, the germination and growth of the apple industry, early railroad routes, Ice Age floods, and much more. More than half the apples produced in the United States come from Washington state. Since the early 1900s, Wenatchee has considered itself the “Apple Capital of the World”.

Wenatchee’s public market rests on the banks of the mighty Columbia River. This reclaimed steel mill now bursts with activity, high quality artisan and ethnic products, local produce, fine food and wines, with live music on Friday nights. After the museum we enjoyed lunch at Pybus Bistro.

Aplets and Cotlets Candy Kitchen at Liberty Orchards in Cashmere

On our way home, we stopped at Aplets and Cotlets Candy Kitchen to get some of the local apple, strawberry and apricot jelly candy with walnuts. It’s a Washington tradition. The candies are made with the same dedication to quality that has made them taste so good since it began in 1920…slow cooked to perfection in small batches using only the finest fruit juices and crunchy nuts! We arrived at 5 p.m. and it was closed! But the sales clerk saw us through the window and happily opened their doors for us to come in and make our purchase! The candies were delicious! You can order them on-line at www.libertyorchards.com.

Cascade Loop Scenic Byway to Winthrop

The Cascade Loop consists of nine regions. We drove from Wenatchee along the Columbia River to Pateros, then northwest to the Methow River Valley. This was an all-day scenic drive with stops in Entiat, Chelan, Pateros, Methow, Twisp and Winthrop.
Orchards, vineyards, and farmlands roll across the landscape in the Wenatchee/Columbia River Valley region. We stopped at a local fruit stand and purchased some fruit and vegetables. 

The Lake Chelan Valley region features a pristine, glacier-fed lake that slices deeply into the heart of the Cascade Mountains in a setting that offers abundant scenic beauty and designated the state’s 11^th viticultural area and home to 150 acres of vineyards.  Lake Chelan is a 50-mile-long lake, with depths up to 1,500 feet, that slices northwest into the Cascade Mountains. We stopped at the Lake Chelan Winery and purchased some of its delicious cheeses. The Methow Valley region is Washington State’s Wild West and features open range lands and jagged mountain peaks in the distance. Our last stop was the wild west town of Winthrop where we shopped in some of its unique shops and bought some beads at the Glassworks Gallery.

Olmstead Place State Park

We took a drive to the town of Ellensburg to see the Olmstead Place State Park where we were lucky to join in on a ranger led tour.  In 1875, the pioneering Olmstead family homesteaded the land claim at the site of the current state park. They originally raised grain and beef cattle.  The family switched from beef to dairy in 1892, producing butter for the Seattle market. Three generations of the family continued the farm over many decades. Donated to State Parks in 1968, Olmstead Place reflects farming history. We toured the original cottonwood log cabin, strolled through the beautiful heritage gardens and toured through the family home and all the farm equipment outside the red barn.  We also enjoyed watching the behavior of a pair of hawks soaring around the barn.

Next, we stopped at Dick and Janes, a home that was decorated with lots of cool junk art! Then we ate lunch at trip advisor's number one restaurant pick, The Yellow Church. Lunch was delicious! Finally, we stopped in historic downtown Ellensburg and saw the Clymer Museum of Art. John F. Clymer is recognized around the world as a distinguished American artist who is well known among artists and historians alike for his accurate depictions of historic events and peoples on canvas. We also shopped at the Gallery One Visual Arts Center with art from local artists.

On our way home, we stopped in the small town of Thorp and toured the Thorp Grist Mill, a national historical landmark and one of the last roller grist mills in the state. Our tour guide explained the operation of the Thorp Mill and its machinery as well as providing fascinating detail about the history of Thorp and the surrounding region. From 1883 to 1946, the Thorp Grist Mill served the pioneers of Kittitas County. The mill was where people brought their wheat, oats and barley, discussed daily life and planned for the future. The mill still retains its original rollers and equipment. The mill was powered by water diverted from the Yakima River. Water was used to move a lateral turbine system. A second turbine on the site, used to power the adjacent lumber mill, was later employed to provide the first electric power to the town of Thorp.

Gig Harbor, Washington – 7/28/17 thru 8/5/17

We stayed at Gig Harbor RV Resort, a place we have stayed at before. We only had a short time to explore with Nancy and Terry and there was never a dull moment! Our first night we ate dinner at Anthony’s overlooking Gig Harbor and strolled the historic downtown waterfront with a stop for ice cream! The next day, Nancy and Terry went to a nearby town for massages while Mike worked on the RV and Sharon researched things to do.

Boat Ride on the Olympic Peninsula

Mike and Sharon’s friends, Laura and Steve, invited all of us to join them on their boat. They toured us around the Olympic Peninsula and the view of Mount Rainier was spectacular! Nancy and Sharon brought covered dishes and Laura made to-die-for desserts. Steve grilled some delicious salmon and halibut that he caught in Alaska. We had a great time telling stories, watching seals and sharing a delicious meal accompanied by wine made by Steve! You may remember we met Laura and her daughter and grandsons in Jackson Hole, WY on a covered wagon ride. We hit it off and she invited us to visit them when we got to Washington. This is our second visit with this gracious couple!

Helicopter Tour of Mount St. Helens

Nancy and Terry invited us on a helicopter tour of Mount St. Helens. It was an exciting experience to view the volcano from the air! It was a 45-minute (more like an hour) tour that took us to the summit of Mount St. Helens with unparalleled views of the lava dome from the crater’s rim. We were buckled in based on our weight! We lifted off from the helipad and traced the Toutle River Valley which was buried by more than 150 feet of debris from the eruption. Following the mudflow from the eruption, the tour passes Elk Rock, Castle Lake and Coldwater Lake and took us over Hummocks Fields to the famous “Ghost Forest”. Blown down trees are lined up as if the eruption happened yesterday instead of 37 years ago. We passed by the north side of the Johnston Ridge Observatory where Mount St. Helens stands as the majestic backdrop for surreal scenery. 

After flying over Spirit Lake, which is half covered with floating logs from the surrounding hills, we began our ascent to the summit. After exploring the summit, the flight descended into the actual crater to examine the lava dome up close before returning through the Toutle River Valley. The 360-degree view was breathtaking and included everything from the summit through the crater, to Spirit Lake and neighboring volcanoes, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount Hood. Sharon got some great photos! We even saw a herd of Elk running below us. She captured the photo through Nancy’s window on the other side, but the pilot took a sharp turn so that Sharon could get the photo from her side! She was too turned around and missed the second chance to get the photo! Nancy and Sharon both felt queasy and when the pilot asked if we wanted to go around again, they both yelled no!!

Following the tour, we drove to the Mount St. Helens visitor center and found a nice place for lunch on the way home.

Boeing Factory Tour

On our list of things to do was The Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour in Everett. We explored the exhibits in the Aerospace Gallery, designed a jet on the computer, walked through the full-size mock-up of the U.S. space laboratory module Destiny and visited the Strato Deck for stunning views of Paine Field and the flight line. Terry and Mike went into a flight simulator which featured a virtual ride with the Blue Angels!

Then we boarded a bus to the plant. The tour was fascinating! The Everett plant is the world’s largest building by volume and home to the 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner production lines. The Boeing Everett facility’s footprint covers 98.3 acres. The Everett factory is so big that when it was first built it created its own weather, with clouds forming near the ceiling! When an air-circulation system was installed, the clouds cleared. The site is run just like a small city, with its own fire department, security force, fully staffed medical clinic, electrical substations and water treatment plant – even its own cafeterias and coffee shops. Each of the hangar doors is more than half the size of a U.S. football field. The smaller doors are 81 feet by 300 feet; the two larger doors are 81 feet by 350 feet. Thirty-four overhead cranes move along a 37-mile network of ceiling tracks throughout the 4.3-million square foot factory to lift and transport up to 160,000 pounds of airplane components and sections.

Olympic National Park

We drove a few hours to the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. The Olympic National Forest covers over 633,000 acres, nearly encircling the entire Olympic National Park. There was a fire in Canada so the visibility was not good due to the smoke. We decided not to drive up the mountain to Hurricane Ridge which was shaped by wind and snow. Over 75 mile an hour gusts buffet the ridge, lending the name “Hurricane.” The 30-35 feet of snow that falls annually lingers into summer. 



Instead we drove a few more hours to the Hoh Rain Forest. On the way, we passed Lake Crescent a 624-foot deep glacier-carved lake. The view was limited due to the smoke. This postcard shows a stunning view without the smoke!

The Hoh Rain Forest is drenched in over 12 feet of rain a year. West side valleys nurture giant western hemlock, Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce trees. Moss-draped bigleaf maples create a magical scene that obliterates all sense of time. Roosevelt Elk may linger along riverbanks at dawn and dusk. We hiked the 1.2-mile loop which was amazing!

Then we stopped at the Sol Duc area to hike to Sol Duc Falls, but when we arrived the smoke was too thick to breathe!

On our way home, we drove to Port Townsend which has gained a national reputation for its authentic charm as a Victorian seaport. It is one of only three Victorian seaports on the National Register of Historic Places. The art galleries and shops were closed, but we enjoyed dinner at Silverwater Café.

Ferry to Victoria, Butchart Gardens and Red Bus Tour

We left home at 5:30 a.m. to get to Port Angeles in time to board our Ferry to Victoria, British Columbia. The Port Angeles City Pier offers magnificent views of ships at anchor and the City of Victoria, 18 miles across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Victoria is renowned for its charming ambience, heritage buildings and its world-class attractions such as the elegant Fairmont Express Hotel and the magnificent Butchart Gardens.

When we arrived in Victoria we took a tour of Butchart Gardens, returned downtown for lunch, and then took a Red Bus Tour before boarding our ferry back to Port Angeles. We are so glad we got to see Victoria on a clear day!

Portland, Oregon – 8/5/17 thru 8/8/17

Continuing with our whirlwind schedule, we spent three nights at the Portland/Fairview RV Park which is near the Columbia River Gorge.

Columbia River Gorge

Our main focus was to drive along the Columbia River Gorge and stop to give Nancy and Terry a sampling of the waterfalls, Crown Point Vista House and the amazing Multnomah Falls!

As of the writing of this blog we have learned that on September 2^nd a teenager, allegedly lobbing firecrackers into a trail-side ravine, started a wildfire (Eagle Creek Fire) that has now consumed 35,000 acres of forest threatening the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, closing I-84. Nancy found a photo of the fire crew in front of Multnomah Falls.

Astoria

Nancy, Mike and Sharon also drove a few hours to the little town of Astoria. We enjoyed walking through the Farmer’s Market. We stopped to listen to music while Mike sampled a delicious fish chowder. Nancy bought Terry a puzzle depicting Astoria. Then we took a trolley ride along the Columbia River. We learned that the movie “The Goonies” was filmed in Astoria, but tourists were not allowed to get near the house! We enjoyed lunch at Baked Alaska on the water. During lunch, we watched the captain of a harbor pilot boat board a freighter to help it navigate the treacherous waters of the Columbia River at the mouth of the Pacific Ocean.

Cape Kiwanda, Oregon – 8/8/17 thru 8/12/17

This was one of our favorite places! Nancy found out about Cape Kiwanda RV Park in Pacific City, which was just across the street from the Pacific Ocean. We stayed here for four nights. One morning Sharon made sourdough pancakes, Nancy made scrambled eggs and Terry made bacon and fried potatoes. It sure was delicious! Our park also came with bunnies...they were everywhere! 

Cape Kiwanda is part of the Three Capes Scenic route which includes Cape Meares and Cape Lookout. Cape Kiwanda is said to be the most photographed area on the Oregon coast.  The Haystack Rock was the focal point. Most days it was covered by fog. 

Beachcombing the Tide Pools

The fog had rolled in on the beach this morning and the iconic Haystack Rock was not visible at first. The rock actually lessens the tidal poundings and erosion. We walked down the beach and wandered through the labyrinth of tide pools. The first thing Sharon spotted was a red starfish! Looking closely at the pock-marked rocks, mostly mudstone and sandstone, you could see little crabs and the tide pools were full of sea life! It was beautiful! And Cape Kiwanda has the tallest dune on the entire coastline at 240’ high.There was also a photo shoot going on of a babe and a surf board! We ate lunch at the Pelican Restaurant where Nancy opened her birthday presents! 

The Dory Fleet

Pacific City is the home of the Pacific Dory Fleet. We were lucky to see several of the famous Dories land through the surf onto the beach and one boat launched directly off the beach into the surf. The Dories have evolved from the double-ended powered with muscle and oars to the present day 22’ flat bottomed high-speed craft. Their flat bottoms allow them to return through the surf, often at water skiing speeds, and slide up the sandy beach where they can be loaded back upon a specially modified trailer. The fleet consists of several hundred boats. There is a trick to launching a dory out through the same waves that surfers use to ride in on. It was a sight to see!

Lincoln City

On a drive south to Newport, we stopped in Lincoln City at the Artist Co-op Gallery which had amazing artwork.  We also visited the Lincoln City Glass Art Studio and Gallery where Nancy purchased a beautiful glass blown ball and Sharon bought a glass blown necklace and earrings. It is always remarkable to watch the glass blowers work with molten glass!

Gray Whales at Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint

We also stopped at Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint, a rugged basalt-rimmed bay with a panoramic viewpoint of the Pacific Ocean, near the city of Depoe Bay. What we didn’t expect to see were gray whales! Gray whales have the longest known migration of any mammal. They travel 10,000-12,000 miles round trip every year between their winter calving lagoons in the warm waters of Mexico and their summer feeding grounds in the cold Arctic seas. However, about 200 whales opt out of the last leg of the journey north, inhabiting instead the shoreline of California. These were the resident gray whales that can be seen in Boiler Bay year-round. It was a spectacular sight to view these whales at such close range!

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Our last stop before dinner was the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. There were so many flies, we just took a short walk, shot a few photos and hopped back in the car! Standing 162 feet above sea level, its 93-foot-high tower is the tallest on the Oregon coast. Yaquina Head was first illuminated in 1873; today it continues to aid navigation.

Newport Historic Bayfront

Newport is nicknamed the “Dungeness Crab Capital of the World”. We arrived in Newport at the Historic Bayfront with one of the coast’s largest commercial fishing fleets bringing in the day’s bounty. Salmon and Halibut abound off the coast, a bounty of crabs rest in the bay, and clams can be found on shore.  We ate dinner at Local Ocean, a dockside grill and fish market, where we celebrated Nancy’s birthday. The fresh fish and Dungeness crab were delicious!

Three Capes Scenic Drive

Another day we drove north on Three Capes Scenic Drive. 

Our first stop was the Cape Meares Lighthouse. Sharon and Nancy hiked a short trailhead to the Octopus Tree, the largest Sitka Spruce.

All of us then hiked a steep trail to the lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1889 and commissioned on January 1, 1890. The tower stands 38 feet high and is the shortest lighthouse in Oregon. The light was a five-wick oil lamp with a reflector to increase the light. It was turned by a 200-pound lead weight that was wound by a system similar to a grandfather clock. It turned 2 ½ hours on one winding at a pace of 4 minutes per full revolution. The lens is a first order Fresnel lens made in Paris, France. It was shipped around Cape Horn, up the west coast to Cape Meares and then hauled 217 feet up the cliff by a wooden crane that was built from local timbers native to the area. The light could be seen 21 nautical miles at sea. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1963, stood vacant for a number of years and was heavily vandalized.

Lunch at Oceanside

Before lunch we stopped at several viewpoints along the way. We arrived in Oceanside, a cozy little hideaway overlooking a beautiful beach with views of Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge. We enjoyed lunch at a corner cafe at a picnic table outside. Mike had to go back to the Jeep for jackets as it was a bit chilly!

Tillamook Cheese Factory

Our last stop was The Tillamook Cheese Factory, the most popular tourist destination on the coast. However, a brand new facility is being built to enhance the experience for the more than 1.3 million people who visit every year. We did not see the cheese making process, but a temporary visitor center had an interesting dairy farm exhibit and we got to taste some cheese and indulge in Tillamook ice cream!

Florence, Oregon – 8/12/17 thru 8/16/17

Florence was our last stop along the Oregon coast. We stayed at Woahink Lake RV Resort for four nights. Behind the park was access to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and across the street was private access to Woahink Lake. The Old Town of Florence was a few minutes away.

Hike to Heceta Head Lighthouse

This iconic lighthouse sits on the west side of 1,000-foot-high Heceta Head, a nesting site for seabirds. It has a 56-foot tower that sits 205 feet above the ocean. It was first illuminated in 1894; today, its automated beacon shines 21 mines from land and is rated as the strongest light on the Oregon coast. Nancy, Mike and Sharon hiked up to see the lighthouse. There was also an historic assistant light keeper’s house, built in 1893 and today is a bed and breakfast. The views of the ocean were beautiful. We hiked further up to get a view of lighthouse from above. While Sharon posed for a photo, a bird pooped on her shoulder!!! Mike took his knife and scraped it off! Later, after washing the shirt, the black stain could not be removed!!

Coos Bay

We took a drive to Coos Bay, Oregon Coast’s largest city and an active port. The region is busy with ship traffic, commercial and recreational fishing, crabbing and clamming. We stopped at Fisherman’s Seafood Market for some fresh seafood.

Dean Creek Elk Viewing

On the way to Coos Bay, we took a side trip to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing area. The first stop we saw a few of the Roosevelt elk off in the distance. But some people said there was an entire herd close to the road. So, we drove further down the road and found the herd!

Umpqua River Lighthouse

On the way back to Florence, we stopped at the Umpqua River Lighthouse, the second lighthouse to occupy this site. An earlier structure built in 1857 was the first lighthouse sited on the Oregon coast; it succumbed to erosion in 1861. The Umpqua River Lighthouse is nearly identical to the one at Heceta Head, and both lights were illuminated in 1894, but the Umpqua lens emits distinctive red-and-white automated flashes. The original all white lens was lost at sea in a shipwreck. The red and white lens was waiting on the dock for another site which never paid for it. Not knowing the light was red and white, the U.S. bought the lens for Umpqua, resulting in one of the few red lights on the U.S. coast.

Myrtlewood Gallery in Reedsport

We also stopped at The Myrtlewood Gallery. Myrtlewood is one of the northwest’s prized hardwoods. This broadleaf evergreen tree grows abundantly in a small region of the Pacific Coast in Southwestern Oregon. Myrtle is a fine-grained hardwood which is tough and strong. The color of the grain varies from a satiny gray to combinations of red, yellow and brown. The owner of the gallery invited us into his shop and tried to sell Nancy and Terry a beautiful maple table. But instead Terry found some pieces of wood to carve. Sharon and Mike purchased a small trug basket made by a local artist, one at a time, by hand, fastened with copper nails, air dried, sanded and dipped in clear mineral oil to leave a stunning natural finish. The artist, Don Barber built wooden boats in Coos Bay before retiring in 1979 when he started creating these old-fashioned baskets out of Myrtlewood.

Visit with Friends, Debbie and Richard

We met Debbie during a stay last year in Casa Grande, Arizona at the Palm Creek Golf & RV Resort where she taught silversmithing and lapidary. She and her husband Richard have a house in Florence, Oregon so we wanted to visit them while we were here. They invited us to their home for dinner with their friends Del and his wife, Dagmar. Del also taught in the lapidary shop in Casa Grande and designs wire-wrapped gemstone pendants. Nancy and Sharon had fun looking through Debbie and Del’s jewelry and ended up purchasing several pieces. We all enjoyed our evening together! We’ll see Debbie and Richard again when we get to Arizona this winter.

Sea Lion Caves

To get up close and personal we toured the Sea Lion Caves and the cliffs along the ocean for Steller sea lions. Formation of the cavern began about 25 million years ago. It now soars to the height of a 12-story building and stretches the length of a football field. It is the natural home to a colony of sea lions and a diverse array of other marine life and shore creatures. The cave system is at sea level and the ocean continually washes into the main cavern. This room has a floor area of about two acres and a vaulted rock dome about 125 feet high.

The Steller sea lion, also known as the northern sea lion, is the largest member of the Otariid (eared seal) family. They are capable of traveling long distances up to 17 miles per hour, and can dive to approximately 1300 feet in depth. They use land habitat as haul-out sites for periods of rest, molting, and as rookeries for mating and pupping during the breeding season. Males weigh up to 2,500 pounds; females weigh up to 770 pounds; and pups weigh about 35-50 pounds.

Dune Buggy Ride

We could have taken a dune buggy tour going 65 miles per hour, but we opted for the slower, scenic due and beach tour! The one-hour tour covered about eight miles of endless shifting dunes and two miles of ocean beach. As we came down a dune to the beach we saw the spout of a gray whale!! Climbing and descending through the most beautiful impressive dunes was an unforgettable exhilarating experience!

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area

Nancy and Sharon took a drive to Cape Perpetua in search of more tide pools. The drive along the coast was amazing. However, by the time we arrived and hiked to the ocean, the tide was already coming in! We did not have time to drive to the Cape Perpetua Headland towering 800 feet over the shoreline and is the highest viewpoint accessible by car on the Oregon Coast.

Old Town in Florence

We walked around Old Town in Florence, the boardwalk and shops and galleries. On our last night, we enjoyed dinner at Bridgewater Restaurant.

 

Crescent, Oregon – 8/16/17 thru 8/20/17

Next, we arrived at Big Pines RV Park in Crescent, Oregon just south of Bend. We stayed for three nights which didn’t leave much time to explore! There is absolutely nothing to do in Crescent, but the RV Park was situated in pines trees with chipmunks galore and it was a great place to stay for doing things in the surrounding area.

Town of Sisters

One day we drove north to the little town of Sisters, north of Bend. We strolled through town until when Mike and Terry took a bench break while Sharon and Nancy shopped in the local jewelry store. Nancy found a beautiful necklace that makes quite a statement! Nancy had made an appointment for a massage, so Terry, Mike and Sharon took a scenic drive up the mountain. There was a forest fire on one part of the mountain. The smoke eventually reached the RV Park and the fire grew from 1,500 acres to about 13,000 acres. We ended the evening with dinner at a local place Nancy heard about. It was divine!

High Desert Museum

Another day, we drove up to the High Desert Museum with indoor exhibits featuring Native Americans in the high desert; desertarium with reptiles, amphibians and other high desert creatures; the hall of exploration and settlement taking you on a journey through 100 years in the high desert. We ventured outside and walked the ½ mile trail to view the birds of prey, otters and other wildlife exhibits.

The next day, we drove to Burns, Oregon and spent one night before going to our final destination in Caldwell, Idaho. Nancy took a photo of our RV as we headed down the road!

Caldwell, Idaho – 8/20/17 thru 8/22/17

We chose our final destination at the Country Corners RV Park in Caldwell, Idaho to be close to Ontario, Oregon where we would view the Total Eclipse.

Total Eclipse in Ontario, Oregon

The day we arrived, we took a drive to scope out where we wanted to park ourselves to view the Total Eclipse. For weeks, TV news was predicting massive traffic jams and mob crowds everywhere along the eclipse path. We decided we did not want to be in the middle of Ontario, so we chose Beck-Kiwanis Park just north of Ontario, in the path of the eclipse.

On August 21, 2017, we got up early and drove to our spot where there was only one parking space left!! People were spread out on the lawn with their blankets and chairs. Busloads of kids from local schools took up the other side of the park. And we didn’t expect several tour buses of Asian tourists who came to view the eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, ultimately blocking the view of the Sun for a short period of time. Mike had ordered our special viewing glasses months before. Nancy had made a delicious coffee cake that we enjoyed while waiting until the start of the partial phase at 10:10 a.m. We placed an extra pair of glasses over the lens of our phone and took some photos!

It was incredible to watch the total eclipse through our special glasses while resisting the urge to take them off! And at 11:25 a.m. it became dark outside and the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. At this point we could remove our glasses and see the total eclipse. This was a rare and spectacular event and we were so excited to view it! Although the park and town were busy, we never saw the predicted mayhem! We headed to town in search of Total Eclipse T-shirts, ate lunch at a great Mexican restaurant and shopped at the local gift shop!

The next morning we said our goodbyes to Nancy and Terry! One the road again!

Good Friends, Great Memories…Our Six Week Adventure Ends

We had so much fun travelling with Nancy and Terry and packed in a lot of attractions during our short time together.  We alternated making dinners, we shared lots of laughs and stories and experienced so many incredible places together. The memories we share will last a lifetime, or at least until our memory fades!

Nancy and Terry will visit with family in Colorado before driving their motorhome back to Florida where they reside for the winter.

We returned to Crescent, Oregon for a few more weeks before heading south for the winter. The wildfires in Oregon surrounded us and the smoke made the air quality unhealthy at times. We never got to see the Newberry Caldera or Crater Lake due to poor visibility.

We are traveling south along eastern California toward Death Valley with stops in Tionesta, Standish, and Bishop. We will then winter in the San Diego area at Mission Bay, Pala and Palm Desert and then spend three months in Gold Canyon, AZ during which time we will fly to Sarasota for our annual visit.

Until next time, we look forward to hearing from you! Let us know what you are up to! 

Mike & Sharon

“What’s on your bucket list?”