Rim Drive, Crater Lake

    Our full day at Crater Lake started with breakfast at the Crater Lake Lodge. We always try to get a meal or stop for tea at the classic old lodges. The lodge was first opened in 1915. It has been rebuilt and renovated a couple times, but is still a lovely old building. Breakfast was delicious - I had a Tillamook cheese and apple omelet.   Such a nice start set us up for a full day of sightseeing.

     Our next stop was at the Sinnott Memorial Overlook which had a relief model of the park. I always love to look at these because I get a much better idea of the scope of the area. Even so, the lake is so huge – 6 miles across – and the rim varies from one to two thousand feet above the lake it is hard to get a perspective of how huge it is.   Somewhere Jo read a statistic that said you have a one in 300 chance each day in experiencing a volcanic eruption at Crater Lake.  Wow - that seemed pretty scary.  We talked about this and argued a bit and then found the item that she read.  It was actually one in 300 in 30 YEARS not in one day.  It is so much fun to toss the facts around and think about what it really means.

    We followed the winding road with dozens of lookouts which circles the lake. The only way to actually get down to the water is to take a 1.5 mile trail that drops over 700 feet. This is at an altitude of 7,000 feet. If you actually take the hike you can take a boat ride around the lake.  We did not take the hike to the water.  Therefore we did not have to hike back UP either.  We did stop at many lookouts and short trails. Each viewpoint was just a little different and beautiful.We planned to have a picnic lunch at one of the picnic areas, but we went back to the trailer away from the mosquitoes instead.  Then we took a little rest – I think the altitude was hard on us. In the late afternoon we stopped at Visitor Center to watch a film about the history of the area and, of course, do some final gift shopping. I found a fabric piece for quilting that has a picture from the history of Crater Lake park. It is one of a series available for other parks. I think it might be fun to make a quilted throw with pictures from many of the parks that we have visited.

    Tomorrow Jo leaves us for a quick tour of the Pacific coast. We head back to the beach for a few more days.

Crater Lake National Park

     We left our lovely campground at Sisters and went south through Bend to Crater Lake National Park. The road was straight and flat for a nice change. Jo took off to see the Desert Museum and the Lava Park, as well as making a stop at the grocery store since National Parks are almost always short on available grocery supplies.

    It was an easy drive until we got near the park where we gained 1000’ in elevation in a steady uphill climb. Then we went through the North Entrance to the park and shortly thereafter got to the winding road that circles the rim of the crater. The Ranger at the park entrance assured us that we could drive the road with our trailer, but YIKES! It was a narrow 2-lane road with no guard rails, lots of curves, steep wall of rock, and both car and bicycle traffic. A white knuckle ride for both of us.  We were very surprised to see snow everywhere. The park gets over 500" a season so it takes a long time to melt.

     We got to the Mazama campground and spent a frustrating 30 minutes checking in. I am not impressed with the concessions that run the campgrounds at some national parks.   Unlike commercial campgrounds, there was no marked lane for parking while checking in.  Rick pulled over to where he thought he would be out of the way and then was immediately told to move the RV.   The staff at the check-in kiosk were slow, confused, unable to deal with any variables, and repeated extensive lists of irrelevant information. When I told them that the third person in our party was arriving later they told me that they could not “divulge” our campsite number to her. There was also no cell phone service in the park. I asked if I could leave her a message. They suggested that I post one on a board outside the store, but they couldn't tell her that a message was there for her.  

     Thus began a frustrating afternoon. I could tell that Jo was calling me, but I could not get enough service to take the call or call my voice mail to listen to her message. Was she having car trouble? Lost? Late? Who knew. Rick walked down to the check-in several times and at long last she arrived. Jo had so much fun she was just slow in catching back up with us. She too, though, was aggravated in talking with the campground check-in staff. I’m glad that it wasn’t just me that was frustrated with them.

     Our campsite was easy to get into, has lots of trees and privacy.   But it also has some melting snow and huge numbers of mosquitoes.   So many that we can’t sit outside despite the lovely surroundings. It has no electricity, so we are running on battery, but the days are long and fairly warm.   It is supposed to be in the low 40's overnight.

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

     This is the 35th annual outdoor quilt show in Sisters, Oregon.  It was just wonderful.  There were 1300 quilts hung from clotheslines, porches, and buildings all over downtown.  The downtown area has been restored to 1880's style buildings with many porches and boardwalks.  Flowers were planted everywhere in hanging pots, window boxes, and gardens.

    The town is small, with a main street that carries traffic between a couple much larger towns.  The show started at 9:30 but we left our campground which is three miles outside of Sisters about 8:50.  Traffic pretty much stopped about 2 miles out of town while thousands of quilters and their friends vied for parking spots in the town.  It was well managed, though, and we were deep in quilts by 9:30. 

    The outdoor setting really enhanced the beauty of the vibrant colors and patterns used in the quilts.  It was a bright, sunshiny day, with a little breeze to move the quilts just a bit.  We walked and looked and oohed and aahed.  We stopped at the big quilt store in town to see still more quilts and buy some souvenirs of the show.  Too many people there to buy any fabric, but it was a wonderful shop.

    The day grew quite hot and so did we.  So after 4 hours of viewing quilts we went back to the campground for a rest and some swimming.  The campground sponsored a pig roast and concert by the lake, so we spent the evening enjoying the music and watching the sun slowly sink.  It has been a wonderful day - even better since I got to share it with my good quilting friend, Jo Ellen.  Tomorrow we head to Crater Lake National Park in a campground with no electricity so we may be a bit slow in blogging.

  

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

     It was predicted to be another very hot day so walking in a lava tube that stays at about 45 F. all the time seemed like a great idea.  The Newberry National Volcanic monument is just 25 miles south of Sisters.  The area has 50,000 acres of lakes, lava flows, and spectacular geologic features.  We stopped at the Visitor Center for a short Ranger talk which gave us an overview of the history of the area and the formation of the large cinder cone that was adjacent to the Visitor Center.   Then we took a road with an 8% grade to an observation tower at the top of the cone.  It was a nice clear day and we could see all the way to Mount Hood - just a spectacular view.

   Our next stop was the Lava River Cave.  The portion of the cave open to the public is about 1 mile long.  The cave is a tunnel through a basalt lava flow - no one is sure how they are formed, but this is one of the largest in Oregon.  There are no lights in the cave.  You can either bring flashlights/headlamps or rent a lantern.  We had good head lamps and thought that we would need both hands so we didn't rent a lantern.  The tour starts with a walkway that angles down about 100 feet.  As we approached the opening to the cave we could feel the very cool air rushing out.  It felt great as the temperatures at the top of the cinder cone were nearing 100.  The first part of the cave drops off quickly so iron stairs were put in to help visitors get all the way down to the cave floor - about 30 steps.  By now it was getting much darker, colder, and slippery from the dripping water.  Once we were at the bottom and began to head deep into the cave the walkway became a rocky, slippery, obstacle course.  My headlamp was dim, my glasses fogged because I was still so hot and the air was cool.  Every step I took was asking for trouble.  I finally told Rick I was going to head back and save my knees for the all important quilt show tomorrow.  He went forward for another half mile or more while I waited at the entrance to the cave in the cool air and chatted with a nice gentleman from Florida who also  decided to walk out rather than be carried out.  Rick really enjoyed it so it was definitely worth the stop.

     During the late afternoon we had a bunch of storms come through with lots of thunder, a little lightening, and very little rain.  Then it was cooler so we sat outside and enjoyed the summer day until Jo Ellen arrived.  It is great to have more company! 

Sisters, Oregon

     We left the chilly beach today (47 F. when we woke up) and went over two passes to get to Sisters, Oregon.  Our drive was over the Cascade mountains on the Santiam Wagon Road.  This road follows a pass through the mountains, but was not created by pioneers moving west.  It was built from west to east to move livestock to central Oregon's grass lands and to provide access to markets in eastern Oregon.  The Santiam Wagon Road was a maintained toll road that included bridges, road houses, and toll gates. In 1905, the first automobiles to cross the North American continent passed over the Santiam Wagon Road in a transcontinental auto race from New York City to the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland.

     Tombstone pass was not so high compared to some that we have encountered in the Rockies, but it was a very long, steep climb to the 4200' summit. We found ourselves on this two lane road with minimum shoulders before we realized that we were on our way over this pass. However, there are many pull-offs which allow slower vehicles (us) to move out of the way for cars that are moving faster. We stopped at a pull-off which was also an historical marker for the first car "Old Scout" which made it over this pass on the way from New York. It was a nice shady spot so we stopped for lunch. The temperature had risen to 90. As we continued to climb our transmission was getting hot so we pulled over again for a bit and then finished the climb. After some rolling hills going down, we started climbing again to the Santiam Pass.  At this point we were on an Oregon scenic by-way. It certainly was very scenic.

     Shortly after the second pass, as we started to head into Sisters, we drove through an area of lava fields and then past snow-capped Mount Washington and Mount Jefferson – two of the peaks in the Cascades. Finally, as we drove along the beautiful blue-green Suttle Lake, we saw the town’s namesake: the nearby Three Sisters peaks, Faith, Hope, and Charity. It was a really beautiful, but challenging drive.

     Our campground is just outside Sisters with a great view of the Sisters peaks. We are at the edge of the campground, away from the road and near a little lake – just perfect spot. We combined a relaxing swim in the campground pool with doing 4 loads of laundry. By the time the sun was setting the temperature had dropped from 94 to 74 which makes for a lovely evening.

Newport, Oregon

     Brrr! Oregon weather catches us again.  We awoke to a beautiful, sunny day with temps in the 80's predicted.  We looked forward to another day of exploring the area.  We can see the blinking light from the Yaquina Head Lighthouse at our beach.  The light was first lit in 1873.  The lighthouse sits on a narrow headland which extends one mile into the ocean.  We drove to the interpretive center and found out that it was high tide at 10 am so my plan to explore the tide pools was foiled.  We decided to tour the lighthouse and then come back later to view the tide pools.  However, by the time we drove the 1/2 mile to the lighthouse it was completely engulfed in fog.  No view at all.  Fortunately this site let us in for free on our National Golden Age Pass (Good for National Parks, but many other sites as well.  You can get one at age 62).

    The next stop on my agenda was the historic bay front area in Newport.  This port is home to the largest fishing fleet in Oregon.  On one side of the boardwalk we found many shops, galleries, and restaurants.  The ocean side had docks for deep sea fishing charters, packing fresh fish for local restaurants, and whale watching tour boats.  Two public piers were being used by folks doing a little crab fishing by hanging pots off the pier.  They pointed out huge starfish attached to the pilings.

    We stopped in a little fresh fish shop that also served fresh fish and chips and chowder.  It was a yummy lunch, but when we went out again the sun had completely disappeared into the fog.   We drove further south over the very high Yaquina Bay bridge hoping to drive out of the fog, but no luck.  By now our thermometer showed 55 and in our shorts and t-shirts we were pretty chilly.  We gave up, got gas for our trip to Bend tomorrow and went to the grocery store.  Oregon - hmmm - the weather is more changeable than Minnesota.

Beverly Beach, Oregon

     We said goodbye to Mark and Joyce today and then drove south along Highway 101.  I am surprised  that 101 is such a narrow, winding road which goes through many small towns at 25 mph.  The first part of our trip south was away from the ocean looking at dairy farms.  We also saw a huge hanger which housed blimps during WWII. They were used to patrol the west coast.   This former military hanger is the largest clear-span wooden structure in the world.  There is only one of the two buildings left, but it is HUGE.  It is now an air museum.

     We saw many RV campgrounds on our drive, but they were near the road with very small camping sites.  I am happy that I made reservations well in advance so we are situated at another Oregon State Park - Beverly Beach.  We have a nice site in the sunshine surrounded by trees.  It is very quiet with a short walk to another sandy beach.

    After getting situated in our new home we drove to the "Devil's Punchbowl" which is a round, hollow rock formation that has an entrance for water to rush in.  The tide was low so the waves were not too impressive, but the view up and down the coast was beautiful.  It is much warmer today so we took advantage of an ice cream stand and had a nice afternoon snack.   We sat in a pretty little garden next to a small winery.  Great, weathered buildings in this old beach town.

     Our next stop was Depoe Bay where we saw the world's smallest navigable harbor.  The entrance to the harbor is between two steep rock walls with water rushing in and out of the very narrow entrance.  There was a coast guard station located in the harbor - seems to me that they would be saving themselves as often as other ships in trouble. 

    After dinner at the trailer we walked over to the beach to watch the sun set.  It was a beautiful evening and many kids were in the water, folks were walking their dogs, and many people, like us, just sitting and enjoying the warmer weather.  As the sun set the temperature dropped rapidly so we went back to the trailer to review pictures.  Alas, no photo contest tonight!

Tillamook, Oregon

    We had such a fun day today!   We had a leisurely morning, sitting at the picnic table in the sunshine and chatting with Mark and Joyce, Sue and Dan.  Lots of campers were clearing out and heading home after the holiday, but we had another day at the beach.  We decided to head south along the coast to the Tillamook area.

     Our first stop was the Tillamook cheese factory.  They make delicious cheese and even better ice cream so we had an ice cream cone appetizer before lunch.   We also bought a couple big chunks of cheddar cheese and some goodies for a picnic.

    Just outside of Tillamook is a scenic drive called the "Three Cape Loop."  Our first stop on the loop was the Cape Meares Lighthouse.  We stopped there for lunch in the sunshine.  We continue to be amazed at the temperature difference when the sun is out we are in shirtsleeves and shorts, then when the sun goes under, it is time for the fleece jacket and warm jeans.  After our picnic we walked out to the lighthouse point where the wind was blowing like crazy.  The area is a U.S. Wildlife Preserve for nesting coastal seabirds, so it was a good bird watching spot as well. 

    Our drive continued to the village of Oceanside - one of many beautiful little coastal towns that we saw along the way.  (Although most of them now have hundreds of new homes clinging to the hillsides above the towns). Just offshore from Oceanside is Three Arch Rocks - often included in pictures of the Oregon Coast.  I had in mind that the coast was mainly rocky, but the last couple days I have been on many broad, sandy beaches.  

    It was very low tide and our next stop was Netarts Bay which is considered one of the best coastal locales for clamming and crabbing.  We saw whole families out digging in the low water.  The wind was really howling at this point.  Then we turned inland a bit and came to a spot that amazed all of us.  It is called "sand lake" and is a huge area of sand dunes with no water in sight.  Pine trees grow right out of the middle of this sea of sand.   A portion of the area is set aside for use by off-road vehicles.  It looked like fun.

    Finally we got to the town of Pacific City and Cape Kiwanda.  There was another wonderful sand beach with a huge sand covered hill that ambitious kids mostly were climbing so that they could run down it.  When we returned to the trailer we said goodbye to Sue and Dan, had some great dinner cooked by Mark (I am spoiled now after having a personal chef for a few days), and then finally got some sunset pictures at the beach (this is one of Joyce's).  It was just a great day.  Tomorrow we say goodbye to Mark and Joyce and head off on our own again for a few days before meeting up with Jo Ellen.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

     It was great to have Mark and Joyce here for some socializing.  It seems like we have been laughing all day.  We slept a little later than usual this morning and had a relaxing breakfast before we talked about what to do for the day.  It was a grey morning, but we thought the fog would burn off so we drove north to Ecola State Park for a closer look at the "haystack" rocks and the beautiful wave patterns created by them. 

   The park was full of 4th of July picnickers including one very large group who had drawn the boundaries for a soccer field in the sand and were busy having a soccer game with players of all ages.  We took dozens more pictures (for our photo competition).  As we sat on a picnic table and watched the activity, Joyce's sister Sue and her friend Dan drove up with food for lunch!  By the time we finished lunch the fog had rolled in again so we packed up and drove into the small town of Cannon Beach.  It was named for the cannon found there over 100 years ago (also believed to be from the U.S.S. Shark). 

    We got to town just as the 4th of July parade was ending.  There are dozens of nice shops and art galleries so we did some shopping until the mist turned to rain.  We decided that it was time to return to the campground to view our photos and have some hot tea.  It is great to have the warm, dry RV to escape to in the drizzle.  The drizzle stopped and we had spaghetti dinner and shared family  and camping stories.  We have all been camping for many years and each have our share of crazy experiences. 

     We haven't decided on the winning photo yet, although I really love Mark's "Old Man and the Sea" shot of Rick.   Mark won the "know it all" competition today for best guess on number of players on a soccer team and how far you can see when standing at sea level.  Do you know the answers?

Astoria, Oregon

     Mark and Joyce met us at the site of historic Fort Clatsop where Lewis and Clark finally got to the  Pacific Ocean.  It was a pretty small place for the 33 men, Sacagawea and her child.  I can't say that I would have been happy spending a rainy Oregon winter there, but they had much more uncomfortable quarters across the river camping at the "Dismal Nitch" among the rocks before they were able to cross to higher, wooded land where they built the fort.

    After touring the small fort we drove through Astoria, over a very high bridge across the Columbia and through some little fishing towns.  We stopped at Cape Disappointment, "The edge of the continent," where we could look out across the Pacific.  It must have been an awesome site for Lewis and Clark and the other first explorers as well - to finally achieve their goal.  We took lots of pictures and had a picnic lunch before heading back along the coast.

    Our first stop was at Sunset Beach for a short hike (my knee and I stayed back) and then a drive on the beach.  There were dozens of people and cars on the wide, hard, flat beach.  They were flying big kites, sitting around campfires and a few brave folks were in the water - still pretty cool!  I have always wanted to drive onto a beach - too many beach movies as a teenager!

    We left the beach and drove back to Nehalem Bay, stopping at many overlooks for pictures of the Haystack rocks at Cannon Beach.   Competitive as always, Mark suggested a photo contest.  I am sure that I won!  What do you think?

    Rick noticed a fresh fish shop so we stopped to buy salmon for dinner which Mark grilled to perfection.  After setting up the tent  we went over the dunes so Mark and Joyce could dip their toes in the Pacific.  We tried to get some sunset photos on the beach but a few stray clouds had wandered in.  Still it was a perfect evening - sitting on the beach with family and listening to the soft roar of the waves.

Nehalem Bay State Park, Oregon

    I am so excited.  One of my lifelong dreams has been to drive the Pacific Coast Highway 101.  Today we drove just 20 miles of it to get to our campground.  Even that little bit was full of awesome views of the ocean.  Our campground is just over the dunes from a sweeping sandy beach.  Oh, it is heaven!  Our trailer is tucked into some scrubby beach pines.  We can hear the waves and the wind in the trees, but it is sunny and warm in our little nook.

    This is a busy weekend for the campground.  Family groups with a big assortment of tents, camping trailers, and RVs.  Lots of folks have hung a canopy over their picnic table to keep this morning's rain off.  However, the sun is shining now and is supposed to keep on shining all week.  Temps in the high 60s at the beach.  A little cool to swim, but I have already been wading.

     We spent time on the beach and then back at the campsite sitting in the sunshine.  After dinner we went to a Ranger program to learn about some cannons found on the beach in 2006.  They appear to be from a ship which was sent to participate in the dispute over the Oregon border - 54'40' or Fight.  However the ship - the U.S.S. Shark - sank while attempting to cross the Columbia River bar in 1846.  The Coast Guard has two advanced training schools located at the mouth of the Columbia River due to its severe bar and surrounding surf conditions.  There are over 2000 recorded shipwrecks in this area.  It has yet to be proved that the canons are from the U.S.S. Shark, but the canons are in the process of being restored and may have more clues to their history.  A replica of the canon will be fired on the 4th of July at Nehalem Bay.

Portland again

     Last evening was just the best - I had a long soak in Jane's guestroom bathtub and a wonderful, quiet night's sleep away from trains, planes and automobiles.  This morning, after breakfast and more delightful conversation with our friends, we drove back to the RV parked outside Portland.

    It is a grey and rainy day - the first one on this trip. I had some cleaning and tidying to do in the RV.   Then it was the perfect afternoon for tea and reading (and maybe a little napping). We also took out our maps and looked at our itinerary. After talking with Tom and Jane about all the great things to see in Oregon it looks like we will be very close to a couple of the interesting spots and will include them in the trip.  I love to talk with people who have traveled in the area to get their ideas on things to do.  I left room in our schedule so that we could be flexible and add some things.

    We are camped in a mostly industrial/marina area, but just one exit down there is a big shopping and restaurant area.  We decided to go to dinner and do some grocery shopping for the 4th of July weekend.  There was a huge traffic tie-up getting onto the freeway - we were stuck in it before we realized that the cars were not moving.  The bridge that we need to cross is a lift bridge.  We couldn't see what the problem was - maybe a boat going through - but it took 45 minutes to go one mile.  I am glad that I don't need to drive over this bridge every night.

    Raining again, but supposed to clear tomorrow.

Longview, Washington

     It was cooler last night than it has been and we had trouble with our heater.  At first it would not pop on - although I had used it yesterday.  Rick messed with it for a bit, but it was dark outside and not conducive to making repairs.  We went to bed with an extra blanket.  The RV is insulated and it is not really that cold outside.  I woke up about 1 am feeling really hot. Rick had turned the furnace up to 75 when testing it and it magically started working in the middle of the night- whew!  It was nice to have it this morning as the temps dropped to 48 overnight.

     We drove to Longview, Washington today - north along the Columbia River as it heads to the Pacific Ocean - past Mount St. Helens which was peeking through the clouds.  We drove into this lumber and shipping town and then up onto the bluffs to visit our old friends Tom and Jane for a mini-vacation.  Their house sits high above the river with a view that doesn't quit.  We had a great time remembering good old days when our boys were younger and Boy Scouts together.  Tom was our Scoutmaster for several years. 

    After lunch, Tom took us on a drive along the Columbia on the Washington side of the river where we could see hundreds of acres of forest land and little streams coming down to the river.  This part of the river from Astoria to Portland has large ocean-going vessels on the water.  We saw one making its way back to the ocean.  Longview is frequently a spot where cargo is transferred onto trains for the inland haul.  We stopped at a small campground at Skamokowa Vista Park where we could see a long way up and down the river.  The tide was low so we didn't see any more ships - only some of the many dredging barges which keep the river open to traffic.  There are very few bridges across the Columbia in the Portland area (which may be why traffic by our Portland campground is so terrible) so on our way back we crossed the river onto Puget Island and then took a small ferry from the island to the Oregon side of the river.

    After a relaxing social hour on the deck looking out across the river, Jane made us a great Northwest dinner of grilled salmon and many Oregon berries in the salad and desert.   We have been completely pampered - it has recharged my batteries.  Ahhhhh!  Tomorrow Mark and Joyce arrive from Minneapolis to join us for a few day so we need to be ready for action.