In case you haven't figured it out, Krysten is my daughter, and Wendy is my daughter we lost to cancer in 1993. I actually wrote a book called Wendy, Her Brave Journey Towards Death and Beyond. It's available on Amazon.com if you're interested.
G & M Travels 2011 #15
Here we are again...still not home! Soon though.
We are actually in Maple Valley, near Krysten's house, and are flying back to Kauai on the 6th. I'm going
to do two emails today. This one is Oregon and the next will be Washington. So here goes....
We stayed one night in John Day enroute to the Cascade Lakes area near Bend. On the way is the John
Day Fossil Beds facility. This place is very interesting. They have discovered, and still are discovering,
thousands of fossils in this area. It's all the stuff after dinosaurs and before man. They have a lab there
where they are actually working on newfound fossils and you can watch. Stop by if you're ever in the
area. Well worth it.
We went to the Cascade Lakes area, west of Bend, and camped at Elk Lake. Mike had been very much
looking forward to fishing at this location which we had enjoyed a couple years back. So he got a one-week fishing license and got his kayak all rigged up. Well.....no fish in this lake. We just
assumed.........and you know what assuming can do!!
So we went down the road, after a couple days, to Lava Lake. The word was that there were lots of fish
being caught at this lake. Didn't happen. But the kayaking was good and Mike does look ready in his
fishing kayak!
His license wasn't a total bust though. The last morning he tried fishing he found a box of
beautiful flies made by Orvis by the river where we were camped. I meant to take a photo of these
beauties but forgot. Anyway, he says he'll use them in Montana next summer!!
By now it's hot and dusty and there are fires burning so the air quality is ge ng yucky so we, once again
and quite normal for us actually, changed our plans. We headed towards the Oregon Coast.
Some
friends of ours, John and Lori, who we met in Zihuatanejo last year, were coming back towards their
home in Sisters from the coast and we were able to hook up at a park a little west of Eugene. Lori made
us a nice lunch, and I just happened to have a bottle of champagne all chilled and ready to go. It was
very fun to see them again. Thanks, Lori and John, for the visit and the grub! We'll see them down the
road another me for sure.
We drove to the coast and arrived in Florence in the fog. We went straight to Mo's restaurant for our
favorite clam chowder to go. They also make the best cabbage salad with bay shrimp! Going to try that at home. Hit Safeway and headed up toward Heceta Head. Just a couple miles beyond is a state park and
there is a trail that goes to the famous lighthouse.
Next morning we took the hike, which turned out to be six miles round trip. It was still sorta foggy but a
beautiful walk. I've been to the beach below the lighthouse numerous times but had never actually
walked out there before. This location was one of Wendy's favorite places and my thoughts were
especially of her that day. Her father took her there, at her request, a few months before she died and
he did a painting that Krysten has now....I just saw it again last night. Very special.
We drove a short distance up the coast to the best campground, in my opinion, on this coast. It's a
National Forest Service CG called Tillicum. Quite a few of the spots are right on the low bluff above the
ocean. We were fortunate enough to get one of those spots and, since we parked parallel to the beach,
had a great view even while sittng at our little camper table. And guess what? Wonder of
wonder.....the sun came out! And actually stayed out for a few days. Mike always says that he's been to
the Oregon coast several times and has never seen it. Well, he saw it this time.
We stayed at Tillicum for two nights. It's located just a few miles north of Yachats so we drove down
there for lunch. Then a li le further south is an area of trails at Cook's Chasm and Devil's Churn! This is
an interesting piece of coastline that is also USFS land and has a visitor's center. There was even a blow
hole. I'd never stopped there before. And it was a perfect day for walking the couple miles of trails to
the various coastline views.
Next day we went up to Newport. We had to make another visit to Mo's and also wanted to visit the
aquarium there. We actually went to Mo's, had lunch, walked around for a bit and then went back to
Mo's and shared a marionberry cobbler with ice cream and ordered more chowder to go! It's our
favorite, obviously. Love the photo of the cat on the pilings under the fish processing plant.
We stayed at the marina and in the morning Mike saw the signs for fresh tuna right off the boat. We
went down there and watched them haul almost 400 pounds of tuna up the dock, fish by fish, to
someone who required that much for some reason. Then it was our turn to try to buy one that would fit
in our refer. They fileted it for us and is it ever good! I think it's albacore as the meat is really white.
There was a sea lion lounging in the water behind the boat. He knew where to get an easy meal.
Then we visited the Newport Aquarium. I'd been many years before when Keiko (of Free Willy fame)
was living there. He's greatly missed. It is a nice aquarium though.
A visit to the Oregon coast would not be complete for me without a stop in my old favorite town, Depoe
Bay. Had to go to Ainslee's and get a bag of saltwater taffy! It's tradition.
We stayed in a place up the Siletz River and, as predicted, had rain in the morning. We made a stop at
the outlet stores in Lincoln City and then headed through Portland and into Washington.....in the rain.
More to come....... one more state before heading home. G and M
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