Oregon in February

Monday (Feb 16)

Slept well, my propane has been on empty since yesterday, but the heat worked all night, so I’m feeling lucky! My refrigerator seems to be ailing a bit though, so I am not so lucky in that department. Looking forward to my trek across central Oregon, and getting to wifi to learn about the All Star Game.

Driving out of my secluded little spot I noted some things

1. It was almost exactly one mile to 140, not two or three, also there really must have been some high winds lately, because the evidence of heavy equipment removing large fallen trees from the roadway was all over the place.
2. On 140 there were multiple instances of trees snapped off in the middle, pretty fresh, this year at least.
3. A short ways down the road I find that the barns next to my campground were part of the Odessa Ranch, a thriving looking concern that seemed to take up that whole end of the bay.

This stretch of Oregon – between Klamath and Medford is pretty much devoid of … anything useful. There was literally nothing in the way of services – food, coffee, even gas – from the eastern edge of Upper Klamath Lake, to the western edge of Medford. There were a couple of lakes, each had signs alleging an invisible resort nearby, but it’s only open Fri-Sun, and that was that. But that’s OK, Medford is only 40 minutes away, and boring though it may be, it has “stuff”

I stop at the first big intersection and do my yelping. I identify a place with coffee and wifi seven miles away, and propane dealers on the way. I stumble on a Ferrelgas place and get my propane needs handled. Seemed at the time like the universe was testing me because I had to get my propane before I had my coffee … #richpeopleproblems.

Coffee place was hard to find because it was on the edge of a gigantic shopping mall, but I persevered. I ordered tilipia and eggs, and it was delightful! Tasty protein and egg breakfast but without the usual grease hit of sausage etc. Used my internet to Yelp a non-Subway place to get a sando for tonight, then it’s on to find my sleeping destiny for tonight!

Sad to say, it seems that my refrigerator is dying. After it’s over I will be an expert on the details of my fridge, but I am a hardware klutz, so at the moment I am clueless as to what is going on. The reliable blackbox sounds funny, and it never turns off, and it isn’t cooling very well. I think I will not change my plans to fix it. That is, I will not mess up the next few days to drive to Van Specialities in Tualatin. They kind of lost my trust after the battery screw-up two summers ago. At worst I can re-purpose the cooler I now use for an ottoman/socks,hats,scarves chest back into an ottoman/cooler. I’ve never had to do that, but I’ve always had the possibility up my sleeve :)

But back to fun topics. This state park occupies a two mile long strip of land bounded by I-5 to the east and the Rogue River to the west, with OR 99 immediately across the river. I walk most of the length of it, and have a nice time doing it … work up a little sweat to really deserve my much-anticipated shower. :)

Since this is an Oregon state campground, it has hot showers! This is my first since Thursday afternoon at the hot springs. It was awesome! I feel really good!

Tuesday

It was totally damp and foggy at sunrise when I looked outside the van. It reminded me of the damp green hills of ole Kentucky. Also reminded me that I am at the edge of a pretty large river, which I walked down to and enjoyed one last time before I left. The other side of the river is a bluff lined with the back of the houses along the River Road which I will be driving past in a few minutes.

It’s hard to leave this peaceful, green, and now sunny place. I amble on up River Road (OR 99), which takes me right to the only place I’ve even eaten in Grants Pass, the River’s Edge, right on the river between two bridges and at the terminus of the Rogue River Rafting excursions. It is a little pricey for me, but it has good wifi and good coffee and the fish and chips is big. I enjoy treating myself a little bit fancier than usual, and leave pretty happy, as I always do!

Follow OR 99 to freeway access, then me and the semis and the other cars slalom through 80 miles of curvy, crowded interstate until I escape at Sutherlin. First on 138, then 38, to follow the mighty Umpqua River to the sea. By the time you get 20 miles from the ocean, the Umpqua is quite a large yet still swift-flowing river.

Almost to the ocean is a large meadow – Dean Creek Viewing Area – that contains a bunch of … Elks! These are the large super-noble looking Roosevelt Elks that are a big deal in the Redwoods Park north of Eureka. My good luck is that a mighty 14-point stag is munching grass right at the turnaround, so I drive right up and take him in about 30 feet away. He just chews and looks at me. They may look stately, but there’s not a lot going on in those noble heads.

I arrive at the eastern outskirts of Reedsport, the old main street and the downtown I never knew existed since I always blast straight up the coast highway. There is a bakery here to remember next time. The organic food place I went to years ago, that was kind of prissy but pretty good the first time, and was way less good and had stopped wifi second time, is now closed and out of business. RIP, place with great coffee and wifi. I’ve never had an easy time of finding food in Reedsport.

From here, it’s a very short drive to Winchester Bay. I distinctly recall slowing down and thinking this place looked cool when I last passed through, but have never stopped. The internet has since told me that they allow camping on their huge pier, so I am stoked to try it!

In fact, I don’t even make it there, there’s a very inviting little grassy campground nestled under the bluff on the road to the pier, and I stop there.

I am very excited to be here, I’m out exploring the pier and the little town within 4 minutes of arriving – didn’t even drink a beer … until I ended up at the bar. On the pier I wished I’d camped there instead, but that night I decided I was happier in my private little spot on the grass. They’re both $15, and within 200 yards of each other, so they’re pretty interchangeable.

It was a dark and foggy night. It’s a tiny little town, two blocks from water to highway, and maybe eight blocks long. Everything is very cute except for the confederate flag flying in the trailer park across the highway. Not cool in this day and age in my opinion.

I peek into all the stores, and identify a likely AM coffee place, then walk to the edge of town and back two blocks to the only bar in town. Still happy hour! I end up having two beers, and had a pretty good time talking to the bartender and a couple of women who work in the Welcome Center in Reedsport. Easy walk home :)

Wednesday

Foggy this morning again. This dampens, ha ha, my excitement about the Oregon Coast experience I have planned for the next three days. I decide that I am just not going to make the $23 investment to stay at Bullards Beach on a non-sparkling day. I will instead press on to Humbug Mountain tonight, and not stay at Harris Beach at all, and get to Eureka a day early instead.

My vision of stylish coffee at the corner market is ruined by the actual morning reality of the un-stylish corner market. I will to press on to the place in the Toyota dealer and see if it’s as dreamy as it was last time. (spoiler alert – yes it was!!!). The whole Coos Bay/North Bend metroplex is really only about 1/2 hour away, so no big strain. The drive, like so many parts of 101 up here is really dramatic, and many places deserved their own stop, to such soak up and appreciate.

The approach to Coos Bay is particularly scenic.  The Toyota place – Smiling Dog Cafe – I now know the name, was again an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. Sausage and eggs and a cheese bagel and a piece of banana cake and endless coffee for $7. Oh, and a capivatingly pretty assistant sandwich maker who decided it was her mission to make me think I was interesting when she had no more pressing duties at the moment. High point of the last few days for me!

On the way our of town I pick up tonight’s sandwich at a place a couple of blocks off the highway. The place had kind of an angry lesbian vibe to it, but the sando turned out to be quite good. The other nice feature is that it caused me to cruise the old downtown of Coos Bay for a few blocks, and it looked kinda inviting – there is even a museum, which I should go to some day!

The first few miles south of the city is pretty boring, ugly even. It’s mostly recently logged over forest, and there is nothing more depressing to me than a recently raped forest.

The approach to Bandon is another beautiful bridge over another scenic river. Bullards Beach SP is on the northern bank of the river. Very pretty, but I’m happy enough to continue on. I wish Bandon had a nice in town campground like Winchester Bay, I like this little town.

Now the road is a little bit inland from the shore until the town of Port Orford. Because somebody mentioned it on the internet, I drive down the short road to the pier in the harbor. It’s an active working fishing pier with a little restaurant. Looks pretty cool really. Don’t stop today though.

After Port Orford going south, the coast highway (OR 99) skirts along the bluffs towering over the ocean, till at Humbug Mountain the road juts into another crevice in the mountain front. But instead of winding back out of the crevice, the road continues up the valley to go behind the mountain instead along it’s coastal face. That’s where the campground is. So when no traffic is present it’s an idyllic oasis of burbling water noises and birds singing.

Walk to the beach really short and easy. Just me! Plenty of dog tracks, but no dogs, which is just perfectly awesome as far as I’m concerned. I’m much happier when doggies are being happy somewhere else.