A Travel Trailer Roadtrip

Anne and I planned a six day five night road trip to the southern Oregon and northern California coast for September, after the kiddies were back in school. We left on Monday and drove to Florence, Oregon, in mostly heavy rain. This was going to be a good test for “Morse,” our Mini Max travel trailer. 

Morse named after the Oxford detective of British TV  because we hoped our Morse would be as interesting and competent as its namesake. Looking for some respite from the rain, we remembered that the Gingerbread House in Mapleton had reopened as a restaurant in the past year. It was a good spot for a split of sandwich and gingerbread as well as a break from driving in the rain. 

The soggy Gingerbread House

A quick review of the Gingerbread House would include friendly service, decent sandwich, and great gingerbread.  On our first night we boondocked or dry camped (without hook up) in the RV parking area of the Three Rivers Casino—one night free, up to three more nights with a certain amount of casino play. It’s a good deal if you don’t lose your caravan (that’s what the Scots call a travel trailer) title at the tables—we didn’t. 

The first night of the trip at Florence.

Three times during the night I was awakened by extremely heavy rain showers pounding on our fiberglass roof. Through all that rain we found no leaks. Thank you. Morse.

The next morning after a lucky turn in the casino winning back all I had lost the night before, we breakfasted at the Brown Hen Restaurant in Florence. 

Anne appears in most of the food pictures. Her smile is better than any of the meals.

Always great food, huge portions, and one of the few places left that will only accept cash. Our destination for the day was the Bandon/Port Orford KOA campgrounds—to be our first stay in an improved campground. At Winchester Bay, an active pleasure boat and fishing port, we stopped for coffee at the Winchester Bakery. It was closed, as was most of the other businesses in town. What wasn’t closed was for sale, including the local real estate office. Hard times for small villages on the Oregon coast (and elsewhere). 

By the time we arrived at the KOA (Kampgrounds of America, one of several nationwide systems of campgrounds which includes RV sites, cabins, and tent sites), the rain had passed. We easily hooked up Morse to the shore electrical system and tried to deal with a grumbling fridge and a series of blinking warning lights. 

Bandon/Port Orford KOA

We called the service department at our RV dealer and they gave us an answer to our problems. It turns out their answer was wrong, but it led us to a solution anyway. With things working again we unhitched our Ford F150 tow vehicle and drove back to Bandon (now famous for its five world class golf courses). A little retail therapy at Bandon Face Rock Creamery (the old Bandon Cheese Factory) and two local sweet shops helped us forget about our recalcitrant fridge. 

The counter girl is slicing some wonderful Dry Monteray Jack cheese for me.

Cranberry Goodies Galore

This sculpture in Bandon is made from recycled junk found washed up on local beaches.

We drove out for photos of the Coquille River Lighthouse. 

One of the friendly locals.

And then back into town for a lovely dinner at Angelo’s Italy—wonderful Italian bistro. 

Then back again out for sunset photos of the lighthouse. To get back to Morse who was basking in the electric juices, we drove the old scenic coastal highway for beach photos.

On the Bandon coastal scenic route.

Our night’s sleep was not interrupted by rain storms, thankfully, but it was a cold night because we left too many windows open—so much to learn.

At the KOA we got several “cute rig” comments, and I’m not sure how Morse liked being called, “Cute.” We drove a few miles back to the village of Langlois for breakfast at the Spoon (used to the Greasy Spoon). 

It’s a funky, new age-type restaurant in the middle of nowhere that serves plentiful, good tasting food. After breakfast we hitched Morse (we’re getting better at this) to the F150 (which we’ve now named “Lewis,” who is great on his own, but goes well with Morse) ready for our drive to Crescent City KOA in California. Our first side trip for the day was to Cape Blanco Lighthouse, the most westerly lighthouse in the lower 48. 

Views from Cape Blanco

Off this road there were several side trips we couldn’t take because of towing a trailer (even a small one). The road was quite rough and when we got to the parking lot for the lighthouse we spent a bit of time picking up in the trailer--they say that when going down the road with a trailer, the trailer is going through a 6.5 earthquake all the time. After taking photos from the view point, we continued on to Crescent City. Past Gold Beach we stopped for photos and a stretch at Pistol River where we used to run our sled dog team along the beach when we lived in Brookings. 

The beaches by Pistol River.

Our team on a Pistol river run, about 1982.

My how Brookings has changed! When we lived there in 1980-84 it was a sleepy coastal town with barely a grocery store. On this day we couldn't find a place to park truck and trailer in the large and very full Fred Meyer’s lot. In Harbor we did find room to park and had a good lunch at the Hungry Clam. 

For a change I gave Anne the camera so I could be in a food picture at the Hungy Clam.

From there it was only about 20 miles to the Crescent City Redwoods KOA, our digs for the next two nights. This was our first back-in camp site and I managed to put Morse on the spot the first try. 

Lewis and Morse at our Crescent City KOA campsite.

Again we were very pleased with the KOA campgrounds.

Day Four of our trip began with a breakfast of fried leftovers and peaches, strange but filling. 

Driving Lewis and traveling without Morse we visited Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City. This lighthouse is on a tidal island and in the morning the lighthouse was cut off by the sea. In the afternoon when we returned the lighthouse was accessible. 

We did notice that four or five families or couples seemed to be camped out in the lighthouse parking lot. With their vans, pickups, and large SUVs stuffed with belongings, I don’t know whether to call them homeless or modern gypsies—they didn’t make the parking area feel very safe. From the lighthouse we drove down Hwy 101 through Redwoods National Park, with stops for photos along the way, 

to Prairie Creek State Park and Fern Canyon. It’s an eight mile one lane barely-improved road to get to Fern Canyon, 

One of three creek crossings on the way to Fern Canyon.

but the half hour—that’s right, half an hour for eight miles—drive is worth it. The 3/4 mile round trip hike through Fern Canyon is a lovely walk. 

On the way back to Crescent City we made the obligatory photo stop at Trees of Mystery to say “Hi” to Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. 

Dinner at The Fisherman’s Restaurant was the weakest meal of the trip.

The next two days were just driving days highlighted by a lovely but tough narrow drive along the Smith River from Crescent City to Grants Pass. 

Again, there were no places to pull a truck and trailer off for photos. At Canyonville a little north of Grants Pass we stayed at the Seven Feathers RV Resort and Casino. This is a luxury Good Sam campground with all the amenities. 

Our luxury suite in Canyonville.

Two things impressed us here: first, the camp was loud with partying until the quiet hour of 10PM, then it was quiet as a forest night; and second, our Liberty Outdoors Mini Max (Morse) was the smallest rig in the campgrounds and was absolutely dwarfed by the huge rig (fifth-wheeler with six popouts) that parked next to us. Our last day was an uneventful 3 1/2 hour freeway drive home.

     What did we learn from our RV road trip?

—We can solve small problems better than we thought we could.

—The two of us can maneuver fairly well in cramped quarters.

—YouTube videos have definitely been an aid.

—We can’t pull the trailer and stop wherever we want, thus...

—We need to change our travel strategy (especially for photography). Instead of trying to see things on the way, we need to plan to get to a spot where we will stay a day or two, unhook, and then take the truck to get the photos we want.

—And even Anne says she packed too much (we could have fed the whole south Oregon coast for a week with what we had in Lewis and Morse).

NEXT: Santa Fe, Toas, Durango, Canyon de Chelly, and Petrified Forest.

   

Summer Photos and More

It’s been hard to get back to writing the blog entries for several reasons. For one thing,  we’ve taken no big trips to write about—some little ones, but nothing with photos to write home about. More importantly, health issues have taken priority. After two accidental falls (in Death Valley and Rio Grande Gorge, see previous posts) this spring, my legs and hips were giving me trouble enough that I thought I ought to talk to the doctor. His initial diagnosis was spinal stenosis—according to the Mayo Clinic, spinal stenosis is “a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine.” Suffers of lumbar stenosis may experience pain, tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness particularly in the lower back, legs, and feet. For me the condition means that walking very far (a block or two) gets painful to my hips, my legs get very tired (lethargic or leaden), and my feet tend to drag instead of lift as I step. This explains a lot about how difficult it was to tour in Scotland and play big courses. Golf, though, is a little better than just walking because relief comes from the frequent stops to hit the ball [Did I just say that the worse I played the easier it got?].  

St Fillans GC, where we are members, was a relatively easy flat walk with only one hill. It's a great wee course whether I'm healthy or not. 

Coffee shops or tea rooms gave me a needed break from walking.

Boat of Garten GC in the Highlands was hilly, but taking an electric trolley (electric hand cart to our American friends) made the course walkable.

Fraserburgh GC in the NE corner of Scotland was one of the links courses we played. The links courses seem to be easier to walk.

After a tough round I'd find ways to reward myself, like with homemade ice cream for dessert at Anderson's Restaurant in Boat of Garten.

Treatment for the condition at this point is fairly basic—pain relievers, which for me is tylenol, and physical therapy to stretch and strengthen back and leg muscles. Physical torture, I mean therapy, has been twice a week sessions with a professional therapist and a set of exercises every morning (Anne and I agreed that we can’t have coffee or computer until after we’ve exercised)—it’s been a 100% effective incentive except when we went camping. PT has also developed a set of exercises to do in the gym on the days I don’t play golf—now that’s a real incentive to get to the golf course. I can’t walk the course yet, but I’m working to get to where I can walk 9 holes, instead of taking the cart (buggy, to my Scottish family) like I do now.

All this has meant that traveling and the blog have taken a back seat to the gym and golf. I am now far enough improved that I can at least put together this post. Part one you’ve just read and part two is some summer photos I’ve taken from the activities we’ve been able to do. Hopefully the next post will have more interesting content (and less old age aches and pains banter) with some small trips in our future.

     Summer Photos at Highland Games. We attended both the McMinnville Celtic Festival (four days after we got back from Scotland) and the Portland Highland Games. Both were exciting, fun, and exhausting.

Here Anne is in our booth at the McMinnville Games. This festival is especially fun since I went to college at Linfield (where the games are hosted) for four years.

At the Mac Games it was fun to watch Mark Wechter, one of my former students at Brookings-Harbor HS. He is now world champion in senior division and competes worldwide.

Anne rests as we set up at the Portland Highland Games (about our fifth time to attend). We're in the gym at Mt Hood CC in Gresham where the games are held.

Here our booth is fully set up next to Granny Fi's Shortbread stand--we had the smell of great shortbread next to us all day. At the games most of the vendors struggled with sales--all except Granny who sold out everything.

     Family Gathering and Ankeny Hill Wildlife Preserve. In early July Anne's family had a gathering in Salem to celebrate Anne's sister's 50th wedding anniversary. Bev and Noel Stryker wanted to renew their vows with all the family present. It was a grand party and I even got away a couple of times to visit a nearby wildlife preserve.  

The Anniversary Couple (Bev and Noel) with grandkids (Stavros and Alex). 

Kevin Hoiland tended bar for the affair. He's an expert mixologist.

The Stryker-Tsangaris-Hoiland-Jones Clan(minus me, the photographer)

Hawk Hoiland, nephew Jon's favorite pal

At Ankeny Hill Wildlife Preserve are several ponds, and even though June is little late, there were still babies about. 

At least I can identify these: bee and California poppy.

And I know these are some kind of thistle.

     The Sisters Campout. For several years we've made it our tradition to camp out with Anne's youngest sister's (Charleen's) family in the Sisters, Oregon, area. The Hoiland gathering is a large clan (34 this year) with lots of trailers and motorhomes. This year was our first not to be in a tent--this was our maiden voyage with our new travel trailer, Morse the MiniMax.

Anne, our new 2017 F150 hauler, and Morse the MiniMax (bed, bathroom, kitchen on wheels).

Our camp location is about eight miles from Sisters, OR, in fir forest.

Camp is now set up.

Indian Paint Brush

Found only one of these really attractive caterpillars--checked all the similar nearby bushes, but could only find one.  

Found only one of these as well; and boy was I lucky to find her.

Campfire was well tended each night (shovel and water close by).

Next: That will depend on PT and what the doctors say.