8. Oregon

Day 20 - Tuesday, August 8, 2000

Left Andersen's R.V. Park at 9:15 AM, after a great shower, a leisurely breakfast, and making sure that dogs and wife were aboard. Quickly crossed into Oregon, drove through Astoria, and headed for the beautiful vistas around Ecola State Park and Cannon Beach.

Followed US 101 along the coast to Tillamook, successfully resisted the temptation to pig out on cheese and ice cream, and then headed east through the lovely Tillamook Forest and Recreation Area to I 5 and the quick drive to Eugene - to visit our son and to meet his new special friend.

Mark's dog, Circe - a Siberian husky - remembered us and the poodles, and a lively reunion with much howling ensued. Howling comes natural to a husky, but not to a poodle - but the three dogs put on a concert that rocked the neighborhood.

Antje and I checked into a nearby motel to enjoy the comforts of a king size bed and a spacious bathroom, the poodles stayed with Mark, Tara, and Circe. I spent most of the next couple of days catching up on the journal, while Antje and Mark continued their tennis rivalry and other tests of stamina. Great dinners in the evening, much talk and catching up. After all, we had not seen Mark since our last Oregon visit - almost a year ago (see the 1999-3 journal).

Drove 270 miles, was on the road for 6 hours. Bought gasoline near Portland at $1.699/gal and averaged 18.1 mpg.

Day 23 - Friday, August 11, 2000

We were ready to go by 8:30 AM, left the comfortable Travelodge Motel in Eugene, and briefly stopped at Mark and Tara's to pick up the dogs and bicycles. Then headed west on SR 126 for Florence and the coastal highway, US 101.

SR 126 is moderately scenic once out of Eugene. By the way, Eugene is quite attractive, with great places to eat and hang out, and a charming downtown pedestrian mall.

US 101 initially wasn't very exciting, but improved in a major way a few miles south of Florence. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area has some good vistas, but views really get scenic around Cape Arago State Park, reached by taking local roads off US 101.

From one overlook we had a great view of an island a few hundreds yards offshore - a refuge for seals and California sea lions. The barking could be heard from miles away - according to the ranger, more than a thousand animals were "hanging out." I have my binoculars along, but didn't count - suffice it to say that the beach was so completely covered with sea lions and seals that one could not see the color of the sand.

South of Port Orford US 101 becomes a "must see" event - incredibly beautiful views of the coastline, offshore islands, and stacks. The last stretch just north of Brookings is the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor - don't miss a single turnout. Especially lovely is the view of the two natural bridges.

The stretch from Brookings into California and Crescent City is a commercial development and a scenic abomination. But then one enters the Redwoods National Park and the state parks it contains. The redwood trees are positively breathtaking, and we stopped to admire "The Big Tree" - height 304 feet (92.6 meters), diameter 21.6 feet (6.6 meters), circumference 68 feet (20.7 meters), estimated age 1500 years! Even someone as callous and jaded as I could not help but stand in awe in front of this tree. It's interesting to note that the tourists passing by started talking in a whisper, as if they were in one of those awe-inspiring Gothic cathedrals that we travel to Europe for.

Continued through the park to Trinidad, CA and found the MidWay RV Park, where $18.90 (after AAA discount) got us a level site with water, electricity, cable TV, and sewer.

I've learned a lot about campgrounds, I think, by visiting more than 150 of them. And one lesson is that it is possible to make an old "parking lot-type" campground into a special place by an extra effort. And the owners/hosts Ron and Teresa Smith sure put in that extra effort. Bathrooms are cleaner than in most homes and motels. Meticulously maintained sites. Hook-ups that work. Flowers everywhere. A host who comes by and checks that everything is OK without seeming to do so. A hostess who will spend as much time as may be needed to make the visitor aware of nearby attractions and how to get the most out of the next leg of the trip. My campground rating chart rates "modem," "setting," and "bathhouse" - it ought to also have a column "how did I enjoy my stay overall". I can't award the MidWay RV Park a star for setting - the sites are "parking lot" layouts, but I can award three stars for "bathhouse" and two stars for "modem". Definitely a "Recommend" place.

The Trinidad area - Patrick's Point - offers some great views as well. Antje went for a bike ride and brought back a few pictures.

Was on the road for 10 hours, traveled 370 miles. Made the mistake of not buying gasoline before crossing the Oregon/California state line, so had to pay $ 1.899/gal. Averaged 14.6 miles per gallon on the last tank.

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