4-6-2024

4-6-2024 Cape Disappointment State Park

Spring break!  We will spend the night here and move down to Whalen Island for a night, then to Bullards Beach.  We walked the beach for a bit, found a small cave up from the beach on the north side.  I smoked a chicken a couple of days ago and I reheated it in the oven.  Turned out excellent as usual.  A little rest after dinner, then a short walk before sunset.

4-7-2024 Whalen Island County Park

Stopped in Tillamook to pick up cheese curd and ice cream.  This park is very small.  It’s almost completely empty too.  Just one other camper and the camp host.  The estuary we are on is full of wildlife, and the sound of the surf is a distant roar.  Made a fire tonight and we roasted Peeps.  

4-8-2024 Bullards Beach State Park

Kind of a long drive down here.  We stopped in Florence because Lorena wanted to have lunch at a hole-in-the-wall Romanian restaurant. It was closed.  The hours of operation sign said they were open, but the for sale sign said otherwise.  

We walked out to the beach after dinner.  Picked some agates out of the surf. Listened to Robin and Wrentit songs on the walk back.

4-9-2024

Drove down to California to show the boys the Redwoods.  Lorena thought that the Trees of Mystery might be engaging enough for the boys.  I don’t remember it being all that great, but that was 40 years ago.  They must have expanded it since then.  There was a gondola ride to the top of the hill where there was a great view.  There was a section with a bunch of rope bridges suspended between trees.  There were spots that must have been 100 feet off the ground.  They were very bouncy and unstable and a good adventure.  The boys thought it was so much fun they ran back to the beginning to go again.  It was a very long drive for a day trip, but a good memory for the boys. 

The price of fuel was comical in California.  $5.90 a gallon.  I filled in Florence for $4.10.  I did notice that the highway was was in somewhat better condition down there.  It may just be that the geography is less challenging.  The southern portion of HWY101 in Oregon was built on the side of a cliff and seems to be doing it’s best to fall into the ocean.  

4-10-2024

Drove out to the Coquille lighthouse at the jetty.  Teagan and I walked out on the jetty a ways until a rogue wave washed over it between us and shore.  Teagan needed no promoting to bee-line it off the jetty.  Had lunch on the beach and took a nap while the kids and Lorena went exploring.  A comet should be visible just below the moon.  Went out at sunset and tried to find it.  No luck.  It got real cold and we went inside. Having full hookups is nice.  I can keep the space heater going for as long as I like.

4-11-2024

Drove down to Cape Blanco. The campground there looks pretty good.  Lots of privacy between sites, hookups, and seemed to be quiet.  The one downside I saw was beach access is a very long way away and poor at best.  Walked out to the lighthouse there and explored a bit.

4-12-2024 Canyonville, Or.

Parked in the driveway at Matt’s new place.  Real big house.  A great find for them and the grandkids.  Had dinner, visited, went to bed early.

4-13-2024 Lacomb, Or.

Drove out to spend the night in Tracy and David’s driveway.  Stopped in Roseburg to watch their son compete at a regional track meet.  Got in rather late, made chicken shish kebabs and went to bed. 

4-14-2024 Kent, Wa.

Home again, home again.  Got home at a reasonable time, unpacked, took the camper off, and we are done.