Walking Amongst the Great Ones

Posted on November 5, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 1 Comment

One thing that we’ve noticed on this trip is how much can change when you cross a border. Again and again we’ve commented on how the landscape, the people, or the development changes dramatically as you cross a border. There’s a lot in common between southern Oregon and Northern California, but they’re still two completely different states. Most notable among the differences was the significant increase in the cost of camping, gas, food, and well…everything! We really enjoyed exploring the beaches and redwoods of the Northern California coast, but the $35+ a night tent campsites (often without a shower) were a bit hard to stomach. We’ve never seen public camping cost so much! In fact, this was the first state where we began camping at private campgrounds because the cost was comparable, but the amenities were better (hot water and showers for the win!). All of this was exacerbated by the government shut down, which meant that camping at federal campgrounds was out of the question.

Welcome to the Northern California Coast!

Although visiting and camping in the parks can be costly, there are many mighty fine California state parks. Since we were barred from entering Redwood National Park (government shut down, grrrr), we were happy to discover that the California state park system preserves many of the finest Redwood groves that are still standing. We spent our first days in California exploring Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. Although long hikes were out of the question, we took many short jaunts to stand in the cathedral of redwoods. The air just feels different in a forest of redwood trees. Breathing in deeply, I felt transported to a place where the trees are more powerful than the people.

The Magnificence of the Redwoods

Helloooooo up there!

We were lucky enough to get a spot at Gold Bluffs campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park – our first night camping at the beach. Yes, we’d camped along the coast, but falling asleep to the sound of the waves and walking from our site right down to the water was a first for us on this trip. It reminded us of our annual camping trip with our friends Sandra and Bryan to Assateague.

The Sunset from Gold Bluffs Campground

The Morning Mist

Playing With His New Fish – A Gift From a Neighboring Camper

We spent the next day driving some seriously narrow dirt roads and roads that were paved at some point long ago but to call them “paved” would certainly be a misnomer. We began by heading to Fern Canyon, just a couple of miles past our campsite. Since Alan was still in a lot of pain from his sprained ankle, I took a solo walk to and through the canyon. It was the kind of place I could imagine a group of kids spending hours or days exploring and making it into their own private kingdom. Or maybe that’s just me…

Fern Canyon

After driving on some dirt roads through several of the Redwoods State Parks, we decided to check out the Lost Coast. The Lost Coast is a stretch of Northern California coast that Highway 1 and 101 avoid. We received recommendations from a couple of people to check it out. None of them had done it, but they had always heard it was beautiful. It was remote, stunning, and much more slow-going than we had expected. Clearly our friends who recommended it had never traveled on these roads or they would have warned us. The paved portions were the worst maintained paved roads we’ve been on during this trip. It was SLOW going. The stretch right along the coast (which was only five miles or so) was beautiful, but we’re not sure it was worth the all-afternoon and -evening trip along roads on which we could go barely more than 20 miles per hour – sometimes much less. If we were one of the locals in a big truck, we would have traveled much more quickly, but driving a car weighted down with all of our possessions, open range cattle in the middle of the road multiple times, numerous hairpin turns, and deceptive signage slowed us even further. We noticed that there were signs warning of curves ahead, but unlike other places we’ve been, the shape of the curve on the sign was in no way related to the curve or direction of the road. It’s as if the state knew they needed to put a sign before a curve, so they just threw up whatever they had available. It became a game for us. What way do you think the curve will go?

After a fruitless search for a campground down a narrow, dark, dirt road, we eventually found our way to another state park and set up camp under the redwoods in the pitch black night. I was expecting to crawl into the tent once it was set up, exhausted from a long day, but instead Alan cooked up a delicious dinner of steak and beans. It was one of our tastiest dinners of the trip!

We awoke amongst the redwoods and spent another full day exploring their home. It is hard to overstate the beauty and grandeur of these trees.

We bid goodbye to the redwoods and headed back to the coast. We spent the next couple of days in Fort Bragg and Menocino, soaking up the perfect weather, the warm sun, and the incredible views. I could have stayed and stayed…

Views from Mendocino

Mendocino, CA

The Mendocino Coast

If there’s one thing that made the Northern California coast even more beautiful than I expected, it was the light. There was a magical quality to the light that made everything sparkle and shine.

This was a place I could imagine coming back to over and over again if I lived anywhere nearby. It is the kind of place best experienced over long stretches of time, not just hours or days.

From the Mountains to the Sea: The Oregon Coast

Posted on November 2, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 4 Comments

Leaving the warm confines of Mary and Roger’s home just outside of Portland, we headed over the mountains into the high desert to camp in Bend, Oregon for a couple of nights. Unfortunately, our arrival coincided with the day the government shut down. While this didn’t hurt our camping plans in Oregon (the state has a fantastic park system), it did mean we were blocked from visiting several of the places we wanted to check out. For starters, we weren’t able to see much of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. We headed over there on the morning of the shut down, hoping to see a bit before the monument was fully closed, but we only got so far as one back road that had not yet been gated. We had been looking forward to it since we enjoyed Craters of the Moon so much, but instead we spent the day checking out the great town of Bend. We spent the morning at the fantastic town library. While we intended to read with Van, he spent the entire time playing with the library’s toys and the many, many other children who were also at the library that morning. While we were both big fans of Bend, we decided that two nights was the limit because the temperature was dipping into the twenties at night. Even with the long underwear, hat, sleeping bag, and blanket, Van was still a little icicle in the morning. We now know that camping in the thirties, while not ideal, is completely doable, but camping in the twenties is something we’ll try hard to avoid.

Instead of heading south to Crater Lake, which was our original plan before the government shut down, we headed east on the Cascade Lakes Highway toward the coast. And what a beautiful drive it was! I’m disappointed we missed Crater Lake, but so happy we were able to travel on this majestic road.

The Imposing Mount Bachelor

Our Route

Stillness, Silence, Breathtaking

We woke up in the high desert, traveled through snowy mountains, and ended our day at the rugged and windswept Oregon coast.

View of the Pacific Ocean

Windswept, Indeed

We packed a lot into those four days, from an after-hours lighthouse tour (thank you to the gracious lighthouse keepers that showed us around after we let ourselves in to the open door, not realizing it was not open for tours at that time – oops!), to a fantastic tour of the historic Hughes House at Cape Blanco State Park, as well as beach walks, rock throwing, and wave watching.

But even with a hobble in Alan’s step, we were still able to appreciate the unparalleled beauty of the Oregon coast. Because the state granted public access to all of its beaches back in the 1960s, Oregon is a great place to view accessible and unspoiled coastline. And we were not alone. There were lots of other folks, including many bicyclists, making their way down the coast. You can’t drive more than a few miles before hitting another excellent and affordable state park. We were practically tripping over great places to picnic and camp. If only traveling were always this easy…

The Oregon Coast

How to Dry Out in Style

Posted on October 28, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 1 Comment

After several kind invitations to please think about coming earlier than planned due to the non-stop rainstorms we’d been camping in, we finally decided to take my sister-in-law’s parents up on the offer. We were planning to stay for three nights, but with the weather and the fun we were having (and their amazing hospitality), three quickly turned into six. While we did get out twice for some sightseeing, once in Portland and once in the gorgeous areas east of Portland, we spent most of the time hanging out, playing, eating, and talking. We left feeling amazingly thankful for their generosity and having had a really great time getting to know them better. They are no longer just my sister-in-law’s parents, they’re family. Thank you so much, Roger and Mary, for a wonderful, warm, and dry week with you. We cannot express just how much that time lifted our spirits.

Mary, Van, and Roger – fast friends!

Hours of Entertainment

Especially When You Do This!

Helping Mary with her Grading

There was just one downside to our visit. According to Roger and Mary, they have a beautiful view of Mount Hood from their living room window. Problem was, we never saw it! We think we believe them, but we can’t be entirely sure… Guess we’ll just have to visit at some point in the future! By the way, the last picture below is from their beautiful garden. The broccoli was particularly photogenic, but Van can vouch for the fact that the corn was excellent.

Fur Trappers, Mexican Food, and Waterfalls: Welcome to the Willamette Valley

Posted on October 25, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 1 Comment

Making Friends in Portland

Van has turned in to a ham. You take out the camera and he immediately starts making his “smiley” face, which in reality is a cross between a smile and a grimace. In fact, you don’t even need to take out the camera for him to start posing with that camera-ready grin on his face. When we were exploring a beautiful rose garden in Portland, Oregon, he pranced around the bushes and hedges, posing every few minutes and directing me to take out the camera. One hand on hip, the other resting on a bush or touching a flower, and a smile plastered on his mug. But he’s a twenty-first century boy. His favorite part is running up to you after you’ve shot off a few photos so that he can see the photos you just captured. Instant gratification, indeed.

Instead of tons of photos of the gorgeous Willamette Valley, we have tons of Van. You’ll just have to take my word for it that the Willamette Valley is absolutely one of the most beautiful spots in this great country. Were it not for the mild winters, it would definitely be on our short list. We loved, loved, loved it!

Van the Ham

Our first discovery was the amazing Mexican food to be had in Woodburn, Oregon. Apparently the town is known for having outlet shopping (we saw the shops from afar), but much, much better than that is the main street a few miles to the east that is chock full of Mexican restaurants and grocers. Seriously excellent and authentic food. If you’re looking for Tex-Mex, this is not the place. It was so good we ate it two nights in a row. If you find yourself anywhere near Woodburn, you owe it to yourself to check out Luis’s Tacqueria or one of the other gems that line the main street.

Then we realized that our nifty museum memberships could get us in to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum for free. Along with a personal tour of a B-17! We spent a long, fun day checking out all of the planes (including the Spruce Goose) and catching up on the history of the space program. Alan didn’t need any catching up, but it was a great refresher for me.

When we weren’t eating yummy food or touring planes, we spent our time outdoors amidst beautiful farmland and waterfalls. We camped for several nights at Champoeg State Park where we were entranced by the disc golf players and their professional looking gear. No casual players here! But even better was the small museum and historical farm. Van couldn’t get enough of the smell of the hops. Future homebrewer? A mother can dream…

Van Testing the Hops

At the Rogue Brewery Hop Farm

But the best part of Champoeg was the fur trapper rendezvous that we happened upon. Actually, Van was personally invited by two fur trappers in traditional French-Canadian trapper clothes the night before (must have been the smile he flashed them). We walked two miles to get there, some of it through some pouring rain, but it was well worth it. We had an up close and personal look at fur trapping, homemade birch bark canoes, dutch oven cooking over an open flame, and guns used by the fur trappers. We spent a long time speaking with each of the folks at the rendezvous and came away with a much greater appreciation for this part of our history.

Once we said our goodbyes (only temporarily) to the Willamette Valley, we headed up to the Columbia River Gorge for a few days of exploring. It rained – a lot – which means we didn’t take very many photos. But we did see the gorgeous Multnomah Falls in an uncharacteristic break in the rain. We also spent a cozy afternoon wandering around the Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood and taking a detailed tour from the resident park ranger. My favorite was curling up in front of the roaring fireplace to dry ourselves out. But oh how I longed to stay at the lodge and write in my journal at a desk tucked into a nook in the main room.

Multnomah Falls

We left the area thinking that the Willamette Valley would make a wonderful home. Unfortunately, not for us. Finding a place that felt so right but for its mild winters reinforced to me just how important snow (and lots of it) is to us. The mild winters knocked it off of our short list, but if you’re one of the more sane among us, perhaps it should be on yours.

The Conclusion to our Tour of Washington, With a Brief Foray into British Columbia

Posted on October 13, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | Leave a comment

From Seattle, we headed north again so we could visit our neighbor to the north. Before driving all the way to Canada, we stopped for two nights just outside of Bellingham, easily one of my favorite towns in Washington. We spent a lazy day walking along the water, checking out the downtown, and watching Van play with lots of children on a playground. In addition to being a great town in a beautiful location, it’s within close driving distance of this:

North Cascades, Washington

If Bellingham received more snow and sun, it may have made my short list. But one thing we’ve realized is how important snow is to both of us. Not just snow that you can drive to, but snow that falls right outside your front door. And lots of it!

From Bellingham, we headed north to Vancouver. We set up home at the most beautiful campsite of our trip. The site was small, squished next to a number of other campers, and required that we walk all of our belongings in a fair distance, but the views more than made up for that. We camped right beside the beach of a magnificent fjord. Breathtaking.

Views from Porteau Cove Provincial Park, BC

This view was just steps from our campsite, as you can see below.

Our Campsite in Porteau Cove Provincial Park, BC

I could have spent hours, no, make it days, just sitting along the shore on one of the many drift logs and watching the water.

Porteau Cove Provincial Park, BC

But, we came here to see Vancouver, so off we went. We parked in Stanley Park beside a very nice neighborhood and took off for a long walk around town. The first few hours of our walk left us marvelling at how nice this city is. Beautiful gardens, nice shops and restaurants, lots of friendly people walking around town. The only time I took out my camera was in Gastown, a historic (and hence, touristy) part of town with cobblestone streets and smaller buildings, so I don’t have much to show from our day in the city.

Gastown, Vancouver, BC

From Gastown, we decided to head to Chinatown, excited to partake in some delicious food that the city is known for. We didn’t realize that the couple of block stretch between Gastown and Chinatown is not a great place for tourists, especially tourists with little children in tow. I have never, in all my life, seen anything like it. We later learned that this is the most poverty-stricken zip code in Canada and has the highest concentration of drug usage in North America. None of that is surprising after we saw it. There were junkies (and tons and tons of them) everywhere. And there didn’t seem to be too many other people around. Just us, and maybe a stray other person or two. It was very disconcerting and threw us into a hasty retreat to the nicer areas of the city we had been in earlier in the day. But to get there, we wound up running into a few other unsavory situations (a blatant drug deal about three feet in front of Van’s face being one of several things we encountered). Ah, city life…

We spent much of the rest of the day enjoying Stanley Park and checking out some of the other neighborhoods in the city, but nothing to match the excitement of earlier in the day! Reluctant to leave our beautiful campsite, but with no option to stay given that it was fully reserved for the weekend, we headed south for a long day of driving through much Seattle-area traffic to Mount St. Helens. While we didn’t camp at Mount St. Helens (we camped about forty miles away), we spent a beautifully foggy day exploring the area. Once we drove up in elevation, the fog settled in the valleys and we had a beautiful view of the volcano. A fitting conclusion to our month in Washington.

Mount St. Helens

Bottling Moonlight

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