grandmoogus: Adventures in Oregon

After the covid lockdowns and social distancing, Jeffery and I decided to take our trailer for a spin up to friends and family and scenic places in Oregon. Road trip! Traveling with the trucks on Hwy 5! Views of Castle Crags, Mt. Lassen, and more to get us started, and then, Oregon! A voyage of discovery.

We stopped in Mt. Shasta for a snack and came across our friend Cori, and met her husband Jr. A treat to time our break so cosmically! In Ashland, we had to forego our idea of seeing Johanna, due to timing.

There was so much to see and so many things we should've photo'd along the way, but we took mind pictures instead, and have only a sparse showing, given all we saw. Oregon is incredibly diverse and beautiful and pleasantly non-crowded. It's May, so it is flowery and colorful as can be. And they pump your gas for you, which is very civilized in my opinion.

So, here's some visuals for you to peruse.

Cori and me

Our first night's camp spot.

Elk!

This glen was on the way over from Roseburg thru Elkton heading to Coos Bay on the coast.

The marshes and birdlife and grasses were as cool as the elk.

The Umpqua Lighthouse as we head towards Coos Bay

This was a whale bone. It felt like wood and rock.

The gift shop/cafe where we got a bread bowl of yummy chowder.

A pond on the trail to the Dunes.

These aren't even the Big dunes but the sand walking was strenuous and interesting.

We met up and shared a campsite with cousin Cindy

Cindy and Peter were meeting with Flory and family for Flory's 50th b-day.

We ate seafood chowder and had glowlight festival fun with great music and conversation.

Cleaned up and ready to hit the road north.

Shallon (in the heather family)

Huge shell pile

Drawbridge out of Coos Bay

The rhododendrons and other flora were overwhelmingly pleasing to us dry-land folks.

Sister Cathryn and friend Machteld took us to Heceta Beach for my first real taste ever of the Oregon Coast.

Jeffery being a Goonie

There's the Lighthouse

Touching my toes in the Pacific Ocean

Jeffery frolicking

Cathy, Jeffery and Willy and Roxie near a cavelet

The Heceta Lighthouse

A mural in Salem near the Capitol, which, with a trailer, was a nightmare just to see, so no photos.

Bird-in-a-bush (a fumewort)

The North Falls at Silver Falls State Park. I came here before and was thrilled to introduce Jeffery to its wonderments.

You get to walk behind the falls.

Really lush trails in this rainforest, lots of spanish moss and flowers.

Winter Falls, which was dry last time I came.

Circular fern fronds.

Jeffery loves the hard work evident in the State and National Parks.

Camas

The Upper South Falls the next morning. We were blessed to get a campspace so we could do both the North and South loop trails.

See Jeffery?

The Lower South Falls. To see it, you must climb down a wonderful steep set of stairs and switch-backs. That's Jeffery's hand at the top, shading me for the photo.

I am waving. Just to the right of the waterfall.

Last good view before we wend along and then up up up to our car to head to Sisters, OR.

Stopped for a burger but it was too busy, so we got shakes and drove on.

Alan and Chris Shimizu opened their home to us, and invited us to join them at a feast hosted by their neighbors. Shelby and Mark were there, too.

The canal we floated on when we stayed with Cindy at her place.

Cindy and Jeffery arrive

We have seen many fine white mountains between Silver Falls and Sisters and Bend, but now we're approaching California, and Jeffery told me to "oh wow, look!". Looks like a pile of clouds.