4-13-18

Walla Walla, WA is a big, little town.  We passed these two chickens loose on the road on our way to downtown, but the town has everything it needs.  It is big enough to have several Starbucks (Yay!!), a Safeway and other grocery stores, Macy's but still maintains a cozy, small feeling.

We read about Melody Mufflers and had to go see it for ourselves.  It is a working muffler shop but the proprietor welds figures from old parts and displays them at his shop and around town.  Many have been sold locally and around the country.

There was also a sign we appreciated at Melody Mufflers.

Another sign we liked was in front of a local church.  It said, "Come as you are, you can change inside.".

We ate lunch at a restaurant recommended by Joli and Phil called Bacon and Eggs.  It was in the old school downtown area.  Parking was a problem so the downtown must be doing well.  Here is a sculpture we saw down there.  We also saw this table and chair set displayed.

In the late afternoon we drove to Milton-Freewater, OR.  These were once two towns that combined in a very controversial vote.  We visited a creamery where we tried many good cheeses and bought a few, then we went to a local chocolate shop.  They specialized in dark chocolate so Gary was happy.

It is hard to see but the window in tonight's restaurant had a leaded pattern that looked like a spider web.

On a more serious note, Walla Walla has a small community of yurts where homeless people sleep. There are probably thirty yurts behind a sturdy fence.  It is locked during the day but there is a list of places posted on the fence where people can get food, medical attention and other services.  I haven't seen anything like it in Portland but it looked like a good idea.

For those of you who didn't see it on Facebook, I shared a quote that really spoke to me.  See what you think.

4-12-18

On Tuesday we left soggy Lake Oswego for Walla Walla, WA.  We were chasing better weather because our originally planned trip to Redding, CA looked even rainier than home.  The drive took about five and a half hours but was on good roads and smooth sailing.

We arrived at Blue Valley RV Park, a lovely little park in a not-so-lovely neighborhood, but with pretty good security.  It was and is mostly deserted at this time of year but situated right next to a reasonable golf course, which Gary has played once already. 

We settled in and rested, then went to Mrs. Crab's Boiling Pot Seafood Restaurant, which had good reviews.  Gary had a whole pound of peel and eat shrimp served in a tin bucket and it was very good considering that Walla Walla is landlocked and mainly known for onions and wheat.

In season, this area is visited for the many wineries and tasting rooms.  They are everywhere.  Unfortunately, I am a lightweight when it comes to alcohol and sulfites give Gary migraines,   so no tasting for us.

Walla Walla is big enough to have its own Macy's and a downtown several blocks long.  Not so for the little town we explored today, Waitsburg.

This is a sculpture in front of Waitsburg's Public Library.  These were the only people we saw while walking the tiny downtown looking for lunch.  The signs on the street say "Waitsburg awaits you." but we did not find out where they were waiting.  After taking a few pictures we left for a larger town.

Next we tried Dayton, WA.  We found lunch at Moose Creek Cafe and Bakery across from the County Courthouse and not much else.  Oh, well.  It was an adventure.

We were so hungry that anything we had for lunch would have tasted good.  We also bought a big can of Cougar Gold cheddar cheese, something we had never heard of.  Washington State University makes its own award-winning cheese and sells it to support student employees.  We'll try it when we get home.  You can Google its history.

The ride to Dayton and back to Walla Walla was beautiful.  The closest hills were bright green with new grasses and the Blue Mountains still had lots of snow.

Tonight we had dinner at WhoopemUp, a Cajun restaurant in Walla Walla.  We had southern Mac n Cheese and brought home enough for another meal.  More about Walla Walla tomorrow.

3-23-18

Here is one final entry for this trip.  The picture above is the only time we have ever seen a trailer (R-pod) towed by a Tesla.  Amazing.

We cut the trip short by a day because of the weather.  As we were attaching the trailer to the truck we experienced a hailstorm, which just let us know we were making the correct choice.  A few hours later we were home and unpacking.

Stay tuned for our next trip in April.

3-21-18  For my East Coast friends, here is a tsunami evacuation route sign.  They also have route directions painted directly onto the roads.  Hope I never have to find out how well they work.

Yesterday Gary was able to play golf, which is a good thing because it is pouring this morning.  It may be possible tomorrow, but one can only hope.

 Two views of the South Jetty on the Siuslaw River.

Florence, OR from the South Jetty viewpoint

We did a little exploring and found these pretty views.  We also were lucky enough to get a picture of this spectacular sunset.

Tonight's dinner was at the Waterfront Depot restaurant, Gary's third night in a row having shrimp and chips.  Nothing like West Coast seafood!

3-19-18 Two happy campers

Last night we had one final dinner in Newport.  It was a great meal of shrimp and chips, probably the best I've ever had, at Oceansbleu, a nice little restaurant in Old Town.  As we were deciding what to order I noticed a section of the menu that said, "All seafood is fresh, flown in daily by FedEx"  We were literally sitting Right. By. The. Ocean!!!  How fresh do you need the seafood to be?

After dinner we took a ride to see the Newport Belle, a bed and breakfast on a docked paddle wheeler.

Today we moved to Florence, OR to Heceta Beach RV Park.  It is a bit more rustic than the one in Newport, with hedges and trees separating each site and gravel roads, but nice.  We hooked up the trailer to electricity, water and sewer, and leveled the rig, which is our normal process.  Then we had lunch and took a little nap.  We are so lazy!  I guess we must have needed all of this rest.

I can still do my little job of answering the phone for the new owner of our dry cleaning delivery service from the road.  I enjoy this and don't mind doing it when we're away. 

We ate dinner at Bridgewater Fish House in Florence.  They had unusual straws in their drinks which I think were made of some kind of cardboard.  I am guessing this is more Eco-friendly than plastic straws.

Gary took my picture to prove that I am actually on this trip, too.  Here I am. 

3-18-18

Here is Gary with his pup, Jazzy.  They are in love.

The sea lions in Newport can be heard barking in the distance during all daylight hours.  It certainly isn't a sound we hear at home but kind of fun.  The campground here is in the same area as the Oregon Aquarium and the Oregon State University Marine Research Facility.  We have been to the aquarium many times, including when Keiko, the whale from the Free Willy movies, lived there.  There was great controversy about building a newer facility here because of being in the tsunami area.  I think they decided to build it somewhere else.

NOAA/Newport buoy

We had a very restful day yesterday.  We must have really needed it because both of us fell asleep several times. Lunch was at the Flashback Diner, which is a combination 50s diner and ice cream store.

We downloaded films onto Gary's tablet so we have some backup in case there is nothing on TV.  We usually do this before we leave on a trip but we didn't have our act together this time.

We are parked next to a large parking lot which serves the marina and has many, many street lights.  We noticed that half of the street lights are turned off.  I hope this is a conservation effort on the part of the city of Newport.

The marina

Golf may not happen on this trip because of the rain and cold.  Poor Gary.  But, we are doing fine just relaxing.  Tomorrow we move to Florence, OR.

3-16-18

Our first trip of the season began today in cold, drippy Lake Oswego.  In two and a half hours we were in Newport, Oregon on the coast.  It is pretty chilly here, as well, but we are cozy in the trailer.

The first unusual thing we saw was near I-205 at the beginning of the trip.  There is a business that sells garden rocks and other stone items but raises chickens and pigs on the premises.  The hog corral had a bonfire going in the center and the pigs seemed to be gathered around it for the warmth.  We thought that, even though they were comfortable, it was a sad foreshadowing of their probable future as BBQ.

The second unusual thing we saw was a billboard advertising home delivery of cannabis.  Recreational pot is legal in Oregon but we had no idea you could have it delivered. 

We are staying at the Port of Newport RV Park which is very nice.  We have a lovely view of the Yaquina Bay Bridge from here.  The only drawback is that we are in the tsunami zone.  I don't think of it ALL the time when I am in it, but it is in the back of my mind.  We have a plan to grab the pups and jump into the truck if the sirens ever go off, but I'll be happy to skip that experience.

View from the bridge

We had dinner at The Lucky Elephant, a Thai restaurant nearby.  I had my favorite, Pumpkin Curry (mild) with chicken and Gary had Salt and Pepper Shrimp which were covered with jalapeno slices.  I am not fond of that much heat in my food but he loves it.

Then back to the TrailBayser to walk the dogs.  Tomorrow Gary hopes to play golf on one of the courses around here built on sand.  The courses at home are too wet to play right now.