Tuesday, March 3^rd – Fort Casey SP (State Park), site 16 (Whidbey Island, WA)

As with all good plans, events over which we have no control sometimes conspire to catch us unaware. And as such, the concrete truck parked across the bottom of our driveway was not part of our planned departure.

Don’t get me wrong, we were delighted to see the truck, because it meant that there was progress being made on Mark and Vicki’s home that was being built right next door on what had previously been our “north 40”. However, we were eager to get going. Finally I went over and talked to the workmen and told them we planned to leave at 11:00. They were very nice about it. You think? Since they had not even bothered to ask us if blocking our driveway would cause us any problems. But then they had also plugged into one of our outside electric outlets without as much as a “by your leave”. So what should I have expected! But as Mr. C. reminded me – it’s always easier to ask for forgiveness rather than obtain permission. As it turned out, the departure delay was really no problem. It allowed us a bit of time with Mark and Vicki to watch the concrete pour and to say a proper goodbye.

Finally we were allowed to back down our driveway and off we went to hook up our trailer and get on down the road towards our destination. And what a fabulous camping spot for our first 2 nights.

Of course it was raining as we unhooked. But after putting the kettle on, turning the furnace to 70, and a small snack to tide us over to dinner, we felt downright cozy in Pullwinkle. (That’s the name of our trailer because the theme throughout is moose as pictures to follow illustrate.)

For those of us who are avid RVers and semi-regularly ride the Coupeville/Port Townsend ferry, just looking out the ferry windows at the happy campers parked right next to the ferry dock never brings out my best side. I always feel jealous. But this time it was us looking at the ferry from our perfect camping spot right by the entrance to the channel. And oh it was nice. Until I woke up in the middle of the night to high winds buffeting our trailer from all directions. But I soon got used to the movement and drifted back to sleep. The next day it was still gloomy weather, but who cares. Our trailer was parked at the perfect location and we had a day free to wander around the island.

Wednesday, March 4^th – Fort Casey SP

After a nice breakfast, we headed out in our truck for a tour of places on Whidbey Island that we wanted to re-visit or had never explored. Like Andy’s parents’ home that John designed. It was good to see how well it was being taken care of and the lovely enhancements that the new owners had made. Then it was off to the southern part of the island to visit South Whidbey SP, Double Bluff, Possession Point, Langley, and around Holmes Harbor.

Then it was a late lunch/early dinner in Oak Harbor at Orlando’s (Southern BBQ) and back to Pullwinkle. A nice libation and an early to bed. Again we were rocked to sleep by the wind, but not as severely as the night before.

Thursday, March 5^th – Quileute Oceanside Resort, site 11 (La Push, WA)

When we awoke, our first thoughts after lifting the blinds were that our ferry trip to Port Townsend might be cancelled because the water was extremely choppy. So much so that Andy walked over to speak with the ferry ticket taker. The nice gentleman seemed to think it would be fine, but of course things can and do change with regularity at Admiralty Inlet (the entrance to Puget Sound). So we hooked up and got in line for our ferry crossing half expecting that we would have to make different plans if we hoped to reach La Push at a decent hour. We had plans to have dinner with our dear friends Jim and Margo (also camping in their trailer) at the home of our mutual good friends Chip and Linda. Chip and Linda own the lovely Quillayute River Resort. (For information or to make a reservation at this wonderful resort, type Quillayute River Resort in your internet search box. You may thank me later!)

Since we sailed on schedule, we arrived in La Push around 4:00 and were able to unhook during a semi-lull in the torrential downpour. We were able to stay merely wet rather than being totally soaked. After a nice warming cup of tea for Mr. C. we gathered some goodies together and headed out for our evening with friends.

And of course as you can imagine, we had a great time. We ate pasta and Caesar salad, and for dessert an amazing chocolate pudding and shortbread cookies made by Linda. Then back to our trailer for a nice, quiet nights’ sleep.  

Friday, March 6^th – Quileute Oceanside Resort  

Woke to a golden orb shining down on us from a beautiful blue sky and an amazing view of the sea stacks that grace this lovely coastline. Then breakfast and a bit of time on our computers. Andy to deal with some HOA business, me to write down the past couples days’ events before they were lost to me forever. And off we went for another wonderful day spent with our friends.

Since the sun was shining (a rare event in this part of the world where the annual average rain fall is 110 inches), we sat outside by the river and just talked and reminisced about past good times, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. When it came time for dinner, we stuffed ourselves on Chip’s incredible pizza. He makes his own crust, Linda lays out a vast array of topping, and one after another the small pizzas go into the 900 degree Italian pizza oven to be baked to perfection. (And yes, this is a real, imported from Italy pizza oven.) If there is any better pizza to be had outside of Italy, I sure as heck don’t know where that would be. What a wonderful way to spend time with dear friends. Eating fabulous pizza and drinking our favorite libations.

After eating and drinking our fill, it was back to our cozy trailer with its perfect view of 1^st beach.

For more information about the La Push area, visit nwtripfinder.com/hike-three-beaches-near-la-push.

Saturday, March 7^th – Quileute Oceanside Resort  

Again we had a nice breakfast in our trailer. Now just to let you know that camping in a trailer has its advantages over camping in a tent (especially at this time of year), while we were dining on Canadian bacon, fried eggs, banana bread, homemade granola, and yogurt, it started to snow. Not lovely light snow. No, this was the heavy slushy kind. The super slippery kind of snow. The kind of snow that collects very rapidly on areas of road that never really see the light of day. So as we were driving to the resort to meet up with our friends for a trip to one of our favorite wineries, the tribal police had a section of road on the reservation marked with caution signs and flares. We didn’t see any cars in trouble, but we appreciated the precautions taken on our behalf.

After we arrived at the resort, we piled into Chip and Linda’s van and we headed towards Port Angeles for our 2:00 pm appointment at Camaraderie Cellars. Now this was not a new experience for us. We had been visiting this winery now for many years. In fact Mr. C. is a club member. On two occasions, he has also played tango music for customers during the summer while they enjoy tasting the wonderful wine and enjoying the beautiful setting. So in a way, visiting the winery was like visiting a friend whom we weren’t able to see as much as we would like.

And since I’m sure you would enjoy knowing, it snowed on our way to Port Angeles, but the roads remained clear, and the ride home was devoid of any of that messy white stuff.

After arriving back at the resort safe and sound, we returned to our trailer for a short while to collect our thoughts and some chocolate to share with the group. (Godiva chocolate and gourmet malted milk balls.) But first a fabulous dinner of Jim’s three bean chili and Linda’s delicious cornbread.

Around 9:00 we said thank you and goodbye to our dear friends Chip and Linda, and a “see you down the road” to Jim and Margo. Into our truck and back to our trailer being skillfully guided by a full and glorious moon. Then to sleep knowing that the next day would be a long one.

Sunday, March 8^th – Camp Disappointment SP, site A 47 – Ilwaco, WA

Finally got on the road about 11:30. We can usually get out of camp by about 10:00 am, but with daylight savings time and the abysmal loss of an hours sleep, we ran a bit later than planned. But even with a gas and lunch stop, we got into camp by 5:30. Then a simple dinner, a short walk, and some quality reading time before heading off to bed.

Monday, March 9^th – Camp Disappointment SP

Woke to bright sunshine. Hurray. After a leisurely breakfast, we headed out to perform a few errands. First we drove to Warrenton, Oregon (just outside Astoria) to the Verizon store to see if we could get our new hotspot up and running. Turns out, the person who sold it to us had entered an incorrect password (or some such problem) but the nice man in Warrenton who helped us had it up and running within 5 minutes. Then it was back to Long Beach and a visit to one of our favorite stores – Dennis and Company (Ace Hardware.) New jeans and shoes for Andy. And a small salad spinner for the trailer. Then groceries, back to the trailer, and a short walk on the beach. Then me to my writing and Andy for a longer walk up to the lighthouse. And the whole day – sunshine, beautiful sunshine. About 3:45, Jim and Margo pulled into site A 50.

After they got all settled and we had enjoyed a bit of appetizer and a drink, we headed into Long Beach for dinner. We have two favorite restaurants in this area. 42^nd Street Café and The Depot Restaurant. But neither of these restaurants are open on Sunday or Monday. Rats. So we asked a couple of the locals for recommendations. They suggested the Pickled Fish Restaurant in Long Beach or MyCovio’s in Ocean Park. Since the Pickled Fish was closer and featured seafood (or so we believed), we went there. Wow. What a funky and interesting place. Margo and I both dined on rabbit (very flavorful but tough does not begin to describe the texture) served over whey grits and seasoned kale. Both delicious. When I get home, I am going to try and duplicate the rabbit (not the texture but the flavor). The rabbit tasted like it had been marinated as in hossenpfepher, and then lightly coated and fried. I am going to try marinating chicken breasts, coating them, then frying them, and serving grits and sautéed kale on the side. If I perfect this dish, I will send the recipe to the restaurant. Couldn’t hurt! (As it turns out, our choice to go to Pickled Fish was prescient. MyCovio’s is only open Wednesdays through Sunday.)  Meanwhile the guys both chose a pasta ragu dish. Both were very pleased with their choice. Then back to our respective trailers guided by a beautiful full moon for a peaceful nights’ sleep. It just doesn’t get any better than a lovely night in a quiet campground after an evening of food and fun with friends.   

Tuesday, March 10^th – Sea Perch RV Resort, site 4 – Yachats, OR

We had stayed at Sea Perch RV Resort last year, so we were very eager to camp there again. But before leaving the Long Beach Peninsula, we were determined to eat at least once at the 42^nd Street Café. And they are open for breakfast. But, as it turned out, not on Tuesday mornings any longer. Grrrrr. I get it though. The owners are getting on in years, and each time we visit Long Beach I expect the ownership to have changed. But it’s still the same owners, but they simply aren’t open as often as they were when we owned our Long Beach condo. And we haven’t owned the condo for 15 years (or so).

So here we are at 9:00, hungry but eager to get on the road. So back in Jim and Margo’s truck and in search of a restaurant. We found an open café – Benson’s By The Beach, but they were absolutely slammed. It took a while to get our breakfast but it was tasty. Then back to camp to hook up and get on the road.

And oh what a beautiful drive along the Oregon coast on route 101. And of course it didn’t hurt that the sun was shining. We stopped at a fairly long and flat overlook just before descending into Newport, made sandwiches, and enjoyed the vista from Jim and Margo’s trailer. Then back on the road. We arrived at Sea Perch around 5:00.

Andy and I had no problem getting unhooked, but Jim had an issue with the front left “foot” on the fifth wheel. The pin snapped. Of course with Jim, mechanical issues are no problem. So the broken pin that was supposed to hold the foot up was replaced by a hefty screw driver. After that a nice drink didn’t hurt. I made dinner (meat loaf from our freezer, a wild and black rice dish from a package, and a romaine (spun dry in our new salad spinner) salad with marinated goat cheese dressing.) Then cookies for dessert and a movie (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) before it was time to say goodnight. Another wonderful day camping along the Oregon coast with great friends.

Wednesday, March 11^th – Sea Perch RV Resort

Started out slow this morning. I didn’t even wake up until 9:30. And then only because Jim and Margo knocked on our door to see if we were breakfasting together today or was it to be tomorrow morning. We quickly agreed that tomorrow would work better for us. So after a nice shower and a look at email and Facebook (our first day with connectivity on this trip) I made breakfast. After breakfast we conferred with Jim and Margo regarding the days’ events. We decided to make reservations for dinner at Local Ocean (our favorite restaurant in Newport) and we would leave the campground at 2:00.   

Left for Newport enjoying the ride along the beautiful Oregon coast. No matter how many times we have driven along this stretch of road, I never tire of looking at the ever changing ocean or the many sea stacks. Even slowly moving through the small towns along the way remains interesting. There are always new businesses, galleries, or houses that catch the eye. Plus there is no getting around going right down the middle of the small but interesting business districts. So might as well put the best spin on it and enjoy the ride. (So to speak)

Our first stop in Newport was to obtain a new pin for Jim and Margo’s 5^th wheel. While the guys were in Ace Hardware, Margo and I visited Safeway to purchase steak, baby potatoes, and mushrooms for Thursday night’s BBQ. Then it was off to the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

As far as I am concerned, the aquarium is a must see if you are visiting this part of the world. It is beautifully laid out and the exhibits are wonderful.

In the main building, there are four permanent displays: Sandy Shores, Rocky Shores, Coastal Waters, and a changing exhibit area. The first features fish and invertebrates that live either close to shore or in bays such as Yaquina Bay. Progressing, the aquarium displays feature animals further offshore ending in a kelp forest and sea jelly exhibit. Flanking the permanent displays are the changing exhibits.

There are also exhibits focusing on small marine life in the area including jellyfish, and a tide-pool exhibit in which visitors may touch sea stars and sea anemones.

The largest exhibit is “Passages of the Deep”, which features walk-through acrylic tubes surrounded by deep water marine animals such as sharks, rays, and rockfish.

Passages of the Deep was created in Keiko’s (see Keiko’s story below) former home, and has three sections. Orford Reef contains mostly rockfish and other smaller Pacific-Northwest fish. Halibut Flats contains halibut, ling cod, a small ray, and other large fish, and includes a mock sunken ship. Open Sea is last section in the tunnel, and holds many species of sharks including seven gill sharks, as well as rays, mackerel, anchovies, and salmon.

The aviary at Oregon Coast Aquarium exhibits sea and shore birds. The seabird aviary includes two large pools and rocky cliffs. The Aquarium has the largest outdoor Seabird Aviary in North America, which is home to tufted and horned puffins, black oystercatchers, common murres, rhinoceros auklets and pigeon guillemots. The Aquarium also exhibits two turkey vultures in a separate outdoor area. Outdoor exhibits also showcase marine mammal species native to the Oregon Coast, including sea otters, harbor seals and California sea lions. There is also a coastal cave that houses a giant Pacific octopus. The Aquarium is also home to a nature trail that overlooks the Yaquina Bay estuary and features native plants and free-roaming wildlife.

After viewing the aquarium it was time to head for Local Ocean. We had made a reservation because the restaurant had always been packed in the past. But for whatever reason, Coronavirus perhaps (you think??), there were several tables available when we arrived. Even as we were leaving at about 6:30, there were tables to be had downstairs. And judging from appearances, no one was seated upstairs either. We had heard earlier in the day that Oregon was going to be very proactive in fighting the spread of the virus, and if this extremely popular restaurant was any indication of how hard hit businesses were going to become, the whole western coast of the country was in for a dynamic shakedown. With Washington State the epicenter for the United States, we may have gotten out of dodge just in time. Who knows? We could have been exposed before we left. All we can do is try to use caution.

When we arrived back at our trailers, we decided cookies were called for. So we sat around talking and munching until around 8:00 when we returned to our trailer to bury our noses in our respective books. Then lights out about 10:45 for another wonderful nights’ sleep. There is just something to be said for gently being rocked by the wind as the sound of the surf acts as a background for sweet dreams. Nothing like it my friends.

Thursday, March 12^th – Sea Perch RV Resort

After yet another wonderful nights’ sleep, we proceeded down to Jim and Margo’s trailer at 10:00 am for breakfast. Smoked pork chops, hash browns, and scrambled eggs. Are we spoiled? Yes we are! Then a walk on the beach. Windy, cold, but glorious. Then back to our trailers and a quiet afternoon of reading and working on our computers.

At about 4:30, after Andy arrived back from his walk on Cape Perpetua, we trundled down to Jim and Margo’s trailer for dinner. We had planned to grill steaks. But the wind was blowing so hard, we decided setting up the BBQ and cooking outside was out of the question. So Jim fried the steaks in his trusty electric frypan. He also roasted small potatoes and sautéed mushrooms to accompany the meal. Along with a nice salad, we dined like royalty.

After dinner it was cookies, ice cream, and Fantastic Beasts (the second movie in the series). Then home to our trailer for a bit of reading and writing before lights out.

I simply must note that while we were camped at Sea Perch, the weather was absolutely glorious. Can’t wait to return to this beautiful RV park again next year.

Friday, March 13^th – Bullards Beach SP, site 50 – Bandon OR

After hooking up in a light rain, we bid farewell to our dear friends who were heading home. We had spent 7 nights in each other’s company, and we knew we would miss spending more time with them. But we were headed south to visit some of our favorite locations and to spend more quality time relaxing in our trailer. They were headed home to have concrete and fencing work done at their home. (I think we got the better end of the deal.)

On our way to Bullard’s Beach, we stopped in Florence to shop at the Fred Meyer. And OMG, what a busy place that was. I made the mistake of going up and down every aisle just cruising to see if there was anything I needed that had not been on our shopping list. When I got towards the middle of the canned food aisle, I became totally stuck behind a woman who was buying many, many cans of beans. I was going to mention to her that dried beans would be a better, more efficient, healthier, and less expensive way to go, but she didn’t look like the type who would welcome a suggestion from anyone, much less an out-of-towner. So I waited it out, and finally escaped from the aisle from hell. Apparently the 4 foot rule doesn’t apply to people in a super market. Hopefully we won’t need to do any shopping for the next several days.

Of course, with all the coronavirus closures, we did consider breaking and running for home. But we decided until it became evident that going home would be the prudent thing to do, we would continue our travels as planned.

After a lovely dinner in our trailer, we read and by 9:30 we were cozily tucked in our super comfortable queen sized bed. But just to prove Mother Nature was still in control, it rained and hailed all night. Only large puddles in our campground in the morning to remind us of the overnight storm. Jim and Margo however, awoke to snow on the ground at their Kelso campground. There was actually enough snow to thwart their intention to make it home that evening. So they hunkered down for the day and returned home a day later than planned. But safe and sound. Just a subtle (or not so subtle) reminder that winter still has this part of the world firmly in its grip!

Saturday, March 14^th – Bullards Beach SP

Awoke to hail loudly pounding on the roof of the trailer. But no accumulation of white stuff on the ground. Just the afore mentioned puddles.

After Andy took his morning shower, it was time for coffee. Then I begrudgingly left the delightful warmth of our bed to perform my morning ablutions. This usually involves me sitting at the table applying the small amount of makeup I wear, while sipping on my coffee. After which I find just enough energy to make breakfast. (It always amazes me how lazy I become when on vacation.) But then, what is there to do in a small trailer after breakfast has been consumed, and the clean dishes put away? I can always give the floor a sweep. But that only takes 3 minutes. And the rest of the inside of the trailer we keep clean as we go. So lazy actually works very well for me. And on a day like March 14th, when it was very wet and gloomy outside, well there’s a post to write and good books to read. Life is good in a trailer. I recommend it highly.

Since I have been showing you the outside of our trailer parked at different locations, I will now show you what the inside of our very compact 24 foot, 7 inch long (about 20 foot long inside) trailer has to offer in the way of amenities.

There is however one chore that can’t be done in a trailer. OK, yes you can do it in a trailer, but aside from a couple of pairs of underwear or the like, towels and blue jeans are not easy to wash in a trailer. Or dry! So it was off to the laundromat for us.

We tried hard to plan our trip to town between torrential downpours, but as with all good plans, sometimes you get caught anyway. We loaded the dirty cloths etc. into a washer, fed the machine lots of quarters, and spent the next 42 minutes making a reservation at Edgewaters, our favorite restaurant in Bandon, visiting Second Street Gallery, one of my all-time favorite art galleries, and filling one of our two propane tanks. Then back to the laundromat to dry our cloths. (Adventurous aren’t we?!?!) All in all, a trip worth making. Then back to the trailer for a bit of lunch.

Since we have been traveling this same route and staying at many of the same campgrounds for many years, we had discovered through trial and error, some very remarkable restaurants. And Edgewaters is one of our favorites. So after a small libation in Pullwinkle, we headed off for our 6:30 pm reservation. And once again, not only was the service perfect, the view terrific, our dinners were more than delicious. I had crispy fried oysters, pan seared asparagus, and a basmati rice medley. Andy ordered a very rare tenderloin steak topped with Béarnaise sauce that came with pan seared asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. OMG. Wonderful food. To top off the meal we shared vanilla cheesecake with raspberry coulis. And since I had no alcohol with dinner, I appointed myself the designated driver. Andy appreciated my valiant offer and ended the evening with a lovely glass of tawny port. And yes, I did drive us back to the campground.

Sunday, March 15^th – Harris Beach SP, site A11 – Brookings, OR (ANDY’S BIRTHDAY)

Awoke to a nice day with short periods of sun shining through the clouds as we prepared to leave for our next camping destination. But I must say, it’s always hard for me to leave Bullards Beach SP. I love the park, and I love Bandon. There is just something about this part of the Oregon coast that makes me happy. Perhaps it’s the endless coastline and the sea stacks, or maybe it’s just the freedom I feel when we travel from place to place with our trailer. Whatever the cause – I love this part of the world. So as hard as it was to say goodbye to Bandon for another year, I knew that Harris Beach was just down the road.

We also love staying at Harris Beach SP because from some of the sites we can see the ocean. This time however, the prime sites were already reserved. So our site this year was across the road from where we usually camp. But no complaints. Our site was spacious and sunny. No trees to block the sun or view. And at this time of year, a sunny spot is perfect. So after unhooking, going into Brookings for an absolutely wonderful late lunch of halibut and fries at the Hungry Clam café, we came back to camp and spent a lovely hour reading our books outside in the sunshine. When the late afternoon breeze arrived at about 5:00, we headed inside and cranked up the heat.

A couple hours later I made smoked salmon fettucine and Caesar salad for dinner. After dinner we read until we couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer and trundled off to bed at about 11:00.

Monday, March 16^th – Harris Beach SP 

Woke up to sunshine. Absolutely delightful. After a nice breakfast we went into Brookings to replenish a few grocery products. The Fred Meyer parking lot was absolutely packed. But inside, everyone was respectful of distances and except for toilet paper, there appeared to be no shortage of items on the shelves. (At the checkout counter, the clerk told us that a near fight had broken out between 3 ladies (in this case I use the term loosely) over cases of toilet paper.) But we personally had not witnessed anyone acting in any way disruptive or aggressive. Just average people about their business. After putting away our groceries in Pullwinkle, we decided a ride was in order.

Last year we had taken the southern part of the Carpenterville Highway 255 (originally part of old highway 101) to the Cape Ferrelo junction, then back to 101. This visit we decided to take the northern part of the highway starting at the Cape Ferrelo turn off. And up into the coastal mountains we climbed. And again as in last year, we were surprised by the number of homes and farms up in the coastal mountains. If you just drive along 101 you can’t possibly fathom how many people live in them there hills. Because to all outward appearances, there is nothing up above the highway other than trees, more trees, and lots more trees. But as you climb along, you find fire stations and other features common to an area that although not considered heavily populated, is non-the-less in need of basic services.

As we climbed through the mountains we finally reached a high enough elevation that there was a bit of snow on the ground. The road was clear, but there was still snow along the road and in the clearings. Then down again to the coast and a short stop at Cape Sabastian. Some pictures from our ride.

Since highway 101 in Oregon is one of the most scenic roads in America, I thought you might also be interested in a bit of its history. The following clip is from beachconnection.net

“(Oregon Coast) – You probably haven’t stopped to think about it, but there was a time when Highway 101 didn’t exist along the Oregon coast. What did early Oregon settlers do to get from one coastal town to another? (Below: the road going around Hug Point, near Cannon Beach)

Also, we don’t always know how lucky we have it here in Oregon, with pristine beaches open to everyone (unlike most other coastal states, where the good beaches – that aren’t private – all charge an admission fee.)

These two situations are connected.

Before the 1930’s, all that settlers of this area had for public roads were the beaches (evidence of which can still be seen at the road carved out of the rock at Hug Point, just south of Cannon Beach.)

In 1914, Governor Oswald West declared the beaches public highways, and construction on what was to become Highway 101 began shortly after. The Columbia Highway was to run from Seaside to Astoria and then along the Columbia River to Pendleton. The Oregon Beach Highway was to run from Seaside down to the California line.

Travel up and down the coast was rustic and difficult to say the least. What now takes around a half hour once took two days. In 1912, a group of men called the “Pathfinders” took a two-day journey by car from Newport to Lincoln City – which was a landmark adventure then. They had to create their own roads via planks at times.

In 1915, an unpaved highway between Astoria and Portland opened up. And after several name changes, Highway 101 was paved and finished in 1931. Then, and only then, could coastal towns connect with each other. According to some state documents, Oregonians at the time discovered incredibly different cultures had evolved in each coastal town, the result of decades of isolation from each other and the rest of the state.

After West’s declaration that beaches were to be public, several laws were passed giving the Highway Commission more control over the beaches over the years. The Oregon State Parks system was an offshoot of this legislation, starting under the highway department in 1925. All this helped pave the way for Gov. Tom McCall to finalize Oregon’s beaches as public in the 60’s.

There is little evidence left of these beach highways now, except at Hug Point. But plenty of historical photos of the Oregon coast show lots of ruddy, muddy roads where vehicles became stuck. Newport itself was divided up into Nye Beach and Bayfront – two different towns at the time. These were connected by just such roads.

One interesting bit of evidence discovered in recent years was the remains of a mail truck from around 1920 that was uncovered by low beach sands around Waldport.

Aside from that, there’s no hint that the ten-minute drive you now take – from, say Yachats to Newport, or Oceanside to Netarts – took days back then. A few of the overlooks around the coast are from that period of New Deal work projects, like at Cape Perpetua or Manzanita’s Neahkahnie Mountain. But by and large, you have to stare down at the beach and use your imagination.”

After arriving back at our trailer, we sat outside in the sunshine, had a bit of lunch, and Mr. C. went for a nice walk on Whale’s Head Beach.

I decided to take it easy. So I read outside until the wind came up about 5:00. Then back into the trailer to await Andy’s return. Then dinner and a quiet evening of reading, writing, and blogging.

Tuesday, March 17^th – Harris Beach SP 

Awoke to mist. Then drizzle. And eventually rain. So we basically stayed in the trailer and read, played on our computers, and spent the day in idle relaxation. The only adventure of the day was when Andy decided to make a run to the local adult beverage emporium. (His scotch supply was getting low.) I on the other hand, remained sedentary for the entire day. Actually I entertained myself by reading about the coronavirus and the effect it was having on the world. With all the closures that were happening, I started being uncomfortable about being so far from home. I wondered what would happen to our kittens if our dear friend and house sitter Peggy got ill. I quickly realized how difficult it might become just to get home. On that happy thought, we enjoyed a nice dinner and decided to watch a movie.

We rarely watch movies, either at home or when we are in our trailer. We simply prefer to read. But Andy had brought along a couple of movies, and so, why not watch a movie? Now this was not just any movie. This was Double Indemnity, the 1944 film noir classic starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson. Now, that was a movie! I enjoyed every minute of the film. Amazing acting, great plot line, and the cinematography was fabulous. After that it was time to brush our fangs and head for the land of nod.  

Wednesday, March 18^th – Columbia Riverfront RV Park, site 58 (Woodland, WA) 

This day began with a difficult decision to be made. Should we continue our trip south or should we run for home? We were scheduled to leave that morning for Patricks Point SP in Trinidad, California. But we had heard that travel might be restricted between states and we didn’t want to get stuck so far from home. So we decided instead of continuing our trip we would break for home. So I made a reservation at Columbia Riverfront RV Park in Woodland, WA for that evening.

It took us until 7:00 pm that evening to reach our destination. But we were greeted by a lovely young lady who helped us get set up as quickly as possible. The campground was packed. Our hostess explained that many of the sites were filled with Canadians. There had been rumors that the border between Canada and the US might be closing. So we were not alone in thinking it was time to head for the barn. After a nice dinner we turned in early.

In case you are interested, the remaining campgrounds we had planned to visit this trip were Patricks Point SP (Trinidad, CA) (as mentioned above), Emigrant Lake County Park (Ashland, OR), LaPine SP (LaPine, OR – near Sunriver, OR – near Bend, OR), Maryhill SP (on the Columbia river about 1 hour east of Portland on the Washington side), Columbia Riverfront RV Park (where we stayed our last night out), and finally Belfair SP (Belfair, WA)

Thursday, March 19^{th –} Camano Island

First thing I learned upon waking was that all the state parks in California had been closed the day before. If we had not decided to head home, we might have been met with a closed gate. Having learned that we made the right decision, we started our day a bit relieved that although breaking for home had felt a bit unseemly, our concern had been valid and our decision appropriate.  

After breakfast we cleaned and prepared the trailer for storage. Then after building a sandwich for our lunch, we set off for home. Easy driving all the way. There were lots of vehicles on the road, but I was very pleased that a good percentage of them were trucks. Trucks mean merchandise is still available and being distributed.

Once parked at our local storage facility, we unloaded some necessities, and drove home. It’s always wonderful to come home. And we are so very lucky to have a home to return to. One that is safe and secure. And a pleasant spot to wait out whatever the future brings. With each communication regarding the coronavirus it becomes more apparent that everyone’s life is being affected. There are no lines of demarcation. It matters not if people are rich, poor, black, white, male, female or any of the other descriptors that reflect our differences. We, all of us, are in this together. So to all who read this trip report – stay safe. And look for new recipes to follow. After all, I have to do something while I am confined to quarters. Might as well try out new recipes and share them with you all.

Love, peace, good eating, and good health to all.

Keiko’s Story (from The Oregon Encyclopedia)

“Keiko, a male orca (orcinus orca) originally captured in 1979 from a pod in Iceland, lived in Oregon for less than three years. During that time he became one of Oregon’s best-known celebrities and a major attraction at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.

For centuries orcas were assumed to be savage predators, roving wolf packs of the sea, attacking seals, sea lions, and other whales many times their size. In the early 1960s it was discovered that orcas could adapt to captivity. They were able to form relationships with human trainers and learn spectacular tricks. A huge orca leaping from the water became a feature of aquarium shows.

An orca’s ability to sell tickets made up for the difficulty of capturing the animals and the expense of providing a habitat where they could survive. The demand for orcas led to the decimation of pods in the North Pacific, causing growing concern about the advisability of the entire enterprise.

The orca who became known as Keiko was captured in Iceland in 1979. He was exhibited there for three years, then sold to Marineland in Ontario, where he began performing for audiences. Although Keiko appeared to enjoy contact with humans, his dorsal fin began to droop. He also developed skin lesions.

In 1985 Keiko was sold to Reino Aventura, an amusement park in Mexico City. Warmer temperatures and chlorinated water aggravated the lesions and Keiko’s deteriorating health. Keiko would most likely have died within a few years under these conditions.

However, in 1993, Warner Brothers released Free Willy, a film about a boy who frees an orca from an unscrupulous amusement owner by returning him to the sea. Keiko starred as the orca. The success of Free Willy and its sequels posed a moral dilemma for the studio, the filmmakers, and its audiences. How could they cheer Willy’s final leap to freedom knowing that Keiko, the real orca, was living under less-than-adequate conditions?

Warner Brothers and Craig McCaw, a Northwest cellular communications entrepreneur, established the Free Willy Keiko Foundation in 1995. Donations large and small funded the building of a special facility for Keiko at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. With the help of the United States Air Force and UPS, Keiko arrived at his new home in Oregon on January 7, 1996.

Keiko thrived in his new environment. He gained weight and his general health appeared to improve. He also became a major attraction at the aquarium. This posed a second dilemma. Keiko was ultimately supposed to be released into the wild. His stay in Oregon could only be temporary, until his health improved enough for him to be released into the wild.

Many marine biologists felt this was unrealistic. Having depended on humans for so many years, they doubted Keiko could learn to survive on his own.

Nonetheless, on September 9, 1998, Keiko left Oregon. He was flown to a sheltered bay in Iceland when Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society took over his care. Part of his training included swimming in the ocean outside the bay.

Keiko disappeared on one of these excursions. He eventually turned up 870 miles away off the Norwegian coast. Again, he became an attraction as boatloads of sightseers came out to see him. Keiko appeared to enjoy the attention. He accepted food from the visitors and even allowed some to climb on his back, defeating the whole purpose of bringing him from Oregon.

Keiko’s handlers eventually herded him to Taknes Bay, hoping he might join a passing orca pod. These hopes never materialized. Keiko remained in Taknes Bay as his health deteriorated. On the morning of December 12, 2003, Keiko beached himself. He died of pneumonia.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium held a memorial service for Keiko on February 20, 2004. Seven hundred people attended. Keiko was never replaced. Oregonians are no longer comfortable with the idea of turning orcas into tourist attractions.

One positive outcome of Keiko’s story is that it became an early step in changing public attitudes in the United States and worldwide towards the morality of capturing orcas for exhibition in public and private aquariums. Keiko’s experience convinced large numbers of people that while orcas might adapt to captivity in some ways, they could not thrive in such limited environments. Unlike the story of the orca in the film Free Willy, Keiko’s experience proved that even with the best intentions and the guidance and support of marine biologists, it was extremely difficult to return a captive orca to the wild.

The final shock to the idea of captive orcas as happy, gentle giants occurred at Orlando, Florida’s Sea World in 2010 when a trainer, Dawn Brancheau, was killed by one of the animals she worked with. Gabriella Cowperthwaite’s documentary film Blackfish, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013, focused on that orca, Tillikum, who had also been involved in two other fatalities besides Ms. Brancheau’s. Blackfish documents how a highly intelligent and active animal, used to swimming 100 miles or more a day, deteriorates physically and mentally in the limited concrete pool of an aquarium. It is the equivalent of locking human beings in a clothes closet and keeping them there for decades. The film sparked a public reaction against Sea World. As a result, the company ended its performing and breeding programs in all its aquariums.

Keiko lived in Oregon for fewer than three years. Even so, Oregonians still think of him as one of their own. Although his story did not have the happy ending of Free Willy, it changed attitudes toward “animal attractions.” Increased legislation world-wide protects orca pods as endangered species. Only one orca has been taken captive in North American waters since 1976.”