October 10, 2022 Travel to Florence Oregon

One of the greatest things about our travels is that we can change our mind on where we want to go.  Originally we were going to head south towards the Redwoods but…being this close to the Oregon coast, I could not resist!  So after saying our goodbyes and see you laters, we headed west to the coast.

Another smoky day along I-5:

And the mountains we need to go thru:

Heading to the coast:

So many beautiful rivers:

We followed the Umpqua River for a while:

Then in the valley, I spot these ELK:

About 1/2 mile later, we found the herd!!  Oh my, I was so excited.  We pulled over and just watched them.  There were so so many and it was just awesome to see.

What a real treat!!

Elk facts:  https://www.rmef.org/elk-facts/

We crossed the Umpqua River and headed north on US-101.

Crossing the Siuslaw River into Florence Oregon:

We made our way to the Elks Lodge Campground, got settled in and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

I have very fond memories of Florence Oregon.  In 1981, I had a 2.5 week vacation from work and decided to see the USA.  And I did see some incredible things.  On my way down the coast, I had trouble with my car.  First place I stopped, they couldn’t help me.  When I called and explained what was happening to my dad (who was a mechanic), he told me to find a Chevy dealer with a garage.  So the first one I found was in Florence Oregon.  My dad talked to the mechanic but it turned out that they did not have a part and it might take 2 days to get it. 

So in trying to find a place to stay, the parts manager (who talked to my dad) recommended a little inn in town and to tell the owner that he sent me.  Well, this woman was wonderful.  She got me set up in a room.  When I asked about where to do laundry, she brought me back to her area where I did my laundry while we had coffee and chatted. This was an old home/hotel where rooms were added on the side for a motel.  Everything connected and the main lobby was like a living room.

How kind this woman was.  I was 26 years old, traveling alone, wondering how I was going to pay for this, wondering what happens if they can’t fix it and she made me feel that everything was going to be ok.  I have forgotten her name but not her kindness.  I have forgotten the name or where in town the inn was located but if we are here a while, I am going to try to find it.

Now that was 41 years ago and I will say the town has expanded.  It will be interesting to explore.

Stay tuned for our discoveries and enjoy today!

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 215 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Oregon: OR-62; I-5; OR-138; OR-38; US-101; Mercer Lake Road

October 8 – 9, 2022 Friends, Birthdays, Craters, and Gorges

October 8th, 2022

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEGGY!

We woke to a beautiful morning – warm and blue skies – so off we went to Crater Lake National Park.  We decided to go in the north entrance and travel south on the western rim.

On our way, we went past many old volcanos and this incredible “old” volcano/mountain.

This is Mount Thielson – “The Lightning Rod of the Cascades”:

I found this very interesting:

“The spire-like shape of Thielsen attracts lightning strikes and creates fulgurite, an unusual mineral.

Fulgurites (substances that form when lightning melts rock) on the volcano are restricted to the very pinnacle of the mountain, and are only found between the top 5 feet and 10 feet of its summit. Lightning strikes the summit regularly, creating patches of "brownish black to olive-black glass" that resemble "greasy splotches of enamel paint”.  These range from a few centimeters in diameter to long, narrow lines up to 12 inches long. Their appearance also varies: While some patches are rough and spongy, others are flat. Inspection of the fulgurite reveals a homogenous glass over a layer of basalt; in between, a stratum made of materials such as feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine exists.”

Can you imagine being here during a lightning storm – it must be awesome!

Entering Crater Lake – we just had to take pictures:

A little information here:

There is some wonderful information on Crater Lake here:

https://www.doi.gov/blog/12-things-you-didnt-know-about-crater-lake-national-park

https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/destinations/lakes-reservoirs/creation-crater-lake/

https://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm

We made our way to the first overlook at 8000 feet.  Scenes going up the mountain:

At the overlook – so many volcanos/mountains – WOW!:

Yes, that is still smoke from the forest fires:

We walked to the top of the overlook and my jaw dropped and I had to catch my breath – this was phenomenal!

The view of Wizard Island, which is another volcanic cone that rose from Crater Lake:

But wait..it gets even better.  We made our way to two other overlooks and it just got better.  The reflections, the blue skies, the blue lake..  OH MY!  (Can you tell I was just blown away?):

A turquoise patch near the edge of the lake:

This is Phantom Ship which is as tall as a 16 story building.  It is made of erosion-resistant lava, 400,000 years old – the oldest exposed rock within the caldera.

One last look:

 

Such an experience…  This country is truly beautiful!  We are blessed.

We would like to come back another time and stay in the campground.  Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the beauty, I need to take a break.  By camping here, we could do sections at a time…

We left there and had a wonderful lunch at Beckie's Café:

https://www.unioncreekoregon.com/dining/beckies-cafe/

After lunch, we stopped at the Rogue River Gorge Overlook.  There was a nice walking trail at the top. 

The gorge is 500 feet long and is carved out of an old lava tube.

Happy Birthday to Peg:

What amazing views and places to see!

From there we made it back home and spent the rest of the day talking, laughing, grilling, and more talking.  What a great day!

October 9, 2022

Happy Birthday to these two gentlemen.  There were born on the same day, same year but we don’t really know the time yet – LOL!  (Peg and I have figured that they truly could be brothers.)

Today, we just hung out and got caught up..  More talking, laughing, and good food.

So happy we were able to spend a great birthday weekend together!  Hopefully we will see each other in Yuma.

Stay tuned for our next adventure and enjoy today!

 

 

October 7, 2022 Travel in Oregon

We woke to fog – real murky fog..  So we packed up and headed south:

The fog lifted as the day went on:

We went past trains:

And lumber mills:

Farms:

Pastures:

And into the smoky mountains:

Yes, that is the smoke from the forest fires:

The distant mountains looked bluish:

That is I-5 below – we went up and down the mountains:

Going south and inland, the skies started to clear:

Goats! :

Check out that house on the hill:

We arrived at our good friends’ house. We met Larry and Peggy in Alaska in 2009 and have stayed in touch ever since.  We would always try to get together in the Yuma area each winter.  It has been six years since I have seen them both and we are really looking forward to spending their birthday weekend with them.  Peg’s birthday is tomorrow and Andy and Larry’s is Sunday. Yep, they have the same birth day in the same year.  We always tease that they are “brothers from a different mother”.  LOL!

So stay tuned and enjoy today.

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 234 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Oregon: Cherry Avenue; I-5; OR-234; OR-62

 

(Note and FYI:  Many of the travel pictures that I take are done at 55-70 mph out the front windshield or the side window in a very bouncy truck.  Some/many may not have clarity, however, I post them for me and for you so I can record what that part of the country looks like and for my memory.)