Silverton, OR

Silverton is one of those small towns we drive into and I immediately think...I could live here!  It is just so charming and attractive, with interesting shops, a good assortment of restaurants, old oaks and flowers, much to see and do.  For starters we stopped by the Visitor's Center to get maps for a list of sights-to-see in Oregon's Garden City.

I also needed to find out how the town got it's name.  It soon became obvious that the local environment was planned by a female Founding Mother, Polly Coon Price, in 1854.  Instead of the rigid North-South grid of the township and range system she decided to plan the town around a large old Oregon White Oak tree, locating the town square around it, with Silver Creek flowing several hundred yards to the west.

Davenport's Arabian Quest

Silverton wears its history on its walls. Walking through town we admire many of the 19 murals that adorn the sides of many buildings. This mural features world-renown political cartoonist Homer Davenport who helped elect presidents and expose business corruption.  He was born in Silverton in 1864 and worked for the Oregonian in Portland and later newspapers in San Francisco.  He is also famous for traveling to Arabia and returning with 27 pure desert-bred Arabian horses.

We spent one afternoon walking the many paths of the Oregon Gardens.  There are more than 20 themed gardens the likes of which include the Market Garden, Rose Garden, Pet Friendly Garden...even the Lewis & Clark Garden.  The variety, blooms and colors were sensational!

Art and architecture go hand in hand at the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in the Pacific Northwest which was relocated at the Oregon Gardens.  The Gordon House was built for Conrad and Evelyn Gordon for their farm on the south side of the Willamette River in Wilsonville in 1964 where they lived for 30 years.  The house was designed to follow Wright's "Usonian" model, a concept that included an open-floor plan, gravity floor heat, carports and cantilevered roofs with broad overhangs and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The Gordon House

We got a good workout for both the legs and camera at the Silver Falls State Park about 14 miles out of Silverton.  The popular trail takes us down a steep incline, behind the cascading 177 foot South Falls, in a mossy lichen-covered grotto, across the creek, with a steep climb back to the top.

Just 4 miles away  Mount Angel is a German community in true Bavarian style with a world-class, working Glockenspiel, fine German cuisine (though we did not partake), a Benedictine Abbey and, of course, their own Oktoberfest.

The Glockenspiel

We stayed in town at the Silver Spur RV Park, a half-price, full hookup, Passport America Park.  We did loads and loads of laundry, interspersed with side trips to sight-see.  Yes, I could live in Silverton for at least 5 days!

We have been anchored for awhile~~~

Family time

The time between blog posts seems to be directly related to the amount of travel we do.  So when we're in home territory, as we have been here in Petaluma at the Elk's Lodge for the last few weeks, my blogging takes a hiatus. While here we enjoy lots of time just lazing around, visiting family and local friends, soccer and softball games, birthdays and endless barbecues. We checked a few items off of our MH list of "to dos".

A very dry lake bed

There are hikes around nearby Shollenberger Lake amounting to just 3 miles round trip from our site here at the Elk's.  The temps have been in the  high 80s, with an intermittent shower or cool spell. 

We got caught up on medical stuff, doctors' visits and the like.  I have been living  with a reasonably uncomfortable case of  shingles for the last month, despite having had the vaccine a couple of years ago; a nasty blotchy rash that turned into blisters, that turned into scabs and hurt like the dickens.  Obviously, the vaccine is not 100%!

I also have a date coming up sometime in November to have cataract eye surgery.  I am actually looking forward to this as it will correct my far vision and astigmatism with corrective lenses.  Howard says this has been quite a year for me, health-wise.  Well, the year is almost over and I'm feeling blessed that we're still able to travel and that I'm doing really well in spite of past conditions!

A very tall and steep sand dune

Siltcoos Lake near Florence, OR

We had a great albeit slow trip down the Oregon Coast.  There was a lot of traffic on the twisty two-lane highway.  We stopped for two nights at Darling's Marina & RV Park near Florence, OR, one of our half priced Passport America parks, beautifully situated on the banks of the lovely Siltcoos Lake with easy access to those monumental sand dunes Oregon is famous for!

 

Exploring Moonstone Beach

 Next stop was Trinidad CA on the Humboldt  County coast, a small seaside village and one of  the oldest and smallest incorporated cities in  CA. with just 360 population.  All of Humboldt  County and especially Trinidad offers plenty of  opportunities to explore the majestic beauty of  the area from a number of easily accessible  hiking trails to nearby giant redwoods, 3 state  parks and a couple of county parks. We stayed  at Clam Beach County Park, for their 3 day max  at $13 per night, giving us time to explore  Moonstone Beach and enjoy lunch at the  Trinidad Marina - calamari for moi!  

 

And since we have nothing on our calendar until an ophthalmology appointment on October 28th, we have decided to take an impromptu road trip~~the best kind.  Our destination is St. George, UT where we are hoping to get into one of the first-come, first-serve sites in Snow Canyon State Park.  Snow Canyon is a red rock and hiking haven.  If this doesn't work out we'll try some places around Zion NP.  We plan to leave tomorrow, Tuesday September 29th.

Week 3..Our month is flying by!

Our friends, Beth and Chris, are buying a summer home here in Caldwell.  Beth lived and worked here years ago, has family and friends in the greater Boise area, so knows the local turf.  We jumped at the chance to join her and Chris on a guided tour of downtown Boise.

Taken from the Train Depot atop the Boise Bench,  this panoramic view of downtown and surrounding mountains on a very warm, 95 degree day:

Looking out on downtown

Beth, our tour guide, provides a history lesson

Most of our time was spent at the State Capitol building, admiring the Roman-based architecture and massive amounts of marble used in construction, four different types from various locations.  Probably the most distinguishable feature is the dome.

Idaho State Capitol building

When looking upward from the first floor, thirteen large stars and forty-three smaller stars can be seen. The thirteen large stars represent the thirteen original colonies and the forty three smaller stars indicate that Idaho was the forty third state to enter the union.

Starry dome

It just happened to be game day with the top-rated Boise State Broncos playing Tulsa.  The fans were out en masse with tail-gate parties in full swing, cheering on their team which, of course, won!

Go Boise State!

There was another very long day with a drive to Hell's Canyon...from the south/Oregon end.  We experienced the trip in from the north out of Clarkston, WA last year, only on a jet boat.  Much of our drive was "getting there", through the vast river plains, high desert landscapes, and small towns with fruit and/or farming in their resumes.  One can't be in a hurry with the essence of peaches beckoning us to road-side stands.

Once we turned off Highway 95 at Cambridge, onto highway 71, the journey became more like a roller coaster, from mountaintop to valley floor, and river's edge.  The mighty Snake River begins its tumbling course through North America's deepest canyon, averaging 5280 feet deep. We have lunch overlooking this wild and scenic river; we share roads with cattle.  We passed beautiful Idaho Power campgrounds, the Brownlee, Owbow and Hell's Canyon Dams, and several one-lane bridges criss-crossing Idaho and Oregon.

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Then we reached the end of the road and had to return!  By the time we got to the small town of Weiser it was time to stop and stretch our legs.  As luck would have it we stumbled into the Homestead Cafe, hungry and tired.  Our appetites were whetted with the Monday night special:  prime rib served with gravy over Texas toast, salad, baked potato and fresh peach pie...all for $8.75.  We are now fortified for the long drive home!

Harvest Hosts First!

We happened upon Harvest Hosts earlier this year at an FMCA rally in Indio, CA.  The concept is brilliant and especially tailor-made for RVers. Overnight parking at a vineyard or farm for a very low yearly fee is offered by many member/hosts throughout the country.

As luck would have it, we headed out in need of repairs, with Eugene, OR and Oregon Motorcoach Center as our destination.  More on this later.  After checking in and getting lined up for work to start in a week, we checked out the Willamette Valley area.

This is where the good karma kicked in and we found Emerson Vineyards in Monmouth, OR in our Harvest Hosts online guide.  I called Tom, the owner, and we were more than welcomed.  The online map provided "door to door" directions and  the drive north along 99W was an easy two-lane, scenic hour or so.

We've arrived!

The countryside

Elliott, the winemaker, working the vineyards

Around the property

Surrounded by a field of orchard grass

Old oaks & wildflowers

Our first reaction, and you can see why, was utter amazement at the location and beauty surrounding us.  How could we be so lucky in our first experience and does it get any better than this?

Tom greeted us outside and pointed us to our parking place in a nice, secluded location surrounded by a field of orchard grass, then met us in the tasting room after we got set up.

Tom educates us about the Emerson wines

We're ready!

Horizontal barrels are a good thing!

Emerson Vineyards is a family operation evident on many levels:  the namesake is Tom's great-grandfather Emerson Waldo Fisher.  Tom and Jane are the owners and live on the estate with Tom acting as business and marketing director, and I might add, social and people specialist.   Their son Elliott is the "vines and wines" man, having graduated from the Oregon State University's Fermentation Science program.  We mostly saw Elliott on his tractor tending the vines.

Emerson's winemaking philosophy is vineyard-centered. They believe that the key to world-class wines is beautiful, carefully farmed grapes grown in the best possible conditions. If successful the wines almost make themselves; they just take care of them.  The wines we tasted were excellent, though the pinots, both gris and noir, were our favorites.  The Reisling and Brother Red (named after Emerson's brother, Red!) also got rave reviews from our fellow tasters!

Tom told us that last year was their worse in terms of growing and environmental conditions.  The shortage of rain coupled with some very aggressive migratory birds and a crop disease which blew in from property to their east caused their production to fall from 50 tons to 10! This year, if the healthy thriving vines we saw are any indication, will be a very good year.

To top off this very enjoyable experience and these beautiful surroundings, we were just in time for Friday night music at the vineyard.  This night featured music by folk singer Larry Kenneth Potts who, coincidentally, is from Petaluma.  A good crowd gathered bringing along their picnic goodies with Emerson's wine (of course) and beer available for purchase.

Entertainer, Larry Kenneth Potts

Howard has us all set up!

Having a great time!

A lighthouse to tour, blueberries for picking, & a windsurfers' park...

We are excited to be along the southern Oregon coast, its beauty stopping us at many viewpoints such as these, rushing out with camera in hand. The cities of Brookings, Gold Beach, and Port Orford, all offer much to see and do with a variety of RV parking options, but we weren't ready to stop for the day.  We have friends who stayed at Harris Beach State Park and their gorgeous photos of dramatic coastline views had us hoping for a vacancy but that was not to be as all the sites were reserved well in advance, and of course, we hadn't planned ahead...

 My search for county parks once again served us well and we set our GPS for Boice-Cope campground operated by Curry County.  Offered on a first come, first serve basis all the spacious, clean sites circle a large grassy area rimmed by Pine and Spruce trees, and located adjacent to Lake Floras in Langlois, OR.  The lake is separated from the Pacific Ocean by narrow dunes which are a short walk from the lake and attracts a multitude of kayakers, sail and kite-boarders, and fishermen to its breezy shores.  The sites have no hookups, cost $18 per night and include picnic table and fire ring, with dump station and water available.  We were surrounded by young, active families and singles and the atmosphere was lively.  

There is some interesting history surrounding Lake Floras.  In 1908 Pacific City, later named Lakeport, was promoted on the supposition that a canal could be built between the ocean and the lake.  Land was cleared, wharves were built, sidewalks laid, and dwellings and a 3-story hotel were erected.  People flocked from all over the country, bent on making their fortunes, quickly buying up the 6,000 lots that were for sale.  When the excitement died down the town's people began to question just what products the contiguous areas would produce that could fill even one freighter.  The final blow fell when the War Department gave permission for canal construction to begin, and it was discovered that the town was 40 above sea level and that if the canal were built all the water from the lake would drain into the ocean unless elaborate locks were constructed.   By 1909 the city closed its doors!

Our location just north of the Sixes River is conveniently close to Cape Blanco State Park and Lighthouse, so of course we took advantage of this opportunity for a tour.  We were whipped by strong winds as we walked the short distance from the parking lot; heavy fog swirling all around, giving us brief glimpses of the lighthouse up ahead. The very reasonable $2 fee for the tour is waved if you have a NP Golden Age Pass.  We received a great history of the light and its keepers from the volunteer that met us at the base of the narrow, spiraling staircase and were then sent on up.  The final ascent is via ladder into the very small, circular light room where another volunteer gave the particulars about the light's construction and maintenance.  Afterwards, we drove around the heavily treed campground, down to the driftwood-strewn beach, and the farmlands alongside the Sixes River. The lighthouse is located about 6 miles west of the Oregon Coast Highway.

Returning home we noticed a sign by the roadside advising us that Jensen's Blueberry Farm was just ahead.  We couldn't resist an opportunity to pick our own.  Jensen plants 13 varieties of luscious blueberries and they were peak for picking.  A bucket is provided and we paid a whooping $2.50 for a third of a bucket-full which turned out to be a lot.  Tasting along the way was encouraged. This was only our second time picking blueberries since we were in Powell River, BC in 2006. That date sticks in my mind since Howard had just had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.  A month later we were heading for Vancouver Island exploring and a series of BC ferry trips that took us to Powell River and back to Vancouver.  I am flooded with wonderful memories and much gratitude, for here we are...

Cape Arago magic...

Talk about short travel days, this one topped the charts at 50 miles.  We just can't pass up the opportunity to re-visit the splendiferous scenery along the Cape Arago Highway near Coos Bay, Oregon.  Like magnets we are drawn to marina RV parking; Anacortes, Port Townsend, Duluth, and here in Charleston.  There's something about an atmosphere of fishermen, sailors, boats and sea life, buckets of Dungeness crabs being cleaned, pots boiling, that gets our juices flowing.  How about mountains of oyster shells:

The Charleston Marina RV Park has full hookups and provided us safe haven for the busy weekend.  Regular parking lot-style sites are $28.50 with larger deluxe sites a few dollars more.  Ours wasn't the greatest; small and cramped with nary a view except for the backside of the Coast Guard facilities.  But the laundry got done, much sushi was consumed, and we saw Cape Arago in all its glory!  

Our first stop was a sensory overload. Perched on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean along the Cape Arago Highway, Shore Acres began as the private estate of the Louis Simpson family, a Coos County timber baron and shipbuilder.  The estate holdings were sold to the State of Oregon in 1942 for use as a park after a devastating fire and the financial fall-out of the 30s.  

Ever since its beginnings, these five luxurious acres have been a "garden for all seasons", with showy "peaks" of different flowers throughout the year:  spring bulbs, daffodils & tulips, followed by azaleas and rhododendrons.  Rose bushes and dahlias were the highlight of our visit.  From Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, more than 300,000 lights draw the holiday crowds. 

One mile to the north is Sunset Bay State Park, with overnight camping facilities (reservations recommended), day use and picnic facilities.  The bay is surrounded by sandy beaches, steep cliffs and rocky out-croppings and is a popular kayaking and sun-bathing destination.  One mile to the south of Shore Acres lies Cape Arago State Park with its tidepools and barking seals and sea lions.  All 3 parks are connected by a series of bluff trails, some winding down to small coves for fishing and beach-combing, with peaks along the way of the Cape Arago Lighthouse sitting mysteriously offshore on tiny Chief's Island.

We continued north after the weekend with a short en route stop at the Chinook Winds Casino, providing us free parking with a spectacular view, especially from its upper level.  We had a short visit with long-time friends from Half Moon Bay days of old, Don mostly as Joan wasn't feeling well, who were staying nearby in their 5th-wheel.  We did not gamble, partake in buffets, nor join in the Senior Tuesday festivities.  Honestly, this heavily traveled section of Highway 101, through Newport, Florence, and Lincoln City, all the way til we crossed the "Tinker Toy Bridge" also known as the Astoria Megler Bridge, was gridlock....

PS:  And since this whole blog post does not format properly, too many spaces where I don't want them, photos refuse to align, I'm just going to hit the Publish Button and be done with it!