What…No Plan?

The rain came on and off all night and it was still raining this morning when we got up.  I hate to travel on rainy days, so I was pretty slow about getting ready and packing up.  Finally around 10:00 when we were almost ready, Deb and Rod walked down to say good-bye. We visited with them for a few minutes. LOL…we tried to get them to come with us and they tried to get us to stay, but we each knew it wasn’t going to happen.  We need to get to Texas and they need to get to Utah.  Well, I had stalled long enough

  and it was time to pull out.

We left

Newport and

and the beautiful coastline for another time.

At this point, we had no Plan A and for the most part we had no Plan B.  All we knew was that we were going to take Hwy 20 to 34 and pick up I-5 South.

  We hadn’t been on the road very long when Glenn and Sylvia called and wanted to know where we were  and where we were going.  I laughed and told them we didn’t have a clue.  He laughed and said when you know, let us know.  They were in Brookings, Oregon and thought tomorrow they might be heading in our same direction and would catch up to us for a short visit.

Well…we continued to travel

on Hwy 20 and

south on I-5.  It wasn’t until we were about 130 miles out of Medford, Oregon that we made a decision.

We arrived around 3:30 this afternoon at the Holiday RV Park in Phoenix, Oregon, which is about 3 miles South of Medford.  We booked

a site for two nights.  After we settled in, we called Glynn and Sylvia, so they could make their plans for tomorrow.  Maybe we will get to see them tomorrow afternoon.

Now…I had seen a sign as we passed through Medford for Harry and David’s and  I wanted to check it out.  So, tonight we drove back to Medford and followed the signs to

the Harry and David Country Market.  Looks like they are ready for fall.  Lots of big pumpkins and

little ones too.

Mark was more interested in the apples, plums and Moose Tracks.  We made our purchases.  Then we needed to make a quick stop at the Auto Supply and the UPS Store.  The night air was getting really cool and we decided the perfect spot for dinner would the the local Mexican restaurant.  The salsa wasn’t as good as Jim’s, but I survived and the food was nice and hot and hit the spot.

  The day turned out quite nice, even without a plan.  However, we have now settled in at the motor home to discuss some sort of plan for tomorrow.  Come back to see how it works out.

From Newport South for One Last Look…

Today, again was cold and rainy, and at times it was pouring which kept us homebound for the morning.  When it finally began to clear around noon, we decided to make a plan for the afternoon.  First, it was a quick trip to historic downtown Newport where we needed to exchange a jacket we purchased yesterday. While in Newport, we walked out to

watch the sea lions.  Some were sunning on the docks while others

chose the rocks out in the bay.  And unlike the inactivity yesterday, today the harbors and bays

seemed to be back to business.

From here we decided to head South on Hwy 101.  What a beautiful drive it was.

  Now, I know you are probably thinking…oh no, more rocks, but, I just don’t think I could ever get enough

of the rocks and the waves.

Looks like the rain is coming back…Guess, we better get on our way to

Boiler Bay.  This was a stop to really enjoy the rocks and waves.  Then it was on to

Devil’s Churn which is also known for the

crashing waves.  WOW

Now…what is so amazing about this coastline is that you go five miles down the road and you go from the crashing waves to

a beach that is totally calm.  This is the home of the

Heceta Point Lighthouse. While standing on the beach below you can also see

the Hwy 101 bridge.  We continued on around the bend and stopped to get a backwards look

at the lighthouse.  We could hear the sea lions, but didn’t see them.  We looked down and, there they were

right under us on the cliffs and rocks far below.

A little farther down the road we came to the town of Florence.  It is here that the coastline changes once again and begins an area known

as the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area which extends on down almost to Coos Bay.

We drove out a few miles from Florence to check out a couple of state parks and RV Parks for Rod and Deb.  The state parks weren’t a good choice, but, we found a couple of possibilities for RV Parks.  It was here we turned around and headed back the almost 50 miles to Newport.

On the way back to Newport

  the sky began to darken and it wasn’t long until the rain returned.  However, by the time we reached Newport, the rain had let up and we stopped at

this little market for dinner.  We enjoyed

an order of steamers while we waited on our chowder and fish and chips.  Thanks Rod and Deb…what a treat!

We returned to the RV Park and decided to take a quick walk down to the beach before dark.  When we got to the trail, we noticed this sign…

We later learned that earlier today there was an earthquake in the South Pacific.  I wonder is that is what prompted this notice?

We made our walk on to the beach and this was

sun setting on yet another great and unforgettable adventure.

Tomorrow Mark and I will be saying good-bye to the Oregon coast.  We will travel over to I-5 where we head South.  Over the next couple of weeks we will be making our way back to Texas where we are looking forward to spending time with family.

Newport to Lincoln City and Back

Today was rainy and cold.  We dressed really warm and headed out determined not to let the weather keep us from enjoying the coastline from Newport to Lincoln City and back.  Come along and enjoy the Oregon coastline as we saw it today… There were the large waves…

and

those who were taking advantage of them.  And there

was the coastguard who had no choice but to be out on a day like today.  Then there was the wildlife who live here no matter what the weather is like…

This gray whale is making its way South looking for food, while

this gull is just hanging out in the cold wind and rain.

If the angry waves are not your style…you could have enjoyed the

calm coves or

quite harbors.  You could have walked the streets

and

shopped for salt water taffy in almost any flavor your can imagine.  You could

taken a tour of a lighthouse or

seen a lighthouse in operation.  You could have

seen the D River which is

the world’s shortest river or seen

Depot Bay which claims to be

the world’s smallest harbor.  And lastly, you could have enjoyed

the sea lions who were just hanging out!

What ever your pleasure, you could have enjoyed it today from Newport to Lincoln City and back.