From Here to There ~ June 12-14, 2014

June 12th ~ Getting on the Road

D-Day is here and the direction is North. What we do and where we end up each day is open to whim, suggestion, and why not. No promises to keep and everything we might need neatly packed in Pearl the Expedition. 

Take off about 8 am and get as far as the strawberry farm on Hwy. 12 before I realize my cell phone is at home. Rats, back we go. Ah, but there is a silver lining. Our neighbors Mike and Carol are getting some trees trimmed while we're gone, what we didn't realize is that it would be today. We get back up to the Rancho and find the tree service there. Rod told them he'd like the chips from the job. So my forgetfulness garnered some unexpected rewards. 

Stopped at Kaiser on the way out of Dodge to renew one of Rod's prescriptions. Did their walking route while waiting and logged 1.4 miles. The Big Chief in Laytonville for lunch and split a cheese burger, fries and a chocolate shake. Road food at it's best and patio dining. Stayed at Blue Lake Casino and spent the evening with friends Tom and Linda in McKinleyville. Had a great visit and one of Linda's awesome dinners: chicken tostadas with a scratch corn salsa made with raw corn, onions, cilantro, lemon, and tomato. 

June 13th ~ The Road to Bandon

Dreams last night and when I went back to sleep each time the solution was 7/11. I don't know what that means except today is Friday the 13th and there is a full moon. First walk of the day at Stone Lagoon, six miles north of Trinidad. We came up over a dune on the way back to parking lot and see my old Jeep's twin (a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 V8). The owner had inherited it from his mom, the quintessential Little Old Lady from Pasadena. It only had 40K miles on it ~ Be still my heart.

Del Norte county still has myriads of wildflowers along the roadside: tiger lilies, Queen Anne's lace, lupine, daisies and the occasional rhododendron. Windy and cloudy on the road, but little or no traffic. Stop at the Chart Room in Crescent City for chowder. This is also Rod's Clam Chowder Tour. He's determined to find the best of the coast.

One of our favorite places to stay is Bandon, OR. We check in at the Best Western, toss our stuff in the room and take off exploring. Spent a couple of hours in old town visiting shops and galleries, then headed out to the lighthouse for a walk. If your a camper then Bullard's Beach State Park is a must.

Bandon Lighthouse

Since I'll be recovering from my transplant surgery on December 21st we decide to have an early Anniversary dinner at Lord Bennett's (dancing to the justification shuffle). It's a place we discovered a couple of years ago. Excellent food and service: we share salad, salmon, pilaf, veggies, stuffed chicken, and the piece de resistance: blueberry/marionberry pie and ice cream. A walk on beach after dinner was definitely in order. We log 3-4 miles of walking today. 

June 14th ~ Roadside Attractions

Summer in Oregon brings a bevy of bodacious vintage automobiles out of their protective cocoons and garages. We see spectacular restorations on the road every day. These puppies were no exception. Rod's fantasizing bringing the Camero home. 

Breakfast in Bandon, a long walk on the beach, and norther we go. First stop is The Mill Casino in Coos Bay for lunch. Great restaurant with a promenade on the Coos River. 

The Mill in Coos Bay

Here we find out about the Oregon Regional Chainsaw Carving Championships in Reedsport and decide it's worth a stop. It's an international four day event. We're here on day three so most of the sculptures have quite a bit of detail. What is remarkable is that they all start with these giant logs that are about 3' in diameter and 8' tall. 

Start with one of these

 Eagle

 Totem

Dragon

Marsh Scene ~ Rod's Favorite

 Archangel ~ The Winner

Thumbing through the AAA Tour Book we discover the Adobe Resort in Yachats. Sounds like a good place to settle in for a couple of days so we head up the road another 50 miles and check in.