Taking inventory

Day 92, Thursday, September 12
Well, the Indians were a little stingy last night at the casino. And, our “overnight” in the parking lot was uneventful.  The arrangement worked out very well.  We unloaded the motorhome this morning (it only took two trips!) and we got settled and will stay in one place for more than a couple of days…for the first time in 92 days!  The Lundcruiser got parked in a nice temporary home (storage facility) just south of Phoenix.
As we wrap up this adventure, we are taking inventory:
*Total RV miles driven = 10,114, in 217.7 hours!  Truck miles driven = 2,310
—that’s a whole lot of ground covered!


*We traveled through 13 states, 2 provinces and one territory in 2 countries.
*We saw more animals, glaciers, mountains and waterfalls than we could ever imagine.  There were breathtaking views, and amazing sights every single day of the trip.
*We took too many clothes!
*We took thousands of pictures, and now need to get them organized, printed and put them in albums.
*We made lifetime friends, (an unexpected bonus).
*We ate too much--my thighs look like the redwoods we saw in Oregon—we will be looking at an exercise program to get back in shape!
*We found out we could survive 92 days of “togetherness” in a 39 foot space, without a problem at all!
**And, we got to see our country in a way that we couldn’t even dream about.  It truly has been a trip of a lifetime, and one that we will remember forever.  We are still pinching ourselves, and saying, “Can you believe we really did it?”
This reinforces the idea of do it now---today not tomorrow—and, take the time to enjoy the beauty of living in a country so full of natural wonders!
Thanks for joining us on our Lundcruiser adventure--It’s been fun having each of you travel with us through the blog.
****It is only 624 days until our next big trip—we’ve signed up for a motorhome caravan to the Maritimes in 2015!!  Can’t wait.

Reservation at the Reservation

Day 91 – Wednesday, September 11

We passed under a bridge and saw a great display of patriotism to commemorate 9/11.  I think we can all remember where we were and what we were doing on that day in history 12 years ago.

 

Our scenery changed again today as we headed east on Interstate 10 from LA across the desert.  We left the palm trees behind….

and we began to see a bunch of interesting things:

There were huge Miller Lite cans along the side of the highway (part of a brewing company). 

 

Then, we came upon a huge number of windmills which went on and on….they were right next to the highway and sat high on the hills surrounding the road.  We also experienced the wind that the windmills are trying to catch, as we were blown around on the highway by the winds racing across the desert.

We finally entered Arizona, and the temperature was 100+ degrees. (I hear it’s almost that warm in Indiana!) 

Because the RV storage place closed before the time of our arrival in Scottsdale, we called ahead to the casino at the Indian Reservation to see if we could park the RV for the nite.  They said sure—you can stay up to 3 nights, if you come in and visit the casino!  what a great deal!  The casino is not far from our condo, so this allows us time to unload the RV and get things transferred without going back and forth to the storage place which is much further away. 

So…we’re spending the night in a casino parking lot on an Indiana Reservation…a new adventure for the Lundcruiser!

On the road again…..

Day 90 – Tuesday, September 10

We said goodbye to the beautiful coast this morning, and headed on down the road.  We got an early start, at 6:15am, and it was still dark.  It’s one of the few times we’ve driven in the dark since we left Indy back in June!  We had to travel about 70 miles on an east/west road, which was quite challenging, (a winding, twisty road…lots and lots of curves, steep inclines, and big dropoffs) but it treated us to some wonderful sights along the way.  It was the Redwood Highway—and guess why???  Because the road travelled through a forest, and huge Redwoods popped up along the side of the road.  The road was narrow anyway, and In some places, the tree was so close to the edge of the road it was marked with a reflector.  The trees provided a canopy above the road, and created a peaceful scenic drive as we moved inland toward Interstate 5.  I5 extends south through the entire state of California. Once we hit the interstate, it felt like a huge relief—the road was straight and smooth, and Jim got to engage the cruise control (for the first time in a long, long time!)

We continue to be amazed at the different parts of the country, and how the scenery changes.   Our country is truly beautiful—something to see at every turn.  The wide variety of scenery was an unexpected bonus on this trip.  For the past 90 days, we have enjoyed our travels, and the landscapes.

As we moved through California, we saw Mt. Shasta in the distance.  It had snow on the top, but the temperatures at our level really warmed up (the temp showed 100+ at one point!)  We saw volcanos toward the east—part of the Lassen Volcanic National Park (I didn’t even know there was one).

We were quite a distance west of Yosemite, but we looked for smoke or the smell of smoke from the fires, as we passed the area, and didn’t see any.  We did see a lot of brown…brown hills, brown grass and brown everything. It was quite a contrast to the landscape we just left.  We also saw a lot of agriculture…trucks were full of vegetables…carrots were falling out of one truck, and this one is full of tomatoes.  We were surprised by the lack of population in the northern California area as we passed through.  We went through a large stretch of highway with very few exits, and lots of groves…grapes, and trees (maybe olive trees?), lots of cattle grazing, but little evidence of people.  But…that all changed further south as we approached the LA area.   The highway was completely full of trucks…big trucks, little trucks, every kind of truck you’ve ever seen.  On top of that, there was construction, with lots of orange cones, and a huge incline, which made the trucks have to pull over or go slow with their lights blinking.  It was a little crazy.  The last 100 miles were tense, and we were in the dark again.  It was a big day…we covered about 775 miles!  We made it to just north of LA—Santa Clarita.  We pulled into Valencia RV park for the night, hoping to get a good night sleep and hit the road again tomorrow. 

Trees and Tired!

Day 89 – Monday, September 9

Today we ventured out to see Myrtlewood trees and Oregon redwoods.  WOW!   They were something to see!  We went to the Loeb State Park, just 10 miles east of Brookings, where there are trails that travel through the stands of trees.   It started out as a great day for a hike.  We laced up our hiking shoes, packed up water and our cameras, and set out to the park.  The Riverview Trail followed the Chetco River, and was about .75 miles long.  It was really pretty, shady, and surrounded by ferns, hemlocks, fir trees, and lots of Myrtlewoods.  You could immediately smell the myrtlewood—a fragrant, almost cedar, or eucalyptus smell.  The leaves are oval, smooth-edged, thick and waxy.  The trees grow slowly.  It takes 100-150 years to grow a 14-16 inch diameter log!  They are hardwood, evergreen trees, and the trees here are estimated to be as old as 200 years!

The Riverview trail ended at the opening to another trail…the Redwood Nature Trail, a mile loop in the Siskiyou National Forest.  This is Oregon’s largest stand of coastal redwoods.

Redwoods grow taller than any tree in the world.  The redwoods along this trail are estimated to be between 300-800 years old. In California, redwoods more than 2,000 years old have been found!  The trees were majestic, as they lined the trail and towered above.  There was one tree with a huge cavity, and it made for a great picture to illustrate the size of these trees!  It was really something to see them and the environment they grow in.  Redwood bark is very dense and thick.   There was a lot of moss around, and there were a lot of roots throughout the trail that almost made steps at times. 

About halfway through the hike, the sun came out and it got really hot.  (They are having unseasonably warm weather here right now—it hit 90+ degrees today.)   We were glad to have our water, and cut the Redwood loop short to get back to the Riverview trail.  By the end of the hike we were tired and hot. 

We discovered another interesting fact about Brookings—about 90% of America’s Easter Lilly bulbs are produced here!  About 10 farms produce all of the bulbs which are shipped to greenhouses around the country.  The area has an ideal combination of climate, soil and water for the lillies.   They are called “white gold”.  Never would have guessed that tidbit!

We got back to the campground, took a quick nap, and headed to the beach with our chairs to rest and relax the rest of the day. 

Tomorrow we will leave the coast and begin heading east.  We are still 1,200 miles from Phoenix!

Booking to Brookings

Day 88 – Sunday, September 8

We tried to go to mass this morning at St. Mary’s, Our Lady of the Dunes, but the priest was on vacation, so there was no morning mass.  So, we booked to Brookings, Oregon completing our 363 mile trip down the Oregon coast.  This was the southern third of the coast, and much of it crossed the Oregon dunes, a bit inland from the coast; but when we reached Port Orford, the spectacular views returned, providing sweeping views of the waves and huge rocks out in the surf.  It looks  different at every curve.  The trip today was about 160 miles of curvy roads, and lots of inclines.  We were able to listen to the Colts game as we travelled, so it kept things interesting!

We stopped at the Myrtle Wood Factory.  Myrtle is a tree that grows only in Southwestern Oregon and northwestern California.  The color and grain of the wood is influenced by the minerals in the soil.  The wood factory had all kinds of beautiful wood objects…everything from tables, to bowls, to rolling pins, to boxes, to wood placemats.  It was a fun place, and of course I found a few things to purchase.

We traveled over a few more bridges today, and noticed the “signature” of bridge designer McCullough who is responsible for many of these bridges.  It is an arch and concrete pillars at the entry of the bridge. 

 

We also passed over the Thomas Creek Bridge which is the highest bridge in Oregon--it crosses 345 feet above the creek bottom.

We arrived at the Driftwood RV Park in Brookings, Oregon, and had a late lunch at a restaurant by the river and saw fishermen coming in with their catch.  The RV Park is only a block from the beach, so Spot made us go to the beach once again, and we were able to take in a beautiful sunset.

Sunshine on Saturday…finally!

Day 87 – Saturday, September 7

Saturday turned out to be a wonderful day of sunshine!  We made our way down the coast to Florence, Oregon.  Along the way were more beautiful coastal views, as we passed the little towns along the way.   All of the towns are fairly close together, and have a unique character—and all enjoy an awesome view of the Oregon coast.  The road curved in and out, up and down, and every now and then, the coast would pop out in front of you—it was a beautiful sight!

Starting at Tillamook, we saw signs “U-pick Oysters”, as well as “Tsunami Hazard Zone”.  This coastline was affected by tsunamis from the 1965 Alaska earthquake.  You can still see the old posts for piers sticking up out of the water, and they look just like they do in Alaska from the same event. Tsunami evacuation route signs are posted at regular intervals along the highway.  The coastline changes at every curve.  There was a turnout at Devil’s Churn, where the waves come in a split rock formation and pound the cliffs.  

 

 

 

We stopped at a fun place…The Sea Lion Caves.  It is the world’s largest sea cave, and they have an elevator that takes you down to the cave where the stellar sea lions live.  It goes down 200 feet and opens into a viewing area.  The sea lions were not in the cave when we went down, but we did get to see the cave, with the water flowing in and out. We did see the sea lions playing around outside. It was quite an interesting place! 

From the outside viewing stand, we could see the Heceta Head Lighthouse on the shore.  This lighthouse has been around since 1854, and is rated as the strongest light on the Oregon coast…it can be seen from 21 miles away! We could see the beacon flash about every 10 seconds.  The scene looked like a postcard!

We could also see lots of sea birds and waves crashing against the rocks…something we really haven’t seen much of.

I learned another new word…estuary.   It is where a river meets the sea… there is fresh water as well as salt water, and the birds and wildlife love the environment created by this phenomenon.  There are many, many estuaries around here, and it’s a haven for birdwatchers. 

 

We went across some beautiful bridges, on the way to Florence.   Once we arrived, we parked at B&E RV Park, and went to Florence’s “Old Town” a neat little area, right on the river. It was bustling with activity, as they were having a classic car show, and a pinewood derby! 

 

We ate lunch on an outside patio (they even brought Spot a water bowl), and watched the fishermen bring in their catch for the day.  There were a couple of guys crabbing on the dock beside us, and it seemed like they brought in a big haul, but ended up throwing most of them back because they were too small.  (They carried a template to measure them with.) 

While we were eating, a seal peeked out of the water, hoping someone would toss him a few morsels.  While walking the docks, we saw jellyfish swimming in the water.  I was able to get a pretty good picture of the lil guy swimming around.  The kids on the dock seemed to enjoy the jellyfish more than the seal!

 

As if we don’t have enough fish already, we bought a tuna from one of the fishing boats that had just come in.   You had to buy the whole fish, then they would fillet it while you watched.  You can’t get much fresher than that!   With all the fish in our freezer, we could open a roadside seafood market!

After putting the fish in the freezer, we went to the beach again (Spot insisted on it!)  It was a different beach…surrounded by sand dunes, and really windy.  There were several kite flyers which made a great backdrop.

 

We got back in time to watch the Richmond race, and were treated to an unbelievable race.  We were on pins and needles the whole time, and a frantic last few laps eliminated Jeff Gordon from the Chase (by only 1 point), despite a top ten finish.  Disappointing, but the team sure gave a great effort.

Capes full of Surprises!

Day 86 – Friday, September 6

Rain falls 90% of the time in the fall in this part of the country, and par for the course, we had rain again today!  So, rather than continue our drive down the coast, we decided to stay put in Tillamook Bay, and drive the Three Capes Scenic Loop.  The loop is a 40-mile scenic byway that takes you off Highway 101 through charming towns, to beautiful sights along the coast, including Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda.

We were treated to many surprises along the route.   At Cape Meares, we saw the  “Octopus Tree”.  It is a giant Sitka spruce tree, 46 feet in circumference, that looks like an octopus because of the limbs coming out of the base, without a central trunk.  The tree is estimated to be 250-300 years old, and it remains a mystery as to how the limbs grow horizontally, sometimes 16 feet before they curve up the way they do. Some say it was a burial ground for the Indians that were here.

Close to the tree is the Cape Meares Lighthouse, which stands 217 feet above the ocean.  The tower itself is 38 feet tall, and is the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon coast.  It was first lit in 1890, but has since been replaced by an automatic beacon.

In addition to these sights, there were beautiful views of the coastline, and little coves where birds and other wildlife seek refuge.

 

We went through the town of Oceanside, which had an impressive hillside of houses overlooking the coast.

Spot was able to enjoy the beach and once again enjoyed running free. (You can see how shaggy he’s getting…he hasn’t had a haircut in 86 days!) 

 

 

 

 

 

The Three Arch Rocks were in the surf—a misty photo op! This is another designated national wildlife refuge.  It is home to the largest breeding colony of tufted puffins, but we couldn’t see them because of the mist, (or else they were still in Alaska!)

 

 

We continued the drive on the Loop to Cape Lookout, seeing more of the beautiful coastline. 

 

 

 

 

As we continued on the loop, we saw a huge crowd of cars parked along the beach and roadside at Tierra Del Mar.  Of course, we didn’t want to miss anything, so we stopped to check it out.  To our surprise, we discovered they were having the qualifying rounds for the 2013 Freeride World Champtionships—the SurfSlams-- which is Jet Skis doing aerial acrobatics in the surf.   It was really exciting to see them maneuver in the surf, doing jumps and one even did a flip!  It was like a party atmosphere on a Friday afternoon (not sure why all these people weren’t at work?) with music, vendors, etc.  What a fun surprise to discover.

 

We continued on to Cape Kiwanda, and passed sand dunes along the way, as well as trees that leaned and hung over the road, as if someone had put out an arch to welcome our arrival!

At Cape Kiwanda, we stopped at the Pelican Pub Brewery for a late lunch, and a sample of their award winning brew.   Cape Kiwanda is a surfer’s hangout, as the surf is normally pounding.  There were a lot of surfers around, and many were still out in the surf, even though it was raining.  They were also setting up for a wedding, which unfortunately was going to get wet!  We saw a little bit of everything today!….

But that’s not all!  On the way back to the campground, we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  I’ve seen this cheese in the store, but didn’t know what went into making it.  Wow…what an operation!  It takes 10 pounds (1.16 gallons of milk) to make one pound of Tillamook cheese. They make 167,000 pounds of cheese a day!  Of course we got to sample the cheese, made a purchase, and had to try an ice cream cone on the way out!

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, so we will continue coasting down the coast and look for more surprises, but we have to be in a campground in time to watch the race!  Which brings us to the other surprise of the day…Jeff Gordon’s pole position for the Richmond race…hope they can get ‘er done!

On a somber note…my Uncle passed away this morning in Beaumont, Texas.  He was a good man, with a big heart, a great memory, full of stories, jokes, and a whiz at doing crossword puzzles, or any kind of puzzle!  He provided us with many wonderful memories over the years.  We will miss him, but will cherish the memories of the great times he provided.  Thoughts, love and prayers go out to Aunt Marie, our cousins, and relatives.