April 1998

<<< Wednesday, 1 April 1998

We had previously visited California wine regions a year ago and enjoyed the beautiful rolling hillside scenery.  This time we were able to tour more extensively so gaining a fuller appreciation of the vast size of the wine production area, which includes the Napa, Alexander and Sonoma regions.  Throughout there are numerous wine tasting opportunities located in upmarket and picturesque buildings, several of which we stopped to visit. Pat had arranged for us to have a private tour of the Arrowood vineyard which was conducted by the wine maker.  Today was the first day of the year for bottling and just like many factories they we having numerous equipment problems. After the tour we were able to taste some of their excellent private wines but at typically $30 a bottle we kept our money in our pocket.

Somewhat surprisingly to us adjacent to the Arrowood vineyard was a brewery which was established about 10 years ago.  The owners believed, it seems right, that by growing hops locally together with a plentiful supply of good quality local water they could produce some unique beers. Dick and George on putting the beer to the test were disappointed to find that the best beer was not available for takeout sale.

We both enjoy Mexican food so Pat and Dick proposed that we should eat at Juanetta's, which from the outside looked like it should be that last place on earth one should eat, however, the food turned out to be excellent which says something about external appearances. We then visited the home of Pat's son which has a large pond in which they are rearing trout by the thousand as well as many geese. A large collection of fishing equipment, guns, cars and farm tools adorned the walls of the large single-story home where we exchanged experiences over a glass of excellent wine.

Thursday, 2 April 1998

George having acquired a Ham licence over a year ago could no longer put off the urge to purchase a transceiver, so the first thing he was off to Radio Shack where he purchased a mobile VHF unit which fortunately was on sale.  Following an overdue haircut, it was then off with Dick to a meeting of SIR's (Sons in Retirement) which is a non-profit organisation for retired men for the promotion of independence and dignity of retirement.  This turned out to be a very enjoyable luncheon meeting attended by about 150.  Following various announcements and information from common interest groups including golf, fishing and travel outings, the meeting was closed with an excellent comedian telling jokes about the folk from Louisiana.

Friday, 3 April 1998

Dick offered to show us the Humbolt area which is where he was born and raised, so we set off in both RVs through mixed rain and sunshine for the 180-mile drive north to our first stop at Benbow, which marks the end of the wine region and the start of the lumber industry.  En route, we visited Real Goods at Hopewell which is a world-famous solar energy store where every item the environmentally conscious person desires could be purchased, including radios powered by a clockwork mechanism and a shaver driven by a pull cord.  The northern section of the route passed through tree-covered mountains and deep valleys through which the Eel river flows, which is designated as a wild river and as such does not have any dams along the whole of its length.

Saturday, 4 April 1998

The Benbow Valley RV Resort includes a 9-hole par 35 golf course, which is empty and free to campers was too much of a temptation, so Dick and George went off to play while Pat and Valerie explored by car.  Halfway around the golfers were somewhat surprised when alerted by gunshots and the appearance of the sheriff, which did not help improve the golf.

During the afternoon we drove along the 101, stopping to inspect the so-called World Famous Tree House which is located near Piercy, California.  It is a 4,000-year-old living tree 250 feet high, 33 feet in diameter and 101 feet in circumference.  Its unique feature is a room built in a 50-foot-high cavity within the tree and as always the attraction includes a tourist gift shop.	It was then on to see the Chandelier Tree near Leggett, California which is a  Drive-Thru Tree towering 315 feet into the air and with a diameter of 21 feet.  We drove through the hand-hewn opening at the base of the tree in the Suzuki stopping for the compulsory Kodak moment.

We are now in a big foot country, well at least in one of the many areas where sightings have been reported, some of the local roadside shops display wooden carvings of the big foot as well as postcards and books which document reported sightings.

Sunday, 5 April 1998

Our route to Fortuna was via the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt county which is a 33-mile section of highway paralleling US 101 between Phillipsville and Pepperwood, winding mainly along the course of the Eel River. While the surrounding hills also support oak, maple, madrone and pepperwood trees, the magnificent redwoods along the road overshadow them all.

We parked for a while and followed a trail into the forest which was eerily quiet and fairly dark, one could not fail to be impressed by the size and age of the silent giants surrounding us.  A few of the trees had died but even lying on their sides the trunks still towered above us.

During the afternoon we drove into Ferndale which reached via the 101 via the oldest reinforced concrete bridge in the US.  The town which had fallen on hard times managed an economic recovery in the 1960s by making an excellent job of refurbishing its numerous Victorian houses, which now sell a wide variety of tourist items   A local craftsman had built a replica Victorian house which any child would love to play with, in this case, the occupants were three bears

Monday, 6 April 1998

Dick took us on a guided tour of Loleta and the surrounding countryside which is where he was born and grew up.  We learnt a lot about the lifestyle of the time and like most folk he still has a strong affection for his roots and is perhaps a little saddened by the changes that the passage of time always brings.

Tuesday, 7 April 1998

Exploring Eureka which is the only town of any size for tens of miles around, we found in the downtown area many well-preserved Victorian-styled houses and shops which sell some unusual gifts and gadgets, which even managed to get George interested. One notable building is the ornate Victorian Carson Mansion which reflects the days of the lumber barons, today it is a private club. We visited a few of the local State parks including Patrick's Point which affords magnificent views of the huge Pacific waves crashing and boiling on the rocks far below.  Later we watched a seal fighting with the seagulls for fish while we had a late lunch at the Seascape pier-side restaurant in Trinidad.  Trinidad was first discovered by the Portuguese in 1595 but it was not until the gold rush days in the mid-1850s that the town developed.  Later it was the turn of the loggers who also recognised the value of the natural harbour and then in the 1920s, the whalers used the same facilities.

Wednesday, 8 April 1998

The Pacific Lumber Company is a vast complex located in the Company's town of Scotia and close to the Eel River, which can have its downside since in 1964 the river flooded the whole mill to a depth of 8 feet.  The mill offers free self-guided tours which should take an hour, however, George and Dick became so engrossed that it took nearly two hours.  The company owns huge areas of forest from which it continuously cut down mainly redwood trees which are transported to the mill by road.  Upon arrival a crane offloads a full load in one lift, placing the logs into the bark removal facility.  The bark is removed from a huge log in less than three minutes by blasting water at 12,000 gallons per minute onto the log.  The bark is then conveyed away to make other products, in fact, nothing is wasted though out the whole of the wood production process since any waste including the sawdust is used to fuel the company's electricity power generation plant.

The stripped log is then conveyed to one of several sawmills and quickly cut into planks, the operator of which has to be very skilful to ensure each log produces the maximum of planks with the minimum of waste.  Planks are then cut to various lengths, planed and stacked.  What we found surprising was the large-scale use of glueing small pieces of wood together to form excellent quality large planks and boards. The company plants five new trees for every one it cuts down and claims that its redwood trees grow faster and are of better quality than those left to nature.

There cannot be many campgrounds with a micro-brewery within a few minute's walk so it was put to the test and Dick and George found the beer to be as excellent as the previous evening, however, the evening was more than made when George won the first prize in the draw; a free nights stay at a local bed and breakfast hotel as well as two theatre tickets.

Thursday, 9 April 1998

It was time to say goodbye to Pat and Dick who were returning home to celebrate Easter with their family.

As luck would have it the hotel had the best room available tonight and evening seats were also available for the theatre, so we decided to take a break from the RV.  The Bartlett House Bed and Breakfast hotel turned out to be a delightful Victorian-style house surrounded by an English-looking garden and was located in a quiet part of Ferndale.  High-quality redwood had been used throughout the house and our room was furnished with a range of quality antique furniture.  Upon arrival, we were served refreshments and the following morning we were treated to a gourmet breakfast.

Friday, 10 April 1998

Having found out that our site had access to a phone hook-up, George spent most of the day resolving why the computer Internet connection had not worked for some months.  The problem was fixed by the end of the day so he celebrated by downloading numerous files, and running up the CompuServe charges!  Valerie caught up on her reading.

Saturday, 11 April 1998

We awoke to heavy rain and dark skies which we understand is normal for this time of year so we postponed our plan to travel further north until tomorrow.  However, as the forecast for the next few days is similar we may not avoid travelling in the rain.  It is no coincidence that the redwoods which must have prolific quantities of water grow so well in this part of northern California.

We lost a set of keys a few days ago so we drove into Eureka in an attempt to obtain replacements but as always it turned out that a few of the keys are special and nobody stocked the blanks, so we now need to find a locksmith.  On the way, we could not help noticing that numerous rhododendrons and azaleas were in full bloom which must make the season about one month ahead of England's spring.

Kevin has been rightly chasing for more photos to include in the home page so we spent some time sorting out negatives and obtaining prints which we will mail on Tuesday.

Sunday, 12 April 1998, Easter Sunday

Some months ago we decided that we would like to explore Oregon and perhaps parts of Washington before joining the rally to Alaska in mid-May, however, we knew that the weather was likely to be wet but El Nino seems to be trying to ensure that every day is wet.  It was dry when we set off for the 133-mile drive to Brooking, Oregon where we stayed at the Harris State park which is within 50 yards of the beach.  Within an hour of leaving Fortuna, the rain returned and stayed with us for the rest of the journey.  North of Eureka the 101 frequently ascended affording pleasant views of the coastline which is partly indented with inlets, lagoons and lakes.  The low-lying parts of the coastline are subject to the effects of tsunamis; very high waves caused by earthquakes out to sea can suddenly appear and cause serious damage.

Due to the vast forests, masses of driftwood accumulate along much of the northern Californian and Oregon beaches.  The small community of Orick almost totally depends on driftwood by converting it into animals, windmills or strange artistic shapes and then selling it to passing tourists.

The 101 road is only two lanes wide in many places and the steep sides of the coastal hills are subject to constant landslides resulting in an ongoing battle to keep the road open.  At Klamath {, so that's where Bill Gates got the codename for his Pentium processor! - Ed} we stopped and walked in the rain through the Trees of Mystery which is a forest of old redwoods, many having grown into weird shapes.  Along the trail is excellent carvings mainly made by Paul Bunyan who it's claimed was a super-human logger.  The entrance which is through the roots of a fallen giant redwood tree is dominated by a replica of Paul standing over 100 feet high.

For some weeks stores have been full of multicoloured eggs and dying kits which today being Easter Sunday were being given as presents by the basket load or hunted in “Find the Easter egg” competitions which appear to be popular all over the country.

Monday, 13 April 1998

Brookings' claim to fame is that about 90 per cent of the country's Easter lilies are grown locally, we found out by accident that lilies unsold the day after Easter could be purchased for less than a dollar each. Commercial fishing, lumbering, making wood products and tourism are Brookings' largest industries. The only aerial attack on the mainland United States by a Japanese warplane during World War II occurred just east of the town, which has a population of about 5,500.  During a break in the rain, we explored the state park's picturesque beach after which we managed to find a locksmith who made the rest of our keys.  We drove north along the coast road in heavy showers trying to enjoy the sea views, stopping in the town of Gold Beach where we spotted a delightful campground located on the beach so we decided to move tomorrow.

Tuesday, 14 April 1998

Contrary to the weather forecast the sun came out as we set off for Gold Beach about thirty miles to the north.  As the Ireland Ocean View RV Park was almost empty we were able to select a site with a good view of the sea.  A lighthouse is located within the grounds of the campground which we climbed to inspect the wide expanse of beach and watch the huge Pacific waves.  After lunch, we drove a 20 miles circular loop around the Rogue River.  This is a wide attractive river along which numerous fishermen were after the salmon.  Ten miles inland a State park provides access to a wide pebble beach alongside the river where about 40 RV's were camped in a perfect setting.

Wednesday, 15 April 1998

Even though the map showed several roads through the towering Klamath mountains we were unsure if they were yet open after the winter snows and landslides.  We decided to go by car and take a chance since the route followed the deep canyon formed by the fast-flowing Rogue River which for a hundred years or so was the only way to access the region.  Even today US mail boats still run up the river, and today tourists can book a half or full-day trip, we would have loved to do this but the boats do not start running until May the first.  As it turned out we were only able to drive about 40 miles into the canyon before we found all the through routes to Grants Pass closed.

Thursday, 16 April 1998

Having successfully set up the ham radio in the car George decided that it would be nice to also use it while travelling in the RV.  This presented an opportunity to make an antenna since one could only be purchased by mail order and we did not want to wait several days for it to arrive.  So after several trips to Radio Shack and the local hardware store, and some hours of assembly and installation on the RV roof, it was tested and worked surprisingly well.  Valerie was thankful that George did not build an antenna like the RV in the adjacent site which extended 30 feet about its roof!

Friday, 17 April 1998

Oregon has many scenic routes so we were spoilt for choice and were having difficulty deciding which direction to head next when George got into conversation with a fellow camper.  He lived locally and strongly recommended taking the SR199 to Grants Pass as the road follows the course of the Smith River which he claimed is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world.  We decided to give it a go even though this meant backtracking about 50 miles.  Just past Crescent City, the road was blocked by a landslide and traffic was only being allowed through every two hours.  If nothing else being in an RV we were better off than the car drivers since we were able to have our lunch and make a cup of tea while we waited.

By the time the two hours had passed the tailback was several miles long, we all crept slowly passed the landslide which looked as if at any moment tons more rock could come crashing down.  We found the route along the Smith River to be pleasant but overstated.  Our destination was the Riverpark RV resort near Grants Pass and our site was on the edge of the Rogue River, let's hope it does not rain or Valerie will be awake all night checking for flooding.

Saturday, 18 April 1998

Even though it would be a round trip of 190 miles the postcard pictures of Crater Lake looked attractive so we decided to pay a visit.  As it turned out it was a truly spectacular vista, well worth the journey.  Most of the route to the lake was through miles of fir forests, at about 5,000 feet we were above the snow line and by the time we arrived at the rim of the crater the snow was towering 10 feet above the car.

Crater Lake was formed when the Mount Mazama volcano collapsed about 7,700 years ago and today with a depth of 1,932 feet it is the deepest lake in the United States.  The view is spectacular with the deep blue lake lying 900 feet below the snow-covered rim which is at an elevation of 7,200 feet.  At one end of the lake is Wizard Island which further adds to the lake's overall beauty.  We would have liked to have driven around the rim but the snow was so deep that the circular rim drive is only open from July to September. What was surprising was that even though the lake is surrounded by snow for most of the year it rarely freezes completely over due to it's extreme depth.  During the return journey, we visited several waterfalls and a fish hatchery where we learnt that Oregon raises 75 million fish per year, over half being salmon.

Sunday, 19 April 1998

A short and scenic drive along Interstate 5 brought us to the pleasant SKP campground in Sutherlin, where we spent the rest of the day odd jobbing.  During the evening George watched the regular weekly broadcast of the prime minister's question time on C-SPAN, which always leaves us feeling that foreigners must think the British have a very odd parliamentary system.

Monday, 20 April 1998

Valerie suggested a trip to Diamond Lake which lies about 50 miles to the north of Crater Lake and about 80 miles east of our campground along the OR138, which follows the course of the Umpqua River.  Umpqua is an Indian word meaning full belly however this did not apply to us since we set off just before lunch completely forgetting not only is it still out of season but also the route was into an area without habitation or facilities, so it could have been a good day to start a diet. The lake turned out to be beautiful.  It was frozen, covered in snow, miles from anywhere and surrounded by snow-covered hills and perhaps just as importantly no other humans for miles around. After viewing the attractive two-drop Toketee Falls which are accessed via a long walk through a tree-lined ravine, we stopped in Glide where the Umpqua and Little Rivers meet head-on, which is claimed by the locals to be unique if nothing else causes some local turbulence!

Tuesday, 21 April 1998

Having seen little of the coast during our tour of the USA we decided to head west again so we could then travel north along the 101 which closely follows the Oregon coastline.  We normally get a good idea of the type of scenery to expect on the route from the local guide books but no mention was made of the pretty route from Sutherlin to Reedsport via SR138 and 38  The road follows the course of the Umpqua River which has now become much wider and slower as it flows through attractive tree-lined valleys.  As we neared Reedsport we found an elk viewing area which we decided not to explore since the only visible elk looked small in comparison to the herds we saw in Michigan last summer.

Experience has taught us that upon arrival in a new location we quickly come to similar conclusions as to whether we like what we see or not and on this occasion we unanimously decided to give the towns of Reedsport and Winchester Bay a miss.  We turned north eventually camping in Florence which appeared to be a more interesting location.  In general access to the beach is difficult due to the extensive dunes and housing developments however we reached the beach near the harbour where we watched clams and crabs being sucked up from the sand with what appeared to be a large bike pump.

Wednesday, 22 April 1998

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation is a huge area extending along 40 miles of coastline from Coos-Bay to Florence.  The dunes have an average height of 250 feet and at the widest point, the area extends inland about 2.5 miles.  We took several walks into the almost deserted dunes but by far the most interesting part of the day was the visit to the sea lion cave which lies about 10 miles north of Florence.  It is the only cave in the US used by seals and can only be accessed by boat or via an elevator which descends 208 feet through solid rock into the 1,500-foot-long cavern. The cave is a magnificent sight with the huge Pacific waves crashing through the west entrance and hundreds of seals lying over the rocks or swimming playfully in the waves.

Thursday, 23 April 1998

Fortunately, George decided to check the RV tyre pressures before moving on since one of the tyres turned out to be punctured, which if nothing else provided an opportunity to put our breakdown service to the test.  Thankfully they did a good job, changing the wheel within an hour of reporting the problem. Unfortunately, the tyre was beyond repair so after parting with 145 dollars we had a new spare and continued north stopping for the night at the South Beach State Park near Newport.  Newport has a large commercial fishery which is located on the attractive Yaquina Bay but as it was raining we contented ourselves by just visiting the waterfront shops.

Friday, 24 April 1998

After an early morning walk along the deserted beach, we travelled 160 miles northeast to Portland and the Jantzen Beach RV Park which is located on Hayden Island in the Columbia River, opposite an excellent shopping mall. Oregon is one of the very few states which does not have a sales tax, which on the surface should make purchases cheaper, however, in our experience, everything seemed to be more expensive than say California or Arizona.  It is also the only state we have come across where you cannot pump your gas so protecting a large number of jobs. It is somewhat subjective but George did not find the people in Oregon as friendly as many other states we have visited.

Saturday, 25 April 1998

The Portland downtown craft and flee market is a “not to be missed” venue for any tourist.   After getting lost several times we explored the large number of stalls which had some unusual items, but on this occasion, Valerie kept her money in her purse.  Directly opposite the campground is a shopping centre with all the major outlets in particular the main computer shops including Circuit City, Comp USA and Computer City.  This was too much to resist!  George spent some hours wandering through each shop in turn and it was no surprise to Valerie that he ended up buying some new computer software.

Sunday, 26 April 1998

Our routine of late seems to be to explore locally on the first day at a new location, followed by a day out in the car further afield and the third day doing little before moving on.  Today being the second day in the sequence found us on a 195 miles loop around Mount Hood, which is a huge 11,200-foot high conical snow-covered mountain east of Portland.  The route out was along the Washington side of the huge Columbia River Gorge which rises shortly after leaving Portland.  Our first stop was at Fort Cascade National Historic Site where for about fifty years from 1880 huge fishing wheels were used to scoop masses of salmon from the river until outlawed in 1934 (the wheels not the salmon).

The next stop was at the Bonneville lock, dam and power house which was opened in 1937, a second power house was added in 1981. Extensive fish ladders allow the half a million or so adult salmon a year reach the up stream tributaries of the Columbia and Snake Rivers, however the young ocean bound fish have to be transported downstream in barges.  A viewing area enabled us to see a number of 20 lb. Chinook Salmon swimming frantically against the fast flowing water.

We continued along the Lewis and Clark Trail crossing the river at the Bridge of the Gods to Cascade Lock, which for early settlers marked the point where the tremendously difficult terrain from the east ended since the rest of their journey westwards was an easy boat ride along the tidal part of the Columbia River.  The town whose locks were submerged when the Bonneville dam was built provided a delightful restaurant overlooking the river where we had our lunch before turning south and through the large fruit orchard area.  By accident, we stumbled on the delightful village of Parkdale which affords impressive views of Mount Hood and is the turnaround point for the dinner train ride from Hood River.  The road circling the beautiful Mount Hood provided access to numerous state parks and snow play areas which is possible for most of the year since the mountain remains snow-covered.

Monday, 27 April 1998

The showers of a few weeks ago had left the RV looking somewhat in the need of a good clean and being the spring cleaning season, it was time for action.  It normally takes about half a day to wash the RV however George decided to scrub the whole roof as it had not been done since it was purchased, this resulted in chalk streaks from the rubber roof all down the outside, so the second half of the day was spent washing the outside, the ground and then George!

Tuesday, 28 April 1998

We set off today intending to travel to the Washington coast however about 15 miles into Washington after stopping at a combined rest area and visitors information centre, we learnt that Mount St. Helens was only 80 miles to the northeast so we decided to change our plan.  As well as useful information we were supplied with free coffee and cookies which is fairly typical of some of the State Welcome centres we have come across.  After leaving the RV at the campground we drove to the Mount St. Helens visitors centre which graphically displays the events leading up to the catastrophic eruption in May 1980, the subsequent damage and the aftermath.  As well as an excellent slide show a Park Ranger also gave a presentation which added a more personal touch to a disaster in which 57 people died, many of whom may be alive today if they had taken the advice of the experts.

Wednesday, 29 April 1998

Today was an awe-inspiring day.  Initially, we drove east along route 504 towards Mount St Helens, stopping occasionally to look at the pleasant mountain scenery which however changed into areas of devastation when we were about 15 miles from the volcano. Even 18 years after the eruption tens of thousands of fallen trees still lie on the slopes and the deposits from the enormous mud and plasma slides can still be seen for miles along the Toutle valley and river.  Triggered by an earthquake the volcano exploded with the force of 500 atom bombs blowing the top 1300 feet off the mountain and scattering millions of tons of rock for miles around.  The eruption produced a 650 miles an hour wind that snapped every tree for miles like match sticks and the heat blast killed every tree within a 15-mile radius.
There are several interesting visitor centres and viewing points, the most impressive is the Johnston Ridge Observatory.  The observatory is not only the closest to the volcano but has an excellent film of the eruption which ends with the screen rising and revealing a huge window through which the audience can see the snow-covered volcano.  We had excellent weather for our visit which was hot and calm, very similar to the day it happened, which did not help Valerie’s uneasiness being so close to a sleeping time bomb!

Thursday, 30 April 1998

We decided to move to the Washington coast since it may be the last opportunity to visit the coastline for some time.  The 113-mile drive to Copalis Beach was uninteresting and became even more so as we approached the coast. This is being written at three in the afternoon sitting in the RV at a beach side campground overlooking the Pacific ocean - sounds good? - well it would be if we were not surrounded by thick fog!  The weather inland was gloriously hot and sunny but as we approached the coast it became cooler and foggy made worse by a thick dust cloud that had been blown from China >>>