FAREWELL FOGGY FLORENCE

This morning the fog was so thick that I needed a rub down after my morning walk. I was so wet that I left paw muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor. It's the kind of weather that makes you want to crawl back into bed and stay there till the sun comes up. Which is exactly what we did.

When the sun finally broke through at about 11:00 nobody was motivated to do anything. Some ideas were floated around, but nothing was planned, and seems like that was okay too. I guess they just wanted a day to do nothing for a change.

The most exciting thing to happen today was a trip to the Fred Meyers store to stock up on some supplies. After that, the Kathies and us doggies retired to the She Shed for some coloring, needlepointing and napping. Warren and Jim spent the whole afternoon cleaning their coaches. It's funny to listen to them comparing cleaning tips and discussing the best way to do this and that. I'm sure it will probably be foggy and wet again tomorrow morning, so they will have to start all over again. But, tomorrow morning we say goodbye to the ocean and head inland to McMinnville, Oregon where we will spend the 4th of July.

OLD TOWN FLORENCE

First thing this morning, Gianni had to be taken to the veterinarian! His eyes have been bothering him for a few days so Kathy and Warren drove 40 miles to the emergency clinic. Good news, it wasn't anything serious, he has "dry eye", just like Jim. Wonder if they can use the same medication!

Oh, while all that was happening, something went wrong with our Jeep battery. The car just stops working on it's own. Jim's been trying to get answers from Santa Monica Jeep, and Jeep roadside assistance, but he will probably solve the problem by asking his buddy, Mr. Google. This is a picture of our coach at site 19 between the trees.

Okay, so what about Old Town Florence? Well, at about 1:00 the humans decided to drive to the fishing village on the Suislaw River for some shopping. There were a few touristy shops to wander through, but due to Covid the shops didn't have much to sell. All the suppliers aren't supplying so it didn't take long to see everything. They even had an early dinner at Moe's on the dock, but the menu was so limited that it was a big disappointment.

Warren and Kathe stopped at Novelli's Crab and Seafood Stand for fresh crab. This place has been a mainstay in Florence forever, and everyone stops here for the crab and award winning crab chowder. We were so sad to learn that the owners died last night in a boating accident. People here are devastated at the loss.

NORTH TO NEWPORT

I just brought Kathe back from our walk this morning when it started pouring rain. We both went back to bed until the sun came out. Then Kathy T knocked on the door with a suggestion that they all pile in the car and drive North to check out the Lighthouse we saw from the beach last night. Doggies were not invited.

One of the places that where we were supposed to stay before Covid was in Newport, so they drove 40 miles, all the way up there to see what they were missing. There was a Farmer's market in the town of Yachats along the way. It looked interesting so they stopped. Warren bought all kinds of dried mushrooms and squash, while Kathe bought strawberry blossom honey, purple raspberries, and some Rainer cherries. You know these guys  have to stop at every Farmer's market or else we would starve.

Afterward, they stopped at a State Park called Devils Churn and took a walk down the cliff and saw the waves banging against the rocks. Jim and Warren walked all the way down to the bottom to get this picture.

Since the Lighthouse at Yachats was boarded up and inaccessible, they drove back home to Heceta Beach, where they saw the beam from the Lighthouse last night. They walked  up the cliff to the historic, and still operating Lighthouse which on the cliff overlooking Heceta Head.

HECETA BEACH

Everyone is tired tonight, it was such a long trip today. I had to beg Kathe to turn on the computer for me so that I could post something. We drove and drove and drove some more. Such a windy, foggy,  and difficult drive that it took almost the whole day. We started out at about 10:30 and didn't arrive until after 4:00, and that's really late for us. There was wild coastal scenery, great views of the rocks and white capped waves all the way North. Kathy T took this picture of us driving today.

Our home for the next four days is Heceta Beach in Florence, Oregon. It's an interesting place, just on the other side of the sand dunes. We can hear the Ocean from our site, but we can't see it. There are lots of pine trees between the sites so it feels secluded, and there are only 50 or so others camped here. It's a short walk or bike ride to the beach.

Tonight, and the main reason I'm so late in posting, is that it was Kathe's turn to cook dinner. What a disaster. It took her forever to make the crab cakes that she promised everyone. There was such a mess in the kitchen that it might never be the same.
I'm doing my part by licking the floor!

Tomorrow we're all sleeping in, everyone but me that it.

EXPLORING THE COAST

Everyone got up early this morning for a change. Today my humans decided to explore another tide pool and they had to get there in time for low tide. Normally, I'm the only one up before 11:00, but today they had a master plan. Alarm clocks!

First stop was Lone Ranch Beach. After some investigation they found out that the tide pools at this spot were accessible down a short path from the parking lot. The tide pools at Patrick's point were down such a steep cliff that the Kathies didn't get to see them.  Here they only had to wade through some water and walk into the rocks. It was worth the effort. Beautiful starfish and sea anemone hiding in the mussel covered rocks.

Then, driving a little farther up the coast they stopped to view "Natural Bridge" a viewpoint above the sea where the ocean had carved a hole in the rock forming a bridge. There was a man with a very sophisticated drone to photograph the rocks from every angle. He sure knew how to fly that thing, right down under the bridge.

After all that exploring they were hungry for the picnic they had planned. In yet another open Oregon State Park they found some picnic tables on a cliff overlooking the very rough and wild sea.

HARRIS BEACH

A long time ago the Kathies made reservations at Harris Beach State Park, choosing two beautiful ocean view sites. When the Parks in Oregon were closed for Covid  and they posted online that they weren't going to be open until July. The girls canceled those reservations and made the ones here in Brookings. Now, they have opened the State Parks and we are out of luck! Today they drove up the coast to Harris Beach and checked out what might have been. Wow, we will just have to come up here again and stay there next time. You can see by this picture it's pretty spectacular at Harris Beach.

After that depressing turn of events, they drove down to Brookings Harbor to see if there was anything open for a late lunch. It's a very popular commercial and charter fishing boat area. They had lunch in the sun overlooking the harbor and watched the brown pelicans diving for fish. They saw several fishermen dividing up the catch of the day on their boats. Each man went home with a huge bag of fresh caught salmon filets. Unfortunately, they weren't selling any of the fish they caught.

Jim and Warren just had to have some fresh fish too, so it was off to the fish market. They drove to the end of the pier to a market which sold fresh fish right off the boats.

Winner, winner, fish dinner!

CHETCO RIVER

Another beautiful drive through the Redwoods on Highway 101 from California into Oregon. We've made so many changes to the trip due to Covid that we are always in for a surprise. As surprises go, this place isn't too bad, but unfortunately our first choice reservation at the State Park was canceled.

The good news is that we are right on the Chetco River in Brookings, Oregon and it is warm and sunny. We drove all morning in the fog, so it's nice to see some sunshine for a change.

Most of the day was spent driving, but we arrived in time to go to the town's Farmers Market for some fresh vegetables and fruit. It was really mostly just a big craft fair with booths of handmade items. Kathe found a lady that was making facemasks and bought one with my cousins, the Yorkshires, plastered on the front. She thinks it's cute. I think it's confusing!

There is a harbor just about a block away where all kinds of fishing and pleasure boats are moored. The man camped next to Warren and Kathy told us that they sell fish right off the boats as they come into the dock each day. Can't get anything fresher than that.

OTTERS

Woke up this morning to some excitement, a racoon attack next door. Warren heard some noise and watched as a racoon climbed up the tree next to his coach and knocked down his two bird feeders and a hummingbird feeder. First, from the looks of all the trash on the road, he hit the dumpster and then enjoyed the bird seed for dessert!

Sunny day today, clear and cool. Perfect day for a bike ride. But first they went into the town of Trinidad for some shopping and a walk down to the fishing pier. There were lots of crab boats in the harbor, but on the boat ramp we saw two otters eating fish. They watched as they jumped into the water and came up with fish in their mouths. Warren got an awesome picture of one of them clinging to an anchor.

After a lunch on the pier, my humans were final ready for that much anticipated bike ride. Kathe was a little wobbly at first, but she managed to survive. They rode from the RV Park down into Patrick's Point and all through the Park. The campground just opened yesterday and some lucky people were moving into the Park. Not open for us though, we are longer than the 31 foot limit for campers. Tomorrow, it's on to Oregon!

BONUS REEL

Last night Warren and Jim walked down to the tide pools and wanted to share these pictures!

FOGGY AND SOGGY

Another foggy morning, so the bike ride was postponed again for another day. However, Kathe decided to make use of the time and stuck me in the kitchen sink for a bath while doing three loads of wash. After that ordeal, the Taylors came over and they made an alternative plan for the day.

They packed some snacks and headed North to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park for a hike into Fern Canyon. Kathy T read about it, but forgot to tell us that the road to the trailhead was a seven mile, mostly single lane dirt road, into the forest before we reached our destination. The drive was a wild one through a Redwood Forest. The older trees were cut down many years ago, but smaller Redwoods were growing out of the stumps that were left behind. Fascinating how thick and green the forest was right down to the ocean.

Along the ocean, at the bottom of the canyon they stopped for a snack lunch before driving to the Fern Canyon Trailhead. It would have been an easy hike but most of the trail was in the stream and they had to jump the rocks and climb over trees. It was really worth the effort. The ferns were everywhere on the walls of the canyon, luscious and green and dripping with water from above. That's were the soggy part comes in, walking through water, but it was fun and the shoes and socks are already dry.

FOGGY DAY

I thought it was raining this morning at 6:00 when I took Kathe out for my walk. It wasn't rain but a thick fog that got us both soaking wet. I have a raincoat somewhere in the coach and I guess we better find it if every morning is going to be like this.

The fog put a crimp in the plan to take a bike ride down to the State Park today.  The bikes were dripping wet. Never fear, plan B, they drove down to the park and explored in the Jeep. Patrick's Point State Park was open for visitors but the camp-grounds not open yet because of Covid. This is one of the great views from the cliffs above the ocean.

It is a beautiful Park, lots of ferns, wild iris, rhododendrons, and huge pine trees. They filmed Jurassic Park here and it's still so wild you might just see a baby dinosaur pop out of the woods.

After exploring the Park, they went exploring in the town of Eureka, looking for a new bike tire for Jim and some clam chowder and crab cakes for lunch. The guys are planning to go back into the Park at low tide to explore the tide pools before dinner.

SOUNDS OF THE SEA

Straight shot North on the 101 today. Lots of beautiful trees and no traffic, it was a beautiful drive. That is, it was until the GPS took us off on the wrong ramp to the Sounds of the Sea Resort. It was a narrow one lane road with tree branches striking our roof for almost 2 miles. And the road was washed out at one point so we were on gravel and dirt at that point. No one was happy about that!

Once we finally turned into the driveway of the Resort all was forgiven. It's just as nice here as we remembered, lots of space between our coaches and flowers everywhere. We can see  patches of the ocean through the trees and we can hear the sea lions barking. Too bad it's so early in the year as there is a large blackberry patch right behind our coach.

It looks like the stores are open in Trinidad as long as the humans practice social distancing and wear a mask. That means shopping and maybe dinner at a restaurant, which is followed by doggie bags for me.

This is a picture of our adjoining sites. We have our own little patch of nasturtiums.  Look closely and you can see Warren setting up the She Shed while Jim patches a flat tire on his bike.

HANGING OUT IN THE SHE SHED

It's super hot today. No one wants to do anything but sit around and act like they are on vacation. It looks like today we will be eating, napping and just relaxing. Warren and Kathy moved the "She Shed" under a shady tree today so we  could relax on the grass in the shade. Our "She Shed" is a pop-up screened-in room which is for girls only. We only let Gianni in because he's our watch dog. Today in the shed Kathy T was coloring and my Kathe was working on her needlepoint while Gianni, Bella and I kept them company. It's not really as boring as it seems, just restful. I took this picture of Bella and Gianni chilling out.

If you are wondering what Warren and Jim were doing today, they spent several hours at the hardware store. Yes, again with the hardware store. They said it was called "boys are us." Since there is always something that needs fixing in the RV, it's the one place they want to go in every town.

It's Friday and the place is really filling up, lots of families and friends camping together. We noticed that the pool was open for the first time yesterday, but none of us are brave enough to jump in. 

Besides, how can you swim with a mask on?

SHELTER COVE

Another night at the Benbow KOA, and tonight we are being invaded! Not surprising. Since all the State campgrounds are closed, the private ones are open and filled to capacity. Guess we better get used to it, because it's probably going to be like this all summer. I don't mind, most every camper has at least one dog, so I have lots of new friends to growl at. Bella barks, I growl, and Gianni could care less about the whole situation.

Jim and Warren went for an exploratory bike ride this morning. Supposedly, to see if it was something the girls would like to do. They didn't come back for a really long time. The girls took advantage of the time for manicures and pedicures. Any time Kathe spends time with me is okay! Luckily, she didn't paint my toenails.

Later in the day they all piled into Kathy's car and drove to Shelter Cove. It was a 27 mile drive but it took an hour and a half to get there. The road was so windy and narrow, but there were beautiful Redwood trees all the way down to the ocean. They stopped first at the black sand beach before driving to the rocky coast pictured here. You can't see them in this picture, but there were hundred of sea lions on the far rocks. They are stinky and they sure can bark!

AVENUE OF THE GIANTS

No matter how many times you see the Redwoods, you are always amazed at these magnificent trees.Today was no exception. After breakfast, the humans took the day to drive down the "Avenue of the Giants," stopping several times to get out and hike into two different groves of trees. The quiet beauty of this forest cannot be capture in word or pictures, it must be experienced. Of course dogs are not allowed in the Redwoods, but I do know that they all had a spectacular day.

There were very few people on the hiking trails. I'm sure that is because none of the State campgrounds were open and the visitors center was closed. A few private campgrounds and gift shops in the area were open for business, but none of the restaurants were. They only saw two other people hiking all day.

Back home at the RV Park, us doggies are enjoying cool temperatures and all the trees and grass on our walks.  Kathe was upset that the grass in the dog walk was higher than my head, so she called this morning and ask them to mow the lawn. So, this afternoon everything is perfect!

And we have three more nights to enjoy ourselves.

TREES, BIG TREES

We had another long bumpy ride today. It took almost 4 hours to drive from Petaluma to Benbow, California. Much of the way here it was only one lane in either direction. And it was a very windy road as well. Our 2 big motorhomes took up a lot of the highway! Kathe took this picture of Kathy and Warren's coach in front of us. We take turns every day leading, and it was their turn today.

We are camped here at the Benbow KOA, which is just outside of Garberville, California.  Benbow is  famous for an historical Inn where my humans were hoping to visit and enjoy a special dinner. But, with Covid that's just not happening.  Everything is all closed up except for the  campground and the golf course. This campground is really nice and our sites are large, with even enough room for the us girls to set up the "she shack." We had cocktails and dinner in the shack tonight. After dinner we fired up the gas campfire. It's very cool here tonight and supposed to drop down to 46 overnight.  Good thing we have a fireplace inside our coach, so we will be all toasty.

Tomorrow we are planning a hike into the redwoods on a search for Bigfoot!

GOLDEN GATE

Today's adventure was a road trip south on the 101 to take a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. Big deal, I told them I'd rather stay home and wait for the pictures.

They drove just north of the bridge and took their pictures. It was clear and windy so the bridge was easy to see from a vista point in Battery Park. As they drove through the park they found out that back in the early 1900's this was one of the main protection points for the San Francisco Bay.  There were multiple large guns that were operated by the military. There was even an abandoned NIKE missile site museum. Today some of the military buildings have been turned into a 5 star hotel that overlooks the bay.

Next, they drove to Sausalito where most of the stores were still closed, and only a few restaurants were open. Warren stopped for some specialty coffee that he remembered from his last trip to the area.

By the time they finished all that, it was lunch time. Not many places were open, but they managed to find a place called, Pacific Catch, in Corte Madera. After a delicious lunch on the patio, they all returned home for a nap. Napping is something I do better than any of them!

TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

While Bella, Gianni, and I stayed back at the coach today, the humans went on separate adventures. Us doggies have been having a lot of fun walking up and down the hills here in the RV Park, but I picked up so many stickers and leaves in my fur this morning I had to be brushed within an inch of my life. Then, I was dumped into the kitchen sink for a bath. I look pretty good right now, but believe me, it's not going to last.

Kathe and Jim drove to Santa Rosa to visit Uncle Mark, Aunt Vicki and my cousin Jake. They spent the afternoon at their house, socially distancing on their beautiful patio.  They haven't seen each other since Christmas, so there was a lot of catching up to do. Kathe and Jim came home with some lettuce, lemons, oranges, and green onions from Mark's garden. Warren made a fantastic salad with the greens for dinner tonight.

Warren and Kathy made a trip to Bodega Bay this afternoon, along with hundreds of other Sunday tourists. It was very foggy  but they were able to take this picture of a driftwood sculpture of a mother whale and her calf. They brought back some oysters which Warren cooked on the grill this evening with shallots. I didn't even get a taste!

SARDINE-LAND KOA

It was a long and bumpy drive today from Gilroy to Petaluma, California. I thought that Interstate 5 was bumpy, but the 101 is just as bad in just as many places. We drove north to the Benica-Martinez Bridge, avoiding the truck traffic and the Golden Gate Bridge. No one wants to drive a 40 foot motor home with a jeep attached through San Francisco!

For the most part it was an easy trip until we reached Sears Point Road and lots of traffic. It's a one lane road along San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There are always beautiful white egrets in the water as you drive by. Today one took flight right in front of our motor home.

As for Sardine-Land, that is what we named this RV Resort. We are packed in here with hardly any room between coaches. There are over 300 spaces but the "escort" brought us to our space and actually directed Jim into a pine tree.  No damage to the RV, but we are going to do a little midnight tree trimming tonight.
Jim is pretty famous for that!  

GILROY, THE GARLIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

It does smell like garlic as you drive through this town! While the RV Park doesn't smell like garlic, I doubt if we will ever stay here again. There aren't a whole lot of other choices on Highway 101, and we are glad we're only here for one night.

We stayed here in Gilroy so that the humans could drive to Moss Landing and have dinner at Phil's Fish House. It's a Taylor favorite. They were afraid that with the Covid restrictions the restaurant might be closed. Fortunately, it was open for take out and they had lots tables placed outside. Everyone seemed happy when they returned, so I guess it all worked out. After dinner they walked out on the sand to see the ocean.

We had a little issue this morning when we arrived. When Jim went to hook up the sewer connection, a mouse jumped out of the sewer hose. WHAT! 

Yes, either the mouse jumped into the wet bay yesterday at the last stop and rode along with us. Or, he was swimming down in the sewer and tried to get out into our hose. Warren sprayed water on him and he went down into the sewer. YIKES! It's always an adventure traveling with my humans!

GOLDEN HILLS OF CALIFORNIA

Today was a driving day. Not too long of a drive, a little over 150 miles on Highway 101 for a one night stay in Greenfield, California. I spent the day napping in my crate while the humans battled the traffic and road construction.

When we drove along the coast near Oceano the temperature dropped, but now here at the Yanks RV Resort its almost 100 degrees and there is a screaming wind. I hope that it quiets down tonight or none of us will get any rest!

On our drive today we past areas with golden hills and beautiful oak trees, before driving into areas of agriculture. Lots of Strawberries, Peppers, Cabbages, and of course miles of vineyards. You can really see where the water flows. The scenery goes from golden brown to bright green.

Cutting this short as the internet is very slow, I'm tired of waiting for it and it's time for my dinner!

EXPLORING LOS PADRES

Another blazing hot day in Solvang. I'm seeking shade wherever I can find it. I'm trying to keep my paws from burning off on my walks. Mornings and evenings are cool, so I can really take my time walking around the loop, but in the heat of the day, I much prefer the air conditioned motor home.

Not so with my humans. After a walk this morning to the Danish Pancake house they left in both cars to explore Lake Cachuma. It's only about 20 minutes past Solvang in the Los Padres National Forest. We used to camp there a long time ago when I was a puppy, but we haven't been back there in a long time.  The Lake is beautiful now that the water level is higher.  

After reminiscing about how things used to be, Jim decided that it was time to get the Jeeps dirty and have some fun.  Off highway 154 is Paradise Road which goes into Los Padres National Forest for about 5 miles. It wasn't a dirt road any longer, it had just been recently graded, but the streams were still full of water and the drive was a lot of fun. Kathy and Warren got a chance to splash mud on their brand Jeep.

 

CRAMMING IT ALL IN

After a beautiful morning walk around the campground, meeting my four legged neighbors, I was content to sit around with my humans while they drank their coffee. Didn't take long before they formulated a plan for today and left me home in the coach.

First up today was a trip into Solvang for some shopping and appleskievers! Once that was accomplished they wandered through the town and made some purchases. Pretty much everyone here was wearing a mask as the stores required them. There weren't many people in town, so social distancing really wasn't an issue. Main Street was closed to autos and workers were erecting shade areas with tables and chairs in the street. Getting ready for the tourists this summer.

After leaving Solvang they stopped at the Ranch Market on the way to Santa Inez for a tri-tip lunch and some wine shopping.  Of course, they forgot to bring any tri-tip home me.

They were trying to see as many things today as possible, so after Santa Inez they stopped to see the miniature horse farm.  And if that wasn't enough for one day, they continued up to Los Olivos for some wine tasting.  None of the tasting rooms were open yet, that will have to wait until next week.

IT WOULDN'T BE A MOTOR HOME TRIP IF...

The day started out just fine.  Sunny, and a little windy,  Kathe and Jim put so much stuff in the Jeep that there was hardly any room for me. I had to ride all the way to Simi Valley on Kathe's lap.  Once we got to the motor home I watched while they tried squeeze it all that stuff into the cabinets and closets.  Too much stuff! They probably will need the whole two months to remember where they put things.

So lets finish the sentence, "It wouldn't be a motor home trip if something didn't go wrong."  Well, first off, one of the GFI's wasn't working properly, and the stove top and the wine cooler didn't have power.  A quick call to Uncle Mark the electrician, and I think Jim will be able to fix that one himself.

Next, we get about 15 minutes down the road and Jim looked at the tire monitor and saw that the tire pressure on one of the inside tires was down to 60 pounds. NOT GOOD! It's supposed to be 100 pounds. Thanks to Google they found a truck tire repair place about 20 minutes away. The technician couldn't find a leak so they aired up the tire, and we were on our way again.

By the time we got here it was after 4:00 and all three of us were toast.  I won't even tell you about all the problems Kathe had directing Jim into our site.  We are here in Solvang and that's enough for today!

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

We've been staying home for so long that I'm sick of my own back yard. It's time to get out and see something different!

I've been studying the map and pulling my hair out trying to make some plans. It's very frustrating! This Covid 19 thingy has everyone scared to go anywhere. We started planning this trip last summer, but we've had to make many changes to our itinerary. Several of the resorts and campgrounds have new rules and regulations for visitors and have cancelled our reservations. Some places are still closed to out of state visitors. Who knows, we might really have an adventure this summer!

I'm really looking forward to spending time with my friends, Lady Bella and Gianni, and their humans, Warren and Kathy. They warned me ahead of time that a lot of things will not be open and that we will be spending most of the time around the campsite. No restaurants and no doggie bags for me.

The good news is that I can finally get out of my yard and start exploring the sights and sniffs of the open road.