PISSMO VILLAGE RESORT

We had a great second half of our vacation with the Taylors, but I stopped blogging the minute we got here at Pismo Coast Village for the Komfort Kruisers rally. My humans volunteered to be the wagon masters and it was way more work than they anticipated. 

It’s a great location, right on the beach. But, because it’s so popular that every site was booked. Our group was sort of parked together except that the Taylors were two rows away from us which made our wagon master duties a lot harder. And because there was no kitchen, Warren prepared everything at his coach and the three of us were walking back and forth to the club house with the breakfasts and dinners.

Everything turned out well, Warren made his special French toast breakfast and our shrimp fry dinner was delicious and a great success. Even the  beach blanket bingo game was a hit. 

My humans didn’t have much time for sight seeing, they did manage a trip to Avila Beach for a couple of hours, but then it was right back to work. 

End of this vacation for all of us, we made this second half work even when it seemed like all the campgrounds were already booked. Kathy T was able to put together a vacation in spite of  the short notice.

We will be going to Alaska next summer, Kathy T has already started making reservations!

THREE VERY LAZY DAYS

We have been here at Coyote Valley RV resort now for two nights and we ain’t done nothing! I guess that we all needed a break from all the excitement of being in Lake Tahoe, but it doesn’t make my job as blogger very easy when there is nothing to write about.

First of all, the site we are in is too small. We are packed in like sardines. We don’t fit in the site and the bikes are squished into the shrubbery.  And it was so tight we had to decide if we wanted to open the door or park the car in the site. We parked the car somewhere else. The Taylor’s site is a bit worse as they are parked directly across from the office which is busy all day. The park is really very beautiful with two pools and two dog parks, but with us booking so late we didn’t have any options. We are making the best of it.

First night we we all so tired from the drive that we did nothing but eat dinner and sleep. Yesterday was Saturday and they all got up early to go to the Farmers Market in Morgan Hill. It was a great market with all kinds of produce and cooked specialties. There was also a small craft market and beer tasting area on the opposite side of the city plaza. Apparently, Morgan Hill is very popular with the young families that work nearby in San Jose. Last night my humans had an interesting dinner at the Crab Broil, they said it was research for the upcoming rally in Pismo Beach.

Today, nothing is planned, just sleeping for me, googling for Jim and reading for Kathe. If  anything else happens, I’ll let you know.

LAST NIGHT IN ANGELS CAMP

Very warm here today. It was over 100 degrees when we woke up this morning and it really never got any cooler until tonight.  We are still the only 2 coaches in the resort, but they say that tomorrow things will change, and all the sites will be full. 

Today the humans went to the town of Murphy, which was one of the richest boom towns in the mid 1800's.  Today it's a cute little tourist trap with lots of shops, restaurants, and places to taste local wines. My humans spent the whole day shopping in every little store for treasures. Lots of shopping bags filled with clothing, kitchen tools and specialty foods. A fun day.

They stopped for lunch at the Pour House Restaurant for a picnic lunch in the shade before setting out for some wine tasting. They tasted some really good which were gold medal winners at the local county fair. They even bought a few to take back home. Unfortunately, someone forgot to close the hatchback and one of the bottles crashed into the street as they were driving away. What a mess, Kathe, Warren, and another local woman swept up the glass and they were on their way again. I spent the day in my usual way, curled up on the passenger seat, in the cool air-conditioned coach.

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

Not too far from Angels Camp are two very interesting State Parks. Today my humans went to both of them while I protected the motorhome.

First up was the Columbia State Historic Park which is also a National Historic Landmark. The park is an actual town that has been preserved with restaurants and shops. Walking the street there was like going back in time to the gold rush days. The people in the shops are dressed in period costumes. The town was originally built in 1854 and restored twice due to devastating fires. They had a great lunch in the old hotel dining room before moving on to the next State Park.

The Calaveras Big Trees State Park was established in 1931 to preserve a mixed conifer forest with two groves of giant sequoias. The trees are magnificent, the largest trees in the world! There is a self-guided trail through the grove of trees, and you feel very small just being next to them.

DRIVING THROUGH THE SIERRAS

Okay friends let's pretend it is last night. Things got a little out of my control and I couldn't get to the computer until this morning. Something to do with a thing called a Sunset Martini!

We had a spectacular drive yesterday from Tahoe to Angels Camp. We drove for miles through the Sierras with nothing but tall pine trees and beautiful blue lakes out my window. We drove past a few little "resort" towns, with tiny hotels and a lot of teeny tiny campgrounds for tents and small motor homes. But it wasn't an easy drive, lots of hairpin turns and climbing up and down altitudes of over 7000 feet and back down and up again. My ears were popping! We finally reached Angels Camp Resort after five hours of hard driving and everyone including me was ready for a restful evening. 

Our sites are right next to each other under the trees. As a matter of fact, Jim couldn't pull into our site until they chopped off some large branches which were hitting the top of our coach. We have a nice space in between our rigs for our chairs and a picnic table. The weather is great and it's so nice to eat outdoors for a change, you never have to worry, something always falls to the ground for Bella, Gianni or me. 

More later after the planned excursions today to the town of Murphys and the Calaveras Big Trees.

EMERALD BAY STATE PARK

Last night was very exciting. We know that bears are frequently in the campground. We've heard them and seen the evidence, but last night we actually saw one walking around in the dark. One of the tent camping families had their food stolen right out of their truck. Everyone was warned to keep the food locked away, but I guess they didn't believe it would happen to them. Needless to say, we are on high alert whenever Kathe and I go out for our walks. 

Today the humans went to Emerald Bay State Park to hike to a waterfall. It was a pretty long drive to the trailhead and there were so many tourists that parking was a problem. Kathe took a picture of Emerald Lake from the edge of the cliff.

Later, Warren, Kathy T, and Jim decided to hike to Eagle Falls. My Kathe started out on the hike but became winded and decided to sit that one out. I guess hiking at altitude is pretty difficult for her. She had fun watching the people starting up the trail, but so many turned around just like she did.  Our humans enjoyed the hike all the way to the top.

They decided to forgo the picnic lunch that they brought and drove to Tahoe City for lunch at a bar and grill. The weather was perfect, and they ate lunch outdoors overlooking the lake. Great day!

SOMETHING ELSE IN TAHOE

You know when you have a motor home, something always needs fixing. Yesterday we had a problem with the automatic step cover. When Kathe pushed the button to close it there was a loud boom and it just stopped working. Jim and Warren spent about four hours working on the problem. Good thing they had each other to bounce ideas with each other, finally they were able to figure what needed to be repaired. A bolt, maybe 2 bolts snapped, but it was very hard to reach the problem and screw things back together. It's all fixed now. Only now today the ice maker quit working. Always something!

It is beautiful here. Today they spent the day driving all around Lake Tahoe. It was a fantastic trip looking down from the highway to the Lake. They stopped in Truckee for some shopping and to have lunch at Jax at the Track a restaurant that was featured on Guy Fieri's TV show.

Back at camp this evening they just sat around the campfire with some adult beverages and enjoyed the evening.  

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Glad we made it. It was a long and very scary drive from Red Bluff to South Lake Tahoe. Totally worth the drive. We have two awesome sites together on the edge of the campground surrounded by huge pine trees. 

Not much to report as we didn't get here until 4:00 after driving for five hours. Most of the drive was on the interstate. If you think Los Angeles traffic is bad, Sacramento traffic is even worse. So happy that Kathy T. and Jim are such good drivers, and that we arrived safely. I was so scared with all the curves on highway 50 that I spent most of the ride on Kathe's lap trying to remain upright.

Looking forward to spending six nights here. Only one problem, Kathe is worried about the wild animals. The camp host told us that black bears and coyotes frequently roam around the park. She said they were looking for food, so I hope that doesn't mean me. 

BACK ON THE ROAD

Today was a very long driving day from Canyonville to Red Bluff, California. It's already too late to do anything here but eat dinner and sleep, and tomorrow is another long driving day to Lake Tahoe. Warren took this picture of our coach as we drove past Mount Shasta today. When we drove North past Shasta a few weeks ago, there was so much smoke that we couldn't even see the Mountain. And now, with all the rain the fires are out, and the sky is clear again.

Turns out there were a couple of interesting things to do in the Seven Feathers area besides watching the rain fall every single day.  One day they took a drive to see the three Covered Bridges in the area of Canyonville. The were all built in the 1930's, and still function as bridges. You can still drive through two of them which crossed small streams. A third one is now restored and part of a very nice city park.

On Sunday they took a drive out into the country outside of the town of Roseburg, to visit the Cooper Vineyards for some wine tasting. The sun came out long enough to enjoy the afternoon and drink some great wine. They had a Sunday event at the vineyard with entertainment and a food truck which made for a very pleasant afternoon.

SEVEN FEATHERS

The sun is finally out today after nonstop rain since we left McMinnville. We are at the most popular Oregon RV Resort, Seven Feathers in Canyonville, Oregon.  We are staying for five nights, and as you might have guessed, there is nothing much to do here. There is a big casino and a very small town, but not much else unless you drive about 30 miles north to Roseburg. And since we made that drive yesterday, we have just been chilling out. At least today we can relax outside and enjoy the RV Park in the sunshine.

There are beautiful trees at every site and hanging baskets of flowers at the end of each row. Ok, so that's it trees and flowers. So don't be worried if you don't hear anything form me until after Labor Day, I'll just be sleeping, curled up on the cool tile every day, until it's time for my evening walk. That's what I do best, eat, sleep, and repeat. That's a vacation.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Another day in McMinnville and everyone had a different idea of what to do today. So, they did a little bit of everything.

Jim and Warren wanted to spend some time back at the Air and Space Museum, Kathy T wanted to visit the famous Blue Raven Pie Stand, and my Kathe wanted to taste some more local wines. 

With a little planning they were able to do all three and make everybody happy.

First thing this morning they walked over to the Air and Space Museum and spent 2 hours looking at the Spruce Goose and lots of other historic planes. After a quick lunch it was off to the pie shop where they bought 2 small fruit pies and a large turkey pot pie for tomorrow night's dinner. Then after a stop at the fruit stand on the highway they drove to the Maysara Vineyard for a tasting. 

Maysara Vineyards had a pretty setting and they relaxed outdoors and tasted several Pinot Noirs. One of the wines was a sparkling rose that no one liked, but the white Pinot Gris and the three reds were a hit.

We are expecting rain for our trip tomorrow to Seven Feathers Resort. We are planning to stay there for five nights.

AROUND MCMINNVILLE

This morning the Kathies and Jim were up early to go for a bike ride. They rode from the RV Park across the bridge to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum following the bike trail that wove all around the museum campus. There are three large buildings, the museum which houses over 150 aircraft including the Spruce Goose, an IMAX theatre that features air and space films, and a huge indoor water park with an aircraft on the roof that is one of the water slides. There is a large vineyard around the complex and a really nice trail through the evergreen trees surrounding the buildings. This is a picture of the waterpark building. Pretty crazy!

After lunch the humans went into the historic McMinnville shopping area. Lots of fun was had going in and out of the touristy shops and a large antique mall. Not too many purchases, but a fun afternoon.

Later, they decided to look at model homes. They were very impressed with the homes they toured. My Kathe was ready to sign on the dotted line for a house that backed up to an old grove oak forest. The Taylors liked a house a couple of blocks away that was larger with 4 bedrooms and a separate granny suite. Something to dream about tonight.

WATER AND WINE

The Stone Village is a really nice RV Resort, but last night we had a tsunami. I went out at about midnight and there was water spraying everywhere. The sprinklers are supposed to be underground here, but something went terribly wrong. Water was spraying so high up in the air that water sprayed inside the coach through the open door. I got completely soaked. And this morning we were walking in mud puddles. Water was all over the coach and the car, which didn't make Jim one bit happy. Kathe complained to the park, but I don't think anything will change. Going to stay in tonight until the sprinklers are finished.

After all that excitement last night, they were in no hurry to do anything this morning. At about 11 or 12 the humans still were trying to figure out what they were going to do. Everyone is getting lazy, but eventually they made a decision to go wine tasting. There are about 25 or more wineries to choose from!

First stop, however was Country Johns Farm Shop where they purchased local fruit, pastries, and produce. Everything looked fresh and delicious. With them, it's all about the eating and drinking.

Next, they drove to the Couer De Terre Vineyard. They spent about two hours tasting some very special wines. They were the only people there, so they received the VIP treatment. The wines were all excellent and the experience was one of the best due to the knowledgeable people in the tasting room.

SLOW DOWN

We set off this morning for McMinnville and the Old Stone Village RV Resort, thinking we had an easy 74 miles to cover. It was a beautiful drive through a fairy forest of giant spruce trees that were covered with hairy moss. We kept expecting Big Foot or a troll to jump out into the 2-lane highway. Then all of a sudden, we came to a complete stand-still behind a line of cars and RV's. We couldn't see what the holdup was. We watched as many cars as possible U-turned and went back in the other direction. Of course, we couldn't do that because we are too long, so we had to wait over 30 or 40 minutes until we could see what was up ahead. 

First, we saw the giant tow truck backing up, then as we got closer, we saw the wreck. An eighteen-wheeler must have missed the turn and flew over the side of the road into a ditch. The truck was wrecked, but the driver appeared to be okay. Eventually we were able to get past the incident and continue to McMinnville. A few more minutes and we were on our way.  

We finally arrived here at the Old Stone Village and set up in two adjacent sites. It's warm, but both sites are under large shade trees. The Taylors and their doggies are already relaxing in their lounge chairs right outside my window. Can't wait to get outside and start enjoying the sunshine. The beach was nice, but so cold and foggy every night.

Looking forward to having a great time here for the next four nights.

MUNSON FALLS STATE PARK

Our last day here in Tillamook and most of the day was spent on housekeeping chores. The worst part of the morning was my bath. Kathe brushed me and plopped me in the kitchen sink and the next thing I knew I was in a bubble bath. Good news, Gianni and Lady Bella got a bath today too. I think the next place we are going must be another fancy RV Resort and they don't want us to show up with dirty doggies. This place here has a lot of dry grass and pine needles so all three of us looked a little worse for wear.

After lunch today the humans were looking for some exercise, so they decided to take a hike. They drove to a nearby State Park for a hike to the waterfall. The road into the park was a gravel one lane road over a couple of very narrow bridges. The parking lot was just about empty, so they had a very nice quiet hike up to the falls. The short trail followed a stream where the water flowed over the rocks through the tall pine forest. It wasn't possible to climb all the way to the top of the falls, there was a barrier to keep you safely away from the cliff. It was a really nice way to spend the afternoon.

Another tough ride for us tomorrow as we head to McMinnville, Oregon for the next four nights.

THINGS TO DO IN TILLAMOOK

Last night we had some surprising weather. First the lightning and then the rain and thunder. We were already snug in bed, so it wasn't much of a problem for Kathe and I. Jim spent a few hours yesterday straighten out our fancy chrome mudflap with help from Warren. He had it all shined up and covered it with a towel until he and Warren could reinstall it. The towel got soaked and so did the mudflap, so the darn thing had to dried and all shined up again today. As a matter of fact, he's still working on it.

Well, there are other things to do in Tillamook besides visiting that factory, eating their cheese samples and ice cream. Turns out there is another cheese factory just down the highway.  Today they visited the Blue Heron Cheese factory for wine and cheese tasting. There was a fabulous gift store and deli restaurant. It was a completely different adult experience. They did have a petting zoo and a candy store so there were some kids around, but it was a day and night experience from yesterday's tour.

You know by now that my humans can't resist visiting a pioneer museum whenever they have the opportunity. So, today they spent a few hours in the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum. The building was once the county courthouse, and the three floors are filled with over 55,000 items from prehistoric specimens to modern day. Room after room of treasures of the past. Great way to spend a cloudy day at the beach.

THREE CAPES DRIVE

I haven't been feeling my usual tip top self for the last day or so. I fasted and slept for 24 hours and now I'm really hungry, and ready for anything.

The humans went exploring today driving to two of the three capes on the Three Capes Drive. Maybe they will hit the third one tomorrow. It was a beautiful coastal drive under the Sitka spruce trees to Cape Meares and world's smallest Lighthouse. The lighthouse sits 200 feet above the ocean and the view is amazing. Three Arch Rocks are below and that is a National Wildlife Refuge. Thousands of sea birds call this area home.

Cape Lookout was next, and they toured the State Park with hopes that maybe we could stay there the next time we are in this area. They had a picnic lunch on the beach there and walked the coastline looking for treasure.

The trip to Tillamook wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. After tasting some of the various cheeses and watching the process of packaging large blocks of cheese, they stopped for some of the famous Tillamook ice cream. 

NOT QUITE TILLAMOOK

Having some trouble this evening with the internet. I'm afraid I'll have to make this short.

We had another beautiful drive today up the Oregon coast, we had a few crazy turns, but arrived here a little after 2 o'clock. Our RV Park isn't exactly up to our standards, but we've stayed in worse places. Our problem was that we didn't start to plan this trip early enough in the summer, so we have to take whatever is available. On the bright side we don't have to worry about trees blocking the satellite or worry about sprinklers spraying our coach. No trees, and dead dry grass. We will make the best of it.

Oh, and we are not exactly camped in Tillamook, but Bay City. Tomorrow we will do some exploring and find the ocean, the lighthouse, and the famous cheese factory.  My humans did have a delicious fish dinner tonight at the Fish Peddler in Bay City but that's about the only exciting thing that has happened so far. This is a picture of the bay in front of the restaurant.

We are here four nights, so there's plenty of time for fun.

WHALES AND WINE

Last day here in Newport so it was time for sightseeing. We woke up this morning to the best day yet, it was sunny and clear with no wind at all. Kathe and I enjoyed a walk around the resort meeting several friendly doggies and sniffing good morning.

The humans got a late start on the day, it seems like they are getting lazier every day. They had a plan to drive north, and the first destination was Otter Rock State Park. Up high on a cliff above the ocean was observation area. There was a lot of excitement, there were several whales down below in the kelp beds. They stayed for a while, just watching the action.

Next stop was Devil Punchbowl State Park. Looking down from that cliff they were able to see the water flowing through a hole in the rocks. Waves enter the bowl and churn and foam. On other side of the cliff there were several surfers trying to catch a choppy wave

Not too far from the Devils Punchbowl was a small touristy area with shops and a winery called the Flying Dutchman. You know my humans just had to taste the wines. Kathy T liked a sweet blackberry wine, but Jim and Warren were more interested in the clam chowder next door.

Last stop of the day was a little shopping area in the town of Depoe Bay. Lots of little gift shops and saltwater taffy along the coast with the usual tourist treasures. Warren said that the ship from China must have stopped here, and every shop filled their shelves with the same stuff.

ANOTHER DAY IN NEWPORT

Not too much to report today. Another very cool and windy day so everyone stayed in bed until late this morning except for yours truly. Kathe is getting really good getting back to sleep whenever we get back to the coach in the early morning.

Last night with all the celebrating, no one really felt like doing much today. They had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Tidal Raves in Depoe Bay last night. Great drinks and seafood with the most spectacular ocean view. Lots of birthday fun for Kathe ending with a brownie cake to share. Hope her wish comes true.  Here is a picture of the happy group at dinner and one from the deck outside of the restaurant at sunset.

After lunch today they drove to the Nye Beach area for some shopping. I thought they would be taking a walk on the beach, but instead of that they walked around and investigated all the small shops. The stores were only about a block from the beach. No tourists, just a quiet afternoon. Just chilling today.

BEACH DAY

This morning the sun was shining, and it was clear with no fog for a change. Kathe and I took advantage and went for a long walk around the resort. Then it was back to the coach for me while they headed out for an adventure.

Warren likes to walk the beach looking for agates and special treasure just along the tide line.  About three miles away is the Agate Beach State Recreation Site, so they decided to dress warmly drive and drive there this morning. The beach is really wide, and you have to cross several high sand dunes to get out to the water. Jim and Warren headed south to look for treasure on the beach. Kathy T brought out her kite and was able to fly it so high that we could hardly see it in the sky. My Kathe took a photo, but Kathy and her kite are tiny specks in the picture. So, all you see here is a picture of the beach.

Next, they drove to see the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It's a few miles up the coast from the Agate Beach. Turns out that today was the 150th birthday of the lighthouse and admission was free. They stayed and ate a snack while watching the surf and the hundreds of birds on the cliffs along the ocean.

Today is my Kathe's birthday and she has been celebrating all day. Thank you to all the friends and family who called and messaged their good wishes today. Tonight, they are all going out to a special dinner to continue celebrating.

How great is it to spend your birthday at the beach!

NEWPORT HARBOR

It's cold and windy! I like the wind in my hair, but Kathe not so much. It was colder here this morning than anywhere in Canada on our last trip, especially at 4:30 in the morning. Kathe pulled out one of the down comforters for me to sleep on, and I curled up and went back to sleep till 8:30. 

The humans left here this early morning to find the Newport farmer's market. It was a very good one with lots of great produce. They came home with tomatoes, peaches, strawberries and several tasty pastries. Unfortunately, nothing that interests doggies. 

After the market they started on a quest to buy some fresh crab for dinner. They went down to the harbor area, which was very touristy, and stopped at several places without any luck. Warren wasn't going to give up until he found a shack where they were selling live crab. He was planning a crab fest for tonight and he was pleased to buy four nice big ones for dinner tonight. My blog is a little late tonight because it took so long for Kathe to finish cracking and eating almost 2 whole crabs herself. It was an early birthday treat.

The harbor area was fun, lots of little shops and restaurants. They stayed to look at all the sea lions napping on the pier. But everything was so busy and crowded that they decided to go back home in the early afternoon to get away from all the people and traffic.

FANCY SMANCY

Boy, this is some RV park! Kathe says it the Beverly Hills of RV Parks, and she's not too happy. Everyone else thinks it's just beautiful. You know my Kathe, she's not too great with rules and regulations, and this place sure has a lot of them. All of the sites are owned here and so the only way you can rent a site is with the owner's permission. Our site has a view, but it is not of the ocean as we were led to believe, but a view of the grass and some other higher end coaches. Not my style, and I can't even figure out where to do my business without breaking some rule.

On the bright side, it's very cool here and the ocean isn't that far away. We have a nice grass area behind our coach but it's not private enough if you know what I mean. Gianni and Bella are nowhere near us, at least a block away. We all got together for cocktails and treats before dinner. It became super chilly, and the wind came up forcing us all inside for dinner. Maybe it will be sunny tomorrow, I sure hope so. Even with my fur coat, it's really chilly tonight.

Here are a couple of pictures that Jim and Kathe took on a hike they took down to the ocean. It's a long rocky trail down there from our site, and I'm afraid I'm not up for that. As you can see for all my complaining, it's really a beautiful place.

TWO MOUNTAINS

Vacation number two is now in full force. Everyone is sleeping late, and they aren't even making any plans for activities for the day. I'm the only one that keeps things on schedule. Up early, eat breakfast, go for a walk, then go back to sleep. They just seem to be lazy now, sitting around until the spirit moves them.

At just about noon the humans decided to explore the area. First, they drove north to the Myrtle Wood Factory to look at the trinkets for sale. No interest there, so then it was back to Coos Bay to check out the Coos Bay History Museum. 

It's a beautiful new modern museum with lots of interesting exhibits on the history of Coos Bay. Highlights were on the logging, fishing and cranberry industries of this area of Oregon. Lots of antique tools and hardware nicely displayed. There were copies of newspaper articles which helped to get a better understanding of the life of the people around the Bay area.

Then it was time for Fish and Chips! As they exited the museum the air smelled like lunch, so they scoped out the best place to stop and enjoy the local specialty. 

Okay, so what about the two mountains? The top picture is the mountain of sawdust from the mill next to our RV Park. The picture was taken about six blocks away and the sawdust is so high you can't even see the casino and RV Park. The bottom mountain picture is the twenty-foot-high pile of oyster shells at the oyster farm they visited this afternoon. They purchased lots of oysters for Warren to grill tonight.

I hope tomorrow will be more exciting, we are traveling up the coast to a resort in Newport.

SUNSET BAY

This morning it was so foggy that we couldn't see across the bay. I heard some of the locals talking about how they were glad that the heat wave was over, and the fog was in. Heat wave, you're kidding me, the only heat wave we knew about was the furnace that Jim turned on this morning. It was 62 degrees for heaven's sake. Even with my fur coat I was a little chilly.

After breakfast all the humans piled into the Jeep and headed across town to the ocean. The destination was Sunset Bay State Park. Warren and Kathy had been there before, and they acted as the tour guides. We toured the Campground but there were very few sites that could accommodate rigs our size. It was very close to the ocean and would be a great place to stay next time.

They drove further south to Cape Arago where they had a great view of the many small islands off the coast. There were many sea lions on the rocks, but even so far away, they sure were noisy. After a short hike to get the best reef views, they took some pictures.

Next stop was Shore Acres State Park. This was once a mansion built by the Simpson family as a private estate with flowering trees and formal gardens, complete with a 100-foot lily pond. In 1942 it was purchased by the State and is now a State Park. They toured the over 5 acres of beautiful gardens.

COOS BAY

Long, but beautiful drive today. Lots of trees, and lots of logging trucks passing us as we drove across the state of Oregon from the I-5 to the coast to highway 101. Also, lots of twists and turns as we followed the Taylors to our home for the next three nights. We are staying right on Coos Bay at the Mill Creek Casino RV Park, conveniently next to a huge casino.  And not too far from a mountain of sawdust at the Mill.

Our site has a view of the bay right out the front window. And as an added treat for me, two giant dog parks. I can see dogs all day long, but no barking allowed until we go outside.

And it's cool here. They weatherman said that there is an excessive heatwave warning for Coos Bay; it's going up to 80 degrees. Lots cooler than the 107 we experienced last night. No need to sleep on the tile floor tonight, we will all cuddle up in the big bed. Nice and quiet without the air conditioning running all night long.

Tomorrow Jim will clean the windshields for both coaches without using a ladder! My pictures will be a lot better after that.

BIKE RIDE ALONG THE RIVER

Another "early" morning for my humans today. Jim and the Kathies wanted to go for a bike ride along the Rogue River before it got too hot. Warren couldn't go because the doctor was told him that if he had another accident he could damage his arm again. He stayed home and roasted the peppers he bought yesterday at the farmers market. Gianni, Bella, and I were happy just to stay home in the air-conditioning all morning.

The bike ride was really fun, a wide paved path past farms and lots of black berries, out of the park all the way to the city of Rogue River. My Kathe didn't ride quite as far as Kathy and Jim did, but she stayed upright and even had fun riding about 5 miles up and back.

After lunch they decided it was too hot to stay outside and started looking into the wineries to visit in the area of Grants Pass. They drove about 30 miles into the countryside to the Wooldridge Creek Vineyard. The area reminded them of Paso Robles, with lots of Oak trees and farms along the narrow roads. They tasted both red and white wines in a beautiful outdoor tasting room. Luckily, they had misters which kept the area cool. They purchased a few bottles of wine and some local cheeses which were also for sale at the Winery.

On the way back to the campground, they stopped for another tasting at Del Rio Vineyards. They had been at this winery many years ago and they liked several of the white wines that they tried. They came home with four more bottles of wine which they all agreed were the best of the ones they tasted.

Tomorrow we head to the coast, and we are hoping that it will be cooler than this area. It's above 105 again today. It's only fun to go outside in the early morning and after dark.

SQUIRREL HUNTING

If it wasn't so gosh darn hot here this place would be paradise. Just walk out the door and you can see lots of wildlife, that is if you walk out the door at 4AM. Not especially the most fun for Kathe, but wow there are squirrels all over the place. Other than checking out the new squirrel digs each morning, there's not much else for me to do. I stay inside until someone forces me to go out in the heat for business purposes.

As for the humans, they always find something to do wherever we camp. This morning they were planning a bike ride on the great bike path that runs all along the river. At least that was the plan until they found a farmers market that opened at 10 AM.  It was a very small market, but they managed to buy some delicious home-grown vegetables and fruit.

By the time that they got back to camp they decided that it was too hot to bike, so they did some more shopping, ate some lunch and that's about the time when staying inside sounded good to everyone. Afterall it was 105 degrees outside.

Kathe and Jim did manage to take a short hike down to the river to take some pictures, so I guess the bike ride will have to be tomorrow. 

SISKIYOU NATIONAL FOREST

Today we drove from Redding, California to Gold Hill, Oregon. Such a scenic drive, all through the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest.   We left a little later than normal this morning because we had a shorter drive, and we couldn't check into the Valley of the Rogue State Park until 4:00.

First thing this morning, we drove past and over Lake Shasta. Boy, that's a big Lake, it goes on for miles and miles. Last time we were here the river was very low, but with the rains this past winter it looked really full. Lots of boaters enjoying the water at last.

As we drove along the freeway, we started to see Mount Shasta in the distance.  You can't miss it! It's over 14,000 feet high and still covered with a lot of snow. Taking pictures through the window is challenging, so no comments please.

We arrived here at the State Park and are camped across from the Taylors. They are actually in a different loop, but one loop is inside of the other loop, so we are only about 50 feet apart. It's hot and a little bit smoky because there is still a fire burning in the Forest. It just smells like a campfire, so we are okay. Who wants a campfire anyway when its 105 degrees outside. We love this place, and we get to spend 3 nights here.

WHISKEYTOWN

Today we all slept in, even me! By the time 10:00 rolled around Warren was ready to tackle fixing the damaged bin doors on our motor home. Jim pulled out all the tools and Warren supervised the repairs. Warren was the brains and Jim was the brawn of the operation. Warren still doesn't have full use of his right arm and has to be careful not to cause additional injury. They worked together for a couple of hours and were able to make all the doors function properly. Still not pretty, but at least everything closes and locks again.

After lunch, boiled chicken for me and ham sandwiches for my humans, it was time to explore Redding. First stop was the Olde West Gun and Loan Company, the best antique pawn shop in Redding. While Jim explored the rifles, Warren spent time checking out the silver dollar case. Of course, the Kathies spent the whole time looking at the jewelry case.  Lots of bling for sale!

The next adventure was a drive to Whiskeytown. No whiskey, but a beautiful National Recreation Area with a crystal-clear lake with more than 36 miles of shoreline.  The plan was to hike to the Whiskeytown Falls, but in this heat, they just took pictures. Made everyone wish that we had a boat instead of a motor home today.