But I'm still alive so here are the highlights (and lowlights) of the Oregon section of my west coast road trip - so far . . .
I spent a couple of nights at Fort Stevens State Park and then a couple more at Stub Stewart State Park. While a did a little hiking and sightseeing, I mostly just hung out in the MoFo. The good news is that it's an okay space to hang out in when you're not feeling well.
After that I headed to fabulous Hillsboro to spend a few days with my daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Jeremiah. They were great hosts and it was nice to spend a few days recuperating there. AND Jeremiah didn't seem too panicked that I might be abandoning my life on the road to live with them full time.
After Labor Day I headed back to the Oregon coast and spent a couple of nights at Nehalem Bay State Park. I'd never been to this campground before and it is now one of my favorites. Easy access to the beach on one side and the bay on the other. Plus the weather was very nice.
On Thursday we headed to Tillamook. We decided to go the cheap route and stayed at the Port of Tillamook RV Park where it's only $12 a night. Other than the lack of hookups and the constant smell of cows, it was a pretty okay spot. The only other folks I saw my first night appear to be living there. A little creepy but okay.
I did the usual touristy things, including a visit to De Garde Brewery and the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
On Saturday I decided it was time to move on, even though I had not made a reservation for that evening. Our first stop was for breakfast at the Blue Agate Cafe in Oceanside. (Okay, only I got breakfast. Rudy stayed in the MoFo.) Then we headed up to Cape Meares State Park. We hiked down to the beach and then visited the lighthouse.
When we hit the road about 2:00 PM, I had about four options for camping that night. Two state parks and county park were both full. That led me on to Lincoln City and the Chinook Winds Casino, which was also full and not accepting additional RVs for the night! Long story short, I ended up stealth camping in the Boiler Bay Scenic Wayside. Thankfully we were not visited by Oregon State Police during the night cuz I was dang tired.
In the morning we moved on to the Rocky Creek Wayside, which we had to ourselves for a couple of hours. It is a great viewpoint for watching the surf crash against the rocks. And for sitting in the MoFo watching the first games of the NFL season. A little later I noticed a few small boats offshore and realized they were whale watching excursions! That made it easy to spot the whales playing and feeding just offshore!
I was determined not to miss out on a campsite that night so we hit the road about 1:30 PM. Our first stop was Beverly Beach State Park, which, amazingly, was already full for Sunday evening. We hit the same problem elsewhere and finally I pulled over to figure out a Plan B. Using my Passport America membership, I snagged a spot at Whale's Rest RV Resort south of Newport. It's a Thousand Trails resort and I was expecting it to be kinda plush. Especially since the half price cost was almost $30! Let me just say that the state parks I've been staying in are much nicer. I was out of there by Noon Monday morning
So, after a short lunch stop at the very fine Hilltop Cafe Bistro in Waldport (great sandwiches and a nice beer selection. Plus free WiFi) we're off to my favorite campground - Tillicum Beach, which is about four miles from here. If we can get in we'll stay there a few days and wait out the rainy weather expected through Wednesday.
If we can get in . . .
2 comments:
WOW... Peter you are doing so well documenting your travels. I bookmarked your page a while back, and them my house went into escrow, closed end of July. I took off on a 8 day van / tent trip and came back to my sons and bought a Minnie Winnie. Having been on the road 4 weeks tomorrow and I feel like a slacker. Not blogging or anything. just trying to find my way from place to place. And keeping the rent price down. But now electricity no laptop. I so miss the west coast and ocean. But I've made it to some wonderful places.
How do you keep your devises going power wise? do you write daily? I understand the gig issue, I've got 30 gig but haven't used near as much as I had but some carries over with AT&T.
Well... chatted too much... great blog, still catching up with your travels. I lived in Astoria for a few years, love that town.
Happy and Safe Travels,
Carlene aka Waianaegal
Thanks Carlene!
I bet you are going to love your Minnie Winnie! I have seen a number of those in my travels over the past couple of months.
Power needs are probably even a bigger concern than data usage! I have a solar panel and that helps but it is not enough for real boondocking needs. Fortunately at the end of this month I am having additional solar and battery storage added. I expect it will make a huge difference and that the need for electrical hookups will really fade.
In the meantime, I take advantage of every chance I get to recharge. I spend time in Starbucks and other coffee shops just to be able to surf the net while I charge my various devices. But mostly I charge things using either the house battery or vehicle battery - or when I'm plugged in to shore power.
And speaking of data, I found out about a Verizon deal through the Huntsville Alabama school district for unlimited data for under $50 a month. I'm not sure how well it will actually work but I signed up for it and will give it a try for a month or two at least. We'll see!
I hope your new adventures will be a blast and look forward to seeing you post about your travels!
Peter
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