Blogs from Bandon, Oregon, United States, North America

Day 7 - We were a little late leaving Klamath Falls today, as when we purchased out National Parks pass in Bakersfield, the lady got the cards mixed up, so we had to visit the forestry office early to get it sorted. We were helped by Joan, great lady, who helped us out of trouble, so we left her with an Australian tea towel with our thanks. She thought it was terrific. So once on the road, we headed for Crater Lake. The temperature was down to 49*F at its lowest as we climbed the mountain to 8500 feet. We had our extra shirt and winter gloves on. Nifty had his heated vest and heated grips on, so I insisted he lead today, least he could do seeing as he was warmer than Ange & I. ... read more

2013 USA and Canada Golfing Holiday - Hi from the retirees 21 July - had a great trip with Qantas to Los Angeles. The A380 Airbus was fitted out with a SkyCam Camera. It was kind of freaky watching our own plane take off and land - Leanne was checking carefully that the pilot had it lined up with the white line - not that she could do anything about it if it was off target. It turned out to be our fastest flight to LA thanks to two on board medical emergencies which resulted in a priority landing – straight in, no circling and the paramedics and fire dept were waiting on the ground. We landed 45 minutes earlier than scheduled – so they weren’t messing around. Lauren, QANTAS was awesome with the GF food. ... read more

Today we traveled along the scenic, craggy coastline from Gold Beach, Oregon to Crescent City, California…54 miles of spectacular viewpoints that take your breath away. The sea stacks are myriad of shapes and sizes with names like Sisters Rock, Whaleshead, House Rock, Arches and Natural Bridges. We had a wonderful time walking the trails; some meandering through fairy-like forests and then leading out to magnificent bluffs…that were rather windy! This area is also known for its tidepools; star fish and sea anomie that attach themselves to rocks and become exposed during low tide. We had such fun exploring the beaches but these sea treasures eluded us yet for another day. The weather was picture perfect, not foggy as is common on the coast. We picnicked along the shore and even had time to take a nap. ... read more

Today, we traveled along the ocean from Coos Bay to Port Orford. On the way, we stopped at one beautiful beach after another. The beaches in this area are sandy and expansive but VERY WINDY!! Mary and Nancy went for a walk along the water's edge while Mom sat on the beach in the sun sheltered by a large rock. When we came back, she was partially buried in blowing sand...good thing we didn't leave her there longer!! The monolithic rocks in the bays have interesting shapes and names...Table Top, Seal, Elephant, Face Rock. Face Rock looks like the profile of a woman's face coming out of the water looking skyward. According to local native legend, you can hear her voice in the wind as she warns us to remember the wisdom of our elders. This ... read more

Lions, Panthers, and Bears, oh my! After our mud run, we set out to the Safari Game Park, just south of Bandon, Oregon. The park was much bigger than we'd thought it would be, and we wandered around for a good while. Then came the part we were looking forward to! They brought out black panther, lion, and black bear cubs for us to pet! Since it was the end of the day (and just before dinner) they were all hyper and restless, but it was amazing nonetheless. When the black leopard came out, it leapt up onto the counter where we were standing unexpectedly, straight at my face! Justin and I both took a quick step back, but the cub was much calmer after that, as he had his precious bottle. Unexpected Stop Now that ... read more