Home for now

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WE are home for a couple of weeks.
Over 10,000 miles since June 11th.
We left last Friday afternoon for a weekend run from Olympia to Arcata, CA for do a little collecting of our Rose City Stamps. Did California move .... we weren't there for the recent earth quake but were in the middle of a forest fire. We traveled to Waldport as our first check point did a little side road off I-5 from Albany, oh but wait we did a little jaunt around Albany as they were burning fields and we didn't want to get in the smoke. Found that to be an impossible idea as everywhere we went the fields were burning.

We headed to Waldport on the coast on a little road thru the mountains (34) very pretty but lots of ups and downs and around and around the mountain. Arrived in Waldport to get gas and look for the checkpoint ... oops! Navigator did check address before the gas stop and we seemed to have driven past the checkpoint. Was OK only 4 miles back wasn't a great checkpoint but we got our stamp and then headed on our way south on Hwy 101. Stopped to take a picture of Heceta Head Lighthouse. Just below us on the rocks were a large bunch of sea lions, a very noisy bunch.

Our next Check point if Myrtle Pt, near Bandon nothing to write home about.

Onto California, stopped and asked if there was another road that we could take to Orleans so we wouldn't have to go south so far and then back up again but was told that there was NOT another way there. Arcata here we come. Took Hwy 299 West then North at Willow Creek. Thru the Hoopa Indian Reservation and a nice back country road. Lots of Helicopters at a big field looked like it could be a jumpers school or something. Up to 96 WOW more ups and downs and round and round the mountain smells a little smoky. Found the little and I mean little restaurant at Orleans, missed the RCMC tour sign. There was a stand of T-shirts for sale that someone was selling to support the firefighters. Hmmmm another clue as to what's up ahead. This little restaurant had cast iron skillets hung on all the walls with the towns people's names written on them. One of the skillets had the name "Turner" stating that he was the 1st to land on the North Pole and the 1st to step foot on the North Pole, hmmmm interesting as my cousin was the pilot of Adm. Bryd when he landed on the North Pole and stepped foot there first. Have seen books with photos of Bryd and my cousin there.
Waitress was so young she couldn't spell grilled cheese, couldn't run the cash register either. Better get to going have quite a ways to go before we get to I-t and possibly Weed for the night.


Getting smokey and starting to get dark, more and more fire and rescue equipment at heading the other way. Busy little back road with so many firefighting equipment probably some sort of training! No! Here is a big flashing warning sign "Heavy Smoke Ahead". Too far to turn back but must be OK otherwise the firemen would turn us back. A lot of smoke so am watching extra hard for animals. Oh my goodness look over there next to the river a big black bear he is loping away. Did you see him, Doug. You bet that fella is in a hurry. We stop head at a campground and Doug tells the lady of the bear behind the campground she said that last year there was a mother bear and her two cubs she wasn't worried about the bear just all the motorcycles on the road might run over her little dogs. It seems there was a harley rally now far from there. We saw several bikes going the other way and saw one of their check points. Well, back on the bike and lets get out of here before dark. A little way down the road a nice big doe is in the middle of the road, Doug honks and he takes off up the hill just around that corner is another group of firefighters and their equipment.

Smoke is getting heavier I pull my scarf over my mouth and nose but didn't help the smoke in our eyes. Darkness is upon us the sky is a beautiful red and we are surround by smoke. A firefighter passes us (first one heading in our direction) just as he gets in front of us a huge and I mean huge Mountain Lion runs across the road. His tail is so long it looks like it is the length of one lane. This cat was gigantic, the biggest we have seen even in a zoo. It all happened so fast I didn't get a picture.

Bear ..... Mountain Lion ..... Deer sure need to get to I-5 we are still a long way away about 50 more miles.

The Klamath River is beautiful and the fire was in the Klamath National Forest when we to our motel in Asland we found out that a young firemand (18) his first fire had been struck down by a falling tree and was killed and also a Firechief from Lacey, WA was also killed.

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