Oregon Vacation 2023

---

Day 1 Saturday June 10, 2023

We headed out from Knoxville at about 2:30 pm. The flight was uneventful, as was the flight from Dallas to Portland. We got into Portland about 7:30 or so and did the long walk to pick up our bags. Everything came in intact which is a small miracle with American Airlines. 😊 We did another long walk to the rental car counters and the nice guy at Budget gave us a free upgrade, so that we could have a car with a moonroof. It is a small car, but it was fun to drive.

Our hotel was right near the airport and we headed straight there, deciding to order in instead of trying to find a restaurant in Portland. The Tru by Hilton is my favorite brand of hotel. It is modern and fun, like a college campus, but it has all the amenities that a traveller could want. I like the eco friendly approach that they have. They had water filling stations for reusable water bottles and instead of little shampoo bottles that get used once and then are discarded, they have built in dispensers. If all hotels did this there would be a loss less single use plastics in the system.

Day 2 Sunday June 11, 2023

We slept better than I expected for the first night in a hotel and was ready for the long drive down to Doug's house in Rocky Point. We navigated our way out of the airport area toward the freeway out of town. Along the way we passed dozens of homeless camps set up whereever they could find room. It is an epidemic in Portland now.

Outside of the city and on the 97 South, the scenery turned absolutely beautiful. The route took us directly by Mt. Hood and the fog cleared just in time for us to get a spectacular view of the mountain. We stopped and took pictures of the mountain and the lush forests surrounding us as we drove. The trees were so tall that the moonroof was put to good use. Rob started out driving, so I got to enjoy all of the scenery.

Coming out of the mountains we came upon the high plateau on the other side. It was flat and dotted with scrub pines, but all around were majestic snow capped mountains. We could still see Mt. Hood behind us, and were now able to see Mt. Jefferson, the Sisters and Mt. Bachelor as well. The plateau gave way to a scattering of mesas as we descended into a green valley. The canyons walls made a nice contrast to the fertile valley where the Deschutes river flowed through. We switched drivers, so that Rob could enjoy some of the scenery as well. We rose out of that valley and eventually back into more forested areas. We passed the exits to Diamond Lake and Crater Lake and then came down into the Klamath Basin. Klamath Basin includes a big lake flanked by an estuary and vast fertile fields. All around are the mountains including the majestic Mt. McLaughlin. We knew when we saw the mountain we were getting close to Doug and Brooks.

We got into there place around 2pm and were just getting settled in when Dan and Shawna arrived with Cameron. We did the difficult task to going through my Mom's things to decide what should go in her memorial box. It was bitter sweet. I loved being with my brothers again, but my heart still breaks with the loss of my Mom.

We wanted to have dinner at Lake of the Woods, but they wait there was a long one, so we took a chance at the Rocky Point Marina restaurant. It has an amazing view of the lake with the mountains off in the distance. We were seated right by the windows so we could see it in all of its glory. Unfortunately, that was all good we could say of the restaurant. The waitress was doing her best all on her own to take care of everyone, but with her and one cook as the only staff there, the wait was really long. It was over and hour and a half before we got dinner, and no one was really happy with their meal. Despite that, good conversation was had and beautiful views were looked at.

Not long after returning, Dan and Shawna and Cameron went back to her Mom's, and we all went to bed.

Day 3 Monday June 12, 2023

We slept really well in Elizabeth's bed that she generously let us use. I was up early, so I showered and decided to a little blogging in the quiet of the morning.

Everyone was up before 8 am and we all had a good time chatting and playing around. The girls showed us their favorite xbox games and we played with them for a while. It was fun. Then Doug took me and Rob on a tour of his house and while we were outside we got to talking about his 4 wheeler and he casually said, "if you want it take it for a ride..." I jumped on it. It was so much fun. I took it around the neighboorhood and it really flew. Rob took a turn as well.

The reason we came out here was to lay my Mom to rest with my Dad at the VA cemetary in Eagle Point. Our appointment time for the shelter at the cemetary was at 2 pm, but we made sure to leave in plenty of time to get there early. On the drive to Eagle Point, we saw some wild bushes growing all along the side of the road that looked exactly like lilac bushes. Lilac's are Mom's favorite flower, so I thought it was so fitting to see that. She would have loved it.

For the service, we decided to just each reminisce about our favorite memories of Mom and things that she did that guided our lives in positive ways. There were a lot. The 30 minutes that we were alotted for the memorial went by quickly and the next family was beginning to gather, so we had to wrap it up and let the staff take her ashes to be buried with Daddy in the place they already had prepared. While we were still at the cemetary, we checked and found out that Jerry was also buried there, so now there are 4 of our family members buried in that cemetary.

When we left there, we all went into White City for some Dutch Bros and then came back to Doug and Brooks to make plans for tomorrow and play some games. We played two games, one called For Sale and the other called Dominion. Both were fun, and the time with family was the real treat.

Day 4 Tuesday June 13, 2023

We woke up around 7:30, had breakfast and then chilled for awhile while waiting for Dan and Cameron to join us. Isaiah was supposed to come with us, but he backed out because he was feeling sick. When Dan and Cameron got here, we split into 3 vehicles and headed up toward Crater Lake. It is a beautiful drive, and we found a cool pull off along the way with a sign saying Annie Falls. It was a overlook looking down into a deep canyon with Annie Creek churning through it. It was so pretty. The trails ran right along the edge so one had to be careful not to fall. At one spot there was a tree that was barely hanging on by just a few of its roots. It was precarious, you could see the canyon below through the roots that were hanging on. Naturally we wanted to get pictures on it. Just like all the people who risk their lives to see get a daring looking photo for Instagram. haha. It was a cool shot, but I was trembling when I was done.

When we got to Crater Lake there was a long line of cars waiting to get in. We decided to have lunch at the restaurant just outside the entrance and decide if the wait was going to be worth it. The food was good and they also had a gift shop for us to check out. We decided that the wait was too much since we had all already seen Crater Lake, and the wait along with the $30 entrance fee was just not worth it. Driving back we found a few other scenic overlooks to check out and we really just enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

When we got back to Doug's he asked if I wanted to take another ride on the ATV and I, of course, said I did. I took Elizabeth with me, which made it even more fun. Love that cool ride. 😊

We played Cards Christians Like and had a blast enjoying each other's company. Unfortunately, Dan and Shawna and Cameron with them, had to get headed back to California, so we had to say our goodbyes to them. The rest of the night we just chilled and made plans for the coastal trip tomorrow.

Day 5 Wednesday June 14, 2023

We got around at our leisure and got all packed up to head to the coast. We left around 10 am and arrived in Grants Pass in time for lunch. We just had a quick bite at Arbys and then headed on our way. I drove and listened to my Tripod series book along the way. We passed through Cave Junction which looked more run down than I remember, with the exception of Taylors Sausage which was adding on to their building in a big way. Through the rest of town, buildings had been torn down and very little added.

We drove down the beautiful and sometimes scary hwy 199 toward Crescent City. We made a stop in the Redwoods at Walker Road for a stroll through the Redwoods. There is a perfectly lengthed looped trail for a pretty but not to taxing walk. I got to walk Doug and Brook's new dog, Artemis. She is a 6 month old German Shephard who is usually timid and a little excitable. I wanted to try the Caesar Milan method of walking her and Brook let me give it a try. To my utter amazement, she responded. She is so smart. She was walking fairly calmly next to me within minutes and whenever she got to excited, I had her sit and then look up at me. She was amazing, and did so well. I love her!!

We decided to check out the beach near the house we used to live at in Crescent City. We could see it was REALLY windy as we drove out toward Pebble Beach. At the beach itself, it was even worse. Almost as bad as I had ever seen it. We tried to go out to the beach anyway, but the sand was blasting our legs and the wind was pushing us sideways. We decided to go ahead and check into our hotels and then try the beaches in Brookings instead.

Rob and I stayed at the Crescent Beach Motel that was situated right on the beach. The view from our room is awesome. We checked in and then met Doug and Brook at the old Cinema where Doug used to work and then we all headed up toward Brookings. We decided that since it was dinner time, that we would just go ahead and eat dinner at the Wild River pizza place along the way. My favorite type of pizza topping is only found here, linguisa. I love it. I ordered WAY too much pizza for the 6 of us, and we had a lot of left overs that I knew we wouldn't be able to eat. We took boxes anyway.

We went on up to Lone Ranch Beach, my favorite in the world. It was equally windy there, so Rob and I opted to stay in our car and just watch the waves. Doug, Brook and the girls went down to the beach, but didn't stay very long. I mentioned that I wanted to see the sunset, and since you cannot see it from Lone Ranch, we went over to Harris. We parked in good spots to watch from our cars. Unfortunately, we were there pretty early and the girls were getting restless before the sunset, so Doug and Brook left us there and went back to their hotel for the night. We agreed to meet in the morning at Mattie's for breakfast.

Rob and I stayed for the sunset, and I went down to the beach to watch it sink into the water. As I watched it dip into the sea, I remembered my dad telling me when I was a kid that if I listened really close I could hear the hissing as the sea extinguished the sun. Even to this day, although I know that he was only teasing, I still listen for the hiss. I got some good pictures and then we headed back to Crescent City to our hotel. Along the way, Doug suggested I take Rob down Wonder Stump road. I was trying to remember what was special about it and figured it out really fast as we turned down the narrow road. It is lined on either side by tall Redwoods that tower over the little road. In the dark of the evening, it gave off and eerie vibe. It was cool, though, and I was glad we went down it.

Back at the hotel, we decided to take a quick walk on the beach, since the winds had finally died down. It was so pretty and romantic walking with my love. I just love the ocean at night. When we got back to the hotel, we crashed for the night.

Day 6 Thursday June 15, 2023

We got up and packed our things early and drove into Harbor to meet Doug and Brook at Mattie's for breakfast. Mattie's has the best breakfasts that I have ever had and in huge portions. I had the french toast, and it was sooo good. After our huge breakfast, we headed back to Lone Ranch beach. It was still windy, but nearly as much. Rob and I and the two girls went down to the beach. I was surprised at how overgrown and under maintained it was there. The trails had tall grass encroaching on the paths and the picnic tables were mostly rotted and falling apart. But the beach is still pristine. I took my metal detector and found nothing. There was no trash, not bottle caps, no pull tabs or anything. I so love that beach. Someone had built some driftwood forts on the beach that reminded me of the time Doug, Dan and I did that and then actually slept in them overnight on the beach. I remember waking up with my sleeping bag soaked from the heavy fog. It was a beautiful memory. That is the thing about Lone Ranch Beach, it is so full of beautiful memories. Of walking the trails up the grassy slope. Of chasing the waves and wading in the water until our feet went numb. Of playing frisbee in the sand with my dad and brothers. Of have family picnics in the sheltered side trail that leads by the creek. Of feeding leftovers to the squirells that would crawl up our legs for potato chips or bread. Of standing on the sloped rock and putting my hands out to feel the wind between my fingers. All of those memories from childhood along with all of the new ones I have made there as an adult just make it a special place indeed.

When we left Lone Ranch, we headed back to Harbor to shop in some of the gift shops while we waited for Slugs, Stones and Ice Cream Cones to open. We had an hour to kill, and luckily for us there were a few new gift shops to occupy our time. One shop, called the Hip-Nautic, had all the cool souvenir type items and the other had gifts that all contained images and saying created by a local artist. We still had a little time to kill, so Rob and I walked along the boardwalk to check out some art on display by local artist. Some of them were amazing.

Slugs and Stones and Ice Cream Cones didn't open until 12pm and we were the first ones in the door. We were followed closely by a huge group of adults and at least 20 kids. We were lucky to get to the counter in front of most of them, but still had quite a wait. Besides the huge crowd inside, there was a long line at the drive-thru. Its a popular place.

We parted ways with Doug and Brook and the girls and headed up to coast to our next hotel in Yachats. It was an amazing drive up. We grabbed some Dutch Bros along the way and just enjoyed the scenery as we drove. When we drove by Pistol Beach, we saw the wind was really kicking there. Some kite surfers and windsurfers were taking advantage of the powerful winds for an exhillerating ride on the waves. We stopped at Sea Lion Caves to stretch our legs and look at their gift shop. There were these really cool globes that seemed to be defying the laws of physics as they spun on their stands with no apparent way of being moved. I really wanted one, but they were $600. I will look for them elsewhere.

Our next stop was at Haceta Head lighthouse. We did not walk up to the lighthouse, but instead decided to get some shots of it from the beach. The tide was out and the tidepools were accessible for our viewing pleasure. Not only did we get some good shots of the light, but we got to see hundreds of tiny hermit crabs and some baby fish swimming around in the pools. There were also some amazing shallow caves carved out by the sea that we could peer into and found some stacked rocks piled by other tourists.

We went on to our hotel, the Silver Surf and checked in. We were pleased to find that we had an amazing ocean view and even a balcony to enjoy it by. We went back into town to eat at a nice resaurant called Ona and then came back to the room where I blogged, Rob sat in the hot tub and then we both watched the sunset. Gorgeous day!

Day 7 June 16, 2023

We awoke to an amazing view of the calm ocean. We loved this hotel, they had big rooms, all overlooking the sea. Each room was personally decorated more like a B&B than a hotel. We got ready and ate the continental breakfast provided by the hotel and then went for a lovely walk on the beach. The beach was huge and extended for miles with flat, hard sand. It would have been perfect for riding bikes. It was also nice for our walk. We went back to the room as the wind started to pick up making us a bit chilly.

We checked out right at 11 am to get as much of the gorgeous view as we could. The plan was to drive up to Depot Bay and have lunch at the Sea Hag where I knew they had good clam chowder. Along the way, we saw a sign for the Devil's Punchbowl and decided to go down and check it out. It was a bit confusing at first as there was a parking lot that indicated it was for the Devil's Punchbowl right next to a set of stairs that led down to the beach. I let Rob go down, as there were a lot of stairs and my knees were not good. I met several people and dogs as I waited for Rob. When he returned, he indicated that there wasn't anything all that interesting on the beach. We could see there was another parking lot and an overlook just up ahead so we went on up there. It turned out that there was a Mo's restaurant and a candy shop by the overlook. It also turned out that the overlook was for the actual Devil's Punchbowl. It was super cool, a sea cave with no roof. The water was crystal clear which was odd for the Pacific. We could see the rock formations all the way to the bottom. It was so beautiful.

We ate at Mo's, which also had good chowder and delicious halibut fish and chips. Rob also liked his tuna sandwich. We were very glad we took the detour. As it turned out, when we reached Depot Bay, the Sea Hag was closed down.

A fog had rolled in, so our views were limited, but still some pretty glimpses of the sea when the fog would break. We stopped again in Lincoln City to check out the Christmas Store. It was cute, but we didn't find anything that we couldn't live without. We drove on up toward Cannon Beach and then headed inland to Portland. It was a pretty drive, but sad to leave the beautiful Oregon Coast.

Our Tru Hilton hotel was waiting for us and we got to bed early for our early flight our of Portland in the Morning. An altogether wonderful trip.

---