Cross Country, NC to WA... then back!

[jtelles3993]

As previously discussed, I can't post pictures here easily from my droid, but if this thread is only accessible to members, I'll be happy to post a link to my Blog. Admin please confirm?

[p]I would enjoy seeing the pics, surfsup![/p][p]
[/p][p]Not an Admin but this is not the members only section. That is the "Trip Planning Section" above.
[/p]

Thanks who.

[jtelles3993]

Sitting in a nice KOA in Vegas waiting for a computer part for my F150. Glad it's still under warranty!

[jtelles3993]

Blogger link is posted here:

http://livinlite.proboards.com/thread/962/

[dh50]

[quote source="/post/9082/thread" timestamp="1428634573" author="@brenda"][font size="3"]Too bad you're going to miss Oregon .... I mean Seattle is nice and all, but Oregon really knows how to knock it out of the ballpark with its stunning coastline.    Need ideas on what to see out here in the Pacific NW?  I suggest stopping by Mt. St. Helens.  It's not everyday you get to visit an active volcano and even though it erupted over 30 years ago, the scope of devastation is still mind-blowing.  

The San Juans are among my favorites.  Oh! ... and the Snoqualmie pass, featuring Mt. Rainier, rivals Banff in beauty any day!  

Have a great trip!!  And I'm anxious to hear how you like your trailer after spending that many weeks in it.  



Brenda!  The State of Oregon needs to put your on their tourism board!  After reading this, I'm coming to Oregon, (.... if He wants to!  !  I do remember those incredible redwood trees I saw as a young child while on a family vacation so long ago.  I remember thinking, Oregon must be the most beautiful state in the country.  Since then, I've grown up, and confess, I've been put off by the left's politics seemingly dominating the west/northwest regions.  I will try to separate the two, as it may be my loss to 'throw out the baby with the bathwater', so to speak.  [/font][/quote]

[jtelles3993]

We're taking 101 through northern Cal and Oregon - or that's the plan for now We really like this trailer a lot. It's perfect for our style of camping and traveling.

[jtelles3993]

Camped out in Lodi, CA tonight..

[sandyu]

This is my tip. Don't miss Jeddia smith state/national park. This is patch of redwoods they filmed "ewok" villiage in the "return of Jedi" Star Wars movie. It one of my favorite camping spots ever.

[spot1]

Sounds like a great trip!  Can't wait to see photos when you get back!

[jeeps]

[quote source="/post/9182/thread" timestamp="1428791196" author="@gwbushhog"][quote source="/post/9082/thread" timestamp="1428634573" author="@brenda"][font size="3"]
Brenda!  The State of Oregon needs to put your on their tourism board!  After reading this, I'm coming to Oregon, (.... if He wants to!  !  I do remember those incredible redwood trees I saw as a young child while on a family vacation so long ago.  I remember thinking, Oregon must be the most beautiful state in the country.  Since then, I've grown up, and confess, I've been put off by the left's politics seemingly dominating the west/northwest regions.  I will try to separate the two, as it may be my loss to 'throw out the baby with the bathwater', so to speak.  



[/font][/quote][/quote]GW ---
The irony is, the Redwoods are in north CA and everything I suggested, except for the coast, are in WA.  So let me do some REAL Oregon promos!  

Like I said, our coast is killer!  If you notice, WA has very few towns on their coast and I don't know why....I've only seen their town of Long Beach and came away disappointed.  Oregon, however, is another story, starting at the top in Astoria and all the way down.  Lights houses galore, WWII batteries preserved in all their spooky glory, and sheer beauty that blows you away.  Particularly between Cannon Beach (one of my favorite beach towns) and Lincoln City (one of my least favorite).  Except you can't stop at Lincoln City, because the scenery continues!  Depot Bay for seeing whales, Newport to visit the sea lions, down to Bandon, a beach with rock formations designed by Dr. Seuss (not really , but they SEEM to be).

Inland is our drop dead gorgeous Columbia Gorge (absolutely DO stop and hike to the top of Multnomah Falls), Crater Lake that is the color of blue hair gel, and Mt. Hood with its historic Timberline Lodge, featured in the original movie, The Shining.  You may notice I am partial to the western half of the state, but Bend and all the area around it is amazing in a desert-ish way.  

As for our politics, I hear you.  But the Liberals all live in Portland and congregate along the Willamette River down to Salem and Eugene, and the REST of the state is staunchly conservative and would love to secede so our votes would count for once!  

Btw, you will love the lack of a sales tax here.  Tourists luck out here for sure.   We make up for it with our horrendous property tax.  You're welcome.  

[pinstriper]

Bandon is also home to 3 of the Top 20 public golf courses in the country, if you care about that sort of thing. So difficult that they will chew up and spit out a scratch golfer, but so beautiful you'll smile about the experience.

[pinstriper]

Also, of all the beach towns to despise for being too...tourist beach town trap-ish...Seaside reigns over Lincoln City, with, I'm sorry to say, Cannon Beach is a close runner-up with it's artsy-fartsy limousine liberal 1%-er vibe. Now, you will see signs and billboards advertising a regional series of restaurants called "Mo's", claiming the best chowder in the state. I can assure you this is just so much hogwash. The proof is that they sell Mo's chowder in the frozen section at Costco. Case closed.

The best chowder is in fact to be found in a little roadside dive on US 101 that used to be a drive-in burger joint, now called The Newport Cafe. Despite the misleading name, this place is actually in Newport. Chowder is mandatory, and pretty much any kind of deep fried seafood is to be found here. They also do a respectable breakfast and even a decent steak but that's only ordered by seafood jaded locals. Ambiance is best not to talk about, there's so little of it. These guys have a fry-o-lator and they know how to use it. Don't stare at the server's tattoos, please.

Good stopping points in the central coast are South Beach SP just south of Newport, Beverly Beach SP just north of Newport, and Devil's Lake SP in Lincoln City. If you stay on the coast all the way up, Fort Stevens SP near Astoria at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River is the most extensive SP in the system, and there is both a civil-war era coastal defense fort that was actually fired on by the Japanese during WWII and the rebuilt Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark wintered before heading back east. Astoria is also the filming location for Kindergarten Cop and The Goonies, which surprisingly has the larger cult following.

If you want a side trip on your way through Portland, go up US-26 to Mount Hood. The lodge dates to the WPA in the 30's, and was used for the exterior shots in The Shining. The US Olympic ski team trains here year round and there's a legit 4 star restaurant in the lodge - catch the brunch buffet on the weekend if you have the option. Continue down the back side of the mountain through Hood River and back down I-84 in The Gorge to Multnomah Falls on the way back. Try to spot the euphemistically named Rooster Rock (Lewis and Clark named it something else for it's phallic resemblance - the original name will come to you in a few minutes of pondering) where there is also reported to be a nude beach at the state park there (the bureaucrats are who changed the name when they made it a state park). Here is where you will find free-spirited Portland hippies by the bushel. Be up on your shots if you decide to pause, and keep your windows rolled up tight. In fact, just skip Portland altogether, and go around this route and pick up I-5 again and cross over into Washington. Portland is dreadful.

If you stay inland and come up I-5, about the only thing to stop for is a Frank Lloyd Wright house somewhere around Silverton northeast of Salem. I think it's still there.

Another place you go hippie-watching is the Eugene/Springfield area. The hippie watching season around Ashland doesn't pick up until the rut starts in mid-late July.

[jtelles3993]

Been a few days since posting here but I am keeping the blog up to date. Stayed in Port Orford, OR last night, cool little town.. if we were full timers, we'd stay here for at least a week.

The Oregon coast is hands down the best, most awesome scenery, so far. The down side is, the driver (me), stays very busy keeping the TT/TV on the roller coaster tracks

[dh50]

[quote source="/post/9479/thread" author="@pinstriper" timestamp="1429237474"]Also, of all the beach towns to despise for being too...tourist beach town trap-ish...Seaside reigns over Lincoln City, with, I'm sorry to say, Cannon Beach is a close runner-up with it's artsy-fartsy limousine liberal 1%-er vibe. Now, you will see signs and billboards advertising a regional series of restaurants called "Mo's", claiming the best chowder in the state. I can assure you this is just so much hogwash. The proof is that they sell Mo's chowder in the frozen section at Costco. Case closed.

The best chowder is in fact to be found in a little roadside dive on US 101 that used to be a drive-in burger joint, now called The Newport Cafe. Despite the misleading name, this place is actually in Newport. Chowder is mandatory, and pretty much any kind of deep fried seafood is to be found here. They also do a respectable breakfast and even a decent steak but that's only ordered by seafood jaded locals. Ambiance is best not to talk about, there's so little of it. These guys have a fry-o-lator and they know how to use it. Don't stare at the server's tattoos, please.

Good stopping points in the central coast are South Beach SP just south of Newport, Beverly Beach SP just north of Newport, and Devil's Lake SP in Lincoln City. If you stay on the coast all the way up, Fort Stevens SP near Astoria at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River is the most extensive SP in the system, and there is both a civil-war era coastal defense fort that was actually fired on by the Japanese during WWII and the rebuilt Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark wintered before heading back east. Astoria is also the filming location for Kindergarten Cop and The Goonies, which surprisingly has the larger cult following.

If you want a side trip on your way through Portland, go up US-26 to Mount Hood. The lodge dates to the WPA in the 30's, and was used for the exterior shots in The Shining. The US Olympic ski team trains here year round and there's a legit 4 star restaurant in the lodge - catch the brunch buffet on the weekend if you have the option. Continue down the back side of the mountain through Hood River and back down I-84 in The Gorge to Multnomah Falls on the way back. Try to spot the euphemistically named Rooster Rock (Lewis and Clark named it something else for it's phallic resemblance - the original name will come to you in a few minutes of pondering) where there is also reported to be a nude beach at the state park there (the bureaucrats are who changed the name when they made it a state park). Here is where you will find free-spirited Portland hippies by the bushel. Be up on your shots if you decide to pause, and keep your windows rolled up tight. In fact, just skip Portland altogether, and go around this route and pick up I-5 again and cross over into Washington. Portland is dreadful.

If you stay inland and come up I-5, about the only thing to stop for is a Frank Lloyd Wright house somewhere around Silverton northeast of Salem. I think it's still there.

Another place you go hippie-watching is the Eugene/Springfield area. The hippie watching season around Ashland doesn't pick up until the rut starts in mid-late July.
[/quote]Thank you both Pinstriper and Brenda for this invaluable information should we are ever be fortunate enough to travel to Oregon and the incredible Northwest U.S.  When you think about it, America is truly one incredibly beautiful land....from Sea to Shining Sea.  Be blessed where you sail!

[jtelles3993]

We made it to Poulsbo, WA yesterday. 4045.5 miles so far. Our new granddaughter is so beautiful! We'll be here a week or so, before heading east..

[dh50]

[quote source="/post/9554/thread" timestamp="1429378371" author="@surfsup"]We made it to Poulsbo, WA yesterday. 4045.5 miles so far. Our new granddaughter is so beautiful! We'll be here a week or so, before heading east..[/quote]How great is our God?  Blessed be!