Thumper making friends on beach

Spent Memorial Day weekend in Rockaway Beach, OR. Shorewood RV Park has beach access to 7 miles of beach on Pacific Ocean. This beach will never feel crowded!!!! According to locals, they are still finding stuff from the Japanese tsunami of 2 years ago.

Rockaway Beach

more of beach

among driftwood

We drove into Tillimook - home of Tillimook Cheese Factory; self guided tour which ends at gift  shop, café, and store for purchase of dairy products.
  Went to lunch across the street at Old Oregon Smokehouse - great Dungeness crab; also shelves are stocked with every imaginable hot sauce on the market.

Cheese factory

processing cheese and butter

Smokehouse

all hot sauces on shelves

 Weather has turned nasty - rainy and windy  - usual northwest weather.
  Went to mass at St. Mary's by the Sea - old wooden church - right off the beach. The pastor welcomed me before the congregation and was welcomed by everyone. This is a small absolutely charming church.

St Mary's by the Sea

 Before we left, we took a ride on the historic Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad - which runs from Garibaldi to Rockaway Beach and back along the coast. Took us 40 minutes to get to Garibaldi (by car you can get there in 10 minutes). Had enough time to get an ice cream then jump back on for return trip. We are still having a great time and love Oregon!!!!!!
 

We have been in Lincoln City, Oregon for the past week at Premier RV Resort. The ladies need some medical attention (I had a minor eye infection and Thumper needed her annual physical and shots).  Thumper met Dr. Hoffman from Lincoln City Animal Clinic (but a plug in for anyone travelling in area and needs a vet)

The whole town is located along Highway 101.  We took day trips to visit the Devil's Punch Bowl,  and various beaches in town.

inside punch bowl



view from top

I went to a goat soap making demo at the culinary school located in their City Hall. It was interesting. Local lady (Tammi Paul) lives on farm and has been making soap out of goats milk for the past 10 years or so. Started as hobby - now a business.
We have eaten at some great restaurants. Dungeness crab rules!!! and is delicious!!!! Also many coffee/expresso bars. I think I'll find even more coffee bars in Washington.
Chinook Casino also located in Lincoln City. Their Rogue Steakhouse is excellent. Restaurant overlooks Pacific Ocean. Skip had prime rib, I had Dungeness crab.

Chinook Casino

Weather has cooled down and gotten rainy past few days. According to locals, this is like their winter weather, not spring.

Roads End State Park

We are leaving today and continuing heading north. Will be stopping in Rockaway Beach area for Memorial Day weekend.

Cottage Grove, OR

tire finally arrived

After having a tire replaced on motorhome, we headed back to the Oregon coast.









on trail to beach

On Pacific Ocean

 We pulled into Carl Washburne Memorial State Park. Unlike Connecticut and other states on east coast, dogs are allowed and welcomed at Oregon state parks. Thumper loved it here - the park has its own trail to the ocean. She would take off and we would meet her on trail.


Thumper and Smokey










Skip and I went to Heceta Lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves. We could see seals swimming from Lighthouse area and at caves you can see them up close.



Heceta Lighthouse

view from lighthouse

view of lighthouse and home of lighthouse keeper

sea lion cave area

photo op

CRATER LAKE in southern Oregon's Cascade Mountains.

replanting

Thumper among cut trees

The park is over 7,000 ft elevation; the lake is 6,176 ft at surface. From campground it was about two and half hour drive through beautiful forests and along rivers. Wherever we saw trees cut down, there was replanting also in the area. Snow started accumulating as we headed up to the lake - between 5 to 10 feet by the time we reached the lake. Thumper was glad to be in snow again. Beautiful area - in summer they have boat trips out to the small island in the lake.

Skip and Thumper

always something at gift shop

 



Leaving the Oregon coast and heading inland to Seven Feathers RV Resort in Canyonville, OR. Since meeting campers along the way, this is the one campground the campers say to stop at in Oregon. It was about a 3 hour drive from the coast. As I have said, Oregon is the greenest state we have travelled through so far and lots and lots of trees!!!!!! Stopped and had motor home washed by students collecting for cancer!!!! Also stopped for lunch at Jesus' restaurant along the way.

leaving Gold Beach

along Oregon coast

1. washing for cancer in Coquille !!!!!

lunch at Jesus' in Camas Valley

Campers were right!!! Beautiful RV park in the "Land of the Umpqua" Indians. They have a shuttle bus to pick you up at your site and take you to casino (not as big as Foxwoods or Mohegan) but fun anyway. Also there is a great indoor pool and hot tub.  The town of Canyonville is Main Street with a few places to eat, antique shops, and your gun and ammo store.

along Main Street, Canyonville



celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Ken's

our site at Seven Feathers Resort

mountains surrounding campground

Lots of fun and funky places to find travelling in the United States!!!!!!

 

Thumper and Skip at Turtle Rock Campground

beach near campground

Thumper exploring on Oregon beach

Coastline of Oregon is beautiful!  We drove up 101 north from California. We pulled into Turtle Rock Resort in Gold Beach, Oregon which is in southern Oregon.

our own private hot tub

Can walk from campground under Highway 101 to the beach. Highway 101 runs through center of town. Town is small but has a great bookstore, two grocery markets, and great restaurants. Dungeness crab is delicious. There are no lobsters; were told water is too cold. If restaurants serve lobsters, they come from Maine.











Sunday we took a drive pulling into various vista overviews and stopped at a few beaches. Windy along the coast but if you drive inland for about 6 miles the wind is gone and temperatures rise. There are lots of hiking trails, boat trips along the Rogue River, wind surfing, and beaches to explore. 

 

 windsurfers

 This is only one of beaches along the coastline along Oregon. We have been told once we get farther north, there is not as much wind.