I Found Some Words

I was looking through one of our trip diaries and this was the first entry I opened to. We had been on the road for a while. What caught my eye was the gas prices in "the most expensive state". I thought some might be interested. You'll note I didn't make note of diesel--our second motorhome was a Gas--Winnebago Chieftain--I loved the inside storage space in that one.

How nice it would have been had this been a blog--I have the pictures, but they all have to be scanned, and there are thousands. One day, maybe I'll get the ambition to scan them all, and insert them. I think I remember where everyone of them was taken. I copied and pasted so no guarantee as far as grammar, etc. I didn't even proof.

July 2, 1999

 Thoughts of my mother.  Hope and wish she could see what we are seeing. (It was the anniversary of her death)

Gas is expensive in Oregon.  I guess they “justify” the price because they have someone come out to the pump.  No self-serve.  $1.41 unleaded, $1.51 9/10 power plus 1.61 9/10 power premium.  Rich heard on the TV the other night that Oregon has the highest prices and Georgia, the lowest.  Have to call Vicki Fox tonight—will try to see her for a little while when we are in Reno.  Right this moment we are in Bandon.  We are going to get a magic marker and mark a map with all the little side trips we’ve taken.  Oh, I forgot to mention that we saw harbor seals in their natural habitat yesterday.  It’s amazing how they can stand the surf that they do.  We couldn’t get pictures—too far away, but we could see them clearly with the binoculars.

 

Just picked up some small pieces of driftwood for everyone.  (Note:  I’m rolling on the floor laughing.  I just told your Aunt Judy about this on the phone).  Rocks, driftwood—who knows what else will make you laugh at me.  By the time I’m finished, we won’t be able to tow the truck.  The beaches are somewhat flatter on the southern coast.  Have seen a number of wind surfers.  The amount of driftwood is incredible and there are danger signs warning about being hit by waves carrying big boulders and even whole trees.  “Sneaker wave” warnings are still posted.  Swimming here would definitely not be for the faint of heart.  Many bikers, too.  Don’t know how they make these hills.  There is a bike trail along the side of the road that goes the whole coastline.  Just crossed over the highest bridge in Oregon—Thomas something—couldn’t see or take pictures, no place to stop.

 

The great thing about traveling in the RV is that you sit up so high and have windows surrounding you that you see so much more than when we are in the truck.  We are at our last stop in Oregon.  I kind of feel as though everything will be a sort of anti-climax after this.  Next year, it’s the whole ball of wax on the State of Oregon.  Would love to look into some property but it is just too far from all our kids—unless we could fly them out.  Hmmm—might have to be “by the group”—houses are small anywhere near the water and who knows how much they cost.  Probably a little less expensive further north but right now, in Brookings, it’s bright and sunny and breezy.  Rich is registering.  The parks are packed like parking lots out here but we don’t really spend much time at campsite, anyway.  We’ll spend through today, tomorrow, and Sunday so we’ll have one whole (maybe two) days to explore the beach and soak up the sun.  The temperature is just right for a sweatshirt and shorts.  We’ve decided to sacrifice seeing Crater Lake to do this.  It’s funny, at one point we had mountains on one side of us and ocean on the other.  What was breath taking only weeks ago hardly got a glance.  It’s like I told one woman.  After you see the Tetons and the Rockies, you’ve seen them.  They’re not something that you would interact with for the rest of your life.  (Note:  what the heck was I talking about, here?)  The coastline, however, is ever changing and you sort of interact with it.  She said a beautiful time of year to come is in January—that’s when the winter storms blow in.