Where is Jack, Day 119?

As I said the other day, "What a difference a day makes." We couldn't figure out where we wanted to go. If we went further north on the coast, there was rain AND the chances of finding a walk in doctor so Nancy could get her bp med were slim. Wenatchee was out because of mudslides, though that was our preferred route. Nancy kind of wanted to follow the route through Grand Coulee, etc. We thought about going down to Portland to Robbie's, but the bridges were closed, today. We didn't want to take the ferry because I would have to stay in the car--what fun is that? Plus, we like to stay away from cities--though the San Juan Islands are beautiful. So, where did we go? A fella on Escapees suggested Route 12 through Olympia. Nancy looked up Urgent Care in Olympia. We got a very early start this morning and boy, did we ever luck out. Nancy found a place and there was a bank right across the street so she could park and leave me where she could see me. It was still in the low 60s so she didn't need to leave the truck running. She was in and out in no time. Very nice people, from receptionist to doctor. She asked the doctor to prescribe enough medication for three months-no problem--bp was normal. Then, she found a Rite Aid a stone's throw away. The druggist said the insurance company might not approve a prescription for 90 days. Nancy said, "I'll pay for it myself." She almost fell over when he said $15.99. With her insurance, she pays $17. for a month supply (30). What a rip off!! Good lesson. Everyone, check whether it's cheaper to buy your meds or let the insurance company pull a fast one.

Okay, business done, so we continued on Route 12. We stopped at a rest stop and took a walk and ate lunch at a picnic table. We passed through farm and pasture land and some small towns--very pleasant drive. Then we went over the Cascades. Beautiful! Nancy decided that she was going to try to make Yakima. She thought about staying in a National park along the way--there were many campgrounds, but between the recent bear attacks and the RVing couple who were killed by the escaped prisoners, she decided she wanted some place where there were people. She called ahead and made reservations at a Good Sam. It's on the edge of town/city--good size place. There's a paved walk along the river where we can walk and a Petco to pick up my food. We signed up for two days, but will see, tomorrow, what's in the area to explore and maybe stay longer. Rim Rock Lake is not far from here, and is beautiful.

This picture was taken toward the sun. It's a very long lake, wider in parts than at this spot.

It's difficult to tell, but the lake was very choppy--some were wind surfing like they were at Hood River. Very interesting. Oh, and Michael, you'll be interested to know that there was a view of Mt. St. Helens, but Nancy couldn't get off--too many other cars in the overlook.

We were very surprised that we'd be able to see Mt. Ranier from here. We were never in this area with Rich, Nancy thinks. In these pictures, the very top of the mountain almost looks like a cloud because there are clouds below it. It was quite a site.

Looking to the left of Ranier

As you can see, just across the road was very different scenery. When we were walking, Nancy was reading to me about the mountain goats that live up there. The sign said that while they have many predators, more are killed by slipping on the treacherous ice and snow in the winter. How'd ya like to have one of them land on top of the trailer or truck?

On another walk, we were treated to this waterfall. It was deafening--so much water!

As soon as you're over the Cascades, you're over. The landscape changes dramatically. First, it's almost like the headlands near the San Francisco bridge, but soon turns to brown hills/small mountains. They have a beauty all their own.

We had a long, but full day. When we arrived at the park, a nice lady came over while we were setting up and said she writes about a Yellow Dog and asked if I was a Yellow Lab. Nancy said, "Yes."

The lady said her Yellow Dog was very smart and was very creative. Nancy said, "Well, he's very smart, too. He has a blog." The nice lady asked for the URL and Nancy gave it to her, and she went running off to write it down. We're going to stop down to see her, tomorrow, and introduce ourselves properly. Once we were set up, we took a ride through Yakima - we'll look in our books to see what we shall explore, tomorrow. As for now, I'm very sleepy. Nancy's already asleep so I'm going, too.

Where is Jack, Day 118?

"It's raining, it's pouring,
The old man is snoring."

So, on our walk, Nancy said, "I think I'll get a jump on things and dump the tanks even though they don't need it." We walked for a while--wasn't raining too hard, but drizzling. I like the rain when I'm camping, but at home I HATE it if she thinks I should go in the back yard and get wet! When we got back, Nancy started running the water to fill the tanks--they had only been emptied two days, ago, but she figured while she has the full hook up, she might as well run full tankfuls through to clean the gauges. After she's filling for a while, I look out the window and the sewer thingy is way far away. Hmmm...should I tell her. Just as I thought it, she said, "Geez, I forgot to look where the sewer drain is. Oh, it was in the last campground where the sewer was out of reach." I don't think so. And, she keeps on filling. Then, it seemed as though the grey tank water had been running forever. She kept checking the gauge and it said only 1/4 filled. It ran and ran and ran until Nancy finally decided to check the tub to see if water was coming up. Sure enough--the lights weren't working on the gauge panel. Oh, well, good time to clean out the tub. Good job--finished!

Out she goes to dump and I'm watching her out the window from my bed and she says some things I can't repeat (under her breath)--the drain is out of reach. As if that weren't enough, it starts to pour. She looked like a drowned rat in a big orange rain jacket. So, she decides, as long as she's as wet as she can get, she might as well hook up and move the trailer back and put two of those orange square things under the wheels to make it more level in here. First, though, she has to dismantle the TV and the computer so she doesn't damage them. By this time, this trailer is becoming a swamp with all the water being dragged in on her feet. I stayed on my bed as we bumped around.

Now, as long as she's gone that far, might as well put the sway bars, etc., on. So she does that. She comes in dripping. Good thing she put that hook up the other day--a place to hang her coat and pants. Now to get away, tomorrow, all she has to do is take me for a walk, shower, and hook up the lights--oh, yeah, put everything away inside and unhook the water and electric.

Well, that's all the "excitement" for now. Back to sleep.

Where is Jack, Day 117?

What a difference a day makes. That’s all I have to say. We started off this morning to find the road that hugs the ocean. It’s called Ocean View Drive. We drove for over 30 miles to get to the end of the road, and only then did we see ocean—with a sign that said “No Trespassing”. It turns out the beach belongs to Indians. Well, whoever dreamed that name up had a good imagination.

We turned around and came back, deciding to investigate Aberdeen and maybe back track to Astoria. This is as depressed as the area in Memphis was—maybe worse. According to the web, the median salary per household is less than 30K, so no wonder the area is so depressed. We feel sorry for the poor souls.

We hit rain for the first time in we can’t remember when. So, Nancy decided she should find a Walmart and get some plastic sheeting for my couch and her bed since I use both. She covered my couch with a sheet that matches hers. We had a heck of a time finding Walmart because of detours. Nancy asked someone what was going on and they said that they closed the bridge going to Aberdeen because an inspection showed that it was too dangerous for use. That’s the bridge we came over on, yesterday. They have two bridges, both are one way. So, while they fix the one bridge, they’ve made the other bridge two way—the bridges are the same age and condition in appearance. Hmmm.

As if things couldn’t get worse, Nancy can’t find her north face hoodie sweatshirt, and it will be in the 40s in Idaho.

I’m using my Verizon broadband to post this. It makes Nancy furious when a campground tells her they have wifi, and then she gets there and nada. There are a lot of permanent residents in this campground. The bathrooms and grounds are clean, so it’s tolerable. There are no state parks in this area, and the ones south on the way up were full.

Route will change again, I’m sure. Probably toward the cascades. Nancy is not happy.

Blogger is not permitting picture posting. It picked a good day as we only took three, today.

Who do you think painted their house first?

Where is Jack, Day 116?

I just realized I must have numbered days wrong somewhere along the way. As she was dumping, Nancy got a call from another member of the purple glove society. She went through the right of passage; however, as she does everything, she did it in the most discreet way possible. She didn't earn her gloves with all the WACs and a whole campground watching as Nancy did, with Wilson's help. Enough about that, however.

As smoothly as the hook up went, the drive was another story. Not too far up the coast, there was a detour and the dashboard witch directed Nancy onto a road that dead ended in the middle of a forest. It started out fine, along a river, and then got narrower and narrower. Then we saw a sign that said "Gate Ahead". We knew that meant trouble. There was a ditch in front and on both sides of a 1 lane gravel road. Nancy learned from Miss Pantless to mark "No Dirt Roads". I guess gravel is different than dirt? Anyway, no houses and miles from civilization. It took an hour to turn around. At first, Nancy said, "Thank god I had the hitch put on the front of the truck," but then realized there was no room to turn the truck around and get in front to hook up. So, she backed up, as I directed her, until the road was just a little wider and then she went two inches forward, two inches back, two inches forward, two inches back. I was getting seasick! Finally, though, we were out! Yeah!!

Our next encounter was the Astoria Bridge. Nancy whispered under her breath as it came into sight, "Ohmigawd, Gail would NOT like this at all!" Then, in a lower whisper, "Too late, now. (sigh)" That kind of scared me, but up, up, up we went. It was two lanes and VERY high. Then, it comes down and is a couple of miles of about 50 feet above the river. The view of the mouth of the Columbia is incredible. We've been over a lot of rivers, but the Columbia is, by far, the most exciting.

"The 4.21 mile long Astoria Bridge opened in 1966. It is the longest continuous truss span bridge in the world. It had a $1.50 toll until 1994, when the bridge was paid for and the toll was removed. The bridge has more than 200 feet of clearance on the Oregon side so the huge ships can pass beneath it in the shipping channel. It is 150 feet more to the top of the span. It has been featured in several car and truck commercials and the 1985 movie ‘Short Circuit’ featured the bridge." - web


(The picture is from the web-Nancy couldn't get a picture of it. Thank goodness she didn't try.)

The Hwy 101 on the Washington coast is not like the Oregon coast. I think there may be another road closer to the coast, but we decided we'd investigate in the truck before we take the trailer. There are few campgrounds along the way, and the few state parks that we saw were full. So, we are camped along the Hoquiam River in a private park. The WAC kayakers would love the river. Nancy did take a couple of pictures when we first parked. We are very close to the ocean. We stood for a few minutes and watched a piece of wood head down stream until it got at the intersection. It went pretty swiftly until that point, then it couldn't seem to decide which way it would go.

Part of the river goes under the bridge, presumably to the ocean, the other?

This is the branch traveling down the river.

The way the Wacs would paddle

It's a very pretty river.

On the ride we went mainly through wetlands, forest, some farms, and we just knew the ocean was just beyond the hills on the left, but most of the time we couldn't see it. From what I've heard, it's a rougher coast than Oregon and not as accessible. Rich and Nancy were there in 1999, but didn't spend very much time. In fact, I think they actually only went to Astoria.

We had to sign up for three days or we couldn't get a site because of the weekend coming up. Nancy was tired and stressed and decided it was okay--we could always back track to see some of the things that were interesting on the way up. We saw the most oddly colored trees in one area, and we saw whole mountain sides with the trees knocked down. There was a sign at one point that said there had been hurricane strength winds of 130 mph that came through the area. Nancy couldn't catch the year. We'll see if we can find out more about it. Nancy wants to back track to the Columbia, and also see how to get all the way up to the most northwestern part of the coast. There appears to be a road on the map, but we want to see if we should take the trailer.

It's good we didn't decide to go through mid-Washington. There's a mudslide that's blocking Wenatchee.  There are also fires in the area, and there are fires by Sisters in central Oregon. Let's hope we can keep ducking these things.

I almost forgot. We were paying 3.05 per gallon of diesel in Oregon. As soon as we crossed the border, it was 3.29.

Where is Jack, Day 115

Today will be a day of rest and a day of getting ready to move, tomorrow. We won't know where we are going until the rubber meets the road. I've been thinking and thinking, so has Nancy, and we can't make a decision. Does this mean it's time to turn east? I wish I knew.

Well, it turned out not to be a day of rest. After Nancy took her shower, we went for a walk and then we got in the truck and went to Hebo one more time, and on to Pacific City where we had fun on the beach, then sat and watched the waves for a while. Then, we went to the supermarket to stock up, came back to the campground, and Nancy hooked up in 5 minutes. All that's left tomorrow is the water, electric, cable, and dump after her shower and we'll be hitting the road.

We didn't take any pictures, today. Just soaked up the wonderful scenery and relived happy memories.

Where is Jack, Day 114?

Last week when Nancy had to move sites, she questioned the man at the front desk several times on the dates. Two other people in the office chimed in and said that she had to leave on the 29th. She had signed up on the 22nd and paid for 7 (days, they call it, but in Nancy's mind, it's nights). There were people waiting to check in so she figured with her math skills, she was probably the one who was wrong--after all, they are in the business. So when she moved, she signed up and paid for another 7. She must have counted 10 times on her fingers this morning and looked on her calendar. They have her out on the 4th, tomorrow, but her fingers told her otherwise. So after our walk, we went to the office and they told her she leaves on the 4th. Nancy said to the girl, "You're counting DAYS not nights." Would you count days or nights if you were staying in an expensive hotel. What if you made a reservation for Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th, would you expect to leave on Saturday? Well, a light bulb went on and she said, you're right, you leave on Thursday, the 5th, not tomorrow. Hmmm, made us wonder how many people made this mistake, One tends to forget what day it is when traveling for a long period of time. She was going to argue about last week when she had to move, but she figured, "Why make a fuss. What'd done is done."

Nancy spoke to Judy Crawford last night. She's the lady who Nancy met in Arkansas. They became "intimate friends" when Nancy had trouble with her black tank. They both laughed about it last night. Judy sold her 5th wheeler and how has a 27 foot Class C. She said she joined the Escapee Club as I had suggested and found it on there. She hasn't had it out, yet. She was very cordial and said she was anxious for us to visit. The only time she can't make it is the first week of August. That's when she's taking her new motorhome out--she's taking her grand son to Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival. Nancy wants to buy her dinner to thank her for her help on the last day Nancy camped next to her.

So, today we're going to Garibaldi, again--a little later. Then, we have an extra day to get ready. Maybe we'll go on to Washington as originally planned. Who knows??

You know you're in Garibaldi when you see the old smoke stack.

We took a very, very long walk on the coastal trail, today. We started at the marina and wound around past a logging mill. We saw boats, it was very different than the marina at Sausalito. The boats there were mostly yachts and sail boats--pleasure boats. In Garibaldi, they are working boats.

The walk was cool and beautiful. Nancy was wearing a shirt under a sweatshirt and was comfortable even on a long walk. The coast is absolutely beautiful. We discovered that it wasn't Haystack Rock that we had seen in the distance. Nancy had read about a reasonably priced seafood restaurant, but when we got there, it was closed. The guy hanging caught us by surprise and scared the devil out of us as we almost ran into him.

We passed a memorial to all men and women who have served our country, and a memorial from families thanking the coast guard for rescues at sea on two particular boats. We also passed the Tillamook Coast Guard Station - I guess we were still in Tillamook county.

As we walked, we passed a number of docks. One held a lot of crab traps, and another was a public fishing dock, but it was very picturesque.

We past the train that takes tourists up the coast. I bet it's a beautiful ride, but they won't let me on so Nancy won't go, of course. We even passed a place where someone planted flowers along the walk.

This is an area that has Tsunami warnings all over, yet you see people climbing on the rocks and sitting, walking, or playing on the wood that's already been dumped on land. There've been many people badly injured and killed I guess because they don't think it could happen to them. It just takes one wave big enough to move the huge trees or throw people off rocks. The waves come with little warning. Very foolish people.

We were pooped after a while and Nancy had to use the ladies room. Fortunately, there was a very clean public restroom in the marina. It was a good place for me to rest,

and I slept all the way home. I'm ready to go to sleep for the night. We don't know what we are going to do, tomorrow.

Where is Jack, Day 113?

Today was fairly uneventful. Nancy was notified that Garmin had a map update so she started a download process that took hours. (Gail, please tell Paul that they now have the map planning software for Macs-Nancy just has to learn to use it).

Then, Nancy set out to try to get her bp medication renewed. No go. They took her blood pressure and it was fine, but they won't renew the medication because it's another doctor's prescription and they won't write a new one because her blood pressure is better than normal. Well, she has a week of the prescription left, and will think about it later.

We thought we'd be going to Washington on Wednesday, but now Nancy thinks we're only going about 17 miles north. We discovered Girabaldi, today. What a place and we can park write on the bay. We can stay for two days without unhooking because we can walk everywhere. There's lots of places to walk, sit and watch a busy fishing town, logging. Oh, it's a great place. Nancy was furious with herself that she didn't have her camera with her, but she didn't expect to be there. She decided after the doctor that she was going to have a Tillamook Ice Cream sundae because after all she won't be able to get one after this.

The plan right now is to hook up tomorrow night so all we have to do Wednesday morning is walk, shower, and dump. Then we can get up to Girabaldi early so that we can have a full two days to take pictures. We swear we saw Haystack Rock in the distance from where we were. It was very clear so I guess it's possible.

Well, that was short and sweet, tonight. Oh, before I forget, did you watch the boat going into Depoe Harbor on one of my last posts. Links are in blue.

Where is Jack, Day 112?

We were up very early this morning. Nancy went and showered and then we went for a long walk. The phone service in this site is not as good as the last site, but this morning Nancy spoke to Susie for quite a  while before getting cut off so she decided to try to call Gail. They talked for a while (Nancy says she misses her friends), then she had to charge the phone. It must take more juice when calling long distance. Either that or it's time for a new phone. Anyway, Nancy and I are going somewhere, today. We're not sure where. We're saving another trip to Cape Lookout for tomorrow, so maybe we'll head to Pacific City and up the coast a ways.

We had a great day. We did go to Pacific City and took a long walk. Then, Nancy went to the Pelican Restaurant and Brewery to have a hamburger. (Rich, Susie, Michael, Keely, and Peyton have been there).  I waited in the truck. Nancy said the burgers taste better with company. That's why she usually packs a lunch and eats in the truck with me. She meant to get a picture of the sign, but forgot. She did get a picture of the restaurant from the beach.

Then, we went out on the beach. I didn't feel like playing ball, I just wanted to watch everything that was going on. Cape Kiwanda is the home of the Pacific Dory Fleet. Nancy wishes she had taken her movie camera or at least knew how to use the clip function on her camera. First, you hear them beeping their horn and then they come racing in toward land and they slide up on the sand out of the water. It is a riot to watch. Nancy tried to get one in stages, and then found a clip on the web.

Dory Coming in At Cape Kiwanda (Video)

Another Landing (Video)

I keep meaning to tell you that Michael told Nancy when he and the girls got home, he was watching "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest" and part of it was filmed in Depoe Bay. Figures. We were in a zodiac boat and the waters weren't quite as rough, but our captain waited out in front of the harbor for the right moment to get in. You can see why, here.

Pulling into Depoe Harbor  (Video)Aren't you glad you didn't watch this before we went, Michael, Keely, and especially, Peyton?

Gosh, how Nancy loves the water. She's a wreck as a passenger in a car, but could ride waves all day long. For more videos of "fun on the water" do a search on You Tube. Nancy wishes she had known about Dory Days

Okay, back to the blog. I got carried away. Nancy took a lot of pictures (what else is new). I'll just put them here.

One going in

There were probably 10-15 of them at one time while Nancy watched from the restaurant.

Here comes another one. This guy came far up on the beach, but he was hidden behind the other boats and cars so Nancy couldn't get the picture she wanted.

Activity on the beach

Kids come barreling down these dunes like nuts. The waiter in the restaurant told Nancy that there have been quite a few injuries because hidden in the sand are sticks. Ouch

We had a great time watching everything around us, then all of a sudden, POOF everything was gone. Just that fast. Haystack Rock, the dunes, the boats by the water--FOG rolled in. That's what happened to us when we were whale watching, it was clear one minute and the next fog was between us and the coast. So, Nancy and I decided to move along to a new adventure. We didn't have far to drive when we came across another little sandy road. We parked, and look--another trail!

Oh, and there's water up ahead!

Everything looks very peaceful, but there are remnants of days when it's not so serene. Can you imagine how powerful the waves must be to throw this piece of wood up on the beach? It's a little hard to see, but in the background is a shroud of fog rolling in. Soon we weren't able to see that whole area, including the mountains.

All over the beach was netting that probably broke away from crab nets or fishing boats.

Oh, how we love this place. We came home to rest for a while, but will probably take an evening drive IF we don't fall asleep.