And so we have. After a few trials and a little tribulation we bid a warm farewell to Tony and sped out of Eugene, OR on March 2. The night before we went to a rockin' birthday party at a friend's house. The bus was loaded. We were in high spirits. But getting there, as it turned out, was when the fun began. One shredded tire, a few "oh mys" and a generous helping hand from our party's host got us to the fete almost on time. Since then it's been nothing but smooth sailing. (To whit: The next day at the tire shop I got to learn about bow hunting for elk from another patron and mushroom hunting from the tire guy. Plus we got a deal on the tire.)
First stop was in Bandon, Oregon. A groovy coastal town with dramatic cliffs, rock-strewn beaches, and at least one top-shelf restaurant (The Wild Rose Bistro. Go for the ravioli, stay for the scallops). We took in the sunset at the cliff's edge alongside many of Bandon's finest residents then made for our campsite in the cleanest state park we've ever seen.
We continued down the coast, passing many (we're sure) fabulous sites and stopping at (we're certain) even better sites.
Then we dropped anchor in Crescent City, CA at the Shoreline RV park (or as Diane called it, "The Last Resort"). It was late, the state park we aimed for was closed..., you know the drill.
The next morning, drinking campfire coffee, enjoying the wails of police sirens in the city and the arp-arp-arp of the sea lions on the piers, we eyed the coastline, ready to heed the primeval call of the Redwood Forest.
Gosh! I envy you guys.
ReplyDeleteDid you stop to visit the Bandon safari park? It's a must!
Mei
Yeah, so I dug out and was going to send you the lily-white ceramic Savior you sent to me about 15 yrs ago. It worked better than a Good Sam sticker and entitles you to sit in the special booths with phones at truck stops. I guess membership really does have its privileges. Anyway, my 4 y/o calls it the Jesus trophy so if you want it you'll have to race him for it.
ReplyDeleteVanMan,
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great trip...remember back in oh, '84 or so when we were halfway home from Superweek and you realized you had the van keys to the Cyclery van? And we drove all the way back to Milwaukee...? Hope this one is a little smoother.
Should you pass through Austin, I recommend Pecan Grove RV park. It's right in downtown on Barton Springs Rd. Right in the middle of downtown but nice and quiet. You may happen across an old friend of mine named Mike Scott in an Airstream. He'll pour you some good tequila. And rumor has it Pecan Grove may have another part time resident who was purportedly pretty good at bike racing if you count the Tour and Worlds.
-Rat
hey, dickson sent me this [and another] link. hopefully you'll have frequent photos and posts.
ReplyDeleteyour bus looks GREAT with all the anemic big-box campers.
have fun!
hi, rat!
Dude and dudette,
ReplyDeleteWe are looking forward to your seeing and reading about your adventures. Please be sure to be nice to others, talk to strangers, eat everything you want, and occasionally change your underwear, if you brought any. Much love, Burghley Girls.
Hey All!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. It's great to hear from all of you!
Mei -- we didn't stop at the safari park. I'm thinking we should have... We'll have to go there when we get back to Oregon.
BD -- you're on. If you can get David Christ (or, even better, the son-of) to officiate, I'll strap on my cleats.
Hey-Hey-Hayes! Yes. I remember that Cyclery van key fiasco. But as I recall, we hadn't yet crossed the Mississippi, so what's the problem? Thanks for the trailer park tips. We'll find try to find a spot next to that pretty good bike rider you're talking about. We'll also look up Mike Scott. Are you in Austin these days?
The Mostly -- we'll update when we can. And if we need microbus advice we'll be a-calling!
Burghley Girls - thanks for the advice. We're all about keeping it real.