OREGON COAST

TODAY’S ROADTRIP WAS NORTH TO THE OREGON COASTLINE. I KNEW RIGHT AWAY I WAS GOING TO LIKE OREGON. YOU KNOW, YOU JUST DON’T SEE THE WORD “TAVERN” OUTSIDE OF WISCONSIN VERY OFTEN…….



TODAY WAS ALL ABOUT THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE VIEWS AND BEACH HIKES WERE SPECTACULAR.

WE LEARNED ABOUT TIDEPOOLING AND SAW SOME UNBELIEVABLE LIVING CREATURES ATTACHED TO HUGH ROCKS. LIKE MUSSELS, BARNACLES, LIMPETS, SEASTARS, AND SEA URCHINS. WE APPROACHED THE BEACHES THIS MORNING DURING LOW TIDE, AND DISCOVERED THINGS THAT ARE UNDER WATER DURING THE HIGH TIDE. I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST LOOK LIKE IF YOU ARE A DIVER UNDERWATER AND CAN SEE ANIMALS AND VEGETATION UNDERWATER. IT MUST BE ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!



IN GOLD BEACH OREGON WE FOUND A FISH MARKET AND ARE ENDING THE DAY MAKING HOMEMADE SEAFOOD CHOWDER.

REDWOODS

WE ASKED A LOCAL ABOUT WHERE TO REALLY SEE THE REDWOODS? NO PROBLEM, HEAD OUT ON ELK VALLEY ROAD, TAKE THIS LEFT, AND TAKE THAT RIGHT, AND FOLLOW HOWLAND HILL ROAD, KINDA TAKE IT SLOW AS IT TURNS INTO A NINE MILE DIRT ROAD, AND OH YA….. WATCH OUT FOR THE POT HOLES……

THE PERFECT DIRECTIONS TOOK US INTO THE BACK OF THE JEDEDIAH SMITH REDWOOD’S STATE PARK.

WE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY HIKING AMONG THESE GIANT TREES FOR FOUR OR FIVE MILES. I’LL GET THE PICTURES BETTER ORGANIZED IN A FUTURE WEB ALBUM.

WE ALSO TOOK OUR FIRST SHOT AT A VIDEO WITH THE SONY CYBERSHOT CAMERA, I’M NOT A VIDEO GUY, BUT I’LL TRY TO POST THAT AS WELL. OUR INTERNET CONNECTION IS SPOTTY AT BEST, BEAR WITH US FOR THIS ADVENTURE. SORRY VIDEO FAILED I GUESS.

A QUEST: REDWOODS & THE PACIFIC OCEAN

Oh my......today is Tuesday, May 6th. I am telling you that because I have no idea when this will be put on the blog but this is today as I see it!!

We started the day at Boomtown, a casino on the outskirts of Reno. It is right across the street from a beautiful Cabella's that has been open for only 6 months. We spent last night "boondocked" in the parking lot of Boomtown among the semis. At $4 plus a gallon of gas we are working on saving some money...and hey, all we wanted to do was sleep!

Up early this morning and on the road before 8AM. We decided the word of the day is "flagman" and the sign of the day is "BE PREPARED TO STOP". Yup road construction is in full bloom in California!

But oh the scenery we were privileged to see... a lot of California reminds me of Wisconsin. A lot of it doesn't though..I saw some very beautiful plants. Heirloom roses that would knock your socks off, one in particular was a bush in full bloom of yellow roses. The bush was taller than me and really full. Just breath taking! They weren't the only roses I saw but the most spectacular. I also saw some cacti that were gorgeous, one grouping in particular was actually on a hill that was so steep it looked like a wall. Just a sight to behold!

Some of the stuff I saw I didn't even have a clue as to what it was. Just wonderful to see is all I can say. When I see stuff like that I wish I had a camera handy....but I was driving and couldn't take a picture anyway. What they need is a camera to attach to your glasses or something that snaps the picture when you blink twice. Somebody want to suggest that idea to Kodak or Sony???

I also saw a lot of wineries along the way, but today was not a stop and see or shop day. It was a travel day....and I am sure there will be a lot of wineries to see along the coast. Oh did I forget to mention that tomorrow we will be following the California Coast along the Pacific Ocean!!!!! Can hardly wait to see that!! It is another travel day tomorrow but a short one and then we can ditch the trailer and go sightseeing....I can hardly wait!!

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW...........

WHILE MARY IS CRUISING ALONG IN THE HONDA WITH THE SUN ROOF OPEN, SMELLING THE ROSES.........

I'M LEADING THIS PARADE UP OVER DONNER'S PASS AND ON ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND MOUNTAIN PASS AFTER MOUNTAIN PASS TO US HIGHWAY 101 ALONG THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

WE FOUND THE REDWOODS............

THEY ARE SO BIG AND SO CLOSE TO THE ROAD IN SPOTS THAT THEY COULD REACH OUT AND KISS THE 34 FOOT CAMPER WE DECIDED TO PULL ALONG. IT WAS TWO DAYS AND 500 MILES OF THE MOST CHALLENGING DRIVING WITH THE CAMPER I'VE EVER DONE!!! (SORRY NO PICTURES YET, BUT THEY WILL APPEAR THIS WEEK)

WE MADE IT, AND THIS IS HOME FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IN CRESCENT CITY, CA ON THE PACIFIC OCEAN. GIVE US A CHANCE TO SET UP CAMP, FIND OUR WAY AROUND AND WE WILL REPORT BACK.

OH YA......... THE PACIFIC OCEAN, NOT SURE MARY IS VERY IMPRESSED THE FIRST DAY?

"SUNNY (WINDY) & 61"

Moving Day......

Rex and Mary, this is a blog you thought you'd never read. We are joining the RV community today, May 1st!!

One of the hospitals I work at is 58 miles away. Even though I have been there two and one half years, successfully taking night and weekend call without any problem, some jealous goody two-shoes complained that 58 miles is too far a distance to take call safely. As a creative solution, I offered to set up a "second home" in a community halfway in between to use on the nights when I am on call.

We could not find an apartment in that town, so we are putting our RV in an RV park there as a temporary solution until we find a place, probably towards winter. Yesterday, we moved our rig, just like you guys!..........

....the truck is a 2008 diesel ford owned by a friend of ours. He pulls a large construction trailer with it and scoffs at the stabilizer bars I have suggested. We moved it 30 miles without the bars in a stiff wind and it seemed to track pretty well. The bikes and all the other gear are not loaded in the trailer yet, and that may make a difference.

You will note that the large tongue weight of a "toy-box" really "squats" the truck. The axles are set way back to hold the weight of the toys and that takes the tongue weight up to about 1000 lbs...........

.......this truck is amazing. It is a new low-sulfur diesel and needs a special fuel. He got crappy mileage, around 14, for the first few thousand miles. He just got the first oil change and we got about 14 with the trailer. He thinks they tweek the computer as part of the first oil change. Also, it pulls like there is no tomorrow. We passed a Corvette convertible with two blondes in it! I was so shocked at the acceleration that I just sat there with the camera sitting in my lap and missed the shot!.........

........this shot is to show the clearance around the former tree everyone complained about for years. As you can see, once the stump is ground and the gravel placed and graded, he will not be missed (or is that "he will finally ALWAYS be missed?!"................

........Here is our new home, a rustic, out-of-the-way RV park on beautiful Clam Lake........

........crank down the awning, move the table onto the carpet, rake the grass, plant some flowers, light the fire and put our feet up, right?..........

........nice neighborhood, too. Actually, I kinda see what is going on in this run-down little cramped corner of an RV dump site. For only $1371.50 and a beautiful little RV like this one, you can have a "lakeplace" for a year, as it is on a lake. It's like $50 per month more for a slip at the marina. Pretty cheap, really, something a Rechsteiner could enjoy.......

Uncle Hans

HAPPY 87TH BIRTHDAY WILMA WILKINSON

CARSON CITY

WE DID THE LAST 135 MILES OF OUR JOURNEY FROM LAUGHLIN TO LAKE TAHOE ON SUNDAY, AND ARRIVED AT SILVER CITY RV RESORT JUST AFTER NOON.

I'VE GOT TO ADMIT WE BOTH ENJOYED OUR VERY SLOW TRIP NORTH AND ALL THE EXTRA STOPS WE MADE ALONG THE WAY.

AS WE WERE SETTING UP CAMP IN CARSON CITY SOME BLACK LOOKING CLOUDS APPEARED OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS AND MARY AND I WERE BOTH THINKING SNOW? WE HUSTLED THROUGH THE SET UP, JUST BEFORE WE HEARD THUNDER AND WE HAD A QUICK COLD RAIN.

Lake Tahoe was still there when we drove up this morning...and I might mention looking as beautiful as ever!! Obviously our first stop was at Harvey's to see if we still had jobs for the summer. And the good news is we will be on the schedule the Friday before Memorial Day!! Thank God!! Now it is on the see the giant redwoods......watch for postcards!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODD !!!
CHECK OUT NEW POSTCARDS