The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales

03-27-2024 A Springtime Escape to the Coast

As is often the case, I am writing about our most recent trip after the fact. Planning just 4 nights at the beach, I decided taking a laptop with me was a waste of precious time. After all, we were sharing this little trip with Daughter Deborah, and sitting around writing during the day wasn’t a great idea. The other time I use for writing is very early in the morning, rising before Mo at 3 or 4 am to sit at the dinette to write. However, Deborah’s sleeping space is that very dinette, with the table removed, and the benches extended to make a somewhat comfy bed. This time I made sure we had an additional pad to put under Deb’s sleeping bag and she said the bed was great.

Deb is so easy to travel with. She adjusts to our travel habits with grace, waking when we do, going to bed when we do, and enjoying most of what we enjoy. As always, it was a delightful trip and a wonderful way to get extended time with Deborah.

Another thing that made the trip extra special for me was a chance to share with Deborah some of what we love about going to the coast. Deborah had been through Brookings on the way to Gold Beach but had never visited Bandon. We added a day trip to Bandon to our simple itinerary and it was a highlight of the trip for all three of us.

However, I must begin at the very beginning of our adventure. The night before we departed in the MoHo, the three of us enjoyed an amazing performance by Melissa Etheridge at the historic Craterian Theater in Medford, not far from home here in Grants Pass. I have seen Melissa perform live several times, the first in 1993 in Spokane Washington at the Opera House. I was excited when I saw an ad for her upcoming tour and discovered that she would be near us. We purchased the tickets back in January, with seats reasonably close to the front with a great view.

It was a spectacular performance, over two hours of non-stop entertainment with a bit of commentary thrown in about her experience doing a successful Broadway run. The nice thing was that she didn’t slip into the “preachy” thing that stars sometimes do and spent 99 percent of the time singing. Mo was amazed at her prowess on the many types of guitars she played, and at the end, she played the drums as well as any I have ever heard. It was a fun beginning to our time with Deborah.

Deb spent the night at our house and the next morning we took our time with the final loading of the MoHo. Our check-in time at Beachfront RV Park in Harbor (just down the hill from Brookings) was 1PM, and with a 2.5-hour driving time from home, we didn’t have to rush. Beachfront wasn’t our first choice, but with our favorite campground at Harris Beach State Park fully booked since early January when I started looking, we decided that Beachfront would be a fine alternative.

The campground is considerably more expensive than Harris Beach, $55 per night compared to $32, but still with full hookups. The park is also not exactly picturesque, but we did have a direct ocean view out of our front window, with surf loud enough to hear at night with closed windows.

The sites at the park are all lined up on gravel, and the front row where we were has a nice cement patio and picnic table for each site. Neighbors are close, but we lucked out in that no one parked on either side of us until Friday night. Also, the county parking area for the beach is directly in front of the sites. It was whale watching week, spring break, and Easter week, and many cars came and went as people enjoyed the surf and the views.

A strong storm kept us company on the drive to the coast but let up in time for us to get hooked up and settled in. Mo brought in an extra chair for relaxing indoors in the rain and whomever was in that chair got a direct view of the ocean right out the front window. As lovely as Harris Beach campground is, the ocean is much further away from the campground than it is here at Beachfront.

With the sun appearing to brighten the afternoon it was a good time to show Deborah a bit of what we love about Brookings.

Our first stop was the beautiful Azalea Park, where Mo and I go annually for the magnificent Festival of Lights at Christmastime. I barely recognized the park without the 4 million lights we are used to seeing. It was lovely, smaller than I realized, and the beautiful church was closed.

The hundreds of azaleas that the park is named for weren’t yet blooming, but as we walked we discovered a trail lined with rhododendrons, some already in full bloom. The park will be breathtaking in another month, but we were happy to see even a few rhodies blooming this early in the spring.

We then drove the short distance toward the north side of Brookings to show Deb our favorite campground. It was full except for the tent sites, and there were lots of people out walking. Deb’s vacation time is tied to spring break, so our choice of a week to go camping was definitely affected by our timing.

I had one of our favorites ready in the freezer. The Olive Garden version of Zuppa Toscana is so delicious. I have learned to wait to add the kale and the cream until the base of the soup comes out of the freezer. So yummy and perfect for a cold, rainy evening. The sound of the rain pounding on the roof of the MoHo was surprisingly soothing if a bit loud.

The next day it rained all day, with temporary high winds and lightning to keep us settled indoors most of the time. I wanted to share a special little shop in Brookings that I love. The shop that now houses Feather Your Nest used to be the location for an old favorite. Keepsake Quilting was a shop I discovered many years ago when I first started quilting. Sadly, like many other quilt shops, the owner retired and the shop went out of business. Feather Your Nest was previously located in a little shop down the hill in town, off the beaten track. It had now matured and the shop is a delightful spot to just “look at stuff”. However, the looking allowed Deborah to find some truly charming and inexpensive tops, and I found a few treats as well.

After a short run into Fred Meyer for some necessities, Deb and I returned to Harbor. The Freddy’s store in Brookings is huge, with two floors, and it is easy to get lost in there. It is also almost always incredibly busy and this day was no exception.

After our shopping spree, we drove back down to Harbor to check out the fish shop. Pacific Ocean Harvesters has some amazing smoked steelhead, fresh live or cooked crabs, and fresh tuna, halibut, and other fish brought in almost daily.

We knew that Thursday and Friday had a great weather forecast and when we woke to sunshine Thursday morning we were happy that we had altered our original plan and saved our day for a trip to Bandon. The drive north was beautiful in the sunshine, with coastal views for most of the route toward Port Orford.

We stopped in the tiny town for a few minutes to read the interpretive sign at the visitor center and take a break. Port Orford is most famous for the only “dock dolly” on the West Coast. Vessels are launched and retrieved using the huge yellow cranes, and if you are there at the right time it is great fun to watch.

As we approached Bandon I chose the oceanfront route along the beach to visit the Face Rock Scenic Overlook. When we arrived the parking lot was nearly full, and there were several whale watch volunteers with telescopes and binoculars. Despite the clear skies, they had no whale sightings yet that day and attributed it to a pod of orcas seen farther south along the coast. The gray whales know that their babies are a top food for orcas, and according to the volunteers were likely to have gone farther out to sea to avoid them.

Those hairdos might indicate just how strong the winds blew at Face Rock Overlook

As always, the winds were strong at the viewpoint, and the chill wasn’t conducive to walking down the many steps to walk on the gorgeous beach. As much as I love the beach at Bandon, I have never visited when it wasn’t windy and cold. That is another reason we do enjoy Brookings and Harris Beach. It is almost always at least ten degrees F warmer than anywhere on the coast. They call it the “Banana Belt” of the Oregon coast for a reason.

We didn’t linger long at the overlook. We had important places to visit, the first being the famous Tony’s Crab Shack, with highly touted crab offerings on the menu. The popularity of the place was obvious without any tables available when we first arrived. Inside dining is nearly impossible with only a half dozen or so tables, but people waited for outside tables as well. We got lucky at just the right moment when a nearby table suddenly emptied and I grabbed it while Deb went inside for our order. Mo took Mattie back to the car because with all the dogs and people crowding the street, it isn’t fun dealing with Mattie and her reactive nature toward other dogs when she is on a leash. It was cool enough that she could wait in the car for the time we remained in town.

Lunch was delicious, with Deb and I choosing a toasted crab sandwich and Mo opting for a well-made burger. We then walked toward Second Street in Old Town Bandon just a couple of blocks from Tony’s.

Coastal Mist is a gourmet chocolate shop that I try to visit whenever we are in Bandon. I especially love the sipping chocolate, but Deb enjoyed a yummy macchiato and Mo said the Americano coffee was good as well. Deb treated us to a few sweets to take back to the rig for after dinner.

Mo and I visited our favorite independent bookstore, Winter River Books where I found one of those treats of “real” bookstores, an interesting-looking hardback for half the price of a Kindle book. There was lots more to see, but the little clothing shop I have frequented for years called my name. I just knew Deborah would love it, and sure enough, she found a couple of great items. Deb is still working in a real office most of the time, and as a director, she needs to wear nice clothes to work. She had fun shopping with the only problem being making a decision as to which items to purchase.

It was a fun day, and we returned late afternoon in time to relax with a glass of wine while Mo set up our first campfire of the trip. We were entertained by new neighbors who had moved in next door to us with kids playing catch and extended family gathering around and laughing.

We were happy that Beachfront allowed campfires and brought a fire ring to our site upon our request when we checked in. Nothing quite as lovely as a great campfire waiting for sunset. Even though it was a bit cloudy, the sunset was enjoyable. It was a perfect end to a nearly perfect day on the coast.

Saturday dawned clear and beautiful and the three of us woke to the loud sound of more than 300 sea lions barking in the harbor area just behind the park.

Deb and I took the short walk to the view across the harbor to check them out. Of course a bit of research was required, because Mo and I had never seen sea lions in the Brookings Harbor. It seems these are California Sea Lions, with more then 200,000 of them along the Oregon Coast. There are only around 40,000 Oregon Sea Lions on our coast. The main differentiating characteristic between the two is the large hump on the forehead of the male California Sea Lions. No matter the variety of sea lions, they were VERY loud and sort of fun to watch with all the jostling for position between the big boys and some of the younger ones.

We originally thought we might drive south on this day to Crescent City for fish and chips at another favorite place of ours, the Chart Room. After a bit of ruminating, and seeing the beautiful day that awaited, the three of us gave up on the idea of wasting much of the day driving and decided instead to spend it right where we were in Harbor and Brookings.

Deb had never actually visited Harris Beach, and that was the first thing on our agenda on a gorgeous morning. There was very little wind and the sun was warm. Mo and I have traveled to Harris Beach for years, and in all our visits we have never seen the beach this crowded. There were people and dogs and families everywhere. Little kids in shorts were jumping into the icy Pacific waters and screaming loudly. It was a very different experience from the last time we visited when we had the beach almost completely to ourselves.

It was beautiful, as always, and even more so seeing it through the eyes of my daughter who was seeing it for the first time.

Something a bit surprising to us was the drifts of thousands of small sea creatures that were left behind at the high tide line. I had never seen them before, but again a bit of research yielded information about the velella creatures that are washed up on the beaches after especially strong winds. Friends warned me that as they begin to decompose the smell is horrific. Lucky for us, they were still quite fresh, with bright purple bodies, and funny little “sails” that felt exactly like the wings on a badminton shuttlecock.

After our long beach walk, we again settled in at home for some afternoon relaxation time before deciding where we might like to go to supper. In the past, Mo and I loved to go to the Sportsman Bar and Grill, with outside seating. Some time back it changed hands and was a pizza place. Now it is called Zola’s on the Water, and the menu looked very interesting.

An image of the bar in Zola’s that I took from their website. No photographer attributed

We went to Zola’s around 4, and it was already crowded. We had a drink at the bar, and after 40 minutes or so were seated at a table. At the bar, Deb ordered an appetizer for us that easily fed the three of us. It was something with a name I don’t remember, but it was basically really good french fries, drizzled with “hot” honey, and covered with crunchy bacon and some other stuff. It was sooooooo good and I have no idea how to duplicate it. As filling as the fries were, dinner was a bit of an afterthought, but the shrimp in my shrimp cocktail was fresh, and Mo and Deb had flatbread pizzas which were tasty.

Surprisingly, at 6 PM when we were finally able to order, they were completely out of clam chowder, and they didn’t even have crusts for small pizzas. The excuse was that they had been slammed all day. I guess it might have been a reasonable excuse considering the crowds on the beach.

Our last day at the beach was on Easter Sunday, and it wasn’t yet 7am when we were awakened by the sound of music and singing nearby. There was an Easter Sunrise service with a couple of dozen people on the path to the jetty singing and speaking. It didn’t last long, and I never did figure out who was conducting the service.

After breakfast, Deb and I took the opportunity to walk the beach in front of the RV park. With the tide out we were able to walk almost a mile down the beach before turning back. We discovered to our delight that the tide had completely washed away all the drifts of velella that were on the beach on the previous days. We both hoped that many of them survived the temporary beach landing.

Mo was tickled because Deb and I brought back some sweet little pieces of driftwood.

We checked out of the park before noon after Deb and I made a quick shopping trip to the fish store. They had some tuna and halibut in from the previous day but sadly were out of crab. We left and drove just down the road to Catalyst Seafood, a restaurant where Mo and I went often in the past for fish and chips. They did have fresh crab, and Deborah purchased two big beauties for a very reasonable amount of money.

Our trip home along the Smith River on Highway 199 was gorgeous. The river was up from all the recent rains. We stopped for lunch at a wide place that Mo and I remember well. It was the spot where we had to pull over fast after a blowout on the MoHo 9 years ago and wait for AAA to arrive to change the tire.

On this beautiful Easter Sunday, the river ran wild and gorgeous with the turquoise color that is so magical. This photo is honest-to-goodness real, that river really is that color! No need for any kind of enhancements from Lightroom for this one.

Arriving home in Grants Pass felt a bit strange. After Deb left for her home in Trail, I looked around and thought about all the times I have gathered my family to share in Easter celebrations. Not this time. but I told the gang to be ready for next year because I don’t want to miss hostessing another Easter family celebration.

03-01-2024 Mo’s Birthday Trip

It has become a tradition for the last few years: Mo will start thinking in January about where she might like to spend her March birthday and what she would like to do.

Sometimes, as we did last year, the trip involves several days of camping and we traveled north to the part of Oregon where Mo was raised. We camped on nearby Sauvie Island and spent a few days exploring the places that Mo remembered from her youth

One year we spent a very cold and windy day playing in the snow at Crater Lake.

In 2021 Mo decided that we should spend a day exploring some of the covered bridges in Southern Oregon.

One year we drove over the pass toward Klamath Falls and ended up spending a beautiful starry night at a wonderful campsite in Lava Beds National Monument.

Whether we are at home, or traveling the country, most often Mo will decide in advance what kind of day she would like to celebrate her birthday. The one thing that I can be sure of is that under NO circumstances is there to be any kind of a party for her. That is the only request that she is adamant about. Most often we will celebrate with a nice restaurant meal. I have come to look forward to her birthdays, and to enjoying whatever outing she plans for us to share. This birthday was no exception.

Mo decided this year that she would like to explore some ghost towns. She did as she often does, researching extensively to learn about places to visit. The problem was that there are not a lot of ghost towns in this part of Oregon that have buildings that are still standing.

Mo did find some historical sites to visit that were interesting to explore, and a couple of them were places that we have passed many times driving here and there without paying much attention to the history.

Our first stop on our birthday tour was the small community of Rock Point, Oregon. Rock Point is just north of the junction of Interstate 5 and Oregon Highway 99 along the Rogue River. The small community was founded by John B White, who fought in the Rogue Indian Wars. In exchange for his service, he was awarded land in this location and developed a homestead on the north side of the old stage road now in the vicinity of Highway 99 and continues on a road fittingly known as “Old Stage Road”.

We read that there was a tavern and a stage stop and that John B White was the postmaster. We also read that the tavern and stage stop were still standing, but there was no actual location for the existing buildings listed. Imagine our surprise to discover that the existing tavern and stage stop was now the location of the beautiful tasting room for Del Rio Vineyards, a site we have passed often without a clue of the history behind the building.

Mo also wanted to visit the beautiful and historic bridge built in 1919, famous for its lovely arches. Unbeknownst to us, we have traveled over this bridge countless times without a clue about its history. We never had a clue that beneath us as we crossed the bridge were the lovely arches that made the bridge so special.

We exited our normal route toward Gold Hill near the winery and parked along the old road to walk beneath the bridge. Even though it had snowed earlier that day, the sun was brilliant and the snow was melting enough that walking around wasn’t terribly difficult.

Mo also read about the Dardanelles Post Office in the community of Dardanelles, which we discovered was simply an extension of Rock Point, or what it was once called, “Point of the Rocks”. The old post office just across the river opposite Rock Point still stands and is now a convenience store and gas station. The original postmaster was none other than J.B. White himself.

Another site in Rock Point that we have passed many times is the historic Rock Point Cemetery. More than 100 years ago, a local landowner deeded 26 acres of land for a cemetery just south of the tavern and stage stop. Part of the cemetery land was deeded to the IOOF and that side was maintained but another section became known as the Pioneer Cemetery and declined. In 1955 a group of citizens got together, cleaned up the cemeteries, and recorded tombstones and grave markers. There are many stories still out there about hauntings, including eerie lights and sounds and a green fog that suddenly appears.

On this lovely sunny, chilly day, we saw no evidence of hauntings but thoroughly enjoyed viewing the old gravestones and inscriptions in the part of the cemetery that we visited.

The ghost town of Golden is north of Grants Pass near Wolf Creek, but Mo didn’t want to go that far north so visiting that ghost town will have to wait for another day. The second ghost town that remains in our area is Buncom, Oregon.

We continued south along Old Stage Road toward Jacksonville and decided that traveling to Buncom via Sterling Creek Road would allow us to avoid backtracking as we left Buncom. Sterling Creek road is narrow and winding and crosses some steep hills as it leads toward the old ghost town in what is now called the Little Applegate.

As the road climbed the hills, the snow got deeper until we decided it was snowy enough to kick in the ECT drive on the car, which helps in snowy conditions. By the time we got to Buncom, however, there was no sign of snow and the sun was again shining brilliantly.

The tiny town of Buncom was settled in the 1850s by Chinese miners. Locals got wind of the find, pushed out the Chinese, and established a general store, a saloon, and a post office before the 1900’s. In 1918, however, the town was abandoned because the region’s gold dried up. Shortly after that, many of the remaining buildings in the town were destroyed by a fire. Only three buildings survived, the town post office, a wooden bunkhouse, and an old cookhouse.

In 1990, the Buncom Historical Society was formed by local residents who wished to preserve what remained. Beginning in 1993, they organized the first “Buncom Day”, an all-day annual affair designed to promote interest in local history. There are events including a BBQ, a parade, a petting zoo, and craft and food booths. According to something I read, up to 500 people attend to help raise money to preserve the buildings of Buncom and promote the history of the Little Applegate Valley.

Mo and I sometimes enjoy attending local gatherings like this but the last Buncom Day information I could find was from 2016. I also found a notice indicating that Buncom Day 2023 has been postponed indefinitely. Perhaps Buncom Day is going the way of Buncom town and may only be a memory.

No matter. We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the old buildings in the sunshine, imagining the life that was once there. Mattie thought the place was great as well since it allowed her to get out of the car and run around a bit.

The next town on Mo’s list wasn’t an actual ghost town, but the Ruch area had several buildings listed that were of historical significance. The town was originally named after Casper M. Ruch, who bought a tract of land in 1896where the community now stands.

The Historic McKee Bridge at Christmastime

Mo and I have traveled through Ruch many times on our way to visit the McKee Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The local people decorate the at Christmas time and it is always fun to drive south on a snowy day to see the bridge decorations.

Ruch is also of significance to me personally since it is the town where my youngest daughter Melody moved to from Eastern Washington in the mid-90s. I lived nearby at the time and I was devastated that she had to move so many hundreds of miles away from me. I visited later that year and still remember she and her husband at the time and the little house they lived in. I often point out the driveway when Mo and I drive through Ruch and always am grateful that we are now only separated by 3 hours instead of 800 miles.

Sweets-n-Eats in Ruch, Oregon for lunch

There are at least 8 historic markers within 7 miles of Ruch, but since we were looking for ghost towns rather than old town sites, we decided to stop at the local store for a bit of lunch instead. Lunch was delightful, as we shared a hot dog between us before continuing on our journey.

Our next stop was the small community of Provolt where the Provolt Country Store is located on the Jackson/Josephine county line. Local lore says Samuel Provolt, who established the store in 1875, later moved the store from Jackson County so that it would be in Josephine County because the taxes in Jackson County were getting too high. This is an interesting story because, at this time, taxes in Josephine County are generally much lower than taxes in Jackson County.

The store has been a hub of local commerce continuously ever since it was established in 1875 and is thought to be the oldest continuously operating establishment in Southern Oregon selling an eclectic mix of convenience foods and nuts and bolts.

The post office was established in 1895 and the first postmaster was Mary Provolt. That post office was discontinued in 1955. The historic Provolt Store is a popular site in Jackson/Josephine County, where people journey from town to enjoy the old-fashioned store and its popular delicatessen. We visited the store once during our travels along Highway 238 through the Applegate Valley and didn’t feel a need to go inside on our visit this time. We were still full from our hot dog lunch and knew that suppertime wasn’t far off.

North of the store, we drove a little bit further to discover a place new to us, the Provolt Recreation Site, a BLM Day use area with bike trails, walking trails, and picnic areas adjacent to the Applegate River. It was quite chilly and beginning to rain, but we could see how it might be a fun place to visit on a hot summer day.

Our final destination for the day was at the northern end of the Applegate Valley and is a place that will be familiar to friends and readers of this blog. We arrived at Schmidt Family Winery in time to get a nice indoor table near the fireplace to wait for daughter Deborah to arrive. Deb agreed to come to help celebrate Mo’s birthday with wine and pizza at Schmidt and when she walked in the door she was carrying a beautiful bouquet of birthday flowers.

The music was perfect for the evening, the company was great, and the wine and pizza were delicious as always. The entire day had been wonderful, without any mix-ups or surprises. Mo does a great job planning these birthday trips and she said she was very happy with how the day turned out.

Next year we will be in Desert Hot Springs and I look forward to seeing what Mo comes up with for us to do then.

02-15-2024 Home Again Home Again

Sunset on the Kofa Mountains is a nice memory

Sitting at my desk at the moment listening to the rain on the windows. It has been raining for a few days now, so very much needed and yet it can still get a bit tiresome. I am grateful for the time Mo and I had in mostly warm sunshine in the southern deserts this winter. It is all about the timing. This year we were lucky as we crossed the passes on I-5 toward home. There was snow all around us, but nothing on the roads and the skies over Southern Oregon were a gorgeous blue last Thursday when we returned. We even had a couple of sunny days to enjoy before the rain started.

Coming home was especially sweet since daughter Deborah decided that she would stay with us until the weekend before she packed up her “stuff” to take back home after spending most of her time at Sunset House while we were gone. It was wonderful coming home to a warm, clean, and cozy house, without a single worry about anything that may have gone wrong while we were traveling.

Once we arrived home, Mo and I unloaded the MoHo in record time, and by the time Deborah got home from work I had some hot soup ready for supper for the three of us to share. I am so glad that Deb is willing to housesit for us.

Our boondock site near Palm Canyon Road in Kofa NWR

Last week, after four days in Tucson, we traveled west on Interstate 8 toward Yuma and then north on Highway 95 between Yuma and Quartzsite to spend a couple of quiet nights in the wonderful desert landscape in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Mo and I have visited Kofa in the past, but have never attempted to boondock there. This time, however, we had some help from our friend Gaelyn, who has a special spot near Palm Canyon Road. Gaelyn agreed to wait for us at the intersection of Highway 95 and Palm Canyon Road and then lead us to a perfect site with a nice fire ring, an unobstructed view of the Kofa Mountains, and plenty of level places to park our rigs.

Gaelyn parked a respectable distance away from us, but not so far that we couldn’t enjoy morning coffee and conversation, and evening visits by the campfire. Mo loves to build campfires, and she purchased some firewood at the base in Tucson just in case we could have one. Sure enough, on BLM land just on the edge of the refuge, campfires are allowed in existing fire rings.

Our days were relaxed and the warm air was perfect for afternoon naps, some reading, and a little card playing before we cooked supper and then enjoyed the fire with Gaelyn. We shared dinners before the campfire, with Gaelyn made dinner the first night and I made dinner the second night. The nights were perfect as well, getting down to the mid-40s for comfy sleeping.

It was great talking with Gaelyn in person, with time to hear the stories of her recent life changes since her truck and camper burned last fall. Despite the awful loss from the fire, the outcome has been rather positive, and she has made a great group of new friends and has a nice upgraded rig to make her life a bit easier than it has been.

Leaving Kofa and driving north through Quartzsite toward Parker, we traveled west toward Needles and Barstow on I-40. It was a long day from Arizona across the desert to Tehachapi, but we had reservations at the small park we found last winter.

The rain across the desert was heavy throughout most of the day, but the roads were in good shape and we didn’t have any problems despite the dire warnings coming to our phones.

We slept well in the quiet park, and the sound of the rain on the roof throughout the night was soothing. The worst of the Atmospheric River passed through California on Sunday and Monday, and by Tuesday, when we crossed the pass on Highway 58 the clouds lifted and we could see all the way across the Great Valley of the San Joaquin River.

It isn’t often we are treated to clean, clear skies on this part of our drive through California and this time the skies were spectacular.

We pulled into Flag City RV Park in Lodi just after 3 in the afternoon, and to our surprise, the park was emptier than we had ever seen it. Only a couple more rigs showed up by evening.

It might have been the severe storm weather that kept people off the road, or possibly there aren’t as many people as there used to be.

We enjoyed a chicken parmesan supper at home in our own cozy space. No need to go out when I still have some great stuff in the freezer. I planned fairly well this time around for our month on the road and we returned home with just enough food left in the fridge and freezer.

We planned two nights in Lodi, with a full day to take our time enjoying one of our favorite locations to buy wine. We both love good Old Vine Zinfandel and Lodi, California, is the best place in the country for old vines and great wine.

Once again we visited our favorite little winery, an unpretentious place called Klinker Brick. We first discovered this winery three years ago and now whenever we pass through Lodi we try to purchase a few bottles of something good from them. Even on a rainy day, the winery was pleasant. I think possibly this particular winery might be a local gathering spot since everyone seemed to be chatting and to know each other.

Fancy charcuterie isn’t necessarily a big thing in Lodi, unlike our Applegate Valley wineries. We were offered packaged cheese and crackers, but it was sufficient for our lunch. After enjoying Klinker Brick for a time we decided to try another winery in the area that was recommended to us.

Harney Lane Vineyards had a gorgeous tasting room, and the gardens would have been very inviting if it weren’t for the rain.

We were happy to have a roaring fire, with real wood, not gas, and ordered a flight of red to share to try their wines. The winery was lovely, the sommelier was knowledgeable and helpful, and the ambiance was delightful. The wine, however, wasn’t to our tastes and we didn’t buy any. I guess it is back to Klinker Brink when we return to Lodi. We do love their wine.

Some of the zinfandel vines in Lodi are more than 120 years old

We left Lodi by 8:30 the next morning, driving north on 5 through Sacramento and then fueling in Dunnigan at the Pilot, where we usually get the best gas price, this time at $3.19 per gallon. Dunnigan is a good place to fuel for us because a tank will then get us all the way home to Grants Pass where we no longer have to pay inflated California fuel prices. I will say that prices this year were a bit higher than in Oregon, but nothing like it has been in past years when we have traveled in California.

Starting down the last pass on I-5 just an hour south of home

As I said when I first started writing, it was wonderful to be home, wonderful to know that Deborah would be sharing the evening with us, happy to listen to our stories.

It is good to be home, to have the rain keeping us indoors, with time to relax and recuperate a bit before we start the spring cleanup outside.

We both had to laugh a bit because Mattie gets a bit disturbed when we get back home after traveling. She looks around and seems a little bit lost. All is well by the next morning, and with her routine snuggle time, she is happy as can be. I am also happy to have my comfy recliner and my warm slippers and a dog in my lap.

02-04-2024 Wide Open Spaces on Our Way to Tucson and Time With Friends

The Imperial Dunes on either side of Highway 78 toward Ogilby Road

Our time at Catalina Spa in Desert Hot Springs always feels like desert time. Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, and the entire Coachella Valley are in the desert. Our morning walks include fields of desert plants like creosote, brittlebush, desert verbena, and an occasional jumping cholla.

Parked at a desert overlook on the way to Ogilby Road

But it takes getting out in the more remote desert landscapes to begin to fully feel the magic of what the desert is really all about. As we drove south on a Monday morning along the Salton Sea, I looked westward toward Anza Borrego. Anza Borrego is a magnificent State Park, with thousands of acres of wild and sometimes desolate desert landscape, punctuated by rough, craggy, faulted, and folded desert mountains. On this trip south, we simply passed by along the western perimeter of the park on our way to a place that for us is the epitome of the perfect desert boondock.

Many years ago, when blogging was still a “thing”, many of our fellow bloggers often wrote about boondocking on Ogilby Road. Nina Fussing (read her review here) seemed to love the area more than anyone, and I would read about her adventures there with Paul and the paws back in the days when they were still traveling in the United States.

Once again, as we traveled south, I wanted at least one night on Ogilby Road. We traveled south and east on the back road through the Imperial Dunes that blogger George Yates wrote about and suggested as an alternative to Interstate 8. This time there was no construction to slow us down and it seemed we crossed the dunes quickly.

Even though we have stayed there a couple of times, it wasn’t in Mo’s memory banks and it wasn’t until we pulled into our empty space in the desert that she understood why I was so attached to staying here. In the past, we parked a few miles closer to the Mexican border where the phones were terribly confused much of the time because it kept trying to say we in Mexico.

This time we pulled into an open area on the west side of the road that was completely empty of other campers and found a wide open, perfectly level spot, and parked the rig just in time for supper and a quiet sunset.

The quiet emptiness of the place is mesmerizing, with long shadows reaching for hundreds of feet on the smooth surface of desert pavement created by constant blowing winds. We got lucky, and this time there was no wind during the evening, throughout the night, or the next morning as we departed for the eastern journey along Interstate 8 toward Tucson.

We took our time leaving the quietness of the desert morning. At first, when we parked and opened the door for Mattie the prior evening after settling in, she seemed completely confused and a bit intimidated by the wide-open spaces in front of her. By morning she was fine, and wandered the desert freely, looking for the perfect spot to do her morning business.

Within a few short miles, we intercepted Interstate 8 toward Phoenix and Tucson and were delighted with the butter-smooth pavement throughout most of the miles until we reached the convergence of I-8 with the much busier and less smooth I-10 into Tucson.

Completely serviced “rest stops” were few and far between but we did find a couple of “parking areas” with a shade shelter, picnic tables, and garbage cans. Still don’t understand why there is so much garbage all around the area with the giant containers so conveniently located.

It was after 4 when we pulled into the main gate at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Although as a traveling companion to Mo as her guest, who is retired military, I am allowed on base, I must have a special pass to enter. The visitor center issued the pass, and after a short wait, we were on our way to the eastern edge of the base where the Family Camp is located. It was a bit confusing at first because I thought it was Apache Flats (which is farther south at Fort Huachuca) then remembered it was Agave Flats, and was more confused when we found the office for the Boneyard Vista RV Park. The name of the park had been changed. In the end, it all worked out and we found a perfectly level spot on the newly graveled surface in the overflow dry camp portion of the park. There was a waiting list posted on the office door for anyone wanting to get a full hookup site.

We didn’t mind dry camping. The dump and potable water station are very close by, with excellent restrooms and showers and the best laundry we have found anywhere. Almost immediately after settling in we loaded up our three weeks’ worth of laundry and headed for the laundry room. As I remembered, the machines were all in good working order, the cost was a buck to wash and a buck to dry, and the doors were never locked. We had plenty of time to finish and fold the laundry before we went to bed that night.

We originally planned to travel east to visit Janna and Mike east of Sierra Vista for a couple of days but Janna had warned us of an impending snowstorm. We canceled our visit to them for another time and extended our planned stay at the base for an additional day.

Gayle, Mo, and Wes in their Tucson kitchen

With the adjustment in plans, we had plenty of time to spend two full days with our friends Wes and Gayle James and still have an entire day to simply relax, regroup, and prepare for the long journey back west and north toward home in Oregon.

Wes and Galye have been good friends since we were neighbors in Rocky Point, Oregon, where Mo and I lived for many years and Wes and Gayle lived until they moved permanently to Tucson.

It is always a treat to spend time with them, and we both look forward to the amazing meals that Gayle prepares for us. Gayle loves to entertain, and ever since we have known her we have marveled at her meal-specific dishware, her yummy and interesting meals, and always some amazing dessert to top it off.

We arrived at their home by 10 am and enjoyed snacks and conversation in the shade of the lovely ramada that was new to us and walked around Wes’s beautiful gardens of desert plants.

It was after 1 by the time we got in their comfy car and traveled south to the touristy town of Tubac.

We have visited Tubac twice before, the first time when we were in Tucson in 2011, visiting Mo’s friend Joan, and then again in 2018 during a Tucson visit with Wes and Gayle. Mo and I had a specific reason for visiting Tubac, where there is a plethora of artsy outdoor art mostly from Mexico. Mo and I purchased two outdoor pieces for our newly built home in 2018 and Mo discovered a spot that needed one additional piece. We were pretty sure we would find something in Tubac.

Sure enough, at the first shop we visited, we found a beautiful sun and moon sculpture that was exactly the right size for the spot where Mo envisioned it. Photos will come after we get back home and it is up on the outside wall.

I also found a truly lovely piece of original art which will be photographed and shared once it is in place back at home.

We returned from Tubac in time to relax a bit before dinner. This time our meal was perfectly prepared lamb chops, which I discovered that I liked after all, fresh asparagus, and roasted potatoes with a delightful poached pear with ice cream for dessert.

It was after 8 when we left their home to return to the base. Tucson is a ‘dark sky city’ and it took a bit of getting used to as we attempted to travel the highways and byways back to the base in the dark.

The next day we waited until afternoon to visit and on our way south along Highway 19 saw a large white edifice in the distance that looked like some kind of church. It was the brilliant white towers of the San Xavier Mission that we saw. Once at Wes and Gayle’s, when we mentioned the place, they were delighted to take us there for a visit.

Just a few miles north of their home, the mission is historically significant with a fascinating history. We read on the website that animals were always welcome in the mission so were delighted that Mattie could participate in the outing and not have to wait in a car. Wes offered to keep her company if there was any part of the mission that she couldn’t visit.

As we entered the courtyard, there was a young playful female pup that wanted to play. We thought she belonged to the couple ahead of us but discovered she was simply a stray dog that was hanging around greeting guests.

The mission was fascinating, but even more so as we entered the chapel. The incredibly complex painted wooden carvings rivaled anything we had seen in any mission previously

San Xavier Del Bac Mission was founded as a Catholic Mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the church began in 1783 and it was completed in 1797. The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church’s interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings.

Constructed of low-fire clay brick, stone, and lime mortar, the entire structure is roofed with masonry vaults, making it unique among Spanish Colonial buildings within the U.S. borders. The architect, Ignacio Gaona, is credited with building another church in Sonora, Mexico.

Little is known about the people who decorated the interior. The artwork was most likely created by artists from Queretaro in New Spain (now Mexico). The sculpture was created in guild workshops and carried by donkey through the Pimeria Alta to its destination at the mission. Craftsmen created gessoed clothing once the sculpture was in place.

Inside the church, in the glass case in the west transept, is what appears to be a mummy of some kind. It is not a mummy as some locals believe but a statue of the crucified Christ, originally located at Tumacacori Mission. When that mission was abandoned in 1849 due to Apache raiding, the people moved to San Xavier, bringing their saints with them. Along the way, the statue of Christ lost its legs. By the 1890’s it was displayed in the west transept as the entombed Christ. Later, around the time of World War I, the statue was redefined as a reclining St. Francis Xavier and placed in a glass case where it remains today, an object of considerable devotion.

After our lovely afternoon exploring the mission, we returned to Wes and Gayle’s beautiful home to relax a bit before Gayle presented us with another delightful supper. This time we were treated to Korean Bulgogi Beef served with rice and a delicious Asian slaw and sliced cucumbers and radishes. I must say, Gayle really knows how to put a meal together.

Dessert was an incredibly yummy bread pudding with a bourbon sauce that was literally the topping on the cake. Yum!!

Gayles wine poached pear!

We had a perfectly lovely and relaxing time visiting our friends in Tucson and look forward to their visit to Grants Pass in August when Gayle requested a visit to the great wineries in our local Applegate Valley.

The trip back home to the base was much easier this time since we had some practice from last night and this afternoon getting back and forth to their place. We settled into a quiet time at home, sleeping to the sounds of a beautiful rain on the roof of the MoHo, which thankfully waited until we were back home to begin.

We spent our last day at the base quietly at home, except for a quick trip to the commissary for provisions, the Express for fuel, and preparing for our departure back west on Saturday morning.

The Imperial Dunes on either side of Highway 78 toward Ogilby Rod

Parked at a desert overlook on the way to Ogilby Road

It was after 4 when we pulled into the main gate at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Although as a traveling companion to Mo, who is retired military, I am allowed on base, I must have a special pass to enter. The visitor center issued the pass, and after a short wait, we were on our way to the eastern edge of the base where the Family Camp is located. It was a bit confusing at first because I thought it was Apache Flats (which is farther south at Fort Huachuca) then remembered it was Agave Flats, and was more confused when we found the office for the Boneyard Vista RV Park. The name of the park had been changed. In the end, it all worked out and we found a perfectly level spot on the newly graveled surface in the overflow dry camp portion of the park. There was a waiting list posted on the office door for anyone wanting to get a full hookup site.

Gayle, Mo, and Wes in their Tucson kitchen

Wes and Galye have been good friends since we were neighbors in Rocky Point, Oregon, where Mo and I lived for many years and Wes and Gayle lived until they moved permanently to Tucson.

We arrived at their home by 10 am and enjoyed snacks and conversation in the shade of the lovely ramada that was new to us and walked around Wes’s beautiful gardens of desert plants.

It was after 1 by the time we got in their comfy car and traveled south to the touristy town of Tubac.

I also found a truly lovely piece of original art which will be photographed and shared once it is in place back at home.

The mission was fascinating, but even more so as we entered the chapel. The incredibly complex painted wooden carvings rivaled anything we had seen in any mission previously

Dessert was an incredibly yummy bread pudding with a bourbon sauce that was literally the topping on the cake. Yum!!

Gayles wine poached pear!

We spent our last day at the base quietly at home, except for a quick trip to the commissary for provisions, the Express for fuel, and preparing for our departure back west on Saturday morning.

The Imperial Dunes on either side of Highway 78 toward Ogilby Rod

Parked at a desert overlook on the way to Ogilby Road

Gayle, Mo, and Wes in their Tucson kitchen

Wes and Galye have been good friends since we were neighbors in Rocky Point, Oregon, where Mo and I lived for many years and Wes and Gayle lived until they moved permanently to Tucson.

We arrived at their home by 10 am and enjoyed snacks and conversation in the shade of the lovely ramada that was new to us and walked around Wes’s beautiful gardens of desert plants.

It was after 1 by the time we got in their comfy car and traveled south to the touristy town of Tubac.

I also found a truly lovely piece of original art which will be photographed and shared once it is in place back at home.

The mission was fascinating, but even more so as we entered the chapel. The incredibly complex painted wooden carvings rivaled anything we had seen in any mission previously

Dessert was an incredibly yummy bread pudding with a bourbon sauce that was literally the topping on the cake. Yum!!

Gayles wine poached pear!

We spent our last day at the base quietly at home, except for a quick trip to the commissary for provisions, the Express for fuel, and preparing for our departure back west on Saturday morning.

01-29-2024 Two Weeks at Catalina Spa in Desert Hot Springs

Sunrises and sunsets at Catalina Spa are almost always gorgeous

At the moment, I am watching huge gray and white clouds racing across the sky above Tucson, Arizona. The air is cool, in the mid-fifties, and the heavy rain that kept us company last night and for part of this day has eased. We are giving ourselves the delight of an extra day, a down day to regroup before we begin the long trek west and north toward home.

Catalina Spa has great pickleball courts, too bad we don’t play

For the first time since we have been visiting Catalina Spa, we scheduled two full weeks at the resort. Looking back in time we used to stay just a couple of nights, then 4 or 5 nights, and in the last few years we have spent a full week immersed in the desert sunlight, or rain, or wind, whatever is offered. This year we decided on two full weeks, thinking that we would have plenty of time to do the things we like to do when we are in the area in addition to a bit of downtime.

Desert visitors usually know to give the jumping cholla plenty of room

As it turned out, we had lots of precious downtime and still managed to skip some of the things we often do. I wrote last week about our day visiting Joshua Tree, something always high on the list. I did manage a day visiting the one remaining quilt shop in the Coachella Valley. A few years ago there was a list of 4 really good shops to visit, but now there is only one left. With a visit to that shop and a quick drop-in to Trader Joe’s, it didn’t take up much of our day. Quilters will laugh when I say I only bought a single yard of fabric. In the past, my budget for this quilt shop could run in the hundreds.

In past years we would often hunt for interesting hiking trails to explore, but this time spending our mornings and evenings walking a mile or so with Mattie in the desert was perfect for us. The open desert area just north of our spot in the park is a great place for dog walking and getting a bit of exercise in the open air.

Mattie loves it, especially when she can run off-leash. We have to keep an eye out for other off-leash dogs making sure they are friendly but most often the dogs do well together and play chase until they get bored. The dog park area in the park is tiny and has a dirt surface that isn’t much fun.

We went swimming almost every single day we were there, most often beginning in the early hours of the morning before the sun rose. I love swimming at that time of day because it is quiet most of the time, and I can actually swim without having a lot of conversation interfering with my swim time.

After our swims and showers, we would go home to breakfast, a bit of news, and our morning desert walks with Mattie. Sometimes I skipped the walk, but still managed to get in at least once per day. It felt great.

Mt San Gorgornio, more than 11,000 feet high, northwest of Desert Hot Springs

We thought perhaps we might hike Big Morongo Preserve during our visit. Instead, one day when our friends from Nevada City California, Nickie and Jimmy, who were camped just a few spots away from us went, we learned that it was hard to access thanks to some huge puddles on the entry road. So we skipped that adventure saving it for another year.

We also never had the inclination to pay the big bucks and take a day to wander the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. It was a long drive across the valley, and our relaxation time felt much too good to give it up for all that driving in traffic.

We did drive to Cathedral City one day during our first week in the park for a movie at the Mary Pickford It’s D Place Theater. We do love that theater with the big recliners and beer or wine and pizza that didn’t cost much more than Pepsi and popcorn. We saw the new version of The Color Purple which was a bit surprising, based more on the Broadway Play version than the book or the older movie.

Nickie and Jimmy arrived during the second week we were at the park and we had some good times with them. They are staying for an entire month, with a bit of a break at Anza Borrego. We also thought we might go to Anza Borrego and visit our friend Kathie who is a camp host there. Sadly, it rained on her day off when we planned to go, so we skipped that little extra adventure as well. Next year.

In case you might be thinking that our time at Cat Spa sounds a bit boring, I have to assure you that it was absolutely wonderful. The days slipped by filled with sunshine, good food, good conversation when we were in the mood for it, and surprisingly, a bit of music.

On Friday afternoons a few musicians, including Shannon, wife to our early morning swim companion Mike, put on a wonderful music jam with whatever musicians wanted to participate. Shannon is the one who basically “herds the cats” as Mike put it, making sure all the musicians are playing in the same key and are in the same place in the music. They played songs that appealed to most of the guests, with music from the 70’s and 80’s high on the list with some country and blues thrown in for good measure.

We enjoyed those afternoons thoroughly. Shannon has a great voice, and we especially loved the cool guy on the keyboard who surprised us with his riffs every now and then.

We camp in what is called “the lower park” and our lower park game room had 3 nice tables and a large selection of excellent puzzles. We tried a couple and managed to finish one before our visit was over. It takes a bit of adjustment to work on a puzzle, walk away for a time, and come back to someone else working on the same puzzle, but it was still fun.

On the afternoon we planned to hike Morongo with Jimmy and Nickie, I was still tired from our trip to Joshua Tree the previous day (post here) and begged off the hike for that day. Instead, we met them at 4 in the afternoon in Desert Hot Springs for a reasonably well-reviewed Mexican restaurant for supper. Casa Blanca has four locations in the Coachella Valley.

Having dined in the past at three different Mexican restaurants in Palm Springs we thought a new place might be fun. I don’t remember the food, which was basic Mexican, but what I remember most is the noise. Even at a table on the outside edge of the restaurant, the music was so loud and intrusive that none of us would ever return to this particular restaurant.

On another sunny day, the four of us crossed the Valley to Palm Springs for some time walking the streets, enjoying the shops, and finding a delicious meal. Before we went, I searched for the best salad in the area and in addition to a few very high-end places, came up with Tommy Bahamas.

We found a place to sit early for outside dining during the lunch hour. By the time we finished our meal, there was a long line of people waiting to be seated. I couldn’t have picked a better spot for a great salad. Mo and Nickie had some kind of yummy salad with roast chicken, Jimmy had sweet little sliders, but my chopped salad with blackened shrimp was the best salad I can remember eating.

The day was warm and sunny and as we walked the streets we were delighted to find “Forever Marilyn” once again gracing the city. Mo and I first saw the sculpture when we were in Palm Springs in 2013, but not long after that the statue was relocated to several cities around the country.

Finally, in 2021, it was announced that Forever Marilyn would return to Palm Springs permanently thanks to the efforts of the non-profit organization PS Resorts. A dedication ceremony took place on June 30, 2021, marking the statue’s triumphant return to the city that had embraced her so warmly nearly a decade in the past.

Another delightful find just one street west of the main drag of shops in Palm Springs was the location of the historic former Desert Inn. I linked to the history of the beautiful old inn rather than attempting to retype it in some kind of original fashion. We loved the grounds, the green lawns, the recently planted California Fan Palms, and the waterfall.

Returning home in the afternoon, we were all delighted at the lovely simplicity of the day, the beautiful food, and the fun shops on Indian Canyon Road in downtown Palm Springs.

Winter flowers in planters on the main street of downtown Palm Springs

On our last morning as we returned from the pool, a nice woman approached Mo and I and Mattie and said, “I know you.” I said “Really?” “Yes,” she said, “You are Sue and Mo and this is Mattie. I read your blog”.

It has been a long time since we have been recognized on the road from our blog so it was a nice little treat. She said she had read the blog for years but never commented. Especially in this day and age, when blogs are less and less popular, it was fun to discover that these words and photos that I put out into the ether are actually read and enjoyed by people I never know. Thanks, Suzanne, for making our day.