Last Day in Coos Bay/North Bend

 Several errands, a few thrift shops, some walking and our belated anniversary dinner at the Plankhouse Restaurant in the Mill Casino.

I didn't take the picture. We did get to sit by the window. Cary ordered shrimp scampi. I got salmon. Cary mentioned our anniversary so we got a complimentary dessert--a very yummy cheesecake with raspberry sauce. I brought home leftovers for a future meal.

It's been a very nice stay, but now we are eager to head to Crescent City in the morning.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Susan had a newer phone, so it took her several tries to get our picture. I told Cary that my mom stood in for me for this shot! I can't believe how much we look alike!

Susan is explaining that these flowers are the first she has bought like these.

I love how she uses unusual containers for her gorgeous plants.

I hope she can manage to keep everything watered while she recuperates from a broken hip!

Because it is our anniversary, we were hoping to dine at the Mill Casino, but the restaurants are closed till tomorrow. After 33 years, what is one more day?!

Cool wind for our walks, but that is precisely why we came. 

 

Coos Bay

 Our RV site at the Mill Casino in Coos Bay sits close to the water. It is a smaller space than we expected. I think when I said we had a 36 inch 5th wheel, it got translated as a 36 foot motorhome. Regardless, it took some fancy parking to get the truck into our space. Nothing else was available.

We tried getting supper to go at The Boat restaurant, but again, due to staffing and seating arrangements, the wait was going to be too long, so we went home and had Lean Cuisine TV dinners! After the grocery shopping experience at Walmart, we just wanted some stress-free relaxing. Nice walk later.

More Florence

We did lots of walking, a little shopping, only one yard sale (Cary got a little free frying pan and a step for the trailer--the place where we are parked is a big step up from the ground.).

Today I took pictures on our walk around the harbor and old town.

I bought two Linwood Barclay mysteries here, only to discover I read one of them several years ago. It will seem new this time!

One of the 23 McCullough bridges that span Oregon rivers. It opened in 1936. The total cost of the bridge was $527,000 (equivalent to $9.9 million in 2020).

Parked in front of the ice cream shop

Today, Sunday, the temps have gotten as high here in the trailer as 86! We haven't turned on the air, but are using a fan and I changed into shorts and a t shirt.

 

Enjoying Time in Florence

 We looked for yard sales, but didn't find any. So the next best thing--thrift stores.

I found several sewing magazines and a pair of shorts at St. Vinnie's (picture from the internet).

I bought a book here, but Cary had to tell me it was a book I had recommended and ordered for him from Amazon, The Splendid and the Vile, about Winston Churchill by Erik Larson. Luckily we could trade it for a seat cushion that he wanted to try in the truck!

On the way back to the RV park, we stopped at the kitchen store where I had found a pie crust shield that I wanted for when I bake the one or two pies a year, I don't have to burn my fingers arranging torn pieces of aluminum foil around the edges to keep them from burning!

After supper (chowder from Mo's and cornbread), we took a walk. The fog came in early so no sunset and no moon!

That's the sun at 7:45 p.m.

The Siuslaw River, fog coming in

 More of the campground

Florence

Not the best route from Salem to Florence. Somewhere along the winding road, a woman in a small SUV decided to turn around--people going around the curve had to suddenly stop. We are always concerned about vehicles behind us, but luckily they all stopped in time too. Whew!

Once we arrived in the Siuslaw Marina RV Park, we set up then walked over to Mo's. Because of their table arrangements and so many people fleeing the heat inland, we had an hour wait. They took our phone number so we did some sightseeing.

 Cary ordered a shrimp melt; I got grilled shrimp. Both came with a bowl of clam chowder. We bought a quart of the chowder to have another day.

We hoped to see the full moon, but as so often happens on the coast, the clouds came in. The sunset was beautiful, but I didn't have my camera with me. I will try again tomorrow.

Last Minute Stuff

We always need at least one more thing before heading to our next destination. I wanted to be sure and get pictures of the teepees and rental cabin available at the RV Park.

I took this picture from the website. You have to bring your own pad or cot and bedding. There are at least four, maybe more, in two different sizes. Only available in spring and summer.

Groceries, a few hardware stores and back to Goodwill for a hiking stick--found one, although it may be too long. And look what I discovered in one of the hardware stores--lots of fabric!

Salem, Day 3

 Lazy start to the day. We picked up Ginger around 11 a.m. (Mark was working) and went to the Goodwill Store. All three of us found treasures. Cary is still hoping to find a straw sun hat, so we went to Dick's Sporting Goods. No luck there either. Ginger knew a nearby place for lunch. They had patio seating, umbrellas, and the weather was still hospitable. Ginger and Mark go to Sybil's regularly (or they did before Covid), so we figured it would be good. And it was. Yummy food and great service.

We dropped Ginger off, saying our Goodbyes. Always fun to see them. She was doing laundry and I needed to get to it myself when we got back to the trailer. By then the humidity had kicked in; the temps went up a few notches. Thank goodness for our AC in the trailer. I should be good for laundry duty till we get to Crescent City.

 My mouse quit working just as I started the blog tonight. That will be one of my next purchases!

Salem, Day Two

  We ran errands then hung out with Mark and Ginger. She made pasta, salad and a key lime pie! Very yummy. Plans for tomorrow: a Goodwill Store, Western apparel shop (Cary hopes to find a hat, not a cowboy hat) and then out to lunch. We are picking up Ginger since Mark has to work.

Salem, Day One

 Although we are now in Salem, it took nearly a day to get here! So much traffic! Especially in the Portland area. I may never go this way again. But I did get lots of pictures. The Columbia River is magnificent.

My camera dumps all of the photos into one folder, so I am still trying to sort out what is new and what I already posted.

It seemed incongruous to me that the hillsides right on the river would be so barren looking!

Later, we did get to see trees.

Mt. Hood

Bonneville Dam

When we got to the turnoff for our RV park in Silverton...we discovered the road was closed. Yes, there were signs, but it was a long day and no real easy to decipher alternative. I  helped Cary back up the trailer into a driveway on the closed road.  I am sure we weren't the only RVers who had to do the same thing. At least that is what I am telling myself!

We got set up, called our friends in Salem and made plans to go over after showers and lunch. Cary was hoping for Mexican food for supper, so  Ginger took us to our favorite spot nearby, where we ate way too much, leaving no room for her key lime pie! But we are going back tomorrow. 

Oregon Trail RV in Irrigon, Oregon

 The first thing we wanted to know after locating an RV park with room for us (I made reservations last month for this trip.), was how did the town get its name? This is what we discovered:

... IRRIGON, 8 m. (297 alt., 65 pop.), on the site of old Grande Ronde Landing, a former stopping place for travelers, derives its name and sustenance from the irrigation district of which it is the center.

Right now we are waiting for the temps to drop (93 degrees at 4:30) before going over to the Columbia River, very close to the campground.

You can see the river from our RV site.

This was at the back of the RV park--had to get a picture!

Museums

We started our day with a few yard sales--even found some stuff too. 

Then it was off to the long-awaited Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. We planned on going two years ago, but because we worked an extra month at the lighthouse, we put it off till last year. You know what last year was like; we went no where. 

Cary posed with the covered wagon at the front entrance.

We were fortunate to hear the music from these folks (hard to get a picture after the performance without other people in it), who also gave us information about the trail. Lucky because, the center was closed due to Covd!

We drove to a point where there are actual ruts in the old trail from the wagons. 

From there we drove back into town to visit the historical museum. Wow, a lot to absorb in one day. I am sharing just a few of the pictures I took.

The rock room, with specimens from the U.S., Mexico and Canada. There was also information about two sisters who collected rocks and minerals, one even at aged 94, still collecting.

These polished stones were all done by one man. 

The Airstream trailer was developed by a local man, Wallace Byam.

The museum is in a building that was once a natatorium. I learned a new word! It once housed an indoor swimming pool. The pool was covered over during WWII and used to build truck beds,12 a day.

The upper deck you can see in this photo was sort of a viewing area, lounging around and watching the swimmers.