Eric’s unexpected open-heart surgery was a major derailment in our life journey. But we’re finding our way back to physical and emotional well being—and feeling confident enough that we’re starting to make travel plans. We’ve decided to do something we’ve wanted to do for a very long time, and we’re really excited.
For years, we’ve dreamed of a leisurely trip up the Oregon Coast. Although we’ve camped at many of the coastal Oregon state parks (after all, we’ve lived in southern Oregon for decades), there are stretches of the coast that we’ve never explored, particularly the northern region.
We’ve also wanted to return to some of our favorite places on the Olympic Peninsula—tide pooling at Salt Creek Recreation Area, hiking the trails at Cape Flattery and Hurricane Ridge, biking the Olympic Discovery Trail, hanging out in Port Townsend…we can hardly wait! Along with revisiting favorites, we’re looking forward to exploring places we’ve never visited, including Cape Disappointment and the southwestern region of Olympic National Park.
We’ll begin our journey the first week in May, and cap off our Oregon Coast and Olympic Peninsula adventure by sailing to Lopez Island the first week of July, where we’ll once again happily spend the summer as interpretive hosts at Spencer Spit State Park.
I’m feeling an overwhelming desire to buy myself one of those t-shirts that says “Life Is Good.”
If you have suggestions for places that we shouldn’t miss in our Pacific Northwest Coastal Extravaganza, please share your ideas with us in the comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!
So happy to hear you sounding happy! We hope to see you in Seaside!!!
Kim, we have almost a week booked at Fort Stevens State Park—we would love to have some adventures with you and Rick! I’ll be in touch. :-)
OH YAY!!!!! Sounds like a perfect plan.
I’m sorry we’re heading in the opposite direction this summer or we’d make sure to cross paths to help celebrate! Sigh.
Sue, YAY is right!! We are so excited about our plan. I’m really sorry we won’t be meeting up with you this spring/summer—but hopefully we’ll get to see you and Dave sometime later in the year.
Sounds like another one of your great adventures! When you pass through Neah Bay, check out Pat’s Place. She bakes fresh pies daily, and we brought a couple of slices back to our campsite for dessert that evening. Yummy! And,Pat is a fun person to talk with – she has been involved in tribal matters for years, was once the local beauty queen (please see the picture on the wall), is a diehard Seahawks fan, etc. 😀
Dick, we were enthralled with our visit to Neah Bay a couple of years ago and are looking forward to a return visit. It’s truly a magical place. We’ll be sure to check out Pat’s Place—thanks for the tip!
Maybe take a run out to the lighthouse at Cape Blanco? We have never camped there, but if you know Paul and Nina of Wheeling It, they love the place. We did go and visit and decided the campground was a bit dark, but the place is wild and lovely, and it isn’t too far back to Port Orford for good fish and chips and the “Norwegian.” Is it ugly or crazy…one or the other. Glad to see you have picked a bunch of our favorite parks, and the timing should be great. Fort Stevens is huge and we enjoyed it in late winter, but who knows how crowded it might be during your time frame. So very glad that Eric is feeling well and that you two are going to get back traveling again. Spring will come, honest, it will. The high winds today remind me of that, feels like spring not winter at least for a day or two. Take care.
Sue, a visit to Cape Blanco is definitely part of our plan. We thought about staying there, but instead decided to stop on our way up the coast for a day hike and a tour of the lighthouse. The distances we’re traveling are short, so it’s perfect.
We’re very excited about Fort Stevens—we’ve never been there. We’re hoping May/June will be good weather on the coast—one never knows in Oregon! The winds have been crazy here in Ashland, too. It does feel more like spring, not winter.
We just drove that route last fall- we did miss the mid Oregon coast and have vowed to return ASAP. Cape Blanco weather was crazy when we were there.
Pat, we’ve wanted for years to travel the entire Oregon coast, all in one trip—and we’re finally doing it! We’re thinking Cape Blanco might be crazy weather, thus we decided to not stay there. But we’re hoping it will be tame enough for a day visit.
Sounds like a great plan to some beautiful places. I know it’ll feel great to get those wheels rolling again 😊
Ingrid, we’re really excited about rolling again.:-) A leisurely trip up the Oregon Coast has long been on our bucket list. It’s a gorgeous part of the country.
Oh, this sounds lovely. The Discovery Trail is so nice and such easy riding. All my visitors get dragged up to Cape Flattery. I used to live near Olympia Wa, now Seattle. I feel trapped here, so much easier to get out and about living around the Olympia area.
Nancy, now that we know how special Cape Flattery is, we can’t wait to return! Your visitors are lucky to have you as their tour guide. We’re looking forward to biking more of the Discovery Trail (we’ve only biked the section out of Port Angeles). Let us know if you’re in the area in June.
Great to hear that you are making plans! Fort Stevens State Park is a great stop. Lots to see in Fort Stevens, fantastic bike trails, kayaking in the Columbia, and lots to see and do in Astoria. Really worth a stop.
Hope to see you along the journey!
R & K, we’re excited to be making plans! We’ve never been to Fort Stevens—bike trails, exploring Astoria—and kayaking on the Columbia! Our kind of place, for sure. We’ll be there for about a week. I think we’ll be busy. :-)
Awesome! So glad to hear you guys are heading back out on the road again. We’ve only been in the Pacific Northwest once, for a kayaking trip in the San Juan Islands, several years ago. We loved every minute of it and can’t wait to get back and really spend some time exploring. But, since it’s gonna be a while before that happens, we’ll happily live vicariously through you this summer!
Laura, how cool that you’ve experienced the San Juan Islands! We fell in love with Lopez and have returned each summer for the past seven years as interpretive hosts at Spencer Spit State Park. The kayaking is fabulous in the islands, as you know. Make your way to the Pacific Northwest….it’s a great place to RV.
Sounds like a wonderful adventure to look forward to. Love the map.
Peta
Thanks, Peta. It’s fun being able to plot our travels on a map and to have a visual of our route. We’re looking forward to our spring and summer adventures.
Yay! We plan on taking our time on the coast this summer too. I love Oregon. We hiked Opal Creek last year. It’s probably more inland than you want to go.
Pam, Opal Creek looks amazing. We’ll have to plan a trip sometime that includes hiking there. Maybe we can meet up for an adventure on the coast! We’ll be on the Oregon Coast for the month of May, and the Olympic Peninsula during June.
Hopefully, we will meet up since we are heading to the Olympic Peninsula this summer, as well!! We are also making stops in Oregon. I’ll let you know as soon as we get our thoughts together. We struggle with making reservations that far ahead but I know we must:) It is very exciting to see you two are planning for your departure!! Wahoo!! That means Eric is continuing to make great progress:)
Pam, we definitely want to meet up with you and John. We don’t like making reservations so far ahead, either (or at all!) but it’s essential for the Oregon Coast and the Olympic Peninsula in the summer. I just finished our reservations—and I had to get really creative for Memorial Day weekend.
Eric is continuing to make great progress—we just need to make sure he’s ready to hoist the bikes onto the top of the truck by the time we leave. And our kayak! (With my help, of course.) :-)
Oh, boy! Hope Eric is strong enough to put the bikes and kayaks on the roof! Maybe you can do some powerlifting for the next few months and do it all by yourself:) You know…macho woman!
Haha, not only do I need to be stronger, I also need to be a lot taller to get the bikes onto the roof of the truck! I always help with the kayak—it weighs 75 pounds and takes both of us to hoist it on top of the truck. :-))
Sounds great! Findlay suggests Sucia Island. ;) Not exactly on the way, but a gem of a place! Maybe we can even go together!
Amanda, we have our fingers crossed that you and Fin will be coming to the islands this summer. And a trip to Sucia Island together would be fantastic! Love you so much!
We’re still planning on Ashland mid-May, and we will be in Garibaldi just north of Tillamook for three weeks in June. Hoping our paths will cross again! Lovely to hear the excitement of travel plans in your words :-)))
Jodee, I’m bummed that we’re going to miss you in Ashland! But maybe we can plan to meet up while you’re in Garibaldi—I don’t think we’ll be too far away. We would love to cross paths with you and Bill.
Looks like it’s going to be a fabulous summer!
We too are summering along the coast of the PNW, though we are staying in OR…don’t arrive at the coast until mid July.
Safe travels…so happy to see that Eric is doing well and you’re making plans!
Thanks, Lisa. We’re so happy that we’ll be ready to resume our travels by spring. Sure wish we could meet up with you and Hans, but we’ll be on Lopez in July. I know you’ll have a wonderful summer in Oregon!
A big part of the healing process, making plans for the future. Love that your plans for the summer are coming together. It would be wonderful if we could meet up somewhere in the fall. Much love to you both.
LuAnn, it does feel so hopeful to be making plans for the future. And we’re also finding a lot of joy in being in Ashland, which helps us stay present for the next three months. We would love so much to meet up with you and Terry in the fall—we really want to have some adventures together! Love you guys. :-)
You have some great plans ahead after a tough delay. It will be fun to follow your travels again.
Debbie, we’re really happy about our plans for the Oregon Coast and Olympic Peninsula. Ordinarily we wouldn’t be in this part of the country in the spring—but since we are, it’s a perfect opportunity! We’re glad you’re following along with us.
This sounds like a perfectly wonderful spring and summer. Looks like lots of folks for you to meet up with. Wish we were coming out there. We’ll be in Maine as my second choice. I am so happy to hear the joy in your voice as you share your plans. Really glad Eric’s recovery has come along so very well. Envying you that neat map. Congratulations to you both. Nothing in life better than being in or getting back to good health.
Thank you, Sherry. We’re thrilled that we’re going to be able to resume our travels by May. It does seem like there will be lots of our RVing friends traveling the Oregon coast this year. I wish you and David were going to be out here, too. Maine is definitely high on our list—I’ll be looking to you for ideas!
Wohoooo, glad to hear you are making travel plans again. And really happy to hear Eric is on the mend. Well, I hope the doctor says he can lift those bikes and kayaks again :)
Too bad Oregon is not in our route this year but will travel with you through your great pictures.
We are having a great time here in Puerto Penasco.
Thanks, MonaLiza! I sure wish we could see you guys this year for a longer visit. So glad you’re having fun in Puerto Pensasco….I’m sure you’re a lot warmer than we are in Oregon. :-))
Glad to hear you will be back on the road! I hope Karren and I will be able to meet you and Eric this summer. Love, Rick.
Rick, there’s nothing we would like more than to meet up with you and Karren this summer. We sure missed seeing you in Florida this winter. Let’s make a plan. Love you both!
Yay for travel in our great big beautiful backyard!
Gretchen, we do have a great big beautiful backyard, don’t we? Lopez is the crown jewel. :-) Looking forward to seeing you this summer.
So so glad you are making trip plans. Sometimes that’s the hardest part or tedious for sure. Maybe these trip plans will be easier and more enjoyable in anticipation of getting back on the road. We are thinking about you guys!
Love,
Perry & Beth
Beth, making trip plans is definitely time consuming (as you know!). But it’s also a wonderful affirmation of getting back to our travels in May. Sure hope we’ll be seeing you guys this year…we have a lot of catching up to do! Much love to you both. :-)
It’s always great to have plans to look forward to and you two always have great plans.
Brenda, we’re hoping to see you and Morey in Brookings as we start our journey up the Oregon Coast. :-))
Cape Disappointment:Good place to study cormorant species. Check Kirkland Audubon website for birding ideas around Seattle.
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Margaret. We’ll be on the lookout for the cormorants—spring should be good birding time on the coast!