Moving Day -- headed for Washington State

 We left Fort Stevens this morning and headed to Astoria.  

We got soaked by a really good rain, and it feels so much like the Pacific Northwest.  One moment there will be hard rain and the next the clouds part and we see some sunshine. The beautiful Astoria-Megler Bridge currently has some construction and we got to stop on the top of the bridge.  

There were several container ships floating between the bridge and Tongue Point, OR.  They were probably waiting for a dock to unload up river in Portaland, OR.

   As we were sitting there, Kim noticed a rainbow on the side of the bridge!  When we passed the rainbow, we noticed it was directly next to the bridge at the spot where all the construction workers were.  With the extra height and great view windows of the class A motorhome Kim, the driver saw exactly where the rainbow met the water of the Columbia River.

 It was absolutely beautiful. 

Once we crossed the bridge we were in Washington State.

Battery Fort -- Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

We stopped by the bunkers at Fort Stevens.   

The Russell Battery was created during the civil war just in case England sided with the Confederacy and invaded from Canada.   They grew more fortified and were in full use during World War II.  The Russell Battery is the only place to be attacked by the Japanese army inland during the war.  

We went exploring into the lower bunkers.   There's a lot of poorly done graffitti with foul language, (which could be a good example on why there should be art classes in schools)

and the inner section was so dark and spooky, I really didn't want to go back there without a good flashlight.   

Up above, there's the area where the cannons were mounted, and a gun pit. 

  Boom and I walked up the stairs and went exploring into all the storage rooms and quarters.   We walked up some steps to what looked like there might have been a gun turrett attached to the spiky screws sticking up. 

 Boom decided he wanted to jump up on the upper wall. (on the left side in the pic above)   I didn't want him to jump down on the sharp screws, so I crawled up with him and jumped down the back.  We could see Kim at the car from up above and waved.

There's the Pacific Rim Peace Treaty nearby for peace between Japan and the US.  I forgot to take a picture!   We walked up the trails a little ways and did some sniffing.   

The old bunkers hold a lot of interesting history and is a great place to visit and explore.

Fishing Access Columbia River -- Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

 Several times we took Boomer to the fishing access of the Columbia River.  You can see the city of Astoria and the Astor bridge in the distance.   

On nice days you could even see what is left of Mount Saint Helens in the distance.

Boomer loved running as fast as he could and rolling in the sand.   

There was a huge smile on his face when we took him home for the night.  

His first visit to the ocean was a lot of fun for everyone.

Fort Stevens State Park Oregon -- Sunset

We decided to watch the sunset over the ocean.

 We let Boomer off-leash and he ran towards the water, chasing a seagull with a full grin on his face.   He raced through the sand and rolled more than once on his back, immersing himself in the wet sand.

 

At one point, a sneaker wave caught him and he stood like a statue absolutely petrified and not knowing what to do.  I am sure he could feel himself sinking in the sand. I thought I'd need to go into the water and grab him. 

After a little coaxing, Boomer got out of the water and with all his pent up adrenaline  he ran full bore way from the crashing waves to safety.   As soon as he reached the base of the cliffs he looked back and waited for me to join him before rushing up the hill to Kim.

Boomer's first run on the beach at Fort Stevens State Part Oregon Beach

 Here is a Video of Boomer's first run on the beach.

Campground -- Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

 At Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon we stayed in space L45 for several days.  

It was a nice space if you don't mind trees, felt cloudy even on sunny days, but would be a great spot to stay in the heat of the summer.  If you are planning on coming with your RV to this park just a heads up even if you get a full hook up space with sewer like we did, there is a sign on the power box asking that you dump your tanks at the dump station before using it.  We were concerned about flooding our neighbors, so only used the dumpstation, and did not bother with the sewer connection at our space.

We did not spend much time at the RV in the afternoons since the beach was close by, however we were glad to have our toad (car we tow) so we could drive to the parking lot almost 2 miles away.

Fort Stevens State Park Oregon -- Peter Iredale shipwreck on beach

The first stop was the site of the Peter Iredale shipwreck on the beach.

 It crashed ashore during a storm in 1906 and had to be abandoned.   

  All crew members were rescued but the British ship was beyond repair.   Captain H. Lawrence blessed it and let it go to the sands.   A small section of the bow is still visible.   So different from its original glory, but fascinating to see the rusty bones. 

 Several other metal sections are buried nearby.  The shipwreck is absolutely stunning with the setting sun and ocean behind it.

We found this historical web site:  

https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/the-wreck-of-the-peter-iredale/#.Yglcjd_MJEZ

Catalog Number

OrHi 12297

Date

November 13, 1936

Era

1921-1949 (Great Depression and World War II)

Record Type

Photograph

Themes

Trade, Business, Industry, and the Economy, Transportation and Communication

Credits

Coe Family Collection, Oregon Historical Society

Regions

Coast Columbia River

Author

Leo Simon

---

The wreck of the Peter Iredale is shown in this photograph, taken by Portland photographer Leo Simon on November 13, 1906, nineteen days after the ship ran aground near Ft. Stevens 

Polk County Fairgrounds near Dallas OR

 We are staying at the Polk County Fairgrounds near Dallas, OR.   

There are fields all around us and when the sky is clear, you can see the snowy Mount Hood in the distance.  Unfortunately it was cloudy most of our stay.

 On several trees beside us, two hawks perch

and watch for their dinner at night.  They look very regal up on the trees on either side of us. 

   Boomer likes to go for a walk in the nearby park.   It's a tree-lined oasis by the river.   Everything has changed since we've left the desert.  It's been foggy with a low cloud ceiling that makes us want to duck our heads.  Moss lines the trees and my shoes are sopping after walking with Boom on the grass.

At the Fairgrounds there are hookups for RVs and in the center is a truck driving school where trainees drive around in circles and practice backing up.  There's something unnerving about having a huge truck with 'driver in training' on the side coming right at you!   On the bright side, it's entertaining to watch.

The local park is dedicated to a former Oregon Senator Nesmith, and he is buried with his family in a beautiful little plot in the park.   They lived here in the late 1800s and the park is named in honor of him.   It's another cloudy, moist day this morning and later we will be breaking camp and heading to the ocean.

City Park at Myrtle Creek, Oregon

 We pulled into the small city park campground in the afternoon.  

 Beautiful grass and trees and a park just nearby.  But there was also a train track that went by the park entrance road.   We weren't sure if the trains were active, but at night we found out they were!   In the dark of the night, the trains sounded like it was just feet from us, with metal on metal scraping sounds as it went by above us across the park entrance road.

But this park was gorgeous, with a train trestle nearby and a park with a frisbee course.   Boomer led me right down to the river's edge and we did some exploring. 

 The trees are so much denser than in Montana or down south. 

 Boomer enjoyed exploring the park and finding little trails down to the water.   We headed out the next day but overall enjoyed our stay.  This was a popular dog walking area and we got to see dogs of every shape and size going by.

Valley of the Rogue, Grants Pass/Medford, OR

 Valley Of The Rogue Campground is partway between Grants Pass OR and Medford, OR.

It is s beautiful state campground just off the freeway. 

The Rogue River is just a short distance away and there is a dirt trail that goes all along the river.  

It's so beautiful walking among the trees and listening to the birds.   The dirt floor is carpeted with fallen leaves and just to the right the river is flowing along beside you.  Boomer really enjoyed exploring with me!

Cheryl and Jeff stopped by and I hadn't seen them for some time!   I was so glad we got to connect and I hope to see them in Montana sometime.  (Keeping fingers crossed)   Boomer was immediately smitten with both of them, and jumped up on the picnic table to be closer to Jeff, who he absolutely adores!   He also kept insisting that Cheryl really needed to rub his chest and gave her a few kisses.    

We went for a walk down the paved trail and passed by some very alert-looking geese, who looked warily at Boomer as we passed.

There was a garden planted specifically for the Monarch Butterflies and included some lavender, mint, and other plants to help them on their migration path.  We stopped by a small labyrinth made of stones and Jeff and I walked it.

   The labyrinth shape has been found in many ancient cultures.   It's so beautiful walking something that simple.   Jeff and I high-fived when we met on the side.   Everyone was encouraged to leave something meaningful at the center.   After that, we headed back to camp and had a campfire.

It was so good to see Cheryl and Jeff.  We hope to see them again soon!

Weed, CA

 Stopped for supplies in Weed, CA.   There was a great view of Mount Shasta.

Sycamore Grove Campground, Red Bluff, CA

 We arrived at the campground just south of Red Bluff, CA after a tiring long drive.  Living in rural Montana, we are not used to traffic, making it all the more stressful.  We stayed for several days recooperating.

It was so good to be home for the night.   This park has many different types of trees including Sycamores and Valley Oaks.

   The Sycamore trees are just amazing, so magnificent with their hovering canopies and crooked branches.   There are other trees a type of pine that has huge pinecones bigger than my hand.

The Sacramento River flows nearby and there is a boat dock and dam right next to the campground.

Boomer really enjoyed the nature trails around the park that wound around sycamore, oaks and pines.   There is also a natural pond fed by aqueducts coming from the river and you can hear the frogs singing when you pass by.

Our puppy gives this park with all the trails, 

4 paws and a tail up for the awesome trails and sniffs!