Alone On The Road!!

Some of the time being alone isn't exactly fun ... but yesterday, being alone on the road was GREAT!!  I was up early as usual and took my time buttoning up the rig for the next leg of my trip to Brookings Oregon.  By 8:30 I had fueled up for $3.25 a gallon and pulled out of Eureka.

Several sections of the highway have changed over the years from narrow and winding to wide and winding.  In between towns there are freeway sections that make this a much faster trip, and with no one in sight on the road, I just cruised at my own pace.  There are many 30-35mph corners that really require your attention.  The road's camber is sometimes going the wrong direction, so SLOW was the word of the day.

I passed the Trees of Mystery with Babe the not-so-blue ox and Paul Bunyon with his huge ax.  No one ever wanted to stop and check it out, but I have it on good authority that the trees there are really interesting, making it a must see.    

Fog covered the in-between sections ... it was clear near the ocean and sunny on the mountain tops ... but that didn't slow me down much at all.  At this point, I began to think maybe there had been some natural disaster that I missed on the morning news.  I did see one homeless guy shaking out his blanket on the roadside, but literally NO cars or trucks!!  Maybe I'm the only one left on earth!!  Just me and the homeless guy!!

When I got to the Oregon border, I breathed a big sigh of relief when I saw a couple of vehicles parked by the California Border Station ... which was closed.  Apparently aliens haven't landed, there were no ice tornados and no earthquakes splitting the U.S. in half!!  I probably watch the SyFy channel too much!!!

Arriving at the Brookings Elks Lodge, in a record 2 hr 15 min (honestly, I didn't speed) the perfect pull-through space was just waiting for me to drive right in.  It's near the dump station, but far from everyone else ... perfect for my sometimes barky puppies!!  One of the reasons I wanted to stop here was to meet and visit with friends of a friend .. Cindy and Tim Young.  First however, I did a quick drive by of Harris Beach State Park, a great place to stay in your RV with lots of large sites.

It was a good year for daisies ... they were everywhere along the coast!!  Wouldn't you like to look at this every day???

I met up with Cindy and Tim at their house, whereupon we promptly planned a hike into the redwood trees along the Chetco River.  I don't know if it was one mile or three miles, but there was some good uphill climbs that had my legs turning to jelly.  I know, hard to believe since I run a lot, right??  Trouble is, I run on FLAT ground!!!  

Cindy immediately found this guy crawling across the trail ... some variety of banana snail I suppose. Yuck!!!  He was moving though ... trying to get to the greener pasture as fast as he could.

The trees are amazing around here.  These huge monsters are just teenagers in the tree world.  This one was apparently in a fire at one time, but that didn't keep it from growing!  The entire middle of the tree is gone ... just the outside shell is left, yet it continues to reach for the sky.

Back at their house, Cindy and Tim cooked an amazing gourmet dinner of pork chops, potatoes, squash and salad, along with key lime pie for dessert.  I was in HEAVEN!!  What I wouldn't give to cook a meal like THAT!!!  By the way, Cindy is a quilter extraordinaire, having shown in the Sisters Oregon biggest quilt show ever!!!  I didn't get any pictures, but they were amazing!!!  It definitely motivates me to try new things!!

By 9:00 we were all sacked out on the couch with full bellies ready for bed.  

Surprisingly, I'm NOT sore this morning, but I can sure tell I had a great workout yesterday.  Maybe a little walk to the local quilt store will make my legs feel better!!!

I almost forgot ... this is Annie!!  A Ragdoll kitty ... like a Siamese with beautiful blue eyes and spectacular colors!!

 Annie is a princess that lives in a castle!!!  How cool is THAT????

How NOT To Back Up An RV .....

I actually had several more descriptive titles for this blog, but decided I should be nice!!!  I KNOW none of my friendly blog readers would EVER DO THIS!!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly NO expert at backing up, even after backing into sites all across the U.S. last summer.  I know very well what saved me was expert Barbara Westerfield, who spotted me every single time.

This gentleman however, needs a knock up side the head and a lesson at RV Driving School!!  The salmon colored RV came in towing a car on a dolly, not the easiest to deal with, I'm sure.  Once the car was off and it was disconnected from the rig, whose diesel engine ran the entire time, they moved it four different places by hand until finally deciding on a spot clear down by the lodge.

The wife then moved the car down by the lodge, which brought husband out, arms waving.  She appeared to put her fingers in her ears and walk away!!

Twenty minutes later, after two false starts, everyone else jumped into action and moved their vehicles out of the way.  Smart move!!  Two more tries, with his lovely wife trying to give him directions, he hit the brakes, turned off the engine and came out of the rig screaming like his pants were on fire.

I realize he must have been frustrated, but that's no reason whatsoever to be yelling at your wife, waving your arms wildly in the air and storming around like a tornado!!  That brought a couple of men out of their rigs to try and help ... I just sat on my steps and watched.  I know when to keep my nose out of someone else's business!!

Thirty minutes later, with help from three men, he was finally able to get in the site, but heaven forbid he should turn the engine off.  Apparently he has no jacks and no air bags.  They put several blocks under the wheels and pulled forward, slamming on the brakes and I'm sure, throwing everything inside on the floor!!  Trouble was, they put the blocks in the front ... where it was already too high.  Engine still running, they moved the blocks to the back and tried again.  EUREKA!!!  

Fifteen minutes more and they turned the engine off!!  The wife high-fived the gentlemen helping her.  

Just in case she MIGHT read my blog, I think she's a saint!!  I'd love to take her aside and give out Barbara's surefire tips to get a rig in your spot on the first try, but I doubt that will happen.  I can only send over a little prayer that the next time goes a little better.  Guys, please don't yell at your wives ... it only makes YOU look like a jerk!!  My guess is that he's also angry about what terrible fuel mileage his rig gets.  Gee ...... I wonder why???

Just goes to prove you can have an exciting day just sitting in your rig watching the world go by!!

X Marks The Spot!!

I just love it when magic happens ... and yesterday was the day.  I drove North on Hwy 101 to Trinidad to visit the lighthouse.  There used to be a REAL lighthouse here, but now all that remains is a reconstruction to memorialize those lost at sea.  It's a beautiful site overlooking the little harbor.

There are many monuments here, with this one probably being the original.  Behind this and to the left is a wall of names of those either lost or buried at sea.  

All those little specks are boats in the harbor among a few big rocks.  It was cloudy and overcast most of the day making pictures a little difficult.

A small trail leads from the lighthouse down to the beach.  Once around the first corner, this is what you see.  If you aren't in good condition and very nimble on your feet, I wouldn't try this.  The lumber steps are worn smooth as glass and covered with slippery sand, not to mention the 45 degree hill.  With no one around, I took my time, even going step by step in a couple of places.

Closer to the water, it was rather dark and foggy, but beautiful.  It's a good thing the tide was out because that last step would have been straight into the water!!

Be careful at the bottom .. at this end round logs barely attached by loose cables, move sideways at every step.  Going back up, I was on hands and knees trying to negotiate the first 15 logs!!

On the way back South, I decided to take the scenic route along the Lost Coast.  This section of Northern California is the least populated due to the rugged coastline and type of soil.  The road isn't for the faint of heart either, and definitely NOT an RV road.  It's extremely narrow in places, even for my Jeep, with patches of dirt and gravel from landslides.  Lots of one lane only sections meant going very slowly around the corners.  Like the stairs however, the views were worth it!  

Wildflowers were blooming everywhere.  The big rock on the right is called Houda Point.  Back in the 1880's, redwood shingles were high-lined from the rock (which used to be part of the shoreline) out to waiting ships, then hauled off the Lost Coast to destinations south.  The farthest is Camel Rock, a popular spot for surfers, but none were there on this day.

Further down the scenic route, I found a small road leading to Moonstone Beach.  There were no moonstones in sight, but the tide was out and this X marked the spot.  Maybe buried treasure!!!  Really, it's just white rock encased in the black rock making an X but IT'S A SIGN!!!

When I got back home, the magic happened!!  There it was .... a brand spanking new Breville Oven on my counter!!  Turns out the X was a sign I needed to put MY X on the dotted line at Bed Bath and Beyond where I found a new beauty for my rig!!!  No more bad cakes and pies ... no more burned toast or half cooked frozen pizza from an tired old toaster oven.  Why, I might even try baking a loaf of bread in this baby!!

I spent the rest of the afternoon driving up and down the highway looking for a gas station big enough to allow an RV to get fuel.  Seems the only two stations have been taken over by CardLock companies.  Nick Russell stopped by later in the evening to tell me he found one lane next to the Cardlock that allows access to anyone with a credit card.  It's interesting that with as many RV's and RV parks as there are in this area, very few service stations can accommodate big rigs.  

One more day in Eureka and I'm off on another adventure!!  I need a day of rest to heal up my sore legs from climbing up and down those stairs!!  UGH!!  I was so proud I didn't get out of breath, but I totally forgot about how my legs would feel the next day.    It's a couch day!!!

Timberbeasts, Zooglers, Fly Bread and Cheese!!

There's not much I'm jealous of at my age ... a really good cutting horse, a Victorian house I can't have and an amazing garden, since I have a black thumb!!  Yesterday, I saw the garden I've always wanted!!

I ran early in the morning, making the walk around Fort Humboldt perfect for my sore legs!!

Nothing loosens you up like a mile long walk.  I went straight for the Visitor's Center and was disappointed to find it closed.

To the west of the building is an outdoor logging museum, full of old equipment, including this Bear Harbor #1 engine that hauled lots of logs and lumbermen into the redwood forests.  Enclosed in very reflective glass, you couldn't see much!!

There were several varieties of steam donkeys, including his one invented by a local, Mr. Dolbeer, in 1881.  This saved the lives of many lumbermen who were previously moving those skyscraper logs by hand or with mules.  They became so efficient, that only 4% of old growth timber remains to this day.

There were a few women around camp, but only married women were allowed to work the kitchens. The lumber baron didn't want any hanky panky going on with his lumber crew that might slow down their work!

There was a lingo that went along with the men ... they were Timberbeasts (not lumber jacks) who wore tin pants (waterproof due to the swampy nature on the coast) who respected the Zooglers (animal wranglers) and Saw Filers who keep the misery whips (saws) sharp.  They also LOVED flybread ... raisin bread to you and me, because the raisins looked like flies.

Once through the lumber museum, I headed out across the Fort Humboldt grounds, imaging the hundreds of mules and men as they loaded up supplies brought in by ships and took off for places further north to deliver their wares.

The large building above on the left above, was the Hospital.  Mostly men died from apoplexy (stroke), consumption (tuberculosis) and drowning.  I wonder if they thought this was a good life, or if they hated every minute??

Built in 1853, this Fort wasn't built for the long haul ... it was strictly to help mediate the Indian-Immigrant wars.  Unfortunately for the natives, when the Federal Troops left for the Civil War, the State took over, resulting in the deaths and resettlement of most, if not all of the Indians.  Many of those injured were treated at this hospital, which has several exhibits inside that you can wander through.

Every good hospital had a backyard garden for herbs, since medicines were not readily available.  Just walk out back and pick some johnny-jump-ups to cure your ills.  

On the West side of the Fort, you can look down on what used to be the local native village.  It now houses that all important shopping mall!!  The local natives were gathered up and placed in a "corral", a circular 80' structure with ten foot tall walls to keep them in one place before displacing them to reservations.  Most died in the corral.

Totally depressed over the fate of the natives here, my stomach finally took over by reminding me it was way past lunch!!  In my last blog I noted there was nothing going on in Loleta ... well come to find out, there is a GREAT place to visit in this little town.  Loleta Cheese Company.

The big stainless steel vat is where the cheese is made, then moved to the boxes on the left and squished to remove excess water.  The cheese crew only works two days a week, getting all their milk from one local dairy.

They make many different kinds of cheese here, all of which is displayed in his long counter, full of sample bowls.  I tried every single one, and I have to say there were only three I didn't care for, as evidenced by the nine bricks I left with!!  The good news is that it will last for at least three months in the fridge.  The friendly staff said you can freeze it, but once defrosted, it tends to become crumbly.

It was then that the green jealous monster raised his head and tapped me on the shoulder.  Out back, the Loleta Cheese Company has the most amazing garden, all in full bloom!!

Forgive me, I know not the names ... and probably wouldn't be able to remember them even if someone told me.  All I know is they were GORGEOUS!!

There were many varieties of poppies and the bees liked them as much as I did.  It seems there is a retired gentleman that comes every Friday to tend the garden ... a labor of love, I'm sure!!

 Look at this one!!!  It's spiky and fuzzy and purple and beautiful!!!

These are the two most spectacular white plastic chairs, just because they are placed next to this potted bush.  

Everywhere you look there is beauty, from daffodils to poppies to lavender and ground cover.

I saved the best for last.  If anyone knows what this is, please let me know so I can plant some in my garden.  This looks likes a Victorian dress you would see at an afternoon tea in Mr. Carson's mansion!!

This image doesn't fit, I know, but if you've ever ridden with a photographer, you know they stop at the oddest places to take pictures.  I couldn't resist the glass blocks and rusty red paint.

I made another quick stop on the way back home at Fields Landing boat dock.  You'd never know it was there unless on a whim, you took an offramp just to see where it went!!  It's all about the adventure! 

My last stop was at the College of The Redwoods Botanical Gardens that turned out to be a truck driving school!!   While watching a poor kid learn how to back up, these babies cruised by my car.  They were so still, I initially thought they were statues ... until this one got an itch!!

This little buck followed two does right past my car, giving me lots of opportunity for pictures.

It was a long day, but I wasn't going to pass up dinner with friends Nick and Terry Russell at the Samoa Cookhouse.  This place has been in business since the late 1800's, serving timberbeasts, zooglers and tourists ever since.  

It's a set menu every day, posted on Facebook if you want to know what's for dinner and everything is served family style, all you can eat, for $16.  We had the best homemade bread (from the original 1800's recipe), beef barley vegetable soup, salad, red potatoes, corn, sweet ham and yummy fried chicken, followed up with pineapple cake and the best buttercream frosting I've had in a long time!!  Good food and great friends ... what could be better??

Back at the rigs, I was invited to check out Miss Terry's weaving projects.  Man oh man ... this lady is talented!!  I don't know if you've ever seen a loom before, but it's crazy complicated and results in the most amazing intricate patterns you've ever seen.  Maybe Nick will do an entire story on the weaving process, because it's fascinating ... and something you never really think about when you buy something as simple as a washcloth!!

Stay tuned  ...  I'm off to more adventures further North today!!

Take Two ... They're Small!!

Having run a few more miles on Saturday along with a few miles walking the zoo, I decided to be a couch potato on Sunday.  Unfortunately, that didn't work out so well since I can't stand to sit still.  How about recreating those strawberry pies?  Think these will pass?

A little pre-made pie dough cut with a biscuit cutter and baked in muffin tins was the first step.  I rolled out the leftover dough, covered it with sugar and cinnamon and baked it like my mom used to when I was a kid.  The black rod is a core sample of marble from a quarry I stopped at last summer.  It makes a perfect rolling pin!!  Thanks to Tom Westerfield for spying it in a corner of the shop!!

I found a quick and tasty recipe for the filling using fresh strawberries, jello, sugar and water.  Guess I should have made the shells a little bigger.  One large tablespoon of juice overflowed nicely all over the counter.  I popped them into the fridge to set before topping them with tons of whipped cream.  YUM YUM!!!  Take two ... they're small and not high in calories!!  I think you can even buy pre-made shells for your next RV rally potluck!!

Gee ... if I can do that, maybe I can bake that six inch strawberry cake.  A quick search of town resulted in a local Michaels store, full of Wilton cake supplies and baking goods.  I did wonder how it was going to work in my convection oven, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.  There MUST be a way to bake a good cake in this type of oven.  Yesterday however, wasn't going to be the day!!  

All the convection recipe books I have call for Low Bake, 350 degrees, 25 minutes.  The recipe said this cake needed one hour.  That was pretty hard to translate.  As you can see, it translated to an overdone cake.  I cut it into three layers and filled it with sliced strawberries.  There isn't much that frosting can't cover up or make taste yummy, right??  

I'm here to tell you that's not true after all!!  After frosting with a mixture of cream cheese, butter and white chocolate and WAY too much red food coloring, I took a taste.  DARN!!!  That frosting recipe was horrible!!  Another candidate for my ever increasing cemetery.  

The good news is that Nick and Terry Russell pulled in to the Elks Lodge here yesterday afternoon and I was able to discuss Convection Cake Baking 101 with the best RV Cook around.  Course she uses her Breville Oven, which I left home, but I'm determined to try her calculations and make a decent microwave/convection oven cake, just to prove that once in a blue moon I really CAN cook!!

One last thing before I hit the parking lot running again, I would like to note that Nick's reputation for rain following him around the U.S. is in fact, TRUE!!  I checked my weather app this morning and YES, it's supposed to sprinkle on and off for the next two days.  Maybe we can talk him into hanging around California for the next couple of months!!