North Bend Oregon Mill Casino!!

At about 8:30 am, the rain finally quit as I was packing up to leave Florence Oregon and head south with Patty and Dan.   It was kind of weird not following the black jeep, but I soon caught sight of them ahead.  We figured if Dan got his windshield replaced monthly, he would never have to clean it!!  What a deal!!

As we took off, he said I was in for a long days drive ... DARN!!  I didn't fix a lunch!!  Right off the bat we came to a big high "Nick" bridge as we crossed over to North Bend.  It's the Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge, named after the designer responsible for many bridges in Oregon.

Even at this height, the Swedish ship Elgaren hit the bottom of the center span.  Seems they came in when the tide was three feet higher than normal.  That's not much leeway!!  

Soon we pulled into North Bend, home of The Mill Casino and RV Park, where Dan planned to stay.  Hey!!  I thought this was going to be a long day????  With no reservations, we weren't sure if we would get two spots, but soon pulled into our bay view spaces, full 50 amp hookup for $35.   At this time, we were told there are NO sites available for tomorrow night.  We planned on going down to Bandon on Wednesday, but will have to move our rigs to the "you-don't-have-reservations-gravel-lot" before we leave.

                                                

After a great salad bar with clam chowder (good, but not as good as Bay City) Patty and I immediately took off for the local yarn shop in Coos Bay, just a mile down the road.  When we first drove by, I decided to forget this store.  They were closed ... a couple of reviews said they were never open ... and it looked like a hurricane had gone through.  Patty with her sixth sense said it might be a "diamond in the rough".  Boy howdy was she right!!  We went to the quilt store and returned an hour later to find the biggest yarn shop I have ever seen.  You could barely get through the aisles ... there were skeins of yarn stuck everywhere, including the bathroom!!  You just had to dig through the boxes, baskets and shelves.

Seriously, I think someone has a little problem here!!!  There's probably 25 times more than what you see in these pictures.

We took our time and dug through shelf after shelf, coming up with some great yarn I've never seen anywhere else!!  

This will make a most spectacular afghan ... so I got it ... along with some other pretties!!

I've heard of Dan's cousin the Head Chef who worked here some time ago ... about how good the food was.  When we saw this Tasty Tuesday sign ... and it was Tuesday ... well you KNOW where we had dinner!!!  All you can eat Prime Rib ... and it was excellent, as was the pork loin and beef tips, even though we waited in line over 30 minutes.  Of course I scarfed up on the desserts ... had to get my $14.95 worth!!!

Back at the rigs stuffed and miserable, I figured I better stay up for awhile if I wanted to sleep!!  While checking out the internet using The Mill Casino WiFi, I saw "RV Park Reservations".  Just for kicks, I clicked on it, put in todays date and VOILA!! up came an open reservation.  I picked it up immediately and got a confirmation number.  Well lets just try that again and see if I can get one for Patty and Dan.  Sure enough ... here's another!!  Either there WERE sites available or someone put in a cancellation.  We're heading to the office this morning to see if our confirmations hold true!!   Keep your fingers crossed!!

Once settled wherever we are staying, we'll head to the Animal Park in Bandon.  

Here's a little tidbit ... Coos Bay is the home of Steve Prefontaine, running legend who competed in the 1972 Olympics.  He once held every record in every long distance running event.  I watched him run many times when I was in high school.  Unfortunately, he was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 24.  

Winter Has Arrived???

The drive from Seaside to Florence was a wet one.  We stopped in Tillamook for fuel at Fred Meyers (you can get around the pumps if there are no cars parked in front) to the tune of $3.86 per gallon.  At Newport, Patty and Dan headed inland for another windshield repair while I kept going South.  My drier needs some work, but Coach Care in Coburg said they were booked solid for the next two weeks.  I think they just didn't want to work on it.  I'm sure it's just the belt, but couldn't convince them to give me an appointment, which is why I'm continuing on to Florence.

I kept thinking as I got further south, the rain would quit so I could fly my new kite ... but no such luck!!  I woke up several times last night because of the downpours, sounding like someone pouring buckets of water on the roof!!  I guess winter has arrived on the coast!

I can't say enough about this Elks campground.  Even with all the rain, there's not a spot of mud anywhere.  I'm in an extra-long extra-wide pull-through with 50 amp service for $20.  My satellite dish works (Yay! TV)  and the Camp Hosts are very friendly and helpful.  The internet isn't the best, but it works.  My AT&T phone has No Service.

Here's some figures I caught up on last night ...

Total cost of fuel to date:     $4,259.79
Total gallons fuel:                     929
Average fuel cost:                $4.58/gal
Total miles traveled:                7,850
Average MPG:                         8.45
Toilet Paper 4-pak:                      3
Ice Cream Pints:                 Too Many!!
Coffee (Gen Foods Int'l)        15 cans
Dog Food (40# bags):               2.5
Quilt Material:              I don't want to know!!!
Alaska Trip:                     PRICELESS!!!

I'll catch up with Patty and Dan in a couple of days and we'll continue heading south to home in California.

Kites (Again) and Goodbyes!!

Before the kites and goodbyes, Patty and I struck out for the Croc store ... no, not the crocodile type of crocs but the shoe kind.  Patty has a great pair of waterproof sandals that she wears daily.  Sand just rolls off the sides and she swears they are comfortable.  Now THAT's the kind of sandals I need for kite flying!!  These are NOT what I bought ... the biggest pair in the world ... but I did get a cute pair of waterproof Mary Janes.

I know, more kite pictures ... but I'm here to tell you this is FUN!!  Soon we were off to the kite competition at the Turnaround in Seaside.   People actually compete for points like in race car driving.  This is the site that greeted us on the beach!  During some later conversations, I heard these static kites can run from $3500 to $4500 dollars.  Makes my Revolution absolutely CHEAP!!!

There were lots of sea creatures, including this shrimp!  You can see here the number of lines needed to keep one of the other kites afloat.

The turquoise is an octopus and the one laying on the sand is a dog.  A little later, another orange octopus got airborne, even with the light winds.  I could just sit and watch them all day.

We caught sight of Nick and Terry ... working hard on a story I'm sure ... and joined them on the beach along with Ray and Carol Bouchart.  Ray spent 30 minutes with me explaining how he flies his Revolution.

Just to the right is a large section roped off for the competitors who fly to music while being judged.   This is Travis, a twelve year old sensation of the kite world who has only been flying for two years.  It's amazing the patterns he can make that kite do.            

Behind Nick was this gentleman getting a kite ready to fly, so I walked up close to see how the lines attached.  Come to find out, this is John Barresi ... designer of the Revolution B series of kites, as well as many others, the Mario Andretti of kite world.  I got a little closer ...  he was talking about flying, about the twelve year old, about lines and handles.  I got a little closer ... then I watched in awe as he maneuvered this kite along the sand, in the air and along people's backs as they walked by.  I got a little closer ... and learned everything I possibly could.  Come to find out, he is more than a master kite flyer ... he has won every kind of competition EVER ... is Editor of Kitelife magazine, and travels around the world teaching and promoting kite flying.  What an amazing thing to watch as he played the kite like an extension of his arm, interacting with the crowd.  I know he's a superstar and makes it look easy ... but now I want a Revolution kite even more!!

Nick introduced me to the owner of the local kite shop, Northwest Winds who took me back to the store for a quick lesson in all things Revolution.  He even took one off the wall for me to play with, giving me lots of instructions along the way.  I couldn't help myself ... this is what I brought home!!!  Funny ... I've always hated the wind ... now I'm looking for it!!

And then it was time for the goodbyes!!  We spent the evening with Terry and Nick Russell saying our goodbyes over great food, telling war stories and having a good time.  For me, it's rare to meet such nice people with whom I have so much in common.  Of course, we'll keep in touch via our Blogs, but I'm sure hoping I meet up with them down the road some day so we can share more fun!!  Thanks Nick for the conversion to kites ... I just LOVE it ... and thank you Terry for the spinning and yarn links.  I'm going to be very busy in the next few months!!

And lastly, it's goodbye to Seaside, one of the best places I've been on this trip.  With my new Thousand Trails membership, you can bet your bottom dollar, I'll be back!!!   

Cannon Beach Oregon !!

No surprise, it was another foggy gray day in Oregon.  Personally, I love the cool weather, but it doesn't do much for my tan.  With no breeze and therefore no kite flying, Patty and I went on a shopping spree in Cannon Beach, South of Seaside.  It's the Carmel-By-The-Sea of Oregon.  Very upscale and pricey, with lots of restaurants and hotels.  If you didn't have your dog with you, you were not one of the "in crowd".

 It's kind of funny when you learn that this area was first discovered when a dead beached whale provided blubber to the Lewis and Clark expedition.  Originally named Ekoli Creek ... yup, sounds like a dangerous disease to me too ... it was later changed to Elk Creek.  In 1846, a U.S. Navy schooner crossing the Columbia Bar, graveyard of the Pacific, ran aground.  Eventually in 1896, one of the cannons was found on the beach here, and thus the name was changed to Cannon Beach.  Wouldn't people be surprised to learn their beautiful town came about due to some whale blubber!!

First on the list of places to see was the quilt shop.  They must have had almost every Batik made ... bolts and bolts of gorgeous fabric in every color imaginable!!  Unfortunately, they didn't have the one and only that Patty was looking for, so her hunt continues.  These two beauties were as pretty as the flowers hanging from every storefront.

For those that don't know already, I'm a big time lover of Halloween!!  This is from a photo shoot I did last year.  You also may be familiar with the Day of The Dead dolls from Mexico.

This is a terrible picture with my I-Phone, but I would LOVE to have this six foot tall doll standing in my entryway!!  At $1650.00, that's not going to happen ... but maybe I can replicate this beauty.  She would look great standing next to my butler who offers you spiders and worms for appetizers!!  YAY for Halloween!!!

We picked up scarves, knitting markers, a peanut butter cookie, a great turkey sandwich, quilt material, soap dish, spider web curtains, a glass bottle stopper, a scarf pin, two Fresh Produce tops and an apple fritter.  Quite a variety for a small coastal town!!  

Today we check out the kite competition at the Turnaround in Seaside, then tomorrow we head South, where we will split up ... Patty and Dan going to Coburg Oregon for another windshield repair ... and me heading further South to the Florence.  We will meet up again in a few days to continue our journey through Oregon!!

The Big Hunt!!

After kite flying training yesterday from Nick ( Gypsy Journal RV Travel Newspaper) and his friend John,  I was hot-to-trot to get my own.  There was much discussion over which one to purchase ... the Prism Snapshot Speed Foil or the Revolution (basically a stunt kite).   With so many different types and sizes of kites, it's a difficult decision, all about exactly WHAT you want to do with the kite and what FEEL you want.  The Snapshots have much more pull and are more of a workout.  The Revolution involves more finesse and control.  I decided I should go with the easier-to-fly Snapshot 1.4 until I was more experienced.

Bright and early yesterday morning, I was ready to hit the first store in Seaside.  Trying to contain my excitement, I casually knocked on Patty and Dan's door.  Ten minutes later, we were off to the store, only to be disappointed that they don't carry Prisms.  THAT's when the big hunt began!!

By Smart Phone and computer, we scoured the lines of text looking for kite store phone numbers like Hawaii Five-O.  I called at least four that were disconnected.  Two I was able to leave messages for a return call.  The Kite Factory didn't carry the Prism either.  Nooooooo ... I'm beginning to panic!  There MUST be a store that carries them.  And then there was light ... yes, it was 40 miles away ... but Wind World Kites in Long Beach had exactly the two we were looking for.  Don't get the wrong idea here ... it's not just ME that's looking.  Nick converted Dan to kite-flying land too and he wanted the elusive 1.9.  This is a hobby that I never thought I would be interested in, let alone LOVE!!  By noon, we had them in our hot little hands.  Let's go fly guys!!!!!

But first ... FOOD!!  If at first you succeed in finding a great pastrami sandwich, try it again just to be sure.  This time Patty shared the huge meat-filled sandwich with me ... and we were happy campers!!

THEN it was time to fly.  I could hardly contain myself, giggling like a school girl.  Nick helped me set it up and gave me instructions on flying.  You need a fair amount of wind to fly kites, and we barely had a breeze, but no matter, we're going to give it a try.  I crashed and crashed ... Nick ran and ran ... I crashed some more and Terry ran ... until I finally got the feel of it in the light winds.  With the smaller surface area, my kite is much more reactive and Nick finally got it across to me that making slow small moves with my hands would stop this exercise program I had him on!!  I was having a blast until the tide came in, I backed up a little too far and got soaked.  It was time to pack her up!!  Dan flew the 1.9 some more, dive bombing us for all he was worth!!!  Then Nick flew for awhile ... what a great hobby!!  

Behind us several people came out with shovels and dug big holes in the sand.  We soon discovered they were anchoring these two huge kites that just hang on the breezes and look beautiful.

At the end of the day, we were tired and ready to call it quits.  As you can see, Nick and Dan almost got wet as the tide sneaks up behind them!!  It was a long hike to the parking lot ... another good reason to fly kites.  It's GREAT exercise walking across soft sand!!  

Tomorrow there is a kite show at the end of Seaside main street.  We plan on attending to see what we can learn about flying and maybe check out another kite ... the Revolution stunt kite, Terry's favorite.  

Although we were planning on leaving here tomorrow, we were able to extend our stay thanks to Charles Cupell, my Thousand Trails representative.  He has been ever so helpful and gone out of his way to accommodate us and he's VERY good looking, but alas, too young for me!!!

So will someone please tell me to go fly a kite!!!!!  Thank you ... I'd LOVE to!!!

I'm Hooked !!!!

On kite flying ... and it took all of 30 seconds for it to happen!!  A couple days ago, Nick and Terry mentioned they were going out to fly his new kite with a subscriber friend and asked if we might be interested.  My face lit up immediately!!   I think I asked Patty and Dan six times if we were really going!  Upon arrival, Nick and John were hard at it, flying one of John's many Prism Snapshot kites.

There's a lot of pull from this big one.  If the wind catches it just right, it will drag you down the beach a ways!

While the guys were flying, John's wife Karen and PJ the wonder dog gave Patty and I lessons in dog training.  PJ's a pro and was showing off his stuff for us.  I learned a lot of tips and tricks that I'm going to practice on my two.  I know we all think there's no hope (I heard you laugh!!) ... but her tricks sounded real good.

When her husband and Nick asked if I wanted to give flying a try, Karen said YES for me!  Thank you Karen ... I never could fly a kite as a kid ... and I couldn't wait to get a lesson.  Now I'm hooked!!

It was AMAZING!!!  It took a little bit to get the hang of this Snapshot 1.4 ... feeling the wind and controlling the kite until it came crashing down.  The good thing about these Snapshots is their durability.  There's no spars to break ... so even if you crash it many times, it will fly again.   Perfect kite for the beginner!!

At one point, I though I was going to kill the poor woman laying on the beach sunning ... the kite came down so hard next to her she got sprayed with sand.  I would have been mad ... but when I apologized and told her it was my first time, she was a sweetheart and told me to go have fun!!  AND I DID!!!  Next stop ... the KITE STORE!!!

Nick gets credit for all these images ... he offered to hold my camera and little did I know, he was shooting away.  You can tell I was having fun ... in every image my mouth is open with laughter!!

Although Dan didn't want to try, thinking it didn't look like THAT much fun, Nick convinced him to try his bigger kite, the Snapshot 1.9.  His first words were Oh Sh**!! as it pulled him several steps forward.  Pretty soon there was a big smile on his face too and I'm sure I heard the words kite shop!!

Here's Nick, all relaxed, flying like a pro!  He let me try his 1.9 just to see if I liked it better, but it immediately pulled me off my feet and crashed.  I think I'll pass on that one!!

Not only is it fun and cheap (no cost after the initial purchase), it's a great workout.  Much more than you would think, as my back and leg muscles will attest to this morning.  It also works your brain with lots of hand-eye coordination and will make you SMILE!!  What more could you ask for in a hobby??

Can you tell I LOVED it???  Thank you Nick, Terry, Karen and John for sharing your fun.  You can tell me to "Go fly a kite" ANY time!!!

A Moment of Silence For Lives Lost

It's the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S.  May we ever remain vigilant against those that wish us harm and remember those who lost their lives.

After much discussion, I purchased a Thousand Trails Zone Membership for $425 a year, then immediately upgraded to the Elite Membership for $3995.  My dues are frozen at $425 a year for life.  The benefits include 21 day stays, park to park, add-on 7 days twice a year with once during peak season (4 week stay), and the biggie ... unlimited stays for zero dollars at 80+ parks.  The key, of course, is using the membership.  Doing some calculations based on camping for only 50 days a year, I will break even about year four.  From then on, I could stay 365 days a year for $425.  I don't see myself becoming a full-timer, but you never know.  That's pretty cheap rent!!  The trip to the East Coast that I would never take .. just might become a possibility!!

Downtown Seaside, City of Salt, was our destination yesterday.  In 1806, part of Lewis and Clark's expedition set up a salt-making cairn at this site.  Over time, a city was born.

The name Seaside actually came from the summer house (named Seaside) of railroad magnate Ben Holladay.  Since then, it has become home to about 6500 lucky people.

The beach is definitely a big draw here.  It's huge ... so much room, you don't have to worry about that big guy kicking sand in your face!!  It's been sunny and gorgeous every day we've been here.

There is a Promenade or Prom running a mile and a half along the Necanicum River with several stores that would love to take your money.  As everywhere else, there were many going out of business.  Across from here is a small boat dock along with kayak and waterbike rentals.

By Chance (pun intended) we went in a side door looking for deep fried twinkies and discovered this carousel and several more great stores.  A sign hung on the side, said the carousel animals were taking a 5 minute nap and would awake shortly!!  Did I mention I thought there were free thinkers here???  

Well here's proof!!!  A kids book for making a mummy shrunken head!!  No joke here folks ... I may just go back and buy it!!  Truth be known, I'm guessing it's the old dried apple trick!!  So raise your hands ... how many would buy this for your grandkids???

That being totally of no interest to Dan, he made a beeline for The MAN Store ... I headed to Zinger's, but alas, they were closed.  I settled for a chocolate covered twinkie instead.

We caught a glimpse of Magnum P.I. star Tom Selleck racing around in his hot rod, but I couldn't catch up for an autograph.

Beside T-shirts and hats, the Man Store had this fishing bear ... are you SURE we're in the MAN Store??

Hey!!!   There's ELVIS!!!!!  In the Flashback Diner!!  I KNEW he was still alive and well ... ummm actually he looks a little pasty ... and I doubt the real thing would have a post-it note that said "Don't Touch".

After all that excitement, Dan's craving for a Tsunami Pastrami sandwich at the Tsunami Sandwich Company took control.  We both had the half pound sandwich, which was HUGE while Patty had Tillamook ice cream.  Yum Yum!!!  I definitely recommend the food here, a half block from the beach, it's easy to find.

Today we are going kite flying with Nick & Terry Russell followed by a barbecue in the afternoon.  I'm on salad duty, so I better get busy.  Tomorrow ... kite pictures!!!