Brookings and Brookings

Love at First Sight

Brookings, Oregon stole my heart! Our time there was so relaxing. Listening to the waves, watching the people, seeing the whales...it was so perfect! We had to keep moving though so we left Brookings after our initial two day stay and headed up the coast. Lilah continued to have trouble making it up the hills. We stopped at a couple of coastal pull outs to enjoy the view. We were getting higher and were overlooking the ocean from atop cliffs now.

Uh oh, again...Lilah coughed and sputtered so badly on a hill just south of Gold Beach that I really thought we would be sitting in the middle of the road waiting for assistance. We made it slowly though...up and over the hill. I frantically looked at the map to see how far to the next town. Ahh, Gold Beach just ahead.

Charlie, being the guy he is, had brought an extra fuel filter for Lilah with us. We pulled into the NAPA store and Charlie bought a fuel filter for a back up to the one he was about to use. The guy at the counter told us to pull around back so that Charlie could change the filter.

We got the bikes unloaded and the toolbox out. Charlie put Lilah up on the leveling blocks so he could crawl under her to change the filter. The wind was howling around us and I was so nervous it was gonna push Lilah right off the blocks with Charlie underneath. I kept handing him the tools he ask for and praying this would be over soon and all would be good...and after some skinned knuckles and perhaps a few choice words from Charlie...it was over and all was good again!!

We continued up the road and noted that Lilah was doing much better. Charlie thinks we got some cruddy gas after leaving Boise and he assured me that Lilah was ready for the rest of the trip now. We got as far as Humbug Mountain State Park and pulled in for the night.

Humbug Mountain State Park was a cute little campground with amazing shower facilities....but it wasn't the ocean. There was no ocean view, no sound of the waves, and no people going by! We fixed supper and as we sat and ate, I was sadder and sadder! I missed my ocean!! Pouty lips...pouty lips...and a few tears!

So we spent the next two hours looking at our trip itinerary and figuring out that we have plenty of time to do whatever we want. We had figured extra time in for Glacier because we were expecting company (which didn't work out) on that leg of the trip. Ten extra days to be exact!! So we went to bed with a new plan.

We got up the next morning and headed right back to the Beachfront RV Park and booked ourselves a spot for nine days!! Woo Hoo!!!

I have spent a lot of time here reflecting on our trip and trying to prepare myself for when we have to leave again. I am trying to look at this as just one more amazing place that we have been with many more to come. I have been so in awe of Jenny Lake, then Crater Lake, and now the ocean at Brookings, Oregon that I can't imagine it getting any better than this. These may very well be the highest highlights of our trip...but only time will tell and we still have the urge to go see what else is out there!!

In the meantime, we have enjoyed watching surfers, more whales, seals and the coastguard. We have ridden our bikes, listened to bands at the harbor-front pizza place, enjoyed some great seafood, read some books and just relaxed. Our friend, Bill, brought us fresh lemons from his Dad's lemon tree and we enjoyed several conversations with other campers and locals on the beach.

Worries from Home

We also have been in contact with our families frequently this week. My Dad and Chuck's mom have both been in the hospital. Oregon is a long way from home and we are thankful that their illnesses have not been so serious as to require us to head back. Our first reaction was to look at the map and make a plan for a quick exit if it was needed. Our families are both wonderful though and they have taken care of things and kept us informed. We are grateful for all the things they are doing in our absence to keep the home fires burning and our loved ones safe and well-cared for. You guys ROCK and we love you!!!

Tomorrow is the Day

So tomorrow we pull out of Brookings...whew, so hard to say! We are focused on what is ahead and the many wonderful things we will see. We look forward to seeing our friend near Portland before we turn inland and make our way towards home. Because of our extended stay in Brookings we will forgo our trip to the tip of Washington and we will be skipping Glacier National Park this time out. We are both comfortable with that decision and look forward to arriving in those spots during another trip. We are already planning that route and yes, it does include Brookings!! Hee Hee

We will travel the rest of the Oregon coast, stop and visit with Geary near Portland, go through the Columbia River Gorge, stop and see Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument, follow the Mississippi for awhile, stop in New Glarus for a Spotted Cow stock-up run and then make our way back to central Illinois. That is the plan for now...but the great thing about this trip is that it can change at any time!! That flexibility is what makes it so wonderful!!

With grateful hearts,
Charlie and Tammy