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| Depoe Bay |
NO, this is not about the Oregon Football, Basketball, or
it’s even longer outstanding Track and Field teams. They are decent, sometimes “mighty”for sure,
fueled often these days by Uncle Phil’s generous dollars; but the
“Mighty” in Oregon, to me, translates directly to its natural beauty. I was not born in Oregon, Elaine was (a Eugene Native); but
both of us claim Oregon, and, more specifically, Eugene, as our HOME. We may live elsewhere now, but coming Home is
coming to Oregon in our annual trips to this wonderful state. This year, we visited early, leaving Iowa
(and our little family there), in late April, and heading West.
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| Three Sisters, Central Oregon near the appropriately named town of Sisters |
After dashing through South Dakota, a small part of Wyoming,
the whole of Montana, then Idaho, and Washington, we made our way to Bend for a
two night stay; where I reunited briefly with old High School Buddy, Doug R.
Then we were off to the South and then West, down Oregon Hwy 97 before heading
across the Cascades near Diamond Lake and Crater Lake, to arrive in Roseburg
Oregon for a couple days in a beautiful RV Park right on the South Umpqua
River.
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| South Umpqua River from our RV park in Winston, OR |
This is right in the heart of
Umpqua Valley Wine country, an area rich in bold red wines, our favorites.
Here, we re-discovered the oldest Estate Winery in all of Oregon, Hillcrest,
with vineyard plantings going all the way back to the late 1960’s. And there were many other good wineries to
choose from.
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| Abacela vineyards near Winston |
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| Hillcrest, one of the Pioneers among Oregon Wineries |
Then we were off to the Oregon Coast, traveling from
Roseburg over Hwy 38 through Coquille to the Coos Bay area, before stopping for
another couple nights in the RV Park right on the Siuslaw River Harbor in
Florence.
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| Siuslaw River Harbor, Florence |
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And at this point we were
officially on the “Oregon Seafood Trail”.
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| Steamer Clams at Luna Fish House, Yachats |
At every stop, we would order Seafood, and then, at the next stop, more seafood!
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| Seafood Combo at Tidal Raves, Depoe Bay |
We went from Florence to Waldport to a
beautiful KOA campground overlooking the Alsea River Bay and Bridge; and then
DePoe Bay to our favorite Coastal RV Park, “Sea and Sand”; and finally North to
Cannon Beach. It was a wonderful return
to an Oregon Coast we had not visited for a couple years. We never get tired of its natural beauty
and great seafood.
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| Alsea Bay from our KOA campground in Waldport |
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| View from our RV site at Sea & Sand near Depoe Bay |
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| Seashore at Lincoln City |
Finally, though, it was off to Eugene, pulling into town on
a Tuesday, and pulling right into the RV Corral on Hwy 99, for some delayed
replacement and repair to the back bumper, which we’d unfortunately lost back
at the start of our Arizona to Iowa to Oregon trip back in Mid-April. But, by the next day we were back in our
“Home” RV Park, Deerwood, off Hwy 58 near Goshen.
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| Back "Home" at Deerwood RV Park in South Eugene |
Eugene is, well, EUGENE, a unique town equal parts
yuppie/football mad UO, hippie culture, and logging/lumber industrial backbone (every time we drive by Aaron Jones "estate" in the South Hills, I ask Lanie if she is sure she is not related to the late Timber Baron).
A trip to the Saturday market was
in order, of course, where we bought a few Tie Dye shirts and hats for
Grandkids and their “gracefully” aging pseudo-Hippie Grampa Pat.
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| Saturday Market music stage |
Also on tap was a trip to one of the University
area’s famed Taverns, the Old Pad, and some great Southside eats, Humble Bagel,
Barry’s, and Off the Waffle.
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| The Pad - Pre and Grampa Pat both frequented these premises back in the day - Pre was there much more often, I believe |
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| A Self Fulfilling Prophecy at Off the Waffle - Are we talking deliberate cholesterol overload here? or just great breakfast food? I'll take the latter explanation |
It’s always
great coming back to Eugene and friends and family there; and a special treat
this visit was being there in late May, when the Rhodies were still in bloom.
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| Western Oregon's trademark Rhodies |
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| Dining with friends from the UO and Life | | | | | | | | | | |
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| Family time out at Deerwood |
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| Lunch with some EWEB pals at the food carts on 6th |
