Nehalem State Park and Bend OR

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Because of the timing of events, we worked 10 days straight. This is very abnormal for us, because we haven't worked that many days in a row since 2006. But you can't always dictate the timing of events, so you just settle in for the ride. We rested after the work time finished, but not for long.

We decided to head to Bend, OR, for a day of R&R. First we took in a sports bar to watch hockey playoff action, then a nice motel with a hot tub. We needed a few supplies, so we used this as the guise for the trip, but we just wanted a quick change of scenery. We stopped a few minutes to watch the bus carrying a local Guard unit come home - it wasn't a big parade but everyone stopped and waved at the buses. The motorcycle club and a couple of other groups served as the escort.

One of the reasons for such a short trip to Bend was the "weekend vacation" we had planned. We made a trip to the Oregon Coast with the motor home. Our visit was planned with Tom's cousin Darlene and her husband Tony. We spent two days traveling each way, but we had planned short days so we could do a little touring. We stopped in Salem to spend the night (in a parking lot. It is nice to carry your bedroom with you.) The next day we took almost 5 hours to do 100 miles.

We drove through Tillamook - a town we visited two years ago. We made a repeat stop at the Tillamook cheese factory - great grilled cheese and ice cream for dessert.

We stopped at produce stand, which is low on vegetables thsi time of year, but they had a lot of jams, jellies and hot sauces. Tom is a fan of hot sauces. The stand had a sample area. One of the signs should have been a clue, It said try the samples at your own risk. There was on called 100% pain, so Tom had to try it. He reports that his sinuses cleared very well for the next three hours. We did buy some of the home made mixes and dips, but 100% Pain was not purchased.

When we arrived at the state park, Tony and Darlene were already set up. We joined them around a campfire and strolled down memory lane. As the weather began to turn to rain, we went inside and had a great meatsauce and pasta supper.

The next day, we went out in search of fresh seafood for the supper Sally planned for the evening. We ate a wonderfull meal at an offroad restaurant right by the docks in Garibaldi. They directed to a fine shop to get our evening entre. We should have taken pictures. Killer Seafood (look them up) Simmerin' Sauce and fresh clams, scallops and prawns. It was very tasty. We ate way too much, but it was way good.

The weather was iffy the first two days, but we managed to get good campfires in, but Sunday was beautiful. We took strolls on the beach and around the campground. We just had a good old time! Thanks Tony and Darlene for the campfires and great company.

On the two day trip home, we stopped in a quaint ski village called Sisters. It has all the trappings of a ski village, but the people we met are really proud of their village.They are into all sorts of crafts and hobbies. There are a couple of really good bookstores and shops. Sally's yarn store radar was working - we stopped at a 5 and 10 cent store that turned out to have a great stock of yarn and roving. We had a nice little stop.

Then we resupplied and came "home" to Malheur. Weekend trips are fun and something to be excited about, but now we relax a day or two then off to another adventure. Thanks for joining us.

Signing off with a picture of a Yellow-headed Blackbird - more bird pictures to come next time!