A Drive up the Oregon Coast!

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A Drive up the Oregon Coast!

Just recently my wife and I decided for our anniversary we were going to take a 4 day trip up the Oregon Coast. I have been to Oregon many times and never thought much of it, but traveling up the coast has given me a new respect for Oregon.

The beginning of our journey starts all the way south just on the northern tip of California in a small town called Crescent City. We arrived rather late in the evening and could not see the incredible Redwoods that surrounded us but that morning was a great sight. Then we decided to move northbound toward Washington State.

First stop was Bandon Wild Game Park. This was a great experience; we got to pet a 6 month year old Bengal tiger, a lynx, albino skunk, deer, goats, peacocks, feed a brown bear and made faces at a chimpanzee. This park had much more to offer but we had to leave if we were ever going to get home on time. My wife and I stayed there for roughly about 4 hours; we could not get enough.

Our second stop was actually a series of stops up the coast looking at the incredible views. The Oregon coast has got to be one of the most beautiful voyages on Earth. The pictures above is not even close to everything we experienced. One thing that we learned is that there was a cute little town called Newport. We were getting hungry so this seemed like a good time to stop.

The minute we got to Newport, we could hear a bustling in the town, the smell of the ocean air and cooked seafood. We heard loud growling like cries echoing off the docks and buildings below and the people talking almost in a frenzy. With our curiosities piqued we made our way to the docks downtown (A real short walk). That's when we encountered the Sea Lions! These guys were so fun to watch. They spent a great amount of time bathing in the sun on the docks below and squawking at one another for space to lay next each other uninterested in the gawking groups of people taking pictures of them. We both felt that the Sea Lions are the main attraction next to the breath taking views.

Newport had some great dining and fun entertainment. One of the places we explored was the Waxworks Museum. This roughly took about an hour to fully appreciate and was a great investment. You will see wax sculptures of people from history like Lewis and Clark, to fantasy stories like Star wars and Lord of The Rings. Below is a picture of Johnny Depp. Interesting... but the museum doesn't section off the sculptures from the public, but when we got to Johnny Depp you they had caution tape and big sign warning to stay at a distance.. My guess is that all the teenage girls wanted to get close to him and take pictures.

This was one of the best trips we have had. We highly recommend the Oregon Coast!

-Anonymous

Editor: R.C.Norman

To the Columbia River Gorge!

                                              Picture: http://parks.state.wa.us/474/Beacon-Rock

To the Columbia River Gorge!

It had been several years since we had a real vacation.  My husband and I had spent the last few years preparing to make this trip to Eastern WA. We bought a Class C and purchased the necessary items to take a month long hiatus. Tommy, now 2 years old was old enough to travel with us and Sophie; who had been talking about this trip over the school year was eager to take her best friend Tyra. Let’s not forget to mention Thor our golden retriever who is just happy to be wherever we are. We packed up and headed east from our bustling West Seattle neighborhood.

We have family in Yakima and we don’t get to see them often. So our month long escapade started with a family visit.  Just the thought of leaving behind all the worries of the past year gave me new life and an anticipation for the road. Is it the trip itself that gives us the means to release all our cares and start anew? Or is it the anticipation of something new lying ahead that releases our childlike wonder and sets us free?

Whatever the case, we were bright eyes all the way to my brother’s house; a quaint wooded  area off the edge of town, where we spent the next week playing with my niece’s and nephew, sharing stories and playing games. The silence, at first, made it hard to sleep at night but after a couple days, I think we got used to it. It was good to feel at home away from home as we prepared for the next phase in our journey. The Columbia River Gorge.

-Anonymous

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Editor: R.C.Norman

Our First Family RV Adventure

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Our First Family RV Adventure

My wife and I registered our son for his first Tae Kwon Do Tournament in Oregon City, Oregon. We had only planned to drive from Seattle, enjoy the tourney and possibly stay overnight if the price was right. Well, time had slipped away on us and we hadn’t really planned the trip at all (But the distance wasn’t any great factor for us either). The day before our departure we were greatly blessed by a friend who asked if we wanted to borrow his Jayco Greyhawk motor-home for the trip. Again, we hadn’t really planned a trip especially one with a large motor-home, but given that it was my son’s first tournament and well… how often does someone invite you take their motor-home for the weekend? I thought it would be great to take my friend up on his offer.

This would definitely be a first for me to drive a large size motor-home out of state and a first for our family to vacation in one. After accepting his offer, I got a little nervous about my ability to drive this large beast in rush hour traffic from Seattle. So I probed my friend for pointers on how to drive it.  He kinda chuckled at me and said “it’s a Jayco. Even though I had heard great things about Jayco motor-homes being the best driving RV on the road and all, I had yet to experience it. Whatever the case, we had a Jayco Greyhawk for the weekend!

I was so excited. I told my wife and son right away that we were going RVing over the weekend. This was a big deal!  My son was jumping up and down and my wife was thanking God. We soon realized that we had this large motor-home all to ourselves (The three of us). Well, that was just not going to work. This rig sleeps roughly eight people. So we brainstormed to see if we could take more family to make this trip worth its venture. This weekend was going to be our nephew’s birthday and we knew we were going to miss it, but if we could bring him on the trip, it would prove good for everyone. He would be turning 9 years old. So we asked him if he wanted to come along. He accepted and so did my mother-in-law pushing our travel number up to five (Well, that was good enough. We would have ample room and this trip would be a triple blessing).

I gassed it up, filled the propane, looked over the controls and hit the road to pick up the family. My son got all his Tae Kwon Do gear ready while my mother-in-law and my wife packed up some food for the trip. Everyone was so excited! I was really surprised by how easy it was to drive. The minute I got behind the wheel I felt comfortable. The controls were accessible and easy to work. It was like driving a pick-up truck but we were in a class C. To be honest, I prepared myself for a rough drive through traffic on Friday evening southbound to Oregon in a large foreign vehicle. The outcome was quite different. I was so comfortable driving the Greyhawk. The ride was smooth and the visibility was amazing. Ok, traffic itself was a little rough but we were all enjoying the motor-home together and I didn’t think much about the traffic. We were all having fun singing songs, telling jokes and playing games.

A few hours later we drove into Oregon City. This was our first time staying in Oregon City. My wife had done a little investigating to see if there was any place to park for the night. She found a great RV Park just off the freeway. It’s called Clackamette RV Park. We got there a little too late for check in but come morning time we would set up shop right on the river. That night we stayed in the parking lot of a strip mall just across the street from Clackamette. To avoid problems, I set my alarm to get up early so that we could be out of the lot when the morning rush of customers come.

We rose early the next morning and I secured our spot at Clackamette, a beautiful view right on the river for only $25. Amazing! I have never paid so little for an overnight stay and one with a river view. After getting our spot reserved it was time to go to the tournament.

My son did great for his first time. He was nervous but it was a solid experience for him. With all of my experience in Martial arts I was able to reassure him of his place in the line-up. The Tourney was a great success, he came away with a medal and a new confidence.

When we got back to Clackamette RV Park; we hooked up our city water, power and then I let the slide out. We were set! I was greeted by the manager and he was really helpful and friendly. We had a great time that evening and enjoyed the whole next day riding bikes, playing with the dog, walking on the docks watching all the people fishing and of course celebrating our nephew’s birthday. I have to say this was probably one of the best vacations we have ever had. The big factor in its success was the freedom to go wherever we wanted ( Namely to camp right on the river), no huge expenses, being outside/ enjoying outside activities and of course the ease of all the features on the Jayco Greyhawk, specifically the drive-ability. This is a great memory for our family!

http://www.orcity.org/parksandrecreation/clackamette-rv-park

Let's go to the Shores!

Photo: oceanshores.com

Let's Go to the Shores!

My brother-in-law has been inviting us to his small property in Ocean Shores for the past couple years. With a busy Seattle city life its hard to find that time to set up camp.There is always something that comes up and we don't end up going. But this year we made the time.

The property is humble (Maybe a quarter of an acre) and nestled in a residential patch adjacent to winding waterway with a broken dock leading into the water. When we arrived, there was a picnic bench, a small shed, a couple lawn chairs and lots of foliage. We spent the morning clearing the property and setting up. It was great to have the only obligation be waving a machete around.

My wife, my 9 year old son and my father-in-law accompanied us with my brother-in-law. The five of us made quick work clearing the lot and we were ready to rest. As we sit by the bonfire with Citronella Tiki torches, we notice deer strolling all around the property looking for food; while keeping their eye on us; they seem to be un-bothered that we have set up shop. No bucks were present just some doe with their young.

No schedule, no work, no appointments to run to, we take a deep breathe and soaked it all in. We watched the waterway and notice ripples echoing outward. The only sound were small splashes from a young couple floating past us and down the waterway on a canoe. No airplanes over head, no traffic ;this is just what we needed.
We enjoyed being on the property so much we didn't even make it to the ocean which was only a couple blocks away.

Click HERE for RV Camping in Ocean Shores

Send us your Story!

 Win a $25 RV Parts Credit!

We are looking for great RV Adventures!

Tell us your story and win a $25 Parts credit! Every month we feature a new story given to us by a customer, colleague or friend. Your story could be next. 

Send a rough email of your story with a picture to:

editor@valleyrvsupercenter.com