Manzanita, Oregon: We are camping in our motorhome! Living out of a suitcase for nearly a month really makes one appreciate the conveniences offered by a RV. (And by convenience, I mean our washer/dryer.)
Anyway, when the kids were little, we used to go camping every Labor Day weekend with the Family of Friends and assorted other friends and relatives. As our nests emptied, we stopped this tradition. This year, the kids asked that we all go camping again to the beach - so here we all are - at Nehalem Bay State Park. Six campsites - 19 people and three dogs. We have even given-up our seats to the football home opener tomorrow - Oregon v Nicholls State to camp on the coast (it's on TV).
Of course, our travel to the beach was not without incident. That would be too boring. We had only been home one night from Europe and have jet-lag, but were able to gather a few clothes, stop at the grocer and drive to the storage facility to retrieve the patient Magna Peregrinus. She was very happy to see us and started right up... but as we started driving, the tire monitoring system told us we had a low tire. A very low tire. A flat tire on one of the outside duallies.
Rat Farts.
There is a truck tire shop near the storage garage, so we went there and the boys pulled the tire and found a nail - most likely the source of a slow leak we have been watching/filling for about 18 months. The tire was easily repaired, but they had no idea how to reinstall the tire monitoring system and bent something (I have no idea, I never left the motorhome to oversee the project) and had to drive somewhere to find a replacement part.
Rat Farts II. (Sounds like a good movie title, don't you think?)
Two and a half hours later, we started for the beach... which brought us through Portland in rush-hour traffic.
Yep, you knew this was going to be a trilogy... or possibly a four-parter... because the closer we came to the Pacific Ocean, the worse the weather grew. The skies became dark, the wind started howling and it began to rain buckets. Driving south on 101 from Cannon Beach to Manzanita, DT found such thick pockets of fog, he had to slow to 20mph. Welcome to the Oregon Coast in August!
We arrived to find our narrow little campsite, which DT managed to slip into without scratching the bus too much. Sad thing is, we are the only RV in our group with satellite television and, because of the trees, can't find the satellite. We will have to listen to the game on the radio, or find a sports bar.
Do they make 5-part movies?
No matter - we woke this morning to glorious warm sunshine and no wind! It's like we are in a completely different campground than last night.
C36 - Anyone have a chain saw I can borrow?
Nehalem Bay State Park
This campground is really old and obviously planned before anyone dreamed of 45 motorhomes. Our site is a paved back-in (they are all back-ins), with a fire ring and picnic table, and includes water and 30 amp power. No sewer hook-up, but there is a multi-lane dump station near the campground entrance.
Another huge crowd on an Oregon beach - the water is just too cold for a swim.
That mountain was completely covered in fog yesterdayRemember Sunday and Monday, when we were with Kathy in Durham, England? Well, we are with her again this weekend! One grandbaby in England, and one in Portland.
Will is now 18 months! His parents are Kari (Kathy & Woody's #2) and her husband, Billy.
#3 Katie, with her husband, Greg, and their dog, Rocket.They are Oregon State Beaver alums!
Pretty path to/from the beachAfter updating daily on our trip through England and Italy, I am going to take a few days off. I'm exhausted. I need a vacation.
Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend!
Until my next update, I remain, your coastal correspondent.
RV PARK: Nehalem Bay State Park