This morning was sunny and clear as it should be! It inspired me to walk the length of the campground and out to the little pier on Devil’s Lake<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Breakfast yet again at the Pig’n Pancake<\/strong>. I end up here every time. Pretty good breakfast and wifi, what’s not to like? Did not invest the full $16 for razor clams and eggs, but $12 for patty sausage and eggs with a stack of pancakes was good enough. No wonder Oregonians are almost as huge as Nebraskans :)<\/p>\n All other trips but my very first I have turned inland a little north of here to take Route 18 to Portland, same ole, same ole. I am excited that this time I am not making that turn but staying on 101 north! The road goes inland for a while, but when it returns to the coast it’s spectacular. I was feeling pretty perky, so I decided to leave 101 for the Three Capes Loop<\/strong>. which drives over or around Cape Kiwanda<\/strong>, Cape Lookout<\/strong>, and Cape Meares. It started out going through a couple of funky little beach towns that were pretty cool – “Dispensary! Pot $40 an ounce!!”. The first cape and the inlets before and after were real nice, but Cape Lookout turned the day from fun to work. It was a really long drive straight up to get to the parking lot – the second worse long drive of the day, see below. It was really cool to be up there, but there was no view to speak of, that was a mile or two down the trail. The Cape Lookout State Campground was FULL at 3 pm of course. When I got to a turnoff to punt on Cape #3 and go back to the road I took it.<\/p>\n The town of Tillamook<\/strong> is home of Tillamook cheese (surprise!) and the center of a thriving, blessedly fertile dairy farming area. This appealed because my new second home of Petaluma is the same sort of place. The Tillamook cheese factory is on the road, and it is a Big Fucking Deal. Hundreds of visitors milling around. The last bit of enthusiasm I had for today was ground to dust by making the unfortunate decision to double back and enter their parking lot.. I drove past, turned around and entered to parking lot and … welcome to parking hell! The closest analog would be the biggest shopping center in your town the day before Christmas. I spotted a way out, but NO, it was really a one way back around to where I just escaped from – that kind of place.<\/p>\n After than, more beautiful coastline and estuaries with no place for me to stay. I am still deciding which state road to turn right on to drive to which sketchy looking campground for the night. I pulled over at a pleasant little boat launch on the Nehalem River, and decided to go inland there, on Route 53. I wanted to go to Nehalem Falls Campground<\/strong>, but the road said it was closed further on, so I backtracked and headed for Saddle<\/strong> Mountain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n There’s Nehalem River<\/strong>, the town of\u00a0Nehalem<\/strong>. I’m pretty sure I was on the Nehalem Highway<\/strong> for a while. That’s cool, because that Everclear<\/em> song comes up on my playlists quite often … with the chorus about the dude’s girlfriend “leaving Nehalem”. I never understood what he was saying till now.<\/p>\n WHUFU page for: Saddle Mountain Campground<\/a><\/b><\/p> \n Seven long winding uphill miles off busy Route 26. \r<\/p>\n Nice when you get here though. \r<\/p>\n A parking lot, bathrooms, and short walks to eleven spots with a picnic table, a fire ring (barred from use - fire danger) and a tent space. That's the whole thing. \r<\/p>\n What people come here for is the 2 mile, 1,640' hike to the top of Saddle Mountain.<\/p>\n<\/p> <\/p>tonight<\/b>: \n I parked at the edge of the lot facing away, and Picnic Table 1 is the closest, so here I am!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n God what an exhausting drive to get here. Kind of a cool place though. Drive a narrow but paved road up, up, up until you get to a parking lot with restrooms at the far end. There were 6-7 cars when I arrived, and only one stayed the night, a couple of noisy weirdo a hundred yards up the hill. I parked at the edge of the lot, and campsite #1 was right there! So I paid my $11 and enjoyed my picnic table.<\/p>\n Among the hikers were a few extremely fit older couples, but most of them appeared to be Portland hipsters out for a very grueling afternoon lark. It’s only an hour or so away after all.<\/p>\n Around 4 am I awoke to the sound of a car, then some drunken dudes going back and forth to the bathroom. It kind of freaked me out, since there is nobody else for miles, no phone reception, nothing. If I were ever to get a gun it would be for this moment, but that ain’t gonna happen, because I don’t want one around and I wouldn’t use it anyway. But I did feel really vulnerable for a few minutes there.<\/p>\n I was not raped and pillaged last night, so it’s all good in the neighborhood. Even though I was awake much of the night I feel refreshed and ready to tackle my drive-thru on Portland<\/strong>. Once I got phone reception Yelp directed me to the Trailhead Cafe<\/strong>, a nice little place in the small town of Banks<\/strong>. They didn’t serve breakfast, but they had wifi and coffee and a very tasty reuben sandwich that was greasy enough to count as breakfast. It set me up for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n Stereo King<\/strong> is in the eastern outskirts of Portland, on busy north-south 82nd Avenue SE<\/strong>. So I have to go through or around most of the city to get there. I chose to go through the middle. It had less freeway, followed the river for a while, and just looked like a more interesting drive. And it was a very interesting drive, an occasion were I truly needed my Google route narration. I wish someone else was driving so I could look around more. It changes from endless forest to suburbs to city very quickly coming in from this direction. The road from Lincoln City changes very slowly, 30 miles of very busy suburbs and endless stoplights. So I liked this quite a bit better.<\/p>\n The coolest part was at the end where I never even got on 82nd<\/strong>. I drove up the quiet residential street behind the stereo store and came in the back way. I’ve always had a spending problem in stereo stores, a guy thing, I guess. I still wince at the $1,500 tower of phono and amp and cd player and tuner and HUGE speakers that I came home with in the mid-80’s. But that was the 80’s dude :)<\/p>\n So yes, they sold me a new backup camera. They tested the old one to confirm that it really had crapped out. Since it was installed nine years ago, it probably really did. Anyway, I’m very happy with it. They also fixed the USB ports in the back that had been poorly installed two years ago, and installed a new USB port in front, so I am wired now! $225 for the camera, $100-ish for the USB ports, plus labor. Three hours later I’m outta there, $340-ish off the Visa card!<\/p>\n I think my new camera is very cool. The old one was next to the license plate, this one is is mounted above the door and looks like a casino security camera. The angle from up there gives much better visualization of what’s happening in the back.<\/p>\n Then another short but stressful rush hour drive to …. Edgefield<\/strong>, aka Adult Disneyland!:<\/p>\n WHUFU page for: Edgefield<\/a><\/b><\/p> \n Disneyland for adults! many bars, three restaurants, weekend concerts, historical buildings, free coffee, beautiful grounds, and warm soaking pools with groovy little shower thingies and complementary bathrobes. deee-LUX!\r<\/p>\n There are men's and women's dorms at opposite ends of the third floor, so one can stay relatively cheaply.<\/p>\n<\/p> <\/p>tonight<\/b>: \n The last time I was here was 26 months ago, when I was embarking on a trip just Like I am now. Worked great last time. \r<\/p>\n \r<\/p>\n They reserve by bunk now. The lowers are odd numbered. My faves are 1 and 3 and 11. They have a lamp next to them. It's pretty dark around the corner in the Men's Hostel. \r<\/p>\n \r<\/p>\n Wifi is way improved all over the campus, and is now quite good in the Hostel.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Smoked pot for the first time on this whole trip (16 days), and it was the stony stuff my friend gave me (you know who you are), and my brain fell apart. I started misplacing everything. I couldn’t find my book. I went back to the van for my swimming trunks, couldn’t find my room key card. Went back again for my phone and here’s the big one, couldn’t find my wallet! The traveller’s worst nightmare. To cut to the chase, the van with all its nooks and crannies ate all of them and here two days later I have found all of them. I even found the extra key card a few days later. It had fallen into the food box.<\/p>\n Anyway … I was quite sure I had taken my wallet with me from the room. I remember patting my pocket feeling it walking across the parking lot, so it HAD to be in the van, right?? The only problem was I couldn’t prove it by laying a hand on it. But I was sure enough that it was un-found rather than truly lost that I did not pull the trigger and blow up my bank cards. I paid cash for late night dinner and slept very poorly, worrying about my wallet.<\/p>\n Got up quite early for a change – missing wallet on my mind. Had a tasty breakfast at the Black Rabbit<\/strong> – paid cash.\u00a0Dropped by the office again to tell them I wanted to stay another night (no cash or credit required at this time thank goodness) .. and of course to again ask if a wallet had shown up. Got on the internet and started scoping out just how to replace all my crucial cards and get them while NOT being at my mailing address – it was not a pretty picture.<\/p>\n Finally on my second trip back out to the van to contemplate WTF happened to my wallet … came the breakthrough!!<\/p>\n I’m about to pull the trigger on cancelling my cards, but took one more look. Last night I had come in through the driver’s door, so checked that area ONE MORE TIME, and BOOM! there it was, leaning up against the emergency brake\u00a0in the narrow space between it and the driver’s seat. I swear I checked there multiple times, but a black wallet leaning against the metal in the shadows was pretty hard to see in the dark last night.<\/p>\n Now I really am on vacation again! The rest of the day was a quiet blur of being relaxed, doing relaxing things, and stopping to fondle my good old wallet every now and then. It has been such a good companion to me. :)))<\/p>\n Maybe it’s just that I am even older, or just the rhythm of this trip, but in visits back in the day I would get antsy in the afternoon and do something like get baked and wander around the gold course. But today I am utterly content to hang out on the porch and read(!), do my Sudoko, and fiddle on the internet. I’m not gonna judge myself, I had a very pleasant day!<\/p>\n Tasty breakfast again, use my credit card because I CAN! Check out around 11am as required.\u00a0It’s a hotel, you don’t have to leave the grounds just because you checked out, so I hang out on the eastern porch for another four hours or so. Looking back, the western porch mighta been better. They were setting up for a huge wedding over in the east side grounds. Lots of people and clanging and banging unloading chairs and tables and tent poles and stakes all afternoon. Still pretty nice though …<\/p>\n 3:30 – head out to the van. Putter around getting it organized after two days of just hopping in and throwing s–t around. Leave around 4, and power down I-84<\/strong> to Lepage Park<\/strong>. The first 40 miles or so are a busy tourist area, the Columbia Gorge<\/strong>, but I’ve seen it and done it on previous trips, and every time the traffic is a little more congested and stupid. Also, there was a huge fire a few months ago and many attractions are closed. So anyway I just kept on till The Dalles<\/strong>, where I hopped off for a Dairy Queen chicken sandwich. Then straight to my assigned campsite at:<\/p>\n WHUFU page for: Le Page Campground<\/a><\/b><\/p> \n At the mouth of the John Day River. Mostly families with big boats and big RVs. Like Army Corps campgrounds in general, it's a highly controlled place. \r<\/p>\n I-84 is 1\/3 mile away and it is line of sight with nothing but water between it and you, so it's pretty noisy. \r<\/p>\n Quite pretty though, looking right out on the bay ... between the parallel parked big rigs and all their big toys.<\/p>\n<\/p> <\/p>tonight<\/b>: \n Site 16 is right next to the bathrooms, but everyone else has a giant RV so the bathrooms don't seem to be heavily used. So this is actually better than looking at the blank wall of one of those RV buses. Oops, wind shifted, I can smell the septic tank - never mind, not better.\r<\/p>\n No phone reception this time ... bummer.\r<\/p>\n The campground has pit toilets, but on my walk I noticed that the restroom over by the park and boat launch has showers!\r<\/p>\n It's very windy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The ACE (Army Corp of Engineers) has it’s own distinctive style of campgrounding. I’ve noted multiple times how stubbornly bureaucratic they are about registering campers – THEIR way or not at all. But on the upside, they engineer the fuck out of those places. The roads are paved and perfectly graded, the sites are always level, and there are always showers. And since my Senior Pass works, they are all right by me!<\/p>\n My site is next to the bathrooms, and it smells a little. For some reason I am not excited about exploring the grounds tonight, I just hang out at my picnic table and blog. I’ll take a walk in the morning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This morning was sunny and clear as it should be! It inspired me to walk the length of the campground and out to the little pier on Devil’s Lake. Breakfast yet again at the Pig’n Pancake. I end up here … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=873"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1286,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873\/revisions\/1286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Stereo Store then Two days at Edgefield<\/a><\/h3>\n
Wednesday<\/h4>\n
Thursday<\/a><\/h3>\n