I'm not felling very motivated at all to write this blog but as I sit in the Dodge in Alaska, outside a laundromat where the guy next to me just drove off with is laundry basket full of fresh clothes on the front of his quad bike, I figure I should make the most of this quiet time. The thing is I can't really remember what we did as we drove up towards Seattle just a few random things in no particular order. Usually I use our photos to remind me about what we did and when but it turns out we didn't all take that many photos during this part of our journey. Bear with me as I remind myself of the bits worth mentioning.
From Guerneville (HWY116) we drove up the famous 1 then 101 roads next to the Pacific Ocean. The ocean was wild with huge dangerous looking waves and the road was super windy. But I guess after all the time we spent in one place over Christmas and New Years we were eager to get a move on and so found the winding roads frustrating more than anything. It was a really nice drive but coming from New Zealand we had seen our fair share of ocean and after a few brief stops for a walk along the beach we drove on into the evening. We couldn’t find a place to free camp as all the beach pull outs had prominent “No Camping” signs. In the end we found a cheap $15 campground to stay in, we were the only ones there and the showers were cold but they had a nice grassy field for us to park in.
From Guerneville (HWY116) we drove up the famous 1 then 101 roads next to the Pacific Ocean. The ocean was wild with huge dangerous looking waves and the road was super windy. But I guess after all the time we spent in one place over Christmas and New Years we were eager to get a move on and so found the winding roads frustrating more than anything. It was a really nice drive but coming from New Zealand we had seen our fair share of ocean and after a few brief stops for a walk along the beach we drove on into the evening. We couldn’t find a place to free camp as all the beach pull outs had prominent “No Camping” signs. In the end we found a cheap $15 campground to stay in, we were the only ones there and the showers were cold but they had a nice grassy field for us to park in.
On our way further up the coast to Redwood National Park we went through a number of small establishments that had some famous redwood tree or another. We didn't feel compelled to stop until we went through a place called Elk Meadow, this place lived up to its name and there were huge bull Elk grazing in the field right by the road so we had to stop for a look and snapped a few photos before entering the official Redwood National Park. We felt a little ho-hum about this park for a few reasons. Firstly the trees weren't nearly as interesting as the Giant Sequoias and there wasn't really a park entrance like there usually is in fact the highway ran straight through the coastal park. There were a few scenic side roads which were ok but after that we were ready to camp and continue on the next day.
So that evening we were naughty and tried to camp at a beach side NP campground without paying ($25 for no services was more than we could justify) we arrived late, cooked dinner and had just hoped into bed when a lady knocked on the window and said we have to pay or leave. We decided to leave so drove about half an hour north and camped in a gravel car park outside a tiny town named Leggett. The next morning we paid $5 to see "the amazing drive through tree" with a hole you could drive through cut into the base. We were to high to fit through the hole but we backed up to it for a photo op. However the real reason we had stopped there was to use the bathroom and brush our teeth, with that done we continued on our way with the money well spent.
At Crescent City we left the 101 and cut inland following the Smith river towards Grants Pass. During a rest stop by the river despite the icy temperatures we couldn’t keep Scout out of the water and he was having a great time retrieving sticks from the opposite bank. Closer to the pass we stopped in at Dan and Kathy's who ran Wapiti Archery. We had been recommended the stop by Bob Riedinger who we stayed with a few weeks prior. Bob had taken us archery shooting several times and now we were keen to see the arrow making process. At the workshop Dan explained how the bows were made from dried cedar logs that were then striped down into smaller and smaller straight grained planks. From here the wood is put through a planer and turned into the round arrow shafts. Next the wood must be spun to check if it's balanced and the shaft grain weighed. Any arrow shafts that don't meet their time consuming tests are re-machined into lighter weight kids shafts and retested.
Dan and Kathy offered to have us stay the night in their trailer but we had already arranged to stay with a guy we had met on the side of 6,268m Chimborazo in Ecuador. We had kept Joel's details safe in our little brightly coloured Bolivian book and as we approached his home town of Ashland we sent him an email and he replied with an offer of a place to stay. We turned up not knowing what to expect but Joel was warm and welcoming even if it appeared we had walked into a disagreement between him and his teenage daughter. Thats been a really interesting part of the trip just walking into peoples homes and lives, at times we feel we are privy to more than we normally would be given that we are virtually strangers. Sometimes we leave and feel like we don’t even know our friends back in New Zealand as well as we know the person/family who’s house we've just left. I guess because we are in their lives rather than just seeing them for a set time like often happens with friends. As well as the fact that we are essentially strangers so with no pre tenses they can tell us anything they like and know it won’t ever come back to cause a problem.
That night a Joel’s we ate pizza and watched a very funny movie called Due Date which was about two unlikely friends forced into a crazy road trip. We laughed so hard because we could relate well to their trials and tribulations on the road. After the movie we did some planning and Joel convinced us to stay inland from Crater Lake National Park and drive the 97 road through the mountains to the town of Bend he thought we would like Bend and the mountainous drive more that the ocean alternative.
We left Joel’s early the following morning an made our way first on highways then on snowy icy roads to Crater Lake National Park. At the visitors centre we watched yet another National Park movie then booked in to do the free snow shoeing ranger tour as we hadn’t been snow shoeing before. We ate some horrible canned soup in the car park as real deal snow shoers walked passed us amateurs. Then after lunch we walked to the meeting point and put on our snow shoes. Will had his own traditional ones he’d bought back in Colorado but I had to use theirs and there were so many people there that they gave me the kiddie ones. They worked out ok though because there wasn’t much snow. Certainly nothing compared to the 40 foot of snow they usually average each winter, this year they only had about three foot and it was hard packed so you hardly needed the snow shoes at all but it was a good introduction for us and the weather was stunning not a breath of wind to disturb the mirror like lake.
That night a Joel’s we ate pizza and watched a very funny movie called Due Date which was about two unlikely friends forced into a crazy road trip. We laughed so hard because we could relate well to their trials and tribulations on the road. After the movie we did some planning and Joel convinced us to stay inland from Crater Lake National Park and drive the 97 road through the mountains to the town of Bend he thought we would like Bend and the mountainous drive more that the ocean alternative.
We left Joel’s early the following morning an made our way first on highways then on snowy icy roads to Crater Lake National Park. At the visitors centre we watched yet another National Park movie then booked in to do the free snow shoeing ranger tour as we hadn’t been snow shoeing before. We ate some horrible canned soup in the car park as real deal snow shoers walked passed us amateurs. Then after lunch we walked to the meeting point and put on our snow shoes. Will had his own traditional ones he’d bought back in Colorado but I had to use theirs and there were so many people there that they gave me the kiddie ones. They worked out ok though because there wasn’t much snow. Certainly nothing compared to the 40 foot of snow they usually average each winter, this year they only had about three foot and it was hard packed so you hardly needed the snow shoes at all but it was a good introduction for us and the weather was stunning not a breath of wind to disturb the mirror like lake.
A full on multi day snow shoe hike around the 33 mile Crater Lake rim road (currently closed for the winter) seemed like it would have been fun but with no time to spare we headed out that afternoon. As the sun started to set we kept an eye out for a place to free camp. As luck would have it we stumbled upon a large newly built snowmobile club cabin. We couldn't believe it when we found the door was open and there was a fire and wood inside without a single sign saying for club use only. It seemed to good to be true but with no one around we brought some food in and lit the fire with our own firewood we had in the roof box. We cooked dinner on the fire top before heading back to the Dodge for bed. About an hour later some other people arrived and we think they camped the night inside the cabin though there we no permanent bunks inside. They left early the next morning and as they left they told us to get warm inside if we wanted to. It was crazy to think places like this existed usually all the cabins in the US had big signs saying "Day use only" or they were locked.
From the cabin we made our way to Bend and Joel was right Bend was a cool little town and super dog friendly, everyone seemed to have a dog in town. Will was on the lookout for some new waterproof shell pants for the coming cold weather so we looked around the outdoorsy town for some. He found a pair in the Patagonia store but even the on sale price was beyond us. For lunch we ate burgers from a cool food joint where we sat outside with Scout and all the other people with their dogs and organic smoothies.
After lunch we returned to the road and made it to Salem before stopping into a Motel 6 for the night and a much needed shower. Will doesn't remember this Motel 6 but I do. It wasn't the nicest place with a bunch of strange people walking around and the room smelt a bit and the duvet cover had a few holes but it was clean enough. The next day we had some errands to do and had to take Scout to the vet for another check up, by the time we had all that done it was dark when we arrived in Portland 75km away. Will was keen to stop in at a Sportsman's Warehouse so we found one and after a look around what must have been the tenth Sportsman's Warehouse we have been into we had Chinese for dinner and slept in the Dodge in the car park.
We could tell the area wasn't the best but we still felt safe enough. During the night while we were both in a deep sleep we were startled awake by this loud banging on the window and someone yelling "Policía, policía!". For a moment we thought we were back in South America but no we were still in Portland. Will opened the door to find two police officers and one with his gun out. He tells us that our vehicle matches the description of a vehicle involved in a vicious kidnapping. We are shocked but almost amused as this is obviously not us… honestly how does a Dodge Durango with stickers, Chilean licence plates and a bunch of random stuff on the roof match there description? The cop is all angry though and wants to see our passports which are "under the bed and I'm naked" says Will. "I've seen it all before" replies the cop "so keep that door open". Will grabs the passports and given all the stamps in them our story cheeks out and the cops immediately turn all nice guy. They radio us in though and say that it's not a very good neighbourhood so the police will keep an eye on us. They ask us to park closer to the road and leave saying "most of the bad guys will have gone to bed now but keep your doors locked". It's 4:30am we move the car in a daze the go back to sleep. In the morning we wake up wondering if that really happened. After breakfast we hit the Interstate 5 North all the way to Seattle where the next blog will begin.
Rochelle & Will
After lunch we returned to the road and made it to Salem before stopping into a Motel 6 for the night and a much needed shower. Will doesn't remember this Motel 6 but I do. It wasn't the nicest place with a bunch of strange people walking around and the room smelt a bit and the duvet cover had a few holes but it was clean enough. The next day we had some errands to do and had to take Scout to the vet for another check up, by the time we had all that done it was dark when we arrived in Portland 75km away. Will was keen to stop in at a Sportsman's Warehouse so we found one and after a look around what must have been the tenth Sportsman's Warehouse we have been into we had Chinese for dinner and slept in the Dodge in the car park.
We could tell the area wasn't the best but we still felt safe enough. During the night while we were both in a deep sleep we were startled awake by this loud banging on the window and someone yelling "Policía, policía!". For a moment we thought we were back in South America but no we were still in Portland. Will opened the door to find two police officers and one with his gun out. He tells us that our vehicle matches the description of a vehicle involved in a vicious kidnapping. We are shocked but almost amused as this is obviously not us… honestly how does a Dodge Durango with stickers, Chilean licence plates and a bunch of random stuff on the roof match there description? The cop is all angry though and wants to see our passports which are "under the bed and I'm naked" says Will. "I've seen it all before" replies the cop "so keep that door open". Will grabs the passports and given all the stamps in them our story cheeks out and the cops immediately turn all nice guy. They radio us in though and say that it's not a very good neighbourhood so the police will keep an eye on us. They ask us to park closer to the road and leave saying "most of the bad guys will have gone to bed now but keep your doors locked". It's 4:30am we move the car in a daze the go back to sleep. In the morning we wake up wondering if that really happened. After breakfast we hit the Interstate 5 North all the way to Seattle where the next blog will begin.
Rochelle & Will