August 27 - August 30th - the final leg home. (Unfortunately, I apologize since I have been tardy updating the last segment of the trip on the blog - simply because of higher priorities - young children to care for and the holidays.)
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| Beach art - Bullards Beach |
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| Colorful fish in Bandon - just south of Bullards Beach |
On the final days of our trip, we headed home following the Oregon and Northern California coast, then cut over to Hwy 5 through the redwoods. Quite a few local fires made the sky hazy and we passed numerous signs expressing sincere thanks to the fire crews who were fighting so hard to save homes and farms. Fires continue to be a common occurrence in Northern California during August.
From Quinault Lodge, we drove along the coast through Raymond, ate lunch at a small county park, then passed through Astoria and we camped that night at a private RV campground - Circle Creek just outside of town. The area along the coast is quite popular during August and it was quite crowded with tourists - a big change from our experience, years ago, when the area was still relatively undiscovered.
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| County Park lunch spot with a view |
On Friday 8/25, we drove south from there toward Bullards Beach - the draw being Ancestry research. This land was once a ranch owned by family members and the small cemetery there remains. As we drove the coast, we saw a number of cute little beach towns - all very popular and busy. Early Spring or late Fall next year might be a better time to visit here. Bullards Beach state park was very nice, with showers and 17 hosts to keep the place trimmed and spotless. Even the sites were raked! These are very nice parks!
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| The hike out to the beach |
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| A gorgeous, deserted beach! |
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| The cemetery where we looked for relatives |
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| Our private little campsite. Note that Ernie's gone Alaskan native! |
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| Channel lighthouse - Bullards Beach |
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| Prairie Creek campsite - nicely located in the shade |
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| Waiting patiently for the elk to arrive |
Our next stop was Prairie Creek, where we stayed the night hoping to spot the Elk, who frequent the area. This is an older state park and it is showing its age a bit. The grassy meadow is a favorite grazing spot for the local Elk herds.
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| A smokey haze obscured the coastal view |
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| Tannery Gulch Campsite - no one around, 100 degree heat! |
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| Trinity Lake - end of season |
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| Final night of camping |
Our final night was spent in the Trinity Alps at the Tannery Gulch Campground on Trinity Lake. It was quite hot and smokey from the Trinity Alps fire nearby and hardly anyone was camping at the park - very likely due to the extreme heat and the smoke. Here again, a better time to visit would be in the Spring, when the lake is full and the vegetation is lush and green.
From Trinity, we drove back home to Dutch Flat - and arrived mid-day. It was good to be home (with our spacious, lovely home) and we were glad to see the family and the children! 11,000 miles and what a trip! Another bucket list trip completed!
