It was just a short drive north on Highway 101 from South Beach to Seaside, Oregon, where we stayed in another Thousand Trails RV Resort called Seaside RV Resort. We had to backtrack south to see the Tillamook Lighthouse which is not really near Tillamook. It was really only a few miles south of Seaside, Oregon.
The Tillamook Lighthouse is on an island. It was quite windy and hazy making it hard to get a good photo.
Tillamook Lighthouse, Tillamook, Oregon
The view from the Tillamook lookout was beautiful. If you look carefully, you can see Haystack Rock.
Scene from Tillamook Lighthouse viewpoint.
In this closer view Haystack Rock is in the distance. Later, we drove to Canon Beach where I got a closer look. Haystack Rock is home to many birds who make their nest in the nooks and crannies of the rock, even burrowing into the dirt to make their nests.
Haystack Rock in the distance at Canon Beach, Oregon.Haystack Rock
When the tide is out, many people like to explore the tide pools around the rock.
Haystack Rock
A long drive south to Tillamook took us closer to Cape Meares Lighthouse. The road there is very narrow and windy, but we finally found the end.
There are two pathways to the lighthouse. It was windy and very misty. We opted for the pathway through the trees. The air was so moist, the trees “rained” on us as the moisture collected on the leaves and foliage.
Pathway to Cape Meares Lighthouse.Cape Meares Lighthouse
Although Cape Meares Lighthouse is the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, it put out a powerful beam that could be seen twelve miles out at sea. Each lighthouse had its own signature beam of light. Cape Meares was 30 seconds of fixed white light from the primary lens followed by a red flash of five seconds from the bull’s-eye lens once every minute.
Cape Meares LighthouseCape Meares Lighthouse information booth.
The photo below shows the nine historic lighthouses on the Oregon Coast and whether they are still active.
With the cold windy weather, we were glad to get back to our truck to get warm.
We stayed in South Beach, Oregon (near Newport, OR) for twelve days in Thousand Trails Whaler’s Rest RV Resort. My goal was to see and photograph as many lighthouses along the Oregon coast as I could.
Our campground was just a short distance away from the beach, but because of the thick trees and bushes and Highway 101 in between, it wasn’t an easy access. The weather was cloudy and overcast in the mornings. By noon, however, the sun was shining. So that’s when we decided to go looking for lighthouses.
Our first lighthouse and my favorite, (Yaquina Head) was close to Newport just a few miles from the campground. It was easily accessible and very easy to photograph. We saw some sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks below.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse near Newport, Oregon.Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon.Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon.
Near Yaquina Head Lighthouse is Yakina Bay Lighthouse. We visited it after all the other lighthouses on another day, but I include it here because it is in order going south on Highway 101. This one was a bit of a disappointment because the shutters were all closed over the windows making it look boarded up. There was a fence around it and an ugly tower next to it.
Yakina Bay LighthouseYakina Bay Lighthouse
While we were there at Yakina Bay Lighthouse, we got a good view of Yakina Bay Bridge.
Yakina Bay Bridge
Our next next search for lighthouses took us south on Highway 101 as far as Cape Blanco, near Port Orford, Oregon.
The first lighthouse we saw was Heceta Head Lighthouse near Florence, Oregon. (All of these lighthouses are just off Highway 101 in Oregon.) We had a bit of a hike uphill to see this lighthouse. Here it is from below.
Heceta Lighthouse near Florence, Oregon off Highway 101.Hectea Lighthouse
We were also able to see the lighthouse keeper’s house.
Lighthouse keeper’s house Heceta Head
The lighthouse is visible from Highway 101 further on.
We also saw many historic bridges designed by Conde McCullough from the 1930’s. Cape Creek Bridge near Heceta Head Lighthouse was built in 1932. It is a double-tiered structure with Roman arches and spans Cape Creek next to the Cape Creek Tunnel.
Our next lighthouse, Umpqua River Lighthouse, is located near the city of Reedsport. It isn’t quite as scenic because it was surrounded by a chain-link fence with a roadway running in front of it and mailboxes blocking the view.
Umpqua River Lighthouse, near Reedsport, Oregon.Umpqua River Lighthouse
The next lighthouse going south is Cape Arago near Coos Bay. We were unable to find it, but we saw it from a distance from Sunset Bay State Park. However, I felt it was too hazy and distant to get a good photo. It is not accessible by land because it is on an island in the bay, and the closest place to get a good photo is Lighthouse Way which is a private drive. The photo is not mine, but one from the web.
Photo from visittheoregoncoast.com
We drove across several bridges on Highway 101 on our quest for lighthouses. One of my favorites is the bridge across Coos Bay. The Coos Bay Bridge is an historic bridge that has a series of arches that come to a point at the top, giving you the feeling of driving though a cathedral. I didn’t get a photo of it, but I borrowed one from the web.
Photo by Richard Nilsen
The next lighthouse south on Highway 101 in Oregon is the Coquille River Lighthouse near Bandon, Oregon.
Coquille River Lighthouse near Bandon, Oregon.
We had a round about way of finding this lighthouse. We first saw it across the river. Then we found a way to drive up closer and walk up.
Coquille River LighthouseCoquille River LighthouseCoquille River Lighthouse
The furthest lighthouse was over 250 miles from our campground. Cape Blanco Lighthouse is near Port Orford, Oregon. It was getting dark and the fog and clouds were rolling in from the ocean. The road to the lighthouse was closed by a gate. It turns out, the only day of the week that it is closed was the day we happened to visit it.
Cape Blanco Lighthouse near Port Orford, Oregon.Cape Blanco LighthouseCape Blanco Lighthouse
We drove back and got to our trailer around midnight, but we felt we were pretty successful in our mission.
We saw more lighthouses but that will be in the next blog.
On our way to the coast of Oregon, we stayed in Baker City, Oregon; Kennewick, Washington; and Welches, Oregon (Mount Hood area).
From Kennewick, Washington, we drove along the Columbia River on Highway 14. There is a highway on the Oregon side also, but we preferred the less traveled two lane road along the Washington side of the river.
The Columbia River looking toward the Oregon side from Highway 14.
The bare hills and steep canyon walls were impressive. The dry barrenness gave way to trees and greenery as we approached the coastal rain belt. At one point we rounded a bend and in the distance loomed Mount Hood, snow capped and majestic. I’ve seen plenty of mountains, but there is no way to describe this huge mountain that juts up out of nowhere capped with snow in the middle of July. It’s just epic!
Mt Hood from Oregon Highway 35.
We stayed in one of our Thousand Trails Campgrounds in Welches, Oregon, a little town on the southwest side of Mount Hood. Our campsite was among the trees and lush vegetation. Beautiful ferns were everywhere in between campsites. We were grateful for the tree cover since the temperatures were unusually high–up into the 100’s for a few days.
Our campsite in Welches, Oregon.Ferns grew everywhere in abundance.
Wildflowers and berry bushes were everywhere.
Foxgloves grow among the trees.
In the evenings, we liked to take walks. One evening we followed a path among the trees.
This path invited us to explore it.
About 15 miles from our campground was Lake Trillium. The first time we went to see the lake, it was crowded with people swimming, fishing, and kayaking. I got a few photos, but the sky was hazy, and the water was choppy, so we decided to go back another time. The second time, we went on a weekday evening right before sunset and had better results.
Mount Hood in evening light.
We found a pathway around the lake.
Walkway around lake.
We even saw a mother duck and ducklings.
Mother duck and her ducklings at Trillium LakeThe lake is calmer and the reflection of the mountain is nice. This is my favorite photo from that evening.
We enjoyed our stay in the Mount Hood area, but it was time to head to the coast for some cooler weather.
After leaving Arizona, we made our way north by way of eastern Nevada, going through Caliente, Ely and Wells, NV.
Wheeler Peak Great Basin National Park
On the way there, we drove along the backside of Great Basin National Park. I could see Wheeler Peak in the distance. We drove to the top of it when we visited the park last year. The 13,000’ peak still had snow on it.
In Ely, we stopped for four nights so we could ride the Nevada Northern Railway and visit the Museum. The Railway is a National Historic Landmark and the museum complex includes a rail yard on 56 acres with 63 structures to explore.
We enjoyed a 90 minute ride in an old passenger car pulled by a steam locomotive.
The train depot for the Northern Nevada Railway.The elevation of Ely is 6,437 feet. In winter, this snowplow was used to clear the snow off the tracks.Water tower for Northern Nevada Railway.The conductor punches our tickets.
The ride took us through the hills around Ely to a large copper mine and back. Along the way we learned about local history.
We view the historic town of Ely, Nevada, on our train ride out to the mine.
As we head out of town and uphill, the smoke gets blacker.
Northern Nevada RailwayTailings from the Robinson copper mine.
Copper was used for wiring homes for electricity in the late 1890s. This was once a thriving mine and is still being mined today.
Humorous grave yard on the way to the Robinson copper mine.
On the way back, we were told that sometimes the train gets held up by bandits, but we didn’t see any that day. We did, however, see the graveyard and fake western town nearby.
On our way there and back, this fellow with his little dog on the back rode along the highway parallel to the railroad track.
As we arrived back at the depot, we see the rainbow at our journey’s end as the locomotive lets off steam.
While we were in the Cottonwood area, we visited a few other places nearby. Jerome, 9 miles away, is a ghost town that has come back to life. It is now a tourist trap. Jerome State Historic Park is worth visiting.
The “ghost town” of Jerome is coming alive once more.
We drove the windy road through Jerome to Prescott, Arizona, where I spent one summer of my life as a kitchen helper at Prescott Pines Campground. The campground is a few miles outside of town. In many ways it looked the same, just updated.
The chapel at Prescott Pines Campground where I worked as kitchen staff in 1972.
While we were in Cottonwood, we flew to Texas for a week-long stay with my dad while my sister was on vacation. We visited Round Rock, Texas, a pretty little town and the home of the beautiful historic Woodbine Mansion which is now a wedding venue.
Round Rock, Texas, main street.Woodbine Mansion in Round Rock, Texas
Another day, we visited the Texas Military Museum in Austin. It was large, so we saw just a small portion of it. We plan to visit it again someday.
Texas Military Museum
When we got back to Cottonwood, it was time to head back to California for the birth of our 10th grandchild. We used our Harvest Host membership for the first time and stayed overnight in the parking lot of Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner about 10 miles from Barstow, California.
Inside gift shop at Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner
We stayed at our Thousand Trails Encore park in Oceano until our grandchild was born, helping the family with meals and laundry and other such things. Getting to be around the grandkids is always fun, but we made sure we took time for a side trip to Morro Bay for a lunch near the water.
Morro Bay, CA, marina
With the new baby welcomed, we made one last visit to our storage unit before heading north for our summer travels. The campground where we like to stay is in Oakhurst, CA. There is a beautiful little waterfall and wildflowers just behind the campsites and plenty of shade.
Our waterfall at Oakhurst, CA.Wildflowers at Oakhurst, CA.Our campsite at Oakhurst, CA.
We probably moved too soon to Cottonwood, Arizona, in mid-February. The elevation of Cottonwood is 2,000 feet higher than the Phoenix area. The first couple of nights the pipes froze that supplied our water. After that, we left the water dripping during the night. The days were warm and pleasant, however.
DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK
We took a day trip to Dead Horse Ranch State Park. There is a story about how it got its name. Calvin Ireys bought the ranch in 1950. The first time the family looked at the ranch to purchase, they saw a dead horse lying in a field. After buying the property, they named it Dead Horse Ranch. In 1971, Ireys sold the ranch to the state for a state park. Today the park is 423 acres with 10 miles of hiking trails, 150 campground sites and several picnic areas.
We took a walk on the “Canopy” trail which is just a quarter of a mile long.
Canopy Trail Dead Horse Ranch State ParkCanopy TrailCanopy TrailCanopy trail to bird feeders
We sat on a bench and watched the birds at the bird feeders.
Canopy trail Bird feeder at Canopy Trail
Later we took a short hike down this trail by the Verde River.
Trail to Verde River, Dead Horse Ranch State ParkVerde River
“Verde” means “green” in Spanish, and it is green! The cottonwood trees that surround the river on both sides were dormant. In spring or summer, they would be a brilliant lush green.
Verde River
We saw some horseback riders.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Later we drove around the park and found the “West Lagoon”. I got out to take some photos and walked on the pathway that goes completely around the lagoon. (about .7 miles)
Lagoon at Dead Horse Ranch State Park
The lagoon was home to much wildlife.
We got some exercise and enjoyed the scenery and wildlife. It would be nice to see the Cottonwood trees (which the town is named after) in spring and summer when they have their full foliage. It’s a bright green, which gives another reason for the name Verde Valley. The entire valley is a green oasis in the desert, surrounded by red rock rimmed mountains. It’s a place to see!
The Airstream reflects the evening sunset in Cottonwood, AZ.
Mesa, Arizona, is a place where snowbirds stay during winter. Occasionally, it gets really cold there too. We were wintering in Mesa hoping to get some really nice weather, but when we arrived, it was chilly. A couple of storms blew in blanketing the surrounding mountains in snow.
Stormy clouds over Mesa, Arizona.Four Peaks as seen from Mesa, Arizona
It’s not usual for the Four Peaks (above) to get snow in winter, but it is for Superstition Mountain (below). This storm really blanketed the Four Peaks, and dumped a fair amount on Superstition too.
Superstition Mountain after snow storm
It only lasted a couple of days before it melted.
Superstition Mountain
We spent most of January in the area mostly getting medical visits taken care of. It was also nice being close to so many stores. It made shopping really easy. We enjoyed eating out several times too.
Sunset at Monte Vista RV Resort, Mesa, Arizona.d
One thing about Arizona, the sunsets are fabulous!
During November and December, we enjoyed spending the holidays with our kids and grandkids. In January as we were headed out of California again to spend the rest of the winter months in Arizona, disaster struck.
California has bio-diesel at a much cheaper price than Diesel #2. We thought we were saving money. Now we know better. Apparently, our truck has a unique fuel pump that can’t handle bio-diesel. It failed and all the metal parts were distributed throughout its fuel system. Three weeks and thousands of dollars later, we were wiser but poorer. Thankfully, we were able to spend those three weeks in a nice campground near Santa Barbara while the truck was being repaired.
The hills outside Santa Barbara, California.
We were surrounded by mountains, and the hills were beautiful in the evening light.
The campground was a working ranch with horses a plenty. I took the opportunity to get acquainted with some of the equine one afternoon.
Rancho Osa outside Santa Barbara, California, is a working ranch.
Our main concern was not being able to shop for groceries. Although there was a country store on the campground, the selection was very limited, especially when it came to fresh food and meat. After a couple of weeks, our supplies were very low. Our daughter, Ann, rescued us by driving there and taking us grocery shopping one afternoon in Santa Barbara. We were very grateful.
Because of the pandemic, auto parts were delayed in coming. We had a great mechanic, and the park rangers were very helpful in extending our stay. The hardest part of being stuck there for three weeks, was the lack of communication. The campground was in a canyon. We had to walk to another part of the campground to get enough phone signal to make a phone call.
One way to spend time while we were waiting for our truck to be repaired was to take walks in the afternoon or evening discovering the beauty around us.
Prickly pear cactusBloom where you’re planted!
We were so grateful to have our truck back, and in the future, we would love to explore this area more.
By October, we were in northern Arizona headed south to warmer weather where we would spend the winter. We stayed a couple of days in Waweep RV Park which is just south of the Utah/Arizona border near Page, AZ. Our cell phones were constantly confused about the time since Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings time and Utah does. The campground was very nice with the campsites spaced out nicely. We could look out our windows and see the mountains and Lake Powell.
Our campsite at Waweep RV Park near Page, Arizona.My morning walk down the path to Lake Powell.
A nice pathway winds through the campground and down to the lake. I took a walk one morning and just enjoyed the beauty of the rocks, mountains and water. Each evening we enjoyed a beautiful sunset.
One of the items on my bucket list was to visit Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River. It just so happened it was only a few miles away from our campground. Although it is on Indian land, it is accessible to the public. There is, however, a $10 charge to park. The trail is paved and there are a couple of shaded benches along the way. We were warned to take water with us since it can get quite hot and the hike is a 1.5 mile round trip. The hike is a gradual downhill walk. At the lookout, there are guardrails along the edge. It was quite an experience looking down a 1,000 foot drop. Down below I could see tiny figures that I realized were people kayaking on the river. My cell phone wasn’t able to get the whole view, but fortunately I brought along two other cameras that had wide-angle lenses that were able to capture the entire view. Even then, it was impossible to get the entire view in one shot. I did some research and found that timing is important. If you get there too early or too late in the day, the canyon is in shadow, so I made sure I timed it just right.
Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River near Page, Arizona.It’s a 1,000 foot drop to the canyon floor below.
APACHE JUNCTION, AZ
Although it was October, the temperatures were still in the 90’s. We headed to Apache Junction (near Mesa, AZ) to stay in one of our Thousand Trail Encore parks. While we were there, we took a day trip to Canyon Lake.
Canyon Lake
Along Highway 88 from Apache Junction to Canyon Lake was a pull out with a trail to Weaver’s Needle, a rock spire in the Superstition Mountains. I hiked to the end of the trail hoping to get a photo of the needle. I was disappointed that I could only see the tip of the needle in the far distance. A zoom lens helped me get a little closer look.
Path to Weaver’s Needle falls short of a good view.
There is a legend that the shadow of Weaver’s Needle points to the Lost Dutchman’s Mine at a particular time of year.
Even with a zoom lens, Weaver’s Needle is barely visible.
Apache Junction sits at the foot of the beautiful Superstition Mountains. The mountain faces west, so as the sun sets, the mountain reflects the colors of the sunset. There’s a state park there now—Lost Dutchman State Park—with hiking trails. One day I hiked on one of the trails to get some photos of the mountain and the desert.
But my favorite time of day was in the evening when the cacti were silhouetted against a flaming sky of color.
Arizona sunsets are the best!
It was time to head to California to spend the holidays with family.
We stayed for two weeks in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, a small town with a population of less than 1,000. There are lots of beautiful areas in and around this quaint little mining town.
Nearby, there are wheat and hay farms. Everyone grows hay here, it seems. They roll the hay in big bales and use most of it for feeding their own livestock. Winters are harsh here, so I’m sure it takes a lot of hay to last all winter long.
One afternoon, we drove around the back dirt roads around the town. Here are some of the sights we saw.
One day while driving toward Bozeman, Montana, we found this quaint old church from 1898.
And nearby was this iconic view of a typical Montana ranch. Notice the rows of bales of hay to the right.
In September, we moved to a KOA outside of Townsend, Montana, just a few miles from Helena, Montana. One evening it rained and we could see snow on the nearby mountains across the lake. However, in a couple of days the temperature was up in the 80’s again.
As we made our way south, we stayed in Downey, Idaho, for a couple of nights. We were really close to Bear Lake in the corner of Southeast Idaho and northeast Utah, so we decided to take a day trip to see it. We drove most of the way around the lake. It was hazy from the wildfires, but the water was still a beautiful turquoise blue.
Further south, we stayed at a nice campground in Duchesne (pronounced du-shane), Utah, which was right by a reservoir. It would have been nicer if there wasn’t so much smoke from a nearby fire.
