October - Washington, Oregon Coast, and California Redwoods.
This Month started in Sequim, Washington with a view of the marina and ended in Fortuna, California with the giant redwoods nearby. We spent much of the month along the Oregon coast exploring the beaches. Almost daily we were in awe of the power of the Pacific ocean as rain storms and wind blew in. The views this month were once again stunning.
We lucked out when at the last minute we were able to secure an RV site at the John Wayne RV Park in Sequim, Washington with a front row view of the marina. The dogs and I enjoyed our daily morning walks around the marina, watching the fishing boats come and go. Learning to navigate the ferries in Washington was new and exciting for everyone in the family. Ava enjoyed Coupeville, Washington and exploring the many small coastal towns. We spent a few days in Seattle and did all the things a tourist does- the public market, the space needle, the MoPOP, the aquarium and harbor cruises. It was a busy few days!
I have never been to Oregon and the state parks that we had time to see did not disappoint. We spent time at Fort Stevens State park along the coast, Dave tried clamming for the first time. Luckily we were able to buy seafood (lots of clam chowder). If we had needed to catch our own seafood we would not have eaten. The beach along Fort Stevens was beautiful and mostly empty. If my dogs could talk I am sure they would say this was one of their favorite spots.
Next, we went to Silver Falls State Park and hiked to many, many waterfalls. As a family our hiking skills have improved since the beginning of this trip. We took a day trip to Portland, Oregon and spent some time exploring the downtown area. While I am sure downtown had more to offer I was happy to return to the quiet of the park and nature.
We had planned to go to Crater lake but weather had moved in and Crater lake received several inches of snow fall. This along with Oregon’s rain and clouds were beginning to wear on the family, so we changed our plans and decided to head south sooner than planned. As we started to make our way south we spent several days in Coos Bay, Oregon. We once again were able to secure an RV site on the bay shore, our sight was beautiful but caused me a few restless nights of sleep. As a big storm took days to move East the wind blew and the waves crashed, causing our RV to rock. I am not use to my house rocking and this did cause a few restless nights of sleep and irrational fears of the RV blowing over, or my home ending up in the Pacific ocean. Yet, everyday we were able to find a few hours of calm and explore a new beach. Each beach was amazing in its own unique way. I enjoyed watching Ava take in all the beaches had to offer, she seemed to be in her element. Biggs our small dog now whines when we are near a beach in excitement, he is a beach dog for sure. Even with rough weather it was sad to leave the Southern Oregon coast, it was truly a magical place.
The end of the month welcomed us to sunny California. We spent a few days in Fortuna, California exploring the coastal redwoods: the Avenue of the Giants and Humboldt Redwood State Park. Walking among some of the worlds tallest and oldest trees in the world is a humbling experience. We also took time to explore the towns of Ferndale, Eureka and Arcata.
As this month comes to an end and we get ready to head to Los Angeles and San Diego for the month of November, I dreamt of Oregon last night and all its beauty. I am sure for many years to come my memories of Oregon will appear in my dreams.