After leaving Portland we drove to historic Astoria on the North West Oregon Coast and visited the interesting Fort Stevens State Park (Thanks for the travel tip Steve). This fort was first established during the American Civil War and was in constant use until after WWII. It was the only location on the West Coast to be fired on by the Japanese. No casualties, but after the war, that didn’t stop the submarine captain from presenting the local community with his “family sword” as a token of his regrettable action.
As expected, the entire West Coast was amazing and beautiful with endless rugged beaches. The Redwoods were spectacular and yes Brad, Brian and John, we did stop for a fantastic lumber camp cooked meal at “The Samoa Cook House” in Eureka, California. Truly the best restaurant experience in the entire North West. As we drove along the coast we could hardly believe the number of rain related mud-slide repairs we encountered. In fact just south of Crescent City we were turned around for the night because of a big mud slide event that happened about 10 seconds ahead of us on the narrow winding highway, this according to a road-crew flag-man that was working very close by.
It was a quick drive through the Napa Valley and San Francisco but we slowed down somewhat and spent some time in the Monterey / Carmel area. We checked out “Pebble Beach” golf course for you Cam and we may even have a souvenir for you. We tried to continue our drive southward along HW1 but were turned back about 20 Km south of Carmel due to a bridge being washed out and as a result we had to switch over to HW101 thus making our way inland to LA. Warm sunshine and perfect surfing beaches is the name of the game in this part of the world and lots of people take full advantage of both. The rowing regatta on Mission Bay in San Diego made me think of you Kristen and our trip down with the Victoria City Rowing Club for the same mega regatta when you were in High School.
We’re in lovely Palm Springs now where the daytime temperatures are in the 30+ degree range, the sunsets are spectacular, and the evenings are perfect. The RV park we’re in is within walking distance of downtown and thou the RV park is a bit dated, it’s got a great “laid-back” feel to it and the people are friendly. In fact, the only reason we found a space here at “Happy Traveler RV Park” was because on the morning we arrived about 20 “SnowBirds” “bugged-out” for their spring migration northward. We’ve been pleasantly surprised with the Palm Springs area and very impressed with the surrounding desert landscapes. A days excursion through Joshua Tree National Park was a highlight and provided us with plenty of proof that deserts can be bursting with life and colour too. A note to Cam, Bert, Keith and all our golfing friends… dozens of amazing looking golf courses all throughout this area with apparently only one issue, no golfers on them. Just saying… If “playing-through” is a priority, come quick and golf Palm Springs.