Road Trip 2017
August 4 - 20, 2017
Day 1 - Long Drive ending at Valley of the Rogue State Park, Oregon:
Our trip plans were immediately challenged a handful of minutes down the road from home when I checked the Crater Lake webcam and discovered that the wildfire(s) nearby were affecting the air quality and visibility. Since we were driving through a similar smoky haze from the Canadian fires, with no fresh air in sight, we were hesitant to drive into another smoky zone. The park was not discouraging visitors, but repeatedly noted the poor air quality and visibility. After humming and hawing for another hour or two, we decided to detour our trip and hope for the best. We drove just north of Ashland, Oregon and impeccable timing got us one of the last spots in a State Park just off the highway. We were greeted by a welcoming ranger staff and a sweltering 100+ temperatures. To beat the heat, the park rangers kept the sprinklers running and encouraged all families to join in a water balloon and super soaker fight, followed by popsicles, shortly after our arrival. Yes, please! This change in plans, was turning out to be just fine! An evening bug hunt lead once again by the park rangers was a fun way to stretch our legs after the long drive and train our eyes to locate and enjoy some of the smallest creatures of which we were sharing space with for the night.
Day 2-3 Castle Crags State Park, California:
After a morning bike ride on a paved path following the river, we packed up as quickly as we could and hit the road.
Our amended plan was to find a park in the Mt. Shasta forest range to settle down for the weekend. An early arrival at one of the first come, first serve camp sites, was our only hope for a site. As luck would have it, Castle Crags State Park, became our new home away from home. Our camp site was nestled into a wooded hill with hiking, biking and a great watering hole along the Sacramento River, all accessible a short distance from camp.
Day 4 - On the Road Again.
We took the long way to Kirkwood stopping at Lassen Volcanic National Park, California. Off the beaten path, this National Park is a gem. With more planning, we would have enjoyed a longer stay to explore. We had just enough time to enjoy a picnic lunch and walk around Manzanita Lake.
Thunder and rain clouds tested and teased us the entire visit, which kind of added to the adventure and beauty. Weather, along with our long drive and dwindling daylight hours, reminded us that it was once again, time to settle in to enjoy/endure the "road" part of the trip.
We made a second stop a short distance later at: Subway Caves - A tube-like cave leftover from lava flow.
We welcomed the familiarity of our beloved Kirkwood Mountain, just before the sun set for the day. Although, the kids barely recognized our surroundings. They were remembering our visit last February when the mountain was closed due to blizzard conditions. There is definitely a different look to the exposed and bare mountain side in the summer. Compared to our camper, our cozy condo felt palatial! A welcome change. We were ready to spread out, relax and enjoy the great outdoors.
Day 5 - Kirkwood Mountain, Peyton's Choice Day (Potholes Hike):
Day 6 - Kirkwood Mountain, Allison's Choice Day (Playground & Pool):
Day 7 - Kirkwood Mountain, Steve's Choice Day (Hike to Backside, Chair 2):
Day 8 - Drive from Kirkwood to Bay Area with a stop off at Silver Lake:
Day 9 & 10 - The Kriens' Family Home, Mill Valley, California:
Our weekend with the Kriens Family was a wonderful mix of relaxation and activity. The kids, although they had never met, immediately hit it off, and enjoyed each other immensely. I know that my kids, having been on the road for a week, were hungry for the comforts of home, play mates and down time. It was hard to leave the Kriens' home. With a week of adventure still ahead of us, however, we said our good-byes. Driving away, I heard Peyton from the back seat, "You know when you have that sort of weird feeling when you leave people's houses and you had so much fun. I have that right now." Me, too, buddy.
Day 11 - Drive to Redwoods, but not before Katie's Choice (Drive the Bay Bridge into San Francisco): The infamous San Francisco Bay fog had socked in the city and so we were greeted by a chilly, damp morning in San Francisco. When we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge Peyton exclaimed, "Ooh. We're on the Golden Gate Bridge! I never thought I'd go on it. It's so cool! Woo-hoo!" This confirmed I made the right choice to venture into the city. After crossing, we pulled over and parked near the closest marina, geared up and enjoyed a (somewhat) leisurely bike ride along the water making it as far as Pier 39 - and the sea lions - before turning around. Our return trip rewarded us with a brief stop at the Friedel Klussmann Memorial Turntable. The kids were underwhelmed. Perhaps that was because hovering over us was the Ghiradelli Factory and the promise of ice cream for lunch! It was delicious and a great end to our quick San Francisco tour.
Another visit to San Francisco is in our future, I'm sure, but in that moment, we had had about as much of city life as we could handle. It was time to rough it in the Redwoods.
Day 12 - Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Hidden Springs Campground): Our visit to the Redwoods was the least planned part of the trip. This gave us a chance to slow down our daily pace. We easily struck a balance between camp work (yes, even camping with a camper is work!), leisure time, and adventure time. Allison got to choose our outing the first day and she chose to take us to the swimming hole a short distance through the woods along the Eel River for a refreshing afternoon outing.
Day 13 - Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Hidden Springs Campground): For Peyton's choice, we packed up the camper and drove the short distance along the Avenue of the Giants to the closest ranger station for hike suggestions. He chose to do the scavenger hunt along the Rockefeller Forest Trail Loop and The Founder's Grove Nature Loop Trail. Both offered views of the impressive height and age of the Redwoods in the park.
Day 14 - Drive north to Redwoods National Park:
A quick stop to wet our feet and taunt the ocean at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center near Orick.
Honestly, by this time, I had been "wowed" by the Redwood Forest and was feeling a bit claustrophobic by its awesomeness towering over me. Plus, our quick taste of salt and sea was enticing me. Still, we ventured to visit the northern part of the park and stopped a the popular Ladybird Johnson Nature Trail.
Day 15 - Drive to Bullards Beach State Park, Oregon:
First stop in Crescent City, California (Picnic and Play Time).
Second stop just over the border - Oregon Coast: There was the eeriest glow off the water, while ash fell from the sky. Reports were of a forest fire just over the hill.
Last stop - Bullards Beach State Park, Oregon: Blue sky, fresh air, endless sand and water were a welcome change of scenery after living underneath the canopy of some of the tallest and oldest trees. We arrived in the evening of our 15th day on the road (The Friday before the eclipse - this place was packed) only to discover that our reservations were made in error for the following weekend! Oops. There was an opening for one night. No promises of a second night. We took it. When Steve checked the next morning, we were given a second night. Part of me was ready to just drive home, but a final night gave us closure to the trip. Allison, was especially ready to be home. For several nights she had admitted she was homesick. Peyton, also admitted he was missing home. Homesick, or not, we adventured on and made the best of our final day at the beach.
Day 17 - Homeward Bound:
To say we were ready, would be an understatement! We were still smiling on the outside, but we were all SO ready to be home!
To say we were ready, would be an understatement! We were still smiling on the outside, but we were all SO ready to be home!
We happened upon this lovely butterfly garden along Highway 38 when we took a bathroom break at Elkton Community and Education Center. Talk about a hidden gem.
Later, somewhere between Salem and Portland, Oregon: Are we there yet?
Finally...late in the afternoon we parked in our very own driveway.
Home Sweet Home!
It was a wonderful 2+weeks on the road, but like all good adventures, we were:
-thankful for the opportunity,
-eager to hold on to the sweet memories,
-glad to be home!
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