Blog #19 April 8 – 12

We’re still searching for our forever home. This week we finished up Oregon and headed to Cali. Wild West? Maybe?

Whether There’s Weather

Looking at the weather seems to be my new past time and hobby.  We stayed an extra day at the resort so AM Solar could finish the install. Before driving to Eugene, I wanted to make sure that we wouldn’t hit another storm through mountain passes. While Sunday morning looked like it might have precipitation, we could probably miss another nail biter trailering over mountain passes in the snow by driving 5 hours on Saturday after we picked up our RV.

Lava Ramen

Since we had an extra day, we took a short jaunt south to “Lava Lands” on Friday afternoon. The name sounded silly but it was truly awesome. As part of the DeSchutes National Forest, it is classified as a national monument, the Newberry Volcanic National Monument to be exact. We walked the trails through the forest and then the lava fields that are a mere 7,000 years old. These blackened rocks stretch on for a vast expanse, approximately the same size as the entire city of Bend, maybe 5 miles across.  The informational signs explain how the lava was spewed and flowed and how nearby mountains were made. To us, the most amazing part is that there are essentially no trees on these fields to this day. In a region that is heavily forested, the charred black lava remnants remain. Barely anything else grows – and it’s been that way FOR 7000 YEARS.  In places the lava may be hundreds of feet thick.  The vistas are amazing. Not sure the following pics will really show the depth and breadth of scale.

Afterwards, we were craving ramen (doesn’t everyone after seeing lava fields?!) and went to a great restaurant that we tried to get into the other day.  Previously, they told us there was a 45-minute wait and to reserve a table, we had to prepay for our food. I’ve never experienced that even in NYC. At any rate, it was worth the (day’s) wait for Miyagi Ramen. Very authentic. More ethnic food in Bend – who knew?

AM Solar System

Saturday, we hit the road early. The tech was kind enough to wait (we warned him we were about an hour late!) and give us the tour of our new solar system. There aren’t seven planets, but we do have four 200-watt lithium batteries and six 100-watt solar panels on the roof. The new panels are so much more efficient and smaller than the ones on our previous Airstream. I’m sure the technology will change again soon. Our controller panel is very high tech and shows where the energy is being sourced (electric or solar or our truck!) and where it is being used. Eventually we can even program it to read our water and waste holding tanks, which has nothing to do with solar, but it is helpful to have in one place.

We spent a bit more than an hour there, taking a break to walk the dogs and hitch up the trailer. We had considered staying in a campground nearby, but with the forecast predicting rain/snow overnight, we decided to hit the road and get another 5 hours under our belt. 

Oregon Passes

We headed to the Mt. Shasta area, which is just over the Oregon border in California.  The drive was spectacular. Our country is so vast and amazing.  I don’t know how to say it, but if you ever get the chance to drive around the USA, do it. We traveled from the west coast of Oregon, where rainforest exists in the form of moss hanging off trees and growing on every surface on the side of the road, to forests that are so thick with trees you can’t believe they grow that dark and than dense. I-5 probably doesn’t do a great job of showing the best of the state, and even that was beautiful. The road has steep grades – 6-7% — around curves that you can’t see around. It was a beautiful clear day and we took our time. Trailers have to go 55 while cars can go 65. We take heed of speed limit signs as they are usually a good indication of the velocity you need to drive to be safe pulling your house behind you. 

I drove through Grant’s Pass and then kept looking out for Siskiyou Pass. I think we saw the sign at the top, but there were a couple of up and downs that faked us out.  As we descended into a valley of green, it was clear that we had already summited. 

Mt. Shasta

We made it to Mt. Shasta RV Park in time to give the dogs a good run and make some dinner. Walking the dogs around sunset, I happened upon a road just outside of the area with the perfect view of Mt. Shasta itself. 

The next day we drove to Sonora, CA – not Sonoma where the wine is, but the east side closer to Yosemite. An artist David had met lives over there. When they met at the car show in Amelia Island, Kelly invited David to visit him when we hit California. Having been in the shoes of someone who always invites people to visit, I know that you really want people to come and they often demur. They think they will put you out, when all you honestly hope for is a chance to know them better. So, we made the side trip to Sonora and were so happy we did.  

First of all, the drive is amazing.  We left Mt. Shasta and went through some really cute towns.  On the I-5 south, we passed olive groves, one even boasting an RV park in the middle. I wish we had stopped for some oil which they sell from stands on the side of the road!  We passed all kinds of fields of cattle with mountains in the distance.  There were orchards and fields and fields waiting for planting. Did I mention the orchards?  You can’t see through all the trees and farmland.

Car Artist Retreat

As you leave the fertile valley that is most of California, you start back up into the foothills of the Sierras. To reach the Tefler’s home, we had to travel some more windy, hilly two-lane roads that can be pretty scary at points. I kept pulling over on wide shoulders to let people pass. We finally made it to their home. They have two streams on their property and the house area is shaded by multitudes of trees. They bought the property two years ago and have done tremendous work fixing up the old repair shop and making it a studio and a contemporary home that showcases Kelly’s art.

You might notice, as I said, Kelly’s art features cars, mostly Porsches but also many other race cars.  

Kelly’s wife, Beth is also a force to be reckoned with. She’s a social worker who found she had to keep turning clients away as there weren’t enough hours in a week.  She hired more therapists and started a business that has been successful ever since. As the hostess with the mostess, she whipped up a delicious dinner and breakfast but before that, we had a great time talking and walking the property together. The setting of wine and cheese before dinner around a fire ring could have been out of the pages of Better Homes and Gardens. In the meantime, Kelly regaled us with stories of famous Porsche drivers, designers and owners he has met. We got a tour of his studio and the art he is in the middle of right now. 

California East to West

The next morning we left to go to my sister Linda’s in Los Gatos. The Teflers were having 30 Porsche owners stop by while on a rally and participating in an Artists Tour. We wanted to get out of their hair. Unfortunately, Linda wasn’t quite ready for us as the contractors renovating her bathroom weren’t quite finished yet. Yosemite is nearby, but we realized that the weather was not going to cooperate. As you might expect, we brought rain to the parched area of California and the webcams at Yosemite showed Half Dome covered in mist. Accuweather promised snow in the morning. We decided to head for the coast and try out the Pacific. 

Our drive through the valley was amazing. Again, orchards lined our route and when we were in Oakwood, we had to stop at yet another Cowboy Supply store. We missed the Rodeo that was a day or two earlier.  Yep, there’s that part of California.  As we headed towards the mountains and to the west, the traffic picked up as did the population density. We drove to a Half Moon Bay RV Park, right next to the Ritz Carlton and a golf course that reminded me of what one in Scotland would be like. Tees were on one peninsula and the pins were across a bay or cliffs. 

Half Moon Bay: RVs, Ritz Carlton, Mexican Food

David and I took the dogs to the beach for a walk after their long car ride. Rey was so happy to prance in the sand. David got to stick his hand in the ocean while I guarded poor old Toby who could never have made it down the stairs. We continued our walk along the cliffs until the wind got so strong that it almost blew us down.

Later, we got a chance to catch up with family. Kirsten and her boyfriend Sam came over for a snack. Kirsten’s dog Izzy got a little playtime with Rey before we humans went to a nice dinner at the Ritz Carlton.  We watched the sunset over the wind-blown waves of the Pacific while eating cioppino. What a way to celebrate!

Tuesday was mostly work for David and laundry and this blog for me. We took a lunchtime break to walk along the beach again with Rey. I continued on for a couple of miles south along the cliffs. There is nothing like the California coast.  Looking out at the rolling waves into an endless horizon – it’s kinda like Long Island!  Later that afternoon, we got a little time to meet with our niece Nadine and her dog Jack. She took us to a secret locals-only beach where the canines got to run and enjoy the sand and surf. There was wetlands area, more cliffs and beautiful scenery all around. Nadine then took us to an authentic Mexican restaurant and we tried all of their specialties.

California Dreaming?

So far, I have been surprised by California. I never thought I could see myself living here. If we want to get away from over developed, highly populated areas, we wouldn’t have left New York.  But like our home state, California is diverse. The eastern and northern areas appeal to us in the way upstate New York does. Unfortunately, both states share a government with ever expanding taxes that force people to leave. No thank you.

I’m not sure we’ll ever find the perfect place, but we just have to find the perfect place for us. Luckily, we started in America, the most amazing country in the world.