To: Oregon, Monday, 9/13/21

As far as Jimmy and I are concerned, any time is good for us to head out in our motor home, "Tergel," especially if we can escape hot and smoky days at home in NorCal.  With Tergel in the fixit shop for several maintenance issues this summer, we've had little time to run away.  When our friends, Marlene and Cliff, suggested an Oregon getaway AND our Tergel was finally home from the shop, we were more than ready.  "Sign us up" was our response!

If you've seen any TV news or read news online or heard the latest on the radio, you know the west has been literally burning up.  Not just California, but especially California.  Many people have had to evacuate, and the fortunate ones return to find their home still standing.  We've been lucky so far that, while we've seen the fire and we've seen the smoke, we haven't had to evacuate.  Our home is secure.  If all I have to complain about is bad air quality and smoky skies, then I consider myself blessed.  It's been a really tough summer.  Floods in the east, fires in the west.  And excessive heat.  Oh good grief, so hot everywhere.  Get me to the coast!

As we drove north on I-5, the valley was smothered in smoke.  We didn't expect to see Mt Shasta and, as you see in the photo below, Shasta is almost invisible.  The photo above is a volcanic peak near Shasta and closer to the freeway.  Mt Shasta is usually snow-capped all year, but -- for the first time in recorded history -- no snow is visible on Mt Shasta.

A week or so before leaving, I'd called our friends, Sue and Mo, in Grants Pass OR when I had our dates squared away.  "We'd love to stop by for a visit," we said, and they replied, "c'mon!"  Kind of amazing to make friends through blogging, but that's what we did.  Sue writes tales about their MoHo travels.

Sue and Mo gave us a warm welcome, a round of hugs, and after a short visit in their beautiful Sunset House, everyone was ready to eat.  Taprock Northwest Grill in Grants Pass was our dinner choice.  We didn't have to wait long before we were seated on their outdoor terrace with the above view of the Rogue River.  Very pleasant indeed!  The food?  Oh wow, I ordered the Pacific Rim Crab & Shrimp Pasta and, I all but licked my plate clean, it was that good!

We always have fun when we're together.

Me, Sue, Mo, and Jimmy

We slept like logs after our long haul (325 mi) from Nevada City.  The next morning we breakfasted on bagels and fruit, and then Sue and I went shoe-shopping in downtown Grants Pass.  Voilà!  We were both successful and returned to their place as happy campers.  Hungry all over again, Sue suggested cheese and crackers.  Look at this lovely lunch platter!

This little seven-year-old gal, Mattie, is the consummate entertainer.  She had us playing hide 'n seek, throwing a squeaky toy. and generally in stitches all the while we were there!  A cute, playful and gentle dog.

Following lunch, we bade our friends goodbye and reminded them to come see us the next time they head on down I-5.  They agreed.  Thanks, Sue and Mo, for a short-but-sweet visit.

Back on the freeway, we headed north, for Henry Estate Winery, a Harvest Host locale in the tiny Town of Umpqua, where we would meet our Nevada City friends who are traveling in their R-pod.

Our Harvest Host, Henry Estate Winery.  Award-winning wines.  No one has to buy anything while staying at a HH location, but you can purchase if you want to.  We bought Matt and Jen a bottle of the winery's famous Pinot Noir wine.

Here we are, just the two rigs, parked next to the Umpqua River on a wide grassy expanse.  What a wonderful, quiet and serene place to stop.  No hookups, of course, but we had everything we needed.  After dark, we four stood on the grass with our phones gazing at the stars and planets and constellations on our cool, new SkyWalk 2 app.  What fun!  Educational, too.

Before dinner we braved the sun and the heat and went a-walkin' on the Henry Estate Winery grounds and on down to the river.  This winery is nestled in the heart of the breathtaking Umpqua Valley, a very picturesque area in Oregon.

We walked past a garden of sorts,

with some mighty pretty flowers in bloom ...

... and alongside a lot of farm machinery ...

... to the river!

Standing next to the chilly, but not cold, water at least gave us the impression of feeling a bit cooler than we really felt. 😉 We walked back to our campers, each family fixing dinners as we waited for the sun to dip below the mountains, and, as soon as el sol disappeared, instant cooling began.  

Cliff and Jimmy enjoying the potential sunset and the cooling night air.

We tasted those grapes.  Yum!

This sunset!  Our traveling reward!

The next morning, a fog lingered over yonder hills and the vineyard.  We enjoyed this stellar view with our breakfasts.  At nine, we were on our way, heading for the Northern Oregon coastal town of Tillamook.  And cooler weather!