Decisions

After considerable thought, I've made two important decisions.  Unless something comes up in the interim, I'll spend the winter at the Voyager RV Resort http://www.voyagerrv.com in Tucson. In addition, I've decided to decline the B&B Chef position mentioned in an earlier post.

I'm feeling the urge to settle down somewhere and staying in one location this winter will allow more time for routine without the worry of where I'll camp tomorrow or next week.

Making all these decisions is hard work; think I'll head to the beach to recover:)

Harris Beach State Park

Bordering Brookings, Oregon to the north along Hwy. 101 is beautiful Harris Beach S.P.  Lots of rock outcrops contribute to a beautiful setting, although they put a damper on running along the beach:( But, I found plenty of short trails and sufficient vertical to work up a sweat.

I don't know whether it is the case for all Oregon State Parks but there was not access fee for Harris Beach!

Barriers to beach running:(

Trail in the dense coastal forest of Harris Beach SP.

Brookings-Harbor Wednesday Farmers Market

The Wednesday Farmers Market in Brookings-Harbor is small, unpretentious, and includes a nice variety of vendors. Given apple season, I bought fresh gala, braeburn, and fuji apples from one vendor - can't get enough fresh apples! Also purchased a few vine-ripened tomatoes and peaches from the Rogue Valley but haven't tried them yet. Met a nice woman named Jean who sells her homemade fruit jams; bought Balsamic Strawberry - delicious! Lucky for me a local baker was selling cookies and sweetbreads so I got my fix of baked goods:) In addition to the traditional vegetable vendors, a woman was selling goat cheese, soaps, and lotions; I bought fresh, plain chèvre.

Cathy (left) the owner, and her daughter selling delicious baked goods!

Goat cheese from White Fern Farm.

In season apples and pears!

Jean and her jams.

These did not last long:)

Brookings-Harbor, Oregon

Spending the week in the Brookings/Harbor area along the southern Oregon Coast. Foggy mornings and cool temperatures (60's for highs cool off to low 50's at night) are welcome, especially given the warm fall temperatures and fire smoke inland. The coast here is rocky in spots with a small surf, narrow beach, and driftwood; jogged along the beach this morning but only about 1/2 mile before rock turned me back.

Didn't think this would happen but I'm actually getting a bit bored with the coast; have traveled the length of the Oregon coast from Astoria down to Brookings. Lots of beauty but not always accessible; lots of great food that is often too accessible:). The crowds have subsided a bit since Labor Day but not as much as expected and the RV campgrounds remain mostly full. There are not as many places to run/jog as anticipated; for example, can't run very far along this part of the coast before being stopped by large rock outcrops. How and where to get my daily exercise and what to do/see in each area occupy my time as I work my way south; not a bad life:)

Brookings-Harbor coastline

Jetty and rocks limit beach length.

Brookings-Harbor marina.

Lots of driftwood; for some reason, people love to build fires along the beach.

Fall Migration Plans

Didn't make it as far north (i.e., San Juan Islands) as originally planned this summer/fall but feel it is time to turn south and begin my fall migration. Signs of the changing season are plentiful here along the Oregon coast; leaves are turning/falling and birds are congregating in anticipation of their upcoming migration. Although warm temperatures continue (90s) inland, the daytime coastal temps are in the 60s and nights cool off to around 50. The combination of low 50s with high humidity make for cool evenings; had the heater on the last couple of nights - wonderful sleeping!

Averaging about 50 mph (accounts for starting, stopping, driving through small towns, and winding 2-land roads) it will take about 25 hours to travel to AZ (where I'm thinking of wintering). Since I prefer to limit driving to less than 4 hours/day and may spend up to a week at each campground, I expect to get to AZ in early November; I also want to avoid any early mountain snowstorms:)

Am still planning the route but today I head south on Hwy. 101 to my last Oregon coastal stop - Brookings, OR! No firm plans beyond Brookings; my route will likely depend on inland temperatures, available campgrounds, and smoke from fires. I like the idea of a California Coastal drive along Hwy. 101 and Hwy. 1 but am unsure of how far south to go and the best place to cut across the state eastward; should I go all the way to San Diego or turn eastward near Sacramento of SF? Is it stressful traveling through the San Francisco area towing an Airstream? Lots of factors to consider; suggestions welcome.

Best Clam Chowder

While in the Coos Bay area, I tracked down the best local clam chowder; an employee at Chuck's Seafood (where I've become a regular:) told me about the High Tide Cafe across the street in Charleston. Didn't feel like eating in just then so I ordered a quart of their "award winning chowder!" to go. What a find! I've had a lot of chowder on both coasts and there are many deserving recipes out there but this is the best chowder I can recall. The right amount of pepper and plenty of clams make this a tasty choice; I added in small chunks of fresh sourdough and was in heaven:)

Chunky and peppery.

Apple Season!

I love apples but was getting tired of last year's crop. After storing apples over the winter, spring and summer, they tend to lose flavor and crispness so it was a treat to stumble across a 2014 crop of Gala apples from Washington at the local (McKay's) grocery store in Coos Bay! Evidently there is a bumper crop this year so they were on sale for $0.48/pound! Next week the clerk told me they would have fresh Honey Crisp apples from Washington for $99/pound. Don't recall the last time I saw apples this cheap; doubt the major chain grocery stores will have these kind of prices. They were so crisp - yum! Smoked salmon and fresh apples are a favorite up here in the Pacific Northwest and I can understand why!

2014 Gala apples from Washington!

The local grocery store in the Coos Bay is worth checking out for local produce and great value.