Eugene to Klamath - Let’s Go!
Now this is more like it.
Our time in Eugene was mostly spent in recovery. Monday and Tuesday I was especially tired. Like, in bed at 8:30pm and sleep 10 hours without even trying tired. I still had to work and everything, so while it was routine, it wasn't quite vacation. The kids enjoyed getting to do their usual piano and ballet lessons, and we picked up homeschooling again. The weather was predominantly 40-50F and wet, so outdoor adventures were somewhat muted. Deerwood RV park was a good place to hole up for a week and get used to this lifestyle. The front desk worker was so nice we deemed him the "RV elf". Eugene's a big enough town we could run errands easily enough, and the park was quiet and wooded.
There wasn't much to "do" in the park itself, as it was bordered by a highway on one side and fenced by a seasonal river and woods on the others. Folks walking their dogs in the loop had to go round several times to make much distance of it. The kids could ride their scooter and skateboard around, which they enjoyed thoroughly after being prohibited from it in the Portland park.
Kristin and the kids enjoyed seeing the Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, a beautiful preserve of different tree species and landscapes in this region. There were interactive exhibits, plenty of trails to explore, and good views. The kids liked it much more than the nearby historical hazelnut farm, which had history in abundance but was apparently too manicured for them? We're not sure. Anyway the arboretum was a hit, check it out.
The weekend was a two-day travel weekend, so I had Friday to take care of business, including and especially getting a real dehumidifier after the tiny peltier one we got earlier this week didn't pan out. All the corners and walls in the kids bunk room were starting to get visibly wet, so it was time to bring out the big guns. Definitely worth the purchase, the RV is much more comfortable! Also, turns out buying things in stores is really important in this lifestyle. "Sure, get it on Amazon" is great if you have a fixed address. "I need this today" is your life all the time if you don't.
Saturday we headed south, finally leaving familiar freeways and taking I-5 to Cave Junction by way of Grants Pass and OR-199. This was a significant travel day, as now, free of obligations in the northwest, we could actually go somewhere new! I've traveled by car down I-5 to California several times, but never like this. I've no recollection of Cave Junction or this corner of Oregon. I know I've been to the Redwoods once, but nobody else with us has. This - this is something truly new.
The drive to Cave Junction was surprisingly hilly but pretty nice. The weather was dry and increasingly clear as we went south. We could see the landscape change as the oak groves slowly gave way to pine and brush. Hauling over the passes is a noisy affair, with Sheila roaring both up and down the hills to control speed. There's plenty of power to both climb and descend as needed, but it's not a subtle operation. One must also be willing to let your speed vary more than usual if you get stuck behind a truck. Accelerating to pass practically requires a writing a letter. "Dearest milk tanker..."
Once we got out to OR-199 traffic cleared, and the hills gave way to winding highway. This was a quieter section and a bit easier as 45mph - comfortable at our size - isn't so exceptional like it is on the interstate, and we can sort of trot along.
Our destination at Cave Junction was the Laughing Alpaca RV park, a very homegrown affair right on the Illinois river. We had an easy-in pull through site right by the entrance. These one-night stays are a little funny in a rig our size. The minimum setup required for this rig is still a fair bit of stuff. You can't auto-level without unhitching from the truck, and everything is weird in here when you're not level. I still haven't managed to separate two of my sewer hoses from the wye connector, which makes hooking up sewer is a pain. So I don't bother with that, we have big tanks.
We visited the eponymous Alpacas and Audrey told them several jokes, but I guess they didn't get it. There was a neat viewing platform/stage area where you could stare into the river and watch the salmon swimming upstream to spawn. Some were huge! You'd see them jump every so often. They're a long way upriver here, almost at the end of their lives.
Sunday dawned damp and cold (34F). We figured on an easier travel day today, only 2 hours after yesterday’s 3.5. We had breakfast, I showered and then took the kids to see some salmon and alpacas while Kristin got the rig ready. We came back to do church at 10 in a mostly-ready RV. It was good but we had to duck out after the sermon to hit the road. (Just like real church sometimes!)
Getting out of the Alpaca park was much harder than getting in, and our pull-through site turned into a back-out one as we had to go round the park loop the other way to get out. The last turn was much, much closer than we'd like. It was noon by the time we actually got onto the highway. We were looking forward to a short-ish drive after the hair-raising park departure. That wasn't what was in store for us, however.
Shortly after we left the park, OR-199 turned into CA-199 and we hit the agricultural checkpoint. California! A new state for us! The redwood gateway to the golden state, as the signs said. The road wound through some burned-out forest (CA and fire: name a more iconic duo) and began to climb into some rocky, mountainous territory. The grade signs started showing up - 4%, then 5%... then the rare "Kingpin to rear axle distance over 30' not recommended" sign. Wait, our trailer is 40 feet... how far are the wheels from the kingpin? Hmmm. Then the 7% grade, a series of "Road Narrows" and 30 Mph turn signs... this is getting scary!
This turned into by far the most nerve-wracking stretch of highway we've experienced. The narrow road - with zero shoulder in several places - hugged fresh-looking rocky cliffs and tight, winding turns. The speed limit was around 45 but I don't think we topped 40, and took every turnout we fit into. I descended into a sweaty, trancelike state trying to hold the line. If I kept to the outside of the turn, Solomon's wheels would stay juuuust inside the white lines or on them. So I held the nose of the truck hard over - yellow line, white line, yellow, white. The rock walls to my right often passed a hand's breadth from the sides of the trailer. I prayed there were no fresh slides or surprise protrusions for us to discover with our fiberglass walls.
The kids were oblivious to the nauseating stress Kristin and I were facing trying to get across the highway, and we were oblivious to the incredible scenery all around us. I envied their views and carefree trust in our driving skills.
After a couple stressful stops trying to find a place to pull over and have lunch - it was after 1pm by now, and hunger wasn't helping - we made it to US-101 and Crescent City, and we could catch our breath. Crescent City looks just like any number of Oregon Coast towns, almost uncannily so. It was an easy drive through town, then 101 becomes freeway again... but then turns right into twisties through the Redwoods some more! Argh! We were so close by this point - maybe 30 minutes out - there was naught to do but set my jaw and keep crawling through the trees. They grow so close to the road that in one place there was a notch cut out so tall vehicles could sneak through. How high is that notch? When was the last time it was cut? No time to find out, we're going 40 mph! Knowing this is 101 and they definitely take full size semi trucks down here helps... a bit, but it's not a casual drive, and after having my hairs grayed by the passes out of Cave Junction this wasn't the finish I had in mind.
Eventually we emerged out onto the coastal cliffsides again and things smoothed out, and we found our park. It's on the mouth of the Klamath river, just south of Trees of Mystery. We're one of a handful of people here, and Kristin got us the best spot in the park, in the corner right by the river. The view is spectacular, and there's beach access just 10 minutes up 101. This - this was worth it. If we could just get to the Redwoods, we would say, we could really get this year started. Well we're here and it's starting in a wonderful way.
Best spot in the park This was actually the first reservation we ever made for this trip. Nicely done!
