End of the Oregon Trail

We left left the Rising River RV park in Roseburg this morning after spending three nights there. Our space was on the bank of the Umpqua River, but it didn’t have the serene Riv-r-vu feel to it. Perhaps it was the logging trucks pounding over the nearby bridge that tanked the ambiance. We were the only short-timers in this park (one other the first night), as most of the fols appear to be permanent or seasonal.

In between Janice’s book commitments, we managed to squeeze in a rainy drive up Hwy 138 to the colliding rivers (just a trickle now, so it’s more of a fender bender), then to lunch in Oakland (Oregon!) at Tolly’s. This is one of the coziest dining spots on the Oregon Trail, and the gas fireplace on a rainy day was a real cockle-warmer. A superb Rueben sandwich—open face because the sauerkraut was drippingly delicious. The “Fish Viewing Stop” near Winchester saw but a single bewildered Chinook salmon.

A visit to the driving range with my three wood, 7 and 10 irons produced hope that my game will be coming back. And, onl; 6 weeks ago, it was spectacular.

Speaking of looking back, some retrospective is appropriate at this juncture, as I sit in Yreka at the new Yreka RV Park, listening to the steady drumming rain on the roof.
By the time we return to Sacto, we will have gone through approximately 300 gallons of gas---just about what was estimated. Prices fluctuated from $4.39 at the beginning to $3.29, averaging about $3.75. So, that’s where our economic stimulus check went, but it doesn’t look like the economy was too stimulated, given the bail-out shenanigans in Washington this week. Crank up those money presses again.

Janice is, of course, relieved to be done with the ‘tour.’ A lot of pressure on her to be ‘on’ with a bunch of strangers, never knowing how many might show up. She tweaked her slide show for every ‘performance’, making it as 'local' as possible. In spite of the pressure, I think this has been pretty satisfying to her, to be recognized and appreciated for the hard work and exceptional book she produced.

We’ve met many nice people on this trip, and even spotted a few more places we’d like to return to.

High on the list are:
Dry camping at Florence at the Suislaw Port Campground.
Return to Casey’s, of course.
Diamond Lake
Von Tagen Vista.

And, assuming the golf game in fact returns, I missed Myrtle Creek, Sutherlin (now the Umpqua Golf Resort) and the new Centennial Course in Medford. Maybe next year.

There will be plenty of time to plan future travels over the winter. Most of all, we are looking forward to spending some time with grandson, Jonas. Oh...Scrabble??? Me 85, Janice 22, one tie.