Exploring Strange New Worlds

We had a great time in our old stomping grounds but decided to push south. When we lived in Oregon we used to visit the Pacific coast as often as we could - the beauty of the rugged coast -where the forest meets the sea is truly amazing. We never took the time to stay and explore though.

The drive to the coast was crazy fun in the big coach. The road, as you can see, is not wide. It is a well traveled highway and quite scenic. I'm suggesting to anyone who may get the chance to make this drive - Highway 199 from Grants Pass OR to Crescent City, California straight through the giant Redwoods of Jedediah Smith Park. The air is still and pungent in this ancient rain forest - massive groves of massive trees. I'm talking beyond incredible. Our big coach and Toad made stopping here difficult but we are still in the area and plan to drive back for a day of photographing the dolls in the forest. The light that filters through the towering canopy is nearly magical. But that's another day and another blog!


After passing through the Redwood groves, we dropped into Crescent City California to a warm, sunny day.

The Felt Alive Boys loved checking out the view.

And the Petal boys traveled a very long way to get finally get a chance to romp on a beach. There is something about beaches and dogs.






Of course we had to stop in our favorite seafood restaurant in Crescent City. It's too bad we had to drive over 3000 miles to enjoy the best Alaskan cod ever. The fish and chips at the Chart Room are just about to die for.



Situated right on the Crescent City Harbor, watching the local sea lions sunning themselves
makes for a very authentic seafood dining experience. I don't often order seafood unless I can actually see the sea!

From Crescent City we drove north along Highway 101 into Oregon's Banana Belt on the Gold Coast. I have read that this drive is one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world. I wouldn't argue that. It is breathtaking where the lush coastal evergreen forests meet the vast Pacific Ocean.

Ethan has had his heart set on spending some time on the Oregon Coast since we started this whole adventure so we decided to find a great spot to settle down for a month or so. We have so much work to do to get workshops scheduled and moving every few days is not easy, even when your home is on wheels. So, we found a beautiful spot right on the beach complete with it's own lighthouse!



We are in a cool little coastal community - our home is prime beachfront property. The beach is just out our front door; literally, out the front door - there is short trail through the sea grass to the open Pacific. We walked and played on the beach the first two days we were here - The sun felt so amazing on my pale, Alaskan skin. I braved the cold water's edge and the surf and sand felt like heaven swirling around my feet. Wasilla Lake, back home in Alaska, is now frozen. I like ice skating ok but I LOVE the surf in my toes!

Gazing at the sea from the lighthouse tower is mesmerizing.

And the view from the tower looking down at our temporary home site.

It is hard to get any work done with the beach beckoning but it will be our home for a while so the novelty may wear off. Part of the thrill of our adventure is to find amazing spots and take the time to explore the area. This part of Oregon is really amazing. The weather here is quite diverse. But it rarely freezes and that I love. It can be sunny and 70 degrees one minute and then horizontal sheets of rain soaking you the next. It seems to stay at least 50 F and I am not chilled all the time like I was in Alaska.


We have been here about four days now. Even though we stopped moving, I still haven't gotten much work done- we've just been having so much fun in the sun and taking long walks on the miles of expansive beaches just out our front door. It's was a vacation that was very much needed.

Beach Shanty


Pelicans

Surfer Dude

But then some wild winter coastal storms hit that chased even the bravest surfers out of the water. The Dolphin (the brand of our RV) weathered the storms so well. We were cozy and comfortable as the wind and rain hammered the coastline. The next day the sun was out again but the ocean turned from a gentle creature into an angry beast. A huge storm in the Gulf of Alaska created some large swell conditions that made their way here - the beautiful beach shanties made by visitors during the long days of summer were destroyed as giant waves battered the shoreline. Ethan and I have discovered the thrill of watching the high surf. It is dangerous to be close to the shoreline as a sneaker wave can overcome you at any moment. The high waves tossed logs all the way down the winding beach trail leading to our rv park. I would not want to get caught up in that yet the ocean beckons us to watch the immense power of the 25 foot breakers relentlessly slamming the shoreline. I prefer watching the show from the safety of the little lighthouse, far above the tumultuous surf. I will post pictures of the storm in my next post.




And my Li'l Donald Trump is finally finished but still hasn't posed for his official portrait in the lightbox.

The Giant Oregon Outhouse Fly

I thought we grew things big in Alaska! This funny landmark is in the tiny little community of O'Brien, Oregon. Very near to our old hometown of Cave Junction, staying in O'Brien felt like being home. There is a casual, laid-back spirit in these parts.

We were fueling up and it took me a few minutes to figure out what the people willing to brave the giant fly were carrying - they were GIANT fly swatters! So funny! I guess they hand them out when you get the key for the restroom! I must admit, it was very nice to have my own private john in my traveling home that does not require a giant fly swatter!

We did so much work to set out on this great journey; we totally upturned our lives and uprooted ourselves and our dogs in order to make this happen. Now that the monumental task of getting out of Alaska is behind us, Ethan and I were talking the other night about how we are both finding comfort in our old familiar territory here in Oregon. We lived here for several years and have already explored this area but we found ourselves reluctant to push down the highway - even though the weather is getting cool and rainy. We set up camp in a nice RV park just behind the giant fly.

They boys are both really doing so well adjusting to RV park life. Very well mannered! The Giant Fly RV Park had a nice trail leading to a creek - the dogs love rv parks with places for them to romp free. But Spikey got the first tick! They visited their old vet just the other day to get all set up for life outside of Alaska - the tick was dead but GROSSSSSS!! We don't have ticks, fleas or heartworm in Alaska.

And we finally put my vinyl graphics on the sides of the RV - it is just my business name and website - pretty low key - but I have a funny story to tell about those graphics. I was at the Alaska State Fair with my friend, Mindy, and we spotted this booth doing vinyl graphics - I guessed at the dimensions and had the guy make a pair - one for each side. Fast forward to somewhere in the Yukon - Ethan and I spotted this fresh cinnamon bun place - it was a roadside lodge on a long, lonely stretch of road and hot, sweet bread sounded SO good - we learned that they were sold out because somebody bought 70 of them (mutters under breath - 70???? - damnnnnn!!!) There was another disappointed couple there too - they were also traveling out of Alaska with their howling husky mutts - we started chatting because all of our dogs were howling while waiting for us. It turns out the guy remembered me from the fair - he had made my graphics. Small world!

And here is a picture of the Toad - RV'er lingo for a towed vehicle.


View Through the Pacific Northwest in a larger map

Toad, Trout and Spilled Milk.

Our stay in Anacortes was short - we boogied south down I-5 towards our old stomping grounds in southern Oregon.



We found a vehicle just across the border in California. It was all set up to tow behind and RV - the RV crowd calls towed vehicles Toads. So, we have a green Jeep Toad. It is nothing fancy but we will be able to drive around now after we get the RV all set up. It will get us to many beaches and hiking areas and today I learned about geocaching so we may just have to try that. I really had never heard of it but all it takes is a google search! Wow!!


Cool Vintage Motel Sign in Yreka, California


Mt. Shasta at 65 mph



It's great to be back in southern Oregon - we lived here back in 2001-2003 when we bought a great place out in the country near Cave Junction where I learned to garden and preserve. Work and life called us back to Alaska but it was a great escape while it lasted! It felt so inviting driving into this area after our long drive.

Some friends generously offered us refuge on their vacant property and it felt like being home again. I didn't' realize how much I missed the night sky here. The stars can make me dizzy! We really do love this area and may very well wind up settling down here after a year or two of traveling. It will be our home base, that's for sure.

But while it is great fun out in the country, getting reliable internet is tough! I have been out of touch for a few days because of it. So, we moved closer to town are parked in a friend's yard in Grants Pass. And now that we have our Toad, we plan to rent a space for a week or two in an RV park close by. It's nice to stay with friends but having the proper power plug-ins, wi-fi, cable tv, water and sewer makes life much easier. RV Parks are so very convenient. There is a lot to learn about full time RV'ing and we are totally green. But we already know we usually learn things the hard way so we are prepared for some trying moments on occasion as we learn the ins and outs of life on the road. The folks we bought the Toad from were full-timer's and I had more questions about that than about the vehicle we were buying. It's certainly a much different lifestyle than what either of us know. But so far, we are meeting some really fun people and are enjoying the freedom of what we are doing.

So while we are here, regrouping in familiar territory, I'm trying to put together a few workshops. With only short notice they will be small but that's a great way to start out. There is definitely interest wherever we go - I met a puppet maker named Trout who was quite intrigued with my needle felting - he had never seen the medium. It is so thrilling to be able to open a new world of possibilities to creative people like Trout.

So there we have the Toad and the Trout but hold your tears for the spilled milk. Never cry is what I have been told but sometimes that is tough. We made it 3000 miles without any problems but as we were rounding the corner to our friends' house the refrigerator popped open and out spilled a 1/2 gallon of milk -and not on the wood floor, but it bounced into the bathroom and spilled all over the carpet. It ran under the walls and soaked everything. We had to pull carpet because I cannot live in a small space shared with the smell of rotting milk in the carpet. We are still letting the floors dry out and will be replacing the carpet soon. The joy of living in a moving house!

We Made It!!!!

We made it safely and happily through Canada and arrived in the US early this afternoon.


Our day started with a bit of a chuckle as we pulled out of the RV Park we stayed in. The other name had been removed from the sign. I guess that relationship didn't work out. Personally, I would have removed both names but perhaps Micheal is holding out hope for a new name to put in the slot.

The trip through the Frasier River canyon was stunningly gorgeous. The road is narrow and winding so I had to take all of the pictures while moving. Finding a place to pull over at a moments notice is tough.






(what in the heck is Crackers up to?)






We stopped in Hope, BC for a little breather before crossing the border back into the US. Hope is such an quaint town in one of the most dramatic settings imaginable with towering mountains on all sides. So beautiful!!








Bald eagles certainly reminded me of home.

We are settled in for the evening in an RV park in Anacortes, Washington. It is so nice here we just might stay a few days. I just can't seem to take in enough of the amazing Pacific Northwest smells. I step outside and breathe deeply - it is just so lush and green here. I realized that I have spent nearly every winter of my life deprived of the smell of the great outdoors. When everything goes into a deep freeze, nothing smells; except for car exhaust and smoke from wood stoves.

We are having fun watching people's reactions to my dolls in the windows. They are bringing smiles to many faces and are quite a conversation starter when we pull into an RV Park. We are really going to have fun!

More tomorrow!

Still somewhere in Canada

I'm not even sure of the name of the town we are in. But today we had a very pleasant day of easy travel. The roads get MUCH better the further south we go.


And I discovered that I really love driving into Autumn, leaving old man winter far behind.

We started out our day with a scenic drive out of Fort St. John along the Peace River into the idyllic town of Hudson's Hope.



We stopped at a most glorious lookout to see the farmland far below us with the Peace River far below that. The fog was lying thick down there but the sun was shining on us.


The Peace River valley is one of my favorite stretches of this trip. (This is my 5th time down the Alaska Highway.)


From there we pushed into Chetwynd and were delighted to find the first fruit stand of our trip. We purchased our breakfast of delicious BC apples, plums and pickled asparagus. I know that sounds like a strange breakfast but it was sure yummy. We ate the whole jar of asparagus!



We continued into Prince George following the Frasier River. We had dinner in the town of 100 Mile House and found an RV Park wherever it is we are now.


View Larger Map

And I don't have any wildlife shots to share - I had my camera at the ready all day but only saw a few deer.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Seattle. We hope to purchase a car to tow behind us once we get there. I am starting to adjust to the fact that we have our home with us wherever we go. Ethan is sprawled out on the couch watching a movie, unwinding from his long day of driving. The dogs are cozy in their beds and I am busy on the computer. And house cleaning only takes a few minutes! And besides a couple of meals at restaurants, we have eaten in for every meal. That is saving us so much money. I'm getting pretty good at this RV cooking in a tiny kitchen. I love to cook and I was worried I wouldn't be able to function. But it's not too bad at all.

The coolest thing is that I am finding it very easy to needle felt while going down road. I didn't even break a needle or stab myself! I have table that pulls out in front of my seat. What a great studio with an ever changing view. I completed my Li'l Donald Trump doll with pics to come tomorrow. He is genuinely creepy!

And now, I do believe it is bedtime - Goodnight friends!!

Fort St. John, BC, Canada

Well, it's been fun, rough, scary, gorgeous, tiring and exciting! Since Friday, we wound our way through Yukon territory and across the Northern Rockies. I spent most of Friday crying my eyes out. Pathetic, I know, but what a well of emotions came out about our big adventure as I faced anxiety from the trials and tribulations of driving the Alaska Highway in the cold, snow and ice. By Saturday, the sun was out and the roads were much better. By Sunday, as we crossed the northern Rockies, the weather was incredible and my excitement about what we are doing is back.



Entering Canada at Beaver Creek in the Yukon.


Frost Heaves - you can see them - they are much worse than they look, the motor home handled them well, thankfully.


Wood Bison near Liard Hot Springs. These things were everywhere!



Oh-oh!! They spotted the Wood Bison.






The Sign Post Forest, Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada



The best sign ever! The black symbol means frost heaves. These Polish tourists had a great outlook!!



Little tourists in The Signpost Forest.



Stone sheep in the northern Rockies.



Licking the salt from the road.


So many new things to sniff!!! The dogs are great travelers.


Here I am soaking away the day's worries at Liard Hot Springs. This pool was 9 ft deep and way out in the snowy woods. The water was about 100 degrees F and I loved every minute of it.



A freezing river. In another week or two, this will be frozen solid



Caribou in the Rockies.


View Larger Map

Tomorrow we push south. We hope to make it into Washington!!!

Holy Frost Heaves, we're in Tok, Alaska!!

We had a beautiful drive north out of the Matanuska Valley today. We made it safely to our planned destination of Tok, Alaska: about 100 miles from the Canadian border. Today we drove past the mighty Matanuska Glacier, the awesome Wrangell St. Elias mountains, we spotted a coyote, a couple of bull moose, had a near miss with a small herd of caribou and encountered many dreaded frost heaves. For those of you in more temperate climates, the ground heaves when it freezes and plays havoc on asphalt. But, our motorhome seemed to handle it splendidly!!!













Wrangell St. Elias Mts


Crazy Felt Alive dolls watching the world go by!


Look out for Caribou!


Are we there yet?

Tomorrow we head into Canada with a plan to make it to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory by nightfall. But tonight, it is cold outside, 10 degrees F so we are bundling up and cranking the furnace up to comfy! Good night friends!


View Larger Map