Kite Festival

     Yesterday we went to Lincoln City and attended the Kite Festival. Now I thought that we might spend an hour or so there; I mean, how long can you spend watching kites fly??? I was wrong. There are a vast array of kites in all manner of shapes and sizes. They looked more like balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade but they were wind powered and not filled with helium. The one in the picture above turned out to look like a pod of whales swimming in the air.

     This guy is a dog and just in front of him (not seen in this picture) was a cat that he was chasing. These things were huge. You can see the size of the people in the background.

     This set of kites really needs a video to give it justice. They are four separate kites, each with a person at the end of the strings (four strings per kite). They are amazingly maneuverable and they flew together in an intricate formation all set to music. They would fly together and apart, in formations and alone. It was really amazing to watch. I was fascinated by how they worked their maneuvers such that they would cross then uncross and didn't tangle the strings.

     This one was just funny. The large soccer player legs would bend back and forth like they were chasing the ball or trying to kick it. Cute and clever idea.

     At the end of the festival, several of the kite owners invited members of the crowd to join in and take a go at flying their hand made kites. They looked like a cross between a sting ray and a jellyfish. As you can see, I couldn't resist and got out there and tried my hand at it. I'm glad to say that no kites (or flyers) were injured by my actions.

In and Around Newport

     We took some time out to explore the area around us. Just south of us, in the city of Newport, is the Oregon Coast Aquarium. While it is small, it has an impressive array of marine life local to the Oregon coast. You can get up close and personal with the sea lions, otters, marine birds and various animals that inhabit the tide pool area.

     This guy put on quite a show for us. He walked across the viewing glass and you could get a great view of the suckers on his arms.  He was HUGE!

     While we saw more than our share of puffins while in Alaska, I was surprised to know that they hung out along the Oregon coast also. You just can't resist taking their picture.

     There were several tanks filled with different species of jellyfish. You can get mesmerized by just watching them swim and drift through the water.

     I believe that this guy is called a wolf eel. Like his cousin the moray, he hides in the rocks and sports an impressive set of teeth when he opens his mouth.  He just looks cranky.

     Ok, the crab behind me is only a drawing. But it depicts a life size example of crabs found in fossils around the area. Don't think that I would like to meet this guy while scuba diving!  Wonder if the legs are good eating, though!

     Near the Aquarium is the Yaquina Bay lighthouse. Now closed and restored as a tourist attraction, this lighthouse once provided a navigation beacon and warning lights to mariners off the coast of Newport. It was only in service from 1871-1874 when it was replaced by the brighter and better placed Yaquina Head lighthouse. Oh, and they say that this lighthouse is haunted!

     The view out the front door of the lighthouse.

     The inside of the lighthouse has been meticulously restored with period furnishings. It is quite fascinating to see how the keeper and his family lived and worked.

     This is a unique piece of artwork. It is a cross decorated with delicate flowers. Upon close examination, the flowers and all of the leaves are made from human hair! It was a practice that, in order to honor the memory of loved ones who had passed, you took locks of their hair and wove them into intricate patterns or works of art. Creepy but beautiful.

Summer 2014 - Redeaux

     Well, after a bit of a fiasco getting the new AC unit installed in Tucson, we had cancelled a series of our planned campground reservations. Our plan to tour the West and Pacific Northwest states was shortened so much as to be pretty much scrapped. We were tired of the 100+ temps and were looking for a way to salvage at least some of the summer plans. We also had to make sure that whatever we decided to do, we were back in Rapid City, SD by mid September as both of us have to update our drivers' licenses. After much discussion, we decided that we might just try to find a work camping job in Washington or Oregon for the rest of the summer. It being well into the "season" I was doubtful that anything would present itself that met with our expectations. I sent an inquiry to the place that we had been accepted to once before in Westport, WA. It also just so happened that I was reviewing work camping opportunities when I saw a position available in a small town on the Oregon coast called Depoe Bay. I replied to that ad also not expecting much. Well, surprise! By the next morning I had two replies in my inbox! Both parks were interested in talking to us. In talking with the managers, the Westport park was a bit uncertain whether we could finish training and be productive by the time we would have to leave in September. The park in Depoe Bay was excited to have us and offered us the job immediately. We accepted. So once the AC was repaired we took a four day excursion northwards to end up at Sea & Sand RV Park in Depoe Bay, OR

Our Willow Beach campsite

     Along the way we didn't stop much, but we tried to at least see some sights and enjoy the dash north. Our first campsite was in an off-the-road state park near Las Vegas called Willow Beach. This place was a hidden gem! The campsites were paved and the pads offered a unique scenic mix of riverfront and desert hills. The low lighting in the park really allowed the stars to populate the night sky. It was a very relaxing way to end the first day's drive.

You can barely see Hoover Dam from the new road

     The next day we drove over the Hoover Dam. Now the last time we were here, we were one of the last folks that got to actually drive over the dam. Now there is a modern fly-over highway that reduces congestion around the dam. When we were here last, it was almost finished but not quite.

     We drove to a little campground in Nevada near the California border for the night, then moved on the next day. We finally left the desert landscapes behind and began seeing more forests and streams. Mt. Shasta in California was brilliant in its early summer snow cover and the skies were clear for good viewing.

Mt. Shasta in California

     We arrived at Sea & Sand and were shown to a very nice campsite in the park. Charlene, the manager, is great and was very happy to see us. There are two other work camper couples here and they are both very friendly and fun to work with. The park itself is another hidden gem. It is an older park but very well maintained. There is a section called the "Forest" which lies tucked away in the trees. Then there is the section called the "Ocean". This is a three tiered set of sites that face the Pacific Ocean. This is the only park in the area that has direct access to the coast and the beach so it is very popular with folks who stay here.

Our Summer home for 2014

Sea & Sand Office (this is where Barb works)

     There is a lot to do in and around here so we plan on spending a lot of our free time trying to take it all in. Subsequent blog entries should detail some of what we can do and see here. In the meantime, we are enjoying the cooler weather and the sounds of the waves hitting the beach.

Sunset and smiles!!

A Bit of a Delay

     On the way to Phoenix to visit with family and friends, we had a couple of small issues with the new coach (you always do). We decided to stop in Tucson and have the folks at LazyDays do some warranty work for us. The temps in the area have stayed consistently over 100 degrees since our arrival! We found a nice campground in Casa Grande. Being the off season, we had our pick of almost any of the sites. Our daughter Amanda and the grandkids (Tori and Belle) came out to visit us while we were here. We all trooped off to visit the Casa Grande Ruins and the kids had a great time.

Checking out the Casa Grande Ruins

     Unfortunately, they picked the wrong time to come! Not only was it hot during the days, one of the two air conditioners in the motorhome went out towards the end of their stay. The temperature in the coach, even with the other air on, was upwards of 99 degrees by 3:00 pm. I took the coach back to Tucson to have the AC looked at while Barb and the girls travelled to Sedona for some hiking and sightseeing.

Hiking in Sedona

     Naturally, when I got to the service center, they could not get the AC unit to fail!! I drove back to Casa Grande in a "not too good" of a mood, but the AC continued to work so I wrote it off to "gremlins". Barb and the girls came back the next day and guess what ??? Shortly after their return, the AC began to act up! Well, I was NOT going to go back to Tucson just to have it work OK so I contacted Tiffin (the coach manufacturer). I received a call back to my email in short order. Bob Tiffin was not in Red Bay but another executive called me. We discussed the issue and Tiffin agreed to ship out a new AC unit to Tucson and pay for the installation. They also agreed to authorize the second AC unit to be checked out and serviced if necessary (since it was pulling double duty in extreme conditions). THIS is why I buy Tiffin motorhomes. They support their products and are very responsive to customer inquiries.

    We did go up to Phoenix and visit with family. Our niece delivered her first baby and Barb and the girls got their "baby time". They also took every opportunity to swim. They had a good visit but I think that they were glad to head home and get to cooler temperatures.

     So the down side is we have to wait a week for the AC unit to arrive. This throws a kink in our plans and we pretty much have decided to skip visiting both the Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. We've been to both before, but were looking forward to a re-visit. We now are sitting in the LazyDays delivery lot waiting for the unit to arrive. Luckily they have a place for us to plug in but it is still unbearably hot. We had to break down and stay at a hotel for a couple of nights. After some whining and inquiring, we were moved to a covered site to help ease the heating of the coach and make things easier for the poor second AC unit. Hopefully we are back on the road by this weekend!