This is a follow-up to Friday’s Flashback post. This was written on September 23, 2008, while spending time at Harbin Hot Springs in California.
Who Needs A Satellite to Commune With The World?
There are places still in the world, that are not reached by a satellite signal. It feels odd, and very refreshing to be nestled in the hills, and have no cell phone service. I am surrounded by oaks and pines and deer wander through the grounds grazing on the foliage in front of my room. They come so close, you can almost reach out and pet them.
The quail are still chatting with each other, as the sun is setting. I had the original intention of going to the dance tonight. At this moment, I’m not so sure. The quiet is so welcoming and with all the walking around I did earlier, I have had to come to the realization that I am very out of shape. As much as the spirit is willing, I think the body has final say.
The movie at 7pm didn’t really rock my boat. The movie at 9pm may be of interest. We’ll see how I feel when 9pm rolls along. Tomorrow night, there’s a play in the theater that sounds fascinating. A former member of the Steve Miller Band, and some other bloke are doing a satire of some sort.
Mostly, I’m just here to soak, read and write. I think I may wander on back up to the pools in a bit. Then, again, I may just stay in my room and write for awhile. This feels so pleasant, I almost hate to break up a good thing. I have all day tomorrow, after all! 🙂
Last week, a friend and I camped at Tumalo State Park in Oregon from Monday through Friday. We had a great time and look forward to going camping again, soon. We got back to her place late Friday afternoon. On Saturday, I hit the road for the long drive back home.
One thing I enjoy doing is learning about the history of an area, so I stop at some of the signs and historical markers along the Oregon Scenic Byway.
View from the Christmas Valley Outback Scenic BywaySeen at a Rest StopThis building has always fascinated me. It’s kept freshly painted, though there appears to be no usable doors.Flowers seen on the side of the road on 395.
It may be difficult to tell, but that dark area under the visible clouds is a very dark, thick layer of storm clouds. This was looking south, toward Northern Nevada.
One thing missing from my road trip was the barn that appeared to be collapsing for several, long years. It appears that it may have finally been knocked down.
I am back in my pad and I am tired, after a 7 to 7 1/2 hour drive. today. It’s a good tired, though. I am feeling so refreshed, renewed, and happy.
The camping trip was so much fun. Spending time with my friend is always such a pleasure. We both learned that pads make sleeping in my tent a better experience. I added 2 thin foam pads to my cot and she added a pad to her sleeping arrangements.
I woke up early to say my goodbye to Peter, who was back on schedule for work. I was rather tired and drifted in and out of sleep while on the sofa watching television with him. Once I became more coherent, I finished packing the car and hit the road.
The drive back to Oregon consisted of an hour-long stop at Toutle River Rest Area, where I ate a mid-morning meal and wild released 2 books, a 15-minute break at Memaloosa Rest Area (with lots of info regarding the Oregon Trail) and a stop at Stonehenge and Maryhill Museum.
I reached Stonehenge about 2:00PM, which turned out to not be an excellent time for taking pictures. Too much sun and far too few shadows to play with.
Just a hop up the road is Maryhill Museum, which was a real pleasure. Several very colorful metal sculptures decorated the front lawn. Inside the museum there is a treat for just about any lover of art, from photos by Ansel Adams to Rodin sculptures. They have a wonderful display of chess pieces, an interesting display of “Theatre de la Mode”, one of the best Native American Exhibit’s I’ve ever seen and much, much more. As an interesting note, the Museum had been the mansion of Samuel Hill. The building is beautiful, with an amazing view of the Columbia River.
The drive to Redmond, OR was long and if it hadn’t been for Charles Kuralt and his tales of living on the road, would have seemed a bit unbearable. Coming upon Madras was a very welcoming sight. I passed on stopping at the Crooked River Gorge for the sake of arriving in Redmond before too late.
Laugh all you want at the privacy tent. I mean it. I won’t be offended if you make fun of the privacy tent. It’s lucky it’s standing at all. What a piece of *#*#! The directions were worthless. It’s going back to the store, when I get back home. (Oh, and it became quite flaccid today, so I took it down.)
I don’t have one to post for August 15th, so this is from August 16th, 2009.
Sunday Drive
Phil and I took off for our own adventure today. After a late start, we rode off to explore the various Port towns on the Peninsula. The drive took us from the very lush and green Gig Harbor through some of the obviously drier side of the Peninsula. The vegetation along the highway grew more sparse and browner, though lots of green still abounded. Through much of the drive, there was a great view of Puget Sound.
The first stop was Port Gamble, a very small town founded in 1853 by a few men who wanted it to look like their small town in Maine
Further up the road was Port Townsend. The buildings were fabulous old forms of architecture that have certainly stood the test of time. I’ll post a couple of the pictures in my FaceBook account.
We stopped in The Public House Grill for a late, late lunch. Their food was delicious. We were told that the chefs are two brothers, who run the place. Kudos to the exceptional fish dishes.
After our meal, we strolled to a pier that overlooks the Bay. The Bay is a protected area for migratory animals and for all types of underwater grasses. (So well protected, that it took Phil and I a while to find any evidence of the grasses that are considered important to the area even though the pier we stood on was specifically designed to let enough sunlight through for their growth.)
While standing at the end of the pier, I was treated to hundreds and hundreds of small jelly fish that rose to the surface. Sadly, I couldn’t get my camera out on time to get a very good picture. By the time I snapped a pic, most had swam away. I did grab a pic of a lady and her dog going by on a kayak. The dog was smartly dressed in it’s life jacket. Even more surprising, along with the pics of the ‘yakker and other boaters, a couple took a picture of Phil and me. I can’t tell you how many places I’ve gone, and there is not one shot of me. Not that I’ve minded too much, since I don’t usually like pictures of me, but occasional proof that I “was there” would be okay, too.
We left there wishing for more, yet, due to my late start, there were other places to be. We drove into University Place in search of a Starbucks designated as the place to meet C… and D… I had the pleasure of being a passenger, allowing me to view The Narrows as we crossed the bridge.
I’ve known C… for awhile, but this was the first time I met D…. After we exchanged introductions all around, C gifted me with a lovely doily she made, and I returned a game that’s sat in Reno for years (Fact or Crap…and yes, that is the name of the game {s}), we sat outside to chat for awhile. Her mother was going to join us, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she couldn’t make it before we had to leave for dinner.
I’m mostly reposting this as these memories were posted on another site that I no longer use and would like to have these still available.
Day 3 of Trip
I’ve arrived at Gig Harbor.
I drove through my favorite part of Central Oregon on the way, Warm Springs. It’s amazingly green and beautiful, with forests and mesas. I stopped at Government Camp for a brief snack and stretch, then continued on my way to the outskirts of Portland. Some real traffic slowed me down in Sandy and was admittedly very happy to reach the 84.
Once I was a few miles into Washington, the rains came. Sometimes with such force that visibility was knocked down to just a few feet. I stopped at Scatter Creek Rest Area for a free cup of coffee, a cookie and lunch. There was a small patch of blue sky. Is this what Washingtonians refer to as a mostly sunny day?
The drive into Gig Harbor was nice and despite the less-than-detailed directions, I found my way to Pete’s place.
Peter, Phil and I stood out on the back deck, talking and renewing old ties. Here’s the view we had from the back deck:
. . . . .
*Aug. 10, 2025 – Note to add: my question regarding ‘sunny day’ was referring to the weather report on the radio that stated that it was a sunny day, just a few minutes before I stopped at the Scatter Creek Rest Area. I was laughing and shaking my head.
Because it’s late and I’m tired after a full day of binge-watching Doctor Who (2nd Doctor), Thor: Love and Thunder, and playing Apples to Apples with friends, I will copy and paste another flashback from 2009.
Day Two of Trip
I can’t believe I woke Aunt Doral up today. I feel so bad! She says it’s fine, that she wakes up early every day. I still feel bad.
I had brought my alarm clock with me, and had forgotten to turn it off. It sounded at 4:30AM. (Groan) After it stopped, I rolled over to go back to sleep, but couldn’t. I had to get up to go. Unfortunately, one of the dogs got spooked and let out a couple of barks, which woke my Aunt up.
. . . . . . .
After a slow start in the morning, and a look at weather and traffic reports, I had decided to stay in Redmond an extra day. It was nice to have a quiet day.
Aunt Doral and I went to the store, picked up flowers and set them at John’s gravesite. This was the first time I’ve been there since the service. I found it difficult to not break down, but was able to focus on the perfect stone.
It’s not easy to see in the picture, and maybe when I return I’ll go back for a better picture, but the stone has a spattering of stars and a sun/moon carved into it. It is perfect for representing him.
After spending some time there, we went to see Frankie and Theresa’s new hot dog stand they run downtown. Frankie and Breanna were standing court.
This is continuation of the Flashback Friday post that was posted on Friday, July 18, 2025. The following was posted on another site, July 2007. I’m reposting here so as to not lose this little bit of my history.
Day 3; Or It’s a Long and Winding Way Home
Friday we woke to a foggy, groggy morning. We both fought sleep the last night there. I didn’t want to see the trip end. The surf called me. The winding roads called me. The fog knew my name. The longer I could stay awake, the longer my vacation would seem.
As D showered, I stepped out and stared at the low tide for awhile. I walked to the end of the pier and watched the fog roll back out to sea, taking the early morning with it. I wanted to follow it out, float upon the chilly waters, until land disappeared.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
All our bags are packed, we’re ready to go; a muffin downed, we are out the door; neither one of us wants to say goodbye; but the drive home beckons, the key’s turned in; our stomachs’ growling, Drake’s Beach has a cafe; Already we miss the place so much we cry.
“We want to stay another day…”
So, off to Drake’s Beach for breakfast. But, aha — they don’t serve breakfast! Go figure. No one else in the area does…why should they break the mode? Their sandwiches are simple, yet filling and hot cocoa was a blessing against the furious cold winds that blew across the beach.
D and I ventured out onto the sand and stuck feet into frigid water. After watching our toes turn blue (was that just the color of the water, or were our feet that cold?), we rushed back to the car.
It’s still early…well, not really, but I just couldn’t bear leaving, yet. We vote to find the beach that is supposed to be the kinder, gentler beach. We find it. It cost money. We forgo the romantic walk along a sandy shoreline for a meditative walk through Spirit Matters, defined as “A divine destination full of oddities” and cookies from the Busy Bee Bakery.
The drive out of the Point took longer it seemed — oh, yeah, I was driving much slower! 🙂 We stopped to take in the smell of redwoods and the various life forms that congregate around them.
The mood is a bit more quieter and sullen for our drive back. D and I are both sad that we have to leave this idyllic place and land back in Reno; though we do stop at the Ikea in Sac. (One more distraction and a way to delay our arrival home.) I haven’t been to an Ikea in over 12 years and D had never been to one. We explored the jungle of displays, then sat down to a late lunch/early dinner.
It’s funny; the drive from Point Reyes to Reno is about four to four and one-half hours. We left the Golden Hinde Inn around 10AM. I did not arrive home until 11PM. We must have entered some kind of time travel trap loop or something.
For Fandango’s Flashback Friday, I am going to cheat a little and post what I meant to post last Friday. I wrote about Day 1 of this trip and Day 2 on the same day, a half hour apart in 2007 on another site.
The Start of a Freedom Loving Week – A Prelude and Day 1
I hope everyone had an enjoyable and safe 4th of July weekend.
Even though I usually don’t go traveling or such for the 4th, this year I broke out of the mode. I started by visiting friends in Carson City last weekend. These people have my heart wrapped in warmth and love; and I truly treasure every visit with them. This does not mean that everything is rosy and perfection when we are together; but even through the occasional tense moments, there is a sense of family that permeates.
On Wednesday, the 4th, D and I drove out to Point Reyes National Seashore http://www.nps.gov/pore/ for a 2 night/3 day stay at the Golden Hinde Inn in Inverness. The motel room was a few feet from the eastern shoreline of the Point with a very small, private beach. Inexpensive room, simple, clean, rather old (with peeling paint), and near-perfect for our needs.
After we settled into our room, we drove out to the Point where the Point Reyes Lighthouse sits. http://www.ptreyeslight.com/lthouse.html The walk was a slightly strenuous uphill climb, made more strenuous by fierce winds blowing across the point. The Lighthouse was closed (closed Wednesdays and possibly because of the winds), which was okay with us when we saw the stairs that lead to the small lighthouse. According to the sign, the narrow staircase is similar to climbing 30 stories. Hmmm…we weren’t feeling quite confident in our staircase climbing skills at the moment.
Freedom Calls – Day 2
We had a late start, discovered that no one in the town of Inverness serves breakfast (huh?), so enjoyed our Continental breakfast consisting of a bran muffin and a can of orange juice, then drove off in search of adventure, libraries (for internet access) and touristy things to do.
Even though the sign for the library in Inverness was very clear when we came in on Wednesday, we couldn’t find it on Thursday. We drove onto Olema and still found no library. We returned to Point Reyes Seashore and located the Bear Valley Visitor Center. The Visitor Center was pretty upscale with exhibits of several of the animals indigenous to the area and a short film, then lunched on peanut butter sandwiches at one of the many provided picnic tables. Many of the hikes start at the Visitor Center and we walked out to the Kule Loklo village, a recreation of a Miwok village.
Sadly, gas became a bit of an issue. Not knowing there were no gas stations anywhere along the peninsula, we were directed to head out to Point Reyes Station, a town along Route One. This turned out to be a good distraction for the day. We found a bookstore to browse through, (and, well, buy something from). The restaurant we were told to go eat at was closed due to a plumbing problem. We found the Taqueria LaQuinta and were quite pleased. The food was very tasty (you must try out the garlic Parmesan cheese fries!) and there were lots!
With full stomachs and full gas tank, back to the Point we journeyed. We weren’t ready to go back to the room and decided to find Drake’s Beach. On the way, we stoppped to take pictures of a group of Tule Elk. What magnificent animals! Much smaller than the elk I’d find in Oregon, yet they have the same grace and elegance.
The beach was very windy and cold — we explored the area mostly from the car, as we watched the sun set behind us (very discombobulating to have a western beach actually be facing east). The Tule elk were still in the field at the fork in the road and entertained this time with shows of Elk Machismo.
yvensong 