TUESDAY, SEPT 2

TUESDAY, SEPT 2: 

     Left shortly after 10.  This was a very nice park to stay a few days – clean, tidy, very nice & helpful managers.  The only bad taste – their ridiculous sign in the dog-walking area! 

                                                                 

     Another sunny, warm day when we left.  A nice drive down Hwy 101.   We made a detour at Camp Blanco, about 80 miles south of Florence, to see the lighthouse there – the southernmost one on the Oregon coast, and the oldest – commissioned in 1870.   As soon as we opened the truck doors in the parking lot, we were almost knocked over by the wind!  We thought yesterday afternoon was windy – was nothing compared to this – Bill thought probably gale force.  Since this is the most westerly point of the Oregon coast, it gets slammed with wind.    

     But we braved it to walk up the hill to the lighthouse.  And what a reward!  Unparalleled, magnificent views of rock, foam, gorgeous blue water.  The contrast between the unsculpted wildness of the sea pounding the rocks offshore and the subdued artistry of the scalloped edges of the shoreline is part of what makes a scene like this so mesmerizing.

          

     Too bad it was so windy – we could have pulled our chairs out and had lunch overlooking this sublime scene.  We both remarked that if it were this windy in the summertime, we could only imagine what it might be like during a winter storm!  During the long winters, it must have often felt like a very desolate place for the lightkeepers and their families.

     As we continued driving south, we came upon some of the most scenic stretches of this highway so far. Cliffs hewn out of the rock right down to the shore, piled up driftwood, and such a deep indigo blue ocean.  What a gift that it’s so clear, and we can see this splendor at its most dazzling.

                                                        

           

     We’d booked an overnight spot at a campground that had high reviews in the town of Gold Beach, not far from the California border.  Arrived around 3:00.  Was a little off the beaten path – but what a hidden gem!  It bills itself as an RV Resort, and, even though it looks like there are quite a few permanent or semi-permanent residents, it lives up to that billing.  Right on the Rogue River, although this must be a tributary, as it’s pretty small, and we assume that the RV park takes its name from it – Kimball Creek Bend.  The “resort” is huge – Bill thinks around 20 acres.  So the sites are all spread out, with lots of grassy common areas spread out amongst the sites.  Shade trees everywhere.  It’s a blend of the best of “RV parks” – e.g., WiFi, very clean, spacious restrooms, pull-thru sites, and “campgrounds” – e.g., generous spacing of sites, very natural, rustic feel.  Reminded us of the other “resort” we stayed at, near Sedona.   If we didn’t have our rafting trip booked for Friday and wanted a cushion day at Grants Pass before that trip, we’d be tempted to stay here an extra day and just sit by the river relaxing or taking the kayaks out. 

                                                    

 

Had our leftover Margherita pizza & a salad for dinner.  Getting pretty dark now by 8:30.  Summer’s definitely waning.