Days 4 and 5 - Florence, OR to Redmond, OR

Day 4 started with breakfast, but not at our usual spot. It seems the place where I'd been having the morning meal for over thirty years was gone. According to a local the owner went out of business and the fire department burned the building down. An exercise in fire suppression I hope.

After eating it was too early to start window shopping on Bay Street, so we headed south on highway 101 for a thirty mile drive to Winchester Bay. Nice harbor, lots of boats and not much else. I think we ate lunch there at a little fish and chips place on a trip back from the Arizona a few years back. If we did the place is now a bait shop. On the way down Barb thought she saw an espresso place a few miles back in Reedsport, thus that was our next destination. Closed for remodeling, but down the street we scored a couple of drinks.

Back in Florence we hit one side of Bay Street. First stop, as usual, was Kitchen Klutter. In spite of the thousands of items available for purchase, Barb left empty handed. Lunched was a pair of clam chowders at Mo's. No visit to the coast is complete without a visit to Mo's. To Barb's dismay I interrupted the window shopping with a walk down the piers to check out the fishing boats. After finishing Bay Street, amazingly without a purchase, we stopped at Fred Meyer's for gas. The price? $1.94 a gallon, after the 3 cent preferred customer discount. The highest price in Florence was $1.97 a gallon. Haven't seen prices lat that for years.

Dinner that night was again at the Bridgewater. Barb ordered up the fish and chips, while I opted for the ciopino. Once again both were excellent. If you are in Florence this is the place to eat.

Back at the hotel I had worked on the blog for about 40 minutes when everything disappeared. I gave up.

Day 5 began early. For some reason we were up, packed and having breakfast by a little after 7:00. Then it was a short hour and a half drive to Eugene and a stop at the Springfield Calela's. Smaller store, but still fun to visit. After 30 minutes and a long drive down a dead end street we found a Starbucks and suitably armed with drinks we headed back over the mountains to home.

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Days 1, 2 and 3 - Redmond, OR to Florence, OR

We left home in Redmond at 7:08 am and after a quick stop at the local Starbucks headed for Vancouver, Washington. There was rain a good part of the day, including heavy stuff once into Portland. But there was little traffic and and no snow over the pass at Government Camp, so I count it as a good trip.

Our reason for this trip was a memorial service for Barb's dad, who passed away in December. We had a nice dinner at the Brush Prairie Tavern with her brothers Don and wife Loretta, who live nearby, and Mark and wife Denise in from Florida. Afterwards spirits and good conversation back at Don's. The good host was putting us all up for the duration.

Day 2 started early, much to early, at Creekside Estates, where the manager had offered up the recreation center for the service. Very nice facility and free is a great price.

The service went well, with the pastor from Creekside giving a good talk and Barb's brother Mark doing a great job on the eulogy. More conversation in the afternoon and evening, with a break for dinner at Olive Garden.

Day 3 began with coffee and more talk the next morning and then we were in the car at 9:00 am headed to Cabela's in Tualatin, Oregon. A half hour and one purchase later we were on the road for two nights on the coast. With rain off and on for three hours the drive down to Florence wasn't the best, but it is Oregon and that means rain.

Driftwood Shores has been updated since our last stay. So along with a room right on the ocean we now have an improved room. Dinner was at the Bridgeport Fish House and Zebra Bar. I have no idea what a Zebra Bar is. Barb had salmon with red potatoes, while I selected pasta with scallops, shrimp and fish with a homemade marinara sauce. Both were excellent.

Tomorrow some trinketing in Florence and lunch at Mo's.

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