Day 15 and 16 Redmond, OR and drive to Reno, NV

Yesterday, our last day in Redmond, the four of us started with Screwdrivers and followed with the last of the Eagle Bakery cinnamon rolls. Good way to start any day.

Barb and I then headed into Bend for a little shopping. First stop was a restaurant supply place to pick up gloves Barb likes to wear during food preparation. The last stop was McMenamins St. Francis School to purchase two more four packs of beer (one Ruby and one Hammerhead) to go with our earlier purchases.

Lunch was down in the wine cellar with left over pizza (from last night) and wine. Pretty cool place for lunch. Dinner was was at E BarGrill, where Neal and I had our favorite meat loaf.

The evening was a comedy hour with old Dean Martin videos. Tomorrow we start heading back home. Sorry out visit in Redmond was so short.

44.2 miles around Redmond and Bend

Today we were up at 5:30 getting everything packed up. A quick breakfast of coffee and toast, not so quick good byes and we were off at 7:22. We stopped in Redmond for a pair of Starbucks and later in La Pine for a breakfast sandwich each.

The debate over what route to take ended when we took highway 31, which would take 5 minutes longer but miss a lot of traffic on highway 97. Nearing Fort Rock we started getting smoke and the further we went to more smoke we got. I suspect that it was coming our way from the California fires.

Lunch was a quick sandwich in Alturas and later we would drive through Reno at rush hour. Don’t like that kind of traffic. First on the To Do list was find one of those spray it yourself car wash. Somewhere around Silver Lake we ran into a flock of grasshoppers. At least I think they were grasshoppers. About and inch and a half long they made quite a thump when hitting the car. It wasn’t till our first rest stop that we saw the mess they had made of the front of the car. Since the attack had taken place early in the day they had become firmly attached, but we managed to get them off with $1.50 worth of high pressure spray.

For dinner we split cheese ravioli at an unnamed restaurant, where the service was so bad I had a little chat with the manager.

Tomorrow we are off to Las Vegas for our last night on the road.

458 miles Redmond to Carson City

Day 14 - Around Redmond, OR

Short post today.

The best thing about bringing Eagle Bakery cinnamon rolls to Neal and Phyllis is having them share with your. First, of course, you must have a Screwdriver out on the deck. Only then do you get your roll.

Most of the morning was spent catching up with our hosts and then it was off to The View Tap & Grill for lunch. Located at Juniper Golf Course, we had a table outside overlooking the ninth and eighteenth greens. Pretty nice with the mountains in the background, though not much snow was remaining.

After lunch we spent some time driving around Redmond and Eagle Crest taking in all the changes. We’ve only been gone a year and there is so much new building. I guess we will see that every year when we visit.

Had a really nice evening with old friends. Phyl had invited over three couples we had known for years for drinks and pizza. Much was talked about and many invitations for winter visits to Arizona were handed out. Great time.

Tomorrow Barb and I have a little shopping to do in Bend and we do need to start packing up for the trip home.

Day 13 - Madras, OR to Redmond, OR

The best thing about Madras is the Eagle Bakery. They have the very best cinnamon rolls ever. When we lived in Redmond we, and many others, would make the 40 minute drive on Friday or Saturday to buy a package or two. And since today is Saturday we waited around till 8:00 to pick up a couple for Neil and Phyllis. That accomplished we headed out for the short drive to Eagle Crest.

I like this drive in the farmland between Madras and Redmond. For one thing, the farmers put signs along the road to tell you what’s growing in the field. Today we saw hybrid carrot seed, wheat, alfalfa and some corn. Then there is the hawks. It seems like there is a hawk on every tenth telephone pole searching the surrounding field for breakfast.

Once into Redmond we stopped at Original Pancake House for breakfast, stopped at Wet Willie’s to have 12 days worth of bugs removed from the car and stopped at Fred Meyer to replaced Barb’s broken watch band. Only then could we head to Eagle Crest for a three night stay.

Lunch was at Silver Leaf, a little sandwich place at EC, followed in the evening by a very good dinner at Aspens Lakes. All in all a great day with old friends.

40.1 miles today. Tomorrow we will get together with other friends from the past.

Day 12 - Long Beach, WA to Madras, OR

So the day started pretty much as planned. English muffin and orange juice and then a load of wash started. Decided we would head into town and get a coffee before getting ready to leave tomorrow. Heading back to the house Barb happened to take a look at the rental agreement and found we were to be out today by 11:00. Well that certainly changed the plan for today.

After a quick drive back to the house Barb started on the laundry while I started cleaning up around the house. As soon as the clothes were out of the dryer we finished the packing and started loading the car. A last walk around the house and the key in the lockbox we were on the road with 4 minutes to spare. Lunch was at Subway in Clatskanie. No oysters. After crossing from Washington to Oregon at Astoria we crossed back to Washington at Longview and then back to Oregon near Portland. Carry, no carry, carry, no carry. You may know what that means.

We were supposed to be at a friends on Saturday, but rather than show up early Barb got us a motel in Madras. After checking in we crossed the street to have a very good Mexican dinner. No oysters.

Tomorrow we plan, once again, to get to Redmond for three nights with old friends.

237.7 miles today.

Day 11 - Around Long View, WA and Astoria, OR

Up at 8:00 and another English muffin and orange juice for breakfast. I’m almost hungry for cereal.

Back across to Astoria real found a real Starbucks and then made a quick stop at Fred Meyer. Took a little drive around Astoria and it was time for the Buoy to open. Yup, I’m going back for another lunch of their oysters. Th jury is now back and these are the best oysters I have ever had.

Back at the house Barb researched on where to go for dinner while I did a little reading. Barb’s research resulted in a trip to the Castaway Seafood Grille where the claim to fame is the 2017 award for best clam chowder. So we tried a couple of bowls and it was pretty darn good. Could have been a little thicker, but had more clams than one usually finds. May try it for lunch tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be mostly a housekeeping day. Laundry, packing and cleaning out the car are at the top of the list for out drive to Redmond, Oregon.

Ships waiting to load at Port of Astoria Click the photo

4.1 mile bridge from Astoria to Washington
Click the photo

Day 10 - Around Long Beach, WA and Astoria, OR

Slept into 8:30. Nice. English muffin and half a morning glory muffin for breakfast and then off to Astoria.

First stop was in Warrington and Fred Meyer for a couple of items and a Starbucks. Then a drive south to Seaside, which was nothing but traffic and directions to a Wells Fargo that no longer exists. Discouraged we turned around and found a Wells Fargo’s in Astoria. Simple request for a printout of the last 10 days required a banker, who were of course all busy. Not at all the level of customer service I expect.

Son Jeff recommended the Buoy for lunch and it was a real winner. Great table right on the Columbia River. Ordered their Buoy Oysters. These are pan-fried Willapa Bay oysters, with jalapeño jelly and a goat cheese pearl. Probably the best oysters I have ever had. I’m seriously thinking about going back tomorrow just for another order.

Weather here today in a cool 59 degrees, with a little fog blowing in occasionally. At 2:32 it was 114 degrees at home.

In the afternoon we took a walk down to the beach expecting to see the ocean. It was gone. Apparently we were witnessing a very, very low tide. The ocean was so far out we could barely see it. Not inclined to walk that far we returned to the house. Later we drove over to the restaurant at the local golf course for fish and chips.

Tomorrow Barb wants to hit the local COSTCO and I still need to find a Wells Fargo. I’ll probably try to find a reason to have another oyster lunch.

Click the photo

Day 9 - Around Long Beach, WA

Slept in till 8:00, so it must not be a driving day. We are here at the coast for five days and driving will be local. And our stay is free courtesy of our son Jeff and his wife Anita, who are letting us use their rental.

58 degrees here this morning, going to a high of 61. Yesterday at home it was 115. Think we will enjoy this cooler weather while we can.

With no Starbucks on the peninsula we had to go looking for coffee. Not a problem, there are many of the little coffee carts around. With a hot drink in had we headed north to Oysterville. If you want to see piles of oyster shells this is the place. And not just any shells. These are Willapa Oysters and they rank pretty high on my list of favorites. In fact, many will wind up on my dinner plate this week. Oysterville is also home to a number of homes dating from the late 1890’s, which are still well cared for and lived in.

Next up we took the mandatory tourist walk on the main drag through Long Beach to check all the t-shirts, sweat shirts, hats and other paraphernalia that shout out “I’ve been to Long Beach, Washington.” For lunch we stopped at the local golf course and split a really good turkey sandwich.

The afternoon was spent back at the house with a nap mixed in from time to time. We headed into Seaview for dinner at The Depot. Barb had a shrimp dish, while I had pan fried oysters. Very good.

Tomorrow we will probably cross over the Columbia River to spend a little time exploring Astoria, Oregon.

Day 8 - Portland Ludlow, WA to Long Beach, WA

Changing location day, so we were on the road at 7:48 after a muffin and coffee. To bad we were on the wrong road. It occurred to me after about 15 minutes we should be heading southwest rather than east. Turned out to be a disagreement between Google Maps on my phone and the GPS in the car. Phone won and soon we were back on course.

Pretty easy drive today, except Barb wasn’t too happy with all the two lane roads and a curves. Along the way we passed through Quilcene (known for oysters), Dosewallips, Hama Hama (not a typo), Skokomish, Liliwaup and Kamilche. None of these made it through spell check. Skokomish is home to the Lucky Dog casino and today I took them for a grand total of $4.75. Hey, what are you laughing about, I left a winner!

Arriving in Ilwaco about lunch time we headed Ole Bob’s Galley Café and Seafood market for a bowl each of claim chowder and a shared fish and chips. And an IPA. Next we walked a block to Jessie’s Ilwaco Fish Company and picked up a pair of Dungeness crabs for dinner. Next came a bottle of wine and a lofe of bread to go with the crabs.

The rest of the afternoon was spent moving into and settling into our son’s beach house in Long Beach, Washington. Looking forward to five days of R & R at the coast.

204.1 miles today.

Day 7 - Around Port Ludlow, WA

Left the hotel at 7:23 and headed to the crossroads of Chimacum for breakfast at the Chimacum Café. Good meal. As for the price, we have come to the conclusion that everything is expensive here. Probably the isolation.

Getting a little bored back at the hotel we took off for Port Hadlock and the QFC for a Starbucks. An attempt to find Fort Flagler, another coast artillery installation, failed miserably. Surrounded by water on three sides and with only one road leading to it, this should have been an easy find.

So, it was back to the hotel waiting to visit our friends early afternoon.

Spent the rest our last day in Port Ludlow with friends Steve and Sally. What a great time. Too bad we live so far apart, because we really enjoy our time with them. Great afternoon sitting out on the deck watching for eagles and enjoying different wines. After dinner the evening passed too quickly and we had to make our way back to the hotel to pack up for our drive tomorrow.

No crosses today and only 58.3 miles.

Day 6 - Around Port Ludlow, WA

Started the day with breakfast at the Resort. Very good, but we will explore elsewhere tomorrow.

The plan was to head to Port Townsend and explore Fort Worden. This fort, along with Fort Casey, was built to discourage enemy ships from reaching Seattle. Fort Casey is really cool, Fort Worden is not. Most, if not all, of the officer’s quarters have been turned into rentals (read hotel) and various businesses seem to occupy other building. We couldn’t find any of the old gun mounts, which are really fun to explore. Big concrete bunkers with dark passages leading to ammunition storage rooms. Bring a flashlight. This was supposedly where An Officer and a Gentlemen was filmed, but you couldn’t proved it by me.

A Starbucks helped ease the disappointment. With nothing to do we decided to take a drive out to Port Angeles. Bad move. Saturday traffic heading out to the Olympic Peninsula was miles of one car after another. Finally found a break in the oncoming traffic and made a probably illegal u-turn.

Afternoon was spent with friends and then the four of us headed out for a good fish dinner. Tomorrow is another day around Port Ludlow and packing up for the next drive.

Zero crosses and 105.3 miles today.

Inn at Port Ludlow
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Day 5 - Portland, OR to Port Ludlow, WA

Up early and after a quick breakfast at the motel we headed north on I 205 toward Washington, for what would be a pretty much uneventful drive.

First stop was at a Fred Meyer in Tumwater for gas and a walk about. Washington must have some pretty strict regulations on gas pumps. The giant size nozzle didn’t want to mate with the car’s filler, which left me only a few gallons before giving up.

Next up was a stop at the McMenamins Spar Club in Olympia for an early lunch. The turkey sandwich is the best around. We picked to a mixed case of Ruby, Terminator and Hammerhead for later consumption and the coast. Then it was on to Port Ludlow for a three days visit with some very good friends from our Redmond days. They are building a new home, so we are staying at the Port Ludlow Resort. Pretty nice corner room with a view of the water, fire place and jetted tub.

After checking in we headed over to Steve and Sally’s to see their new place. Great setting. Right on the Hood Canal, with views of missile subs leaving Bangor and cruise chips leaving Seattle. You always know you will get a excellent meal at Sally’s and tonight was no exception, starting with a great Dungeness crab and shrimp cocktail and followed by clam chowder. We spent the entire afternoon and early evening out on the deck before heading back to the Resort.

Tomorrow we will head over to Port Townsend before visiting friends again. Four crosses today.

Day 4 - Around Portland, OR

Today started late at 8:07 with breakfast at Elmer’s. First real breakfast so far. Then it was off to Fred Meyer’s to buy flowers. At Willamette National Cemetery we place the flowers at Barb’s parents and one of her uncle’s graves. Nice place. Hopefully someday it will be our resting place.

A little time shopping at the local mall and than a long drive in the country. Then back to the motel to clean up before dinner. Brushing one’s teeth with bottled water is a pain. Head off will here about this.

Anniversary (30 years) dinner was at McCormick and Schmick’s, courtesy of three years worth of gift cards from Jeff and Anita. Thanks guys!

Back at the motel we found the water back on. We also found the closet, which was hiding behind a drape by the window. I bet we are not the first to hunt this down.

Tomorrow we are off to visit friends in Port Ludlow, Washington.

Day 3 - Hines, OR to Portland, OR

Left the motel at 5:56. Stopped at McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich and back on the road at 6:20. Were we in a hurry to get out of town? Yes. Once on the road it was decided we would never again travel to Oregon through Tonopah and Hines. Never.

The drive across central Oregon was better than remembered. Many times in the past I thought it boring, however seeing something besides desert was a real plus. And then there was the traffic, of which there was practically none.

AAA showed us a shortcut that in took us to Prineville and Madres, therefore avoiding Bend and Redmond. Thanks AAA.

We were surprised by the lack of snow on the mountains, especially Mount Hood. But even without much snow the mountains and tall trees were a real plus. Cactus just don’t get that tall.

Our motel turned to be number three on our list of don’t stay in again. Since we are staying two nights does that count as number four too? It seems like when you make a reservation they should tell you the remodel requires the water to be turned off between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm. Never had a motel without some sort of closet, but we have looked everywhere and can’t find one.

High point of the day for Barb was a visit with her great grandson Julian.Cute kid, and that’s going a long way for me.

For dinner we shared cheese ravioli at Olive Garden. Tomorrow we spend in Portland. Five crosses today.

Day 2 - Tonopah, NV to Hines, OR

Not at all happy with our stay in Tonopah we were on the road at 6:25 looking for coffee. The coffee shop we saw while driving into town yesterday had disappeared overnight. No clue where it went.

Today was interesting road wise. Between Tonopah and Hines we would travel on ten different numbered roads and most were in very lonely country. After highway 6 and 376 we were told by the lady in the GPS to turn left on The Loneliest Road In America. Yes, she really said that and it’s true. That’s how US Highway 50 in Nevada is known. After that is was 305 (said by some to be lonelier than The Loneliest), 80, 289, 795, 95, 778 and 20.

Lunch was in Winnemucca. In a effort to get back on the road I passed up making a contribution at Winners. Unlike the past, I sure I would have been a winner this time. Well maybe.

Overall the roads were an easy drive today. Most of Nevada’s two lane back roads are signed for 70 MPH and the lack of traffic made passing (and being passed) a rare event. Oregon started at 70 for a few mile, but then dropped to 65 and eventually to 55. Bummer.

Oregon is one of two states that doesn’t allow drivers to pump gas. Must be done be a highly trained attendant. However drivers are now allowed to pump their own in small markets, which is just about all of Eastern Oregon.

Four crosses today. Maybe the lack of cars on the road has something to do with that, even with the higher speeds. I don’t remember dinner, which is not a good sign for either the restaurant or me.

483.4 miles and 29.9 MPG today

Day 1 - Home to Tonopah, NV

Well, for our first trip in a long time we were out of the house and on our way at 7:16. Within the first mile Barb suggested I find a Starbucks. Since today is our 30 year anniversary I made the 16 minute detour.

The drive today started on US 93 taking us through Wickenburg, Nothing (yes a town named Nothing), Wikieup and Kingman. Twelve crosses along the right side of the road marking fatalities. No idea what the left side held. Scenery consisted of mountains, Saguaro Cactus and Joshua Trees. The road between Wickenburg and Interstate 40 is designated to become 11 Corridor. Not sure what that means, but whatever it means it has a long way to go. Continuing on 93 to Las Vegas added a single cross on the right. Las Vegas was a lunch stop at Firehouse Subs. These subs are outstanding and have become our goto sub.

Traffic wasn’t too bad through town, with a little construction on the North side. US 95 took us the rest of the way to our overnight in Tonopah, Nevada. I know, Barb isn’t too happy about spending our anniversary in a Best Western in Tonopah. We pretty much decided never to take this route North in the future and the dinner cemented the deal.

Tomorrow we head out for an overnight in Hines, Oregon. I’m afraid the drive will be more of the same.

497.3 miles and 29.7 MPG today.