Utah to Oregon Road Trip – Day 6

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Yurt at Devils Lake State Park in Lincoln City, Oregon

The affinity Caroline and I have for these yurts cannot be understated. Although the price has nearly doubled over the time we’ve been staying in them, it is well worth every penny for their location, proximity to the beach, usually the quiet during this time of year, and the cozy factor. You could say it is our version of glamping.

Devils Lake State Park in Lincoln City, Oregon

Out of the yurt, it was a short walk to the still-steaming Devils Lake, which is the namesake of the state park we have been staying at. Our first night in a yurt was 12 years earlier at Harris State Beach near Brookings down the coast. We stayed in the Winchuck unit, and over the years, we’ve incorporated yurts into our travel plans on at least eight of our intervening trips up here. At times, we’ve opted for motels as when we fly into Portland it’s often easier to grab rooms than pull our bedding along with us, but we’d prefer if every trip would see us staying in an Oregon State Park.

Homes along the shore of Devils Lake in Lincoln City, Oregon

Living on the lake here is that beautiful.

Depoe Bay blow hole Oregon

We must be driving south today because this is the Depoe Bay blowhole in the town of Depoe Bay. The tide plays a large role in how explosive the ejection of water is going to be. Behind me is a spot when the tide is right, shoots water up about 70 feet, and will certainly get you wet on a hot summer day; not so great here on a cold fall day, though.

Caroline Wise walking down an Oregon beach

That’s Yaquina Head lighthouse out there, and so we must be fairly close to Newport, Oregon. Again, we are further south, and it was time to see if I had any notes regarding this Thanksgiving vacation; sure enough, I had a loose itinerary that showed a reservation for the William M. Tugman State Park down by Florence, Oregon. So now we know just how far we’ll be driving today; it will be about 108 miles or 172km for the rest of the universe. You can wager that with these skies, it will continue to be a spectacular day.

Wet sand on an Oregon beach

Sand that is wet or sand that is dry. Sand that is black or white as snow. Sand that is blowing or being dragged back to sea. Sand is a magnificently varying and shifting thing that requires as much observation as the waves, the clouds, the tide pools, and the shells. You never know what kind of patterns might greet you at a beach, so you should just plan to stop at them all as we try to do, even if it takes many years.

Along the Oregon Coast

We’ve heard that it never rains here, and it’s perpetually sunny and warm; in our dreams. Now, if this were further south near Santa Barbara, California, that statement might be mostly true. Today meets our dreams of relatively warm and certainly very sunny.

In the forest along the Oregon Coast

Blue-gray lichen sitting on a branch…I thought as I started writing this that I was going to be able to carry it forward with a limerick, but it’s late as I press into the midnight hour in an attempt to finish writing this entry. Maybe someone else will come along and offer up some witty continuation of my half-hearted attempt.

In the forest along the Oregon Coast

This is the main highway traveling south, but I could be looking north for all I know. No matter which way I look, it appears to be quiet without the crush of traffic one would expect down south on the California coast. For all these years, visiting mostly in November, Caroline and I have often felt that the coast was ours.

Oregon coast

Something (probably the waves) caught our eye (could have been the rocks), and so we pulled over (likely was the birds) and stopped a minute to have a look (you never know when you might see whales in the distance) and enjoy the sound of the ocean (oh yeah, the sound) and the little tide pools (well, we hope for tide pools because who doesn’t like seeing starfish) before getting back in the car to investigate what else is beckoning us from further south.

Hillside trail along the ocean in Oregon

Ah, it was this trail that drew our attention and made us stop. Just look at this trail, the green, the blue, browns, and a path that takes the visitor to a spot to gaze at things from a perspective not yet seen. Certainly worthy of our attention and awe.

Caroline Wise on the Oregon Coast

I know that this doesn’t look like a forest trail or an overlook from our previous stop; that’s because we moved on. As for what’s up the trail? That mystery is for you to solve should you be able to find it. As for what is in the picture? That’s my wife, Caroline, and that smile on her face is a legitimate bona fide smile that originates in her heart. I can affirm this fact with you because, after 26 years of exploring our world together, I can interpret those eyes better than anyone, including her. Those are the eyes of happiness (as worn by a nerd).

Mussels on the seashore in Oregon

The tide is going down as the day grows late, and sea life is thrust into the open where its watery environs have temporarily abandoned it. I have to satisfy myself with these mussels because down here we’ve never seen chitons or sea cucumbers on the Oregon coast. Now, if we were up on the Straits of Juan de Fuca in Washington, I’d put money on finding me a chiton or two.

Anemone on the Oregon coast

Tide pools rock. We never tire of seeing anemones, starfish, barnacles, sea snails, tiny crabs, and other tiny little seathings scurrying about. Too bad the tide has to return….then again.

Sunset on the Oregon Coast

We explored around those tide pools as long as we could, and then it was once again that time of day that suggested some dinner, and finishing the drive to our lodging was probably a good idea. I’m glad we did, too, because somewhere down the coast, this perfect spot to take a photo of the sunset presented itself as a kind of magic, making Caroline and I swoon in even deeper love as we bask in the incredulity that this should all be for us.

Umpqua Lighthouse near Florence, Oregon

There were no yurts left at the Umpqua State Park and Lighthouse when I made my reservations, but luckily, there was a free unit down the road a mile or two. A visit to this lighthouse feels as close to a Thanksgiving tradition as Caroline and I get. We don’t care about turkey, family get-togethers, or football. We’re most content out on the coast sipping coffee between walking and exploring the beaches up and down this amazing state of Oregon.

Utah to Oregon Road Trip – Day 5

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Oregon Coast

It’s now two and a half years since we made this trip along the Pacific Ocean in Oregon, and I wrote this in May 2018. I should have been blogging about the journey then, but I was carving time out of operating TimefireVR, and spending quality time with Caroline required serious efforts. I could have been writing during the evening or on stops at coffee shops, but it was a legitimate vacation for me, too, as my time in Phoenix was a rare commodity not often shared with writing my blog, let alone my wife. So when we returned to our routines, I continued to neglect my blog and now regret that as so many nuances are lost in time.

John Wise wearing a hand knitted beanie made by Caroline Wise

It’s not often that I get a solo photo of me taken by someone else (in this case, Caroline) that I really do like, but this is one of them. Caroline had been spinning, weaving, crocheting, I mean knitting this for me in the early fall just for a winter adventure and so here I am modeling it for the first time.

Oregon, Coast

I know this spot; seen it a dozen or more times. From memory, I have no idea of the name or the exact place on the map. While Google Maps could help me find it, I guess I don’t really care, as the visual reminder is enough to make me enjoy another glance westward from the road as we travel north.

Proposal Rock in Neskowin, Oregon

Gilligan never slept here.

Caroline Wise at Tillamook Cheese Factory and Ice Cream store in Tillamook, Oregon

So this is how I deduced that we were traveling north today; this is Caroline about to enjoy a Marionberry Pie ice cream cone at the Tillamook Cheese Factory and Ice Cream Store in Tillamook, Oregon. From Lincoln City, it’s about an hour or three if you are us to drive the 44 miles between our yurt and this small town famous for its cheese.

Blue heron taking off near the Oregon coast

It’s scenes such as this that are the cause of delays and making drives that could be made in an hour take multiple hours to finish. While it is true that much of my life revolves around food, it doesn’t dictate the timing of our day more often than not. We are not in a rush to get to a resort or a movie. We have no family to meet out this way. We are free to explore at our leisure and stop where we are inspired to do so.

Coastal Oregon at sunset

I’m fairly certain these spectacular sunsets happen all the time; they must. It cannot just be our fortunate luck that we are looking in the right direction at the right time. Then I ask myself why don’t I see more of these kinds of Oregon coast photos? Why are people not clamoring to buy up every inch of this section of the Pacific coast? If I had to wager a serious guess, I’d suggest that people are too busy seeing their destination and the bumper in front of them to realize that just to their left or right are some amazing sights not often witnessed.

Cows on the Oregon Coast

Damned cows pick up all the luxury real estate where they get to lounge around, graze all day, have their teats massaged, and take pride that the cheese and ice cream made from their milk is made all the yummier by the salt air and golden purple light of their environs. Wish I were a cow sometimes, maybe a Brahman, though the slaughter aspect would be a huge bummer. We stop from time to time so I can commune with them, which reminds me of the first time I pulled over and let off a loud MOO at a pasture of cows, more to Caroline’s surprise than to the large assembly of bovines’.

Near the Oregon Coast at Whalen Island in Cloverdale

We are traveling south, and in other blog posts about the Oregon coast, I have written about this location with the tiny road that travels out to Whalen Island, but right now, it will have to suffice to say that this image, too, is from our road trip on this particular day and is in fact in the sequence of where we were at this time of the day. I don’t know about you, but the reflection and hints of gold and orange in the clouds help this photo stand out and force me to gasp at the profound beauty, or maybe it’s the triggering of the memory that makes it special to me.

Sunset on the Oregon coast at Cape Kiwanda

Just another average Oregon coastal sunset at some other nondescript beach that obviously nobody else goes to because you don’t see any people, do you? Because I’ve seen so much better, and this one was missing the striking purple hues I’ve come to expect. I almost didn’t shoot this image, but hey, it’s better than a poke in the eye, so here’s yet another look at our boring trip to Oregon. Enough snark; this is from Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, as is the photo below.

Sunset on the Oregon coast at Cape Kiwanda

With the sun now below the horizon, we can safely go for dinner and head to our yurt back at Devils Lake State Park. Besides eating, listening to the ocean, and who knows, maybe we will take an evening walk along another deserted beach. I have no real idea how the rest of the afternoon into evening played out two-and-a-half years ago. One thing is certain: we were awash in things we found extraordinarily beautiful.

Caroline Wise at Newport Cafe in Newport, Oregon

And then there was this Ultimate Monster 4-pound burger with eggs, ham, grilled onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and maybe something else, but it’s so big that it’s hard to know just what we ate. Next time, we’ll be sure to order the 8-pound Super Ultimate Monster, and I won’t let Caroline talk me out of it. You, too, can indulge in one of these at the Newport Cafe in Newport, Oregon – just down the road from Lincoln City if you believe 25 miles is ‘just down the road.’

Utah to Oregon Road Trip – Day 4

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Caroline Wise at Crystal Crane Hot Springs in Burns, Oregon

Up before the sun shows its face, and it’s freezing cold out here. It’s so cold our car is covered with frost, but the water is hot, and the sky is on fire.

Caroline Wise at Crystal Crane Hot Springs in Burns, Oregon

Trust me that it’s a lot comfier in the hot tub; photos, though, are equally important for helping us remember these incredible adventures, so I sacrifice myself by jumping out for an obligatory photo as the sun crests over the horizon.

Caroline Wise at Crystal Crane Hot Springs in Burns, Oregon

Sure, it’s a little bit blurry, but it’s the idea that is important here. On a morning when the temperature is below 32 degrees (-0 Celsius), and we’re the only people up and stirring here at Crystal Crane Hot Springs in Burns, Oregon, we must commemorate our experience. What an amazing way to enter the Thanksgiving holiday.

Crystal Crane Hot Springs in Burns, Oregon

These are the kind of views those who don’t need to sleep in are offered.

Caroline Wise at Crystal Crane Hot Springs in Burns, Oregon

Out of the tub and into the small lake, or is it a large pond? We moved back and forth and only missed a return to the cedar-lined hot tubs in that shelter on the right. Last night we had reserved an hour in the “sauna” and wish that we’d booked another this morning. By the way, our cabin was $54 for the night, and the indoor tub was $30 for the two of us.

Mt Hood, Oregon

From the Burns area, we drove west, losing a couple of hours in Burns proper while we bought a new tire and had breakfast. Interesting discussion with the owner of the restaurant, who had just finished letting a couple of locals know that they were not going to get a new plate of food because the first one wasn’t perfect (not the first time they’d tried pulling this on the guy). He told us of the alcohol and meth problem the town was having and how many people were on welfare due to the lack of jobs and being off the beaten path for tourism. Back on the road, we headed from Bend towards Corvallis.

The road to the Oregon coast

The road from Sisters is a majestic drive through the forest. This is not the first time we’ve traveled this path.

Short Bridge in Cascadia, Oregon

On the way to the coast, we drove through Cascadia and took a short detour to check out a covered bridge. This one, built in 1945, is called Short Bridge and crosses the South Fork of the Santiam River.

In the forest somewhere in Oregon

Moss on rocks because MOSS ON ROCKS ROCKS!

In the forest somewhere in Oregon

Needing the tire replaced earlier and dawdling along the way with stops at the covered bridge, time to gawk at Mt. Hood and inspect the various mosses and undergrowth meant that we were getting to the coast in the dark. Our destination for the day is Lincoln City and Devils Lake State Park, where we’ll be spending the next couple of nights in Yurt C18Y.

Utah to Oregon Road Trip – Day 3

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Coffee Mug Family Restaurant in Elko, Nevada

The first stop was coffee and breakfast at the Coffee Mug Family Restaurant in Elko, Nevada. It’s cold out here today, enough so that before we leave town, there’s still a thick layer of frost on the roof of our car when we stop to fill the tank.

Interstate 95 going north from Winnemucca, Nevada

Wide-open space will stay with us all day as even our destination is in a desolate corner out in the middle of nowhere. If you think we get bored of this kind of scenery, you’d be sadly wrong, as out here, we know we are heading into adventure and new sights the likes we’ve never dreamed of.

The old Orovada Store in Orovada, Nevada

While difficult to read these days, the Orovada Store in Orovada, Nevada, closed more than a few years ago. Interestingly, the old red gas pump displaying Ethyl for $0.74 per gallon also claims the pump was retired in 1993, so while this place might look like it has not seen business for about 50 years, it must have closed somewhere during the past 20 or so.

Caroline Wise and John Wise at the Oregon state border

Not able to remember if we’d taken a photo at this state border crossing, it was time to pull over for another obligatory selfie in front of a state sign. We’ve got quite the collection of these by now as we’ve been snapping these for the better of 15 years, give or take.

Interstate 95 traveling north in Oregon

Four hours into our trek north, and there’s just enough civilization out there to suit us fine.

Lunch courtesy of Giovanni Scorzo of Andreoli Italian Grocer in Scottsdale, AZ

When you cannot find nearby civilization, you look into your ice chest, and there it is. Lunch is courtesy of Giovanni Scorzo of Andreoli Italian Grocer in Scottsdale, Arizona. There is so much to tell about this generous man who has spoiled Caroline and me during the previous year, but that’s a story requiring its own blog entry. This kind of roadside feast is a luxury that adds perfection to the day.

Interstate 95 traveling north in Oregon

Still traveling north on Interstate 95, we would be ready for a nap if it weren’t for the compelling vistas that snap our attention to being fully alert.

Highway 78 in Oregon

We’ve transitioned over to Highway 78. That’s right, even more desolation.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon

On our way to Crane, Oregon, we spot a sign alerting us to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. It’s early enough in the day, so we decide to stop in. The visitor center was closed, and I can’t remember if it was because of the time of year or if this particular day was their day off, so we headed to the lake. That road to the lake does not take us to the lake. Instead, it takes us to a dead-end that, from our vantage point, suggests it’s quite the hike to the water’s edge. We would have been well-served to go on that walk.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon

Somewhere between the bridge in the previous picture and near this sign, we got a flat tire. There’s NO cell service out here, not that it matters, as we have a spare. I get to changing the spare on what “looks” like level ground, and as the left front tire is just finished being unbolted, the car starts to roll forward. Yeah I know, emergency break, brick behind a tire, or something, but this was my situation. Caroline had to lean against the front of the car to stop the thing from rolling off the jack. I’m panicked because if the car rolls off the jack and the tire falls off, we’ll never get the car jacked up again, and there’s NO cell service and the visitors center is CLOSED. Of course, walking to the road would have been an option, except it was 6 miles to the road and 58 miles to the nearest town. Well, it turns out that this wildlife refuge had even more excitement coming to it after our minor situation when, six weeks later, the refuge was occupied by the Bundy family. By the time we arrived in Crane, it was dark and seriously cold.

Cold was perfect, though, because we weren’t just staying in Crane; we were booked for the night at the Crystal Crane Hot Springs, where a giant natural pool of 102-degree water steeped in minerals was awaiting our visit. There can be no exaggeration about how perfect this was, and we can enthusiastically recommend a visit to this place. BTW, we had also booked some private time in one of the bathhouses with a giant tub of mineral water in a cedar-enclosed room. All-in-all a wonderfully perfect day.

Utah to Oregon Road Trip – Day 2

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Kanab, Utah early in the morning

Red rock, sandstone, and short scrub in an arid environment mean we are still in the desert, but that doesn’t mean we love the landscape any less. We live out west and have gazed upon scenes like this countless times, and still, we appreciate it as though it was the first time.

Roadside in Kanab, Utah in the early morning

I don’t believe we’ve ever been through here in summer; matter of fact, I think it has almost always been winter as opposed to fall or spring. Why come through this way during the winter months? Quiet and serenity, just like this pond next to the road.

Caroline Wise and the roadside donkey in Glendale, Utah

We’ve lost count of how many times we have stopped here in Glendale, Utah, to say hi to this now-old donkey named Maisy. My guess is that we first met her about 20 years ago. By now, we’ve also met her owners, Cloyd and Sherri Brinkerhoff, and when the day comes that this super sweet donkey is no longer in this field, we’ll be truly sad that our visits with her are over. She’s never failed to come over to the fence and bray, which on occasion has made other wanna-be visitors get back in their car and promptly leave.

Snow on the horizon somewhere north of Glendale, Utah

While I pointed out that we typically visit in winter, I didn’t let you know that it can be cold out here; really cold.

Frozen waterfall next to the road on Highway 89 in Utah

Yep, that cold!

Caroline Wise standing in the Great Salt Lake off Interstate 80 in Utah

Cold, though doesn’t stop Caroline from her first steps into the southern end of the Great Salt Lake. I point out the southern end because there’s a chance she stepped into these salty waters on a previous trip when we visited Antelope Island further north. The weather has obviously been beautiful while we’ve been out on this leg of our road trip, but then again, no matter the weather we always find a silver lining to whatever nature delivers.

Interstate 80 in Utah

Struck by immense beauty, we are forced to pull over and gawk at the reflections and snowcapped peaks.

Tree of Utah off Interstate 80 in western Utah

This is Metaphor: Tree of Utah out in the middle of nowhere “growing” in the Bonneville Salt Flats between Aragonite, Utah, and West Wendover, Nevada, off Interstate 80. This sculpture was created by Swedish artist Karl Momen in the 1980s.

Bonneville Salt Flats in western Utah

The Bonneville Salt Flats stretch for miles across a flat, desolate landscape that is spectacular in its asceticism.

Pooling water on the Bonneville Salt Flats in western Utah

Not a blade of grass, bush, tree, or sign of wildlife was met out here. The salty brine of the pooling water on the salt flat appears to sterilize the environment, although it also seems to welcome the reflection of a kind of beauty not found near other bodies of water.

Caroline Wise taking in the last moments of sunlight on the Bonneville Salt Flats in western Utah

While our drives can be lengthy, this one was 503 miles and took all day into the evening; we never forget to stop and gaze at the sights that feel so uncommon to our wandering eyes. Orange and lavender light lifts off the glistening salt, all the while looking like fresh snow as the sun sets once more on this former lake. Fifteen thousand years ago, during the last ice age, the lake that stood here covered nearly a third of Utah and was about the size of Lake Michigan. Now, with the lake evaporated, a salt bed that is nearly five feet thick in places is all that remains.

Travelers Motel in Elko, Nevada

You are looking at a large part of the criteria on how we choose motels when we are traveling. Pay attention; I did not say hotel. For those who don’t know the difference, in a hotel, you enter from an interior door, while a motel room, is entered from an exterior door. Consequently, motels are cheaper as they are probably deemed not as safe from those who veer a bit far into paranoia. But it is not the door that helps us choose a place to spend an overnight visit; it is the sign. Caroline has a soft spot for nostalgic neon signs reminiscent of the golden age of travel in the 1960s, so the cheaper the room and more colorful the sign, the greater the chance that we’ll be checking in for the night. Tonight’s stay here at the Travelers Motel is in Elko, Nevada.

Utah to Oregon Road Trip – Day 1

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Caroline and John Wise departing for vacation on 11 November 2015

Per my wife Caroline Wise’s request, besides taking her on vacation, she has asked me to blog. So here I am, fulfilling that special wish of hers. During the previous 20 years, we often went on road trips between a minimum of 5 times up to 24 times a year (that was back in 2004 – our record year!). In the dark ages before that, we were novices and only took road trips between 1 and 5 times per year, though that included journeys around Germany, Holland, France, Belgium, and places like that; remember that we lived in Frankfurt.

This afternoon, we left Phoenix for Kanab, Utah, where we won’t be going to Moqui Cave; 1. it won’t be open when we get there or leave; 2. we’ve been there and highly recommend you go too.

Not much preparation was done for this excursion until the last minute as we weren’t certain I’d find the time, but obviously, I did make the time. Originally, we were going to head to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, but the weather looked foreboding. Instead, we will turn left in Crane, Oregon, and head out to the coast. We tried to avoid the Oregon coast. Seriously, we did because we know we’ve been there way too many times, but we love it, and so that’s that.