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Old 06-09-2008, 07:17 AM   #1
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Location: Helena, Montana
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Oregon Coast Trip - May 2008

Oregon Coast Trip May 2008 – The Tour de State Parks
Ed in Montana, Mrs. Ed in Montana, and two large labradogs plus ROVER the Sportsmobile

Miles driven: 1,950 in 14 days
Diesel burned: 124.4 gallons

Miles per gallon: 15.7 mpg average
Best: 17.5 mpg along I-90 to Spokane
Worst: 12.9 mpg stuck in holiday traffic along US101 in Lincoln City, OR
Cheapest diesel: $4.219/gallon, Helena MT and Florence, OR
Costliest diesel: $4.799/gallon, Portland, OR and Lewiston, ID

Miles hiked: 36+ miles
Prettiest hike: Cooks Ridge-Gywnn Creek Loop Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Suislaw National Forest with old growth forest, wildflowers and rocky headlands.

Number of State Parks camped at: 6
Cove-Palisades, Carl Washburne, Beachside and Cape Lookout in OR
Maryhill and Lewis and Clark Trail in WA

Best State Park: Carl Washburne SP in OR. Private campsites surrounded by blooming rhododendrons, hot showers, four mile-long beach, no crowds and hiking to Heceta Head Lighthouse.

Worst campground: Cape Perpetua CG, Suislaw National Forest.
Tiny campsites crowded together in a forested gully, no showers, no hookups but with crowds: $17/night.

Most peculiar campsite: Lyons Ferry, US Corps of Engineers campground along the Umatilla Reservoir, Snake River in WA. Huge coal trains passing one hundred feet overhead on the Joso Trestle all night just 50 yards west of the campground.

Most amazing view: Panorama of seven Oregon Cascade volcanoes to the west from US97 north of Madras, OR.

Number of days it didn’t rain out of the ten days spent on the Oregon Coast: 2
Temperature at Cove Palisades State Park the day before we arrived: 104 degrees F.

Nicest small town: Yachats, OR. Farmers market, pretty flowers and a couple of good restaurants.

Marine Mammal Roundup
Number of whales seen: 0
Number of harbor seals: 20, Waldport, OR
Number of sea lions; several heard, Heceta Head, OR.
Number of intact sand dollars found: 3

Most unpleasant physics lesson: Solar powered refrigerator and inside lights on the Sportsmobile don’t work when it rains constantly.

Best dinner in camp: Grilled wild sockeye salmon with a chili-maple glaze.
Best vegetable: Fresh local grown asparagus, Waitsburg, WA
Worst lunch on the road: Greasy grilled chicken sandwich with cold coffee, McDonalds, Eugene, OR

Best local wines consumed:
Red: 2005 H3 - Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Crest, Paterson, WA
White: Estate Semillon 2006 Seven Hills Vineyard, Le Ecole No 41, Lowden, WA
White honorable mention: 2006 Pinot Gris, Lange Vineyard, Dundee, OR

Number of visitor centers/museums visited: 4
Cape Perpetua, OR, Bonneville Dam, OR, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center near The Dalles OR, Mayhill Museum, Maryhill, WA

Most Eclectic Museum: Sam Hill’s Maryhill Museum. Artifacts from the Queen of Roumania, Cascade Mountain landscape paintings, international historical chess set collection, sculptures by Rodin and the best overview of North American Native American art I have ever seen. Coming up this summer: an Andy Warhol retrospective. This place was even stranger than the Bair Family Museum in Martinsdale, MT.

Largest Labrador meltdown: Kintla imagining being attacked by a giant yellow umbrella a tourist was carrying at Heceta Head, OR. Montana Labradors have never seen umbrellas.

Most irritating technological meltdown: Trying to turn off the van stereo after turning on the van to close the windows during a downpour at 3AM at night.

Best bumper sticker seen:
This car is diagonally parked
In a parallel universe
Missoula, MT

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Old 06-09-2008, 07:24 AM   #2
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This was a first for us plugging in at camp nearly every night. There was so much rain, clouds and mist on the coast that the solar panels were next to useless. It's nice to have all the indoor lights on when the evenings are so gloomy.

Still, it was a great trip and we got the chance to actually camp on the Pacific Coast, which we have never done before. In nearly thirty years in Montana, we have spent more time camped on the Arctic Coast than the Pacific Coast. After this trip, I think the Arctic Coast might have better weather. Less crowds too.
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Mohawk Royalex Solo 14 foot canoe (light white-water)
Mad River Kevlar Explorer 17 foot canoe (flat water)
Dagger Royalex Legend 16 foot canoe (white-water)
Maravia New Wave 13.5 foot raft (fishing and white-water)
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Old 06-09-2008, 09:46 AM   #3
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Ed-
Great report!
We too have two Labradors and the attendant travails that go with traveling with them. How do you arrange them vis a vis sleeping and driving. (On the floor?- In the bed?- On the couch?) We've ordered a RB 50 for delivery in October, and are trying to get a handle on where to fit the peros.
Where in Montana are you? We have a friend that has a little farm in Hamilton, and a fishing cabin on the East fork of the Bitterroot up the road from the Sula Store. It's really pretty country.
Thanks,
Bill
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Old 06-09-2008, 11:26 AM   #4
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Ed, what, no 4-wheelin' in the Dunes? I spent many years in and around Florence, Yachats, etc and points south. Think my old office still has my name on the window right underneath the Siuslaw Bridge in Old Town Florence. You were smart to do it now as 101 gets even busier later in the summer, but too bad about the weather. Its been a Spring like no other, and even today (June 9) they are forecasting 3-6" of snow in the mtns.
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Old 06-09-2008, 12:39 PM   #5
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BC, we skiped the Oregon Dunes this trip and headed north from Florence instead of south. It's on our list for a southern Oregon Coast trip though.
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2006 Baja Tan SMB 4X4 EB50 PH 6LPSD
Mohawk Royalex Solo 14 foot canoe (light white-water)
Mad River Kevlar Explorer 17 foot canoe (flat water)
Dagger Royalex Legend 16 foot canoe (white-water)
Maravia New Wave 13.5 foot raft (fishing and white-water)
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Old 06-09-2008, 01:19 PM   #6
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Skywagon, when driving the smaller yellow lab lays down on the floor near the front seats, and the large black dog snores on the back seat. At night, we have two oval dog beds from Canine Hardware which are fiber filled and washable. We've taught the beasts to lay down when we tell them to get in their beds. Usually the large black dog is on the downstairs bed and the smaller yellow dog is still on the floor, although sometimes they switch. They are very good about this as long as they have gotten enough excersize that day and aren't restless.

Here's the three most common conversations with strangers while camped on this trip;

1- What a cute yellow labrador!
2- Wow, cool van!
3- That black labrador is huge!.
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Mohawk Royalex Solo 14 foot canoe (light white-water)
Mad River Kevlar Explorer 17 foot canoe (flat water)
Dagger Royalex Legend 16 foot canoe (white-water)
Maravia New Wave 13.5 foot raft (fishing and white-water)
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Old 06-09-2008, 01:41 PM   #7
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Great trip report Ed and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it! We are actually taking a 2 week trip along the Oregon and Washington coast at the end of September. We will definitely be asking some specific questions as the trip gets closer.

Bill - we always travel with two 70 lb dogs (Airedale Terrier and Australian Shepherd). We have an aisle type layout and they both sleep on the floor when travelling and camping. Overall this works great although you definitely have to watch your step. As Ed mentioned, it seems to work out best when they are good & tired. I have those interlocking, foam squares (2x2) cut to size for our floor. This has several benefits: keeps the dogs from sliding around, additional insulation and is more comfortable for the dogs (and our bare feet).
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Old 06-09-2008, 03:10 PM   #8
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Ed & sdwindansea-
Thanks for the dog info. We spend most of the Summer in a boat with the dogs and that pretty much sums up our experience with canine sleeping arrangements. The interior of the boat is a little bigger than the insides of the van, so was just curious to see what others did. It's a little easier to let the dogs out the door than it is to row them to shore!
Bill
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Old 06-12-2008, 01:58 PM   #9
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to bad Eugene was on the worst list. i would have let you know were to get the best food and drink. and would be cool to meet a fellow member nice rite up! Oregon is the best!
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