Turning the Page

On Saturday we left Brookings, OR where we spent one night after traveling down the coast. The costline out of Coos Bay offers some great scenery and sights and smells of the ocean. Finally, we could be near the water! We stopped at a beach just south of Port Orford and walked in the sand, felt the sea breeze. It was a nice break.

Continuing to travel south, and after being stopped at the state line for produce possession, we drove through Crescent City, CA and into the Redwood National Forest, on the nice freeway that ends around Orick. Orick is a one gas station town with one pump just as you're leaving town. The 76 Station had been gone a long time, although its sign was still in place. On this day there was an extended line of vehicles waiting as each person pumped their own gas - not a fast pump, either! If you pay by credit card, there is a $1 service charge. I think we got spoiled in Oregon, where the gas is pumped for you, and most of the time you get your windshield cleaned.

We decided to drive through the forest going south, and then turn around to head back north to pick up the route to Grant's Pass, OR just north of Crescent City. On the turn-around we drove through Prairie Creek National Forest to experience the giant trees. The speed limit is 35 mph through the forest. We stopped only once to visit the "Big Tree", a huge old tree. The store/gas attendant in Orick told us there was also a group of trees that had grown 'corkscrewed' around each other that was pretty awesome; however, we didn't see it as it was on a trail, and we weren't in shape to walk that far.

As we were leaving the forest road and getting back onto the freeway, my trailer brakes were not working again. This was the second time since having the truck brakes fixed and the trailer brakes checked out. The day before, I stopped at an ocean view and had a hard time stopping, the truck brakes getting very hot, and with the telltale odor. Today (September 22) it happened again coming into Grant's Pass from where we spent two nights at Selmac Lake, about twenty miles from Grant's Pass.

We drove into a Wal Mart for food and I borrowed a phone book to call an RV dealer about doing some trouble shooting. I found a repair place, that also sells Lance campers, who gave me a 1:30 appointment. Finally the problem was found. The brake controller (the new one, and probably the old one, too) was wired incorrectly. The technician, Tim, at Caveman RV, did a complete check of all the systems, and also a road test. It was during the road test that the problem was discovered - the brake wire was also wired to the turn signals, causing there to be no brakes, especially when I was turning! Now we're hoping that the mis-wiring didn't damage the controller. Tim will contact the company tomorrow and if I need some warranty work, he can do it.

Tonight we are staying at Valley of the Rogue State Park near Rogue River, OR and not far from Grant's Pass on I-5. It's a beautiful park, one that Doc and I stayed at two years ago on our way to Canada.

Backing up, to a couple of days ago, we came back through Crescent City and stopped at McDonalds' for a very early 'dinner' - around three. We'd been on the road three hours. After our meal we headed back to Oregon. The drive toward Grant's pass on Rt. 199 was beautiful, and curvy, and narrow, and I'm developing some good trailer driving skills!!!

Around 5:00 p.m., about 20 miles outside of Grant's Pass, I saw a sign for an RV park and decided it was time to stop for the night. We drove about three miles off the road and ended up at Lake Selmac RV Resort. The parking spaces are pull-through's, under big pines - a lovely setting, with the lake across the street. It's a fisherman's place, but now that we're 'out of season' no one else was there and it was very quiet. We stayed there the past two nights.

We have developed quite a liking for saltwater taffy, and so far we've manage to put away about five pounds between us. It's great for snacks, and Liz thinks I need something sweet when it gets to be about 4:00 in the afternoon, and I get the grumpies! Well, now we've eaten all but the taffy she bought for her grandchildren...hope it makes it to Tucson!!!

Our plan is to drive to Lakeview, OR and then head south into northeastern California and down into Nevada. I want to be headed into Arizona by Oct. 1. Stopping somewhere different every night is hard with regard to hooking up and unhooking, so as we travel south we will probably stop for a couple of nights at a time, and try to have sites that are pullthroughs so we don't have to unhook.