Pacific North West Tour 2011
Vancouver > Whistler > Penticton > Golden > Cranbrook > Waterton Lakes > West Glacier > Riggins > Baker City > Sisters > Weed > Klamath > Port Orford > Newport > Gearhart > Kalaloch > Sydney > Vancouver
21 days 5798 km
Prologue
Jeff and Tiffa left Gatwick on Thursday August 4th 2011 – a lovely sunny day – to join Tom, Lisa, Molly and Joe in Vancouver. They had already spent a week on Vancouver Island. They were due to meet us in the car rental area at midday Pacific time where we would climb aboard the Mead-mobile and travel together for the next three weeks.
Tom and Lisa had invited us to join them on this adventure and with the route pre-planned and all the accommodation pre-booked – thanks to Tom’s hard work – we had a busy and exciting time ahead of us.
This journal is Tiffa’s record of the Meadows Pacific North West Tour 2011.
Friday August 5th – Vancouver to Whistler 152k
Jeff and I arrived on time at the airport and walked over to the Avis car rental. Tom had texted to say that they would be a few minutes late. The idea was that they would turn in their car which they’d had for a week and we’d get a larger one for the six of us.
Molly was the first to find us – looking so lovely and sunny and excited. Then a very tall grown up looking Joe. Then Lisa looking gorgeous in a cowboy hat and a big smile. And then Tom with designer stubble – soon to be a full beard – and very handsome too.
After the paper work was done we went to find the car. And what a vehicle. It was huge. Very black and shiny. It was called a Yukon and made by General Motors Canada.
The pattern was that Molly and Joe had the third row with me in the second row with either Lisa or Jeff, and Tom driving with whoever was left over. Lisa had hurt her back water-skiing back in Cornwall before they left for Canada. She was very brave but it obviously hurt her quite a bit. She tended to sit on jumpers and jackets which helped a bit as did changing seats sometimes.
We’d not gone very far before Jeff, in the navigator’s seat, got out his Tom Tom. He missed Boundary Road; not surprising because the Tom Tom was playing a route demo! When we grumbled he said plaintively “I’ve just got off a plane and I don’t feel very well”. Tom wanted Lisa to video the road on his iPhone whilst going along so she carefully set up the camera but the wrong way round so she took a very fine video of herself!
Eventually we all got a bit hungry and we didn’t want to leave it much later as we were due to eat at the Rim Rock Cafe that evening. An historical event as we all last ate there with Georgie and Andrea back in 1994. We found a great sandwich bar and picked up some huge sandwiches which we shared as we drove along.
We had a beautiful drive through Horseshoe Bay and on up the road to Whistler. We checked in to Tantalus Lodge where we would be staying for the next two nights. It was a bustling hotel, almost a backpacker’s lodge and within walking distance of Whistler village.
It suited us all beautifully. Tom and gang had had a busy week on Vancouver Island and Jeff and I were a bit jet lagged. Our suite was very brown. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms and bunk beds for the children in an alcove off the hall way.
We had a lovely shower before heading out for the Rim Rock Cafe which was of course more expensive than it had been in 1994 but still terrific food-wise. We took a taxi there and back as we all needed to relax and have a drink. Our waiter was very helpful with advice on the next stage of our trip. And the food… Lisa had sockye salmon stuffed with lobster and goat’s cheese. Molly had duck done two ways. Joe had a fillet steak and ate every bit. Tom and Jeff had ribeye steak and I had a trio of fish. All delicious and cheesecake to follow. Molly had a Shirley Temple and we drank Dog Point Chardonnay – Lisa’s favourite. It was a lovely evening with the promise of a great holiday ahead.
Saturday August 6th
We all slept well and woke at about 7.30 am. Lisa reading in bed and Tom and Jeff already on the computer transferring the previous day’s photos ready for the big show back at home.
We walked into town and had breakfast sitting outside at on of the many places with terraces overlooking the ski slopes. We found Whistler much changed since our last visit. It was very crowded and all the development for the Olympics has made it a bit Disney-like. We had a great breakfast in the sunshine. Joe had a large stack of pancakes with a hot chocolate and Tom had his usual French toast.
We suddenly realised there were a lot of folk dressed up in odd costumes, generally in groups of three or four. It turned out that the reason for the town appearing to be so busy and crowded was that it was the weekend of the “Warrior Race” where an obstacle course was laid out. The sun was very hot and bright and why people would want to put on heavy fancy dress costumes and work so hard – especially when most of them were grossly overweight – is hard to understand. Whistler is also the home of mountain biking and there were lots of kids with important looking bikes and equipment loading up ready to ride the mountain trails.
We left our breakfast venue and queued up to buy our tickets for the Peak to Peak cable-car ride which has the longest cable span in the world with a mile-high drop to the valley floor. Before that though we had to get up into the mountains and took a chair-ride to Whistler mountain top. It took about half-an-hour and was breathtakingly quiet and beautiful as we rode up to above the snow-line. We saw two black bears grazing in the flower meadows beneath us – the first that Jeff and I had seen so far. The children had seen bears and other exciting wild-life the week previously on Vancouver Island.
Because everywhere was very dry there were some sprinklers on, watering the meadows. It was then that Molly came out with her famous expression “we’ll be hoisted by our own fretard” as she was wondering whether the sprinkler spray would reach our chair-lift.
After getting off we walked down a very steep slope of loose shale to a beautiful spot where we were surrounded by mountains. We had our photograph taken by a be-suited and tied Japanese gentleman which was promptly emailed to everyone at home. Why he was wearing dress clothes up a mountain, heaven knows!
The children bought hats from the store – Joe a turquoise beany and Molly a brown and turquoise pull-on. Then off we went to travel the Peak to Peak. The cabin holds about ten people and wasn’t too full. But there was a problem with a loud-voiced Canadian woman who bragged of tales of derring-do and of people she knew and what they did and we were all at her mercy!
When we got back to the Tantalus Lodge after a hot sunny day the children noticed a tiny humming-bird drinking the nectar from a hanging basket and we were able to watch it closely for a good three or four minutes before it flew off.
We had supper at Ric’s Grill . Steaks for some , a hamburger, a Caesar Salad , Tuna and a chicken breast. And to follow some peanut cheesecakes! Then back to bed and a good sleep.
Sunday August 7th – 545k
We had an early start at 7.15 a.m. on a lovely sunny morning. I wanted to be sure the children were happy where they were seated. “Just say to me ‘Hop outa there Granny’ if you want to sit here” I said – and for some reason they roared with laughter.
Within half-an-hour of leaving we passed a lovely clear green lake with a single water-skier having a wonderful time. The children all felt rather envious I think.
Then all of a sudden a big black bear ran across the road just in front of us giving us all a fright. “I nearly ran him over” said a rather shocked Tom. “Why?” said Molly. Doh!
We were due to find our breakfast at the Mt. Curie Coffee Co, but before we got there we stopped at Nairn Falls. It was a walk from the parking lot of 1.5.km alongside a rushing glacial river. The water was ice-blue and so clear. The car park itself was ever so clean with a couple of park rangers sweeping and clearing around the tables. There were two earth loos which were spotless and bacterial handwashes were available outside. The Falls were terrific – spilling over the rocks and around the public viewing area in a blue rush.
On to Mt Currie and we found our breakfast stop under a snow clad mountain behind the village. Lovely coffee, smoothies, breakfast burritos and paninis. I had a Tree Hugger muffin. All delicious!
Back on the road to Penticton passing Crown lake where Lisa had to take photos of the ‘blue bits’. For lunch we bought sandwiches at Horstings Farm along with some peaches, apricots and apples. We were bitten to death inside and out by mosquitoes so we decide to carry on to Logan Lake. On the way we passed a rather horrid huge lake which turned out to be a copper lake – the biggest in Canada.
The weather was glorious and we ate our sandwiches driving along. Molly made a new playlist on the iPod and the miles just dropped by.
When we got to Penticton we stopped at an ice cream store where they were serving huge ice creams – some in the most terrible gaudy colours – bright pink and livid orange. Jeff’s banana one was the brightest yellow imaginable – really gross. It was so hot sitting outside that it was a bit of a relief to get back in the car. It turned out we had no address or telephone number for God’s Mountain estate so things got a bit heated in the car while we tried to find it.
Anyway we did find it in spite of the being no signs at all even at the bottom of the driveway. It turned out to be a wonderful spot and we’d definitely go there again. It’s a rambling pueblo style house with rooms wandering through and through. The downstairs was filled with lovely bright couches, cushions and an eclectic mix of artefacts.
Jeff and I had a ground floor annexe which was split level with the wetroom up a few steps – compact but efficient. And the bed was wonderful. We were able to have the door open all night. What a change from the brown and rather airless rooms the night before.
The children had been upgraded to the penthouse suite as Sarah, the owner, had got into a muddle with some other bookings. Tom and Lisa had a big four poster, a lovely bathroom and a little kitchen area with a fridge. They had wrap around windows with wonderful views over the lake below.
That night we had booked for a ‘Gourmet Evening’ so we dressed up and along with about twenty other guests, mostly locals out for dinner. It was very expensive considering the meal that arrived and the meagre rations of wine – but the lake and the lights and the warmth and the moon! And our comfy beds only a hop away.
Day two at God’s Mountain the plan was to stick around the resort, have a light lunch and cook for the evening in the communal kitchen. There had been a suggestion that the kids would go rafting but when we saw the canal running alongside the busy road and packed with people, it was quickly voted a ‘no’!
Instead we lingered in the gardens. Tom and co went swimming in the lake and then on to buy groceries. Lisa made a wonderful Caesar salad for lunch and for supper Tom made spaghetti bolognese which was delicious though he made far too much.
Washing up was a bit of a bore ‘cos having offered the leftover pasta to a couple who arrived late and presenting it nicely for them, they decide to go out for supper instead! When the chores were done we spent the rest of the evening playing cards and then bed.
Tuesday August 9th – Penticton to Golden 438k
On our way to Golden, but getting out of Penticton was very slow. There were traffic lights for a good 20 miles and very boring it was. We stopped at Grannys fruit stand to buy apricots and peaches for our journey. Eventually the traffic disappeared and we were driving by lovely reflective lakes with fir trees leading down to the water and holiday cabins lining the shores.
Molly started her analysis of phrases defining periods of time and quantities:
- “Yonks” is about 30 years and often applies to donkeys. “Donkeys live for yonks”.
- “A while” is about 5 weeks.
- “Quite a time” is shorter than “a while”.
- “A few” is between 3 and 4.
- “Several” is between 5 and 7 although “strange people” might say between 3 and 7.
Molly also likes singing “Good Morning America” with an indian accent.
Joey in a bit of a sulk because he was hungry. We stopped in Revelstoke and had croque monsieur paninis and veggie sandwiches at a great bakery. The children looked at all the bike shops and we found a bookstore. Joey was looking for the sequel to a book he’d been reading. We spent the whole holiday looking and we never found it. Jeff arrived a bit cross ‘cos we’d not told him where we were going!
Revelstoke was surrounded by beautiful snowy mountains reminding us of where we were – the Canadian Rockies.
We drove on through stunning scenery until we reached Kicking Horse Mountain. We had a lovely big suite in the Glacier Mountain Lodge, brown as usual, with three large bedrooms, living room and a laundry room which was fantastic. It was lovely to catch up with clean clothes. We were only steps away from the gondola which would have taken us up to the top of Kicking Horse if we’d had time to wait for it to open in the morning.
As it was we raced up the road to Corks – raced because the mossies were following us and biting like mad. We had a lovely meal but had to race back again. We got bitten anyway. Tom and Lisa and Jeff and Joey played bridge. I went to bed to read and so did Molly. We all slept really well.
Wednesday August 10th – Golden to Cranbrook 447k
We were changing to Mountain Time and we didn’t leave the Glacier Mountain Lodge until 8.40 am. It was a very remote and quiet place, and as we set off, we realised it was going to be a BIG SCENERY DAY. We stopped first at Natural Bridge on the Kicking Horse river, then on to Emerald Lake which we thought at the time was pretty crowded. But, in terms of crowds, there was worse to come.
On the bottom of the information board at Emerald Lake were some holes and in one of them were two small nesting birds. How they weren’t disturbed by everyone I don’t know. We decided to move on. Lisa was concerned that she wouldn’t get a proper hike but we needed our breakfast.
When we eventually reached our designated breakfast stop, “Truffle Pigs” in Field, we were only just in time to be served which was just as well ‘cos Molly was really grumpy about not having breakfast on time. Eggs Benedict was the order of the day and they were delicious.
Field is on the main railway route through the Rockies and while we were having breakfast the Rocky Mountaineer went by.
With our energy restored, we went on to Takakka Falls in the Yoho National Park . The others went for a hike while Jeff and I took photos at the wonderful waterfall and then went back to the car – me to read and Jeff to work on his photos on the computer. On the way a curious prairie dog, a bit like a meerkat, popped out of his burrow to see what was going on. He was rapidly surrounded by Japanese taking photos – and Jeff of course.
The hikers returned and we went on to Lake Louise. We thought Emerald Lake was crowded but Lake Louise was completely packed and we couldn’t stand it. We tried Moraine Lake but it was no better. We resolved to seek out the quieter places and went on to Marble Canyon which was far less busy and we loved it. A very steep narrow gorge with a rushing glacial river deep down. It was beautifully organised with bridges crossing the canyon at frequent intervals.
Then on to the “Paint Pots” which involved a short hike to an ochre pool of damp ground where Indians would have used the colouring in their ritual paintings and decorations. The path in also had a ‘disability’ route which Joey used and at one point when he hadn’t appeared it was suggested he would suddenly come careening round the corner in a wheelchair!
We were all very tired by now and there was still two hours to go until Cranbrook where our next stop-over was. We got to the Best Western at about 7.30 having seen another black bear, an elk with its calf and some deer. A lovely drive. The hotel had good accommodation although as usual very brown!
We walked down the road to “Allegro’s ” where they found us a table and we had some delicious cocktails before a lovely meal. Back to bed, very tired.
Thursday August 11th – Cranbrook to Waterton Lakes 284k
We woke up at 8.00 am and Tom and Lisa decided to go for a swim in the hotel’s indoor pool. Everybody else wanted to lie in. But Tommy came back straight away to say there was a terrific water-slide at the pool and for everyone to put their costumes on and come down. With a bit of reluctance they did. Well – it was fantastic fun. They all came bursting off the end of the covered slide as though they’d been shot out of a cannon.
We had breakfast in the old part of Cranbrook at the Red Neck Cafe with delicious home-made bread and jams. Actually the eggs when cooked all seemed the same whether fried or scrambled – but it was all very tasty.
It was great too, to see the local police-officer having breakfast with all his mates. The children bought some snacks for the car. Needless to say the cafe was decorated in various shades of brown.
On we drove to Fernie where we spent a good two hours shopping. Very pretty town with the sound of trains coming through. Very, very long trains which had a haunting sound as they pulled their warning whistles approaching the town.
Lisa bought a hoody – but more importantly they all bought new ski-helmets. We had some lovely iced lattes from a charming coffee shop run by a middle- aged couple. Jeff and I shared a Peruvian Latte which was very cooling on what was a very hot day.
Next stop was Sparwood home of the biggest truck in the world!
Then on the road again through lovely countryside. Just like you’d imagine the prairies would be. There were huge storms all around us with forked lightning and those dark skies you always get when there’s a bit of sunshine mixed in. We took a turn off to the bison corral which took about 20 minutes on a loop road. We weren’t allowed to get out of the car and the bison certainly looked enormous and so powerful.
More wonderful country and finally we arrived at Waterton Lakes. We had two rooms in separate lodges and Molly came in with us. Good news – neither room was brown! We had dinner at Vinny’s. Molly had a huge rack of spare ribs about a foot long which she ate all up. Two of us had bison steak! All very good and creme brulee and cheesecake to follow.
Bed that night was dreadful. Molly sound asleep but talking away like there’s no tomorrow and Jeff and I trying to sleep in a too-small double bed with horrible sheets and duvet, although at least they were white – Tom and Lisa had polyester brown flowers!
Friday August 12th – Waterton Lakes to West Glacier 191k
That morning before we checked out Tom and Lisa went for an early morning hike up Bear Hump which proved to be quite exciting. It took them about 30 minutes to climb up to the top and soak in the view. They posed for a self portrait and then started back down. They rounded a corner on the trail and came across two bear cubs on the path. They retreated quietly and armed themselves with a couple of sticks but by the time they had recovered their wits and carried on the cubs had gone. They came back full of the story and Joey really wished he’d gone with them.
We left the lodge for the drive into the USA stopping for photo opportunity at the Prince of Wales hotel – a very well known hotel where we would probably have stayed ten years ago when we were richer!
It took about half-an-hour to cross the border into the States. All very courteous and thorough with fingerprints and iris scans. We stopped at Two Dog Flats on St Mary Lake for lunch. Then a wonderful drive through Montana on the “Going to the Sun’ road which is only open for a few months each summer. Spectacular scenery with mountains, waterfalls, green valleys and glaciers. Lots of roadworks which meant pausing frequently for one way traffic but nothing could detract from the wonderful views.
We came down off the mountain and followed a lovely river flowing alongside the road and as we were so hot we stopped for a paddle. It was very cold but the water was crystal clear and the river bed was full of lovely coloured pebbles. It was irresistable and we spent about half-an-hour there.
On then to the Belton Chalet at the entrance to the Glacier National Park. We had the Clark cabin next door to – you guessed it – the Lewis cabin. Very comfy with three bedrooms but only one bathroom and all furnished in proper period style. We had a lovely deck with Adirondack chairs and despite being on the road with the railway beyond it was great fun. Long long trains passed by at regular intervals making lovely evocative sounds – not disturbing at all.
We had drinks on the deck and then, because the Belton Chalet restaurant didn’t have room for us that night we drove a mile down the road to the Rawhide Trading Post. Great fun and Joey had a huge piece of chocolate cake that even he couldn’t quite finish. There was a big shop next door to the restaurant and after supper we bought hats and Lisa, who already had a hat, got a poncho.
Then back to the cabin for a good night’s sleep as the next day the kids were all booked in for horse trekking at Swan Mountain.
Saturday August 13th 37k
We all awoke feeling good and rushed to leave by 7.40 am so we could take Tom and Lisa and Molly and Joe to pick up their horses. After waiting while they had their safety briefing – M and J very disappointed to have to exchange their cowboy hats for helmets – we took them up to the trailhead where they met Danielle who was to be their guide. A pretty young girl with a cowboy hat and a long blond plait down her back. She was tiny and slim and totally in control. They all had a great time although they didn’t see any wildlife. When we met them off the mountain they were very excited and full tales of their day.
In the afternoon Lisa. Molly, Joe and I walked over to the village and bought enormous ice creams. I had just one very large scoop of Huckleberry in a cup which I promised myself I’d never order again. We also bought t-shirts and friendship bracelets and I bought a smart new jacket for sailing.
That evening we went to the Belton Chalet restaurant and had a lovely meal with lots of wine. Everyone tumbled into bed very tired.
Sunday August 14th – West Glacier to Riggins 590k
All packed up and ready to go by 8.00 am. It was going to be a long driving day to Riggins in Idaho – staying at the Best Western Salmon Rapids Lodge ready for the children to go white-water rafting on the Salmon River tomorrow.
However we has seven or eight hours driving ahead of us first. But it was a stunning day and a stunning drive with 100 miles of it running down a forested valley by a rushing stream. Absolutely National geographic. We breakfasted at Betty’s – sitting outside by a lake in the hot sun – with Tom and Joe having French toast and the rest of us pancakes and bacon and eggs.
After we carried on there was a yell from Tom: “Look a moose, a moose”. And there in the middle of the river bathed in sunlight was a fully grown moose having a paddle. We pulled over and we all watched while Tom and Jeff took photos. The moose wandered to and fro in the water until finally it went back to the far bank fringed with woods and disappeared. What a joy.
As we came into Idaho the forest and rushing river gave way to lovely high plains and rocky outcrops. As we reached Riggins we ran alongside the Salmon River and on to the Best Western. The accommodation was great, two adjoining rooms, very brown and with a laundry room. Hooray!
We walked down the street to the River Rock restaurant where the food was fine but the service very slow, There must have been at least twenty firemen and women presumably on a sort of works outing. There was only one waitress old enough to serve alcohol and she was tied up with the fire department. But eventually wine and food arrived and we began to feel much better. Walking back to the hotel, on the other side of the road were two very fit looking fireman and Lisa and I had to laugh comparing them to our worn out looking husbands! On the short walk back to the hotel we must have passed four or five churches. So many for such a small town. One of them had a deer in its garden.
Monday August 15th – Riggins to Baker City 338k
At 8.45 am Jeff and I took the others to the rafting base to sign in. Then back for a light breakfast at the hotel. We checked out and went across to the local market to get sandwiches for lunch. They were made to order at the deli counter which took quite a long time. Huge and delicious of course.
Luckily for Jeff and I the Salmon River ran alongside the road and after leaving the deli we caught sight of the kids and their guide right away. And we followed them all the way stopping at very convenient laybys some of which were right opposite the rapids so we got some good pictures. It took about three hours for them to get down to the Old Lucille landing where we met their gorgeous guide Jesse. He said they were one of the best families he’d ever taken down the rapids! Joey was very cold and the others were a bit blue lipped. Molly had taken a dip at the end. With the sun on them and the sandwiches in them they soon warmed up.
Off we went then down the Snake River Canyon – a great drive. Folds of hills looking as though they’d been creased. The river had been dammed at the lower end with a big Idaho Power hydroelectric power station.
By now we’d crossed into Oregon. After a while the plains stretched out into the distance and even though we knew we were close to Baker City we couldn’t see any sign of it. Never the less it appeared eventually and we arrived at the Geiser Grand Hotel which was magnificent. We had adjoining rooms with wonderful high ceilings and big old fashioned bathrooms. Our room featured a cupola in the corner and we had such fun taking a photo in the hotel’s big white fluffy gowns.
The Geiser Grand is in the historic part of Baker City and before dinner we went for a stroll around. I found a great bookshop just down the street from the hotel – called Betty’s – apparently a very popular name in Idaho and Oregon, I bought a load of books and would have bought more if I’d had room. But we still couldn’t find Joey’s elusive Anthony Horowitz book.
Dinner was downstairs in a splendid dining room with a magnificent stained glass ceiling. We were all in a lively mood with Molly and Joe in particularly good form laughing over remembered ‘Vicar of Dibley’ and ‘Only Fools and Horses’ episodes. The ribs were on special and huge, but they were all eaten up. We thought our waitress was very funny ‘cos whenever we said thank you, she said “You are welcome”. At breakfast next day she actually commented that we all said thank you so often.
Tuesday August 16th – Baker City to Sisters 414k
We left the Geiser Grand at 9.35 after a delicious breakfast, We were on our way to Sisters . We stopped pretty soon to fill up with petrol and Lisa started cleaning the windscreen. But it turned out to be a full service station and the man took over and she was totally out done! We landed up with a very clean windscreen.
We stopped off at a wonderful viewpoint overlooking the John Day Valley, The Rattlesnake Valley and the Strawberry Mountains. While we were all taking in the view we got talking to a lady who said she was just “dinking along”. to a family reunion and had already been on the road a day and a night!
One of our waitresses from the night before, Kim, had suggested that on our way to the John Day Fossil Beds we should stop off for our sandwiches at her sister’s deli. So we made a little detour to Russell’s Meats in Canyon City and met Kathy who made us some great sandwiches. Needless to say – they were huge!
In the corner of Kathy’s shop was the front half of a beautiful stuffed deer called “Woofie”. It turned out that Woofie was a pretty famous deer and Kathy was a bit of a poet . She gave us a copy of the story she’d written about the morning she’d been with her husband Tracy when he shot Woofie.
After leaving Russell’s Meats we started down beautiful pine-clad roads to the John Day Fossil Beds passing on the way a shoe tree. It was covered in all sorts of used shoes – why, I don’t know.
We stopped first at the Condon Centre – a very beautifully appointed building in the middle of the desert- like rock formations, which were old eruption sites. We spent some time looking around the exhibits and then drove on to what are know as the ‘painted rocks’. They were really incredible. Colours ranging from blues, greens and pinks through to red terracotta. It was very hot and Jeff was hungry and a bit grumpy so we ate some of Kathy’s sandwiches which seemed to help. Then we went on a loop trail with a boardwalk amongst moon-like formations – all different colours – with a very crumbly surface.
Afterwards we all felt like a visit to the loo and we popped in to a picnic area just past the visitor centre. There we found a family trying to remove a rattlesnake they’d seen slithering over one of their tyres up through the wheel arch into their engine.
We drove on for another two hours leaving that weird landscape behind and eventually arrived at the Five Pines Lodge in Sisters. We had two lodges, one with a king sized bed for Jeff and I, and the other with two separate bedrooms. They were fantastic.
They were brown, but in a nice way, with fabulous bathrooms partly open to the living/sleeping area. The surprise was that when you turned the taps on the water came out of the ceiling from an overhead spout. Quite a surprise when you didn’t expect it.
The swimming pool beckoned as it was so hot and the kids had a great time larking about in the water.
We had cocktails and dinner in the adjoining Thyme restaurant. Almost empty but very good. After supper the bridge players stayed up for a game. Joey’s getting very good with all this practice!
Wednesday August 17th – Sisters to Weed 576k
We left Five Pines quite late at 9.50 and hit the McKenzie Pass Road – having stopped in Sisters village to try and find Joey’s book! We’d decided to go via the lava fields rather than directly south to Weed in California. At first it a was dramatic narrow gorge-like road lined with pine trees then all of a sudden we came across vast expanses of lava. Just amazing. We stopped and climbed a lookout tower man-made from lava rock which featured cleverly constructed ‘sights’ which helped to identify the mountains on the horizon in all directions.
Down to road a bit at a place called Riddle we stopped for the first – and last – time at a McDonalds. It was awful and we all said “never again”. Riddle inspired a limerick or two:
A traveller passing through Riddle
Had a strange pain in his middle
He had fries and a shake
Then a poo he did make
And finished it off with a piddle
Joe spotted a squirrel on a post
While thinking of eating French toast
The squirrel ran away
And Joey did say
I think I like pancakes the most
The drive to Weed was pretty uneventful except for the spectacle of Mt Shasta getting closer and closer. We arrived at Stewart Mineral Springs in the late afternoon. It took a while to find at the end of road in thick woods. When we checked in we began to realise that it was very hippie and quite strange. We were a bit surprised to find a naked couple in the mineral pool! Tom had a snooze while the rest of us went into Weed to look for t-shirts. We decided that Weed had nothing going for it and we were unlikely to return.
The cabins were very run down and there was no restaurant nearby but we had a lovely evening on the deck covered up from the mosquitoes drinking wine and eating crisps. I lost the backing from one of my earrings which should have been the end of it considering where we were – but Tommy found it the next morning, Not our best stop over and we were glad to move on the next morning.
Thursday August 18th – Weed to Klamath 417k
We left pretty early at 7.25 with along drive ahead of us to Klamath on the coast. We stopped at the store in Callahan in the middle of nowhere to get some coffee and check our route. We’d been planning to go cross country and come into the back of the Redwood Park at Lady Bird Johnson Grove. The couple who owned the Emporium as it was called said they didn’t think there was a road where we wanted to go and anyway it was Indian territory and not a good idea. We later found out that they were wrong – about the road at least. Any way they made us coffee and we bought some pastries for the journey.
We headed south to Weaverville and then west towards the sea. Another lovely drive, alongside a tumbling river and past stunning lakes. We knew were getting close to the coast when we hit the fog. In fact for most of the rest of the trip we always had fog in the morning and it was much cooler than it had been inland. We all put on sweaters for the first time on the holiday.
We stopped for lunch at the Seascape Cafe on the pier in Trinidad. It was very full but they squeezed us in a served us straight away. We had a pretty young waitress. Too young to serve us alcohol so we had to wait for her colleague who reminded us of the Kathy Bates character in ‘Misery’, rather scary. Her ‘niceness’ knew no bound and her parting words were “I hope this meal’s given you delightful energy to finish your trip”. After meaningless statements like these Lisa and I would often look at each other and use Molly’s famous words from her 2001 Christmas list: “Shiger parer pises babey. And the priser”
After lunch we walked along the pier – all a bit grey and foggy – but we hadn’t seen the sea for a while and it was lovely in it’s way. We watching the seals playing and the pelicans diving for a while and then we saw some fishermen bringing in a huge salmon. It was a female weighing 26.9 pounds caught by Joey Ruez. They had to take the eggs out before weighing it for the local competition which meant Joey’s name when up on the board just under the current winner. It was interesting see such a huge fish and what happened to it – i.e. carted away in an expensive Mercedes 4×4 to be divvied up between his mates.
We made it to Lady Bird Johnson Grove via the front entrance. We took a lovely loop trail and just marvelled at the height and girth of the redwoods and they length of those fallen on the forest floor.
On we went then to the Requa Inn on the Klamath River. Another great find of Tom’s and one of the nicest places we stayed. Very much a family run place. Janet, who is a Yurok Indian, was in charge front of house and was very welcoming. She told us that the Inn had been there since 1914 but that Requa had been a Yurok village forever and was one the longest continuously inhabited places in California. It was certainly a great place to stay. Beautiful rooms and comfy high beds; I really needed a ladder to get up.
Lisa and I went for a lovely walk and dabbled our feet in the water from a pontoon. We saw a Californian Sea Lion, which we identified by the hump on a his head, and a harbour seal. We had a lovely chat – we are so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law.
We had a great meal in the Inn’s restaurant – beautiful fresh fish and seafood. Molly and I turned in while the others played bridge. Great sleep.
Friday August 19th – Klamath to Port Orford 192k
Morning fog again – and off we set towards Port Orford. Janet had recommended that we take Howland Hill Road through the Jedediah Smith Redwood Park. We did and it was fabulous. We stopped for a lovely walk round the Stout Grove Loop Trail and had great fun taking a group portrait using the camera timer.
Then it was on up the coast with the Pacific ocean on our left. Great beaches and rock formations with lots of view points along the way.
Molly was beginning to grumble at stopping to see the sights. “Yes, you’re right. That is a nice rock!” And most famously: ” If I really wanted to see a natural arch I’d go to Durdle Dor in Dorset.”
We stopped for lunch at the Porthole Restaurant at Gold Beach. They were very busy and we had to wait a while for a table, but it was worth it. We all ate very well. Their hamburgers were delicious. Tom had started a cold and wasn’t feeling too good but we ploughed on.
Eventually we arrived at our next overnight stay: the Wildspring Guest Habitat. But our faces fell at the size of the cabin. It was supposed to sleep six, but basically it was two rooms divide by a sliding pocket door; a bedroom proper for Jeff and I, and a sitting room with a double sofa bed and two single armchair beds. When all the beds were down the room was completely full.
Lisa and I went to see the owners. The man who’d shown us to the cabin deferred to his wife Moira – rather large and dressed in what appeared to be a black negligee with feather trimmed black slippers. But, as she said, the room measurements had been stated on the website and it was up to us to have checked them out. She did let slip that we had been very nice about it and that the last people had been really mean! Anyway we decided to make the best of it.
The grounds around the cabin, which had another 5 or 6 cabins scattered about, were gorgeous with huge 100ft pines. The communal kitchen and eating area was lovely with a large deck outside. The children made straight for the hot tub which had a lovely view out to the ocean – fog permitting. We left our host to make up the sofa beds and headed down to Port Orford for dinner.
The Redfish restaurant was on a cliff by a lovely beach and that evening there was a jazz trio made up of three elderly gents: keyboard, bass guitar and drums.
Dinner was delicious: Scallops, Grilled Shrimp, Oysters, Crab Cakes, Fillet Steak and for pudding Choco Decadence! It was a lovely evening but I didn’t have anything to drink ‘cos I was driving back to Wildspring. Tom was pretty thick with cold by now and we’d stocked up with Nyquil for him.
Despite everything we all slept well. Lena, our waitress at the restaurant had said it would be too windy for fog in the morning, We woke to fog, but to be fair about 10am the wind got up and pushed the fog away.
Saturday August 20th 55k
We had breakfast up in the Main Hall with lovely fresh fruit, coffee and croissant. We hoped to find the children a surf shop but were advised we were in the wrong place for that and that further up the coast is where it was more suitable. The children were disappointed but recovered well with the promise of trying again the next day. As Tom still felt poorly we dropped him back at the cabin while we went beach-combing down on Hubbards Creek Beach. So much bleached driftwood and a lovely sea-stream carved out of the sand which kept Molly and Joe amused for a long time. I picked up some lovely bits of wood shaped like fish and eels and a snake and pretended to give them a lesson on fossilized fish.
After leaving the beach we went to Rays Supermarket to buy food and wine to cook in the Main Hall kitchen as we were going to eat in that evening.
We picked Tom up and went along to the Crazy Norwegian Cafe where we had a lovely lunch with very large chocolate milk-shakes.The afternoon was spent reading, walking the Labyrinth (a magical maze) looking at the sculptures in the Wildspring woods and getting ideas for our gardens back home. Another dunk in the hot-tub and then supper. That was delicious but Jeff rather blundered by breaking the CD player!
Sunday August 21st – Port Orford to Newport 291k
We had another very good breakfast with the added touch of French toast. Jeff confessed to breaking the CD player and it was really not a problem although we did eventually get an $80 repair bill. Today the kids were going dune-buggying and we found an ideal place to rent buggies: Spinreel Dune Buggy Rentals in Florence. On the way we passed the huge sand dunes between the road and the sea.
It took quite a while to get all the gear sorted and the safety talk out of the way then off they went. They all came back looking happy but slightly scared – all except Tom who Lisa said was like a kid really driving to the limit. He and Lisa shared a buggy and Joe and Molly had one each. Jeff hiked up to the dunes to catch a few pictures as they came back.
We went for a picnic lunch on a very foggy beach and ate up the remains of a very nice salad we’d made for last night’s supper.
It was very foggy for the rest of the way up to the Elizabeth Street Inn in Newport where we were staying that night. All the rooms had fireplaces and balconies overlooking a very long beach. And a laundry room where we were able to catch up with the washing again. It was now very very foggy but despite this Lisa and I went for a walk along the beach with a lot of other people! All very stoic.
We walked down the street to Georgie’s for supper but without Molly who wasn’t hungry and wanted to watch a movie. We missed her but had a nice meal and took her back a bit of a doggy bag.
We had an awful night’s sleep with really horrid linen and lumpy pillows. The room was stuffy in spite of being large. We opened the balcony door but the sea was so noisy we had to close it again!
Monday August 22nd – Newport to Gearhart 261k
We had a quick look around the shops in Nye Beach where there were some very good up-market stores. But the big find was the breakfast at the Stephanie Cafe. Jeff had gone looking for somewhere to eat – poked his head into the cafe which looked full but as he turned away the proprietor called to him. When Jeff said there were six of us he sat us up at the counter looking into the street. And the breakfast was fabulous. Jeff was particularly taken with it and had their speciality hash.
That night we were staying at the Gearhart Ocean Inn. On the way we tried to go around the Three Capes Loop which promised some lovely views but we were thwarted by road closures and with the fog closing in too it was all pretty dismal. It was at this point that Molly said, “When you mention a walk it fills me with dread”!
However, when Molly didn’t mind walking was when we hit Lincoln City Outlet Mall. We stopped for what was going to be 2 hours but that turned out to be three. Molly and Joe got really sorted out at Hollisters with new school kit. They were both very pleased and we had a full fashion parade in the evening.
As we were staying at the next place for two nights we so hoped it was going to be good and when we found the inn our spirits lifted. Fitzgerald Cottages were fantastic. Our cottage had a bed-sitting room with a gas/wood burning stove in and a very nice bathroom. And through the adjoining door was a two-bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and sitting-room. Well furnished, good linen and above all, not brown!
We walked to dinner that night. The Pacific Way Bakery and Cafe was well-known in that area. And it was great. We had New York Steaks, crab cakes, creme brulees and a chocolate souffle. All delicious. It was good to get back to our lovely rooms ready for the next day when the children were going surfing.
Tuesday August 23rd 11k
By the time we woke up the fog had cleared and today was surfing day. Lisa made us eggs on muffins with bacon for breakfast and then we all went off to get them kitted up at the Seaside Surfing Shop. The people were really nice but it was very time-consuming and after filling in all the forms etc it was 11.30 before we dropped them at the beach. Jeff and I went off to buy some fresh salmon and the makings of a Caesar Salad for supper.
Then we had a lovely lunch ,just the two of us, at Maggie’s On The Prom. Then we went back to our cottage where we repacked all our luggage ready for our journey home on friday.
At 4.30 we went back to the beach to collect the others – and spent an hour watching them in the late afternoon sunshine. The waves weren’t particularly good for surfing but there were lots of them – meaning it was a bit choppy! Tom was tired as he’d been out there with them both, helping them onto their boards for most of the time. And he still had a cold.
Back to the cottages again where we found a wedding going on in the next door barn with some good music.. We had a lovely supper and then bed.
Wednesday August 24th – Gearhart to Kalaloch 292k
Lisa was interested to find the lanterns that she so liked at God’s Mountain – called Soji lanterns – but they were a bit expensive at the garden centre so it was decided to try the internet.
Anyway we set off for the day’s travel to Kalaloch Lodge, stopping for lunch at another lodge called Quinault Lodge. Very beautiful and set by a lake. We managed against all odds to get a table outside which was terrific but very funny. Jeff’s lunch didn’t arrive until we’d just finished ours. And then it turned out one of our bottles of wine hadn’t been charged for. But actually we had a really good time – conscious that we’d soon be going home and these lovely lunches were soon going to be memories.
On to Kalaloch Lodge. Our first thoughts were that the huts looked like Stalag 7! But actually they were OK inside. Two bedrooms with a nice bathroom and sitting-room/kitchen. The Pacific Ocean was right outside with the longest beach imaginable. Tons and tons of huge driftwood logs as far as the eye could see.
Lisa, Joey and I had a wonderful walk along the beach with the fog always in front of us. Joey, Tom and Lisa decided to build a fire on the beach but as Lisa lifted a log she twisted her back again and was quite distressed. But she managed to join us for supper in the Lodge Restaurant and by the morning she was much better.
Thursday August 24th – Kalaloch to Sydney 229k
Today we were catching the ferry across to Victoria on Vancouver Island. We left early at 7.45am so that we could make a detour to the Hoh Rain Forest. It was well worth it. We took a 3/4 mile hike round the Hall of Mosses trail. Lots of spanish moss and warnings of elk and how they could be dangerous if approached! There were huge fallen logs and a real sense of boskiness everywhere. Joey wondered: “Why is this called the Moses walk?”
We left at 9.20 ready to catch the ferry which was due to leave at 12.45. On the way we passed through Forks which didn’t mean much to me but the kids knew it well as the location of the Twilight films.
On the ferry Lisa was determined to make sandwiches in order to finish our left over supplies. And very good they were to even though we’d teased her a lot. But – while she was washing up the plastic plates in the ladies room, we all saw a pod of orcas from the deck! She was a bit annoyed and rightly so.
It took a while to get through Canadian Customs and we had to sit in the hot car while we were waiting for the queue to move. But half-an-hour later there we were for our last night at the Sydney Waterfront Inn with dinner booked at the Beacon Landing restaurant.
We’d landed in Sydney on Market Day and the whole high street was taken over by stalls and people playing music. Lisa and I had a lovely wander up and down and she bought a terrific dress with a divided skirt. It was such fun.
Eventually we met up with the others and bought wonderful smoothies from a lovely very pregnant girl who turned out to be a Canadian country music singer: Jessie Farrell. Jeff bought her CD and she signed it for him.
That evening we ate at the Beacon Landing – right by the Sydney Inn and directly on the waterfront. Between us we had oysters, fillet and sirloin steaks, ribs, a burger with bacon and cheese, a creme brulée, a chocolate nemesis and two blueberry cheesecakes. What a way to end a great holiday.
Friday August 25th – Sydney to Vancouver 38k
We left Sydney at 8.30am to catch the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen and on to the airport for our 2.00pm flight home. The ferry crossing was wonderful. A perfect day cruising between all the little Gulf islands.
We did a little shopping at the airport and Jeff and I split an Eggs Benedict. I wrote up this diary for the last time before flying home safely having had a wonderful, wonderful holiday.