I stayed in Win’s room last night as the downstairs was rented out

Grabbing lunch boxes and jackets for the bike ride

Heading out for school on a Thursday morning

The Britt Festival happens each year in Medford. \240It is 2 weeks devoted to music. \240I should come play my harp next year!

First impressions of Oregon in Medford.

My Kia Forte is easy to drive.

Outside the sporting goods store.

Very sad to see all the dead animals. \240They are so large, majestic, magnificent, and stately, but they should be alive. \240The gun counter was the busiest in the store.

Along the way

Types of hikes in the Redwood Forest. \240The Coastal redwood is very different from the giant Sequoia, which requires fire in order to propagate.

This is the view out my window at the Airbnb. \240See two deer grazing?

This coffee table book was in the house, and offered all kinds of history about the Chetco River region.

Here is the path down to the harbor from my rental.

Brookings Harbor

The boat slips

The Tsunami from Japan was very destructive here. While I was in Oregon, I often saw signs which made me feel a bit helpless, like “tsunami risk zone,” and “avalanche zone.” \240I mean, what can you really do to protect yourself other than know you’re in their way?

It is a beautiful sight, this Harbor at Brookings. \240Fresh fish markets abound. \240I bought a local can of tuna for John. \240I know he would only appreciate small gifts, like the stones I pulled from the Chetco. \240I think one is chert (the red stone), obsidian (the black one), and then another stone with a bluish hue when wet.

The beach at Brookings is easy access from the harbor.

I asked a Mom who was with her daughter and grandson to snap my pic here at the beach. \240Oof the water was icy!

A lot of interesting driftwood here.

Exploring Harris Beach State Park, looking for tide pools. \240I did not see any wildlife other than seagulls and occasional pelicans.

So beautiful the rocky outcroppings in the Pacific Ocean! \240On the Atlantic we don’t have these, or at least not where I have been.

Such delicate wildflowers among the rocky cliffs.

Watching the tide come in….

I can see easily why Jill loves the Pacific coast so much! \240There was even a Laguna Street in Klamath Falls, and she really loved her place in Laguna Niguel, CA, but when the landlord raised the rent hundreds of dollars, she determined to leave, moving in with her best friend, Amanda, in Florida.

Beautiful sights at Harris Beach.

I saw my nextdoor neighbors arrive home with their tiny infant. \240A young couple just starting out, they doubtless sowed the lovely sunflowers out front. \240So humble it is here in this neighborhood of prefab homes. \240My rental is one of the few that is not, and has probably been here a long time. \240It was a little weird to have to descend a spiral metal staircase to go to the bathroom, but I managed without incident other than one stubbed toe!

Went to the Brookings \240fish market and bought fresh-caught albacore tuna, which I cooked up in butter with lemon and some deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes I also bought there. \240This was dinner and breakfast! \240Yum.

The yard in Brookings where I stayed. \240One thing I especially like about Oregon is the fact that people seem to care a LOT about the environment here. \240Signs posted on the road state that “Littering is Stupid,” and other signs say that the fine for littering is $6,250. \240How they arrived at that number is anyone’s guess, but these two signs actually seem to work. \240There is little litter, and usually none. \240Where there is any, I saw people picking it up holding bags and using a picker. \240Plastic bags are not available in any of the stores, but handy reusable bags are for sale for $1.50 apiece. \240If you use a paper bag, it still costs you $1.00.

Here is the Chetco River as you enter Alfred Loeb State Park. \240It appears quite low, but there were some deep places.

I took 3 stones as souvenirs, each very different.

The Chetco is very clear but there was a little mossy algae on some stones.

I saw a few families enjoying the river parked there with swimsuits on and picnicking.

I love wandering the woods here.

The delicate maidenhair ferns grow wild here in abundance. \240I think they are so pretty.

This mushroom was very unusual in that it was smooth and hard and felt like porcelain or the meat of the coconut.

Here was a good spot for skinny-dipping. \240I did see numerous families camping and just enjoying themselves in the river, much like we do back home in the Rivanna. \240The Chetco is clearer and colder though.

I love the redwood forests. \240They are an ethereal wonderland of majesty.

So immense!

Huge!

So incredibly tall are these trees!

Astonishing in beauty as well as size and grandeur.

This wildflower was everywhere on the redwoods nature trail.

Here was a mystery box alongside the trail with a rusted padlock and a hole in the bottom of it. \240Who placed it along the trail - and why?

I decided to drive up the gravel road extending along the Chetco as John had suggested I do.

I do not know whether it was fire or disease that decimated these trees.

The road became more and more difficult to traverse, and mindful I had to keep my rental car in one piece and rock slides and more boulders were appearing in the roadway, I decided to carefully turn around. \240The Kia Forte was a real champ!

This nice eagle was painted on a stump. \240As I left Alfred Loeb Park, I wanted to remember this nice work of art!

Many deer grazing tonight outside my place on Grotendorst Lane (“great thirst lane” in Dutch - my hostess did not know its history, alas).

My neighbor here, Billy. \240I call to him each morning that I walk down the path to the Bell & Whistle coffee shop in the harbor.

I thought this neighbor’s bike was cool with its gas tank. something my brother would have rigged up.

This is the municipal park in Brookings, Azalea Park. \240It has much to offer.

Nice fields ~~

The “Capella by the Sea”

The chapel was not open but one can see through it!

Some interesting leaves with cones in the gardens of Azalea Park.

This simple home near the park nevertheless listed for $363,000.

I hiked the Oregon Redwoods Trail on my final day in Brookings.

View from inside a burnt tree on the trail that had a platform beside it. \240A nice fellow hiker made sure I did not miss it on the trail.

Elk scat?

A beautiful hike today on the Oregon Redwoods Trail. \240Getting to the trailhead was definitely better suited for a mountain bike or a Jeep than my little Kia Forte, but I just slowed down. \240Many roads I traversed in Oregon had pull-offs on the right to allow faster traffic to pass, and as I was never in a hurry, I often used them.

These are the redwoods “leaves.” \240The redwoods are resistant to disease and bugs, and they thrive in moist fogs. \240I inquired about redwood as a wood for harps, but I learned, as coniferous, it can be used only as “tonewood” for soundboards, as under the stress of strings it would collapse. \240Deciduous hardwoods only can be used for harp building like maple, cherry. \240Also, redwoods are considered endangered so there is very little of it for sale.

Unfortunately the Chetco Museum was closed this day.

One more trip out to Harris Beach, such a beautiful place!

The Sunset Point trail at Harris Beach.

The tide comes in, then goes out…

I had perfect weather for my entire time here, whereas I heard it rained hard the whole time back home due to hurricane Helene.

Tomorrow I head back through Grant’s Pass alongside the beautiful Smith River. \240I have arranged to stop in Ashland for lunch while meeting a man who lives there who I located on Tinder. \240

So yes, this is the upaved Howland Hill Road one enters Jedediah Smith State Park on. \240You feel like you are entering the holy natural cathedral of God. \240It is a place like no other, among the redwood trees.

Howland Hill Road extends from Crescent City. \240Whereas in Brookings I was in southern Oregon, now I am in Northern California.

Look how high! \240Redwoods grow fast and are almost impervious to blight of any kind.

I determined I would hike in 4.2 miles to the Boy Scout Tree, passing through the Grove of Titans.

I met many friendly hikers along the way and stopped to chat. \240One woman walking with her dog told me she lives in her car. \240She was not very strong physically and she turned around, but we had an interesting conversation and she was very kind. \240Her dog was a King Charles spaniel, very glossy, beautiful, and smart. \240I missed my Lilly of course!

The weather was perfect, the ground, soft.

Some formations on the bark would lend themselves to your imagination’s wanderings.

Many different ferns embellished the forest floor.

Once a redwood is fallen and decomposing, it acquires a spongey feel and falls apart readily.

These clover were everywhere, daring me to try and find one with four leaves.

This is the Boy Scout Tree! \240There was a group of young women resting here and having lunch. \240I took their photo and they took mine. \240Another couple and their son were there and we were all standing in awe and amazement at this gigantic tree!

I like my new Mystery Ranch pack that I bought because it doesn’t swing around like my Defenders of Wildlife basic pack does. \240It has a good long middle interior pocket for a good long bottle of water (which I definitely needed on every hike I took), ample extra space, and what I especially like are the 2 front pockets (even though they look funny), which carry phone for easy access and a secure pouch so it doesn’t jangle and start calling people inadvertently, and the other front pocket for sunglasses. \240I did not need them here because the sun only can shaft and sift through.

So once I had completed my hike, it was 5 pm or so, and I thought I would rest my legs and continue on down the CA coastline so to watch the sunset at Gold Bluffs Beach.

Here I stopped after a rapid descent on a turnout. \240Shortly thereafter I was joined by two young men on bicycles carrying all their camp gear but definitely minimalist. On such a steep descent, they needed good brakes! \240I took their picture and should have kept one for myself. \240They were all the way from British Columbia, traveling all the way to Mexico and enjoying their own great adventure!

I stopped at a large novelty store called Trees of Mystery that had been there since the early 1900’s. It was nearly closing time, but during the day they ran cable cars through the tree canopy (I think). \240There were irresistible gifts for the children there so I bought a log cabin wooden block set for Win, a yo-yo, and a few other small items for Christmas. \240These statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe were enormous!

So I continued driving down the coastline and I saw signs that read, “The Yorik Tribe welcomes you,” but I had never heard of this tribe. \240I got to the entrance of Gold Bluffs Beach only to find that it was closed. \240So I went to turn around a little farther up and guess what I found?! \240A very large herd of elk! \240I have never seen an elk before and certainly not wild ones!

It proved to be one large bull with about 20-25 cows and some younger elk.

They were majestic and I stood there with about 6-7 other cars with tourists like myself taking pictures of this exceptional opportunity we were being given just by happenstance.

See how the hind parts of the elk is a lighter shade of brown. \240They all looked healthy and well-fed.

I really loved watching them as the sun went down.

Here the bull was calling out, quite high-pitched. \240I took a video that caught his voice, but it cannot be posted here. \240If you want me to send it to you separately, I can do this.

Quite a tongue on this fellow!

It is early rutting season now and the bull was trying to mount several females, but not really trying all that hard, and each female brushed him off.

When I saw him trot, I noticed that the bull was a bit lame, as if his right shoulder had been injured. \240The bulls do have to fight other bulls to retain leadership of their harem.

On the way back to Brookings, I saw the turn-off to the Tour Through Tree. \240Further down the coast there is a much larger drive-through redwood, but this was an honor system, $5 per view enterprise of Trees of Mystery, I think.

A woman offered to take a photo of my car, but I did not dare to actually drive through as I feared my side mirrors would be hit.

Departing from Brookings, I felt that I would really like to live here, if only John would make his heart’s desire come true, as he told me it was his fond hope to live there, but with a good partner. \240I would be!

Coming into Ashland, I found the restaurant and had an impossible burger with Gary. \240He had lived in Ashland a long time, and his wife had passed away some years ago. \240His passion was for hunting, but he confessed that just being in nature and hiking was what usually happened. \240He had only bagged one rabbit, and as he is a vegetarian, he donated it somewhere. \240I recognize that hunters support conservation efforts, but nevertheless, killing sentient creatures is wrong to my mind (I did not say this to him, after all, it was only lunch). \240He was a very lean fellow, but spry, as after coffee, we went for a walk around Ashland. \240Much like Charlottesville, it is all up and downhill, and it had a large Shakespeare Theatre at the top end. \240He told me that is what his wife had very much enjoyed, and he went along, but without her, he had little interest.

I started my trip out from Klamath Falls to Crater Lake National Park early in the morning. \240What a landscape! \240See the cloud sitting upon the mountain.

So many mountains in the distance

This is the place I stayed, called “the speakeasy.” \240I have never seen an extensive bar such as this private home has. \240A free beer came with the stay.

These globe lights were different colors.

One brew for me in the fridge, which was prettily lit in blue

Someone is an amazing mosaic artist in this house! \240The bathroom was exceptionally cozy as it was geothermal.

The speakeasy had an aura of man cave about it.

The best thing was this comfortable bed because in Brookings, the humongous bed was not.

After arriving, I took a short walk in the neighborhood. \240The ground here is parched and had great fissures in it.

The community of Klamath Falls had many enclaves.

A deer friend!

This house is for sale, quite modern but very alone

So close to old volcanic activity, can be geothermal much like Iceland is.

Oh dear! \240A dead coyote beside the roadway

How about a life size bighorn sheep in your front yard along with some cacti?

Good night!

I kept thinking these were white birch trees, but they are aspens, just as pretty.

Here is the cloud upon the mountains.

The Crater Lake!

Amazingly blue, there are no streams feeding in or out of Crater Lake, nothing to raise sediment or silt, so it is marvelously clear.

I learned this is an alpine climate with an average of 42’ of snow in winter. \240Snow melt feeds Crater Lake and unlike the surrounding hard dry landscape, it did not look low or receded, but of course I have never been here before!

The little golden-mantled ground squirrel even met me up top of Mount Scott. \240I did not mean to feed him, but a piece of my apple fell, and he gobbled it right down! \240There were quite a lot of these cute chipmunk types running around.

I stopped at numerous overlooks.

The caldera is very steep and deep.

I stopped to hike a little on the Lightning Springs trail, but it was early and shady and I was underdressed so I turned around and chose another hike, the most strenuous and highest mountain in the park, Mount Scott. \240Had I chosen to continue on Lightning Springs, it would have connected to the Pacific Crest Trail in a little over 4 miles. \240My hike on the PCT will just have to wait.

It just doesn’t look real, does it?

Crater Lake is encircled by a 7mile long, \240narrow 2-way road with tall wooden poles alongside it every few yards to show the roadway to the snowplows. \240Roadway very high up with barricades only at the overlooks.

Just so incredibly blue!

Selfie before Crater Lake!

To behold this is to behold a wonder of the world!

This is known as Phantom Ship and is the oldest rock here, 400,000 years old. \240It was there before the great volcanic eruption and survived it apparently. \240I heard from the Scottish man I met that there is a boat you can take all around Crater Lake by advance reservation which brings you close to Phantom Ship. \240For next time!

Phantom Ship.

Ok, here is Mount Scott.

This hike is a rocky, \240steep ascent of 4.4 miles. \240I was well-equipped except I should have taken my sunglasses. \240The sun was very bright, and as it turned out, I was properly dressed once the heat of the day took over. \240

All the way up!

See how bright the sun is, and it reflected strongly upon the dry rocky terrain. \240My eyes burned by hike’s end, but fortunately recovered after a good night’s sleep.

There is moss on these ancient trees that is actually day-glo in bright chartreuse color. \240Just an unearthly shade!

Gonna take you higher!

Here I asked my fellow hiker if he would snap a photo of me. \240I correctly heard his accent as being from Inverness in Scotland (really a guess on my part), but as it turned out, Colum Morrison WAS from Inverness originally, now residing in Glasgow. \240It totally blew him away that I could peg him like I did. \240He kept checking his clothing to see if he was wearing some kind of giveaway logo. \240He made sure I knew right away that he was married, although his wife had remained at the visitor center.

Still got a ways to go to get to the summit, and it was hot and super bright in the sun. \240My eyes were bothering me with the reflection on the rocky ground.

Here the summit Fire Station comes into view at last!

I met Colum again at the summit and we chatted. \240I told him about my friend, Maureen MacLeod in Inverness, and he said he would tell his Dad, who was a journalist there for many years, about our encounter. \240I suggested they might look her up! Now what were the chances I would meet a man from Inverness, Scotland up on Mt Scott at Crater Lake National Park? \240Small world but it doesn’t seem so from up here!

The view of Crater Lake from the highest point in the National Park, Mt Scott!

I made it! \240On my way down, I ran into the group of friends I had met at the very beginning in the parking lot. \240They had a baby with them, and Mom had carried him sleeping all the way up Mt Scott in a swaddling cloth. \240Pretty impressive! \240When I first met them and saw this near-toddler, I did not think I would be seeing them again on this hike.

They insisted on taking my photo and I returned the favor!

I must say, sitting next to the Fire Station shack (it was locked) on the mighty mountain top, I suddenly felt scared and even a bit dizzy from the height of it. \240This was not due to overexertion; I had plenty of water and snacks along the way. \240No, I had simply not really noticed how high I was while climbing. \240This realization made for some fear as I tried to find my way out of this circular park. \240It was not always easy to “get one’s bearings” because there were detours here and there. \240I believe I did circumnavigate the Crater Lake entirely. \240My eyes were hurting and the sun was shining into them as I drove, trying to find a sign to Klamath Falls, which eventually, I did. \240God was watching over me, and I am sure John’s prayers were working. \240I got back just before dark, which was a blessing after such a long day!

The little quail run around the home I am staying in. \240They are adorable with their little curved headdresses!

At Medford Airport - for much too long…..

The Medford airport reminded me of the Westchester airport, also very tiny. \240But it was clean and comfortable as airports go….

This was actually a very good wine unexpectedly. \240I bought it at a camp store on the way from Crater Lake.

Driving to Medford along the Klamath River. \240I have seen quite a lot during this vacation in the west! \240I have an overall enthusiastic and very positive view of southern Oregon and its phenomenally gorgeous coastal region. \240It seems to be the case that Ashland is more of a place with good healthcare than on the coast, where there are few millionaires and a shortage of doctors, as I heard from people I spoke with. \240I really enjoyed meeting a lot of artisans and people who came west and stayed because they fell in love with it here.

My ride!

And we are off to Seattle, a quick plane change, and then the long flight back to Washington Dulles.