West Coast Farms, Mountains, Forests and Ocean
We slept in late and were leaving Medford at about noon. It was a doleful drive through town on the way out as I passed Marco’s Pepper Grill. It was vacant, with a For Lease sign on the window.
We went south at first, because I wanted to drive through Talowa Dunes and Cape Blanco and was in no hurry to get to the motel in Coos Bay. Most of the drive was through California on winding roads through an autumnal forest.
We stopped after driving for a couple of hours and found ourselves at this rest area near a long tunnel.
We explored a little bit and then exercised, playing tug and push and chase and then we practiced some heeling. I was using the 50 foot leash and not giving him physical corrections, but just using my voice to make him walk at my side all the way to the trash cans and all the way back to the car. He did a great job.
Then we had lunch.
Jedediah Smith State Park was awesome. The size of some of those giant Redwood trees was staggering; not to mention all the lush ground cover growing wild. And the leaves were just starting to change so there was a lot of green and a lot of big swatches of yellow, orange and red.
What was interesting as we went into Oregon and got near the coast, we hit a layer of clouds. So some of the drive was sunny and some was cloudy, but my favorite moments were the ones with both. They were rare, but sometimes the sun would shine through the fog and make this cool, eerie glow.
At one point, driving through Oregon, I noticed that I could see cows grazing on a farm on my right side, and sandy dunes and the waves of the Pacific Ocean on my left. Straight ahead were mountains covered with dense, green forest.
We stopped near a River at the bottom of a steep embankment. For no reason except that I had reached Intense Natural Beauty Overload and had to stop and just be still in it for a moment to take it all in. River seemed to be digging it too, even though at one point I thought I was going to lose him.
We pulled into Coos Bay just about sundown. It was a flurry of activity with kids and dogs and trailers and ice chests. River was ready to join into the frenzy, but I had to stop in the car and take a few moments to redirect his attention and calm him before we went out to the office to check in. I always take River in with me to the office to check in. I like to demonstrate that I have a well-behaved pit bull so that there is no question about it.
This room has a microwave, so I was able to heat up my dinner, which was, just by chance, the second half of that new york steak I had for lunch. But this time it came with whole beets, sauteed beet greens, goat feta on a bit of radicchio and an apple cut into slices and drizzled with coconut oil and cinnamon. After eating I washed River’s paws in the tub and then took my shower. Now I’m going to start putting together the playlist for Seattle’s Annual Fall Nia Teachers Jam.
We went south at first, because I wanted to drive through Talowa Dunes and Cape Blanco and was in no hurry to get to the motel in Coos Bay. Most of the drive was through California on winding roads through an autumnal forest.
We stopped after driving for a couple of hours and found ourselves at this rest area near a long tunnel.
Then we had lunch.
Jedediah Smith State Park was awesome. The size of some of those giant Redwood trees was staggering; not to mention all the lush ground cover growing wild. And the leaves were just starting to change so there was a lot of green and a lot of big swatches of yellow, orange and red.
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| We drove over this bridge over the Rogue River. |
What was interesting as we went into Oregon and got near the coast, we hit a layer of clouds. So some of the drive was sunny and some was cloudy, but my favorite moments were the ones with both. They were rare, but sometimes the sun would shine through the fog and make this cool, eerie glow.
At one point, driving through Oregon, I noticed that I could see cows grazing on a farm on my right side, and sandy dunes and the waves of the Pacific Ocean on my left. Straight ahead were mountains covered with dense, green forest.
We stopped near a River at the bottom of a steep embankment. For no reason except that I had reached Intense Natural Beauty Overload and had to stop and just be still in it for a moment to take it all in. River seemed to be digging it too, even though at one point I thought I was going to lose him.
This room has a microwave, so I was able to heat up my dinner, which was, just by chance, the second half of that new york steak I had for lunch. But this time it came with whole beets, sauteed beet greens, goat feta on a bit of radicchio and an apple cut into slices and drizzled with coconut oil and cinnamon. After eating I washed River’s paws in the tub and then took my shower. Now I’m going to start putting together the playlist for Seattle’s Annual Fall Nia Teachers Jam.
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