AHHHHHHHHHH??? Again I am here, well not really here as you are here now and I was here before because one of us had to be here before the other one and since I got here first, I must have been the first one?????
And so after an exciting night of fireworks and adult beverages it was time for coffee and reflections on the day before.... I suppose using the word reflections is a bit of a stretch since a good time was had by all and the only thing on my mind at 6:45 in the morning was a cup of coffee!!!!! Unfortunately I neglected to read the sign in the lobby that read "OFFICE OPENS AT 7AM"!!!!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! So after sipping on some yesterdays caffeine that was cold for a few minutes and fogging up the glass door by sticking my nose on the glass the door was unlocked and I was allowed to partake of the CAFFEINE LADEN NECTAR....
It is always good to start the day off with coffee or at least in my case that is true since I have a tendency to get a little GRUMPY with out having my caffeine fix!!!!
after absorbing a few cups of the required morning beverage it was time to fire up the vehicles and go find some place to eat!!!!! Again I do not remember the establishment that we ate at and I forgot my camera so there are no pictures available to see what a motley crew we were (which is probably a good thing) at that hour of the morning.
Breakfast was enjoyable, the waitress was fun as she gave us a hard time and we also returned the favor along with giving each other a hard time. Of course me being as sensitive as I am it might have been a little harder on me, but I survived.....
Breakfast done and out of the way, the next stop was the gas station to reload for the trip back home. After filling up we all headed back to the motel to pack, check out, and get ready for where ever we were going??? We actually thought we were going one way and as it turned out we went another way.....
So with every one loaded up, checked out and in line the parade started down US 101 headed for California. I guess I neglected to tell you that in order to get to Oregon, you must go through California because you cannot get there from here, you have to go some place else and start!!!!! With a line of VW's, some regular looking and some funny looking, all driven by OLD PEOPLE we went down 101 in the sunshine and just a little cool air, not bad just a little cool. Me in shorts and a t-shirt.
Well!!!!!!! as soon as we crossed the California line the weather changed immediately from sunshine to COLD DAMP FOG!!!!!!!! and me in a t-shirt and shorts!!!! but as luck would have it the fog only lasted about 10 miles and then we sort of got some sunshine, not much, but it was better than none at all...
Now normally there is a short cut back to Oregon called the HIOUCHI CUTOFF but the GIANT REDWOODS were on this tour as a stop so it was further down 101 to the US 199 turnoff that also takes you back to Oregon, but through the Giant Redwood forest. These trees are really HUMONGOUS!!!!! I am not sure how tall they grow to, but it is WAYYYYYYY UPPPP THERE!!!!!!! (see pictures)
So after an enjoyable tour of the redwoods it was back in to the line and we headed for Cave Junction in Oregon... I have to tell you that the road to Oregon is called Oregon Mountain (Hiway 199) and has a whole bunch of curves and switchbacks. It used to have a 133 curves, but when they built the tunnel they took some of the fun out of trying to straighten it out. Larry and Peggy (his wife) jumped into their buggy and I knew he was going to go fast so I took second spot and away we went. We actually had to stop twice for about 5 to 10 minutes to wait for the rest of the group to catch up. This road is all paved so it was not near the fun that Bear Camp road was, but with the cliffs, the curves, no shoulders and the on coming traffic it was definitely an exhilarating ride!!!!!!!!
As we came into Cave Junction some people had said they were not stopping, with horns blowing and people waving and the local population thinking that they must have forgotten a holiday or else a bunch of crazy people in Volkswagen's were trying to take over the town. More like the OVER THE HILL GANG in VW's!!!
A stop for a bite to eat and then it was back in to line and off on the last leg of this fun time. On this last stretch everybody is within 30 miles or so of Grants pass and some of us drop off at different roads. So there is no sparing the horses and it is every one for them selves... But as usual Larry in the lead and me on his trailer lights we blew out of Cave Junction and I followed him for about 25 miles to where my drop off point was and then blew my horn, waved goodbye and headed back to the Chateau To Go.
It was an exciting and fun trip and this is the end of this story, but did I mention CRATER LAKE??????
{;-)
