Oregon Trail

We are traveling the famous Oregon Trail to get from Illinois to Oregon. The original trail started in Independence , MO. This is one town we had to go through on our trek.

I've decided to post the pictures we have taken on our trip to Oregon in a slideshow. For the entire two weeks we will be adding pictures hopefully on a daily basis. If there are too many pictures in one show, I may add a second.

In addition to the pictures each day I will try to post about that day's adventure.

Day 1, Monday, June 27, 2011 - Lebanon, IL to Cheyenne, WY

The day started off OK. Trudy, Steven and Kady picked me up from work in Town & Country, MO at midnight. I started the drive along I-70. Somewhere around Columbia , MO we ran into severe thunderstorms. It was raining so hard and the wind blowing so strong I couldn't believe it. After 2 hours of torrential rains I was able to swap driver duties with Steven.

Steven's drive time was very similar with a second set of thunderstorms. It was too much for him to handle. So as we were approaching St. Joseph, MO he followed a group of cars as they all exited the highway. About a mile or two later the cars he was following slammed on their brakes. Steven did likewise, but started to slide. He turned left to avoid the car in front of us. He kept turning left to avoid the car in the left lane. This left him with one last option, to pass the cars on the shoulder as he approached a bridge. It was a very tight squeeze that soon got tighter. 

The reason everyone slammed on their brakes was because of a car that flipped over onto it's roof on the roadway in front of us. Debris from the wreck was all over the place. As we traveled over the debris, virtually out of control we saw a man on his knees assisting the victims in the flipped car. This unknown individual as well as all of us, quickly saw his life flash before our eyes. How Steven was able to maneuver around these cars, the debris, the flipped car and the man in the road is a true miracle. we all said a prayer that we were safe and hopefully the victims of the crash.

Luckily the rest of the trip was dull compared to what we had just witnessed. We made excellent time even though we made several stops for driver swaps, gas, food, and to attend nature's calling. We did collect a few phrases to help pass the time.

• A rewrite of Dora the Explorers phrase "Swiper no swiping" became "Papa no farting".
• Trudy's misuse of a popular phrase of "You're going to give me a coronary" became "you're going to give me a cornea".
• Hourly geography tests. Some people can't remember what states we have passed through or even the names of states.

Day 2, Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - Cheyenne, WY to Salt Lake City, UT

There was no excitement like the day before thank goodness. We started out from Cheyenne, WY headed to SL,UT. We found out that Wyoming is much more pleasing to the eye than Nebraska. In Wyoming there are Pronghorn all over the place.  They are a deer like animal with funky horns that are in the shape of a hook.

There was on rest stop that Steven didn't care for.  He was outside taking pictures and a rattle snake said "GET OUT!". Steven jumped up on a picnic table and ran away.  He never did see the snake. Good thing we were at a rest stop so he could empty his drawers.

As we got into Utah we saw Bee-U-Tee-Full mountains still with snow caps. The snow report at one of the rest stops showed at least two ski resorts still open for skiers. At this resort we saw friendly prairie dogs. They would literally come up to you looking for food.  There is a picture of one about a foot away from Kady and me.

To top everything off, dinner was at In-N-Out.It's been two years since Trudy and I had their burgers but ~15 for Steven. We teased Ray and Christina since they can't get any. We were so mean.

Day 3, Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - Salt Lake City, UT to Klamath Falls, OR

We made good time traveling through Utah and Nevada. There was one stretch of road in Nevada, Highway 95, that was straight for 60+ miles with no one around. Can you say "FAST!" and "What Speed Limit?" It was so barren that we saw wild jackass (no I didn't look into the mirror).

As we entered into Oregon we immediately hit mountains. It felt good to drive mountain roads. Unfortunately Trudy doesn't agree. She'll have to get used to it because the rest of the week is mountains and beach.

Day 4, Thursday, June 30, 2011 - Klamath Falls, OR

Our first full day in Klamath Falls. My sister-in-law took us to see the falls. I thought that “The Falls” was like Waimea Falls in Hawaii, a tourist trap area with walkways to different tall waterfalls enclosed in a park setting. In reality the falls are a string of creeks with roadside access that happen to have some falls. As you drive down the highway you’ll spot dirt road turnouts. Each one has a name or a number. They don’t list if there is a fall or not so it’s a pick of the draw.  Some falls are just a few feet high while others are 20-30 ft. but all are breathtaking.

I was able to get some spectacular pictures. As you may have noticed quite a few of the pictures seem to be distant or full of motion. Trudy and Steven like to take pictures while the car is moving at 70-85 mph.

Day 5, Friday, July 01, 2011 - Klamath Falls, OR to Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

Camping Day! The trip is supposed to last 4-5 hours. It took us nine. Ray has all the camping gear and necessities in a trailer hooked up to his Durango. This is his first trip with the trailer.  Well because of the way the trailer was packed and the weight displacement he was only able to go 55-60mph. Since we knew it was going to be a longer drive than anticipated we decided to cut from I-5, traveling through the center of Oregon, and head straight for the coast. The rest of the trip would then be along Highway 101. Of course this just made the day longer but it was much more beautiful. I’m sure the return trip will be taking I-5, but I’m glad we came up the way we did.

Our trip on 101 started in Coos Bay, OR. It is a quiet town with not much happening. As we exited north we saw what people enjoy about Oregon, white sandy dunes, long stretches of beach and towering seaside cliffs. One thing I did not expect while driving a coastal road were all the lakes and lake resorts on the east side of the road. The highway did not always hug the shore but meandered up and down the mountain sides past about a dozen different lakes.

We arrived at our destination at 9:00 pm. It was still light out so we were able to unload the trailer before dark. The home for the next week is Beverly Beach State Park. Nestled amongst tall pine trees and plenty of lush green plants are about one hundred of individual campsites. There are sites for tents, trailers and the one we have, Yurts.

A Yurt is a 15-20’ diameter circular tent with wood framing (see slideshow for Day 6). It looks like a blowup bouncing tent for kids but it’s quite different. There is a lighted front porch, 12x18’, with a picnic table. A campfire pit is on the side as well as a camper hookup for electric and water. The inside of the Yurt is very spacious. It contains a wooden bunk bed, queen on bottom, twin on top, a foldout futon type queen bed that doubles as a couch, a coffee table and a two chair square dining table. The unit come s complete with electrical outlets, heater and cable TV hookup.

Day 6, Saturday, July 02, 2011 - Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

Today was a day of beach walks, beach naps and tourist trap shopping. Newport, OR is a very peaceful ocean town. It reminds me of Amity Island in Jaws. SHARK!!!! Actually we haven't seen any sharks but we did get some fresh seafood. We also bought our tickets and licenses to go fishing and crapping on the 6th and 7th. Planning some good eating those nights.

The evening was one that makes a vacation wonderful. We BBQ'd ribs, told childhood stories by the campfire and drank lots of beer. Unfortunately that's all I can tell you about the night without getting into trouble. Some of those stories were not fit for adults let alone children.

Day 7, Sunday, July 03, 2011 - Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

Today was an event filled day. It started out at 5:30 am when I woke up. When I'm camping I can never sleep in. So I took advantage of the quiet alone time and headed into town. I stopped at McDonald's for a simple breakfast and to use the free Wi-Fi network. It had been days since I could upload pictures and update the blog.

We headed back into town, Newport, OR, in the afternoon for more shopping and museum visits. Everything is located on the history bay front. The street is keep looking pretty much like it was in the 30's and 40's with the dockside canneries and shops.

My nephew and his girlfriend (wife) met up with us in town. I was very happy to see my family grow. Skyeler, Sarah and his iPhone make a beautiful couple. Now Steven has people his age to party with after his Daddy Duties are done for the day.

The night activities were filled with fireworks in Depoe Bay, OR, just a few miles up the coast from the campsite. Depoe is known as the "Whale Watching Capital of the World". I was able to get some fantastic pictures before and during the show. Depoe is where we will be catching our fishing boat at the end of the week.

Day 8, Monday, July 04, 2011 - Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

Happy Birthday U.S.A! It was a beautiful day to celebrate the 4th of July. Kady and I went to the beach to play in the sand. We made sand castles and animal shapes. She had a blast. Unfortunately the wind was blowing to hard and made it really cold. It was blowing so hard we didn’t get to fly our kite. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day for those activities.

The evening was spent at the docks in Newport watching the fireworks show. The cousins, Steven, Skyeler and Sarah, went on a boat that takes you to the middle of the bay to watch the show. You lay on your back on the deck the entire time.

Upon returning to the campsite I forced myself to turn in early. I will also try to sleep in, after all I am on vacation. Tomorrow is the first day I can go crapping and I don’t want to sleep through it.

Day 9, Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

Today was my first day crabbing. I bought a crab pot for $30. All I had to do after that is add chicken thighs to the bait net and I was off to catch Dungeness crab. I must say I was quite successful. I was able to catch not only 2 Dungeness crab but 3 Red Rock craps too. When we got home we ate BBQ chicken and boiled crab dipped in garlic butter. We turned in early because Wednesday is fishing day. We have to leave by 6:00 am.

Day 10, Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

I am up at 5:15 am to go fishing on the Kadaho. Steven, Ray and I, chartered a boat from the Tradewinds Charter in Depoe Bay, OR for a 5 hour fishing trip. DarLyn was supposed to go but she got sick the night before. The boat holds 15 fisherpersons with all tackle was included. We were supposed to go crabbing from the boat also but the winds were too high.

The trip was foggy, cold, wet, and rocky. I keep singing to myself, “Don’t rock the boat baby, don’t tip the boat over.” All in all it was not too bad, even though I chummed the water. During the trip we saw a whale 50 yds off the stern of the boat. I’m sorry I didn’t get any photos but I wasn’t risking the camera on the ocean.

By the end of the trip we accounted for 16 fish, 14 Sea Bass and 2 Sea Trout. We battered and pan fried them for dinner. It was some of the best fish I have ever eaten. I also got sunburned in the face. Too often people think that cloudy days block the sun.  On the beach cloudy days equal sunburn.

Day 11, Thursday, July 07, 2011 - Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR to Klamath Falls, OR

Our second day of fishing on the Kadaho. The seas were much more calm today. We were also able to go crabbing from the boat. Unfortunately the total catch was not up to yesterday's numbers. Seven fish and seven crab total. Ray and Steven each caught one fish, sea trout and large ling cod respectively. I caught 2 sea bass, 1 ling cod, 1 sea trout and 1 cabezon. The Captain had Steven help him a lot on the boat. He liked being the deckhand and he was good at it too. Proud of you son. we also got to see the local whale again.  This time instead of 50 yds, he was 50 ft from the boat. Fishing was always good when the whale was around. The good news is that my sunburn from yesterday has turned into a great tan.

The drive back to Klamath Falls, OR was long and tiring. We got home around 11:00 pm and ready to crash. Tomorrow I have to plan our return trip. I want to avoid going on I-29 through Missouri since the road is closed due to flooding.

Day 12, Friday, July 08, 2011 - Klamath Falls, OR

A restful day in Klamath Falls, OR. We shipped most of our clothes home via UPS. We have so much extra stuff to take with us we needed the room in the car for people.

I've planned our return trip trough Denver, CO. I know I have a few friends in that area but we will be passing by about 5:00 am on Monday morning. I don't think anyone wants us to wake them up, and we are anxious to get home. That day's drive is about 16 hours.

Day 13, Saturday, July 9, 2011 - Klamath Falls, OR to Salt Lake City, UT

Travel day #1 for the return trip. We left Klamath Falls, OR shortly after midnight for the 11 hour trip to Salt Lake City, UT. I wanted Kady and Trudy to sleep through the mountain portion of the trip. Some of it can be scary, especially at night. The clear mountain sky afforded me to see two shooting stars, one in OR and one in NV. I was able to see the one in NV just about hit the ground. Oddly it was green in color. I was hoping it was an alien spacecraft.

Of course one of the dangers about traveling mountain roads at night is animal activity. There were signed all over for big horn sheep, deer, elk, wild horse and jackass. But none of them said anything about freaking jack rabbits and owls. Nevada Hwy 140 is littered with dead rabbits. I helped contribute to 6 of them myself. Fortunately bunnies are soft and didn't do any damage to the car, but they make a great thump sound at 80 mph.

Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, I treated the family to a triple-treat. We had lunch at In-n-Out, dessert at Baskin-Robbins, and dinner at Sizzler. We hadn't been to Sizzler in almost 20 yrs. I went back to the hotel room stuffed and tired.  I crashed at 6:30 pm and didn't get up until 6:30 am.

*Sorry, no pictures for today.

Day 14, Sunday, July 10, 2011 - Salt Lake City, UT to Cheyenne, WY

Got a late start out of Salt Lake City, UT but Steven was driving and made up about 30 minutes. Got to Cheyenne, WY in time for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We are planning a very early departure in the morning. We even prepacked the car so it's just a wake-up and drive. Illinois, here we come.

Day 15, Monday, July 11, 2011 - Cheyenne, WY to Lebanon, IL

The final leg of the trip. We left Cheyenne, WY at 5:00 am CDT and arrived in Lebanon, IL, at 7:30 pm CDT. That's 900 miles in 14:30 hours. It was a long drive but we made the best of it. We planned on only short stops with food to go only meals. It was a new route fro us since we needed to avoid I-29. We drove south out of Cheyenne to Denver,CO to St. Louis, MO. The drive through Kansas sucks just as bad as the one through Nebraska. Those are two states I can do without.

It was good to be home again. Jordyn, Kady's dog went crazy to greet us. Katrina, Trudy's cat however had the opposite attitude towards everyone. She was pissed that we left and was not afraid to tell us.

*Sorry, no pictures for today.