Stretching for forty miles along the southern Oregon coastline is a natural wonderland of beaches and huge sand dunes sculpted by the wind. It’s the perfect landscape for everything from hiking and photography to flying kites and camping. Welcome to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The largest area of coastal sand dunes in North […]
In nearly 18 years of fulltime RVing, not to mention our travels away from the RV lifestyle, we have been to so many interesting places. Historic cities, battlefields, mountains, deserts, and seashores. And we have found that one of the best ways to get an overview of a place is by taking a trolley tour. […]
We got an unexpected bonus when we visited Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Washington state and discovered one of America’s oldest operating airfields adjacent to the old fur trading outpost. The past met the future at Vancouver Barracks on September, 19, 1905, when Lincoln Beachey took off from the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, […]
There are a lot of interesting attractions and museums along the Oregon and Washington coasts, but in my opinion, the best of them all is the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. The museum specializes in collecting and exhibiting maritime artifacts from the Columbia River and the Pacific Northwest. The Museum, which opened in […]
Note: This story is from the November-December, 2015 issue of the Gypsy Journal. In the tiny village of Ilwaco, Washington we discovered a fascinating small-town museum that is a treasure trove of local history. The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum tells the story of this unique region that many call the Crossroads of History, where the […]
In my mystery novel The Gecko In The Corner, a gecko has taken up residence in the bedroom of the main character, John Lee Quarrels, hanging out in a corner on the wall. John Lee wants to get rid of the lizard, but a lady friend tells him that they are good to have around because they […]
It’s very often true that you get what you pay for. Sometimes when you make a purchase, it’s better to spend a little money up front for value that will last you a long time. A good example is Tilley hats. The first time I saw one I thought that they were a waste of […]
We were up early yesterday morning to get ready for our trip to the Seaside Thousand Trails preserve. Terry had already turned the driver and passenger seats around the night before and done some other prep work. That always helps. While she was finishing things up inside the motorhome, I walked down to the dumpster […]
Yes, the scenery is spectacular. No question about it, the seafood is amazing. And we truly have loved flying our kites on the beach. But let’s be honest, the real reason Miss Terry loves coming to the Oregon coast is to go to the Astoria Sunday Market. Every Sunday from early May to early October, […]
I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun because Monday was another fast day for us and we got a lot accomplished. I spent some time online making and confirming reservations for our summer travels. Given the choice, we prefer not to have a set schedule and be locked into reservations. But since […]
Where did the year go? They say that as we get older time goes faster, and I think that must be true, because it seems like 2013 flew past in a blur. Or maybe that was just because we have been so busy having fun exploring this great land of ours. We started the year […]
After picking up our mail yesterday, we drove down to Seaside, Oregon to make a bank deposit, since that’s where the closest Bank of America branch is. Okay, Miss Terry drove, because to get to Seaside involves crossing the Columbia River on the Astoria-Megler Bridge. If you’ve been following our travels for very long, you […]
Once again we were up at 7 a.m. When will this madness stop? I’m telling you, I need an intervention! After checking e-mail and visiting with Julie and Doug Livingston for a few minutes when they came over to tell us goodbye, we left Pioneer RV Park in Hermiston about 10 a.m. and headed west […]
It’s always a crapshoot working with a new commercial mail service when we have an issue of the Gypsy Journal to mail out, and this time around we went bust. The mail service we had contacted to handle the mailing for the July-August issue assured us they had the capability to get the job done, […]
One of the great things about our job is the really neat things we get to do, all in the name of work. Yesterday, we had a real adventure. We left the Long Beach Thousand Trails and drove 120 miles to the excellent Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, in McMinnville, Oregon. The museum has an […]
Yesterday we once again crossed the bridge to Astoria, Oregon, to tour the impressive Columbia River Maritime Museum, located on the busy waterfront. The museum tells the stories of the brave men (and women) who have made their living on the treacherous shore of the Pacific Ocean, and along the broad and wild Columbia River, […]
After a quiet morning at home, we crossed the bridge into Oregon again, and spent yesterday afternoon exploring Astoria. This charming and friendly little community at the mouth of the Columbia River was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. Astoria started life as a fur trading outpost in 1811, and has […]
Since the Oregon Thousand Trails preserves have not worked out for us, yesterday we drove 65 miles up the coast to Astoria, and then across the bridge to Washington, to check out the Long Beach Thousand Trails, which is actually in the little town of Ilwaco. I don’t think you can find a mile of […]
There is an interesting thread on the RV.Net forum discussing a Forbes magazine article on America’s Scariest Highways. Since we are considering taking US Highway 50 across Nevada in a few weeks, I found it interesting that this route, known as “The Loneliest Road in America,” was among those listed. The article says US 50 […]