A Switch-A-Roo Thanks To BirdingRVers & Our New July Jobs!

Grant & Kathy from BirdingRVers. We’ve never met, but they reached out to us. The photo is from their blog.

I’m always amazed at the power of community in RVing and how that expands through blogging. When we first spoke about our Cape Blanco job on the blog a few weeks ago, several commenters turned me onto Grant and Kathy from BirdingRVers, two experienced lighthouse hosts (and yes, bird lovers too! Oh, and Kathy is also a jewelry artist) who were volunteering in the area and scheduled to be at Cape Blanco in Aug. We’d never met them, but exchanged a few comments on their blog and said we looked forward to seeing them later in the summer.

And that was how we left it…until a few days ago..

This will be our hosting spot for July!

The couple started reading our blog and last week when I wrote about Paul’s back injury Grant took pity on the poor boy and came back with a proposal…how about switching jobs for July? Grant and Kathy were scheduled to start as hosts here at Coquille River Lighthouse next week and suggested the smaller lighthouse would be an easier job for hubby’s back. Meanwhile they would be willing to stay another month at Cape Blanco while Paul heals. This would also allow Paul to continue his treatments locally.

What a fabulous and oh-so-generous idea!

Polly’s new backyard. I think she likes it…

Grant immediately jumped on the plan, calling up both park coordinators to start the process, and we followed-up by meeting the ranger & hosts here and taking the lighthouse tour to make sure Paul could make the climb to the tower. Four easy days later and everything is in place and OK’d by both parties.

I can handle this view, oh yes I can

So, thanks to the kindness of strangers and the awesome community of RVing we now have new jobs for July. Tomorrow we’ll move a grand total of 4 spots down the loop to our new campsite at Bullards Beach and then we’ll be lighthouse hosts at the cutest little lighthouse on the coast for a month before heading down to our next job at Cape Blanco in Aug.

A huge thanks to Kathy and Grant, and if any of you folks are going to be in the area, do look us up on your way through.

P.S. The old hobbler is still progressively improving. He actually did a limping 2/3 mile hike today and hauled a one ounce salad container to the bin. Yes, my lovely hubby is now the muscular version of Mr.Magoo.

Sentinals Of The Sea – Bandon Sea Stacks, Bandon, OR

The stunning Bandon sea stacks

The more we stay here at Bullards Beach the more we are digging the area. Despite Paul’s back issues, this place has been one of the nicest stops we’ve done on the coast. The cool town of Bandon is only 5 mins away and is the kinda spot that’s not-too-small and not-too-big. A pretty coastal town with a port, a relaxed boardwalk, several good little restaurants, a selection of excellent services and even an artisan chocolate shop (you bet we’ve sampled it!). Since we’ve been here we’ve had several meanderings around cute Old Town, enjoyed some very tasty fish taco’s at Tony’s Crab Shack, and taken the lovely drive around the Scenic Ocean Loop.

Bandon Beach on a moody day

But probably the most dramatic thing about Bandon, apart from its’ lovely lighthouse is its’ beach, and even if you come here for nothing else you should most definitely come for this.

And it’s all about the sea stacks.

Map of the Bandon Coast. Source: www.oregon.com

Beach walk on a clear evening

Sea stacks are tall columns of rocks near a coast, isolated by erosion. There are many of these along the Oregon Coast, the most famous of which is Haystack Rock up up in the north by Cannon Beach. The ones here in Bandon are not nearly as large, but make up for it in pictorial beauty by their awesome variety.  Formed by volcanic islands that “rafted” into the Oregon coast many millions of years ago, these rocky sentinels erupt from the sea right off the coast and provide a stunning background to the beach.

Steps down to the beach from Face Rock Overlook

And there are enough of them to occupy your camera for months. From Face Rock (as legend has it the face of Native American Princess Ewauna, daughter of Chief Siskiyou who was lured into the sea and drowned by the evil ocean spirit Seatka), to Witches Hat, Garden of the Gods, Table Rock, Cat and Kittens Rock and Elephant Rock. The Ocean Loop Drive takes you though all of them with several scenic overlooks and a ream of shapes and names to inspire both eyes and imagination.

Reflections of the sun

We’ve already taken a few trips to view these beauties, getting just a sprinkling of their moods. From a heavy day last week where the rocks were grey and wild to a brilliant clear walk that I did 2 evenings ago while Paul was having his acupuncture. And of course all are foot and paw-accesible. We may end up staying here at Bandon longer than originally planned (more on this to come), in which case I hope to capture even more dramatic shots of the rocks. In the meantime I’ll just leave you with a sprinkling of their tastes and (hopefully) a yearning for more.

P.S. The old hubby is still progressing well. We made it to walking around the campground loop yesterday, and he actually poured me a cup of coffee this AM which shocked me enough to make the remark “gosh, I’m not used to being waited on hand and foot”. Goes to show even an old dog can surprise a spring chicken such as myself.

Drawings in the sand

Textures from the sea

Paul’s Progess & The Coquille River Lighthouse – Bullards Beach, OR

The cutest little lighthouse on the coast…

Well Paul is coming along. He may complain it’s at a sloth’s pace, but from my impartial viewpoint it’s been rather amazing. In the short space of only a few days he’s gone from not being able to move at all to practically full range of motion in his back, and from not walking at all to short spurts of waddling (our acupuncturist has aptly and rather humorously named it the Tim Conway shuffle ->; yes, he looks exactly LIKE THIS). Pretty miraculous for such a short time. His main issue is the stinging/burning pain of the sciatic nerve which makes it uncomfortable for him in just about any position…and a man in pain, as all you ladies know, is a painful man indeed. But we are hopeful and crossing all fingers, toes and 12 paws that this rapid healing pace continues. There’s certainly no doubt that without the acupuncture there’s no way he would have come so far so fast.

Me and my new wheels

In the meantime as yours truly takes care of everything in the RV (alas, a woman’s work is often thankless woe-be-me), I’ve managed to squeeze a few excursions around the area and most particularly to see the Coquille River Lighthouse which is a relaxing (and pretty) 3-mile bike ride from our campground. All this has been accomplished on my super-snazzy new Trek Navigator 2.0 bicycle which is by far the coolest, most comfortable and utmost groovy bike I have ever owned. With my über long legs and short upper body, combined with the fact that I love both road-biking and very moderate off-road biking, finding a bike that fits me comfortably has always been near impossible. So, when my old, rusty bike was stolen in San Diego a few months ago I decided, for the first time in my life, to go for a brand new one that felt good. This bike is a hybrid with the combo of a mountain-bike gears & wheels, but with a super-cushy seat and the upright riding feel & look of a beach cruiser and IT IS AWESOME! We had to order a special size (of course…me being so special and all), but it is definitely the most comfortable bike I have ever owned.

Gorgeous Bullards Beach. The lighthouse sits at the far end of this stretch of sand.

Which brings me neatly back to the lighthouse. This is the 4th lighthouse I’ve seen on the OR coast and I can honestly say it is the cutest of them all! It may not have the dramatic flare of Yaquina Head, or the artistic beauty of Haceta Head, but Coquille River Lighthouse is oh-so-super-cute-pretty. It is one of the smallest lighthouses on the Oregon coast and was also it’s last, constructed in 1895 and beaming its first light on Feb 29th, 1896. Originally built on a rocky islet it guided ships safely through the mouth of the Coquille River for 43 years before being extinguished and replaced by an automated beacon and fog horn.

Gorgeous Coquille River Lighthouse viewed from across the river

The unique thing about this lighthouse is its’ grand Victorian Italianate style and the elongated octagonal fog signal room attached to its’ 40-foot tower. A totally different look from any other lighthouses on the coast. It’s been lovingly restored and sits beautifully at the end of miles of gorgeous beach at Bullards Beach State Park. Free tours in season too!

Poor hubby has not yet been to visit this little beauty, but I’m hoping to cart him over there during the week. A worthy little trip for the cutest little view on the coast….and hopefully hubby will get to see it too.

Foxgloves are in full bloom on the beach at the moment

Seagulls by the seashore[/caption

He-Man, Acupuncture & Staying at Bullards Beach One More Week

He-Man it is!

I call it “He-Man” disease and all you women out there probably know it well. It’s when a male species ignores whatever pain he has going on and decides to just “He-Man” right through it. Muscles bulging, chest forward, and power on! But alas unless you’re a young buck in its first prime, “He-Man” comes back to bite you in the you-know-what. And my fabulous hubby, much as I love him, does indeed suffer from this disease.

Pain relief -> The Asian way…

This was a “He-Man” week. Paul had been having very slight back issues for some time, but not enough to stop him. Just a few days ago he made a move that changed it all. Tweak, sprain, ouch…..pinched sciatic nerve and searing jab down the leg. Three nano-seconds later he was planked out on the floor in pain.

Oh no!

Now given we have to start workamping in about a week AND we were scheduled to drive to Harris Beach State Park on Monday, this was not an ideal time for this to happen. We both know enough about backs to know this is not serious enough for a doc (from the feel and look of it it’s a minor spinal hernia), but definitely needs time to heal and some help to get that nerve un-pinched. Time to scramble and change plans.

The lovely Tina Veccera

I’m a huge fan of acupuncture for this kind of problem and a few calls around led me to the lovely Tina Veccera who just so happens to practice right around the corner in Bandon. Score! She offers both acupuncture and chinese herbs, and was able to see us same-day.  Score again! Our third order of business was to try to extend our stay here in Bullards Beach State Park until we absolutely need to move. By some alignment of the stars our exact site was open until next Sunday. Score number three!

From pain to luck in three easy moves.

Paul under treatment

We’ve been seeing Tina for 2 days now and Paul is already feeling better. We’re hoping a full week of treatment, relaxation, easy stretches and lack of “He-Man” moves will get him to the point where he’s OK to work. And then of course he’ll need to strengthen those back and stomach muscles.

The beginning of a tough week, but hopefully we’re still on-track to be where we need to be. As long as that He-Man guy doesn’t sneak in to interfere, of course

Botanical & Geological Wonderland – The Cape Arago Headland, OR

A view like nothing else. The Arago Headland.

Almost everyone we talked to before coming to the southern OR coast told us to make sure we took the trip to Cape Arago. What they didn’t tell us (or perhaps it just hadn’t clicked for me) was how utterly stunning this little stretch of land is. It’s one of those places where everybody says “you simply must go”, but you don’t fully grasp why until you get there. This is the Cape Arago Headland and it’s very simply a geological and botanical wonderland.

Like giant puff-pastries sticking out of the sea…

The headland starts just south of Charleston and spans a short 4 miles or so of coastline. Within this space you pass through no less than 3 State Parks -> Sunset Bay, Shore Acres and Cape Arago.  Here the sandy dune-coast of the north is transformed into large bluffs and angular outcrops of layered shale and limestone rock, looking almost like giant puff pastries sticking out of the sea. These 40-million year-old dramatic strata provide a stunning backdrop to wild tides and, on a clear day, miles of some of the most beautiful coastline I’ve ever seen. It’s the kinda view you just gotta see to believe.

The final view at Cape Arago…and a rare shot of moi!

The journey starts at Sunset Bay State Park, a sheltered cove (and nice swim-beach) with an RV campground right behind it (rather too tight for our size, although the full hookup sites are manageable). Right here you can walk one of the prettiest 4-mile stretches of the Oregon Coastal Trail directly from Sunset Bay to the end of the road at Cape Arago. There are also miles of additional trails that lead to unique tide-pools on the Cape, and unusual geological formations (ever heard of  the embedded growing rocks called concretion?) that occur in this area more than any other place on the OR coast.

But that’s not all!

Roses in full bloom at Shore Acres State Park

Right smack in the middle of all this beauty is gorgeous Shore Acres State Park. Originally the private estate of pioneer lumberman and shipbuilder Louis J. Simpson, this was lovingly developed into a gorgeous botanical garden with thousands of plants that bloom throughout the four seasons. This time of year the roses are in full spread and there are literally hundreds of them in beautiful scent throughout the garden. Free aromatherapy if you will. ”It just makes you happy to smell them” observed Paul while we were walking through the kaleidoscope of aromas.

And that’s still not all!

Panorama shot of Simpson Reef

Right before you reach the Cape you pass Simpson Reef, Shell Islands and the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. This super-long spur of rocks and islands that juts out like a knife into sea, occupies 575 aces, and provides refuge habitat for large numbers of sea birds and mammals. It’s a fabulous view-point for hundreds of sea-lions, harbor seals and elephant seals. And, as an aside, a great spot to take one of those panoramic stitch-shots (if your camera does them).

And the entire trip all ends in one gorgeous viewpoint at the Cape itself.

Unusual curves at Shore Acres

We managed to visit on (yet another) gorgeous day, spending at least an hour walking around the botanical gardens and a few more driving and stopping to gawk (and ooh and aah) at the various viewpoints (they are all worth it!). Shore Acres doesn’t allow dogs (everything else does) so sadly Polly didn’t come for the ride, but the visit is totally worth an entire day, and probably a couple if you plan to hike too.

You may not have heard this before, but I’m telling you on good faith that “you simply must go!”.

Summer color at the botanical garden

Light seen through rose petals