Two Weeks And A Dane On The OR Coast

My cousin poses at Sunset Acres State Park

Yesterday I sent my lovely cousin Christina back to Denmark after 2 weeks here with us at Bullards Beach State Park. It was a total whirlwind of a time. Somehow she managed to snag awesome weather (the entire time!) so everyday after work we packed it in with fabulous outdoor activities all within an hour or so of our RV.

Hiking in the fabulous Oregon sand dunes

Now I teased her by claiming I would tell everyone what a pain in the butt she is, but truthfully she’s a lovely gal and super-easy to have around, so we really had a ton of fun. We crammed in so many activities in so little time that the story is best told with links and pictures. So, if you’ve ever wondered what happens when two Danish gals are let loose over two weeks on the southern Oregon coast, here it is:

Christina samples her very first s’mores

• BBQ & The Art Of S’mores - We were invited to a 4th of July potluck dinner & BBQ with the volunteers here at Bullards Beach. Our intrepid Dane got introduced to her very first S’more and fell in love with a camping classic.
  Dane opinion -> s’mmmmm yum!

Jetting the Rogue River

• Jet Trip on The Rogue River – A trip down the rogue river with Jerry’s Rogue Jets down by Gold Beach. We took the 80-mile trip with a lunch stop. It was so much fun I may even have to do another blog post just for this. Awesome day!!
  Dane Opinion -> Oh YES baby…Do it, do it!

Horseback riding on Bandon Beach

• Horseback Riding – A sunset horseback ride on Bandon Beach amongst the sea stacks. It was a windy day, but oh-so-cool and thoroughly enjoyable despite mega-sore bums the next day.
  Dane Opinion -> Giddy Up And Go!

Posing on concretions at Shore Acres State Park

• Shore Acres & Cape Arago -> I’ve already covered this place once before, but had to go back and show my cuz the hidden gem. This time around we went tide-pooling & hunting for concretions, both of which are so cool they deserve their own blog post too!
  Dane Opinion -> Go Twice…at least!

Barefoot sand surfing in the dunes…cooool!

• Sand Dunes & John Dellenback Trail -> Another place worth hiking twice (or twenty times!). Pooch came along and we played like kids on the dunes for an entire afternoon. A TOTAL blast!
  Dane Opinion -> Sandy Heaven!

On windy Cape Blanco

• Cape Blanco & Heads State Park -> A trip south to see the lovely Cape Blanco lighthouse and hike the spectacular Port Orford Heads State Park. We’re moving there in Aug so I’ll tell you more later, but suffice to say it was fabulous!!
  Dane Opinion -> Naturally stunning!

More Shore Acres Magic

• West Coast Game Safari Park -> Marketed as a spot you can meet and interact with wild animals. We enjoyed petting the cougar cub and some of the free-roaming goats, deer etc. but were underwhelmed by the park and what we thought were too-small cages for the bigger animals.
  Dane Opinion -> Fun for kids, but miss-able for adults.

Port Orford coast view (wth Humbug Mountain in the background)

• Beach, Drives, Eating & Shopping – No end of beach walking, pretty coastline drives (we even stopped off in Denmark!) and local shopping (Myrtlewood and cranberry are the local specialities). Even managed to dress up and eat at the superb Alloro Wine Bar & Restaurant in Bandon…talk about YUM!
  Dane Opinion -> Grooovy!

Most definitely a rippin’ good time had by all. Two weeks of good memories and the promise of many more in the future. Happy journeys, cuz…until next time!

A trip to Oregon’s version of Denmark…blink and you’ll miss it!

Petting a cougar cub at West Coast Game Safari

A possible hat purchase?

Lazy mornings in the RV…Taggart found a new friend

Just a Few More Desert Shots…

Ahhh, just one more sunset...I live for these moments!

Sadly we’ve come to the end of our boondocking escapade out by Yuma. We’ve headed off to San Diego, coming back after two cross-country trips and one full circle to the city where we started RVing over 2 years ago (it’s an odd feeling I tell you). We’re going to do some checking on our storage and complete various appointments before we go back to being desert rats again.

Walking home in our own private paradise (see the RV in the back?)

Although we spent an awesome week out in the boonies, I have to admit we’ve barely touched the surface of what there is to see around Yuma and Imperial County. Like all places the more you hang out, the more you discover to do and this spot is no exception. Downtown Yuma in winter is basically in RV overflow. There are RV parks, rigs and RV shops almost as fas as the eye can see. We weren’t terribly attracted to go there (with one exception, #4 below) but it’s a good shopping spot and there are plenty of other gems awaiting you if take time to explore around. Here are 5 good ones:

Late afternoon gold

1/ Old Mines - We had sooo much fun exploring the American Girl Mine right next to our RV boondocking site, but there are actually a ton more in the area. This site provides the best graphical overview I’ve seen anywhere (just zoom out to see more sites and click on “google map” to overlay roads)

2/ Ghost Towns - Tumco used to house most of the miners in the area and is now a fascinating little visit. Read more here.

3/ Hot Springs - The Holtville Hot Springs are not that far from where we were camped and provide a great little spot to soak and relax. You can even set-up for the winter season at the Hot Springs BLM LVTA area.

Walking the hills

4/ Yuma Territorial Prison - Just the kinda weird little outing that I like. A prison that opened in 1876, operated for 33 years and then shut-down to house Yuma High School kids. Read more here.

5/ Wilderness – There are tons of interesting wilderness spots around Yuma most of which are on BLM land. My top 3 picks are the Imperial Sand Dunes (over 40 miles long!), Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (a wildlife mecca in winter) and Mittry Lake Wildlife Area. The latter allows boondocking too!

Sunset tinges

And that’s just a sampling. Plenty of other bloggers have written about the area and can give you inspiration on where to go. Check out Bayfield Bunch (lots of good off-road trips here), Semi-True Tales Of Our Life On the Road (all about the salad), Where’s Weaver and many more I’ve probably forgotten (just search their blogs on Yuma). Oh and Sassy’s on ‘Da Road headed into our boondocking area just after we left so she’s there now!

With that I leave you with my last desert shots. Adieu grand plains…until we meet again.

Polly the desert rat

A perfect moon

Olá from Madeira Part II – Wine Tasting & Touring

“…in America Madeira was esteemed above all other wine..”
John Adams, from correspondence  Aug 1st 1783

The gorgeous old fort of Sao Tiago in Old Town, Funchal

Little did I know that when I tasted my first glass of Madeira last week I was stepping ~250 years back right into the shoes of the Founding Fathers. In fact not only was this wonderful wine a major import of the American Colonies in the 18th century, it was highly prized by every leading figure of the day and cemented history as the toast used at the signing of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. As such I may have entered Madeira naive and uneducated, but thanks to 7 full days of “research” and a local Wine Festival (that my internal alcoholic homing beacon just happened to pick-up -> with every single producer on the Island no less), I left feeling rather more qualified to drink the wine that’s helped to shape the country I RV in today (see how I managed to make that relevant to the blog….sneaky isn’t it?)

Fabulous Funchal as viewed from the Fortress Pico

But to understand the wine you’ve got to understand the island, so we’ll go a bit back to the beginning and start there. The Madeira Islands are volcanic archipelagoes that started forming ~14 million years ago. Settled in the early 15th century, the rich soil made the place a natural spot for agriculture. Initially a sugar-cane producer, wine eventually became the more profitable crop and by the 16th century was a major export of the island. 

Wine casks at Blandy's....yum!

The special taste of Madeira as we know it today, however, took a bit longer and like all great inventions was a total accident. You see wine has a habit of turning into vinegar on long sea voyages so to prevent that annoying trait, it was “fortified” with brandy. By happy chance it was discovered that months of subsequent voyage in the tropics churned the mixture into a most delicious beverage. Some enterprising island wine makers picked up on the idea and decided to mimic the whole deal at home by fermenting wine which was then exposed to both heat and partial oxidation, a totally unique method. Madeira wine was born and by the 18th century this exactly was how it was known worldwide.

Stepping into history. My dad and I taste a medium-dry Madeira

But as interesting as all this is wine is not the only thing of note on this Island. Because of the unique geology of Madeira Island (a warmer south side, cooler north and peaks up to 1862 meters (6107 ft)) it’s got a whole plethora of flora/fauna and interesting stuff to do. In our week here we managed to explore quite extensively and hit on several other gems. 

It’s not a spot for ”the beast”, but if you decide to ditch your RV and make the flight here’s my home-grown list of top 5 things to do:

1/ Explore Downtown Funchal

The fascinating & colorful door paintings in Old Town

There’s lots to do in the main “drag” of Madeira and most of it is best done by foot. 

• Wine Tour at Blandy’s - Did I mention the wine already? The best spot to take a tour is at the Blandy’s Wine Lodge where you’ll not only get to walk inside a giant barrel, but you’ll understand the 6 types of grapes and 4 types of Madeira (dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet) produced on the Island. Oh, and taste them too!

The Monte Church

• Take the Cable Car – Hitch a ride on the Cable Car to the top of the mountain at Monte to check out the traditional Monte Toboggans, city views and the Monte Church.

• Walk the Old Town – Explore the Old Town on the east side by foot. Pop into the Story Center for some history, hike over to see the Fort Sao Tiago, check out some old churches, peruse the little alleys in the back to admire their unique door paintings and peek in at the indoor market (Mercado Dos Lavradores). Lots of other museums around.

A swan cools itself in the New Town park

• Explore New Town - Hike around bustling New Town and have an expresso at one of the many café’s. Also make sure to go further up the hill to Fortess Pico for one of the best views of Funchal (the hidden entrance is at Rua Du Castelo) as well as the 3 museums up there (Quinta Das Cruzes, Convento de Santa Clara and Museu Frederico De Freitas).

2/ Eat The Food

The local fare is a “must do” and there are a couple of specialities worth trying especially the Black Scabbard fish (espada) and the meat skewers (espetada). Stay away from the tourist-traps in the Old Town and look for restaurants in the small alleys behind New Town, and of course remember to pair with Madeira wine. The best meal we had all week was at Restaurant Dos Combattentes and I highly recommend at least one stop there.

3/ Take An Island Tour

Sis at the top of the dramatic sea-cliff Cabo Girao

It’s worth getting out of Funchal to explore the outer reaches of the Island. Madeira boasts the 2nd highest sea-cliff in the world (Cabo Girão), lovely fishing villages (Câmara de Lobos), gorgeous mountains, neat lava pools (Porto Moniz), waterfalls, traditional thatched houses(Santana) and local culture. The best bus tours (in my opinion) are the smaller mini-bus tours offered by Happy Tours (€15-25), but you can also rent a taxi for a day (~€100). If you only have time to do one tour take the West Tour, the most interesting by far.

4/ Go For A Hike

The whole family poses high in the west mountains

The levadas are extensive water-ways that were originally built criss-cross the island to provide irrigation to local farms. You can do levada hikes along these old waterways for over ~500 miles from super-easy to serious mountain climbs. Either take a guided tour or buy the hiking book and do them yourself.

5/ Do Some People Watching

The Cafe Do Teatro in downtown Funchal

Madeira has a great café culture and it’s so much fun to get into it. Lots of great cafés all around the island so go out and explore. For a great downtown vibe check in at the Café Do Teatro, and for a totally local hidden gem check out the Tea House in the old house at the  Centro Cívico Cultural de Santa Clara. For a nighttime drink try one of the rum concoctions at Number 2 (opposite the Madeira Carlton). Lots of other nightlife around.

And that, my friends, wraps up my Madeira visit. With the sadness that always accompanies a leaving, I say goodbye to a fabulous week in the Atlantic and head back to more adventures the RV. In the meantime I’ll remember my wonderful trip and all those colonists 250 years ago every time I taste a dram of that wonderful and unique Madeira wine.

P.S. For an extra little treat click on the video below for a sample of traditional Madeira folk music and dance

Sao Vicente church on the North side, considered one of the prettiest

The natural lava pools at Porto Muniz in the NE. Free swimming too!

Cod hanging to dry at the fishing village of Camara De Lobos

Funchal at sunset as seen from the canal on Avenida de Janeiro

The cable car over downtown Funchal

A madonna overlooking Porto Muniz

Traditonal Madeira Folk Dance(“Bailinho da Madeira”) from Paul Novell on Vimeo.

Olá from Madeira Part I – A Strike, A Shot & A Dram…

Flying into Madeira over the "deserted islands" off the east coast

It all started with a free shot and a strike. The strike actually happened first, although I had no clue until I tried to board a flight in Newark that no longer existed.

“Oh, I don’t think we’re flying that route today. We went on strike you see” said the friendly hostess

“But my baggage is already tagged to go to Porto” I replied helplessly

“Oh don’t worry. We’ll just switch things around and our guy will take care of the bag in the back” she answered with a reassuring smile

Downtown Funchal - the main drag of Madeira Island

I wasn’t entirely convinced. With upwards of 90,000 bags going through Newark each day, “the guy in the back” and my one lonely bag didn’t seem like too sure of a thing, but I really had no choice but to go with the flow. That was when tequila entered the picture. I’d made it through security, sat down rather dejectedly in the bar and must have had “the look” because the bartender took pity and offered me a free shot. Shortly thereafter a couple and another guy came over to join in and within a happy half an hour we had a little party going. The world was already looking rosier.

“It’s Portugal, so don’t worry. Things will work out” they all cheered happily

Fabulous Madeira wine -> worthy of an entire study unto itself

And I have to admit they were right. A mere 20 hours or so later I landed in Madeira and my bags appeared magically before me. The high cliffs and rolling coast of the island stretched into the ocean and a warm, breezy air was fanning the coast. My sister was seated next to me, my parents were on their way and we were going to spend a full week in paradise. Things were definitely looking rosier….

Now I have to admit I really didn’t know much about Madeira before coming here. With a bit of short-hand googling I’d learned it was part of Portugal and that it looked like a fairly small island waaaaay out in the Atlantic ocean. I also knew that they make a fortified wine  named after the spot itself which I had a vague notion tasted something like Port. The Portuguese airline hostess in Newark had added to my repertoire by telling me I was going to the Hawaii of the Atlantic, a paradise island and one of the 7 wonders of Portugal.

“You’ll wish you had three weeks over there” she said dreamily

My lovely sister admires the view from our hotel room

What I subsequently found out was quite a lot more. Madeira not only has a varied and fascinating geography (with several different climates), but boasts a wide breadth of culture and a rather rich history.  Through a meticulous and systematic in-depth one-on-one study of the local wine, I’ve also learned that Madeira wine is most definitely not Port, putz grila!  In fact the mere comparison is considered a sacrilegious insult which might possibly get you booted off the island. But all that good stuff is for Part II and I need another few drams before I can get that far. As they say “the best is yet to come” so stay tuned, my friends…

Links to the sea - this is the small fishing village of Camara De Lobos

One of the many gorgeous churches on the island

Let the wine tasting begin!

Old cobblestone streets typical of downtown Funchal

Prehistoric Red Rock Beauty – Colorado National Monument,CO

“I came here last year and found these canyons, and they feel like the heart of the world to me. I’m going to stay and build trails and promote this park”
John Otto, 1907

A view to live a dream for

It was an ambitiously crazy dream and it pretty much took a crazy man to pull it off. John Otto was the character to do it. Flamboyant, eccentric, and obsessive, he was locked up three times in his life for “acute mania”, but when he saw the canyons in Fruita his energies found new focus and he knew the rest of his days would be dedicated to them.

Just another gorgeous view-point from the Rim Road

And that’s exactly what Otto did. He lived, breathed and fought for these dramatic red cliffs, living alone in the canyons, building backbreaking trails by hand, petitioning relentlessly and eventually getting the place set aside as a National Monument in 1911.

Posing at the cliffs on Window Rock Trail

He was of course not the first to set foot on these red rocks of beauty. The entire Western Colorado plateau is a veritable multi-hundred-million year history book. Much of the Morrison Formation, as it’s called, was laid down in the Late Jurassic period and remains a rich living source of fossils and prehistoric discoveries. In fact if you’re a paleo-lover it really doesn’t get any better than this, and you can bask away in dinosaur dreams all through the 512-mile Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway that winds through Colorado and Utah. If we weren’t on our way to OR that’s exactly what we’d be doing, but thankfully we got the chance to get a good taste right here in Fruita/Grand Junction.

Red rocks to the horizon at Cold Shivers Point

And what a taste it is! The Colorado National Monument is a stunning tribute to the prehistoric plateau. Red sediment rock eroded by water, wind and ice has created dramatic spires, domes and sheer-walled faces that tower several thousand feet and go back several hundreds of millions of years.

High desert flowers

I honestly can’t believe we missed seeing this when we came through Grand Junction last year. It’s so accessible and yet so drop-dead gorgeous. These are the red rocks of Colorado and they’re truly a hidden gem. You can drive the Rim Road, gawk at the views, hike the trails, and even explore the surrounding BLM areas. We did the drive, but missed doing any major hikes due to the heat (yeah, it’s been hot here), but it’s a stop we’d gladly come back and explore again. Gotta give thanks to Otto’s crazy dream!

Balanced Rock in shadow from the morning sun

Dramatic Independence Monument is one of the gems of the park

View from Book Cliffs

High desert pinyon-juniper