10 September 2018
Another three weeks have gone by and we are still in Oregon. I thought we’d be well into California by now but we’ve found so much to see and do here. After too many days of cold, dank sea mist we decided to head inland for some sun and warmth and that’s where we’ve been for the last 3 weeks.
The weather has been much better but the lack of rain has made Oregon a tinder box and there’s a lot of evidence of forest fires; at times the air has been quite thick with smoke and it’s not unusual to see folk wearing masks.
The highlights of the past 3 weeks have been the stunningly impressive Crater Lake and the views of it from the top of Mt Scott, the city of Bend and a cannabis tour we took there, and the volcanic lakes, mountains, waterfalls, and caves of the Cascades.
Bend looks like a really fun city with a river, which is a hive of activity, running right through the centre. There are loads of breweries but we weren’t able to sample them all but the ones we did try were good. There is an obvious emphasis on cannabis growth, processing and retail so we decided it was time to learn something about this weed. In 3 hours we got a glimpse into another world with its strange customs and language. No tour would be complete without a swag bag and Deb and I now have matching hats, stickers and our very own joints. I’m not sure what we’ll do with them – probably donate them to a needy youth.
Central Oregon has provided ample opportunity to take advantage of free camping; we managed 15 nights in a row without paying for a campsite. Some have been large car parks designed mainly for winter use, others have been clearings in the forest or down next to a lake. Most have been so isolated that the lack of light pollution gives you a great view of the night sky.
All of a sudden I’ve noticed the days getting shorter and the mornings getting colder, especially when we are at altitude. I’m no longer crawling out of bed at 0600 for a run but am waiting until the sun is up and has warmed thing up a bit. I must be getting a bit soft.
Hot off the press is news of our visa extension. As time was ticking and we needed to make plans to either stay or go, Deb spoke to a chap, a very nice chap, from the Immigration Department who advised us that it was taking, on average, 12 to 18 months to process applications. Our application was dated 30/07/2018 (or 07/30/2018) and it seems that they will allow us to stay while the application is going through the process. The only risk is that they process ours ahead of the average time AND deny the application. In those unlikely circumstances, we will be required to get out of the country in double-quick time. We are assuming we will be fine to stay until next spring. Hurrah.
In the meantime enjoys the pics
The magnificent Crater Lake from all angles
Volcanoes, lakes, waterfalls and caves
Deb relaxing in a hot spring. And it was hot – too hot for me
A famous covered bridge and a rare pic of me
Beautiful bright Bend
Some of the free campgrounds
And scenes from a cannabis tour
10 September 2018
Another three weeks have gone by and we are still in Oregon. I thought we’d be well into California by now but we’ve found so much to see and do here. After too many days of cold, dank sea mist we decided to head inland for some sun and warmth and that’s where we’ve been for the last 3 weeks.
The weather has been much better but the lack of rain has made Oregon a tinder box and there’s a lot of evidence of forest fires; at times the air has been quite thick with smoke and it’s not unusual to see folk wearing masks.
The highlights of the past 3 weeks have been the stunningly impressive Crater Lake and the views of it from the top of Mt Scott, the city of Bend and a cannabis tour we took there, and the volcanic lakes, mountains, waterfalls, and caves of the Cascades.
Bend looks like a really fun city with a river, which is a hive of activity, running right through the centre. There are loads of breweries but we weren’t able to sample them all but the ones we did try were good. There is an obvious emphasis on cannabis growth, processing and retail so we decided it was time to learn something about this weed. In 3 hours we got a glimpse into another world with its strange customs and language. No tour would be complete without a swag bag and Deb and I now have matching hats, stickers and our very own joints. I’m not sure what we’ll do with them – probably donate them to a needy youth.
Central Oregon has provided ample opportunity to take advantage of free camping; we managed 15 nights in a row without paying for a campsite. Some have been large car parks designed mainly for winter use, others have been clearings in the forest or down next to a lake. Most have been so isolated that the lack of light pollution gives you a great view of the night sky.
All of a sudden I’ve noticed the days getting shorter and the mornings getting colder, especially when we are at altitude. I’m no longer crawling out of bed at 0600 for a run but am waiting until the sun is up and has warmed thing up a bit. I must be getting a bit soft.
Hot off the press is news of our visa extension. As time was ticking and we needed to make plans to either stay or go, Deb spoke to a chap, a very nice chap, from the Immigration Department who advised us that it was taking, on average, 12 to 18 months to process applications. Our application was dated 30/07/2018 (or 07/30/2018) and it seems that they will allow us to stay while the application is going through the process. The only risk is that they process ours ahead of the average time AND deny the application. In those unlikely circumstances, we will be required to get out of the country in double-quick time. We are assuming we will be fine to stay until next spring. Hurrah.
In the meantime enjoys the pics
In the meantime enjoys the pics
The magnificent Crater Lake from all angles
Volcanoes, lakes, waterfalls and caves
Deb relaxing in a hot spring. And it was hot – too hot for me
A famous covered bridge and a rare pic of me
Beautiful bright Bend
Some of the free campgrounds
And scenes from a cannabis tour
A Change of Pace
We are now in California having said goodbye to Oregon with a promise to return one day. I’m sorry that this is a bit rushed – we’ve ended up in a strange internet cafe because the library in Ukiah is closed on a Monday.
Mighty big trees was our first impression as we crossed the border and found ourselves surrounded by Redwoods that are so tall you cannot see the top. But there’s also a pretty spectacular coastline too.
But this stage of our trip is more about stepping off the highway and getting involved in something different. Our current home is an organic smallholding high in the hills above a wine-making city of Philo. The RV is parked with a view of the valley and we even have en suite alfresco facilities. So posh.
Deb found this opportunity via Wwoof.com and the deal is simple – we help out on the farm and they feed us and allow us to park for free. The chap in charge is Scott and he has his 12yo daughter, Issa, at the weekend. The work is fairly simple – we’ve picked tomatoes, beans, and strawberries. We started day one with milking the goats and managed to empty them udders without spilling a drop or getting kicked.
The pace of life is very relaxed. It’s still baking hot during the day so we get cracking with the rising sun before heading for the shade in the late morning before doing the rest of the jobs once it starts to cool off. There is inside work to do with preserving the produce, making goats cheese, and, of course, preparing the meals.
At the moment we think we will be here for a couple of weeks. We have a booking for a 12 day house/dog sit in Morro Bay that starts mid-October. After that we will probably head to Arizona and we still have to see the Grand Canyon while we are in this corner of the states.
The piccies
First of all – big trees
The sea views and seaside town architecture
A right big totem pole
And the farm – this is the view from the RV door and also our “en suite” al fresco bathroom and loo
And finally, our first task every morning – milking Abigail and Honeypot, the goats.
24 September 2018
We are now in California having said goodbye to Oregon with a promise to return one day. I’m sorry that this is a bit rushed – we’ve ended up in a strange internet cafe because the library in Ukiah is closed on a Monday.
We are now in California having said goodbye to Oregon with a promise to return one day. I’m sorry that this is a bit rushed – we’ve ended up in a strange internet cafe because the library in Ukiah is closed on a Monday.
Mighty big trees was our first impression as we crossed the border and found ourselves surrounded by Redwoods that are so tall you cannot see the top. But there’s also a pretty spectacular coastline too.
But this stage of our trip is more about stepping off the highway and getting involved in something different. Our current home is an organic smallholding high in the hills above a wine-making city of Philo. The RV is parked with a view of the valley and we even have en suite alfresco facilities. So posh.
Deb found this opportunity via Wwoof.com and the deal is simple – we help out on the farm and they feed us and allow us to park for free. The chap in charge is Scott and he has his 12yo daughter, Issa, at the weekend. The work is fairly simple – we’ve picked tomatoes, beans, and strawberries. We started day one with milking the goats and managed to empty them udders without spilling a drop or getting kicked.
The pace of life is very relaxed. It’s still baking hot during the day so we get cracking with the rising sun before heading for the shade in the late morning before doing the rest of the jobs once it starts to cool off. There is inside work to do with preserving the produce, making goats cheese, and, of course, preparing the meals.
At the moment we think we will be here for a couple of weeks. We have a booking for a 12 day house/dog sit in Morro Bay that starts mid-October. After that we will probably head to Arizona and we still have to see the Grand Canyon while we are in this corner of the states.
The piccies
First of all – big trees
The sea views and seaside town architecture
A right big totem pole
And the farm – this is the view from the RV door and also our “en suite” al fresco bathroom and loo
And finally, our first task every morning – milking Abigail and Honeypot, the goats.
It’s great fun being an illegal alien
20 October 2018
Ssshh. If anybody asks, you ain’t seen us. Right?
Our six month visa expired on 9th October and we still haven’t had a decision on our application for an extension. We will just crack on for now and I’m sure that the powers that be will eventually say yes.
We are now in Morro Bay on the California coastline between San Francisco and Los Angeles. We are living in a house with a dog for a week or so while the owner, who we’ve not met, is away on business. It’s amazing what you find on the internet.
Our two weeks on the farm went by too quickly. We had such a fabulous time. It was nice to park up for a while and really get to know a place. And what a great place it was. We soon got into a gentle rhythm which started at 7am with milking the goats – Abby and Honeypot. The “parlour” was next door to where we camped and shared the far-reaching views over the valley. Most mornings we were looking down on the mist that was slowly burning off and revealing the straight rows of vines on the hillside below.
As well as harvesting, we spent a morning picking grapes and eventually pressed them and poured the wine into demijohns. We also bottled last years vintage. How many tons of green beans did we put into jars to ferment? God knows, but it was a lot. Deb made an apple and quince chutney and we dried apples and made the most delicious tomato paste.
The overwhelming impressions I got from our time was the taste of the fresh food and how nice it was to spend time with Scott and Issa and enjoy being a part of their family.
I musn’t forget the dinosaur bird and the ugliest little creepy crawly I’ve ever seen
While we were based on the farm we did take a few trips out to the coast and surrounding towns
And even got to visit the “family farm”. I expected to be welcomed like a long-lost brother but apparently they get so many McEvoys and weren’t prepared to kill a fatted calf. Obviously didn’t get the generous gene.
After leaving the Anderson Valley we headed to Lake Tahoe which became my favourite place until we arrived in Morro Bay. We also dropped into the state capital, Sacramento
Then it was all about big trees and canyons in Sequoia and Kings Canyon.
From there we headed to Morro Bay via Paso Robles and visited a Franciscan Mission and, of course, a brewery with a huge grasshopper/cricket.
And finally, Morro Bay. We went to a High School football game last night. It seems they’ve perfected the art of stretching a 60 minute game into hours and hours. We left at half time; the home team went on to record a BIG loss.
Next time there will be a lot of beach pics and pictures of sea otters.
Don’t forget – you’ve not seen us and you don’t know where we are.
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