Oregon AdVANture; June–July, 2023

Jul 3

Day 1, Wednesday, June 28th

The first road trip of the year after a very long, cold and wet season in Northern California.

This morning I had my two oldest grandkids until about 10:30 a.m., so didn’t start packing until about 11. Fortunately, a lot of items, including some canned goods, pots and pans, dishes and utensils are always kept in the van. All I really needed to pack was more food and clothing.
I managed to leave home by 1:30 pm.

Fantastically high water levels at Lake Shasta!

Fate brought me to Mountain Gate RV Park in Redding. The office was closed by the time I arrived, but they had a self check in form. I selected site #15, a premium pull through with 30 amp power for $60.98 per night, which is more than I normally pay. Our first 100 degree temperatures of the year begged me to enjoy some afternoon pool time and morning coffee in the spa. I splurged.

Orland Buttes Recreation Area is at Black Butte Lake, situated at the northern end of the Sacramento valley, 100 miles north of Sacramento, CA and 30 miles south of Red Bluff, CA. I stopped just to check out this campground for a future time. It was very quiet, with only a handful of campers. My intent was to overnight near Redding and Shasta area. I made no reservations for this trip. It was a last minute decision to head North a few days before my arranged visit with dear friends, Kathy and Dan in Medford.
Crater Lake was calling me. It had been years since Rich and I visited there. He wanted to photograph a lunar eclipse. Back in the day we car/tent camped and what I mostly remember about that trip was freezing my arse off every 15 minutes to step out with him while he took another shot of the eclipses’ progression. I admired his determination.

Beautiful views of Mount Shasta for many miles along 1-5 N and US 97-N.

Day 2, Wednesday, June 29th

Shortly after passing the Oregon border, I stopped at a Visitor’s Welcome Center to inquire about campgrounds near Crater Lake. The friendly staff highly recommended Waterwheel RV Park on the Williamson River. Sadly, they were full, but recommended Collier Memorial State Park Campground, also in Chilquin. Without reservations, I was lucky to snag the last smaller back in site.

The most memorable moment at this campground was discovering a place to sit in the soft grass along the banks of the Williamson River and dip my toes in the water. I physically felt any of life’s stresses float away as the calm just washed over me. I can’t remember ever having an experience like that. Usually my toes are in the water at a sandy beach or sitting on rocks. I lingered here long enough to shed a few tears.

Day 3, Thursday, June 30th

I took a morning walk with coffee in hand hoping to relive my “toes in the river” experience. As the Hall and Oats song goes 🎶 “We may never pass this way again”. The grass was wet and uninviting. I retreated, grateful for last evening’s magic and hit the road to Crater Lake.

I enjoyed the serene countryside views as I journeyed along, encountering hardly any other vehicles on many stretches of my route.

Only 50 minutes from last night’s campsite, I arrived at the Rim Visitor’s Center by 9:30 am. Anxious to get to Kathy and Dan’s by 4 pm, I asked the Ranger for advice in making the best use of my time. He suggested a walk/drive combo since I might run into snow along the Rim Trail.

Royal Gorge Overlook

I passed a few campers along the way to make sure I was headed in the right direction. None of them knew what I was talking about. One woman said I could get to my van at the Gorge parking lot by looping around so I gave up on the bridge and took her advice as well. I walked for quite a while and finally make it to a main road where there was entry to a campground. A man was standing by a car talking to a woman in the driver’s seat, so I walked up to ask for directions to the gorge parking lot. They were very friendly and the woman offered to drive me there. It was about 10 minutes up the road. She had a toddler in the backseat. I figured it was safe, so hopped in. I learned that was her 3-year-old grandson, so we quickly found common ground with grandkids. I told her it was such a blessing to run into her, as I was worried about making it to Medford by 4. She then asked me if I was Christian. I thought before answering, as I was raised Catholic. Calmly, I replied, “No, I’m not. After multiple attempts to feel comfortable at various churches, I gave up on organized religion.” She seemed perplexed and expressed that I had used the word “blessing”. I didn't expect a confrontation but remained light and replied that I thought anyone could feel blessed, regardless of their religious belief system. I had come to a place of being “spiritual” and felt gratitude for my God, Spirit, Love Source (insert your name here). She seemed disappointed or annoyed, I wasn’t sure, and explained that several years ago she felt “lost” and Christianity put her back on track. She went on to say that it was hard work, and I started to get the sense that she was annoyed I wasn’t doing the same hard work, yet I was clearly at peace with where I was on my spiritual journey.

The rest of the drive was awkward and we held our conversation to the joys of grandparenting. I thanked her again for the ride and expressed how happy I was that she was happy on her own Christian journey.

Within about three minutes of getting back on the road to Medford, I passed a sign that read “Natural Bridge”. Sure enough, it was only about a 15-minute walk from the parking lot. I laughed out loud and shook my head in disbelief that it was this easy to find.

The oh-so-hard-for-me-to-find “Natural Bridge”. It was just as well that there were no seats or comfortable spots to linger there. I had to be on my way to Medford!

Days 4 and 5
Friday, July 1st and Saturday, July 2nd

Enjoying a beautiful afternoon at DANCIN Vineyards

There’s something so comforting about being with people who knew and loved Rich. I cherish those moments. Thank you both for adopting me into your family, long before Rich came along. Much love and hugs until next time.

Fortunately, the snow was minimal and easy to maneuver, so I just kept hiking until it was time to head back. The scene around every turn left me awestruck. What a beautiful day for a hike here.

I wanted to make one more stop before Medford: to see a phenomenon called “Natural Bridge”. I never expected that I would be without signal for such a long time and was hoping to see a sign that would direct me to the Natural Bridge

On my way to Medford, I pass a sign that reads “Rogue Gorge Overlook” so I stopped. In the parking lot, another sign suggests that one can hike about three miles to the Natural Bridge, so I try it. About a quarter mile into the hike, there were wonderful little cabins. A gentleman was bringing items from his car into a cabin, so I asked him about the Natural Bridge. He was certain that I wouldn’t have enough time to hike there with my desire to be in Medford by 4. Instead, he suggested that if I keep on this same path, I would run into a covered bridge that was just recently refinished. That sounded nice. Given my time constraint, I told myself I’d just have to see the Natural Bridge on another trip.