Sunset at Harris Beach State Park--We're Off on our 2021 Trip! (+5 insets!)

(+5 Insets!) (Sorry this is really long...scroll down to "Today's Picture" for info about my presentation today)

What a Difference a Year Makes
Last year we'd just started to seriously plan our upcoming RV trip when Covid hit. We would eventually leave three months later and had a fabulous season of adventures.

This year we didn't have to wait! A couple of months ago the state park reservation system changed to allow bookings six months ahead and we jumped on the opportunity. It took hours that day but we locked in nearly 3.5 months of our season! From then on, we slowly prepared and began packing a few things. Steve worked on upgrade projects as weather permitted--it gets very cold here in the winter and our shop isn't heated so he worked on days that were warmer.

Steve kept last year's preparations in mind and this year he didn't hurt himself just as we were about to leave. Both of us were very careful because we learned what a total bummer it was to be trailer-ridden and unable to hike, cycle or enjoy the beautiful setting we were in.

We Could Hardly Wait to Leave on our Adventure
As April rounded the corner, we got increasingly excited because our first reservation would be on April 6 at a hugely popular campground we never thought we'd get into--Harris Beach State Park. Amazingly, we got a full two weeks at a perfect site for our large rig! Steve and I worked very hard all the way until the very moment we left and then it was showtime!

Our live-in house guest arrived--just as excited to move in as we were to move out! He loves staying at our place and we don't blame him--the outdoor activities and beauty of this area are so nice. But traveling around in a "home on wheels" is even better! :D Topping this with a win-win situation is so perfect, isn't it?!

Off and Away!
I walked down to the gate, opened it up and waited for Steve to make his way through. As our rig passed by, I couldn't help but watch and think of the past fun we'd had in the last couple of years. This season we were set up for almost six months of camping, YIPPEE!! NO MORE WAITING! It was time to GO!!! I pulled the gate shut, locked it and trotted across the road to hop into our fabulous truck. Steve and I shared a face-to-face grin and high-fived. LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!

What a Wonderful Drive
Driving out to the Oregon coast, we took a route that many RV and trailer owners have openly worried about online. The two-way road gets very narrow in places and at a few points there are some very tight curves combined with rocky walls which encroach on the road. To make matters even worse, there were areas where trees used to lean over the road with branches that hung low enough to be a real concern. We were happy to learn that the trees were gone and it turned out that we had no problems with the curves or the rock walls, though we did go cautiously through those spots.

We enjoyed a beautiful three hour drive through redwoods, past verdant meadows and farmland, and finally we reached the gorgeous coast! All the while Steve and I chatted about our trip and Pumpkin supervised from her Lucite travel cage braced between my knees. Munching on her food and whistling joyfully, she couldn't be happier either----she adores travelling and camping too!

Once we arrived at the campground, Steve had no problems backing into our site. We'd learned to make sure the sites we reserved would be easy to get into--we've had our share of stressful parking memories! Upon parking, we hopped out of our truck to congratulate each other with a big hug. Our happy Cheshire Cat smiles couldn't be bigger! Our very first site was HARRIS BEACH!!! YAHOO!!! What a way to start our 2021 camping trip!

Today's Picture
We arrived and set up early enough that we could walk a quick 5-minutes out to one of the nearby vistas to take sunset pictures! Can you say "drop-dead gorgeous"? WOWZERS!! You can see a silhouette of Goat Island offshore--it happens to be Oregon's largest island, though a mere 21 acres. It's been a National Wildlife Refuge since 1936 and is one of the largest nesting sites in the state, home to 11 species and over 100,000 seabirds during breeding season!

Today's Insets
Looking south is rugged coastline including tide pools and lots of driftwood. I couldn't stop appreciating the huge boulders around us and then Steve pointed out a plane above us complete with jet trails! I also got a picture of the evening's warm sunlight showing of the side of a pair of large boulders beyond which one can see both a small butte and a sliver of beach with drift wood at the top of the beach. The second row of pictures show a panorama I took the next morning from the shore of North Harris Beach. Finally, the butte shown in my third inset has a trail that emerges out to a jaw-dropping view... my last panorama is a view up the coast from Harris Butte. :)

I hope everyone is doing well! Steve and I got our first vaccine shot yesterday, hooray!!

Explored on 4/17/21; highest placement #2.