Still staying in the camper. Spent the last two nights in Olympia Wa visiting friends and getting my IRA/401K stuff cashed out.
I hate driving on the freeway especially in the rain.
I’m going over to the coast and take 101 down to Lincoln City before heading east to Salem from there.
I’ll find a place to camp about 1/2 way and split the drive in two
Made it from Olympia Wa to Astoria Or via hwy 101
Got to the campground right at dark and paid for a power water hookup site
Power is out throughout the campground due to the big wind storm last night
The camper is self contained and everything that needs to be full is full and everything that needs to be empty is empty
Dry out so enjoying my first campfire of the trip
I am at a state park, and that’s where I usually stay
Private parks can be nice but usually more than the $30-40 USD at the state ones with hookups
The nicest ones won’t allow my 25 yo rig
Saw one private one today that caught my fancy
In the middle of nowhere and it had a pub that was open
Too early in the day for this trip, I still had daylight and miles to go
I bought two bundles of campfire wood on the way down and lit it at 5pm just after dark
About 20 minutes left at 930
I’d burn more if I had it, I don’t have to get up early tomorrow
I can hear coyotes yipping in the forest
Each bundle of wood came with about ten pieces of kindling
I set them aside and used charcoal briquettes and fluid to start the big pieces on fire
Now that the big pieces are mostly gone the kindling is working well to give me another 20-30 minutes
Yesterday was gale force winds here in Astoria Or, I almost didn’t come this way today
Morning report showed chance of rain but no high wind advisory
Was dry and sunny all day
The Columbia River was flat and no wind on that giant bridge
Now at 1020 51F and I can see stars through some holes in the clouds
And the roar of the surf less than a kilometer away
The friends I stayed with in Olympia not only fed me well but I got to watch them decorate the tree and we put Yule Kitties on the TV
Cats and carols
They sent me off with a gift bundle including wine, premium snacks and most fortuitous a stocking cap with a built in rechargeable head lamp
I can’t find any of my headlamps plus it keeps my ears warm!
The power just came on
That means I can use my small electric heater instead of burning propane
Fire is almost out too!
I tended the fire down to the last smolders
The electric heat has been on for about an hour, time to go inside
Drove south for a few hours and found a spot at a private marina
The waves are lapping against a small sea wall 15 ft out my door
Their store has a crab shack out back cooking until 4
https://maps.apple.com/?ll=45.668753,-123.924990&q=Kelly%E2%80%99s%20Brighton%20Marina&t=m
Not enough signal for pictures right now though
We’ve got seals!
We’ve got Grebes!
Also: Herons, Cormorants, a few types of gulls, Bald Eagles and probably a few others I don’t remember
Sideways rain, whitecaps, winds up to 30mph from the south
My back door is pointing west so I’ve kept it open since it’s not blowing right into the camper
Also have the electric heater going
The whole truck bounces around!
GentleMan Gef