Captain Jack Log Day 23

Sunday, July 31, 2011

The wind last night was so strong the trees at the park lost branches everywhere.  Got up before the kids and ran to Walmarts for duct tape.  We came out with donuts, bagels, 3 bed cushions for the kids and all kinds of food. 

Got in our duct taped RV and got back on Route 84…and you’ll never guess what we found…our siding for the RV.  We picked it up and put it in the tub/dirty clothes hamper.  We drove to the Tetons to camp for the night.  The duct tape looks as if we just put it on…thank god, because it rained last night, most of today and again tonight.  Had a campfire before the rain tonight, our first in three weeks.  Only one week to go!

Captain Jack Log Day 22

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Well, with the trains going by we got off to an early start.  It’s like a mad rush out of the campground.  The place is half empty before we even got up. 

Picking up rocks in Washington

 Today we traveled east on Route 84.  We did cross the Columbia River to check out the Washington side.  Made it into Idaho. 

Were traveling on Route 84 in the high deserts.  It was very windy, the RV was being pushed all over.  Then we came to a crest of a small hill and the front side of the upper bunk siding flew off.  The siding from the vent window of the upper bunk to the front, about 3 foot long top to bottom, just ripped right off.  We pulled off but could not find the siding.  Put some duct tape to hold the corner and the rest of siding from coming off.  Found a place to stay and make repairs.  I stood on a picnic table and put almost two rolls of duct tape on to seal the side.  Red Green would be proud of us.  Black and blue stripes.

Captain Jack Log Day 21

Friday, July 29, 2011

Spent last night in a KOA in Waldport, Oregon.  Our neighbors are from Ontario, Canada.  They are very friendly.  Met them when I was cooking breakfast outside.  The people to our side are dog trainers and yes they had seven dogs outside in cages.  They are better than my kids, they never barked at all.  My youngest rode a banana bike before we left but it wasn’t as much fun as the last place…too much wind.  So, instead of going North the way we need to go we headed South to a sea lion cave…now that was worth going south for 23 miles and paying $56.  Whoopie!  Can you say, can we go now???

Now we travel north up the Oregon coast and then east to Cascade Locks.  We found a KOA and the first mate did laundry.  When it got dark a train went by the campground and blew their whistle…that happened every 15 to 20 minutes until morning. 

Captain Jack Log Day 20

Day 20

Thursday, July 28, 2011

We got cleaned up and packed back into the RV.  My first mate got the blogs up to date this morning and we pulled out of the hotel at 11:30am.  The RV has run great today but we only drove maybe close to 200 miles. 

On the way north on Route 101 we found an ATV rental place at the sand dunes on the Oregon coast. 

We rented a 4-seat dune buggy and a 300CC Quad for my son.  For only $237 we got them for an hour.  The girls rode with me.  They screamed so much I was glad to be wearing a helmet. 

Some of the dunes went straight up and down, but the beach was hard and flat.  We got up 40+ mph top speed on the beach.  It was a good time for all.  Cool sailing!

Captain Jack Log Day 19

Wednesday, July 26, 2011

We spent the night at a hotel in Gold Beach, Oregon.  At 8am I had the RV at the shop.  The lower front bearings are broken and the uppers are worn.  The local NAPA parts store has the parts on hand so we are in luck.  When they pulled the tires off the rims they found broken cords in the two front tires.  So now the RV has 2 new tires, upper and lower front ball joints and a front-end alignment.  I got the RV back in the afternoon and drove back to the hotel, it rides great!  We’ll be spending one more night at the beach and in the morning …on the road again!

Captain Jack Log Day 18



Made it to Oregon

 Tuesday, July 26, 2011



Today we got on the road early, I should say I drove off while everyone was still in bed.  8:30am, heading for Oregon. 



My baby watching the sunset at Gold Beach, Oregon



 The shimmy in the front end is not going to make it back home.  Stopped in Gold Beach, Oregon at a NAPA store.  They gave me two places to go have the RV checked out.  The first was a place just wanting to sell me new tires and they can’t do a front end alignment on an RV.  So we went to the second place, Precision Performance.  They didn’t have time today to work on it but tomorrow at 8am they can.  So I guess we’ll spend a day or two at the beach.



Captain Jack Log Day 17

Banana biking in Eureka.

Monday, July 25, 2011

The day was off to a slow start.  My two youngest wanted to ride these bikes they rent at KOA campgrounds.  They’re called banana bikes and they have one wheel in front with the pedal and two wheels in back and you recline in the middle.  You shift your weight to steer the bike.  S had some trouble at first but she learned and had a blast.  My son was zipping along with no problem.  He enjoyed spinning out in the gravel and chasing his mother. 

Massive Redwoods

Oregon Elk

These trees make us feel small

I found the Pacific

We drove through the Redwood forest on the way up to Crescent City, California.  The trees are huge.  You stand at the bottom and you can’t see the top of the trees.  A tree had fallen near the road and an SUV was parked next to it…the tree on it’s side was taller than the SUV.  Boy do I look small next to those trees.