Willamette Valley, Oregon

From the Oregon Coast we moved about 60 miles inland to the Willamette Valley near Harrisburg and Junction City.

This valley is a large farm production area.

Hazelnut crops represent 99% of the US production.

Hazelnut flavor is used in coffee, chocolate, salad dressing, cereal and bread.

  There are 1,500 grass seed farms growing 950 varieties.

From our campground in Harrisburg, we smell the scent of mint

from this distillery. Oregon is the top mint oil producer in US.  Guess what... a pint of mint oil can flavor 45,000 sticks of gum.  

Our favorite hot dog joint had a makeover since last year, but no change to the 

"Chicago Dog"

Funky inside still the same.

Start with a fresh homemade bun, add mustard, neon relish, chopped onion, tomato, pickle spear, sport peppers and sprinkle of celery salt.  Oh, by the way... if you look close you can see the hot dog!

A few miles down the road is Junction City home to the annual Scandinavian Festival to honor the customs of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. The city was founded in 1872 and settled by many people from these countries.

The festival encourages the tradition of authentic costumes, crafts, food, dancing and music.

 

Children performing at the Scandinavian Park.  

Newport, Oregon International Terminal

Newport, Oregon is a small town in a big world.  The community is currently having a traffic issue involving the new International Terminal for log export.

The terminal is to the left of the blue LP tank. In the foreground is the new pier for the NOAA weather ships.

The Pier construction of $25 million financed by bond levy, grants, lottery and loans.  The 15 acre log yard will employ 22 full time people.

Once a month a log freighter will pick up a load bound for China.

At least 50 log trucks a day will transport loads through this neighborhood to the pier.  Homeowners along the route are not happy.

Tsunami Dock from Japan to Newport Oregon

In March 2011 Japan experienced a 9.0 earthquake which created Tsunami

waves reaching 125 ft. high.

This 165 ton fishing dock broke loose from it's mooring in Misawa, Japan. 

The dock floated 5,500 miles for 15 months and landed at Agate Beach Newport, Oregon in June 2012.

Most of the dock was salvaged for parking lot foundation and two corners were saved as a memorial for the people who died. 

Newport, Oregon

Newport, Oregon welcomed us with a bright sunny day.

 The Port of Newport Marina & RV Park is our home for two weeks. The pier in the foreground is a popular place to catch crabs.

The Yaquina Bay Bridge was the last historic bridge built to link

the Oregon Coast Highway.

Construction of the bridge took two years in 1936.

One of our favorite walks is along the south jetty channel where people 

enjoy digging for clams at low tide.

Old Town Newport is an active fishing center and tourist attraction.

Past the harbor is an estuary formed by the Yaquima River

fresh water meeting the Pacific Ocean. This area attracts many birds

during the seasons.

Across the river is the new Port of Newport International Terminal for proposed future China bound log freighters.

Gardiner, Oregon

The community of Gardiner is located on the estuary of the Umpqua River.



 

The town is designated a Historial District and situated on a hill overlooking the water inlet.

 

 

The town was founded by Boston Merchant Gardiner when his schooner shipwrecked on the river in 1850. Gardiner built a sawmill and the town became the busiest community on the coast between 1885-1916. 

 

 

 

 

A local artist attacting the tourist trade.

 

 

St. Mary's Episcopal built in 1909 stands tall on the hill.

 

 

 

Captain Josan Leed's home built in 1882.

 

Oldest home in town Oscar Hinsdale 1881

 

 

Pioneer Cemetery with headstones back to 1836.

 



 

Dean Creek Elk viewing area outside Reedsport has 100 Roosevelt Elk. 



Oregon Dunes and Charleston, Oregon

Twenty miles south of Winchester Bay is the tri city communities of North Bend, Coos Bay and Charleston.

Oregon's highest sand dunes are located in this area.

The Coos Bay Bridge was built in 1936 and designed by Conde McCullough who did most of the historical bridges on the coast.

Charleston is a small fishing village. It is known for clamming and crabbing.

Popular place for fisherman.

Small boat harbor across from our favorite local fish eatery.

 Commercial processing plants for oyster farms. Huge pile of shells.

Cape Arago Lighthouse is not in operation now and has been retuned to local Indian tribe.

Sunset Bay State Park popular camping and day use park.

Simpson Reef and Shell Island is home to seals and sea lions. Some years there have as many as 3,000 mammals crowding the beach.

Summer 2013 Trip to Oregon Coast

Winchester Bay, Oregon is one of our favorite parks on the coast.

 

View from our second home window.

 

Gardner takes care of the lawn & weeds.  Our backyard changes each trip.

 

Umpqua River on the west side of the park.

 

New look for the inside of our motorhome.  Craig added hardwood floors and changed the furniture.

 

 

Umpqua River next to Reedsport flows 100 miles from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

 

 

 

Just south of the park are the sand dunes which are used for dune buggy ATV recreation. On the ocean front there are commercial oyster beds.

 

The Umpqua River Lighthouse originally built in 1857 overlooks the mouth of the river and was the first lighthouse in Oregon.

 

A day trip north to Florence for a fresh fish sandwich also took us to a new city park that overlooks one of the many historic bridges along the coast.