Corvallis, Belknap, Redding - Homeward

Corvallis, OR

After leaving the pristine forests and beaches of the Olympic Peninsula, we head south back towards home to California on Interstate 5. We're working hard to adjust to being in traffic and the land of steel and concrete again.

Land of Concrete and Steel

Portland OR on a beautiful late summer day

By late afternoon, we turn off the freeway onto two lane county roads to visit our friends Sherril and Rick who live just north of Corvallis, where I attended high school and Oregon State University (home of the Beavers!). The landscape evokes eerie feelings of deja vu and memories of days gone by.

My family once lived not far from here

Rick and Sherril's 100 year old farm house

Sherril is up early the next morning to fix breakfast.

Sherril shows her power

Morning light floods into Sherril's kitchen

Cinnamon buns - Yummm

The kitties are also awake and are very curious as to what the humans are up to.

Pet me

Sherril and Rick's dinning room

Where's MY breakfast?

Belknap Hot Springs 

After spending a few idyllic days on their farm, we head up Santiam Pass back toward Belknap Hot Springs (yes - for the third time... deja vu). The hot springs is a private enclave surrounded by the Willamette National Forest.

Driving up the Santiam Pass

Trail to Sahalie Falls

Before reaching the hot springs, we stop for a short hike to Sahalie Falls on the MacKenzie River.

MacKenzie rushes toward the falls

and down the chute

into a classic waterfall.

Just down the road, we're back at Belknap.

Entrance to Belknap Hot Springs

where Philip and Sue join us for some fun

and we score our favorite campsite.

Ahhh... Philip better keep an eye on that flame

We meet a psychiatrist with his tame wolf

Humm... she looks friendly, but she is a WOLF.

Redding

After enjoying a day chill-axing at the hot springs, we turn east over the McKenzie Pass, our favorite scenic drive in Oregon.

Crossing lava fields

View of the Three Sisters

Deschutes National Forest

Back on Hwy 95, we stop and marvel at the great vista of the Three Sisters mentioned by Kit Carson and many early explorers and settlers traveling up the Oregon Trail.

Three Sisters mountain vista

As we approach Weed, the magnificent Mount Shasta towers over the landscape. We rejoin Interstate 5 and descend rapidly into the much warmer Central Valley. We warily watch the outside temperature gauge as it climbs into the mid 90's F. After spending a cool summer in the Yukon and Alaska, we simply aren't used this level of warmth and it feels downright uncomfortable.  Hanging out drinking cold beers on the pleasant back yard patios of both Cork and Kathy (who bought our first camper van) and Mike and Lori, we decide Redding's pretty cool after all.

Mount Shasta

Gazing ball at Cork and Kathy's patio

Pool at Mike and Lori's

We enjoy an evening of great food, friendship and laughter. Early the next morning, we leave Redding early to beat both the heat and to get through the Bay Area before the Friday afternoon traffic gets too bad.

Ahh - the golden hills of California

Summer wildfire west of Williams

Almost home

Home!

We make it through most of the Bay Area, but it's beach weather and we get caught in stop-and-go traffic so close to home going over Hwy 17 as Silicon Valley residents head to the Santa Cruz beaches. Arrrggghhh... we just want to go home.

Heavy traffic on Hwy 17

We are reflected in the back of a tanker truck

Finally ... Home at last!!!

The dogs are beside themselves with joy. They must have thought we would never be back. It's sooo good to be home again. We had a grand adventure, but there's no place like home - our own bed and our puppies. That evening the sky  puts on a great show to welcome us back.

Sunset over Monterey Bay