Motoring Across America

With James "Alex" Alexander

with James "Alex" Alexander



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Blog 208: Beach Walks, Forest Hikes, and Sandy Canines

After a couple more days enjoying the Gold Beach area, we moseyed up the Pacific Coast, setting up camp two miles south of Bandon where we continued hiking the woods and walking the outstanding beaches of Oregon.

Oregon Coast
During the week we took four different beach walks. As with many scenic places, the photos don’t do them justice, but here are a few attempts.

Beach Scene

Rocky Peep Hole

Seagulls

Driftwood Pile

Beach Art

Pups and Sand
There is almost something magical in nature when pups are put in contact with sand…my hypothesis is that the small grains between their toes trigger a neurological reaction that induces a more primitive state. For example, Jerry assumes his full 200-pound warrior hound persona as he runs like a cheetah after prey. And Mitzy transforms herself into a total beach queen as she struts besides the waves tossing attitude in all directions like a Kardashian at a dinner party. Here are a few shots of them with their buddy, Madeline.

Flying Jerry

Don't Mess with the Princess

Back Off Blondie

Running Madeline

Fungi in the Forest
On the Oregon Coast Trail, which parallels the ocean, we ran across a wide assortment of fungi. Here are a few of my favorites. Also, we found a lone Indian paintbrush among the greens, browns, and yellows.

Fungi 1

Fungi 2

Fungi 3

Cool Fungi

Indian Paintbrush

Old Signs
Here are two old signs.

Old Sign 1

Old Sign 2

Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks.

Old Truck 1

Old Truck 2

Old Truck 3

See you next week.

Blog 207: Big Trees, Old Boats, and Naked Ladies

We spent the entire week at a campground on the Rogue River 10 miles inland from the coastal town of Gold Beach. Chilly temps and sometimes fog greeted us at sunrise, transitioning to sunshine and light jacket warmth in the afternoon, with our evening campfires minimizing the chill. A herd of black-tailed deer also called our campground home, and they frolicked as a family most evenings for our entertainment.

Big Trees
We hiked four trails this week: Old Redwood Stand Trail, Rogue River Trail, and Myrtle Trail, all nearby, and the Redwood Nature Trail in Alfred A. Loeb State Park east of Brookings. Along with rivers and streams, each of these trails shared one commonality--lots of big trees. Here are a few shots to show you what I mean.

Alex in Big Tree

That's a Big Tree

Gary's Private Collection

Day Trips
We also took several road trips, including a trip to Agness, where the official welcome sign lists the population as “Small.” The post office was empty, the general store was closed, but the fishing lodge was open. We stopped and visited with Mary, the owner, after she had put the laundry out to dry and did the initial preparation for her evening dinner--she was expecting 6 or 7 fishermen to show up. Along with sharing her knowledge of the area, she gave us a bag full of vegetables as we departed.

Laundry Day at Agness

Old Boat Motors

Farmers Market
Our visit to the weekly farmers’ market furnished us with veggies, flowers, and I bought a quart of local beer (by the time I got around to shooting the beer, it was all gone!).

Veggies

Flower Girl

Miscellaneous
Here is a shot of an old boat, hiking Madeline, and a shot of a band at the Beer Festival.

Old Boat

Cute Madeline

Beer Fest Band

Naked Ladies
These might not be the naked ladies you anticipated, but Naked Ladies they are! These beautiful flowers are all over the area. I’ve thrown in a Canna shot as well.

Naked Ladies 1

Naked Ladies 2

Canna

Old Signs
Here are two old signs.

Old Sign 1

Old Sign 2

Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks.

Old Truck 1

Old Truck 2

Old Truck 3

See you next week.