We departed Diamond Lake Resort Campground, on our
way out we spotted wildlife. We saw a momma deer and two babies. I captured a
good picture of the two babies … actually they are closer to teenagers, as
their spots are fading.
We could see Mount Thielsen very well this morning.
Mount Thielsen is a dramatic horn-shaped peak located in the Southern Oregon
Cascades. The peak rises abruptly from its surroundings to a very distinct
spire. It towers 2,200 feet upward in a near vertical fashion. Due to its
dramatic spire shape, its dominance among other peaks in the region. The
unstable weather this region receives Mount Thielsen is said to be struck by
lightning more often than any other High Cascade peak, earning it the nickname
the lightning rod of the Cascades. This is the reigning peak in this part of
the Cascades, there is no summit in the range higher until you reach the South
Sister to the north and Mount McLoughlin to the south. Situated on the east
side of Diamond Lake, it is directly opposite Mount Bailey.
We started our drive at an elevation of 4,500 feet,
before we started to descend. We seem to be driving into a gorge type setting
with trees towering on both sides of us.
We turned onto Oregon 138, also known as the Rogue
Umpqua Scenic Byway. The Rogue and the Umpqua rivers are two of Oregon’s finest
stretches of water, each renowned for fishing, rafting and scenery.
The Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway first travels up the
North Umpqua River from Roseburg, then journeys down the Upper Rogue River.
This scenic route delivers views of massive fir forests, whitewater rapids,
waterfalls and gorges carved into mountains. Route 138 is commonly called the
Highway of Waterfalls.
Some of our fellow caravaners, took a
waterfalls tour yesterday, while we were on the Crater Lake boat tour. Along
this “waterfall” route, we passed the turn offs for Clearwater Falls is a 30-foot
falls cascades over moss-covered rocks and logs. The Watson Falls, it is the
third highest waterfall in Oregon at 272 feet.
It is the most beautiful waterfall along the North Umpqua River
Valley. Tokette Falls, at 113 feet
Toketee Falls are not the tallest or grandest falls, but the vibrant colors,
2-tiered falls and unspoiled beauty combine to make Toketee Falls a very
special place. Still following the North Umpqua River, our elevation is down to
1,500 feet. That is a 3,000 foot drop since we started today.
We ran into some road construction. Charlie used the
opportunity to make a potty stop. While he was out of the driver’s seat … we
were cleared to move … so, over I moved and took off!
While I drove, we traveled through Steamboat
Oregon. Passed Falls Creek Falls and Susan’s Creek, with a wooden arch bridge
over the creek.
We passed the Swiftwater Park which is a 211-acre
park was previously owned by Douglas County government. Two years ago, the
Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved the sale of the park to Western
Rivers, a Portland-based conservation organization that pledged to sell the
park to BLM. The organization was necessary as an intermediary because of a
rule that bars one government from selling a park to another. The cash-strapped
county received $1.4 million from the sale, and has used the money to fund
capital projects. It features rare wildflowers and old-growth forest. A section
of the North Umpqua River, which is federally designated Wild and Scenic and is
world-renowned for its fly fishing, flows right through the middle of the park
for about a mile and the park includes the entrance to the North Umpqua
National Recreational Trail.
 |
| Photo Credit: The Umpqua Life |
We came into the town of Glide, Oregon,
the town is known for “where two rivers collide.” The Colliding Rivers is the
name of the confluence of Little River into the North Umpqua River at Glide,
Oregon. It is known as Colliding Rivers because of the nearly head-on angle at
which the streams meet. It is the only place in the state of Oregon where a
river meets its tributary in such a straight angle.
We arrived in Roseburg, we got onto I-5 for just a couple
exits, until we reached Route 42 and arrived at our fuel stop. After fueling I
turned the driving back over to Charlie and we continued on Route 42. We
arrived in Winston, Oregon. We can really see that fall is coming, quickly!
We also saw where it looks like they are making a new
vineyard, outside of Winston. This makes our resident wine expert, Judy, very
happy!
We came into the Camas Valley with a view of the Coast
Ranges.
We passed the Sandy Creek Covered Bridge. The Sandy
Creek covered bridge was built in 1921 and Bridge in 1945 carried traffic on
Oregon Highway 42 until it was bypassed in 1949. The 60-foot span was
considered short in comparison to other covered bridges built on Oregon
highways. The bridge is strengthened by two crossed Howe truss members on each
chord, a rarity in short covered bridges. An additional aspect of the bridge is the use of
large-framed windows on both sides of the structure, maximizing the
illumination of the bridge interior. Work began in 1982 and included a new
roof, replacing boards and structural pieces, clearing brush and applying a
coat of white paint.
We arrived in Myrtle Point, Oregon. Their motto is “in
the heart of the Myrtlewoods.” Myrtlewood is wood from the Oregon myrtle tree. It
has also been called pepperwood, spicebush, cinnamon bush, peppernut tree, mountain
laurel, and balm of heaven. The dry wood has a color range from blonde (like
maple) to brown (like walnut). It is considered a world-class tonewood and is
sought after by wood turners and woodworkers.
We arrived in Coos Bay and then onto North Bend,
where we are staying at the Mill Casino RV Resort.
After we finished setting up, we met up and took a
car caravan to Simpson Reef, to see the seals. It was sunny and beautiful, when
we left the campground. The closer we got to the coast, the foggier it got and
the less we could see.
We could hear the seals, before we could see them. We
were able to see the seals, with a zoom lens and binoculars.
After we watched the seals for a bit, we went to Shore
Acres Gardens. Ever since the gardens’ beginning as part of Louis J. Simpson, the timber baron's private estate, the plantings at Shore Acres have been designed to take
advantage of the area's mild climate to create gardens for all seasons.
Once you discover the formal garden, a Japanese-style
garden with a lily pond, and two rose gardens which include All American Rose
Selections.
There’s something in flower almost any day of the year.
That sure was true the day we were there!
The weather was cold for us, from Florida.
But the flowers were warm with color and variety.
I probably took too many pictures, but I will share,
just a few!
After seeing the garden, you can stroll down a trail
to a secluded ocean cove at Simpson Beach or skirt the cliff's edge to see
spectacular ocean vistas which often include towering waves crashing against
the shoreline after a storm.
We enjoyed a Yankee Fried Chicken Dinner, back at the
campground.
This is our home for our last two nights on our 38 day caravan ....
No comments:
Post a Comment