ON THE ROAD WITH SARA AND DON: CRUISING DOWN THE OREGON COAST, WANDERING THE WILLAMETTE

ALL PICTURES AND TEXT ARE COPYRIGHTED BY DON AND SARA SCHULTZ

There is an old axiom among RVer’s that says you should always be able to pronounce the name of a location correctly before you visit. There is nothing that makes a poorer impression in let’s say, Maine, than to say “BAR HARBOR” instead of “BAH HA BA” or in Louisiana to call the Big Easy “NEW OR LEANS” rather than “NAH OR LANDS”. Midwesterners cringe when a visitor calls Des Moines “DEZ–MOINES”, it’s “DE–MOINE” or when LOUISVILLE is called “LOUIS-VILLE. It is “LEWEY-VILLE.” Out West it is not “OR-E-GON” but “OR-E-GUN”. So when Sara and I headed for the Oregon Coast and the beautiful Willamette Valley nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Coastal Range to the West, and the Cascade Mountains to the East, with Portland and the Columbia River on the north border, and Calapooya Mountains to the south we were determine to “say it right”. A local gas station attendant (you can’t pump your own gas in Oregon by law) provided us with a memorable mnemonic which will be forever etched into our brains like hot hydrochloric acid splashed on a copper cup. She spewed it out in vitriolic verse, “It’s Will-Lamb-It, Damn It!!!!” in response to our feeble attempt of “Will Ah-Met”. We will stand forever corrected.

Local Willamettans speak of their home in quiet, hushed tones as if to say, “Not too loud, we have enough people living here already.” It is a land of micro climates. Where else can one be on some of the most beautiful beaches of the entire Pacific Coast in 45 minutes and the Cascades to the East with its clear streams, hot water springs, lush forests and snow capped ski hills in less time. There are times of the year where you can lie on a sunny, sand beach in the morning and snow ski down a slope in the afternoon.

Nineteenth century pioneers followed the Oregon Trail were drawn by the Willamette Valley’s abundant land, idyllic beauty and ample resources. These first emigrants did not turn to farming to make a living, but rather to lumber and fur trades. It was not until later that Oregon's farming industries truly took shape. The agricultural richness of the valley is in part a result of the Missoula Floods, which inundated the valley approximately forty times between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. The floods were caused by the periodic rupturing of the ice dam of Glacial Lake Missoula, the waters of which swept down the Columbia River and flooded the Willamette Valley as far south as Eugene. The floodwaters carried rich volcanic and glacial soil from Eastern Washington, which was deposited across the valley floor when the waters subsided. The soils in the Willamette Valley are some of the most productive in the nation.

Now containing Oregon's largest metropolitan area, the Willamette Valley is considered the state's economic center and is home to more than 2 million people. The Willamette Valley has a flourishing wine industry with over 200 vineyards. Divided into two distinct appellations, the valley is known for rich and robust Pinot Noir and exceptional Pinot Gris. Hazelnuts, raspberries, blackberries and surprisingly, Christmas trees, are major exports of the Willamette Valley area. The cities of the Willamette valley include the largest, Portland, Salem, the capital of Oregon, and Corvallis, but it was Eugene, home of the Oregon University and the mighty Ducks, that we found the most appealing.

Eugene sits in the southern middle of the Willamette Valley. You are an hour to one of the most beautiful ocean coasts anywhere in the USA and less than an hour to the Cascades. Eugene is Madison, WI incarnate. Madison has the UW and Eugene OU. Madison has its State Street and Eugene has University St. Madison has its Buckie Badger and Camp Randall and Eugene its Donald Duck and Autzen Stadium. Madison has its lakes and beautiful parks and Eugene has the Willamette and Mackenzie River running through it with parks everywhere. Madison has its Isthmus, alternative newspaper and Eugene its Eugene Free. One sees many baby boomers on the streets of Eugene with their 60's pony tails and tie dyed tee shirts and in their 60's. Health food stores are everywhere and you damn well better recycle. The restaurants are numerous and varied and the people very laid back. There is income tax but no sales tax. The countryside is green, the sky clear and blue, and there are natural hot springs nearby to soak in. And the best part is you are a mere two to three days drive to sunny Southern California or Arizona.

A happening that epitomizes Eugene’s serendipity lifestyle is the doggie swim at the Tamarack Wellness Center we attended this past week. For one day in August, and a mere $15, the pool goes to the pooches to raise funds. Included in the admission price is a half hour plunge in the pool and a dog yoga or “doga” session. Charlie, our two year old Schnoodle, literally pounced at the possibility of this pouch pool party. While his behavior in the water was exemplary, the doga class didn’t go as well. Charlie kept barking during the session, breaking the mellow mood attempted by the leader’s gentle voice as he guided us, ironically, into the “cat pose (Marjariasana) ” and the twanging background music of a distant, plucking satir. Charlie and Sara were discretely asked by the instructor to move their mat to a distant grassy area much to the embarrassment of Don. Oh, well, no one really knew us and Charlie seemed confused as to what he was supposed to be doing. Having ones ass hiked up in the air and belly bent on the ground is to Charlie an open invitation to play, not pose, let alone finding ones “inner self” as he was suppose to be doing. The party then concluded with a dog wash using, as only in Eugene they would, organic shampoos and recyclable towelettes and a massage. We skipped the doggie massage before Charlie was traumatized for life. Somehow chanting to your dog, even when everyone else is doing it seemed somehow over the top. Only in Eugene.

Sara and I have put the Eugene area high on our list of possible retirement locations, at least for the spring, summer and fall. We continue to explore alternatives once our RVing lifestyle comes to an end, which it eventually will. The options seem to be endless. The most permanent decision, of course, would be to buy another house. We always check the real estate books in each area we visit and on a few rare occasions have actually met with a realtor to show us around. If we were to actually buy another house, and there are so many for sale right now, it would be less than 1500 square ft and Sara insists NO APPLE TREES.

During our stay in Eugene we visited a Palm Harbor manufactured home lot. Manufactured homes are controlled by HUD and by definition must be brought to a site on wheels. While some communities have zoning laws and deed restrictions that do not allow manufactured homes, available developments are growing in popularity, particularly in retirement states like Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Southern California And talk about luxurious. We saw one model that was over 2700 square feet brought in on three units which were attached to each other. The home boosted a two car garage, game room, 4 bedrooms, master bath with sauna and Jacuzzi, gourmet kitchen and decks on both front and back sides. Sara and I loved the 1500 sq. feet two bedroom, two bath, log cottage with its glassed great room and guest suite at the opposite side of the house. You have to provide the lot, water and sewer and basic site preparations which average about 20 to 30 thousand dollars dependent on location. Palm Harbor Homes then sets up the house in a couple days and you are ready to move in. You have a brand new home for less than $120,000 dollars. They are energy efficient and built to last; at least, as long as you are going to live. Sounds appealing huh!!!! But, and this is a big but, then guess where you will be going every summer or winter. The thought of losing our freedom to just pick up and move will be gone. We are not ready yet…..Will we ever be????
The next step would be to buy a condo and there are plenty for sale right now. We have looked at a few. Moving down the scale would be buying or leasing a place to park our present RV permanently. Believe it or not, a lot of parks are moving to that type of situation and there are some incredible parks. Many have swimming pools, spas, a golf course, exercise rooms, billiards hall and a club house. We have seen some RV parks with lots that start at $100,000 and that is just the lot. If we were to park the big RV permanently, we would consider buying a smaller RV for travel.

Further down the line would be renting a home or condo on a year to year basis. And finally, just keep living in the RV and moving only once or twice a year. We will not consider a major change until the spring of 2010 but we look where ever we go.

We are presently staying at Mill Casino in Coos Bay, Oregon. Gambling casinos have a lot to offer. Most have a very nice RV park next to the casino. We generally get a "Player's Card". This card offers free use of the pool, hot tub and exercise rooms. Also you get a great discount on the RV Park (15%). The meals are cheap if you are in the mood for a buffet which Sara and I try to avoid. Also you get a book of "free" tickets for a breakfast and other goodies. The secret of RVing at casinos is to time your exit to just before the management figures out that you are not gambling. Actually, they really don't care after Labor Day when the tourist season drops off. We have had a casino representative knock on our door on occasion to encourage us to take full advantage of the facilities, which is casino speak for “gamble or get out.”

The beauty of the Oregon Coast cannot be understated. First, Oregon has probably done more to protect its ocean front property from development than any coastal state in the nation. There are over 80 parks, wildlife refuges and preserves scattered down the 350 mile coast. That means there could be a park every 4.5 miles and everyone having public access. The lack of cities and villages on the coast tells the story. The Oregon coast is protected and accessible to everyone.

The weather, however, can be a different story. Do the words “marine layer” honk your fog horn? There are sometimes layers on top of layers and they can last for days with drizzle and rain. After one particularly wet coastal summer, the sun starved folks on the edge were reported to have petitioned the state legislature in Salem to rename the state OH-RAIN-AGAIN.

A popular local tale has it that a tourist to the Oregon coast arrived on a rainy day. She got up the next day and it was still raining. It also rained the day after that and the day after that. She went out to lunch, saw a young kid, and, out of despair, asked, "Hey, kid, does it ever stop raining around here?" The kid replied, "How should I know? I'm only 6."

But all the rain and fog provides for some of the most beautiful flora anywhere, and behold a clear day on the coast of Oregon. The beauty is to behold.

To quote an Oregon travel brochure:
“From Astoria in the north to Brookings in the southern tip, follow the shoreline past a smorgasbord of one-of-a-kind attractions including scores of quaint towns with a penchant for serving up legendary seafood, historic lighthouses, breathtaking viewpoints, stunning state parks, a cornucopia of galleries and museums and a world class aquarium. Mild temperatures, dramatic scenery and a wide range of recreational activities make a trip down the Willamette Valley and Oregon Coast a must for everyone.”

We agree.