Oregon Trail

A Family Visit

By Time2Geaux Unplugged

October 8^th, 2018

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. -Chief Seattle

We left Yellowstone behind and headed west across Idaho heading to Oregon. Not planning, we ended up following some of the Oregon Trail. Being a trails guy, I was excited about that and this being the 50th anniversary of the National Trails Act, it was a great year to find myself of such a famous trail as the Oregon Trail and the Lewis & Clark Trail.

We had targeted Oregon because our son moved their after he completed his enlistment in the US Navy. We plan to spend about a week with him and his girlfriend. We hope to see the Oregon coast we have heard so much about as well as catchup on our city life (rest and restock).

Following the Oregon Trail

We first started seeing Oregon Trail signage in Idaho and when we happened to overnight near Hagerman Fossil Bed which also had wagon ruts (swallows) near, we were able to double-dip on the unique places our country has to offer. The trail crossed the upper US, leaving from St Louis and heading to the Oregon Territory which included what would become Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts Montana & Wyoming. It was utilized by migrants, encouraged by the government to help galvanize our claims on this western territory which was also claimed by Britain, Russia and others. California was still controlled by Mexico after they won independence from Spain.

Our second stop along the Oregon trail was in the Colombia Gorge at the Dalles rapists, which have now been flooded with a dam that controls the flow on the Colombia River. Wind surfers on hydrofoil equipped boards were taking advantage of the strong winds in this area of the gorge. We also were able to spot some Bighorn Sheep that we had looked so hard for in other parks. Here they were just by the Interstate 84, near exit 123 at Philippi Canyon.

Bighorn Sheep at I84, near exit 123 at Philippi Canyon

Family Visit

After a few days south of Portland we moved to a park south of Eugene. Our son moved to Oregon to be with his girlfriend. We enjoyed our almost week visit with Andrew and Kayleen who showed us the small-town side of South Oregon as well as a part of the famous coast. We got a chance to visit both of them at work and Andrew helped Jeff with some projects around the trailer. We also had a chance to take a driving safari. The highlight of our family visit was dinner that Kayleen and Andrew prepared at their new apartment. We along with Kayleen’s father and brother were her first dinner guest at their new place. It was like an early Thanksgiving meal!

Another stop we made was at a Japanese garden called Mingus Park at Coos Bay to take photos of Andrew and Kayleen. We had so much fun and just loved how they turned out.

Andrew and Kayleen at Mingus Park in Coos Bay, Oregon

Oregon Coast

We started our trip to the coast by heading southwest across the coastal range and then into Reedsport to tour the lighthouse and Coast Guard Station. The lighthouse was constructed in the late 1800’s to facilitate ship traffic up and down the coast. During this time, there wasn’t a coastal north/south land route and these lighthouses enable more shipping traffic by increasing the width of the safe corridor from the coast, like building a wider highway. The lighthouse which overlooks Winchester Bay was completed in 1894 and is 65 feet tall, with a total height above the water of 166 feet, the optimal height for visibility out 20 miles. The use of a Fresnel lens which you can see inside of it during the lighthouse tour is still in use today with its distinctive two white then one red flashing pattern.

Umpqua lighthouse overlooking Winchester Bay

Roll-over rescue boat at Umpqua lighthouse

Triangle Jetty oyster farm at Winchester Bay

Wildlife Safari

One of our kid’s favorite places is Wildlife Safari located in Winston. This one is well done with as many of the large manuals free-range in their respective continents. We started in Africa where we giraffes, gemsbok, zebras, rhinos and some ostriches that keep trying to get into the lion loop and the Americas. We then to the Americas where we saw bison, Roosevelt elk and brown bears and grizzle bears. They did have the bears in their own pens and the grizzles were playing in the pond, quite entertaining. We then went into Asia where the highlight was the cheetahs where the most successful breeding program in the Americas exist. We did get a peek at ‘lovers’ lane’, considered the key to the success. Turns out cheetahs are a bit shy when it comes to mating.

We went into the dinner where a six-year-old male Cheetah who was brought in for a program. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time and got to see one of these 100-pound males up close. They are taller than they look.

Cheetah, six year old male at Wildlife Safari

What we Learned: *Your children grow up, and we didn’t do that bad of a job as parents. *Oregon has a lot more to offer more than we expected, we liked what we saw. * It is always nice to work on a project with one of your grown children.

Next Stop: We will head south to California and see the Coastal Redwoods. We hope to also see some of the coastal highway 101. From there, we will head east across the multiply mountain ranges to get to the east side of the continual divide and then south through Nevada to Arizona.