15th June
Rang home this morning and spoke to my father for the first time in several weeks – he’s a diabetic who’s had problems with getting his medication right and has been too ill for me to speak to the last few times I’ve phoned. It’s good to speak to him, though there’s also bad news – my mother is getting pain from her hip and is probably going to have it replaced (she had the other one replaced 4 yrs ago)…
I’m on the road at 1000, after a fair night’s sleep. I head off down the 101, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). It’s a glorious day, with a onshore breeze and hardly a cloud in the sky. I’m re-covering old ground here, as I travel through Yachats…
…and continue south.
This is Tahkenitch Landing…
…a name which, if pronounced correctly, sounds exactly like an elk sneezing. Shortly afterwards, at Reedsport, I turn inland and follow the Umpqua River east…
At Sutherlin, I come across the Rochester Bridge…
These bridges were built in this way, to keep the deck & trusses of the bridge dry, thereby doubling their life. Further down the road the Umpqua River meets the Little River at Colliding Rivers…
…where the authorities are, it seems, determined that everyone enjoys themselves…
I stop at Munchies for a Taco Salad – almost healthy…
…before joining the Scenic Byway towards Diamond Lake…
…which continues to follow the path of the Umpqua River. It’s a beautiful ride and climbs slowly up into the hills of the Umpqua National Forest…
…I then skirt the western edge of Crater Lake National Park…
…but I’m running very low on fuel – it’s been a long time since I saw a petrol station. I set Betty to the task and, following her directions, ride past the Western Entrance to Crater Lake (the Northern Entrance was still closed due to snow) and fill up at the small town of Prospect – the ‘low fuel’ light had been on for 47 miles…
The Prospect Hotel looks very pleasant, as does the rest of the town. I check in and decide to go and see Crater Lake in the morning – it’s been a good day.
Rang home this morning and spoke to my father for the first time in several weeks – he’s a diabetic who’s had problems with getting his medication right and has been too ill for me to speak to the last few times I’ve phoned. It’s good to speak to him, though there’s also bad news – my mother is getting pain from her hip and is probably going to have it replaced (she had the other one replaced 4 yrs ago)…
I’m on the road at 1000, after a fair night’s sleep. I head off down the 101, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). It’s a glorious day, with a onshore breeze and hardly a cloud in the sky. I’m re-covering old ground here, as I travel through Yachats…
…and continue south.
This is Tahkenitch Landing…
…a name which, if pronounced correctly, sounds exactly like an elk sneezing. Shortly afterwards, at Reedsport, I turn inland and follow the Umpqua River east…
At Sutherlin, I come across the Rochester Bridge…
These bridges were built in this way, to keep the deck & trusses of the bridge dry, thereby doubling their life. Further down the road the Umpqua River meets the Little River at Colliding Rivers…
…where the authorities are, it seems, determined that everyone enjoys themselves…
I stop at Munchies for a Taco Salad – almost healthy…
…before joining the Scenic Byway towards Diamond Lake…
…which continues to follow the path of the Umpqua River. It’s a beautiful ride and climbs slowly up into the hills of the Umpqua National Forest…
…I then skirt the western edge of Crater Lake National Park…
…but I’m running very low on fuel – it’s been a long time since I saw a petrol station. I set Betty to the task and, following her directions, ride past the Western Entrance to Crater Lake (the Northern Entrance was still closed due to snow) and fill up at the small town of Prospect – the ‘low fuel’ light had been on for 47 miles…
The Prospect Hotel looks very pleasant, as does the rest of the town. I check in and decide to go and see Crater Lake in the morning – it’s been a good day.
