March 2, 2013: Day 61 - back in NorCal

There is joy in the journey so we stopped for rest, food and work when we felt like it and finished the 625 mike trip from Cape Lookout State Park to Rocklin CA at 5:00PM this afternoon - 19 hours total travel time for the 625 mile trip.

Mount Shasta from the road.

 

We parked MH in Kelly's cup-de-sac and drove the Jeep to check the mail and go to storage before going out to dinner at Auburn Alehouse with Kelly and Glenda.

March 1, 2013: Day 60 - checking out of Cape Lookout

Today was moving day for three of the four camp hosts. Howard and Elna Green were going to Devil's Lake Stata Park in Lincoln City. Daun and Linda Dreyer were moving across the street into Howard and Elna's vacated spot and we were returning to our California roots.

We said goodby to ranger Travis and learned he has applied for a park transfer so may not be here when we get back in May.

We said good-by to the other hosts and promised to keep on touch. It was very nostalgic for me. It was a fun month and I'm glad we will be returning.

Feb. 28, 2013:Day 59 - Home Sweet Home

We went into town this morning for breakfast and to the library for important Internet and phone call access. We grabbed a burrito for lunch at the food cart and went back to thank to do our last day of amp host work.

Mid week rainy low turnover gave us only one yurt to clean, but we cleaned #48 as well - the one we stayed in.  Petty funny. We have developed a pretty good sense of the yurts after cleaning for a month, but an even deeper understanding after sleeping in one for two nights.  They are great for keeping warm and dry at night - a step up from tent camping - but we are getting soft in our advancing years and enjoy the comforts of the motor home - especially at night when you gotta go:)

Two yurts takes less than an hour so we made the last drive in town and had a short time to kill before picking up the motor home - all spiffed up and watertight.  When we got back it was almost dark. We took a quick walk to look at the ocean and learned from ranger Travis that a sneaker wave crested over the top of the dune and dumped water onto the park side during the day yesterday. Crazy!

Then I went around and said goodby to each of the other camp host couples before going onto put thongs away from the shprt road teip and ,aking dinner.

 

Here are Don and Judy Schindler who are staying on for another month in their current job.

and here are Howard and Elna Green - they have been camp hosing since he retired in 1999.

 

Feb 27, 2013: Day 58 - final beach cleanup

Today Mike went in to town. It was his filing day and he needed to be sure of Internet reception. The signal at the yurt was less reliable than it was at out host site (or was it the weather- pretty rainy last night and today). I suited up and took a pail, grabber stick and trash bag and had a two hour walk along the beach. The tide was coming in and there wasn't quite enough beach - I had to scramble up on the rocks a couple times. Exciting!  I found another Japanese artifact - this time an in-tact water bottle with green algae growing on it. 

 

 

When I was finished playing chase with the tide I went up and over the dune and walked back along the closed campsite loop to the yurt for the rest of the rainy afternoon.

 

Mike came back at dark and we went out to eat at the Schooner (on the restaurant side this time - it was a nice restaurant)  since we cannot cook on the yurt and it would have been hard and wet to cook outside. 

Feb.26, 2013:Day 57 - getting a new roof

Today we drove the motor home in to Tillamook RV for our (pre-approved by StateFarm) appointment to get a new roof.  We've been hoping for this since then we took it in on Feb 5 to get the roof sealed and learned that a small tear on the roof which had been patched previously by Camping World and was now failing. 

We had breakfast at The Fern then went to the library for today's long work session. Mike's project has a March 1 due date and is keeping him focused. I had two client phone calls and plenty of computer work. We went to Fred Meyer at days end to send a fax, then got a not so good pizza for dinner in town before going back to Cape Lookout. But where to sleep since the motor home is in Tillamook?

  Yesterday we made arrangements with the rangers to occupy an un-rented yurt. So we went to the rental kiosk, opened up the locked cabinet with our worker key and selected yurt 48 which was available for the next two nights. Cozy!

Here is a view of the campground from out beach access.

And a view of the ocean and Netarts Bay from the beach access

Feb. 25, 2013: Day 56 - no assignment

Today was wet and cold as usual. Perfect for being indoors with lots of business work to do.  There was low occupancy and turnover in the yurts and cabins today and we did not get a cleaning asignment.

I went to visit with Daun and Linda to chat for a few minutes - the hosts have been pretty independent, I think it is due to the old and rain - and I like checking in occasionally.  We learned about the need for a de-humidifier from this couple, and I did not take it seriously until after the big storm last Friday.  I was making the motor home road ready to go in to town for propane when I discovered the windows had been seeping condensation onto the mattress and curtains on the top bunk and everything was on the verge of molding.

Later in the afternoon, I took a nice long beach clean-up walk, Tee weather was pretty nice, not too windy, so it was pleasant.  Evert day there is more to lick up at the high tide line.

 

 

 

Today there wah this pices of dock - too heavy to carry back., but I let the rangers know and they will bring out a vehicle when they can to take it to the tsunami dump bin in he day use parking lot,

Feb. 24, 2013: Day 55 - Red Carpet Day

Today we did business work in the morning and had a tasty Sundy brunch at home, then spent a couple hours cleaning three cabins. We have a pretty good system going - I get the bathroom and the floors while Mike gets the kitchen, furniture, bar-b-q and outdoors. Teamwork!

  Then off we went to the small community of Netarts (about six miles north toward Tillamook at the north end of Netarts Bay) and The Schooner - the same bar and restaurant where we watched the Super Bowl on our first Sumday at Cape Lookout.

Today the draw was the Academy Awards. The Academy did not "stumble" when picking Jennifer Lawrence as best actress. It is always fun to see the good and the bad outfits, interviews and speeches. We got a comfy couch by the big screen and sat there for the whole thing. A couple beers, an appetizer, fried oyster salad and homemade crab cakes spread over five hours with no hassles from the staff and occasional co-watchers. Netarts is a beautiful, but small. community.