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| The Metolius River | Netarts Bay |
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| The Blue Basin | The Painted Hills |
For once we found ourselves ahead of the times purchasing our motorhome a year before the pandemic that no-one saw coming. We were grateful to have the motorhome this year and used it as our self-contained bubble for both day trips and multi-day vacations in the Pacific Northwest. While it wasn't the year we had planned, and who's was, we had enjoyed some beautiful outdoor spaces.
June: We had meticulously planned a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons immediately after purchasing the motorhome. Stay tuned for the trip that did finally occur in June of 2021! In lieu of this we used the vacation week to visit Cold Springs Resort in Camp Sherman, Oregon. Mr. Purse had camped nearby years ago with friends, but it was my first time staying in the area. While the nearby general store and fish hatchery were closed we did enjoy strolls and drives along the gorgeous Metolius River. The RV park is small and scattered amongst some cabins. We probably wouldn't stay there again because the sites were so close together, but it is a good option for staying near non-campers.
July: We traveled with my parents to Beverly Beach state park on the Oregon Coast near Depoe Bay. This is one of our favorite state parks with lots of trees, although walking to the beach can take a while depending on what site you have. We stopped at one of our favorite restaurants, Side Door Cafe in Gleneden Beach on the way out for takeout. On the way home we stumbled upon the thrilling sight of whales making their way into Depoe Bay.
August: We spent our anniversary weekend at the Netarts Bay Garden RV resort, lucking into one of the smaller end spots that looks out over the bay. It was the relaxing weekend that we both needed gazing out over the bay watching the pelicans wheel and dive. We made advance reservations to tour the cheese factory in Tillamook. When we arrived, the line for ice cream stretched well into the parking lot. Fortunately with our reservation, we were ushered to the front of the line and enjoyed an almost private self-guided tour of the facilities.
The last week of August we returned with my parents to one of our favorite RV parks in Oregon: Honey Bear by the Sea in Ophir. We paused in the JC on the way down to visit some good friends and admire their recently remodeled home. It's a long drive for one day so we spent two nights at the Umpqua Riverfront RV Park near Elkton. This was a lovely, quiet park along the Umpqua River perfect for fishing and getting away from it all. It was a longer detour from our route than we anticipated, so we don't know if we would use it as a stopover again. We stopped at Bandon before arriving at our final destination. It felt crowded and busy for COVID times so it wasn't as enjoyable as in previous years. Mr. Purse took my Dad golfing, but other than that we didn't do much at Honey Bear which is no problem for us. My parents dog enjoyed their new dog park.
September: We finally took our thrice rescheduled trip to the John Day Fossil Beds and Painted Hills in southeast Oregon. Accommodations are sparse in that area but we enjoyed our stay at the tiny Fish House Inn and RV Park in Dayville. It was bucolic nestled along a quiet road with only eight sites and a flock of resident chickens. Mr. Purse employed his farm skills when called upon to assist with an escaped chicken named Snowball on our second morning. The three units of the fossil beds are quite a distance from each other but we visited two. Our favorite was the Painted Hills. We unreservedly recommend the pie at the Dayville Cafe a short walk from the RV park.
On the return trip, we played a few holes of golf at the Condon city golf course after putting our greens fees in the payment box. Much of the course was not irrigated so it felt like concrete if you hit the ground. I settled for practicing my pitching and putting. We spent the final night of this trip at Ainsworth State Park in the Columbia Gorge. The trees were pretty and there were plenty of them. Unfortunately the park is between the train tracks and the interstate so it was noisy and a bit unsettling after our quiet stay in Dayville. We wouldn't stay there again unless seeking a short getaway from Portland.
October: We snuck in a final trip with my parents to LL Stub Stewart State Park in Buxton Oregon about an hour from home. This is one of the newest Oregon State Parks and came highly recommended from a friend. We were skeptical but enjoyed our stay and are looking forward to a repeat October visit in 2021. The sites are well-maintained and pretty. For recreation there are miles of hiking trails and disc golf.
