Drove down NE 6th Street (one way street) and just as I got past N F Street....there is a metal over-the-street structure that's rather interesting. It's laced with five pairs of red lights typical of those for a railway crossing. Between each pair are criss-cross white signs where they say "Rail Road" on one strip with a cross strip over it that says "Crossing". In addition, on the metal structure, there is a pair of lights on the lower left side and on the lower right side. Beyond the metal structure are the two crossing drop-down gates. Before you get to the structure there is an X in each lane and before those there is a yellow R & R sign on each side of the street in line with each other. I guess the city really wants you to get the message there is a railroad crossing coming up. Imagine how many accidents that took to get that many announcements put up!
Washed up at McDonald's, but didn't stay to work on my computer....no power there.
Stopped at Shari's and ate there and did some blogging. Didn't stay too long. Left at 855am.
For the most part.....as a self-sufficient and self-contained town that Grants Pass appears to be....a feature of it that I like....it's a bit out of date. It's a highway stop tho spread out a bit. Parts of it are artsy. However, it's not moving forward. And perhaps that's ok....because people can still come here and remember that what is still her was there pretty much or exactly as they remembered from long ago. THAT....I do like because so much has changed now in places I have lived in my past. If one were born and raised here....such could enjoy coming back to see their past. For those who don't like much change....Grants Pass would be perfect for building long term relationships with folks who live and work here. The vegetation here is wooded and plenty on plants. I like that. No matter what direction one could ride into Grants Pass....one would know they home. I like that.
At M Street near Grants Pass Highway is a rather interesting place where the sign there says "Gary Peterson" with a drawing of a cement truck on top. There I found colorful windmills you'd find on a farm, an orange caboose and an old green tractor and other old metal things. See the pictures below......
And just the windmills here.....
I love the eccentric and curio kind of things you find in small towns like Grants Pass that are landmark identifiers.
There are some timber and door products manufacturers here.
There are big stores like a Walmart, Big Lots, Target, Winco, a Dollar Store and even a Grocery Store Outlet here. They are closer to I-5. People come to shop here and then disappear into the older areas. I like that too.
Decided to see more of Grants Pass while it's light since I had arrived here last night.
Today is a work day and there isn't any traffic here....well, at least, not at all like Seattle.
I've seen four women here who look exactly like Bonnie....tho that dead-haven't-left look about them. It think that's because she wants me to know she's with me on my trip and just wants me to know she's around. She had passed recently and so seeing her around....I like that. Why she showed up here in Grants Pass I don't know. Perhaps she has been here before or she found me here.
Drove back into that neighborhood that had the house with the chandeliers in the tree and just roamed around that area. I like it there quite a bit....visited on 8th, 9th, and Mead streets....all this is in the northeast part of town. I also like the northwest part of town too where Washington and Savage cross each other. I would love to just walk these areas and take the time to take it all in. They are neighborhoods of older homes, older mature trees and filled with inviting good energy that refreshes me a bit....says to me 'stay awhile....we have a lot to show you'. I like that. I could used to living in an area like this.
Here are a few of the older homes.....some dressed up for Halloween.....
And this old and magnificent tree with its arms reaching out to all those who come to visit this old neighborhood to remember or carve out a place for themselves....or just to explore....
I love these neighborhoods. The speak of volumes of those who have experienced spending a great deal of time in them. There are memory markers here from all who have. There are faint images of those who have and continue to be living here.....throughout their ages.
I drove past some car dealerships.
It's a city of the past .....60s or older.
There are a number of what I would call worthless stores....the kind that begs the question of how in the world they stay in business. Tho perhaps at best they hold the memories of those who have come to visit them who had shopped their in the past.
Drove up past Rogue River that flows through this town and headed toward the freeway.
It's 957am....and I am leaving Grants Pass and getting on I-5 and going north.
I think I would like to explore Grants Pass a bit more. I find the area interesting and perhaps enough to consider living here.
It's raining today.
At the Hugo exit off 5 is Jump Off Joe Creek.
Got to the turn off for Sunny Valley. However, for today, it was raining.
Reached the Summit Hill Summit....yea, well that's what the sign said because you might be on Summit Hill, but not at the summit. Anyway, this summit is 1730-ft.
Later reached Stage Road Pass.....elevation 1838-ft. Must have run out of summit signs.
It's been raining cats and dogs all day.
Reached yet another summit tho its elevation is not marked. Must have run out of measurement tools.
Took the Winston turn-off.
Time for bathroom. There's a Love's here. Need to check the weather to determine if going to the coast from here is worth it. I made the decision to go anyway thinking that maybe it will be better despite the heavy rain here.
Went to McD's for eats for lunch. Couldn't get any phone reception here. Apparently, the sign builders didn't load this area with phone access. I did manage to get caught up on my blogging.
Wildlife Safari is here in Winston....so you don't have to go out to Africa anymore.
It's 302pm now.
On the way up to Winston on I-5 and after getting on to Highway 42 there be a lot of farmings and wood products going on.
After McD's I passed through Winston on my way toward Coos Bay with the intent to get to Charleston....a place I have wanted to see for a very long time.
I had decided to go the ocean figuring that I might just be lucky enough to not run into more rain and sure enough I didn't. As I headed west there was less to no rain. Tho I had thought I would have gone anyway just to see the coastline in wet, cold, dry whatever.
320pm - hit rain west of Tenmile. Might explain why there is this street: Suicide Creek Road.
Saw a lot of blue Jesus signs here.
Just past Camus (Valley) this road came up: Hard Cash Lane. I mean if you didn't get the deed done on Suicide Creek Road you'd better have some hard cash with you....unless you pay here on your way to Suicide Creek Road.
Lots of different kinds of trees along the road here. It's like an infinity of gardens.
The Middle Fork Coquille River flows through this area.
So many changing colors of the flora here.....love that!
Came up to a place that must have had a lot of slides. The signs here said "Roadwork till Fall 2015'. And here it is October already and they are still working on it all.
Near Weeping Willow Lane is the Tour de Fronds....apparently (learned later) this is a famous Oregon bicycle event. I just thought someone spelled 'France' in a skewed french manner.
And it's raining again only it's like hail, but dropping down in the 'coming at your windshield' way like snow.
Started to come out of these low foothills into Myrtle Point. A bit of farming here....I decided to take a look around. It had been a long trek to get here from Winston. Many of the homes look to have been built in the late 1800s. So pretty many of them in all their detailed construction and painting schemes. A bit of an old and wet looking town even if it hadn't been raining as it was when I drove around in it.
The Myrtle Point Cemetery is near the end of a dead end street. I call that good planning.
There is a bit of a few identifiable neighborhoods here which I found interesting for such a small town. There is character here.....love that even tho it is the Halloween month. I say that because in some small Oregon towns their character only comes up during Halloween.....dressed up streets for the event, residents in the yard, at the windows or on the front porch.
There is a decent size grocery store here.
There is an actual downtown area along with VFW and Lion Clubs, three hardware stores, bunches of churches, a track, football field, a tax guy, a high school and stadium.
Took a pic of a blue house that I liked here on 7th Street near Willow Street.
Take notice of the finer details there above the front steps to the right of the house, the roofing above the windows, the coordinated and matching color schemes, the haunted looking curtains. I have to believe that at night if the air is just right that a few characters around town only come out at night. Halloween eve must be really well .....watch your back kind of place.
For as small as this town is....there's an OSU extension here. Where can I get my spotted owl meal?!
Got gas here.... $2.19 a gallon at the Myrtle 76 station. Interesting guy working there. Perhaps Greek....maybe has a restaurant here. Didn't ask. He had this 'been in this town and stuck here with kids' demeanor. Cool tho.
There's two car parts stores here and one tire place.
Across from the 76 station is the Railroad Avenue Station Restaurant.
Chase and Umqua have banks here.
And then there is the "Historic Norway Cemetry"! Guess if you can't bury Norwegians in Norway you can bring them out here.
445pm - on my way to Coquille. Spotty on the rain here.
In Coquille is the Bully Garden Supply. Wonder what the gardens are like of those who shop here.
There's a Safeway here....a small one.
Lots of Victorian homes here.
There is quite the size of a lumber and log mill here.....a big lake just for logs.
506pm - off to Coos Bay.
Came up to the Coos Bay Speedway. They have mud drag racing here on Saturday nights. And I thought such places where only in the movies.
Then....then....I drove by Confusion Hill Road. You can't make this stuff up.
518pm - took the Bandon/101 turn-off going southwest and headed for Charleston instead of going up into Coos Bay.
Appropriately, of course, I came across Furry Friends Therapy.
Saw the sign on the right that said Charleston this way and low and behold that road was called Beaverhill Road! And all along that road it was patch cut city EVERYWHERE!! I had to wonder if anyone really wanted me to get to Charleston. I figured I would be buried soon up here and nobody would ever find me.
But hey....there's the Interpretive Center here at the South Slough National Estaurine Research Reserve. I learned later this research center focus on the country's sixth largest estuary into Coos Bay. Oregon seems to be loaded with scientific research. It's off Seven Devils Road (what Beaverhill Road turns into). So is the estuary caused by an angry demon who's head was about to explode?
Started to see glimpses of the ocean. I am still pretty high up tho in the mountains here. Houses along the road started to show up as I was going downhill.
547pm - came into Charleston.
Stopped by the Davey Jones Locker store to get some munchies. Cool store. Then drove out to the Bastendorf Beach Park. Took a pic off Bastendorf Beach Park looking south. The shot happened to include a couple in the lower right corner walking hand in hand.
If someone put me here without telling me where I am and then asked if I could guess I would have never guessed this was anywhere in the US. It's beautiful here in this early eve.
I drove down onto the beach. One can stay at the beach for up to 24 hours, but at the north end near the jetty people can stay here for up to 14 days which is perfect if you are camping or just need a place to stay for a bit if you are living in your chosen vehicle like an RV or camper. And sure enough there were people out there in their RV, camper and with tents and gear. Very nice and the older hippy like crowd. Some waved at me and pointed as to where to park, but I didn't stay. Loved it tho. I'd like to come back during some better weather. Has to be awesome to sleep so close to the ocean like this.
Got done looking around here and headed back up to the harbor.
There is a lot of oyster farming that goes on here.
There is a Fisherman's Grotto here.
There are some sinking fishing boats here in the harbor.
There is seafood processing that goes on here.
The harbor here is called "The Charleston Marina Complex". Sounds real official.
The University of Oregon has their Oregon Institute of Marine Biology here. Students and staff can live and work and study here.
Charleston is home to the US Coast Guard Housing Complex and provides services in the Coos Bay area. They have a lookout on Coos Head....small two story working and staffed 24/7 tower.
624pm - Took pics of the harbor this early, but quickly getting darker eve. Here is one of a red and black tug with blinking white lights on it.
I drove over a paved jetty that is the breakwater for the harbor. I took a picture of the harbor from it. It's a working man's harbor, small, quaint. There is a lot of good energy in this place Charleston. I really love it here. There is a draw to this place. For all the years of looking it at it on maps I've always wanted to come here. I don't know why, but I find it intriguing.
There are fishing vessels on the other side of the bridge between the two harbor sides too.
There is Pacific Seafood here and Bandon Seafood too.
Lots of places here to have some seafood. I didn't stop to have some, but I bet it's really good here.
Started the drive up to the city of Coos Bay. Old roads and houses here.....weather beaten.
One can have a house on the bay shore side.
Downtown is north of the harbor in Charleston.
I'm on the main drag coming up from Charleston on Cape Arago Highway.
There is a Grocery Store Outlet. Love that store chain.
There is South Western Community College across from Walmart here. There are places on campus for students to live at here. Very nice.
Called Carol (my girl) to see how she was doing before she heads off to bed. She's tired. She wanted to know where I've been....she was asking about it. She said she hurt her other knee (left) while dancing at work, but that people there caught her so her fall wasn't so hard on her. She said her right knee is doing better. She had hurt that one on a fall another time in the recent past. She was scared tho and would contact L&I on November 11th about it. In the eves since I've been gone she said she hears noises and thinks it's me and she goes to check and no I'm not there. I like that tho. She misses me. And I miss her too.
I stopped at McDonald's for some food and to check my computer and catch up some. Left at 1021pm. I did take my meds tho as usual (diabetic).
11pm I crashed at the Walmart parking lot in Charleston (sort of inbetween Charleston and Coos Bay). Had seen a church earlier that looked like a capitol building called Grace something. When I look on the map it's called "Celebration Center". It's all white and very majestic with tall columns in front like a place of government.
End of today's trip.
