Oregon: OMG! Autumn Leaves are FALLING!!

August 11, 2026: I'm seeing fall leaves dancing in the wind, mambo-ing on the highways, rumba-ing on the roads, square-dancing on the streets! Some of the trees are turning colors! The maples are turning red! (Love those maples!) I awoke to a thick layer of dew on the windshield and it was cold last night in Newport! FALL IS HERE! Or almost?! It's just around the corner! That means my exile is almost over! I wonder when it'll start raining?

I made a laundry stop because the Newport's Laundry Queen on 5th Avenue is so clean and wonderful! The best in the state. But clearly unfriendly with "no overnight parking" signs! Nomads dread seeing these! UGH! So inhospitable!

UNFRIENDLY!!!

Also, the dryer ate my quarters and gave me only five minutes in return. UGH! On the bright side, there is nothing better than clean clothes. I have recently realized I have an unhealthy obsession with washing my throw rugs all the time, too! I love it when they are clean and fluffy on my bare feet!

Then I went beaching. I had an urge. I needed the sea breeze on my face, sand in my socks, the smell of fishy things, and the incredible views that I'm convinced make me healthier. The water was a mix of bright blue and turquoise. Gorgeous. The fog kept rolling in and out. Lost Creek Beach was first on the map after leaving Newport going south. I found a little witches' rock. Always a good sign.

Continuing south, I stopped at Another Beach...I have no idea what the name of it is. I just know it was free parking, but access was down a cliff so I passed on the walk.

I stopped at another beach parking lot, but a fee was required. Ah, NO. I walked around Yachats (pronounced YA-HOTS) and found painted garage doors on an orange house and a painted seal sculpture near the highway welcoming visitors with its crazy colors.

I found my people!!

Stopped at the Alsea Bay Wayside and gazed at the bay. Such a beautiful day! 

I love the bridges along 101. This was just before Walport and build originally in 1901 over the Alsea River and Bay. I love the sculptural pillers on the ends. Very art deco with green glass light fixtures. I wonder if they are lit at night? Newport also has a bridge with pillars, going north right after Hoover's Bar. (That is still making me laugh!) Most of the towns along the coast have bridges with pillars looking like miniature Empire State Buildings.

I stopped off at Strawberry Hill where there were sea lions frolicking in the surf! For some weird reason, my camera didn't work??!! They would have been little black and gray dots in the water anyway so no great loss. I really need some binoculars and a better camera with a magnificent zoom in lens. I was told there was a pod of whales swimming down from north of Yachats, but I didn't see anything and then the fog rolled in again.

Overnighted at Brays Point up on a cliff overlooking the beach. Although it's a pullout right on 101 with traffic until about 11pm, damp sticky air, AND there is no cell phone service or internet, I really like this location. It's very windy, but the wind dies down at night.

August 12, 2026: I drove to the Florence Goodwill and bought something that might serve as lounge wear since all my pajamas and most of my t-shirts have holes. Why can't clothing last forever?? 

I drove to Coos Bay. Grocery shopped at Natural Grocers, but their water refills smell and taste like chlorine. UGH! Walked the farmers' market they have downtown on Wednesdays and there was a woman who made gluten-free bakery items Yeah, I overinduldged. I wasn't impressed though which is always disappointing although helps my willpower. Parked at the swimming pool, but didn't swim. Parked at Ferry Park in North Bend. Overnighted on the street in North Bend right next to the firestation. There are signs all over overnight parking is allowed between 8pm and 7am.

Every now and then my ankle has pain like a knife is stabbing it and I can't walk. Just out of the blue. I can hike for seven miles without a problem, then out of no where I can't walk at all. I think it's the hardware. Hmmm...I really don't want to have it removed and chance it not healing right.

Pretty boring day....

August 13, 2026: Quiet night! I'm trying to decide if I should stay another night and check the post office for a forwarded check or leave and swing back later. It's pretty boring here. It's also cloudy. I don't think my solars would charge under these conditions.

Natural Grocers is having an anniversary sale so I got a new free shopping bag. I love these shopping bags! The grocery checker was going to give me a cartoon one. I hate stupid cartoons and I asked if I could trade it. I got FLOWERS!

What was very strange at this visit to Natural Grocers is I usually get refill water since it's so cheap at .35 cents a gallon. This water was chlorinated! Yesterday the checker tried to tell me they don't chlorinate anything, but then today I ask the assistant manager and she said when Coos Bay treats the water once a month, they put too much chlorine in and the filters can't get it all out for about a day. Good to know! Blah. It kind of defeats the purpose of claiming the water is filtered and clean if it's NOT!

I headed for Corvallis via Drain to stop to swim at the pool. I checked with the kid at the counter to confirm there was a class and waited in town for six hours. I get there at 5pm, say, "I'm here for aerobics!" The silly little teenager who does not smile mumbled something while she looked in the other direction. 

I looked at the other silly little teenager who also doesn't smile and asked, "I did not understand a word she said. What did she say?" 

She mumbles a little clearer, "No one is showing up for aerobics." Mumbling the reason I again did not catch.

What? So it's cancelled and the other stupid teenager couldn't tell me that six hours ago? 

First stupid smile-free girl responded, "Oh, we can have it. I'll just read off a paper." 

I starting laughing and said, "I have never taken this class so I would not be a good pupil not knowing how to do the various exercises. Can I do laps while you read off the paper." She didn't think that was allowed. 

The other smile-free girl said, "That'll be $4." They charge more for aerobics than lap swim. I left. I don't have the patience to deal with stupid smile-free girls today.

Got to Corvallis and stayed at the wetlands. OMG! I parked right next to the most beautiful blackberries. Since they are inland, they are riper and sweeter due to the heat. They are so good! I was also kept company by too many hornets.

August 14, 2026: I met a woman the last time I was in Corvallis who was really friendly. We met at the Willamette Park for a walk. She took me on a tour showing me some of the trails. We saw a huge owl!! I then went to the First Alternative Co-op for groceries I couldn't get at Natural Grocers the day before and Natural Grocers for water since I was totally out of water by this time. I smelled it to make sure it wasn't poisoned with chlorine. Checked out a thrift store my new friend suggested, but it was small and didn't have much. I checked out the swimming pool, but it was crowded and expensive at $6. I'm not sharing a lane with up to three other people for $6!

Ate lunch at the Willamette Park, washed my Goodwill clothes AGAIN. The weather is 80 degrees - warm, but cool enough to be tolerable. Leaves falling all over! Overnight at the wetlands again. Picked more blackberries. Quiet night.

August 15, 2026: Met my friend and we went to the farmers' market in Corvallis. Very nice. Met a lot of very nice people. One in particular was a woman who does wire wrapped jewelry. She lives in an RV in an RV park. When she first arrived in Corvallis she lived in the national forest moving every 14 days. I could never tolerate the cold of year-round living.

The market had a lot of liberal political booths (my people), lots of organic produce, lots of bakeries (none gluten-free). I saw the BIGGEST blackberries I've ever seen - at least two inches long and so delicious! I didn't buy any since I just loaded up on side of the road berries. I managed to avoid buying anything that looked like a dessert!

As I drove through Albany on my way to Silverton, I saw a sign for a farmers' market. Saturday is the day for markets! It wasn't nearly as big or as nice as the Corvallis market. Drove to Silverton. Everyone gushes about this town. It was OK, but not impressive. Drove to Woodburn. I misinterpreted this Mexican Market as a farmers' market, but I think it's just a downtown area full of stores.

Drove close enough to get to Portland without being in Portland. Overnight at the MAX Train Park & Ride in Beaverton. The lot was almost empty, very quiet. The late afternoon sun was very hot on the van. One is allowed to park overnight for 12 hours.

Trees are turning colors fast. Weather is cool. Fall is here! I keep watching the weather in the south and in Arizona. It's still over 100!