Oregon Coast: Still Zigzagging...

August 5, 2026: I stayed at Hult Reservoir all morning in the nice cool weather. As I was on my computer a little black spider fell from the ceiling onto my keyboard...and disappeared. OMG! I searched all over for it. It is NOT good to have a spider living in the van. I have read about black widow infestations in vans. No, no, no...where did it go? Is it laying eggs as I write this? I'm pretty sure this is what I get for parking under trees in the woods. I kept feeling things crawl on me until I couldn't take it anymore and packed up to leave. Not that leaving does any good with the spider IN the van, but I had to take my mind of it. The heat was building anyway so time to head to the coast.

I drove to Eugene for supplies. OMG! Once I got out of the woods everything was thick with smoke! I could hardly see the hills. My eyes and lungs burned and I felt a headache coming on. 

I stopped at Discount Tires to ask some more questions trying to decide if I should get a tire rotation or splurge and get new tires. Of course, the charming employee talked me into new tires by convincing me the inside of the shop is air conditioned and filtered so it would be comfortable to get out of the smoke. I needed tires. I just don't want to spend the money. They were fast! Probably so I wouldn't change my mind.

Ignore the missing hubcabs. I have yet to replace them. 
Discount Tire guy said I should just buy some fancy rims.
He thinks I'm rich....

I got some road Michelins. No more all-terrains for me. OMG! The van rides so differently now! SO SMOOTH! I go over a bump and can barely feel it. It turns so effortlessly. The brakes seem to work better. Big Blue sails down the highways now...unfortunately. I have to try harder not to get a ticket! It still stutters on hills, but not as much. What is causing that? Maybe the transmission is adjusting to the new tires? It makes me so angry to think how long I stressed out about the van running badly. I hope these tires are better. I hate having to rely on men for good information as they have failed so consistently in the past.

Drove to Drain thinking I could swim, but the swimming pool was closed due to air quality issues. It's smoky in Drain, too, maybe not as bad as Eugene. I stopped and took photos of these gorgeous "castles":

So gorgeous! I love the rich brown color with lime green trim!
It's currently being used as the school district office.

I headed to the coast hoping the air was cleaner and the temperatures were cooler. They were! It was 65 degrees rather than the 95 degrees. I stayed overnight on Dean Creek Road right off Highway 38 which is about two miles east of Reedsport. The highway was so noisy all night, unlike 101 that goes silent after 11:00pm.

A man in a truck pulls into the pullout behind me. I thought he was going to stay the night. Suddenly I smelled dog shit. At first I checked the bottoms of my shoes that's how strong it was. Then I realized this guy let his dog out to shit and then left. So incredibly rude!! What is it with bad dog owners?

August 6, 2026: Woke early and drove just a mile down the highway to the Elk Viewing Park. I've driven by this place several times usually in the afternoon and I've never seen elk. This morning at the crack of dawn I drive by the first herd that was just on the other side of the blackberry bushes from where I was parked. Got down to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Park, pulled in very slowly and there were about 200 up front and center! As soon as they saw my van, the began to move away. Lots of babies. I was afraid to get out of the van. Now they are specks on the horizon.

I drove into Reedsport thinking I should clean out the van and use their high-powered vacuum, but it was $3.00!! No way am I paying $3.00 for a 2 minute vacuum. I have a whole van to vacuum where a spider could be hiding! 

I went into The Sugar Shack hoping to be tempted. Oh, what a beautiful bakery, old school with all the classic favorites! Love the pink! All bakeries should be pink! Nothing gluten-free, fortunately and unfortunately. I was able to resist all temptation.

I drove back to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area, cleaned out the van the best I could, did not find the spider, ate breakfast, and gazed at the elk every now and then as I typed on the computer. There are bathrooms and garbage receptacles here. It's cool and not smoky. This is luxury! I think I'll stay all day and work.

Overnight in the parking lot at the Reedsport Dog Park.

August 7, 2026: I couldn't find schedules for the Coos Bay swimming pool and when I got there it's closed for swim meets. Very disappointing. It's not very organized with floating timelines and changing schedules. I left and toured around to see towns I missed on the first visit, but I went too far east and encountered smoke again. I felt directionless all day. I didn't want to be where I was and I didn't really know where I wanted to go. Came back to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. I love it here. It's so peaceful aside from the highway traffic noise and the tourists.

Close to dusk a woman drove up in a pick up truck. She got out with her little snorty flat-faced dog and walked around my van which I though very strange. Although we were both wearing tie-dyed t-shirts which might inspire a connection, my instincts flared so I avoided initiating conversation. 

Later I noticed she was trying to pry open the back window to her truck's canopy. Did she lock her keys in the truck? I felt a surge of empathy since that is one of my greatest fears. Yep. She did. I kept asking if she needed help. She said she had no one to call, didn't want to contact a locksmith because they are too expensive. I said, "Breaking that window might cost more than a locksmith." Then she confessed she didn't even have a phone, didn't have any way to find numbers, but she rejected my offer to call and she kept babbling about her life. She seemed very needy and manipulative, unable to focus, and I kept thinking I should stop being a super-empath and walk away. I loaned her my crowbar and damn if that back window didn't violently shatter with tiny glass pieces flying all over. Her dog panicked then got loose from its leash running haphazardly through the parking lot. 

There was so much drama surrounding this woman she was irritating me. Then she's whining about how she can't drive over the glass or she'll get a flat tire. OK, I have a broom! I started to sweep the glass while she stood there and watched. Honestly, I didn't want to hand her the broom because I figured she'd waste time babbling instead of doing anything and I figured I could do it faster and she'd leave faster. I also didn't want to leave the glass all over and risk running over it myself. At one point she pulls out a cigarette as if she's relaxing and watching her own personal reality show. I said, "If you smoke, I leave...with the broom." She immediately apologized and put it away. I might be overly empathetic, but I do have some boundaries. Something about her made all my instincts scream a red light warning. I was on high alert waiting for her to suspiciously ask for a favor or want to see my van. She didn't. People in general are so obnoxious in so many different ways. She eventually drove away. I left shortly after. I was going to overnight across the highway, but she creeped me out so I drove a good distance into Reedsport and overnighted again at the dog park.

August 8, 2026: Dog Park was so quiet all night. Not sure how long I'm allowed to stay as every city's ordinances are different. Did a few speed walking laps around the Dog Park and then on a metal "thing" (not sure what it was) I found a kindness rock!

I love finding kindness rocks! I traded the painted rock I found at the Klamath Falls swimming pool for it and left it on the metal thing in its place so hopefully the artist of this one will find it and feel excited. Now, you aren't supposed to put googly eyes and glitter in the wild as it's dangerous to birds and other wildlife so I might not use this one as a trade in the future. I kind of wish I would have kept more of my painted rocks so I could have used them as trades. Hmmm...maybe I should start painting again?

I checked the day's impending temperatures and air quality indexes: Klamath Falls should be 92 degrees and 109. Not good. Medford is 97 degrees and 88. Bly is 92 degrees and 149! Corvallis is 89 degrees and 58. Eugene is 89 degrees and 67 so both those I-5 corridor towns have cleared slightly. Reedsport is 67 degrees and 51. I'll stay on the coast for now!

Overnight at Dean Creek Road pullout.

August 9, 2026: August is for BLACKBERRIES! They are all over the sides of roads! Whoo Hoo! Free food!

Headed to Highway 101 north to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. It's a national forest. I have no idea if my America the Beautiful pass qualifies. They have a poster for all the qualifying passes and several of them are national passes, but no photo of my pass. BUT most of the cars already in the parking lot have their America the Beautiful pass on their dashboards so I threw all caution to the wind. I hiked one hell of a hike, felt lost most of the time, but at least I remembered to take a photo of the map. (Not that it helped!)

Yep, I did the whole loop! I keep vowing I will only do short hikes, but early in the morning with what feels like unlimited energy, I just couldn't help myself. By the time I got to the beach and struggled walking through deep sand, I was exhausted. 

I made it uphill through sand dunes to Threemile Lake.

Where to go? The signs were horrible or nonexistent. The map was basic and not helpful. I saw some campers right on the lake's beach, but I did not want to walk down there only to be told I would have to climb back up the embankment. I couldn't see any other good trail. The family camping said, "Nope, gotta climb back up that embankment and go to the right." Damn. I found the correct trail which felt like a neverending uphill mountain, but through gorgeous forest.

I read recently a scientist doing research discovered if you spend time out in the woods once a month it supports your immune system! This isn't just an hypotheses - they now have scientific evidence. It certainly feels good to breathe fresh air and I kept taking deep breaths.

Here is a photo of my hiking buddy.
I must be in the northwest!

By the time I got back, I thought I would collapse. Enroute I was so tired I was afraid I'd trip on a root and fall off the edge into a ravine imagining no one would ever find my body in the abyss covered with ferns and other thick vegetation. At an intersection with no signs to show which way, one part of the trail was covered with sand that had avalanched down the hill. Scary. Which way do I go? I trudged over the sand and non-existent trail because that's the kind of woman I am! I continued hoping the trail was on the other side of this newly formed dune. It was! My instincts are commendable.

I hiked a total of seven miles! I'm too old for this! Two miles on one trail, one mile on the beach and about four miles up the other side of the loop. The map says this section is three miles, but the signs said four miles. It felt more like 15 miles! However, the weather was perfect and it was a beautiful, stunning hike. Curse my old body!

I attempted a sponge bath, made some lunch, then headed to Florence for an overnight. I read on an app you can park in Florence for 72 hours before you have to move at least 600 feet. I have no idea where people find these rules. I often look online and can't make sense of the ordinances. I started out parking in a vacant lot behind Les Schwab, but then worried if this is private Les Schwab property, they might not like that. So I moved onto the neighborhood street. The wind picked up and it was like a hurricane blowing sand from the dunes all over. THEN kids on dirt bikes and mini bikes started racing up and down the street and around my van. I left. I thought I should park on a beach cliff off 101, but with the hurricane winds, I didn't think that would be a very relaxing night of sleep. I went back to the Dean Creek Road near the Elk Viewing Area. Nice and quiet, familiar and safe.

August 10, 2026: This month is flying by! The summer will soon be over. I'm really happy about that as I'm not good with killing time and waiting for the weather to shift. I'd rather drive, but also rather not spend a fortune on gas. Bly's air quality index is up to 267!!! Wow! I wonder when they will finally get control of the wildfires?

Killing time. I once knew a man in Washington who lived in a van. His wife died, his son died, then he lost his job, and lost his house. I don't think this narrative is unusal for van lifers. So many are struggling to make ends meet and find any option for housing. Or they have some kind of disability that prevents them from living in apartments or houses contaminated with mold and chemicals. 

He was living in a crusty old van, participating in an annual lottery to be able to park up in the heavily wooded logging properties in the hills. I would see him daily when he came into town for errands or mail. He spent most of his day parked at the marina, the city park, a parking lot, or a pullout on the highway. Sometimes he'd just be sitting staring out the windshield. Other times reading. Parked and sitting in a van year round. He had a dog named Cybil until she died. I asked him why he didn't travel because being parked constantly staring out the window with the same mundane view would be incredibly boring. He said his social security is a pittance and he didn't have the money for gas or extras.

So here I am...parked. Sometimes I sit. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I work. Sometimes I'm on the internet reading or listening to music. I'll take walks or go on hikes. I don't get too bored and if I do I change scenery, but this year in an attempt to not spend so much money on gas, I'm more like him than I care to imagine. 

My last few encounters with him were not good. He was very volatile. My last conversation with him was right after he was released from the hospital having had a heartattack. I asked him how he was doing and when he went into great, horrific detail, the look on my face expressed concern like any emotionally healthy person would react. He started screaming at me repeating over and over, "DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT! DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT!" He was fearfully unpredictable, volatile for no reason, and disrespectful. I walked away and made a point never to approach him again. I wonder if he's still in his van living such a desperate life?

I drove to Newport. I debated whether this was a good idea. Do I really need to drive that far? Well, they have the best laundromat in the state so, yeah, I do!

Bly's air quality is now 362!!! WTH??? I thank the powers of the universe I didn't buy that house!! How would I be able to breathe?

On the way to Newport I saw a bumper sticker that made me laugh: "Due to a Wizard's Curse, I am Unable to Wash this Car." LOL! The white car was actually really clean.

I also saw a bar called HOOVER'S! That is hilarious! I think they need a logo that has vacuum cleaners looking like women, but I think that would defeat their purpose. Or maybe the owner's last name is Hoover and it has nothing to do with a play on the name Hooter's?

LEAVES!? I'm seeing falling leaves...

To Be Continued...

Oregon: ZigZagging the Weather Extremes

July 26, 2026: I found a use for the free postcards I've been getting from the Oregon Tourist Information Centers! I sent one today to Walmart to thank them for allowing nomads to overnight in their parking lot! After all, they are the only Walmart in the whole state of Oregon to allow overnighting! I assured them this was a good business model as those of us nomads who accept their generosity will shop and spend money at their store!

I woke to heavy drizzle, dark clouds, and wet roads. Time to head east. The weather isn't as hot there as it was last week. Right now it is 75 degrees. The drive through the country on highway 34 was gorgeous. I tried in vain to avoid Corvallis and that gluten-free pie, but there it was, and there I was with failing willpower. 

Found a little free neighborhood library right on the corner of the co-op and traded some books. Then I headed downtown - walked the riverside park and some of the streets. This gave me a laugh:

Downtown  Corvallis is awesome. Lots of shops, parks, and art. I found these murals on the BACK of the Old World Deli building. Love the Renaissance style and love that they are in the alley like a secret! 

Drove out to the country. Highway 36 was beautiful! I found a place to camp near the Hult Reservoir. I rinsed my wool blanket again and hung it up. I think this last washing worked finally! The stink is gone! Way too much trouble, but it's either go to the trouble or give it away.

When I initially pulled into this spot, I heard a rustle in the near by grass. I thought it was a raccoon, then I got a closer look. A cat! I wondered if it belonged to the RV nearby or the campers down the road?

July 27, 2026: The morning was nice and cool with sun beams breaking through the trees. I washed my hair, washing the dust off my ventilation screen, and ate breakfast. I watched the cat hunt in the grass, catch a mouse, and eat it in one gulp. He is really skinny and doesn't look very old, maybe 4-6 months, or he's been out here a long time fending for himself and never developed much.

I wished I had a can of cat food in the van. The only thing a cat would like is my hamburger so I broke off a small handful of very expensive organic hamburger, put it in the pie dish that still has whipped cream around the edges, and carefully set it close to where he was hiding. Cat watched me closely. After I returned to the van fifteen minutes later he cautiously crept out again, ate the hamburger, and licked the dish clean.

I feel bad for Cat and wished I had kitty food. I wonder if someone dumped him or if he was with a camper and escaped. I've seen this happen several times. My first month in the van a woman at a BLM campsite was making the rounds asking if anyone had seen her cat. She was frantic. The cat came back several nights later. Last spring a woman's cat escaped out of her car in the middle of the night when she opened the door to use her makeshift bathroom. She looked for her for days. Betty never came back. The desert is a dangerous place for a domestic cat especially one named Betty.

July 28, 2026 I hated leaving Cat. Before I left I gave him the rest of my organic hamburger. I read later this was probably a bad idea as it might poison him with salmonella. It is fresh and organic. I hope it doesn't cause him problems, but he's seriously so skinny. When I come back this way, I think I'll bring him some cat food.

I drove through the beautiful countryside to Drain, Oregon. Such a cute town! They have a newly remodeled swimming pool that will have lap swim from 6pm-7pm so I'll return. Until then, I found a real estate agent, but she didn't have much. She tried talking me into property next to I-5 telling me how I'd get used to the traffic noise. Yeah, right! What a fool to think I'd buy her nonsense.

I headed to Estill Organic Blueberry Farm for some more u-picking. Whoa! They were closing at 2pm for the whole season so my timing was perfect! The owner let me pick a small container of blackberries for free. Somedays are just wrong and everything is off, but today was perfect timing all day long!

As I waited for lap swim to happen, I drove to Oakland, Oregon. Gorgeous town with old brick buildings. I would love to live there!

I also stopped off at the Mildred Kanipe Memorial County Park to eat lunch. It was a farm in the 1800s and Mildred inherited it when the rest of her family died. She farmed it as a single woman for years. She left it to the county at her death. The old farmhouse and barns still exist. PEACOCKS!! A whole flock of them roaming the grounds. When I parked they all hussled over to see if I had food and then perched up in the nearby tree to keep an eye on me.

The North Douglas Memorial Swimming Pool in Drain was small, but very clean although with strange drains that sounded like people gargling! (Drains in Drain. HA!) So odd! Great dressing rooms and showers with curtains. The shower was a push button (yuck!) and it smelled like a swamp, but the water was very hot. It only costs $3.00 to lap swim for one hour. I was one of two people doing laps and the other woman stood at the side of the pool talking to another woman so I pretty much had the pool to myself! Loved it!

Drain, like all other Oregon towns, has a ban on overnight parking. So unfriendly! I tried to find a campsite close since it was so late when I left the pool, but the one closest way up in the woods was taken. I headed to another near I-5. I didn't realize it was right next to the freeway with traffic noise all night, but I was too tired to continue looking. Several semi-trucks were also using the location and they idled the engines and smelled up the air all night with exhaust. These truck drivers always complain when RVs or vans park at the truck stops...well, go to a truck stop where you belong!!!

Covered Bridge outside Deadwood

July 29, 2026: I drove back to the coast. The morning was cloudy and the air was wet. I stopped at the Darlingtonia Wayside which is just off Highway 101 near Florence to see cobra-orchids or darlingtonia. They are insect-eating plants that grow in southern Oregon and northern California. There is a little botanical garden dedicated to them. I didn't see them eat anything. My weird imagination hoped their bulbs would open release a long tongue and gobble whatever is nearby like fly or small child. They don't work like that...unfortunately.

I continued driving north on highway 101 to find a place to park and fix some breakfast. Bob's Creek Beach parking lot was full so I went up on a cliff at Brays Point. Beautiful day! View from van:

I spent the afternoon driving along highway 36 out into the gorgeous countryside looking for a place to overnight. Most places had "NO OVERNIGHT PARKING" signs. Then I realized I circled around and was only 18 miles from Hult Reservoir. Before arriving I stopped at a gas station and bought some canned cat food. The attendant said the feral cats (plural) at the campground are well-known. Many campers have tried to catch them. I looked closer at the pile of garbage when I got back and noticed empty cans of dog food and plates. People have tried feeding Cat. I put out some food. No sign of Cat which disturbs me. Hmmm...is he still here? Did someone catch him? Did I kill him by feeding him raw hamburger? I worry too much. Then I worried about fleas. Maybe there are fleas all over and my van would be infested? Yeah, I worry too much! The food disappeared in the night. Raccoon or hungry cat?

July 30, 2026: Compared to staying overnight next to I-5 surrounded by idling semi-trucks, it was SO QUIET here in the woods! There are other campers closer to the reservoir, but all campsites up there are in the shade. I have one that has shade and sun so I can charge the solars and use Starlink. I spent most of the day reading and relaxing. No sign of Cat.

July 31, 2026: I considered staying all weekend, but I was running out of food. Just as I was literally driving away, Cat walks across the driveway! I stopped the van, grabbed the can of cat food, and scooped it out in the little pie tin under a tree in the shade. I hope he's the one eating it rather than a raccoon.

Headed to Corvallis for food and parked at the Willamette Park and Community Garden to eat breakfast. Met Kathy who lives in the town and we became fast friends. She had this urge to help me. I find most women I meet who find out they are older than me all of a sudden want to take care of me. I constantly assure them in the nicest way I am very responsible and self-reliant, but they are convinced I am helpless. I don't know if I should be offended or grateful. We planned to meet up the next time I come to Corvallis. 

It's going to be 87 degrees here today so I'll head back to the coast...after I eat some PIE. Drats my willpower, but it was so good!!! This time I did not feel good so all this reckless indulgence is catching up to me. I hope it will be my last caved craving.

I drove highway 34 through the gorgeous country. So beautiful! Scouted a few overnight camping sites, but in the woods it was hard finding clear sky for solar and Skylink. I continued over to the coast again looking for sites not on 101 but finally gave up and parked on the pullout over looking the ocean at Brays Point where I spent a morning a day ago. It's damp, but cool at around 72 degrees. Humidity is around 90%!

August 1, 2026: Brays Point was beautiful all night. Another van pulled in behind me. As if right on schedule at 5:00am and the sound of horns flying by destroy the peace. They must be miserable people who resent getting up early and want to inflict their misery on others. 

I drove to the Newport Walmart for supplies. Dark and rainy. Headed south where it's usually drier. I was going to camp on Sparrow Road near Reedsport on a dirt road. Nice spot, but the thoughtless pick-up trucks kept racing by throwing dust all over. I could hardly breathe. I moved into Reedsport and overnighted at the dog park where I stayed about a month ago. Very quiet. No other nomads. Just me. Walked the dog park trail before bed.

August 2, 2026: I woke up early, but of course, I had some jerk walk by my van around 5:30 am and cough uncontrollably! I'm the only vehicle in the parking lot so I know it's purposeful. I was tempted to throw open the door and ask if he wanted me to beat the cough out of him, but I was lounging in my jamies so I took the high road. What is with these rude people?

Zigzagged back to Eugene for groceries. I love the country highways: 34, 36, 38. So gorgeous and very little traffic, but I get so tired of grocery shopping all the time! It does give me something to do and it's a great way to charge the solars, but I'd rather be in the woods with an unlimited supply of food.  I parked at a park in Springfield to read emails and relax until someone parked behind me smoking their cigarettes with the stink wafting into my van. I left and drove northwest for another overnight at Hult Reservoir. 

I was afraid the weekend crowd was still there, but it's totally empty and so quiet!! I love the privacy here and no one is going to take issue with my camping...no drunks knocking on my van, no horns honking or purposeful coughing! Late that night the guy in the RV about 100 yards away drove up in his car with the music blaring and sat there for a half an hour without turning off the music. WHY? Why do I need to hear his loud, obnoxious music in the middle of nature?

August 3, 2026: Laid around reading all day. Went on a couple short hikes, but worried about lions, starving cats and bears.

One thing I really like about Oregon is the roads are paved! Nearly all of them no matter how far out in the country one goes, ALL are paved! Sometimes as you drive along there are "narrow" warnings or "one lane" warnings, but the roads are still paved, flat, smooth, and maintained! They look like they belong in parks. Maybe this is because the state is predominately Democratic so they spend money on basic infrastructure? Unlike Arizona! Even in the city limits in Arizona roads are too often dusty dirt. 

There is a road that ventures straight and up hill just beyond the reservoir turn off. It currently has "Road Closed" signs. I think this is the same road I encountered on the opposite side of the hill when I was trying to find a back way to the reservoir. It had "Road Closed" signs, tape, and wooden free-standing fence that someone moved to the side. I stopped and asked someone nearby if the road was now open because I was guessing it was the road to the reservoir. He said they are logging on the top of the hill, but since it was Friday afternoon the logging trucks have stopped working so it might be open. I wasn't that brave. My fear is I get somewhere and there is no where to turn around. What would I do? Back all the way down a mountain? No thanks!!

August 4, 2026: There is another paved road over by the reservoir lake that goes straight up a hill. I asked someone yesterday if they knew where the road went. Her son said it's a dead end. Hmmm...I wondered if there were camping spots up there so this morning I went hiking. It continued for what seemed like miles. I'm pretty sure I was getting close to the top as the air smelled smoky. I think the wildfire smoke from the east has finally drifted this way. I never reached the dead end, but I find it suspect a paved road would have a dead end. Why pave it if it goes no where? But this is Oregon where ALL roads are paved!!

Today is supposed to be over 90 degrees. All locations east of I-5 are predicted to be between 95 and 105 degrees. Whoa! The smoky air doesn't help the heat. Instead of Corvallis, I may be heading back to the coast! 

But it's already AUGUST! September is just around the corner and the temperatures will start to cool!

To be continued...

Oregon Coast and Beyond

July 21, 2026: I left Washington early in the morning with a desperate desire to get out of the damp, wet air. It's supposed to start raining tomorrow, too, and continue for the next week. Of course. This is normal in western Washington. Get me outta here! I thought I'd drive east to Hood River where it is drier and warmer, and do a hike I've read about. 

Four hours later I'm forced to pay a bridge toll to get into Hood River, the temperature is 100 degrees, and access to the hike has been blocked. What??? This hike is well-advertised all over the internet! I searched online for a tourist center hoping they might have information, but there is nothing in Hood River. Great. The heat is humid and suffocating. I'd rather be damp. I started driving west again through the Mt. Hood area and the temperatures decreased slightly at higher elevations, but the air was thick with forest fire smoke since the whole area seems to be ablaze. I once again traversed the highway with the spectacular in-your-face views of Mt. Hood, but I could barely see the mountain through the haze of smoke. That's how thick it was.

Four hours later I was back in Tillamook (eight hour total driving time for the day!) and I crashed at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company overnight parking field. It's very busy here packed with RVs, but quiet.

July 22, 2026: I read about the Sitka Sledge hike just twelve miles outside Tillamook. It has two loops, one to the beach and another along side the estuary. The information said one would see more birds than anywhere...I saw one duck and that's it. It was a nice duck, but.... Beautiful hike. I kept thinking even when my ankle felt a little sore, Damn! I'm so thankful to be able to walk let alone hike! And with that thought, I just keep going longer than I should!

Of course, I went exploring which took me on another trail in the woods. I could hear the ocean waves rumbling to the west. Or is that thunder? It rained off and on with spurts of lightning in the far distance so it was hard to tell. I kept wondering where I would end up on this heavily wooded path and how this spur-of-the-moment adventuring was probably not a good idea. I'm always taking off and getting lost! I found a trail that spit me out at the beach and I walked a half a mile along the shore to another trail that led back into the woods. I laid around at the trailhead parking lot for a while recouperating, did some errands in Tillamook, and then drove out to the Cape Meares Lookout for an overnight. There the wind howled and the fog rolled in covering any views there once were. I expected rain for most of the night, but other than the heavy mist, no rain.

July 23, 2026: Cold and cloudy then the sun came out in the afternoon. I spent the morning at the library reading. I'm out of freebie books so I just grabbed interesting ones off the shelf since I can't check them out. I got hooked on one called Keeping Lucy. 

Tillamook Library Book Bench
Too bad they don't clean the cement around it! Eeewww!

I can't decide where to go so I won't go anywhere until I get tired of being here or get inspired to be somewhere else. The rain is supposed to return in a couple days.

I was planning to overnight at the Cape Meares Lookout again, but the guy in the camper with the dog that barked all night last night pulled in right next to me. Oh, no, I'm not doing that again! I moved just up the road to this little pullout - same view, different angle, but very small space so if I'm lucky no one will try to cuddle up close and share. I'm just not good at sharing! This is the ultimate advantage to living in a van - got horrible neighbors? It's really easy to move, get rid of them, and never have to see them again! Good-bye thoughtless, rude, dog-owning idiot!

Clear skies and I have it all to myself!!

I have to say, I think Oregon is the most unfriendly state I've been to so far. Until this summer, Maine was the worst. Now, I haven't been to Florida and I've heard it's hard there, too. Before arriving I asked Oregonians who visit the coast for their holidays if the coast is too crowded during the summer, and they all thought it wasn't. I'm scanning some of the locations I've overnighted already planning to return to the good ones and now some have big, red NO PARKING symbols over them. The cities have ordinances that don't even allow Walmart or Home Depot to let you park. It's very limited. In addition, if one parks on the side of the highway, often the locals will drive by early in the morning and blare their horns. I guess they resent having to get up early for work and want to make sure everyone else is miserable. They don't know I'm already awake. If the temperature wasn't so cool, I'd leave. I'm sure that is why everyone else is hanging out on the coast.

July 24, 2026: Lots of clouds today. Woke up to thick fog from the ocean. Very quiet night.

I went back to the library and finished Keeping Lucy. Libraries, as long as they don't stink of mold or perfume, are a great place to hang out on a cloudy day or just to kill time. I need to find another good book. 

I checked out some gluten-free bakeries or rather bakeries with gluten-free options. One bakery had tiny gluten-free donuts priced very high. There were only three left. I'm not a donut person. To be fair it was late in the afternoon and they were soon to close. The second bakery had gluten-free zucchini bread! I was so excited and bought a piece, but the texture indicated it wasn't completely baked. Eeeewww! It had a nice taste, just slimy. Eeeewww!

Late afternoon, I headed back to where I overnighted last night just east of the Cape Meares Lookout. Very quiet, especially for a Friday night. I'm always worried on the weekends the locals will take issue with us free-loaders. Honking is minor, but I've read plenty of stories of drunks harassing nomads in the middle of the night knocking on the van demanding they come out. I don't want to chance it. Thankfully, it was another quiet night.

July 25, 2026: Drove to Newport and headed to the Oceana Natural Food Co-op for groceries. Passed the Farmers' Market and stopped to look. There was a guy selling and sharpening knives! I replaced my once very sharp chef's knife with a new one about a month ago. The new one isn't very sharp!  So very disappointing! I thought I'd give this guy a try and took the old knife to him. For $7, it's just like new!!! And just as sharp as new! I made a salad for dinner, my thoughts drifted for a split second, and I chopped off the tip of my left index finger!! Here it is on the dash of my van for your macabre pleasure:

Yes, that is the actual tip of one of my fingers!!! This blog has gotten pretty boring with a minute by minute account of me doing very little so I thought I'd spice it up! No blood on this finger tip in the photo. It was a very clean sharp (!) cut, but seconds later it was gushing and continued gushing for too long!

Prior to chopping off body parts, I found a wonderful laundromat with about twenty top loaders. Very clean, too! Much better than the overcrowded Florence laundromat that had the slowest drying washers in the country. A woman doing her laundry said the owner comes in every night and cleans the detergent trays for the front loaders. I gave it a whiff and didn't smell anything, but I didn't trust it. If one washing stinks up the load, I'd have to wash it 3-5 times to get the stink out. It's too risky. I did four loads including sheets in the top loaders. Finally my new-used Goodwill purchases (happiness sweats and black pants) are stink free! I wish I could wash the Pendleton blanket in one of these washers, but I have no where to hang it in this damp air. I think it just needs one more washing to make it tolerable and to wash the extra soap out of it from the last handwashing. Hooray! Patience pays off!

Drove to the Newport Beach and parked on a side street. After putting clothes away and sheets back on the mattress, I went for a bare-foot beach walk. It was like a typhoon down there! Wind blowing, sand blowing, drizzly mist blowing! But it felt good and the air was so refreshing.

I finally found the only Walmart in the state of Oregon that let's nomads park overnight! I pulled in early this morning and there were at least ten RVs, campers and vans parked in the back. I guess the sign that says Newport is the friendliest is right!!! I asked the security woman and she said although there are parking ordinances restricting overnight camping in the city limits, the police said it's Walmart's private property and they can do what they want. She said as long as it's not more than one night, people are welcome to stay! Hooray! Because they are so generous, I splurged and bought a new storage tote! I try to save my Walmart purchases for a store that allows parking so hopefully it pays off for them to be generous. I stayed the night because I could and because it's a Saturday night. I feel safer surrounded by other nomads.

To be continued...

Pondering Existence

I saw this online. I love brainstorms that make me question my existence. 

"If you had the opportunity to call yourself ten years ago, but only had sixty seconds to talk, what would you say?"

This would be a can of worms...2016 is just before the pandemic.

1.) "There is a pandemic due to hit around January 2020...Stock up on supplies especially toilet paper, rubbing alcohol, and N96 masks." Would I have listened to myself? Probably not. I was warned in advance from a friend living in Asia to do just this. I did not understand the seriousness of this advice so my supplies were not nearly stocked enough. I did, however, already have a huge supply of toilet paper having just cancelled my membership with Costco. The one N96 mask I used for art had to last me about six months!! It was pretty worn out once I was able to get a supply!

2.) "Apply for unemployment and grants immediately. Don't sit around for long wondering if you should."

3.) "DO NOT go to work for that idiot herbalist!" I worked for her about a week before the pandemic lockdown started and I'm pretty sure that's where I got COVID. Otherwise, I was typically pretty isolated in my day to day life. I don't know if not going to her house and being exposed to her children would have prevented me from getting COVID another way, but...

4.) "If you get COVID, don't drag your sick self out of bed to getting the test." For the first six months the COVID tests were only 20% accurate. Why bother?

5.) Prepare to sell the house and move. Start getting rid of belongings in 2017 and get rid of EVERYTHING!" It took me about two years to get rid of everything and much of it was donated or given away in the end. If I would have started early maybe I could have sold more? Or I would have become tired of selling anyway. Maybe this wouldn't have been possible since so much was shut down for so long during the pandemic? I don't know if eBay was working during the pandemic.

6.) "Put the house up for sale in 2021". My neighbors sold their house in 2021 and got top price. By the time I put it on the market in 2024, everyone was doing the same thing and the competition was too hard.

7.) "Buy a house or buy land and build something else immediately (before 2023) before the real estate prices are through the roof."

8.) "Sell the van in 2021 and buy another either new or in Arizona so it hasn't been contaminated with mold."

9.) "Do not waste your money on those functional medicine quacks. They are all idiots charging too much money for knowing very little! Just know you have Hashimoto's and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome all from a mold saturated body and go from there!"

I wonder if I could say all that in sixty seconds? I'm pretty sure when I finished my 2016 self would say, "Hmmmm....WHAT? Let me get a pen and could you repeat that?" I guess I should start with, "GRAB A PEN FAST!" Well, then my 2016 would have said, "Who the hell is this?"  Or hung up! OK, I doubt if I'd even answer the call from my own phone number identifying my own name! I'd think it was a scam. LOL!

What would you tell yourself ten years ago in sixty seconds?

Trauma Anniversary

August 1, 2026: Exactly one year ago today I slipped on a muddy beach, twisted my ankle, fell on top of it, and heard it crack loudly as two bones broke in half. What a horrible experience!  The year has gone fast, but the trauma still haunts me. Anytime I encounter a wet surface, I panic, assess the situation, and proceed cautiously. The hardest part of the total experience was realizing how alone I am in the world. No matter what happens to me, there is absolutely no one who would ever help me survive it...other than complete strangers who through their own humanity and compassion would volunteer to assist. I had to figure out how to get out of a foreign country, how to drive with my left foot, how to fight with health care to get the care I needed, how to drive across country without being able to get out of the van, how to survive the horrible physical therapy bitches, and how to work through the pain to be able to walk again. That experience accentuated how vulnerable I now feel living in a van especially as I age.

On the positive side, I can walk! There were times when I wasn't sure if that would ever be possible again. I can even hike! I'm not always walking comfortably due to the pain of the hardware and stiffness caused by cold weather freezing that hardware, but I can walk! I survived one of life's challenges and that makes me feel self-reliant as hell!

Other than wet and/or slippery surfaces that now make me pause and give me a nervous breakdown, this made me ponder what other trauma recalls do I have? What little quirky behaviors do I exhibit when confronted with a not-so-good past memory? 

For instance, I hesitate when I walk on wood, especially old wood. I'll usually stop, assess the surface, maybe give a little tap or careful bounce to see if it's stable. Why? When I was eleven years old my father told me to get something out of the barn. As I recall he was in the middle of castrating a bull so he wanted me to do it quickly. I took off like a bat out of hell, ran up the rickety flight of outside stairs to the second story of the barn. I grabbed whatever it was he wanted, turned, ran back across the second story, jumped through the door archway over a piece of wood that went across the floor at the base of the archway, and landed on the stairwell's landing. The landing broke and I fell through down one story into the chicken coop underneath the stairs. I was bruised, but not injured. With the wind knocked out of me, I was unable to move for several minutes as chickens clucked and nervously fidgeted around me. I guess it made a loud sound because my whole family came running. Any kind of rickety wood: boardwalks, stairs, planks, decks, walkways, etc., and I freeze for a minute, assess the surface, tap my foot, and carefully proceed. 

I also run if a man asks me to get something for him. I get adrenaline spikes if I hear a dog bark. I'm always hesitant to swim in ponds and lakes that are not crystal clear. Hmmm...what else?

What trauma recalls do you have?

Oregon Coast and into Washington! Day Thirteen and Fourteen!

July 19, 2026: My overnight just south of Cannon Beach on Highway 101 was quiet once the traffic died down, but not optimal. I was parked next to a wall of blackberry vines. Unfortunately, they were not ripe. Not even close.

I got up early, washed my hair with a bucket of cold water (I couldn't wait any longer!), and headed to Cannon Beach to beat the Sunday crowds. I found my favorite fish and chips place and OMG! It now costs $20 for fish and chips. No thanks.  I don't even care if they are gluten free! I walked the town, ate breakfast in my van, then left.

Seaside was next on my route. I used to walk this beach all the time. It was freezing cold, cloudy, drizzly, but I was determined to walk every beach on the coast so I trudged right through that sand down to the water. Brrrrr!!! However, the clean ocean air was refreshing and I kept taking deep breaths!

I saw a shower icon on iOverlander and thought I'd check it out. It supposedly costs only $1. Unfortunately, it was in the Fort Stevens State Park in their campground. Hmmm...not sure if I would be even allowed to use it, although it says online it's permissable. Online also says time is unlimited, but the water got lukewarm then cool really fast! It felt so cleansing after too long without a shower and too many hikes and beach walks!  This is good if I'm going to visit a friend.

Drove to Astoria. As soon as I got to Warrenton, I felt strangely depressed and kept almost crying. Trauma recall hits hard. I really don't want to be here. I have no desire to be close to my former residence. Twenty years of horrible neighbors, toxic polluted air, mold, and general stress took its toll. I parked by the food co-op, walked to the Astoria Sunday Farmer's Market, then back to the food co-op where they were having their 52nd anniversary with free food! I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and wondering if I should cross the Astoria-Megler Bridge and be in no man's land. I wondered if I could do it without a meltdown?

Later in the day with encouragement from my friend claiming her house is NOT in the town of horror, I braved the drive up the Washington Coast to visit her. I cried the whole way. I worried the van would break down and I'd be stuck in that horrible town. Or maybe I'd get in a wreck and be transported to that hospital of hell. If I didn't want to visit my friend, I would have avoided Washington. The visit was wonderful! I also handwashed my stinky wool blanket and Goodwill garments and hung them to dry in her yard. It was so strange to be there after too long, but the visit with her incredible family was just what I needed!

July 20, 2026: Spent the day lounging around, catching up with my bestie, and waiting for that damn blanket to dry. It still smells. All this washing doesn't seem to do a bit of good. Walked to the artesian well just down the forest road from her house for water refills. I used this well for my drinking water for years.

My friend's son and his girlfriend were also visiting. He lives in a painted camper and she in a huge painted storage freezer truck. His girlfriend is an artist and travels around to various festivals selling paintings and handmade clothes that are printed onto fabric from her paintings. She also does on-site painting at these festivals for free entry. He does on-site poetry writing and often works for Burning Man helping with the logistics. My friend joked she should start a campground and charge us! LOL!

My friend's house is an art museum with her walls filled with art. I love being surrounded by this creativity. She has so much of my art on her walls and displayed all over. I had forgotten. It made me cry since so much of the art I had has disappeared from my life. YES! I used to do art in another lifetime!!!

Although the weather is nice and cool, it's DAMP! All my Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms have returned: burning eyes, face and body, sore throat, joint pain, coughing constantly, congestion, runny nose. I can't stay long. There is too much mold in the air.

Oregon Coast! Day Twelve!

July 18, 2026: I would have thought being up on a hill directly above the ocean would be incredibly wet, but my windows aren't even covered with mist. Maybe there is more wind up here to keep everything drier. Quiet night. I woke up to gray clouds and cold temperatures. Had a nice, relaxing morning doing nothing, then started driving north. I'm not feeling it today....

First stop, Rockaway Beach and the Big Tree Trail that is about a half mile of boardwalk into a wooded area with giant cedar trees. 

There were plants on the side of the boardwalk, HUGE plants that looked like skunk cabbage only five times larger. I stopped a man and asked and he said they were skunk cabbage. No way!!! Everything is giant here!

There were two trees that were massive.

I drove into Rockaway Beach. I am now in familiar territory! I know this town. I know Nehalem Bay which is the next town. I know Manzanita. All towns were incredibly crowded with tourists since it is a Saturday. The beaches looked like California beaches with people all over and I had no desire to do any beach walking. I saw a whole line of people sitting on a row of beach benches staring at their phones. Why do go the beach to stare at a phone? I did find a little health food store in Manzanita with handpainted tables! I appreciate a handpainted table!!

I checked out a few little trade libraries, walked the towns, and bought a bottle of what used to be my favorite wine at Nehalem Bay Winery. I used to buy cases of this stuff and use the bottles as hostess gifts, etc. It's been one of those days where I just want to drink the whole thing...

Oregon has the worst drivers. At first I thought the worst were in Massachusetts followed by Tucson, but Oregon drivers are consistently and purposely thoughtless and reckless. For example. Nehalem isn't a very big town so they don't have stop lights. There is one major intersection where highway 101 going north runs through town and then turns to the left. The 101 traffic from the north going south has a free right turn. The traffic that is coming from straight ahead has a stop sign. WHAT A MESS! But then throw in a line up of bad, inconsiderate drivers and it's a catastrophe. I wasn't there very long, but I crossed this intersection a few times. It was suicide as a cross-walker with some drivers motioning me to walk and others nearly running into me, then another guy who got mad because I wasn't walking because the other car wasn't stopping and he starts waving his arms at me illustrating his impatience! (I shook my head and laughed at him.) Good god! I watched a free right turn driver stop for a whole family of pedestrians and everyone behind him leaned onto their horns aggressively. So impatient as if they really have anywhere to be in this tiny town. I watched as the free left turn almost ran into someone running the stop sign. This small intersection is just a microcosm of what I've seen all over Oregon. They get really pissed off if I'm driving the speed limit on 101 and why can't these people stay in their own lanes?? Too often I round a corner and there is a truck coming right at me over the center line! I've even encountered bicyclists over the center lane! Do they have a death wish?

I'm testy. Maybe it's because I'm on the northern end of the Oregon Coast which is much more touristy and crowded with rude, entitled people. Not just drivers. I walked through these touristy towns, every now and then stopping to look at clothes displayed outside. Fashionable, overly made-up stinkers smelling like French whores would step in front of me or nearly run into me as they loudly talked to whomever they were with not even aware I was there. Sometimes they'd bang into me then look at me with daggers wondering why I was in their space. I'd be walking down the sidewalk and couples walking toward me wouldn't even move a little to let me by. It was exhausting being invisible and having to protect myself from getting pushed off the sidewalk.

Why do I feel so stressful? Then it dawns on me. I have plans to visit a friend in Washington. Do I want to even for a day get close to my old residence? This feels like trauma recall of a different kind. Years of hell living in that backward town surrounded by barking dogs and horrible neighbors. The idea is creeping me out, but I really want to see my friend.