2019 09 20 - 09 22 North Bend, OR,Crescent City and Lodi, CA

Campground at Oregon Dunes KOA - 20 September 2019

Arriving rather late, just before dusk, but extra long and extra wide pull-through sites made our set-up a breeze, even in the dark. Usually, by then there are few, if any people out and about except for the dog walkers. As advertized, this campground has direct access to the dunes for off-road-vehicles. Some sites had 4 or 5 ORVs and there were kids playing ping pong behind our site at the Activities Center up to 10pm. Nope, that is not a complaint. They were well behaved, having fun and not glued to their phones. We wondered how noisy all those ORVs would be leaving for dune riding as the sun rose. They were gone by 7am without disturbing sleeping campers. Just an overnight stay and we hit the road. 

Our rest stop on California 101 driving to our next campground in Crescent City, CA. Hey, look, it's a beach. Such pretty views of the Pacific all along this highway with plenty of pull offs, vista points and even a few large parking lots. The coastline is rugged with massive rocks jutting out of the surf offshore, crashing waves on hundred foot cliffs and then it is peaceful, windswept walkable beaches.  

Battery Point Lighthouse, Crescent City, California - 22 September 2019

A breezy, overcast day we timed our arrival to coincide with the low tide so the isthmus can be accessed with dry shoes to visit the lighthouse. The islet is cut off at high tide. Constructed in 1855 for $15000, one of 8 along the west coast, the Battery Point lighthouse is a Cape Cod style, one and one half story stone keeper's dwelling. It has a fourth-order Fresnel lens that began illuminating the night sky on 10 December 1856. Within 20 years the Lighthouse Board determined the station was dilapidated and the light was of little consequence. No vessels could enter the harbour at night or travel along the coast with safety. It was automated in 1953. The lighthouse withstood crests of over 20 feet in 1964 when the strongest earthquake to hit the northern hemisphere struck Alaska near Prince William Sound. Racing south at speed of nearly 600 mph, the resulting tsunami hit the shores of Crescent City around midnight. The curators living in the lighthouse described what they saw. "The basin was sucked dry. The water withdrew as if someone had pulled the plug. It receded a distance of three-quarters of a mile. Then the mammoth wall of water came barreling towards us...the water struck, split and swirled over both sides of the island...which had not moved."

Several trees have been carved in nautical themes. The lighthouse is no longer occupied by a keeper but now houses a caretaker who conducts tours of the premises. 

Lodi, Caliornia - 29 September 2019

Our first stop was an evening with Bob's cousin, Mike and his wife, Janet for dinner at a local Italian restaurant they enjoy. The next day we visited Mike's mother, Dorothy. She is still sharp at 94 years. We spent the rest of the day visiting a few of the local wineries.

29 Sep 2019 The First Winery we stopped at. Can't remember the name. 

Still the first winery. 

I wonder which winery this is? Apparently, it is the Viaggio Winery. This one definintely caught our eyes with its Italian villa, a river running through the expansive grounds and studded with many different vingette areas for stunning photo opportunities.

Home Repairs, Lodi, California - 30 September 2019 

Our new microwave, convection oven had to be installed by the local handyman (aka Bob). Since we had rejected the last, damaged oven in Seattle, we ordered a new one delivered here. In about an hour, this Jack-of-multiple-trades had it installed and he even cleaned up after himself. I'll probably use him again.

Dancing Fox Winery & Brewery, Lodi, California - 1 October 2019

Interesting and quirky history, The Dancing Fox began as a winery and tasting room. The name stems from a fox the boys would occasionally see in the family vineyard outside town. A restaurant was added serving house made breads (at least 8 different varieties) and pizzas in the brick oven designed in Barcelona, Spain where each brick was shipped from to construct the oven on site. Smoked turkey and cranberry sauce on walnut cranberry multigrain bread was my delicious choice. 

Breakfast, Lodi, California - 3 October 2019

 The morning we were leaving we chose to breakfast at the Michael David Winery. A hearty meal and walk around the grounds in the crisp air with all the fall decorations and set up for Halloween festivities. 

A pond, a fall decoration and giant pumpkins.