We really can’t remember the last time we took a non-RV trip but that’s exactly what we did this time! We left home with just the car, suitcases and cooler in the back last Saturday, the 20th. Our first stop was an AirBnB in Ontario, Oregon.
Billed as a “quiet oasis” we had to chuckle. The “oasis” backyard was a dried up patch of weeds, dirt and cigarette butts. The duplex was filthy, the bed just OK–not the best place I’ve picked to stay but we survived!
We took the scenic route through John Day country from Ontario, Oregon to our next stop.
Our next bed and breakfast was amazing–we landed at Dan and Louanne’s in Bend, Oregon mid afternoon on Sunday. They share an acreage with their son and his family–chickens, goats, donkeys, and four cats who weren’t impressed with one little black dog.
Dan and Louanne’s home is an upscale modern manufactured home and we loved it! Perfect size–two bedrooms/two bathrooms with a small living area and good size kitchen in the middle. Louanne has great taste in furnishings and decoration, making their home very inviting. Dan of course had been cooking/smoking all day and we enjoyed a fabulous meal; their son and his wife joined us.
Our accommodations were much better than the ones in Ontario! We’ve never slept on a Sleep Number bed until Sunday night in their guest room–I think we are sold! Fluffy towels, outstanding breakfast and a tour on Monday out to the Mount Bachelor area. Yep, much better bed and breakfast!
On Monday while auto touring we enjoyed a delightful late lunch with a friend of Dan, Louanne and Hadley’s (their son.) Sean and Hadley worked together in the past. The setting, Coltus Lake was beautiful and the food was good!
Tuesday morning we dawdled as check in time at our next accommodation was not until 4pm–Dan and Louanne were coming along. Traffic was light heading out to the coast and we stopped in Veneta for a late lunch before arriving at our rental house right on the ocean. A grassy yard and then the beach. The house has a large wall of windows looking out over the water, very comfortable seating in the living room, remodeled kitchen and bathrooms–it was perfect and clean!!
We spent time walking on the beach, eating, walking on the beach and eating. Wednesday we drove to South Beach and South Beach Fish Market where we sat outside in the sun and enjoyed the best fish (halibut) and chips we’ve ever eaten! YUM!!
All too soon it was time to leave our beach paradise. Dan and Louanne headed back to Bend and we traveled the short distance to Coos Bay to see friends Ainslie and Beryl. They live just on the outskirts of Coos Bay within walking distance of town but their home and yard are situated on a hillside backed by dense woods giving it an secluded, oasis feel. Beryl and Ainslie both love to garden and as Beryl is from Wales–much of their backyard looks like an English garden. The climate in Coos Bay is temperate with about 45 inches of rainfall per year! Thus, they grow beautiful flowers!
Many of Beryl’s flowers such as the carnations pictured above are perennials! Ainslie and Beryl served us a wonderful meal and we enjoyed catching up–we haven’t seen them since December, 2019, right before covid appeared.
After another fabulous meal–breakfast–we said our goodbyes and rolled on down the road with intentions of heading to Bend. Louanne’s text changed all that! Seems they had been exposed to covid on Thursday night and while we are all vaccinated (including the person with covid) we decided to just head back to Montana. Our LaQuinta Inn stay on Friday night left much to be desired–let’s just say UGH and keep on going! So, the Cowboy had the pedal to the metal on Saturday and by 7pm we were home and unpacking the car. He was determined to avoid another hotel stay! There are benefits to traveling with a RV–your own CLEAN bathroom, bed, etc.
We had an amazing time exploring Oregon and seeing friends–even Emmi enjoyed!
Sunday has been spent unpacking and doing a mountain of laundry. I also baked bread–I’m determined to stay at home and not visit a grocery store until we go to Billings mid week for the Cowboy’s Mohs procedures.
Life is good!
Restoration Cowboy Style 
I envy you. That sounds like a great mini vacation! 👍
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It was a great trip! and I forgot to say the bread was not sourdough.
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I was wondering about that 😉 btw. those flowers are amazing. 😍
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But you can grow beautiful flowers too in your climate?
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People can…I, not so much 😢
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Beryl definitely has a green thumb!
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great post, SURE WILL MISS your blog when you quit. how about continuing with one a week. thanks for all the fun reading it an avid reader for over 10-12 years.
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Thanks so much for the kind words Dale and thanks for reading all those years!
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Good to see you guys out and about and having fun. And it looks like you got that bread down pat. Yum, Bob
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We had such a good time and yes, my bread making skills are improving!
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I love my sleep number bed. I have had one for about 17 years. Have a heated mattress for warm winter nights.
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I do see one in my future!
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What a wonderful trip you had, spending time with good friends and enjoying a complete change of scenery. The photo of Michael looking out the window with Emmi on his lap is frame worthy!
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Our last trip to the Oregon coast was stressful for Mike–driving a 40 foot motorhome through all that traffic–this time he was completely relaxed!
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Will miss your blog & all the beautiful photos. Also enjoyed hearing about the dishes you’ve cooked! If you wouldn’t mind, who is the manufacturer of Dan & Louanne’s home? Loved the look! Best of everything to you & Michael…
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Thanks so much for the kind words, I will ask Dan and Louanne about the manufacturer.
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Sounded like a beautiful trip, minus the first night!
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The first and the last nights! Hotels are just not our thing!
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So enjoyed traveling along with you!
Beautiful pictures, soothing to us in the dry
hot valley.
Your bread encourages me to get
with it and try some bread making.
Hope to hear occasionally from you.💛
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Still on the fence as far as the blog is concerned–maybe an occasional update. That bread wasn’t sourdough but I’m still working on that process too!
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Your trip looks wonderful. That bread looks good enough to eat!! I can almost smell that just-baked-bread smell!
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The house smelled great all day!
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I am impressed with the clarity and color of your photos. Good stuff:))
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As for me, I’m just impressed…photos and all!
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Thanks Emjay!
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Wow–that’s high praise coming from Al!! Would you believe all the flower photos were taken with my iPhone!
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Could you share your bread recipe?
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Here is a link to the recipe a friend sent me from Allrecipes, https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/6788/amish-white-bread/
If the link doesn’t work, Google “Amish White Bread” and it will pop up. I only use 1/3 cup sugar, not the 2/3 cup as the recipe states–doesn’t seem to change a thing.
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Beautiful scenery and flowers, I must agree ,motels just don’t cut it. Hoping your friend recovers quickly.
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He was vaccinated and is all ready feeling much better–plus he’s young!
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What an awesome get away! Friends, laughter and conversations, the ocean and the sound of waves, beautiful flowers, and yummy meals all sound so wonderful! Gay
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It was a fabulous trip Gay–as I said, something we haven’t done in a long time!
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All those coastal flowers make me almost wish we had chosen to live closer to the coast! You are traveling our world. All the Cascade Lakes are wonderful. And South Beach!! I hope Emmi enjoyed running in the sand as much as Mattie does. Sorry youhad some yucky experiences but glad you are home safe after a fun trip
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I thought of you often while traveling in Oregon–do you pay for grocery bags??? 😁The coastal area would be nice in summer but not so much in winter I am thinking. Our friends in Coos Bay travel to Mexico in winter, or Sri Lanka, or……..! They are itching to travel as they stayed home last winter during covid. Emmi did like running in the sand but I don’t think as much as Mattie does–Emmi loved sniffing all the wonderful things–dead crabs, dead fish, etc. 😜
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I have a stash of grocery bags I have used for years…some nice ones from Trader Joes that were a Christmas present…some tiny thin ones that fit in an attached bag the size of my fist and are strong enough to hold a watermelon and who knows what else. I have at long last learned to always take them when I go shopping, and the tiny one is always in my little quilted lightweight purse bag that also serves as a catchall. The coast is actually often warmer in winter than in summer. Hot weather inland brings fog and a marine layer to the coast, but cold weather and fog inland can often signal warmer days in Brookings at least. It is the chilly summer weather that kept us from deciding to live in Brookings, even though we looked long and hard before we bought the property in Grants Pass. Yeah, you know we stayed home last winter as well, but still managed to get to the coast several times when it was icky inland during February and March. No longer really anxious to go overseas at the moment…but do hope for a southwest desert trip this winter…. And…as you also know…the desert can be dang cold in January and February! No escape!!
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I’ve never gotten in the habit of taking my own bags to the store and was taken aback when the self check out machine asked me if I had used any bags–one–that will be 5 cents it said!
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What a fun to get away and spending time with friends. The coast never gets old. All the flowers are so gorgous but that yellow/orange gladiola is spectacular. I love gladiola. Emmi and the kitty stand off is too funny. We are not hotel people which is why we prefer to take MH whenever we can. I don’t blame Michael for making all the way home.
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Michael enjoyed the coast so much more this time rather than fighting traffic driving a 40 foot motorhome pulling a jeep on a busy summer weekend as we did several years ago. I too like gladiola and may try my hand at planting some–our neighbor plants gladiolas in pots every summer as they won’t carry over in Montana. Hotels are the worst and so, so expensive now!
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We are looking at doing a CA coast trip at some point and will drive just the Jeep. While I don’t like hotels, I dislike traffic and tight roads in the MH more! Just driving the Jeep offers more options.
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We so enjoyed just traveling in the car–now I just have to find better AirBnBs or hotels. The LaQuinta in Ontario, Oregon wanted $250 per night thus that’s why we went with the AirBnB–and it was a dump!
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Looks so fun and relaxing – and great to see you at the beach! Those flowers are amazing. We too have vaccinated friends with COVID 😦
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At least the vaccinated folks have a milder case of covid–usually. We had the best time on the coast–much better than the time we went several years ago with Mike driving a 40 foot motorhome pulling the jeep through sunny summer weekend traffic in all those little towns.
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