Wednesday - June 16
This trip was the maiden voyage for Howard and Lynn in their new Jayco 35' fifth-wheel trailer. They invited us to go along, and we were thrilled to do so. We had loads of laughs with them over the little things one learns about their unit. Ahhh, the memories! This time, their trials and tribulations were hysterical because they weren't our own, and we had been there and done that. :-) Hey, any excuse to laugh ...
We brought champagne to toast Howard & Lynn on their purchase, their decision to travel and to many happy times with or without us. :-) Thursday - June 17
We hopped into Howard and Lynn's truck for our tour of McMinnville. Lynn immediately got tangled up in the seat belt of the back seat, and that sent her and Geri into a laughing frenzy. Tears streamed down our faces! It was "just one of those times." We've all had them, and we always laugh harder when we're with those two than just about any other time. Great company, wonderful times!
McMinnville is a quaint place with many wineries, tasting rooms, gift shops, restaurants and shops. We first hit the Farmers' market going on to see what was available. Found out there were caramels for Bruce, so he was a happy camper!
Bruce, Howard and Lynn did some wine tasting. We had an exceptional experience at the Willamette Valley Vineyards tasting room. Denise, their winery ambassador, did an exceptional job of educating Bruce to the fine points of wines. Howard and Lynn are old hats at wine tasting, but this was Bruce's first real experience. Denise is now our personal rep. LOL She used some fancy word as her title that neither one of us can remember. A few bottles of wine left this facility, and we moved to a little pub that Denise recommended for appetizers.
Something in the bellies of the drinkers, we walked on down the street to the next tasting room that Howard wanted to visit. The experience at the R. Stuart tasting room was nowhere near as fun or interesting as at WV. Everyone thought their prices were high, as well, so no bottles left that facility.
BBQd burgers at our place finished off the day, and we got to bed around 11:30 p.m. Excellent day!
Friday - June 18
With recommendations from Geri's sister about the Grateful Bread restaurant and bakery in Pacific City, we took a drive to the coast. Clouds were puffed up against the mountains as we left. Oh well, it'll be fun no matter what kind of weather we have. An unexpected beautiful blue sky greeted us as we reached the coast. Yea!
Joyce was right on the money! We had a wonderful treat, some coffee and great ambiance. We have all vowed to go back for breakfast next trip. After our treats, we walked along the beach for awhile. People climbing this dune reminded us of when we took our kids to the dunes in Florence at Honeyman state park. They would climb to the top, roll down into the lake and start all over again. It'd be a blast with a disc! Haystack rock surrounded by the glistening waters of the Pacific ocean. We couldn't have picked a better day to go to the beach. It was about 60 degrees with a breeze as always on the ocean. Absolutely outstanding day! Bruce had his Irish Cream Breve' and was ready to cruise the beach. Howard and Lynn recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary! Isn't that awesome?! We spend so much time laughing when we're with these two. Absolutely love their company. We're not far behind with 31-plus years of wedded bliss. ;-) Loved the sound of the surf breaking on the rocks and watching the wave action! Captain Conard I presume! Windblown trees on the bluff at the beach with Haystack rock in the distance. There's something so peaceful about the sound of the waves and the mesmerizing affect they have as they roll into the beach and back out again. Couldn't have asked for a more pleasant day to enjoy the Oregon coast. It's a beautiful place on a nice day.
Saturday - June 19
Wine tasting combined with visiting the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum next door to the RV park today. The center of attraction at the museum is the Spruce Goose. Geri stood in total awe of the size of this plane. Though it's smaller than the 747, it seemed huge! It is the largest wooden airplane to take flight. Other aircraft were sitting under the Goose and appeared unbelievably small. Howard and Lynn were able to taste some wine from the Evergreen Vineyard. We had a great afternoon and made it back to the trailers just in time before the rain came.
We'll be scheduling a trip back to this part of the world when the indoor water park, currently under construction on the museum campus, is finished. A 747 is parked on top of the building, and water slides will begin in that plane! Can't wait! They're also going to build a hotel and RV park, we heard, on the campus. What a destination this location will be by next summer. There's a very nicely paved path from where we stayed to the museum campus to boot. Cool! Decided to get a couple of shots of our trailers parked side by side. Looking good!
"Finally!," Lynn said. They've been planning for this day for years. Two buddies out solving the problems of the world. Sunday - June 20 - Fathers' Day!
Quiet, hang around the trailer day for us. Colleen and Ron both called their dad to wish him a happy Fathers' Day. Best way to start the day. Bruce and Howard are going golfing tomorrow. Bruce is calling that his day rather than today and fight the crowds. We talked with Mark, Kharli and Isaak, too. Always great to hear their voices! H&L went wine tasting in the afternoon, and Bruce took a nap while Geri worked on this trip report. Mmmmm, retirement is good!
Monday - June 21
Only one day left! Gee, the time flies. Howard and Bruce went golfing and were going to only play nine. Howard hasn't golfed for way too many moons, and the purpose is to have a good time, not frustrate the hell out of him. It's quiet time for Lynn and me. Gotta love it!
Wine tasting in the afternoon in Carlton, then we took a ride around the area. Beautiful country!
Tuesday - June 22
We all said good-bye to McMinnville about 9 a.m. after an awesome week of exploring and experiencing. Four hours later, we were home safe and sound. Reality set in right away as Bruce loaded the washing machine while Geri unloaded her part of the trailer. That's her least favorite part of these trips. But it's a small price to pay for so much fun.
The End
