Florence and Row River, Oregon

This was our third year in Florence, Oregon for the Rhody Days Festival. We had so much fun the last couple of times, and since Florence is sort of on our northbound route back to the Pacific Northwest, we added the stop to our travel route. Scott and Marcia Hicks together with several friends make Florence an annual pilgrimage for the festival and we were happy to join them again.
(Link to previous post about Rhodie Days)

Loop F, Site 259

Jessie Honeyman State Park is a terrific park, with many trails, a lake, and of course, the dunes. We've enjoyed staying here the previous times we visited but this time was different. There had been a lot of rain and this time our site was in the midst of tall evergreens, making it dark and damp and quite cool. 

The wet conditions bring out the Northwest banana slug. We came across a few on our walks.

our slimy Northwest banana slug

my boot to illustrate scale

Michael had a surprise the morning he disconnected the water hose to prepare us for travel.

The Rhody Days festival was not a complete washout. The weather cleared up for the grand parade through town on Sunday. We viewed the floats from the Hicks & Company's usual spot along the route.

Here are a few of my favorite paraders: 

two cowgirl princesses

Vintage Model T Ford 

Vintage Model A Ford

the Mexican horses and dancers are always fun to watch

perfect vehicles for  Oregon's sand dunes

tractors new

and tractors old

One afternoon when it was rainy, Marcia and I went into town to see the quilt show held at a local furniture store. I thought it was a clever way to display quilts draped over furnishings.
Here a few that caught my eye:

We walked along a few park trails looking for blooming rhodies.

We walked around Cleawox Lake.


There is a memorial to Jessie Honeyman we noticed for the first time.  She worked with Oregon's first Superintendent of State Parks to preserve Oregon's coastal lands.

We climbed the dunes to see how far we could see.  Kids were having a great time sliding down the dunes on flattened cardboard boxes.

 The ocean is about 3 miles away.

 We had a great view of the lake from the top of the dunes.

One gloomy day we accompanied Marcia and Scott on a ride along the coastal road. We stopped off near Yachats to see Devil's Churn, a narrow inlet . We watched the water rushing in, churning at the end, the waves crashing and spilling over. The grey skies created a perfect backdrop for this wild and rugged coastline.

Our reservations at the state park were through the 20th. We then moved over to the Elks a few miles north of Florence for a couple of nights. We heard good reviews about this Elks RV Park and since we were in the area, we decided to check it out.  It was a welcome option to our dark site at the state park. The grounds are large enough to accommodate RVs as well as tents in a meadow. We enjoyed our walk around the park. 
The following day, we went to the Darlingtonia State Natural Site, a botanical preserve we noticed along the road to the Elks RV park.  

A wooden boardwalk meanders across an expanse of mucky bogland blanketed by tangles of the Darlingtonia, a carnivorous plant native to Oregon and northern California. 

Two days later, we were off again, heading to the Hicks' annual Memorial Day weekend camp-out at their Row River property. 

Compared to the previous year, this was a cool and drippy week. However the rain did not dampen the fun and camaraderie. This was certainly the first time that I ate outside in the rain at the potluck meal we shared over Memorial Day! We were all huddled around a gas fire inside an outdoor gazebo canopy shelter, the rain pouring overhead, enjoying a picnic dinner. 

there were evening campfires - Michael took the opportunity to burn a bundle
of old checks and bank statements

a break in the weather and some welcome sunshine

We had a good time and met several more folks, several of whom are Marcia's friends from Sisters on the Fly camping club. Without cell coverage or internet, we truly felt like we were remote from the intrusions of civilization enjoying the great outdoors with good friends.
On Monday we continued to our next stop at Crescent Pine RV Park in Crescent, Oregon.  

Northward Trek

From Grass Valley, we drove to connect with I-5, heading north. Our first stop was at the Polks in Redding. The Polks are Alpine friends who are gracious about offering RV-ing friends a place to rest at their home whenever driving through Redding. 
This time it was our turn. 
They have a beautiful home and are well set up with an amazing workshop and garage for their Alpine, plus plenty of space for one or two more Alpines in the driveway. With hookups.
This was premium camping. And with wonderful company too.
We enjoyed a Mother's Day meal together at their favorite Chinese restaurant.


The next morning Alpine went in for its service at A&N Diesel. 

ready for an annual checkup with Steve Ash

We hung out at the Elks until Alpine was ready then returned to the Polks for one more night before heading out in the morning.

The Elks Lodge is located in the area where the fires were burning last year. We asked the receptionist if any members were affected by the fires. There were unfortunately several who lost their homes. But the most amazing story she told us was about a young Elk member who lost his home here in Redding and moved to stay with his disabled grandmother who lived in Paradise. A short while later, fires devastated the town of Paradise and his grandmother lost her home too.  This young man suffered two losses within a short time. However, his view about the second loss was that it was in fact a blessing because had he not been with his grandmother she would not have made it out of the house in time! 
Now that is positive thinking after two major losses within months...

We went for a walk along the river trail adjacent to the Elks and through a neighborhood which is slowly recovering from the fires. 
There was a family walking along the path with their daughter and dog. We stopped to chat and found out that they too had lost their home. And they too were grateful that all that was lost was material possessions. The husband was at home alone that evening when the lights went out as the fires spread over the hill behind their house. Thankfully his wife and daughter were at work and he and the dog got out safely. The wife smiled and said that she had been planning to sort through their stuff to finally get rid of the excess and whatever the kids had left in storage at their parents' house. Now it was taken care of!

It was interesting to note how some of the houses along the street were burned whereas the fires missed other homes. There was a lot of construction going on as folks began rebuilding.

A mansion of a home along the river was completely gutted, though the pool and front gates remained intact. The mansions on either side were completely spared.

Even the trees were scorched, now charred skeletons of what they once were. And yet, nature is so tenacious that already there were new shoots growing along a few of the branches.


















By contrast, a meadow along the river that escaped the fires was bright with colored flowers and the promise of summer approaching.


In the morning, we continued north along 1-5, and spent the night at a small campground in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, recommended by Tom Polk. It is a great place. We went for a walk along the river and through the small town.
There is a covered bridge, one of many that are in this area.


The next morning we continued on to Jessie Honeyman State Park outside Florence, Oregon. 

Grass Valley and Beyond

We spent a pleasant week at the Nevada County Fairgrounds RV Park.  We stayed here a year ago when Michael's brother was moving from the Bay area to Lake of the Pines. 
The RV Park is quiet, in a pretty setting with a small lake that is stocked with fish for the young 12-and-under anglers. We didn't see very many young folks fishing but we were entertained by the many Canada geese with their new spring brood in various stages of maturity. There are also a couple of ducks and a rather large goose. They looked at us with suspicion whenever we walked around the lake.


















The large log in the pond is home to a family of turtles that like to sun themselves on the log.
One morning I saw several tiny turtles and assumed they must be new spring additions too.


The RV Park is located about 12 miles from Kevin and Jennifer's home in Lake of the Pines. We visited them and also celebrated all the May family birthdays (including my bus driver's!). 

can you tell they are brothers..... M and Kevin

We also went exploring in the area.  Several years ago we followed the Gold Rush Trail along Route 49, stopping off at all the major towns that grew after the discovery of gold. We traveled north as far as Grass Valley where we visited the Empire Mine. 
(Link to the previous 49-Gold Rush trail posts: There's gold in them thar hills)

However there are a few remaining towns further north that we missed.  Last year when we were here, we visited Nevada City. This visit we drove the 160-mile Yuba Donner Scenic Byway loop and stopped off at several of the remaining gold rush towns.
Route 49 northbound from Grass Valley takes you deep into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We twisted and wound our way across. The scenery was quite pretty and also rugged. It made me wonder how on earth folks back in the 1850's managed to find their way to establish towns in such remote areas, let alone discover gold in the first place. 

Downieville, nestled between hilly outcrops

Downieville, one of the towns along the Route 49 Gold Rush Trail, remains frozen in time. Nestled in a forested canyon at 2,950 feet, the town is now home to about 325 residents who welcome curious tourists that stop to visit this quaint relic of the California Gold Rush. 

First settled in 1848, Downieville is historically one of the most important and colorful towns of the northern mines. Gold deposits were discovered in 1848-49.  The spot where the town later developed was first known as Jim Crow Diggins, Washingtonville, Missouri Town, or simply The Forks (referring to the two rivers that converge here.) In the spring of 1850 it was named for Major William Downie. By May of 1850, the town had 15 hotels and gambling houses, 4 bakeries, 4 butcher shops, and every piece of ground was claimed. In 1851, it had in excess of 5,000 inhabitants. Philo Haven and Francis Anderson were credited with being among the first to discover gold a short distance above Jersey Bridge. When Sierra County was established in 1852, Downieville was named county seat.
Gold was everywhere. A housewife discovered $500 worth when she swept the earthen floor of her kitchen. The earliest and richest mines were Sailor Ravine, Blue Banks, Tin Cup Diggins at the forks of the two rivers in town, and The Gravels of Durgen Flat. 
Over the years, $30,000,000 in gold has been taken from the ground in Sierra County. Gold miners still seek riches in the creeks and rivers in the Downieville area. Fortune seekers can still be seen dredging and gold panning up and down the many streams and rivers throughout the summer months.

Life must have been tough but also dangerous judging by the number of murders and hangings.  One of the most often told tales of the Gold Rush was the hanging of Juanita, hanged for stabbing John Cannon after the 4th of July celebration in 1851.

apparently Cannon in his drunken stupor became a little amorous towards Juanita who then protected herself from his advances....

The Jersey Bridge, now a historical landmark, where gold was discovered,
 and where Juanita's hanging took place

Apparently hanging was the chosen method for meting justice. A gallows remains as a reminder, though according to the plaque it was used only once in 1884 for the last legal execution in Sierra County and never used again. Perhaps its presence remains deterrent enough.

thankfully there is no rope attached above the trap door

There is one other historic bridge, and we crossed it as we strolled through the sleepy town. The forks of the Downie River and the North Fork of the Yuba River converge below.

confluence of the two rivers below the Durgan Bridge

This ski fence around a home caught my eye. It certainly is a creative use of skis, though I did wonder whose they were and how the skiers became separated from them....

Further along the scenic loop, we stopped at Sierra City to pick up something to eat from the General Store along the main road. The whole town seemed deserted and empty, the store closed for the season. 
We noticed that there were banks of snow along the road. In May. And there was snow in the mountains above. At this high elevation snow is a factor for most of the year.
 

Further along the route, there was more snow and we soon realized that this area is a popular winter haven and ski area. There were several cabins and resorts along the way, all closed and boarded up now until winter. 


Around Yuba Pass we stopped at an overlook above the Sierra Valley, formed between 2 and 7 million years ago when massive blocks shifted along the faults, causing the valley to lower and the mountain range to rise. The views were expansive, the valley below dotted with farms. 



During the California Gold Rush, the Sierra Valley provided native hay for the livestock for Downieville, Sierra City, and the gold fields to the west.  When silver was discovered in Nevada in 1859, new markets opened up to the east. Lumber from the surrounding mountains helped build Virginia City and was used to shore extensive mine networks.  Hay, beef and dairy products from the valley helped feed the hoards of silver seekers who descended on the Comstock Mining District in Nevada. Many of these exports were produced by Swiss-Italian immigrants who found their knowledge of mountain agriculture especially suited to this high valley. Descendants of these pioneers still live in the Sierra Valley today.

the Sierra Valley

We eventually dropped down and drove across the expansive valley, snow lingering along several of the highest peaks.
Eventually Route 89 curved towards Donner Summit where we stopped at the Visitor Center and Memorial to the Donner Party.  
The story of the Donner Party is a tragic outcome of western expansion that went terribly wrong, and a sobering lesson in human behavior when faced with extreme conditions and the will to survive. 

In the spring of 1846 several pioneer families set out from Missouri on the overland trip towards California and the promise of a better life. The Donner family, together with five other families, chose an alternate route based on a guide book written the previous year recommending a shortcut that would be 300 miles shorter. 
Unfortunately the author, an Ohio lawyer named Lansford Hastings, had never seen or taken the shortcut he recommended in his guide, until 1846 during his return trip from California when he attempted to map the route. 
And, unfortunately the Donner party did not know about the messages Hastings left to warn wagons not to take the shorter route, which resulted in a far more arduous and difficult journey for the emigrants who only reached the Truckee Meadows and Truckee Lake in late October.  The supposed shortcut cost the party three weeks while crossing Utah where they were forced to abandon vital supplies and livestock. The travelers were exhausted and chose to rest and gather strength, a six day delay that proved to be fatal. 
Snow was already on the ground and the travelers made three unsuccessful attempts to cross the pass. The snow-bound party decided to settle in for the winter, erecting tents and makeshift cabins of logs covered in hides. Food supplies were scarce and hunting or fishing unsuccessful.  This is when things became ugly, and families refused to share what little meager supplies they had.
In December, 15 members of the party set out to reach Sutter's fort in Sacramento. Storms added to their difficult journey, delaying them. The group lost seven members. One month after they set out, 2 men and 5 women reached a ranch 40 miles north of Sutter's fort. They had survived on a deer they shot and on the bodies of their deceased companions.
By January the snow was over 10 feet deep. In mid-February rescuers reached the snow-buried cabins where the remaining Donner party camped at the lake to find several dead of starvation. There was evidence of cannibalism. 
Of the 91 in the Donner party, only 45 survived the bitter winter. 
A pamphlet explains that "The monument is dedicated to all the pioneers who came overland to California. Its base stands 22 feet high - to surpass the greatest depth of snow that may accumulate at the lake."

And although this was May, there was still plenty of snow surrounding us in the mountains as we continued along the loop road back to Grass Valley. I could only imagine what it must be like in the dead of winter or the conditions that the Donner party faced. 


On another day we visited the quaint town of Grass Valley with its many historic buildings. The main attraction was the chocolate and ice cream store, to celebrate Michael's birthday. 

so many choices......

Grass Valley's quaint main street

Tomorrow it's time to move on and begin our trek north. Our next destination is Redding where we will visit Alpine friends and where Alpine will have a service done at A&N Diesel with Steve Ash.