We have been underway for a week now. And I can feel us slowly, slowly unwinding after intense months and weeks of working, planning, packing up, saying goodbye, a busy time overseas with family, conquering jetlag, packing the trailer, etc.
Our first week had us on our toes. We changed our plans daily. We had a campsite booked for the week at the Oregon coast, but it was Brrrrr – so cold!! We decided to stay just one night, but lit a big campfire … inauguration of our adventure with an overload of s’mores! We decided to head back to a town called Elkton where we had lunch on our way to the coast. A beautiful spot next to the Umpqua river, where the kids could float, swim and fish. They had a blast! The cold weather followed us however, and so we packed up again and drove further inland to the town of Glide where we stayed at Elk Haven. We were blessed with visitors; Anke and Raphael came to spend a night with us, and we so enjoyed their company!! A dive into the ice cold river water … If everyone dives in with seeming ease, I can’t stay behind. But yuk! So cold my toes froze!
Our campsite was nothing special but had the yummiest blackberries. Vincent picked berries to feed a village, while Elyse didn’t even try one.
Sadly though we had a wildfire on our doorstep! We were hoping to get to Crater Lake, but learned that the road had been closed, and that the fire literally was up to the side of the river. The fire was about 8 miles away. One morning, the smoke was quite thick, thick enough for us to pack up and go. We took an easy detour through Eugene, to meet up with a mobile repair guy as our beloved “Tin Hut” needed just a bit of TLC. (We weren’t comfortable driving with a broken taillight and turn signal! And that fridge better work on gas too!). With that all behind us now, we are travelling further east into Oregon on our way to Monument for the much awaited Solar Eclipse. (Memorabilia for sale everywhere & I need to drag my kids away from every mug, hat and sticker!). Driving through Oregon, I am always amazed how incredibly beautiful the landscape here is.
What I have loved about travelling with the trailer, is that every place we stopped, we had a friendly chat with our “neighbors”. Everyone is willing to help, everyone has a story to share. It’s a neat little community. We met such inspiring people already – just today our wonderful neighbor told us about how she has visited over 60 countries, and all 50 states.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though … 5 people, small space, jetlagged. Let’s just say we’re adjusting to life on the road. But when I see my 3 kids hunched over their journals after dinner, creating artworks and writing stories, I am proud. Proud of them for going with the flow, adjusting at every turn, and saying “yes” to this adventure. They created a new word for their feeling: “snited” – scared, nervous and also very excited. Love!
Tonight, we sleep in a small park, with the song of the McKenzie river in our ears, and protected by a giant giant tree. ♥
