Coos Bay to Eugene, Oregon

Monday | 5 March | Eugene, Oregon: It was another sunny, warm and windless day on the Oregon Coast. DT went for a run around the RV park (and I mean around and around and around and around the RV Park). Later, he asked me to use the GPS unit to clock the loop he had been running. He thought it was .44 of a mile. Jill (our GPS voice) told us it was .45. DT is such an idiot.

Next we headed out to the post office to ship orders and stopped by the Coos Bay Visitor Center to pay homage to our great late friend, Steve Prefontaine. Imagine my surprise tonight when I saw the photo had a rainbow. Maybe Pre was saying hi right back at us?

After all that exercise, DT felt a doughnut was a good idea. I don't think a doughnut is ever a good idea, but he twisted my arm. I have gone from having one doughnut once a year (on my birthday) to having doughnuts several times a month while on this trip. DT is a bad influence on me. The doughnut shop we visited today was once called Taylor Maid, but the name has been blacked-out on the sign so now it only reads: Do-Nuts, Coffee - One or a Thousand.

Donut shop girl


A tiger stripe, cake doughnut and an apple fritter


Apple Fritter

The most popular item sold from the shop are their huge apple fritters (DT's favorite doughnut), offered glazed or unglazed and their Tiger Stripe - a bar with a stripe of maple and a stripe of chocolate frosting. I had a plain cake doughnut and it was really yummy. If you have a dog, ask for a "dog donut". The shop makes unsweetened fried dough balls for dogs and give the treats to customers - free - for their furry friends. I am so sorry I did not discover this place while Snickers was alive - can you even imagine how much he would have loved a doggie doughnut? After seeing me snapping photos, the owner came out to talk to us and asked did we own a doughnut shop too? (I guess she thought we were spying on her operation.) Dave explained that I photograph everything I eat and she hastily retreated - probably thinking I was the victim of a rare obsessive-compulsive food photographing disorder.

After a quick stop to resupply a few items at the grocer, we were on our way. Our route today continued north along Highway 101 to Reedsport, where we turned onto Highway 38 and followed the Umpqua River to I-5, and then north into the Willamette Valley. This is one of our favorite drives - the road is great for RVs and has recently been upgraded, widened and repaved in many areas. Just a few miles after leaving the coast, there is a great pull-out for spotting Roosevelt Elk at the O. H. Hinsdale Interpretive Center in the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. Today there was a nice group of young males lounging in the warm sun just beyond the Interpretive Center shelter. while our coffee was brewing, we chatted with fellow travelers and observed the beautiful elk. Dave brought out his big lens and snapped a great photo for my website - thanks, DT. As we continued east, we came upon a group of about 40 females.

Oregon bull elk enjoying a sunny spring afternoon

RV Park: Premier RV Resorts

Added the next day: We are home!

Here are the stats from our trip:
Miles: 3,378
Campsites: 18
Nights away: 72