Wednesday & Thursday, 29, 30 August

Wednesday we stayed in Portland (actually Tigard) and visited. First we went to the store and got some groceries. Then we visited with Gene's step-mother, Henrietta. She recently moved from a nursing home to a very nice group home. There are three other patients there and at least one caregiver. It is in a pleasant home in a quiet neighborhood of Oregon City. The day we visited there were also two dogs and two kids (children of the caregiver). This is a much  better place for her, since she was not nearly as whifty as the other patients where she was before.

We had a pleasant visit. Gene hadn't seen her for several years, but she still looked pretty much the same and was in good health and spirits. After an hour or so she had another visitor and we left to get back to the campground in time for Gene's niece and her son to arrive.

We managed to arrange the motorhome to accommodate four people (it is basically set up for two) and visited for some time. Then we went out for a good Chinese dinner. Afterward we visited some more and looked at pictures.

Thursday we headed out late (Gene spent some time talking with a couple who have a Sprinter set up very differently). We went to what was billed as a shopping mall to do some shopping, but when we found it it was just a large collection of high-end stores. It was like a smaller version of Short Pump, for those who know what that is. We fled that and got back on the road for the coast.

 Along the way we passed through a large valley filled with farms. We stopped at a big roadside stand and got some fresh fruit and corn. We also got some strawberry shortcakes which were delicious.



 
The mountains in this part of Oregon are not very high so the road through them was easy. We got to the coast in Lincoln City, a few miles below Tillamook.

  The beach we went to was at the mouth of a river, and also included a small bay. Gene collected some sand, though we will have to see if it differs much from what he got just up the co

We also ran into a Tanger Outlet center, so we got our shopping in after all. Not much to say about that.





We stopped for the night in an Oregon State park. It costs more than a National Park, only a little less that a commercial campground, but we were in the deep forest. No bars there, so we are writing this next day. Back to the coast for a couple more days.