Cottage Grove

Cottage Grove is a small town in the valley 20 miles south of Eugene along the edge of the fir laden mountains. It seems at one time there was a lot going on with the nearby gold discoveries, the railroad, and the lumber industries. Their claim to fame now is the town with the most covered bridges so we unloaded the bikes and rode to three. It was a little scary riding over the foot bridge that swayed as we rode.


The old railroad bridge was on the verge of collapse and was restored not all that long ago. It is now a foot bridge with interesting history information kiosks standing nearby.


This little bridge in town is cute and was built in 1987 from remains of other bridges as a centennial celebration for the towns 100th year. it is also a walking bridge but there was a bonus of a geocache.


The town's name came from the fact that there were a lot of cottages in an oak grove and many are still scattered around town. The place could be spiffed up a little and would look very charming. We passed a few cute ones on our bike ride.




The town was also filled with attractive murals.




Meadows campground on the Corps of Engineers lake Cottage Grove provided the perfect spot for $9 a nite. We sat alongside the lake and listened to a gentle rain, the first since the tornado in Oklahoma on day one of our trip. We laughed all the way back to Eugene because we left late in the afternoon to go park in a parking lot for the night, but Leon could go to a movie in the rain. As it turned out it wasn't even raining. We had dumped, filled up with water and had showers, so in addition to the calm surroundings, it was money well spent: we just didn't sleep there.

In the Willamette valley

We drove through the Willamette National Forest and descended through the quiet fir laden forest down the slopes of the Cascade Mountains. We made a little detour to the longest covered bridge in Oregon in Westfir. Hikers and bikers were beginning their treks at the bridge but we just opted for pictures.


The bridge crosses the north fork of the Willamette River, with accent on the second syllable, so I have learned. The beginning of the west Cascades scenic road that goes north begins here and if we were staying all summer we would sure go that route.


Eugene is the second largest city in the state with 156,000 people, many of them proud to be wearing big O's for the beloved Oregon Ducks at the university located here. It was like a sea of green as the seniors headed to the duck walk for their graduation. After a stop at the visitor's center we were dining at the 5th Street Market, a revitalized area downtown. Swifty, the rooster, represents the many ancestors who visited the Swift Company Poultry Plant from 1929 through the 1970s.


Willamette River runs through town and has wonderful almost level trails on both sides. We enjoyed a four mile bike ride and stopped by the Owens Memorial Rose Gardens before heading over to the YMCA for showers and the Elk's for free overnight parking.







I know these aren't roses but they were beautiful and such a vibrant red. Looked like some sort of zinnia.



The next two nights our stay is provided by the kind folks at the Valley River Center, all for free. It is a huge shopping center on the edge of the river with a 16 movie theater. Just sign in with the nice security folks that drive around constantly and they give you two nights if you are from out of state.

Bakersfield, Ca

We arrived in Bakersfield with a couple of extra days to visit with Leon's family before Blade's high school graduation - the reason for the trip. Leon spent a lot of time wandering the streets and reminiscing about old times. His daughter flew in from London for the occasion and it was great to visit with her and her husband. It was also his nephew's high school graduation but, wouldn't you know, they both fell on the same day. Leon had a good visit with his daughter, nephew, and sister when we managed to get together for lunch one day.


We also spent a little time riding our bikes alongside the Kern River. I stopped at a slant board and did four sit-ups one day while waiting for Leon to visit with a new friend. I was sore for days; not from the bike but the slant board! The city has wonderful bike trails that go for miles passing many oil pumps along the way.


The Oleander, freeway flowers as Leon calls them, were in full bloom in a variety if colors.


Walmart was our home for three nights and were we surprised - wifi in the parking lot! I spotted this oddity online and was glad we drove by. Now that is a shoe shop!


The big day arrived and we sat in the bleachers for three hours to watch six hundred students graduate, but it was all worth it to see Blade walk. He will now go to London to work. We got to visit with Leon's other grandson Gunner several times and are excited about the accomplishments he has made since he got out of the Air Force and visited us last December.


The weather was perfect while we were in town but the day after graduation the temperature was supposed to soar so we sped away.

Smithville, Tx

Our campground is located on the outskirts of Smithville, an old railroad town on the Colorado River. Our first stop was the visitor's center located where else but by the old train station.



The current claim to fame is being the location for several movies filmed here such as Hope Floats, Tree of Life, and others with which I am not familiar. We enjoyed a bike ride through town looking at the historic downtown district.
Not much was happening early on Saturday.






We pedaled on into the historic area of older homes, many with a Victorian flair and a little gingerbread. The town seems to take pride in its homes and many were freshly painted in pastels. I liked that! This bed and breakfast isn't pastel but they have a geocache in their side yard. The yard was covered with plastic Easter eggs and in the side yard they have a railroad car. I think the owner's grandfather worked for the railroad. It is called the Katy House, the nickname for the MKT railroad line.




This area in Bastrop County is known as the Lost Pines Forest for the large stand of Loblolly pine trees that cover thirteen miles. These trees are more than 100 miles from the closely genetically related pines of the Piney Woods region in east Texas. In 2011 the area suffered from a tremendous fire that claimed many of the pines, not to mention many homes in the area. A lot of the rebuilding is still evident.










We have enjoyed getting to know this part of Texas and exploring these little towns.

Jekyll Island time

One day on Jekyll Island was mostly spent on bicycles as we toured the island picking up some geogaches. One cache led us back to the north beach and we had a new exuberance after we had already ridden about nine miles.

It was especially fun riding through the driftwoods on Driftwood Beach. The beach here had eroded at some point causing all the trees along the shore to die.

Across the water is St. Simons Island. We intended to return there on Sunday and ride the bike trails but after a night of rain the temperatures were a bit cooler. Some day I will learn which way to turn the phone for a video.

I had a blowout on my shoes and on this trip I was so good to not bring so many pairs of shoes. And my tennies were soaking wet from wading across the stream running across the beach.

Lots of folks travel in the golf carts. Had we stayed one more day I feel sure we would have rented one for a couple of hours.

William Horton, undersheriff of Herfordshire, England, came to Georgia in 1736 and built this tabby house for his plantation residence. It was his second house as the Spanish burned the original wooden house in 1742 after their defeat at the Battle of Bloody Marsh on St. Stimons Island. He was the first European to occupy this land and had the first sustainable farm. His closest neighbors were at Frederica on St. Simons Island. At Ft. Frederica he became a major in the British Army and succeeded Oglethorpe as commander of the regiment of British troops stationed there in 1743. He lived and worked on the island until his death in 1748.

After the Revolutionary War Poulain du Bignon, owner of Jekyll Island, repaired the house and made it his home.

We ran into a group of Road Scholars on bicycles touring the house. I learned that what used to be Elderhostel has changed the name as if is now for all ages. I was being a pretty good tour guide myself.

The western side of the island faces Brunswick. This line of clouds was interesting as we toured the du Bignon burying grounds. The du Bignon family owned the island until 1886 when they sold it to the group of millionaires for the Jekyll Island Club. Five generations of du Bignons lived on the island and raised sea island cotton.

On down the beautiful bike path we traveled along the western shore under the large live oaks, Spanish moss, tall pines, and palmettos.

We felt we earned pastries on the veranda at the Jekyll Island Club.

When we get old we think we will probably have to travel by carriage but we aren't there yet.

We returned up the western side of the island along the Atlantic coast.

One geocache took us near this small pond. Were we surprised to spot this guy swimming to his favorite resting spot!

Back on the north side of the island we found ourselves on Driftwood Beach. Had we not made lots of detours this would have been an 8.50 mile bike ride and in just 5 1/2 hours!

I did stop a few times to look at shells. I decided to collect pictures and leave the shells for someone else.

The little streams that drain the marshes play quite an important role both for the wildlife and the land itself.

What? We have come all this way and we must ride through water now? There was no way around as the marshes were draining back to the sea in the rhythm of the ocean that is the way of life on the island. I don't know why I did not think to take my shoes off first!

Folks around here have been getting excited for days about the Georgia/Florida game. I did not realize other states were as crazy as the Razorback fans.

We drove back to the Clam Creek picnic area to watch the sun set.

Some boats were still fishing and others were moving on.

Whoa! What is the giant vessal that came so very near to us winding its way into the Brunswick harbor? We later learned it is the Nippon highway that brings automobiles from Japan. It can carry as many as 5,050 cars.

The sun finally did set on our two day planned trip to Jekyll Island that lasted six days. We also had planned to stop at St. Mary's and Crooked River Campground for a couple of days and go out to Cumberland Island but that will have to be another trip. We are going to Disney World!