We left Bandon and continued the push up north along the Oregon coast in search of additional fresh seafood, a place to watch the Patriots on MNF, and perhaps a big dumb steelhead.  We stopped along the way in the Coos Bay area because we heard there were a few state parks along the coast and even a botanical garden, and we were certainly glad we did.  We found our way to Shore Acres, formerly an oceanside retreat for some very wealthy folks who ultimately decided to donate the land to the state.  I’d like to personally thank these folks on behalf of the state of Oregon and the residents of the United States of America, because this place is stunning, and perhaps the single most beautiful area along the already very beautiful Oregon coast.  There is a large, but protected, cove area on the south end of the property with a picturebook-style beach in the center of the cove.  Adjacent to that area is a very large botanical garden, and although it wasn’t exactly covered with flowers this time of the year, it was nonetheless beautiful.  Further to the north is a cliff area and a significant series of giant rock formations along the coast for as far as the eye could see.  And not just any rock formations.  These are the type that cause waves to explode into the air as they make their way to the shoreline.  We sat and watched for the better part of a half hour, mesmerized by the scene unfolding before our eyes.  We must have taken 100 photos between the two of us, and EVERY time we were convinced it was going to be “the shot of the day”.  It was stunning.  Please visit Shore Acres if you are ever in the area, you will not be disappointed.

We continued north in search of a spot to call home for the night and for a place to watch MNF. We settled on the area around Winchester Bay, and specifically the cool little spot known as Salmon Harbor.  It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, so we decided to park the rig on the public dock to watch the sunset before settling into our campsite.  It ended up being a wise decision, at least for Maryjo, because after only a few minutes, a pickup truck dragging a large boat pulled up next to us.  One of the gals in the back seat jumped out and walked over to us as we sat on a picnic table and simply said “hey, you guys want any crab”?   Because this doesn’t happen every day, and because we are from the northeast, I immediately said “what’s the catch”?  She said “there’s no catch, we just caught 50 of them, and there’s no way we will eat them all.  And they are already cleaned and cooked, so all you have to do is to eat them”.  Before I could even answer her, Maryjo had stiff-armed me out of her way, much like George Costanza did during the firedrill at the children’s birthday party.  A gentlemen then jumped out of the pickup truck, and brought us a huge cooler and put it before our feet and simply said “take as many as you would like”.  I grabbed a one-gallon plastic bag from the trailer, and with some help from the gentleman, Maryjo managed to cram about 10 crabs into the plastic bag.  And here’s the best part…they were all still warm to the touch, having been just boiled on the opposite side of the dock.  Coincidentally, we had just purchased a homemade tub of garlic butter only moments earlier at a “sourdough” bakery on the other side of town.  A few minutes later, I had the stove pulled out of the back of the trailer, and I heated the butter as Maryjo harvested the warm crabmeat from 4 or 5 of the clawed beasts.  Minutes later, we (MJ) enjoyed warm crab drentched in butter as we enjoyed a beer on the picnic table in the center of the public dock.  Did I mention earlier that we were looking for some fresh seafood?  Well, it doesn’t get any fresher than this.  Turns out that the kind folks that gave us the crabs (that sounds funny) were from Idaho and they pulled over specifically because they saw our Utah plates.  And even though we offered them some money and/or beer, they refused to take anything.  What kind, awesome people.  Thanks again, Idaho crabbers…we wish there were more people like you on this beautiful planet.  Later that evening, we watched our beloved Patriots beat up on the Buffalo Bills on MNF at the quaint little harbor pub called “Double D’s”.  No, I am not making that up.  Perhaps the bar is owned by a local plastic surgeon, I’m not sure.  We chatted it up with a guy from Boston who now lives there and owns the local carwash.  The local flavor was interesting on this sleepy, little harbor town, to say the least.

After our night in Salmon Harbor, we headed inland en route to see our good friends, Jennifer and Mike Chesney, in beautiful Bend, Oregon.  The route I picked was strategically located along the gorgeous North Fork of the Umpqua River.  It was the same stretch of river that Mike and I drove past last spring as we made our way to Roseburg to meet up with Mike’s guide-buddy, Ethan, to fish the lower reaches of the North Fork.  Maryjo and I camped right on the river at a campground called Boulder Flat.  It was apparently a bit late for the summer steelhead run on the North Fork, as I would later find out that evening, and again the next morning.  The steelhead skunking continued, but I did manage to land a 16″ trout (on my 13.5′ steelhead rod).  Not exactly what I was looking for, but it was a tug nonetheless.  Even the Forest Service lady that I had chatted with earlier in the day said “there are no steelhead left in the river”.  I guess she was right.

We spent one more night inland before assaulting the Chesneys with our presence.  Actually, it was Halloween, just before dark and without trick-or-treaters, as we rumbled into the Davis Lake Campground in the middle of nowhere.  Actually, we had intended to stay inside Crater Lake National Park, only to find out that the park was closed when we arrived, as indicated by the large metal gate blocking the roadway.  In hindsight, Davis Lake ended up being pretty cool, partly because we were the only ones there and it was free, but also because we camped right on the stream feeding the lake.  There were a few Kokanee salmon left in the stream after their spawn, and I managed to catch a nice rainbow trout who had been gorging on their eggs.  No, it wasn’t a steelhead, but again, it worked.  Next stop was to put on a bender in Bend.  The Chesneys are known for causing folks to drink and eat excessively, so just be prepared if you ever have the chance to visit them.  The insanity ensues…please stay tuned!