Coos Bay, OR

Thursday, September 1, 2011

We landed in Coos Bay, OR Tuesday around 6pm. We had reservations for 2 nights. We were frantically searching all week for reservations through Labor Day. Everything was booked. Especially being on the coast.  This happened to us last year, you think we would have learned.

When we arrived at the  Horsfall Beach National Forest Campground and pulled into the parking lot where we were to check in. we were shocked to learn that the parking lot was the campground. Everyone gets a parking space! A huge parking space, but still it’s a parking space. Very, very strange.  We didn’t like it at all. There were no hookups which we knew going in and didn’t have much of a choice because we waited too long to reserve anywhere else.
\Just after we found out the parking spot number we were assigned to Tommy, as usual, made friends. We met JR, Mark, Melissa, Cody, and Rick. They are professional campers. They were loaded with toys. Unbelievable toys. Lots and lots of toys. After talking and laughing a lot with them we had dinner together. Mark cooked spaghetti with this really tasty homemade sauce from tomatoes he grew in his garden at home.

Rick

JR

Cody

We sat up until after midnight talking and drinking by the fire. The next day Tommy and I drove into town to purchase a flag for the Polaris. It is mandatory. When we got back to camp we all took a ride out into the dunes. They were a blast!         

Don't make me do it again...please!!!

                                                             I have a lot of pictures and 2 videos. I screamed a lot! We got stuck once. The guys we were with really know what they are doing. They had to pull us out and guide us up some of the hills. The pictures do not show the depth correctly. You cannot see the other side while coming to the summit and all of a sudden you are airborne and descending rapidly. What an adrenaline rush! We loved it!!!
 

I cooked dinner for all of us that night. Italian sausages with 3 different colored bell peppers and onions and petite cut tomatoes. We served it over white rice and it filled all our bellies. After dinner we took a night ride.

straight down

at the crest, can you see the TINY Polaris at the bottom?

Stuck again!

CRAZZYYY!!!!

Talk about scary! We have always been proud of our little Polaris but compared to the ‘boys’, we were wimpy. We got stuck again! They have what you call paddle wheel tires. We do not. They have a major lighting system. We do not. They have 84 horsepower. We have 58 horsepower. They have a wench. We do not.  They saved our butts. We did not, lol.

The night ride was the best. Rick guided us in and out of the forest. Up and down curves of the sand.  We drove all over the steep dunes….in the dark. Fording some streams. Stopping short at the shore line of the lake because it was so dark you cannot detect water until upon it.

Today we discovered that last night on our wild ride we broke an axle along with  bearings and the grease seal. We were very lucky though, the sand did not get into all the other components. We also found out that because of the axle being broken we only drove with one wheel pushing us. That is why we got stuck. Hmmm.

We moved camps today because I could not take the parking lot any more. We had to pay for two different camps at the same time but to me it is so worth it. We are now in Eel Lake State Park. We are residing on  a great big site with lots of trees. We dropped the Polaris off this morning on our way here, and picked it up around 5pm. All fixed. Well, $461.00 later, but tomorrow we can ride again. Wahoo!

LOL> Cody showing off!

the forest at night

JR

stuck AGAIN!!!

sand all over the lens

This morning when we left  the parking lot we exchanged names and numbers with our new friends. It turns out we will be passing their town of Redding in CA on our way down to San Francisco and plan on stopping in for a visit.

Enjoy the pictures, we have had so much fun taking and experiencing them. I hope the video comes through.. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the long weekend and stay safe!