Up early to clean the campground to be on the road as soon as possible.  Visiting dad in Brookings is my birthday present.  Memories will be bittersweet as this is where Millie and KatieBug happily dashed across sand and sea together.  Now KatieBug will be solo.

We were expecting a nice restful trip but it was not meant to be.  John and I blew out the leaves before we left and didn’t wear masks so the dreaded “crud” got us both.  Stuffed up and hacking, the cool sea air was exactly what was needed.  The ride up was a bit foggy but every so often, clear views opened up as the road curved to reveal those amazing ocean panoramas so difficult to capture on camera.

Our ride to Brookings was lengthened due to smoke lingering in Grants Pass resulting in a pleasant meander up to Coquille then across to Bandon before turning South to continue down the coastal route.

KatieBug requested a rest stop at Sandy Creek Covered Bridge, built in 1921, and sniffed the area flowing with rivers of ripening Oregon blackberries beneath its wooden floor and skirting the creek banks.

Old Town Bandon is a quaint little ocean and river inlet community settled in 1873.  It sits along the coastal route to Brookings.  Lunching on a crab sandwich from Bandon Fish Market and wandering for a while, we continued on.

The Inn I chose in Brookings was cautiously selected.   Our regular Inn was not available and most of the motels in the area are old and dated.  I wanted A/C as we were marginally teetering on asthma attacks and Brookings can be Texas sticky hot, which was the case this week.  The Inn boasted having A/C, was recently updated and pet friendly.

Checking in early evening and turning the A/C to high, we remained dripping with sweat all night.  Next morning before breakfast we chatted with the owner.  After reading the multitudes of You-Better-Be-Careful-And-Follow-The-Rules-Or-We-Will-Charge-Extra signs, we were unhappy about paying full price without the expected A/C.

The owner reminded us that we were given a fan at 9pm, in lieu of A/C.  Remarking that road noise and asthma kept our windows closed, we were still dripping sweat at 3am, we again asked for partial refund.

We were told that we were being difficult, we were never going to be satisfied and to leave immediately.  For the first time in our lives, we were being kicked out of a motel room!  Stunned is an understatement.  Rushing to meet family for breakfast, John demanded an immediate refund for both nights and after being given the refund charge receipt, we threw everything into the car and left, dumbfounded.

Young people with heart pounding music from a door wide open throughout the night…still there.  Motorcycle men with idling Harley’s at 11pm…still there.  Lady with annoying barking dog…still there.  Quiet, asthmatic, sign obeying elderly couple, suffering from heat exhaustion all night…ejected!

As sure as bad luck ends, good luck provided us the last pet friendly room at Beachfront Best Western, our usual stay.  Breakfast with family was followed by sorting out our belongings, having been thrown into bags from the unexpected frantic departure at Motel From Hell.  We opened our sliding glass door to the oceans cool breeze, relaxed on the porch and enjoyed the calming sound of the waves.

Our day off was spent walking along the beach, enjoying meals with family then packing up early morning and leaving for our work camp retirement job.

Kodak moments along the way,  a shot of Isaac Lee Patterson Art Deco bridge across Rogue River built in 1932, the first concrete arch bridge.

Fishing boats at the mouth of the Rogue River busily interlacing the river, their hooks in search of incoming salmon.

Our visit to Rogue River Myrtle Wood Factory halted my yearlong search for unusual wooden charger plates as two custom made pieces are being crafted by owner Michael Merica.  After ordering, Michael proudly showed off his factory and work rooms in a private tour complete with Myrtle Wood history and a sneak peek of his specialty item production.

If anyone is interested, his prices are a steal, his work is masterful and Myrtle Wood is uniquely elegant in pattern and color, giving beauty to any item made from its rare wood.   www.roguerivermyrtlewoodshop.com

Returning to Old Town Bandon, we lunched at Tony’s Crab Shack on the wharf watching the locals crabbing then had desert at my favorite candy shop.  Cranberry Sweets is the number one attraction if you have a sweet tooth as they spread out dozens of samples for visitors to taste.  The variety of choices are so vast that almost everyone leaves with more than one pick of creamy goodness.  My gigantic sweet tooth wasn’t satisfied with samples so we brought home a few bites for future indulging.

Back home to unpack and busy the evening with cleaning the pavilion for a wedding Friday and a company picnic Saturday.   Sunday will be a day of rest…after we clean bathrooms of course.