So, to kill a week before heading back to Harrisburg, we decided not to forge ahead into Idaho but to stop short in Salem, OR. The Salem Elks Lodge was our home for a week. The lodge is situated next to the Walter L. Wirth Lake and city park area. We were lucky to find space in the 38 site Elks RV lot, it seems most of the spaces are taken up by permanent residents. And it was further disheartening to discover the magnitude of the homeless population in these parts of Oregon, every corner occupied by homeless with signs trying to tug at the public’s heart strings. The park and lake area we were at contained beat up, broken down RV’s and vehicles parked everywhere, even in the tree lines. It was so unpleasant that Jeanne said she would not take the dog for a walk alone through the area. And as we checked in at the Lodge, we were quickly briefed on the need to keep all our stuff locked up, not exactly what a traveler wants to hear. But we dared fate…

Silver Falls State Park seemed to be calling our names. We learned the big trail did not allow K-9’s, so Woodrow Wilson had to stay back at the bus. The park is a busy one, but for $5 parking (no separate entry fee) it was well worth the effort. We took the Trail of 10 Falls, about an 8 mile trek, and off we went. It was a moderate hike, winding amongst and behind numerous waterfalls, very scenic. In these photos I will try to keep the names of the falls accurate, as best I can.

The Stayton-Jordan covered bridge was close by so we just had to do a drive-by. It was a bridge that burnt down and was re-built in the 90’s.

While in Salem we checked out the Santiam Brewery for lunch and a taste of the local brewfare. A couple of gyros for lunch and wash down with a flight of samplers was just the ticket. They have a Pirate Stout, rum barrel aged with a hint of coconut, and a Russian Imperial Stout named Impersky, bourbon barrel aged, both very tasty!

Next stop was a walkabout with Woody at the Salem Riverfront Park. It was a beautiful day and we tripped for about 2 +/- miles with Woodrow leading the way. 

Time up in Salem, it was a return trip to Harrisburg and Elite Renovations and Repairs. They were able to replace some slide toppers that they had to order in a couple hours, then we hit the road southbound and down. In the blink of an eye we found ourselves back in California, in the area ALL of the locals wish to call the State of Jefferson. They’ve had a movement to try to split away from California and become their own state for several years now. I don’t know if there is much chance of that happening, but I wish them all good luck. Seeing we were on the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, moving along without reservations for where we were going to stay, we found space at the Waiiaka RV Park in Yreka, CA. Actually, for a small town, this park was not bad at all, and very quiet. We’ll see how that lasts tonight, they have what I call the Round-e-Rounds (that would be dirt track racing) across the street from the park. But the plus was the folks here at Waiiaka gave us free passes to said Round-e-Rounds, so we may be able to experience them firsthand, we’ll see.

Checking out the downtown area of the huge city of Yreka, we stumbled upon the Etna Brewing Co. Well twist my arm, will ya? We tried their sampler flight, but I think this was the first brewery that we have encountered nationwide where I did not care much for any of their offerings. However, among the samples, they did include a sample of their non-alcoholic root beer. Holy Cow! That was the best root beer I have ever had!

Next up for us, we had to stop in and explore the big town of Weed, about a 30 mile drive south of Yreka. With all the legalization going on in this part of the country, I figured I could find a cannabis themed shirt or two. I was not disappointed. You will have to keep checking up on this blog if you want to see the shirt designs, I will make sure to post a pic or two. And keeping with my lifestyle of trying to exacerbate my gout at every turn of the screw, we found the Mt. Shasta Brewing Co. in Weed. A stop off there, some short samples of their brews, and I found 2 to my liking, the Shastafarian Porter, and my favorite the Stout of Jefferson. I had to get a growler to go of the Stout of Jefferson so I can tantalize my son Chad’s taste buds when we arrive back in Atascadero in a little over a week. Along the lines of a non-porter or non-stout, they also have a Jalapeno Weed Ale. It was different, I’ll say that. Nice spice, the heat is not bad but does build as time elapses.

Well, we are about ready to head over to Jeanne’s niece’s (Justine) house here in Yreka for a visit, then it will be moving day tomorrow, back to southbound and down. Until next post, thank you to ALL who gave some, and to SOME who gave all, for your service and sacrifice so that we can live in our free society, the United States of America! God Bless America!