Saturday, June 22, 2013

State Parks Can Put a Guy In Danger of Ruination...

I lied... Just north of Coos Bay... turned out to be a ways south of Coos Bay. We worked hard all morning to finish loading up and hit the Sixes River Road just before 11 in the a.m.

Yeah... we really leave early when we're pushin' hard. Especially when we need to make most of forty miles or so! ;)

So... somewhere along in there I realized, it's Friday on the early edge of the heavy season, and we're Moving Camp? Why do things sensible and move mid week? Where's the adventure in that?

So, I'm rollin' down the road draggin' 36 bikes, a furniture truck and 95 cars of various makes behind my rolling road block...

As I'm driving I was cogitatin' that the BLM camp we'd just pulled out of was filling fast... to the point that the people there to 'get away from it all' were already arguin' loudly with the rangers about their loose dogs and double the vehicle/people limit per camp...

hmmmm... maybe we oughta not pass a possible spot early in the day on the lead in to a weekend...

Sooooo... we passed on early lunch burgers at the general store in Langois; which are storied to be worth your first born... and kept moving with the pressure building to find a camp before all the refugees from Salem, Eugene and Portland slide into the last spot and win the RV Musical Camps game.

We rolled past the Farmers Market in Bandon and hung a hard left into Bullards Beach State Park. If we can beat the last spot parkers... we can ride back to the Farmers Market in the morning.

So... that Free Park Pass for (service connected) Disabled Vets only gets you the "spot" right?

The gate keeper gal is going through her list and saying; "These two have full hook ups but this'un here is only water and electric. Go pick one and let me know."

To which the stingy, grump of a biker cowboy busted up Vet asks; "Well, I got the card 'cause it really helps out my pathetic budget. All we need is a dry camp, how much extra do I have to pay for the hookups?"

"Nada! It's all the same price for you guys. FREE!"

Now, how am I supposed to turn down that deal? :) So...we go pick the best looking of the available sites; one that gave us a bit more separation and some high bushes to give my shy self a bit more sense of privacy... and then went back to tell 'em which one...

"You took the one without the sewer hook up? The others didn't work for you?"

Ha! What can I say... I can't even manage to pick the FHU when they're available to me FREE! :) I never even noticed the missing sewer connection.

But, this State Park thing could ruin me! FHU's, Paved roads in and out for the Raider... The town is just 'bout a mile or two up the road to recharge the brew rack... coffee huts with better joe than I make... and beaches to walk on right by the camp...




 A boondocker that goes and gets himself used to this easy livin' could really mess up his ideas on his proper place in the Universe and trigger one of those conflagrations that you see on the covers of the grocery store scandal sheets; When parallel universes collide ! 







The sea gulls were flying an orbit around us... Coasting along into the wind up the dune... then they'd cut back over us and the sea... to circle around to make another pass... Apparently they've got it real tough too.

Looked like feathered wind surfers just playin' in the breeze.

We walked along in the afternoon watchin' the kids sail their kites, the birds sailing, the surf rolling... and all for the price... of simply bein' here.

Once again... folks say they can't live this life... or just about any they might choose, because they're too poor; and I say baloney. We're in the freakin' hole deep after last month's breakdown. The store income is down... book sales are down... website income is down...

So what!  I can be poor back in that other grinding life... or I can be poor here!

I'm as Rich as a Serf Robbin' King!

All ya need is a dream and the guts to have confidence in your own resilience ~ and THAT ~ is a Choice.

Livin' High and Living Free!
Brian

9 comments:

BamaGurl said...

Glad ur strong enough to live ur dreams! Love ur posts and outlook on life! Enjoy that park!

CJ said...

Thank goodness you passed up that burger! What a score and for FREE! In just a few weeks our full-time journey begins...and now I'm reminded if we're going to be poor we might as well be doing it somewhere as outstanding as on beach front property! Do they offer the same discount to just an old geezer?

Box Canyon Blog.com said...

And here I am sitting at work, looking at your blog, and taking a whipping for it. Sheesh. I better live to spend the money I'm making come October or else I'll be pissed!!!
Box Canyon Mark

Anonymous said...

Too bad the missus didn't take your picture when the park ranger said...NADA...FREE!! I know I would've been smilin ear to ear!

Donna K said...

Welcome to Oregon!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to hear there are some affordable camps in the northwest. Next summer I'm hoping to head that way. Hope you enjoy your time there.

Rakali said...

Ten bucks you are parked right next to us at the moment :) If you head up north of NB and Coos, there is a secluded dry camp (in the horse camp) spot on USF land, should cost you $10 with the pass. Also, try Sutton, Tak, Siltcoos, an Alder (electric at Sutton only) which are up the road from there and Sutton being just north of Florence. Good cheap spots.

Brian said...

Bama Gurl; hmmm strong... some call it senile ;)

Cj; Yup, you can be poor on the road cheaper and a LOT shinier than boxed up in the sort of "home" poverty allows! :)

Mark; what can I say? I'm as stubborn in My way as you are in yours. ;) but then if we weren't us, we'd be somebody else... which would confuse the people that know us...

rh47; If I had all the "shoulda" pictures that have come along I'd have to carry four extra hard drives to store 'em. ;)

Donna; Thank you ma'am... planning on spending a good chunk of the next several weeks within Oregon borders...

Pleinguy; This is one of those places that if you can't be a bit content here... you got even bigger malfunctions than me! ;)

Rakali; Now THAT is a "profile" that tickles the imagination! ;)if I only had ten bucks! ;)

Rakali said...

Eccentric people have odd profiles, so I'm told. :)
Turns out you weren't the one parked next to us. I owe you ten. Have fun in Bandon, don't forget to hit the beach loop scenic route in town. We're off to Blanco!