Change of Plans: Heading to Kelso, WA To See Friends

If you read our last blog, you know we were in Tillamook, Oregon, and left early since some friends were in going to be close enough to get some time with. So, we let our hosts know we were leaving early, then packed up and hit the road.

Our journey south had resulted in our GPS rerouting us when we added in a via point, so we had missed Haystack Rock, made famous by the 1985 movie The Goonies. So since our trip back north was taking us right past it, we had to stop! Luckily, Cannon Beach, just off of Highway 101, has public parking with spots just for big RVs, so parking was taken care of. BJ said it wasn’t too bad getting in and out of there, even on a busy Friday with a full parking lot, but as always, just take your time if you visit and do what YOU are comfortable with.

We hopped out of the truck, leashed up Luna and headed for the beach, with BJ and I peppering Luther with movie quotes (he hasn’t seen it–I know, parenting fail on our part, but we remedy it!). The beach area (the one the trucks were racing on) is beautiful and has great views of the rock, and was filled with lots of people also braving the cold and on again/off again rain. Luna, loving the beach, took BJ on a sprint through the sand, enjoying the stretch break. We then walked back into town and hit the coffee shop, The Sleepy Monk for some hot beverages and a bag of espresso beans before getting back on the road.

The rest of the drive was beautiful as we followed the coast to Astoria, then headed back inland and through the mountains. Kelso, Washington, just over the Columbia River and inside the Washington state line, was our destination.

Some of our FOS Crew/SeRV Community friends were in town and we ended up at the same RV park for the weekend, which was perfect, since we were there to catch up together. We got to see their brand new RV and truck, do some community service together, and attend the FOS Crew meet up at Heavenly Donut shop in town. And I was so enjoying the time together, I completely forgot to get any pictures of us! They also had a copy of The Goonies we were able to borrow so Luther could see it, and we could see it again–we honestly couldn’t remember the last time we saw it!

We stayed at Brookhollow RV Park in Kelso, and it was a great location with reasonable prices, offering both military and Good Sam discounts. The spots were paved with full hook ups, mostly level, and easy to access. They have both back in and pull-though spots along the river, but don’t offer a water view since there is a dike between the road and the river, so just know that booking. The top of the dike offered great views of the water and birds, and is a multi-use trail, so was perfect for walks and runs while we were there. They had a clubhouse, laundry room and fitness center available, but we didn’t get a chance to use them. The office staff was friendly and helpful, making sure we knew to take the RV park entrance (blue and white sign) and not the brown and gold sign for the community that many have gotten stuck in. If we visit the area again, this RV park will be on our list, for sure!

We had such a busy couple of days, we ended up staying an extra night to get a down day for rest and life maintenance, and it worked out well since it was rainy all day. It’s great how things just work out that way.

Now we will (finally) be starting our journey south into California to hit several of the national parks on our list and see some other friends. We may have to tweak our journey a bit since snow decided to make an appearance this weekend and some of our wish list is at higher elevation, meaning winter road closures could happen soon. Fingers crossed, but stay tuned to future blogs for more on that journey!

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