Mt. Rainier to the Redwoods

We picked a perfect day for Mt. Rainier because when we left the next day it was raining.  We traveled all day in pouring rain and finally stopped in Eugene Oregon for the night.  I had researched places to stay on Freecampsites.net and came up with the Valley River Center Mall.  The site indicated that it was quiet and safe - tucked behind office buildings by the Mall.  We thought great - we can catch a movie, get a haircut and dinner.  We walked through the Mall and found security and they told us where to go to park and that a security officer would stop by and check us in.  Just as we were parked and getting ready to put the slide out, security arrived.  It was a young kid - maybe 18.  He asked for ID and I gave him my NYS drivers license.  He asked where our house was and I said we were full-time RVers and he could just use my mailing address on the license.  He got very indignant and rude and said we had to leave because we didn't have a house. Gary said use my ID, I still have a house in Albany.  He replied that since I already told him we lived in the RV we couldn't stay and had to leave.  It was pouring rain so we got back in the truck and found the nearest Walmart.  Got a rotisserie chicken there for dinner and haircuts across the street at Supercuts and watched a movie on the laptop.  Give a kid a uniform and they go on a power trip.  

The next morning we get on the road and get to the Oregon coast.  Tucson gets to run a bit on some sand dunes.

We stop and see the Umpqua River lighthouse

 Drive along the coastline

 and stop at the Prehistoric Gardens, a roadside attraction since 1955

 Tucson makes a friend

 The park is really well done.  Life size dinosaurs and lots of information on them as well as the flora and fauna.  You feel as if you are walking through Jurassic Park

Triceratops and Dimetroden

 This Ichthyosaur got beached

 This Brontosaurus is 3 stories tall

 Stegosaurus

We continue on along the beautiful coastline in beautiful weather

 We arrive at our destination - Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.  It's going to be fun finding a site among these trees!

 It takes some time but we finally find a spot that fits!

 It's a beautiful park - on the Smith River - the longest major ree flowing river in California

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is the last in a long string of redwood parks that stretch up Northern California's coast. The park is densely forested with huge ancient trees. It contains seven percent of all the old-growth redwoods left in the world.

We look forward to exploring the Park tomorrow!