Tag Archives: Ferndale

ok, getting back on topic, traveling with my dog this past summer…We loved Ashland, as mentioned in my post about Silly Rabbit way back when. Medford was ok. The drive from Ashland to Brookings was very scenic, although the temperature was hot hot hot. 

We found a nice lake in Ashland near Dagoba. The folks there were gracious, gave us a few samples and directed us to a place to cool off. Cici jumped right in the water and splashed her little heart out while I watched. There was not a good place for me to be in the shade and the water was too muddy for my taste but refreshing for my dog who had been in the hot car. Splish splash.

Just north of Medford, in Grants Pass, we stopped at Cary’s, known for its English Toffee. Delish !  We received a warm welcome and free samples. They had just been featured on Rachael Ray’s TV show.  The deep dark chocolate toffee is fantastic so I was a happy camper. Cici had to stay in the car, so she waited patiently and sulked. 

http://www.carysoforegon.com/dark-chocolate.html

Brookings, Oregon was just plain strange. It was a relief to get to the cool ocean breezes and Cici was anxious to meet some doggie friends on the beach. But first, we stopped in at the Travel Center at Harris Beach State Park. They have a campground with four yurts and there is a beautiful rest area (the best we have ever sniffed anywhere).  It took some convincing and asking several people for permission to visit the yurts, but we managed to view a yurt that they use for kids. The other yurts were occupied by campers. The campground was brimming full of people, too claustrophobic for my taste. Isn’t the point of camping out to get away from everything, including people? 

The beaches from Astoria to Brookings are havens for dog lovers and their four-legged companions, who happily swim in the ocean, dig in the sand, and nap on the beach, according to the hype. The day was cloudy and overcast but we endeavored our way down the stairs to get to the beach. Cici sniffed the entire way, licked some feet of passersby, and we made it onto the sand. The coolness was invigorating and there were a few dogs with their humans. Cici wanted to play with all of them but settled for a large dog (mixed breed). The two pups rassled and chased one another across the wet sand and into pools of water while we humans chatted. Boring. 

Afterwards, we got a bite to eat at three places, a health food place, friendly people, ok carrot juice, and an Italian place, had a sad chicken parmesanlike sandwich. The third place is not even worth mentioning, that’s how bad it was. We had high hopes for chocolate but there were no venues worth mentioning. We were going to rest our sleepy heads in Brookings but the place frankly gave us the creeps. I love small towns and thought that the rest area would be safe. It was still daylight. The motels were not dog friendly and expensive. So it was not to be for us to stay overnight. There were a lot of restless adolescents (gangs) who seemed to be looking for trouble. So spur of the moment, we decided to head south.

Driving back down the coast is extremely twisty, windy on the 101 and on top of that we had weather to contend with. Thunderstorms with litning to boot. It quickly became dark and country dark, which is the darkest dark there is. Tiny towns with no accommodations, either. No place at the inn for me and my pup.  Sure, most people plan ahead  but me and my dog were flying by the seat of our paws. When you do that, you get a mixed bag. Wonderful discoveries and odd happenings. 

If I had done some research, could woulda shoulda found out about other places. We were going to go up to Gold beach but changed our minds. Oh well, another time…

http://www.beachconnection.net/news/tlodg0606_2163.htm

http://www.goldbeach.org/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/31772/petfriendly_lodging_for_a_beach_vacation.html

http://www.seacrestoregon.com/rooms.htm

Imagine, B&B’s that allow pets…

http://www.bbonline.com/petswelcome.html

and Pet friendly vacation rentals

http://www.petvr.com/index.php/index.html

Finally, after much prayer and supplication for somewhere to rest for the weary, we found a youth hostel in the middle of nowhere. It was full to capacity and then some but we were able to camp out near their parking lot. They locked the gates so that no one could get inside and we felt safe at last. Cici slept in the car while I grabbed my sleeping bag and got some shuteye on the ground. 

The next morning, early, they opened the gate for us ahead of time, and we were off. We flew down past Arcata and Eureka, checked out the wildlife along the way,and the city of Ferndale, revisited the Avenue of the Giants and hunkered down for the night in a Redwood Forest. If you have never been to the Giant Redwoods, go immediately. The hushed forests are enchanting and magical.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/CAPHItree.html

The next day we headed down to Garberville, revisited new friends at a friendly gas station there, had a fabulous brunch, got on the Internet at the library. G-ville is a hippie enclave town, much like Sebastopol near Santa Rosa and Bodega Bay.  We checked out the parks, they were pretty small.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garberville,_California

According to wiki, The first settlers arrived in 1853 to what was then named “Dogtown.”

We checked out the One Log House… This tiny house was made out of one log and has an eating, sleeping and living area, sort of like a train compartment, only bigger. There is also a cafe where you can get on the Internet for free there. Cici sniffed and ran around on the grass. 

http://one-loghouse.com/

After awhile, we made it to Ukiah, back to the Motel 6. But first, we made some friends at the Real Goods Solar Living Center in Hopland.  Cici enjoyed her usual run around and meet people, sniffing and licking feet every step of the way. 

http://www.solarliving.org/

Tours of the Solar Living Center allow people of all ages to learn about solar and wind power, environmentally friendly building materials, passive and active solar design in architecture, and organic gardening and permaculture. Office hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Self-Guided Tours of the Solar Living Center are always available during business hours. Stop by the office to pick up a free self-guided tour brochure.

http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/guides/beach/beach.shtml

U.S. and Canada Beach Guide for Dogs

There are about 270 of 1,500 beaches nationwide permit dogs…

Top Ten Dog Friendly Beaches

http://americasbestonline.net/beachdog.htm