With the date of the Eclipse looming (August 21) we headed for McMinnville Oregon in the totality zone. First stop HARRIS RANCH in Coalinga – great food, gift shop, and the much needed restrooms..
BACK ON BORING I-5, WE SPENT OUR FIRST NIGHT IN SACRAMENTO AT OLD TOWN. THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO MUSEUMS TO VISIT PLUS THE RAILROAD MUSEUM. LOTS OF EATERIES, SHOPS AND STORES.
A golden bridge reflecting the sun crosses the Sacramento River.
NEXT STOP JACKSONVILLE OREGON – LAND OF NO SALES TAX AND ATTENDANTS AT THE GAS STATIONS FILL YOUR TANK.
WE STAYED AT THE HISTORIC JACKSONVILLE INN KNOWN FOR ITS EGGS BENEDICT BREAKFASTS. WE SPENT THE EVENING AT THE BELLA UNION WITH TWO HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS
AT LAST WE REACHED MCMINNVILLE AND CHECKED INTO THE LITTLE COTTAGE MY SISTER RENTED ON THE STOLLER VINEYARD. OUR FIRST OUTING WAS A WINETASTING PARTY IN THE VIP ROOM AND A TOUR OF THE AREA TO LEARN ABOUT ITS HISTORY.
The family established the property in 1943 and the vineyard fifty years later. Today, it is the largest contiguous vineyard in Oregon’s Dundee Hills. The Stoller family controls every step of the process, from pruning to bottling and everything in between. The result is award-winning wines that are balanced, complex, and consistently exceptional.
THAT NIGHT WE ENJOYED A NINE COURSE MEAL TOGETHER WITH WINE PAIRING. EACH COURSE WAS EXPLAINED AND SERVED ON THE BIGGEST OF PLATES WITH A CHANGE OF UTENSILS. IT TOOK PLACE IN AN HISTORIC HOUSE CALLED “THE PAINTED LADY.”
COUNTDOWN: TWO MORE DAYS TO ECLIPSE!
AWAITING THE ASTRONIMCAL SHOW OF MY LIFE, WE TOURED THE EVERGREEN AEROSPACE MUSEUM, HOME OF THE SPRUCE GOOSE. ITS A TERRIFIC MUSEUM WITH A BUILDING ON AIRPLANES INCLUDING THE SG, AND A BUILDING ON SPACE TRAVEL. ALSO A GREAT IMAX THEATER.
THE MORNING ARRIVES AND WE HAVE COLLECTED OUR PEEPS AND CHAIRS. MY SISTER CASEY, HER HUSBAND GEORGE, HER DAUGHTER BRITTANY AND HUSBAND VICTOR, HAVE BINOCULARS WITH CAPS THAT ALLOW THEM TO LOOK AT THE SUN. WE ARE READY – BUT IF WE TRAVEL 15 MILES FROM OUR COTTAGE WE CAN SEE THE TOTAL ECLIPSE FOR TWO WHOLE MINUTES SO WE DRIVE TO THE LINGUA FRANCA VINEYARD OWNED BY MASTER SOMMELIER LARRY STONE. HE INVITES US TO SET UP ON A FIELD WITH A PERFECT VIEW OF THE UPCOMING EXTRAORDINARY SHOW.
OF COURSE THE PROPER ATTIRE IS CALLED FOR:
WE COUNT DOWN AND SOON THE MOON’S SHADOW TAKES A BITE OF THE SUN, SLOWLY IT STARTS TO DARKEN AROUND US AND COOLER TEMPER-TURES TAKE HOLD. WE ARE BREATHLESS. WE SNAP PHOTOS LIKE CRAZY AND WATCH THIS PHENOMENON UNFOLD. FOR TWO MINUTES THE SUN IS BLANKED OUT WITH FLARES ESCAPING THE PERIMETER AND WE ARE YELLING AND COMMENTING AND BASKING IN THIS EVENT.
IT WAS BETTER THAN EXPECTED! A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.
BEFORE WE LEAVE THE WILLAMET VALLEY, WE VISIT OUR FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN INDEPENDENCE OREGON (re-located from Duarte). THEY ARE REMODELING A HOUSE ON A FEW ACRES OF LAND WHERE THEY GROW PEARS, PLUMS, RAISE CHICKENS AND ENJOY THIS LITTLE TOWN.
ALAN, CLAUDIA, EMERSON, BRENT, CHRISTA, TREVOR, YOLANDA, CHUCK & DOG. (MC KENZIE TOOK THE PHOTO)
TIME TO HEAD HOME BUT FIRST A STOP AT THE TILLAMOOK CHEESE FACTORY.
THE OREGON COAST SPANS 339 MILES, 80 PER CENT OF WHICH IS PUBLIC. WE ENJOYED THE RUGGED BEAUTY, THE EXPANSIVE BEACHES, ROCKY COVES, AND STATE PARK AFTER STATE PARK, ALL UNDER CALIFORNIIA-TYPE WEATHER. AUGUST IS THE MONTH TO BE HERE. WE STOPPED AT EVERY LIGHT HOUSE, PULLED OUT OFTEN TO TAKE PHOTOS AND ENJOYED SEAFOOD IN THE LITTLE TOWNS ALONG THE WAY.
THE BEAUTY CONTINUED OVER THE CALIFORNIA BORDER. WE FOUND A CUTE PLACE TO STAY IN TRINIDAD AND EARLY THE NEXT DAY HEADED TO ONE OF OUR FAVORITE STOPS: KATY’S. WE BOUGHT SMOKED SALMON AND OTHER FISH DELIGHTS INCLUDING HALIBUT CHEEKS.
QUEEN ANNE’S LACE ACCOMPANIED US ALONG THE ENTIRE COAST. I WAS ABLE TO CLIP SOME FOR MY FLOWER PRESS WHICH I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO BRING LONG.
I LOVE READING BULLETIN BOARDS IN THE SMALL TOWNS. THEY SAY SO MUCH ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.
FORT ROSS IS A FASCINATING PLACE. Fort Ross, one of the main tourist attractions between Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg, is a California State Historic Park showcasing a historic Russian-era fort compound that has been designated National Historic Landmark status. Located eleven miles north of Jenner on California Highway One, one of the most scenic coastal routes in the world Fort Ross is surrounded by sandy beaches, panoramic coves, and redwood forests, with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.
IT WAS AN EXCITING TRIP, PUNCTUATED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY AND TO VIEW THE MAGNIFICENT SOLAR ECLIPSE TOGETHER. THESE ARE MEMORIES THAT WILL STAY WITH US