In this segment of “The RV DIY® Project Video Series” Mark Polk, with RV Education 101, demonstrates how-to install a
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| Goliad Mission Espiritu Santo (Julianne G. Crane) |
Mission Espiritu Santo in Goliad State Park, sits on prime grasslands along the San Antonio River in the South Texas Plains.
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| RVer Jimmy Smith inside chapel. (Julianne G. Crane) |
It is a peaceful place to rejoice in the holiday spirit this season by celebrating History in Lights, from 6 to 8 p.m. the month of December.
“Lights and shadows will tell the story of this remarkable site as visitors walk the same path taken by Native Americans and Spanish Franciscans Priests so long ago,” according to park officials.
“More than 250 years ago, Spanish missionaries and soldiers established” this beautiful Franciscan mission. It became the home of the largest ranching operation in Texas in the18th century. The Spanish colonial church and grounds were reconstructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s and includes some original artifacts.
There is much to see during this season with the mission compound grounds, the chapel and workshop being open to the public.
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| Goliad County (click on to enlarge) |
Goliad State Park
Mission Espiritu Santo
Approximately ½ mile south of Goliad on Highway 183.
108 Park Rd. 6
Goliad, TX 77963
(361) 645-3405
Latitude: 28.644411 Longitude: -97.438718
Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., daily except for Christmas Day
Admission: $4; Children 12 years and under: Free
The nearby historically interesting Fannin Memorial and the restored Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de La Bahía are featured in another post.
For information on the Goliad State Park campground, click here.
– Julianne G. Crane.
To read more RV lifestyle articles by Julianne go to RVWheelLife.com
By Julianne G. Crane
While I have seen “bigger” trees, this Coastal Live Oak is pretty darn impressive. It is estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, with a circumference of 35 feet and a crown spread of 90 feet. It stands about 44 feet tall.
Known locally as “The Big Tree,” it is part of Goose Island State Park in Lamar, Texas, a few miles northeast of Fulton / Rockport on the Texas Gulf Coast.This tree was named the State Champion Coastal Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) in 1969, and is one of the largest in the nation.Each winter we spend time on the Gulf Coast, we visit the tree as part of bicycling around Goose Island State Park.
On thee different bicycle excursions over the years, Jimmy and I have seen the endangered whooping cranes feeding on berries and blue crabs found in the coastal wetlands around Goose Island State Park.
It is said other local wildlife include white-tailed deer, raccoons, armadillos, foxes, squirrels, cottontail rabbits and more than 300 varieties of birds.
Direction:
About 10 miles northeast of Fulton/Rockport on Highway 35. Just north of the Copano Bay bridge, turn east to Goose Bay State Park. The first right will be Park Road 13. This connects with Lamar Beach Road that takes you to the tree. Depending on the time of day or the season, you may encounter deer on the narrow, densely shaded and flowered road.
Free.
— Julianne G. Crane
For more RV lifestyle articles by Julianne G. Crane, go to RVWheelLife.com.
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| Near the Fish Ladder (left) Mary Jane Huber & John Winnicki from Virginia & Jimmy Smith. |
If you find yourself heading north or south this autumn along I-5 near Exit 129 in Oregon, pull off for a few minutes to stretch your legs at the Winchester Fish Ladder … and maybe, just maybe, be amazed by watching migrating steelhead and salmon swim upstream to spawn in their home streams along the North Umpqua River watershed.
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| Dam and fish ladder (Julianne G. Crane) |
According to Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: “Biologists use the fish counts to monitor populations, make management decisions, and recommend angling regulations. A video camera records fish passage, and a technician views the tapes to record species and size, fin clips, and any predator marks. The primary species of anadromous fish counted at Winchester Dam are summer and winter steelhead, spring chinook salmon, and coho salmon.”
This is a great family stop … especially for kids of all ages, including RVer Jimmy Smith and my cousins Mary Jane Huber and John Winnicki from Floyd, Va.
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| Children viewing Chinook going up the fish ladder. (Julianne G. Crane) |
On the day we visited, there were young families with children who were delighting in the sightings of salmon swimming against the river’s flow.
“Depending on where they enter the ladder,” states one of the signs also the stairway, “the fish will have nine to 11 additional pools to negotiate….each pool also has a slow water eddy in at least one corner where the fish can rest. With moving and resting, it takes most fish about one hour to make the journey through the ladder.”
Be aware that there is a series of very steep stairs to and from the fish viewing area that could be a challenge for some. While there is NO handicap access to the viewing room, the dam can be observed from the top of the stairs where there is extensive signage explaining the North Umpqua River drainage area.
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| Winchester Bridge from viewing area (Julianne G. Crane) |
Directions:
The Winchester Fish Ladder underwater viewing area is located just east of I-5 on Hwy. 99, about three miles north of Roseburg, Ore.
Take exit 129 and head east. Turn right (south) on Hwy. 99. The viewing area parking lot is located on the left, just before the Winchester Bridge.
It can be easy to miss coming from the north on Hwy. 99, as there is only a “fish viewing” sign on the left with a small parking lot, however there is room for RVs.
BTW: Just south across the Winchester Bridge is a small community with a decent restaurant, Mom and Pop grocery store and post office.
To read more posts on the RV Lifestyle by Julianne Crane, go to RVWheelLife.com
Click on photos to enlarge.
This Simplex X-Ray Shoe Fitter made it possible to see the bones of the foot inside a shoe. It would show any deformation or misplacement of the bones for correctly fitted shoes.
It is believed that Dr. Jacob J. Lowe, a Boston physician, invented the device during World War II to accommodate the large number of soldiers needing correctly fitted shoes for their foot injuries.
It was used in stores into the 1950s before being banned due to the harmful radiation it produced.
The top photo simulates what it was like to stand on the platform in front of the machine and see your own foot’s skeletal structure. The other ports are for the salesperson and another person to look through. The platform you stood on was only protected from the X-ray tube by an aluminum filter. We found this machine in the Fort Missoula museum in Missoula, Montana.
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| Coos Bay Boardwalk, Oregon. (Julianne G Crane) |
Coos Bay is the largest city on the Oregon Coast and celebrates its history in shipbuilding, lumber products, tradition as the regional hub and hometown to running legend Steve Prefontaine. This scenic community is surrounded by “a beautiful bay, lush emerald forests and the mighty Pacific Ocean” and offers a wide variety of outdoor activities.
Jimmy Smith and I were in the area for a Crab Rally organized by the Escapee RV Club’s Oregon Trails Chapter 9 out of Sutherlin, Ore. The Coos Bay offers outstanding crabbing, clamming and fishing.
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| Coos Bay Visitor Information Center (Julianne G Crane) |
Start your tour of Coos Bay at the
Visitor Information Center, 50 Central Ave. (Hwy.101); (541) 269-0215.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday – Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Winter: no hours on Sunday. Parking lot. Public restrooms.
The Visitor Center is directly across the street from the Coos Bay Boardwalk and City Docks. The Boardwalk features “historical displays of the area’s maritime and wood products history.”
Historic Walking Tour: There is a great little pamphlet that lists a number of attractions and buildings that are within about a five-block square area of the Visitor Center. Where I spent an hour or so is the Coos Art Museum.
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| Coos Art Museum. (Julianne G Crane) |
Oregon’s 3rd oldest Art Museum is housed in the historic art deco former-U.S. Post Office “built in 1934-35 as a WPA project … On 1/1/85 it reopened as the museum.” The CAM features a regular schedule of exhibits, art classes, lectures and community events. The Collection of Contemporary Art rotates on display throughout the year.
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| Steve Prefontaine (NikeRunning.com) |
Steve Prefontaine Gallery
On the second floor of the Coos Art Museum is a room “dedicated to the short life and brilliant running career of Coos Bay native” and international track star Steve Prefontaine.
This small gallery includes the shoes “Pre” wore while running the race in which he set his first American record. The 5,000-meter race took place on July 3, 1971. Pre’s time was 13:30.4. “Pre held eight long-distance running records. Runners from all over the
world know about Pre’s accomplishments,” states CoosArt.org.
“During his brief 24-year lifespan, Steve Prefontaine grew from hometown hero, to record-setting college phenomenon, to internationally acclaimed track star,” according to PrefontaineRun.com. He ran in the Olympic Games held in Munich, 1972, however, he died in an automobile crash in 1975, before he could race in the 1976 Olympics. “Pre has become the stuff of enduring legend.”
Major Coos Bay events:
September: 10K Prefontaine Memorial Run.
Oct. 9-Dec. 5, 2015 — Coos Art Museum
“JUXTAPOSED: Installation Art”
Renee Couture, Dani Dodge, Allison Hyde & Karin Richardson. The exhibit focuses on contemporary women artists, all with strong ties to Oregon. These artists have a history of producing challenging and thought-provoking works through installation and experimental media.
November: Santa arrives by tugboat. Friday after Thanksgiving.
December: Annual holiday lights display at nearby Shore Acres State Park.
– For up-to-date information on Coos Bay and the surround region, click on: Oregon’s Adventure Coast
– For information on RV parking at The Mills Casino and RV Park, click here for an item posted on RVWheelLife.com
Read more about the RV Lifestyle on RVWheelLife.com
Coos Bay photos by Julianne G. Crane. Steve Prefontaine (NikeRunning.com)
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| Ohio Memorial Shrine (Julianne G Crane) |
Nestled in a peaceful corner of Ohio’s 4,525-acre Mohican-Memorial State Forest is the Ohio Memorial Forest Shrine — the state’s official monument to nearly 20,000 sons and daughters who died in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Afghanistan and Iraq operations.
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| Lee and Sherian Shriver looking up relatives who served in WWII (Julianne G Crane) |
During an early autumn RV trip through the Midwest, Jimmy and I visited this quiet retreat with longtime friends Lee and Sherian Shriver of nearby Ashland, Ohio.
While we were reflecting in the 32-foot by 24-foot sandstone structure, Sherian and Lee researched several relatives who served in the military during WW II. A number of large ledgers list the name of all Ohioians who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service for their country during war conflicts.
Dedicated in April 27, 1947, this Shrine continues to be a joint project of Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of
Forestry and the Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs.
In an agreement ODNR has with the nearby Mohican Juvenile Correctional Facility, youth now provide daily maintenance of the facility. In addition to opening and closing the Shrine , youth from the facility ensure the proper display of the American and Ohio flags.
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| Sherian Shriver (Julianne G Crane) |
It is said that since 1947, state foresters have planted more than 310,000 trees in the immediate area–living memorials to the thousands of war dead honored and remembered here.
In addition to the Memorial Shrine, according to the ODNR, the surrounding Mohican-Memorial State Forest includes 32 miles of hiking trails; 22 miles of bridle trails; 8 miles of snowmobile trails; 24-mile mountain biking trail; 10 “Park and Pack” campsites; a fire tower; 1.5-mile Discovery Forest interpretive trail.
On the last Sunday in September each year the Ohio Gold Star Mothers sponsor a pilgrimage to the Shrine and hold a special program.
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| Display cases. (Julianne G Crane) |
If you go:
Ohio Memorial Forest Shrine
Hours: Daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
East of I-71, exit 165 on State Route 97, near Loudonville, Ohio.
Click here to read about nearby RV camping:
It is only about 4 miles east
Mohican State Park
3116 State Route 3
Loudonville, OH 44842
Camping reservations: (866) 644-6727
To read more articles about the RV lifestyle by Julianne G Crane, go to RVWheelLife.com
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| RVers coming out of Rumiano Cheese Co. in Crescent City. (Julianne G. Crane) |
Sitting in a small coastal town near Pacific Coast Highway 101 is Rumiano Cheese Company, the oldest family-owned cheese company in California. It has been “hand rolling” artisan cheese for four generations.
“The success Rumiano Cheese Company has acquired over nearly 90 years
can be credited to two important factors,” according to third generation owners Baird and John Rumiano–“a talented and
hard-working staff” and “a high-quality supply of milk.”
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| Production area behind glass wall. (Julianne G. Crane) |
Rumiano’s cheese production takes place in Crescent City, located roughly 10 miles from the Oregon border in northern California.
The production facility also houses a small retail shop, showroom and a view of the production area through a glass wall.
In 2011, they launched their Rumiano Family Organic line, which is the first cheese in
the U.S. market to receive Non-GMO Project Verification.
This is the “most wholesome cheese in the world,” says John Rumiano. The organic cheese can be found in select Whole Food Markets and natural food stores nationwide.
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| Rumiano Cheese Co. retail shop and showroom. (Julianne G. Crane) |
The company receives its milk supply from independent third, fourth and fifth generation dairy
farms all from within a 90-mile radius. The area’s mild climate and abundant rainfall stimulates feed
growth and allows for year-round grazing. All of the milk used by Rumiano’s is free of
artificial hormones (rBST) and the cows are grass-fed, according to the website.
“At Rumiano Cheese we focus on what is good for the earth, and its inhabitants. Sustainability not only saves on costs but benefits our community and world.”
“We have some of the finest milk in the nation here,”
Baird Rumiano says. “It all comes down to good people, good ingredients and good products.”
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| Rumiano cheeses. (Julianne G. Crane) |
If you go
Rumiano Cheese Company
511 9th St.
Crescent City, CA 95531
URL: RumianoCheese.com
To learn more about the Florence Keller County Campground in Crescent City, where we dry-camped in our truck/camper for four days, click here.
To read more articles about the RV lifestyle by Julianne G Crane, go to RVWheelLife.com.
Photos: Taken at Rumiano Cheese Company in Crescent City, Calif. (Top) RVers Jimmy Smith of Oregon and Jane and Kevin Justis of Susanville, Calif., visited the Rumiano Cheese Shop. (Julianne G. Crane)
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| Northern Lite camper at Camp 18 (Julianne G. Crane) |
Traveling along Oregon Highway 26, west of Portland, you’ll spot a huge rustic log-cabin restaurant and loggers’ memorial at milepost 18.
There are hundreds of logging-related historic artifacts, tons of antique logging equipment, a logging museum, and generous servings of pretty darn good food–it is called Camp 18.
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| Camp 18 has ample RV parking. (Julianne G. Crane) |
The restaurant-museum complex is near the small rural community of Elsie and was a dream of Gordon and Roberta Smith.
Construction began in the early ’70s with Gordon’s friends joining him in the project.
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| Expansive interior of restaurant. (Julianne G. Crane) |
The expansive architecture is authentic in materials and construction techniques.
It features an 85-foot ridgepole (see ceiling) that’s the largest such piece in the United States. It weighs approximately 25 tons and if cut would have 5,600 board feet of lumber in it.
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| Authentic logging equipment (Julianne G. Crane) |
History buffs interested in the evolution of logging in the northwest will find plenty of outdoor displays including “multiple steam donkeys such as a Dolbeer single spool, a very early first-generation model, to a high-tech late-model Willamette compound geared yarder that was the height of technology for its day.
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| Logging Memorial (Julianne G. Crane) |
“Other displays on site include a large bandsaw from a sawmill, a self-propelled Ohio steam crane, Caterpillar-style tracked vehicles that worked in the woods, a railroad skeleton log car and other heavy equipment plus a wide variety of large and small hardware,” according to Camp 18’s webpage.
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| Jimmy Smith in Loggers Memorial. (Julianne G. Crane) |
The most recent addition to the complex is the Loggers Memorial located “in a beautiful setting befitting those whose dedication to our forests … will forever be enshrined. This is an opportunity for families and friends to memorialize individuals … who’ve made logging their work, their passion or their life.”
For complete information about the Loggers’ Memorial project, click here.
Camp 18 Restaurant & Loggers Memorial
42362 Highway 26
Elsie, Oregon 97138
Hours of operation are:
Sunday – Thursday 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
There is plenty of large RV-size parking in the lot.
To read more articles on RV lifestyle by Julianne G. Crane go to RVWheelLife.com
Photos: (Chick on images to enlarge.) External and interior photos of Camp 18 Restaurant. Some of the authentic logging equipment on display. Jimmy Smith reading through brief bios of dozens of loggers, many of whom died working in the woods. (Julianne G. Crane)
##RVT803
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| Heceta Head Lighthouse on Oregon Coast (Julianne G. Crane) |
The Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most, if not the most, photographed lighthouse in the world.
This breathtaking Oregon State Scenic Viewpoint is located on Hwy. 101, halfway between Yachats and Florence along the central Oregon Coast.
A perfect outing for the entire family, the Lighthouse and Light Keeper’s House were built around 1894 and both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The working 56-foot lighthouse sits midway up a 205-foot-tall headland. Its “first order” Fresnel lens casts an automated beam visible for 21 miles out to sea. It is the brightest light on the Oregon coast.
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| Beach below Heceta Head (Julianne G. Crane) |
The Light Keeper’s House is perched further back from the lighthouse on a cliff with a magnificent view of the Cape Cove and the beach below. The Queen Anne style house features an interpretive center, and bed and breakfast facilities.
A 1/2-mile long walking trail leads from the fee parking lot to the lighthouse while gaining 150 feet in elevation. If you are unable to walk the path, sit at one of the picnic tables or stroll along the beach and take in the magnificent scenery and wildlife.
If you go:
The Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint
92072 S. Hwy 101, Florence, OR
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| Heceta Head (Oregon State Parks) |
Lighthouse
– Tours daily, March-Oct., 11 a.m. -5 p.m. (double check on times)
– The lighthouse observation area is open year round during park hours; by appointment throughout year. Call 1-800-551-6949.
– A $5 day-use fee is required. (This pass is good for parking the entire day at any state park. Visitors can leave one day-use fee park and travel to another.)
– For more information: Oregon State Parks.
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| Light Keeper’s House (OSP) |
Interpretive Center
– Located in Keeper’s House.
– Guided tours summer months, Thurs-Mon., 11 a.m.-4 p.m., by appointment throughout year. Call: 1-866-547-3696.
– No charge for tours, however donations accepted.
Bed and Breakfast
– 15 guest capacity
– Fully equipped guest kitchen
– Parlors with amazing ocean views.
– Operated by a concessionaire of the U.S. Forest Service and can be reached at 1-866-547-3696.
– Best time to call: Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time). On the weekends in and out of the office.
URL: hecetalighthouse.com/
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| Source: OSP |
Directions
Located on Hwy. 101 on the central Oregon Coast along the Pacific Ocean.
– About 13 miles north of Florence and 13 miles south of Yachats.
– 1/2 mile north of the world famous “Sea Lion Caves” near mile marker #178.
Camping at nearby Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park. Click here for more information in an article on RVWheelLife.com.
— Julianne G. Crane
Photos: Chick on images to enlarge.
To read more articles by Julianne G. Crane go to RVWheelLife.com
A landmark attraction, the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle
proudly stands watch over Collinsville, Illinois.
At 170 feet tall, it includes a 70-foot tall riveted steel bottle sitting atop 100-foot steel legs. The base of the bottle is 25 feet in diameter and the cap is 8 feet across. It has a capacity of 100,000 gallons of catsup … or water.
Originally built as a water tower in 1949 by Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, Ky., it was falling apart by the early ’90s.
In 1993, the Catsup Bottle Preservation Group began fundraising efforts to save the roadside attraction from demolition. Two years of efforts resulted in it being beautifully restored to its original appearance in June of 1995.
An excellent example of 20th century roadside Americana, the Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower was named to the National Register of Historic Places in August of 2002.
While the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle attracts numerous tourists every day, the annual birthday bash and car show each summer brings in thousands of visitors.
Mark your calendars for the 17th Annual Brooks® World’s Largest Catsup Bottle Festival Birthday Party and Car (Truck and Bike) Show taking place on Sunday, July 12, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Woodland Park in Collinsville, Illinois.
Directions: Collinsville, sits on Interstates 55/70 and 255, in the southwestern region of the Illinois, about 10 miles east of downtown St. Louis, Missouri.
The World’s Largest Catsup Bottle water tower is located at 800 S. Morrison Ave. (IL Route 159) just south of Main Street in downtown Collinsville.
For RV Parks near Collinsville, click here.
To read more articles by Julianne G. Crane go to RVWheelLife.com
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| Historic downtown Oakland, Oregon (Julianne G. Crane) |
For RVers who travel through southwest Oregon along I-5, consider taking a couple of hours to explore the small historic town of Oakland and appreciate the architecture of a hundred years ago.
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| Stearns Hardware 2nd & Locust (Julianne G. Crane) |
The town’s two-block business district consists of the original brick buildings built between 1852 and 1890. Stearns Hardware (pictured) has been in operation since 1887. Oakland was the first Oregon city to be placed on the state’s historic register, in May 1968.
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| Outside Tolly’s during Christmas Holidays (Julianne G. Crane) |
It is said that Oakland has one of the best preserved collections of
classic brick storefronts from the 19th Century. Many of the 80
properties are labeled with their vintage and former use. Today these building are transformed into antique stores, collectible shops, restaurants and taverns.
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| Inside Tolly’s Grill & Soda Fountain (Julianne G. Crane) |
One eatery, Tolly’s Grill & Soda Fountain, is housed in an 1872 building that originally served as the town’s Drug Store and Mercantile.
Opened daily, this cozy restaurant features old fashioned homemade sodas and milkshakes at its restored marble topped fountain.
My personal breakfast favorite is the Tolly’s Pocket Saver: 2 eggs any style with house breakfast potatoes, choice of toast and fresh coffee. All for $5 on Saturday or Sunday.
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| Oakland Museum (Julianne G. Crane) |
The Oakland Museum features community’s history from 1851 to the present. Artifacts, photographs and much more are on display.
The museum is open from 12:30 to 3:30 daily and closed holidays, with no admission for entry.
Directions:
Oakland is only a few minutes off I-5, Exit 138 or 140 (North / South) between Roseburg and Eugene. Only 2 miles south of Oakland is Sutherlin where there are three RV parks, read about them by clicking here.
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| Click on images to enlarge. (Julianne G. Crane) |
Upcoming events
– May 9, 2015 – 12th Annual Classic Car Show and Shine, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Registration of cars begins at 8 a.m., $10 per vehicle. To pre register click here.
Live entertainment by the Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers.
– May 16, 2015 – 23rd Annual City Wide Garage Sale, 9 a.m. until sold out or dusk. Call (541) 459-4531.
– June 19-21, 26-28, 2015: Melodrama ‘Rustlers of the Red Rock’ Fri.-Sat. 7 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m.
To read more articles by Julianne G. Crane go to RVWheelLife.com
