.

.
Borrego Springs, CA

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Mini vacation to Rocky Point

Yesterday morning Emma and I headed out in the car for the 175 mile drive to Rocky Point, OR, to visit Sue and Mo.  They had invited us to stay in the cabin on their property there during my three days off this week. 

81 Oregon Islands NWR 20159

The top two pics are of the front and back of the cabin nestled in the pine/fir forest.  This is more like staying at the Holiday Inn, only with the wonderful peace and quiet of the Oregon woods.  The bottom pics are of their home, some of the wonderful plantings and the spacious back yard.

I figured we’d just visit for the first afternoon after arrival, but Sue had something else in mind.  Remember when I had my first ever try at kayaking for 15 minutes at Imperial NWR last winter?  Well Sue wanted me to experience a longer paddle up here in the north.

IMG_1160

After they loaded up the kayaks, we drove only a couple of blocks away to the Rocky Point Public Boat Launch.  The first order of business was getting me out on the water which required some help for me since I really have no experience.  I actually made it out onto the water without falling in.

IMG_1161

Can you believe how glassy smooth the water was?  It seemed almost perfect weather for my maiden voyage.  The only downer was the heavy smoke covering the mountains from the fires in California.

IMG_1168

After first heading north on Recreation Creek, we decided to turn around and head south toward Pelican Bay.  I knew I couldn’t do nine miles on my first real trip to see a natural spring.  This was also the maiden voyage for little pipsqueak Mattie in a kayak.  She had the cutest little orange life vest on, and really did well sitting in the boat with Mo.  It never even crossed my mind once to try to take Emma on an outing like this.  I would have been in the drink for sure!

IMG_1167

At times, I struggled to keep up, but eventually I think I found my stride.  Kayaking is a bit different than paddling a canoe.  The mountains across the bay really reminded me of the Great Smoky Mountains.  What a shame that there is such a huge fire in California.

Judy on Recreation Creek (1 of 1)-7

As we paddled along, Sue kept telling me that it wasn’t that far to Harriman Spring.  She and Mo seemed to just glide through the water, while I struggled to find my rhythm.  About the time I was ready to head back, she said it was just around the bend.  Yeah, right!  I think it was several bends, but I’m glad I didn’t quit.  The water near Harriman spring was incredibly clear, but also incredibly cold.  You couldn’t leave your hand in it for more than a minute.  Nothing like those springs that Sherry writes about in Florida.

Judy on Recreation Creek (1 of 1)-2

As we headed back toward the launch site we encountered a little rain, but I just had a smile on my face thinking about how lucky I was to have some good friends give me this wonderful afternoon.

back yard conversation (1 of 1)-2

Back at the ranch, we sat outside and just enjoyed the warm weather.  Both Emma and Mattie had innocent smiles on their faces.  Little did we know what was about to ensue.

81 Oregon Islands NWR 20158

It was like the doggie version of the World Wrestling Federation.  Not wishing to take advantage of her size, Emma even came down to little Mattie’s level so things were more evenly balanced.  There was a lot of gnashing of teeth, but it was really just a lot of play.  It wore those two girls right out.

It was a super first day of my mini vacation.  Today Sue and I went on another little excursion, but I’ll save that for tomorrow’s post.  I’ll have to head back to the rig tomorrow, but what a holiday this has been!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

20 comments:

  1. Sounds that you had a wonderful time. Thank you for sharing you experience...

    ReplyDelete
  2. What Fun! That kayak trip sounds great.... the scenery is gorgeous. And the dogs sure look like they're having fun too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gotta love being on the water when it as smooth as that , great scenery.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What an awesome thing for Sue and Mo to do--glad you stayed on top of the water and no, I wouldn't take Emma either! Emmi goes along in the kayak and has a cute little life jacket too--but then she is just a little pipsqueak too! :)) Beautiful scenery and I loved the photos of the dogs playing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my goodness...looks like they have a little bit of heaven. The water looks amazing. And the scenery outstanding. So glad y'all had such great weather and made lots of memories.
    The two furkids look like they were having as much fun as the humans.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So much fun having you here, Judy. I was so impressed with Emma, who was so sweet and gentle with Mattie. Glad I got a chance to know her better this visit. We got lucky with the water, but not the views. Next time hopefully you can see the mountains.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Glad you successfully embarked and disembarked your kayak. I have been know to display all kinds of contortions trying to get into ours gracefully, but never succeed. At least I haven't tumbled into the drink (yet). :c)

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a great way to relax. How nice to have friends set that up for you!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Such wonderful fun. And no falling in. Wow you did great. I love watching the pups play. Scooter and Skitz used to play like that but they are just too old and dignified now.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What fun you and the dogs are having. A great way to spend a vacation.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Looks like you had a wonderful day, and I'm impressed with your kayaking. I'd sorta like to try it sometime, but think I'm probably past the "Sell By" date for doing something like that. Glad Emma is having such a great time also.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Getting out of the kayak is a trick....I always seem to get wet. What a beautiful place to kayak, and what a cute guest cottage...you should have stayed longer! Good for Emma to play nicely with other dogs:)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sounds like lots of fun. I know that when we finally get out there, the first thing Sue is going to do is get me out on the water, too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. How wonderful you got to kayak..I am afraid to try it, but is sure looks peaceful..Lucky you to be able to do another kind of vacation..I do love the Pacific Northwest!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. So glad you got to do this! The lake was absolutely beautiful, full of reflections of mountains and clouds. Perfect! What great friends to give you a vacation before you move to your next adventure!

    ReplyDelete
  16. It's always a good thing when you announce early that nobody fell in! I bet you took to kayaking like a duck to water! ;- )

    Glad you enjoyed your time on the water, with Sue and Mo (and ratty Mattie).

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a beautiful place they have. How nice for them to invite you and Emma to visit. That lake looks spectacular and the calm waters are perfect for learning to kayak. We rarely have such calm water with no currents. I hope you get to kayak some of the beautiful Florida springs one day.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Way to go, Judy. And as soon as you find out that kayaking, as well as canoeing, all comes from the stomach through body rotation, you'll be able to go 18 to 20 miles easily. I used to run big young guys into the ground, until they learned to twist to paddle.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Nice Post .This is very useful post for everyone. Thank you so much this post.

    India Tour Packages

    ReplyDelete