February Camping on the Oregon Coast
We had a few warm days here in Portland and I de-winterized my RV, made a few small repairs and headed for a few nights of February camping on the Oregon coast. I wanted to shake things out and check and make sure everything is working as it should before I head out for a longer journey this year.
I packed my kitten Tucker up and went to Cape Lookout State Park on the Oregon Coast, a place I love—especially in the off season. Even though I had a great time there with Tucker, I wasn’t prepared for how much I would miss Olive. Camping without a dog is very different than camping with a dog. The routine is different—I don’t plan my days around her walks. The morning walk on the beach is not the same without a friend bounding along beside you. The evening walk around the campground didn’t even happen.
I tried to take Tucker along for some adventures and I’m learning what she likes and does not like. Turns out she does not like the beach. I think she’s afraid of the vastness and the waves. Even in her backpack, she was scared. We went for a small walk on a campground trail. She liked that better. I took her out of the backpack and let her scramble along. She’s in her harness and on a flexi-leash. She’d run ahead, jump on a stump or start to climb a tree. As soon as we got close to the beach, though, she got scared and tried to run back the other way.
Although I missed Olive a lot, I reminded myself that this is my new life now and it’s going to take some getting used to. I’ll develop new routines and have a different kind of fun. I did meet a woman on the beach with a 15-year-old dog. I unexpectedly teared up when I went to pet her dog. The owner was sweet and understanding. I went back to the van and had a good cry.
I am sure there will be times when I start to appreciate the new freedom I have without having to worry about Olive. I did spend a lot of time worrying about her, especially these past few years. I’m just not there yet.
February On the Oregon Coast
We stayed in two different campsites at the campground. The first night, I stayed in a spot with full hook-ups because I wanted to test out all of my systems. Found a little water leak where the hose comes in, so ordered a new elbow .
Full Hook-ups vs Dry Camping Site
I chose one night with full hook-ups and one night with no hook-ups so that I could see how all of my systems were working after sitting all winter. Everything seemed to be running smoothly.
The second night I stayed in a site with no-hook ups. It was $8 cheaper and I also saved $8 by not making reservations in advance. I was pretty confident that I’d find a camping spot in February on the Oregon Coast. (I did have a back-up in mind, on the slim chance that the park was full.) I ran all of my systems. I turned on the generator to run the microwave. I ran the propane heater and hot water heater. The house batteries seem to be still holding a good charge. The water pump ran fine with no apparent leaks. All looks good. I found one small repair I have to make on my stove and hopefully it’s something I can do myself.
The site with no hook-ups was a bit nicer than full hook up site. It backed into some bushes where there was a lot of bird activity. I had a van on one side and a tent camper on the other. The bushes created nice privacy between sites.
Tucker really liked the second spot. She poked around the bushes and the birds seemed to gather around to taunt her. A few times she got tangled and I had to free her. I’ll have to look for sites that back up to some kind of foliage or cover for her. I have a small tie-out that I hook to the back of my van and let her out to explore in a close range of the van. She does get tangled up quite often, so I have to keep untangling her.
The sun came out and it was warm enough to sit outside for a while. There were a good number of campers, but the park was nowhere near full. It was mid-week, and even though February camping on the Oregon Coast can be cold and rainy, we lucked out with some beautiful weather.
