October ‘25 Road Trip

In mid October, 2025, we were back on the road in our RV for the first time since January. There are a few reasons it had been so long between our last RV trip and this one. One is that we bought a nearby farm property last spring, and I wanted to stay local for the summer to do a bunch of things on the farm, like property maintenance, and growing some produce in one of the greenhouses. Another reason is that we went on a cruise vacation last spring (which I never got around to blogging about because I was too busy at the farm). And then, at the end of the summer, we celebrated the wedding of one of my sons.

We did keep our RV at our farm most of the summer, which was a nice and comfortable home away from home for a few nights a week. And, we bought a travel trailer to keep at the farm, for guests to stay in while visiting the farm, and for us to stay in when our RV is at home.

So, after our farm harvest was mostly complete, and fall had arrived, we decided it was time to take the RV up to the Oregon coast, to get away, see new sites, and visit some friends who had moved north earlier in the year. At the last minute, I was able to reserve all the RV parks where we would stay, which was actually surprisingly easy, since it was off-season, and most of the parks still had plenty of sites available.

Because the RV was already at the farm, we decided we’d leave from there, rather than taking our RV home to load up first. That meant we had to pack up the truck with all the things we wanted to take that aren’t usually kept in the RV. It was tight, but we did finally manage to make it fit, and I don’t think we forgot anything. Next time, maybe I’ll reconsider, since loading everything directly into the RV at home is much easier.

Since we left from Watsonville instead of Ben Lomond, were able to head North by cutting over to 101 via 129 instead of having to go over Highway 17. That was nice, and we found a really good truck stop gas station in Gilroy that we hadn’t previously know about.

Our first drive took us to Red Bluff, California for a two night stay.

Red Bluff, California

I chose the Red Bluff KOA Journey because it was about as far as I was willing to travel in one day, it had high ratings, and I saw they offered a few sites that backed up to the Sacramento River. We decided to stay for two nights so that we could spend a day exploring areas around Redding and Shasta. The park itself was nicer that expected, and our site had a large grass area behind the RV where we could sit and watch the river. The park was mostly empty, though about a third or so of the people there were in “classic” GMC Motorhomes from the 1970s, part of an owner’s club rally the week we were there. The park has gate access to a trail that follows the Sacramento River, which was nice for our dog walks.

Our site at the Red Bluff KOA Journey backed up to the Sacramento River.

Plenty of grassy space for us to enjoy at the Red Bluff KOA Journey.

Walking along the Sacramento River near the Red Bluff KOA Journey.

On our day off from driving while in Red Bluff, the weather was warm and beautiful. We started by going to Whiskeytown Lake National Recreation Area, outside of Redding. We got there, and their office was closed down due to the government shutdown. And, there was also no way to pay for a parking permit online that day either. We decided to stay anyway, and we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves (for free).

The lake, and surrounding mountains are beautiful, but Andrea was disappointed that there was neither a town, nor any whiskey in sight 😉.

After driving around the lake for a bit, and visiting the marina area, we decided to do a hike. Online, I found the 3 mile up-and-back Brandy Creek Falls trail near Whiskeytown Lake. What I didn't initially realize was that the trail head for that hike was 4 miles up a single lane dirt road that took us up the mountainside. It was kind of spooky driving up into the forest on that narrow road with nobody around, but the bonus was that Andrea got to enjoy another off-roading experience in her truck.

Eventually we got to the trail head, where there is a small parking area and a bathroom. The hike was enjoyable, not too difficult, and mostly shaded. At the top of the hike, there were some nice waterfalls to see.

Visting Whiskeytown Lake National Recreation Area

Rosie and I at the top of the Brandy Creek Falls trail.

Brandy Creek Falls. Whiskeytown Lake National Recreation Area.

After WhiskeyTown, we headed back to Redding, and had lunch near the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. After lunch we crossed over the Sundial Bridge, and walked the path that follows the Sacramento River for a while, before heading back to the RV for a relaxing afternoon.

Visiting the Sundial Bridge in Redding, California.

Overall, it was a nice stop on our journey, and we enjoyed our time around Redding.

Medford, Oregon

Our next stop was a one night stay at the Medford/Gold Hill KOA Journey. This park wasn’t new to us, since we had stayed there on our 2022 summer trip. We ended up with what I think is the nicest site in the park, #23, a back-in site with a patio, that has a lot of extra space around it.

We drove into Medford, and went to the Harry and David’s shop (to stock up on Moose Munch) and to the grocery store.

It rained on us a bit while were were there, but we still managed to fit in an afternoon walk along the Rogue River, which is about a 5 minute walk from the park. It’s the same walk we took when we were there in 2022.

A short, but nice stay. Note that we come back to this park for two nights on our way home.

Site #23 at the Medford/Gold Hill KOA Journey.

It was a bit rainy while we were at the Medford/Gold Hill KOA Journey.

Reedsport, Oregon

After the one night stay near Medford, were we on to the highlight of this trip, a three night stay near Reedsport, Oregon.

There are lots of RV parks near Reedsport, Oregon to choose from, but the one I picked was a great choice for us. We stayed at the Winchester Bay RV Resort at the Salmon Harbor Marina. We were in the newest area of the park called “The Point”, in a head-in spot facing out to where the Umpqua River meets the Pacific Ocean. It’s a quiet park, no ATVs allowed (unlike some of the other nearby parks that cater to those that come to the area to ride ATVs on the nearby dunes). The sites in this area of the park were large, with grass areas separating the sites.

Even in the rain, the Winchester Bay RV Resort is beautiful.

Nice spacious head-in sites at the Winchester Bay RV Resort.

Lots of geese around here this time of year.

A picture from the top of the hill that separates The Point from the rest of the park.

For our first night at Winchester Bay, we visited with friends who live near Reedsport. We got to see their beautiful home and property, and get a close up look at the the herds of Elk that roam their property and surrounding area.

The big one was checking us out as well.

The next day, we met up with our friends, and their two doodles. We started with a quick photo op at the Umpqua River Lighthouse, where we could see the dunes from above. Next, we did a hike around nearby Lake Marie (and got a closer look at the dunes). Then we took the dogs to run off leash at the nearby beach, and took a long walk along a miles long beach where we saw no other people the entire time. The dogs, especially Rosie, had a great time.

The nearby dunes go for miles along the ocean.

Watching the ATVers go by, near the Lake Marie trail.

Rosie, Maple, and Cedar, about to enjoy some beach time.

Enjoying our walk at the Umpqua Beach near Reedsport, Oregon.

After our walk on the beach, we went to a seafood restaurant at the harbor for lunch, called “Griff’s on the Bay”, and they had a single-table private deck near the water, where we could leave the dogs off leash while we sat and ate. Then, after a relaxing afternoon, we left Rosie at our friends house (with their doodles), and we had dinner together at a restaurant in Reedsport, built into an old boat in Reedsport (Big Fish Cafe).

Dinner with friends at the Big Fish Cafe. Reedsport, Oregon.

The next day, the rains had picked up, but we were still going to enjoy the day. We drove about 40 miles north on Highway 101 to the Heceta Head Lighthouse, where we parked, and walked up to the lighthouse and viewpoint for some photos in the rain.

Andrea photobombing my lighthouse selfie.

Heceta Head Lighthouse. Near Florence, Oregon.

The ocean view from the Heceta Head Lighthouse viewpoint.

Highway 101 bridge near Heceta Head Lighthouse.

After the rainy lighthouse visit, we drove back south towards Florence. First we found a bar/restaurant with a dog-friendly covered patio for lunch (it was still raining, so that was a good find). Then we went to a shopping area in Florence, and schmoozed the stores for a while, before saying goodbye to our friends, and heading back to the RV for a quiet afternoon. In the evening, we drove back up to the Umpqua River Lighthouse, to see how the lights from the tower lights up the surrounding trees.

The light from the lighthouse shines on the trees.

Medford, Oregon

The next morning it was time to drive back to the Medford/Gold Hill KOA Journey. This time we would be staying for two nights. We ended up back in the same spot we were in a few nights earlier (#23).

Back at the Medford/Gold Hill KOA. In the same spot.

After getting the RV setup and making some lunch, we drove about 5 miles north, to the Valley of the Rogue State Park, where we did a lovely walk along the Rogue River.

Walking the river trail at the Valley of the Rogue State Park

Andrea and Rosie at the Valley of the Rogue State Park.

On our day off, we started by going to Ashland, Oregon, a place we have visited many times in the past to see their Shakespeare festival. This time however, no plays for us, just some schmoozing around their shopping area, and then lunch at the Greenleaf Restaurant, sitting at an outside tale along the Ashland Creek.

After Ashland, we went back to the RV, and I did a 26 mile bike ride from the RV park, back up and through the Valley of the Rogue State Park, to the town of Rogue River, and back. The weather was beautiful, and I was happy to finally get a bike ride in on this trip.

Bike ride near the Valley of the Rogue State Park.

The Rogue River, near Gold Hill, Oregon.

Redding, California

From Medford/Gold Hill, we next went back to Redding area for a one night stop. Rather than staying at the Red Bluff KOA again, I choose to stay at the Boulder Creek RV Resort, in Redding, so that we would have the opportunity to see another RV park this trip. While the park seems to be filled with mostly full-timers, the area of the park we were in was more spacious, and our site was a bit separated from the other sites. We had a pull-through site that parallel the road, and we were at the end of the road, where there were very few other RVs around us.

Lots of space around our site at the Boulder Creek RV Resort in Redding, California.

We relaxed around the RV park until dinner, and then we went to downtown Redding, and ate dinner at the Final Draft Brewery, on their dog-friendly covered outdoor patio, which turned out to be an excellent choice.

Sacramento, California

The last stop of this trip was a two night stay in Sacramento to visit family. Instead of driving down Highway 5, the GPS sent us down Highway 99, and it was nice change to drive on unfamiliar roads (though it was a bit more stressful driving, especially on areas where there is no median barrier).

In Sacramento, we stayed at the Sac West RV Park again. This was the 6th time we’ve stayed at this park, and we’re considering not staying there again in the future, because it wasn’t great to begin with, and it seems to have gone down hill from there over the last few years (most recently, they no longer have 50 amp connections).

Back at SacWest RV Park. Sacramento, California

Even though the park was a disappointment, we enjoyed our time with Andrea’s mom, and had a few nice meals together. And, Roise and I did get a chance to do an hour long walk along the Sacramento River near Sac State, where we found a miniature replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather in Sacramento was lovely, and overall it was a nice final stop before heading home.

The Guy West Bridge, a miniature replica of the Golden Gate Bridge that crosses the Sacramento River.

Rosie walking over the Guy West Bridge near Sac State.

This is where most of Sacramento’s water comes from.

Home

And then we drove home, where I found two weeks of produce ready to harvest.

January ‘25 Road Trip