Flying Cat Travel Blog

BRUCE: We had a pleasant 3+ hour drive from Eagle Point to Bandon today to make use of the generous freebie lodging our friends gave us… We’ve been here in Bandon before, and always enjoy the elegantly sculpted rocks on the beach, meandering around the old town shops – I usually have my own personal glucose tolerance test sampling the candies at the local Cranberry Sweets shop.

Today we made an attempt at beachcombing, but the stiff breeze (er, shall I say wind, as Nancy advises) made the duration a bit short. We did, however, get a few photos of elegantly sculpted sand. I thought the neatest ones were where the wet sand from the surf held together and the wind eroded the dry sand underneath the dynamic edge of the wet sand.

After some better-than-average pizza at Old Town Pizza and Pasta, we tried the establishment’s pistachio and almond ice cream (quite good) and waddled back to the car to watch the surf from our hotel room. Nancy is (NOTE THIS) indulging in word play, while I write this: While watching me type this, she recalled the (chocolate) waffle cone that my pistachio ice cream arrived in, and said it kept me silent, referring to the “cone of silence” in the Get Smart movie we watched last night at our local bargain theater in White City.

We’re staying at the Best Western (Inn at Face Rock) which is a well kept, older establishment (we’re guessing 2-3 decades old, but well maintained) and even sports a pair of flat screen TVs on the wall; a shame there’s not much worth watching (no Stewart or Colbert, even :-)… However the clam chowder and salads (our lunch earlier at Bandon Bill’s here) was good and we’re having a lovely time… a much needed R&R outing after a busy couple of weeks…(years, Nancy sez…)

More later, after some reading or other “goofing off” activity…

NANCY says:

From Eagle Point, OR it is about a 3.5 hour drive north west to get to Bandon. We left Eagle Point (near Medford, OR)  knowing it would be a warm day at home…but I forgot how chilly the Oregon Coast can get. When we arrived in Bandon it was in the high 50’s or low 60’s and very windy on the coast. I must check this fact out, but it seems to be more windy there than Gold Beach which is more south.

We arrived hungry so checked into our suite at the Best Western Inn at Face Rock. The restaurant on the grounds is called Bandon Bill’s Seafood Grill. They serve meals all day and have a sports lounge - if that is your thing. The Inn is nice, a bit on the 70’s side, but well kept. The restaurant has a premier ocean view from every table or booth. We enjoyed our choice of light fare: Clam Chowder - which was good, not the best, but very good - and nice warm view of the windy ocean in the distance.

We didn’t get a photo of the restaurant or of the view from, but here is one from our balcony looking away from the sea:

 

Our room enjoyed a wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean from the livingroom/kitchen area. We had a nice sitting area, WiFi, two 36″ Flat Screen TV’s (one in the living room and one in the bedroom), 2 bathrooms and a kitchenette, as well as a nice balcony. The inn features an indoor pool, sauna, 2 hot tubs and more. The suite seemed like it could be someone’s condo. Maybe so, we didn’t ask. It was very clean and quite comfortable. Thanks to our friends, Chris and Jodine who gave us the one night stay there as a gift. What a treat.

After lunch we took a brief walk on the beach - brief because it was possibly in the low 60’s and extremely windy…

Check out Bruce’s hair in one photo and me trying to keep from blowing awaaaayyyy!

Below are a few really lovely shots of the beach Bruce took. I think they are very artistic!

As Bruce mentioned earlier in the travel blog, we went for some Pizza in the evening, after spending some quiet time in our suite - warming up. The pizza was good and Bruce did a great job not leaving many left overs, as always. He’d disappoint me if he ate any less. (And he is always so slim too! UGH)

 

 

Nothing on those great two TV’s, no DVD player or rentals to be had, and no cinema in town, so it was to bed with good books. We didn’t last long and had a nice long dreamy sleep.

Sunday - Sept. 7th - Early up for a nice swim in the heated indoor pool, then a our breakfast at Bill’s. The restaurant was busy and it took awhile to get served, but the waitress was nice and we enjoyed our view and time to talk. After breakfast we attempted a walk at the beach again, which is right across the street and down an easy path. It was a bit warmer and not so windy so we gave ourselves 40 minutes to do a fast walk before having to check out.

Bruce and I love to walk on the beach. It is the one time he doesn’t have to nag me to walk with him. I have to say, though, I am not used to being so cold and I enjoy warmer weather. California beaches are warmer. That is where I am from - California. California and Oregon beaches are beautiful and the Oregon coast is a spectacular site to see and visit, no matter what the weather. Just bring layers of clothing, always.

After our walk we ventured into old town Bandon. There is some great little shops, galleries, and restaurants.

We re-discovered a wonderful restaurant called 2 Loons Cafe (we’d been there a couple years before). It is a little place, friendly, unpretentious and cozy tucked away at the end 2nd Street. (120 Second St.) I wanted my favorite latte and Bruce - he wanted nothing - until I reminded him of steamed Chai. I know he enjoys a chai from time to time. ( Our friend,Teri, made him those when she had her Sweet Cafe Espresso Shop in Eagle Point. ) They didn’t have pumpkin to add, which is his usual addition, so he tried macadamia nut Torani’s in the steamed chai and now he is hooked! It was excellent. We weren’t very hungry so got a pumpkin bar - Yum… frosted too - and shared it. We probably sat for an hour or more talking and people watching and then decided to eat something after looking at the menu and all the wonderful healthy vegetarian food people were eating. Unfortunately, we still were not that hungry because the home made quiche sure looked appealing to me… and I saw Bruce eyeing the Egg Plant Lasagna.  But due to lack of stomach space, Bruce decided on a bowl of minestrone soup and I had the split pea with a Chicken Salad. Everything was excellent - no disappointments there.

The restaurant is in a cute little building that is most likely over 100 years old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some menu items on the 2 Loons Cafe:

Breakfast: Croissant Sandwich, Scotch Egg, Ham and Egg Crips, Belgin Waffle, Scones and Lemon Curd 2 Loons Granola. Nothing over $5.50. Quiche and Fresh Fruit - $7.50.

Lunch: Hot Panini Sandwiches, Eggplant, Roast Beef, Turkey, Ham, Meat-loaf; Hot Hoagies with things such as BBQ Pork tipped wiht Carolina Cole Slaw, Italian Meatball, Rueben (corn beef or turkey), Roast Beef Philly, Toasted Tuna, Turkey, Bacon & Guacamole. 7 choices of cold sandwiches; Selection of Soups, Quiche (with wonderful looking home made pie crusts!), Salads and plenty of dessert options. The most expensive item is $8.50 and that is the Greek or Sassy Chicken Salad.

We thought this was a vegetarian restaurant because we certainly found many veggie items, including the soups, but it has something for every taste-bud. Excellent place to stop morning or afternoon. We highly recommend it.

—————>>>> After lunch…

We took another stroll around old town doing all we could to entertain ourselves to keep away from Cranberry Sweets. I have never experienced so many wonderful candy samples in my life and we both probably tried them all on our last visit. I was determined to not do the same this time, and could have kept to a couple samples, but Bruce has no willpower. So we just stayed away. This is the closest I got. The sign:

 

 

Bruce kept saying “Abandon Ship.” He says that is where Bandon got it’s name. Do you believe him? 

This silly seagull thought he was ready for a ride and a handout. He was sitting on top of an SUV talking to passersby. 

 A few more photos before we head home:

 

 

Our trip home was gorgeous and I was happy to feel the warmer weather as we drove south-east.  (And I have to admit, I did nap a little bit as Bruce had volunteered to do all the driving - THANKS Bruce! What a guy!)

The drive between 101 and I-5 is lovely traveling through Coquille, Myrtle Point, Roseburg, Grants Pass (a stop in Grants Pass for dinner at a sassy classy little restaurant called Blondes Bistro) then home again to Eagle Point arriving around 7PM. Still light and in time to view a brilliant sunset.

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Bruce and I had never seen New Zealand - really, I had not given it much thought, previously, but when it came up as a place to visit, we didn’t hesitate. It was just an inherent thing within both of us. We both felt a strong love for this country. We don’t know why, but we just had to go. We stayed the night at Bruce’s mom’s home in Livermore, CA and departed San Francisco early in the morning to begin our journey. We arrived on March 31, missing Easter 2002 completely, a day never to recover. That was a strange feeling. We had no actual itinerary - many times we travel that way. We did have an amazing 23 days to travel, which was and is a rare thing. We wanted to see everything!

[A note about NZ. I found it seemed a bit like going from So. California to No. Oregon, but reversed of course. Their north island is the warmer. NZ has spectacular scenery from one area to the next. And it is said "if you don't like the weather just drive to the other side of the island." People are very friendly, but not like in the "1940's" like I had been told. (Not that I am old enough to know what that was like, geez)! After all every part of the world is expanding and people are changing. The food we ate was better than we find in So. Oregon, for the most part. And we found if a cafe had a blackboard with the menu, it was bound to be great. Like the UK, NZ has such things as savoury items, like muffins with mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. You can't find that in the western USA. At least I haven't. Sort of like the Pacific West and North West but with a UK edge. --- I would go back in an instant. My dream is a home in NZ and No. California or So. Oregon and have a never ending summer.]

I happen to remember more about this trip than most because I purchased a nice travel diary from the book store, which I should always do and haven’t. It is so hard to remember the details especially when you are looking back.

Day 1, May 31: We flew into Auckland, on the North Island, landed and rented a car. I was so glad that Bruce volunteered to drive! It makes me nervous, the idea of driving on the opposite side of the road! We spent the day and the first night at the Duxton Hotel in Auckland, which had been recommended to us by a man at the auto rental lot. It was wonderful! I give it a personal 5 star rating. It was a beautiful hotel, great service and after such a long plane trip the deep soak in what I call, the spa room, was just what my body needed to unravel from the long sardine can journey in the air.

During the day we drove around Auckland, even though we hadn’t slept the night before and were tired we couldn’t sleep the day away. We had lunch at a little cafe, called Trinity Cafe on Parnell Road. Parnell is a sleek and stylish suburb. I recall the cafe it being tasteful and comfortable with a scrumptious menu offering. I enjoyed roasted beetroot, artichoke and feta salad an orange and white chocolate muffin. AND there I discovered a latte like no other - a flat white! Oh my god those are good! (Bruce’s note: My favorite discovery was the feijoa fruit, which I tried in the form of a milkshake the first day or our trip, and then was avidly trying every variation of the fruit for the rest of the trip. We also soon discoved the local sweet potato called kumara, which we also savored in various forms for the rest of the trip.) Prices were very reasonable too, but then that was in 2002 where our US dollar went at least 2 times further in NZ. The menu had such things as eggs Florentine with spinach and salmon, calamari with line and sweet chili salad, Caesar salad, etc.

The photo above was taken from Mt. Eden, a great place for a Mt. Eden, a 360 view if the city. Mt. Eden is also Auckland’s largest mainland volcanic cone formed about 20 to 30,000 years ago. It is not a mountain but a hill and an easy climb to take a close up view of the crater and the tame…cows. Yes, some cows make it their pasture now. This is a great photo opt for a good view of the city and the Waitemata Harbour from this beautiful isthmus and historic sacred site of the Maori’s.

We also toured Kelly Tarlton’s Antartic Encounter & Underwater World that morning. There is a wonderful historical display and recounting of the 1909 - 12 Antarctic discovery “race” including original photos, reels, and a fascinating exhibit including a life-sized replica of the hut which Captain Robert Scott and his fellow adventures lived and survived in for 3 years. Then, there is the penguins which put on a grand show no matter where you see them. There is so much more, so do check out their site where they offer more info and discounts, etc.

Dinner was back at the Duxton Hotel where we dined on tasty red snapper and a delicious cup of pumpkin soup. (see how nice it is to have a travel journal! I would never remember so many delightful tidbits to share with you, otherwise).

Day Two, April 1: Ponsonby is n the older central Auckland. There was many interesting restaurants and it was fun looking for the best bet for our breakfast but choose the the Atomic Cafe at No 121 Ponsonby. I had a Veggie Poached Eggs with avocado and Bruce had the Eggs Florentine. Another winner! 4-5 stars again! We didn’t realize this, but while we were eating a woman from George radio 96.8 FM had been listening to my accent and came over and asked if I’d do a voice over for a commercial. She needed me to sound like a zany American comedian by the name of Ruby Wax. Well, I did, but I had NO idea who Ruby Wax was, or what she sounded like. I was given a brief script and read it a few times, which they taped. I discovered it wasn’t that easy to read lines I didn’t think were funny, and make them so. I don’t think I understood the humor. I doubt they ever used my voice because I heard Ruby Wax on the TV a few nights later and she had, what sounded to me, like a Brooklin, NY accent, which to my California raised ears, sounds very harsh, a manner of speaking I have a difficult time hearing no less speaking. I think I could have done it, possibly, IF I listened to the accent for awhile, but not without. There are a lot of different accents in the USA and I think that some of the eastern accents are the toughest sounding accents of all. Sorry NY’ers - not a pretty sound. I think I would have liked a new career in voice overs, but missed my BIG chance.

While walking around we saw this sign: Dept. of Doing. I really need to hang it in our office at home…our home in general. Can we ever stop “doing?” What do you suppose this department does? (Can someone tell us?)

On our way to the Bay of Islands we stopped in Whangarei [Bruce's note: the Maori words with "wh" are all pronounced like an "f", so it sounds more like "Fangarei", but of course with the ever-so-charming kiwi accent.] and stopped at the National Clock Museum which was quite a sound when all the clocks went off at once.

There is much more to see in Whangarei, but we were on route to Russell and the Bay of Islands.

We stopped at a little place in Whangarei and had a little Soul Food, an organic lunch, where I heard a great CD, called The Best of Riverdance - 15 Favorites. I recall when I returned home I bought it but either I got the wrong CD or it just wasn’t the same at home. (I think I got the wrong CD). Anyway, we were on our way to Russell. Russell is on the tip of a peninsula between Paihia and Opua. To get to Russell we boarded a ferry, which was fun. 

Day 3, April 2. Driving through the heart of the Bay of Islands -  we came upon a lovely historic B & B by the name of Ounuwhao Harding House. Built in 1894, and kept up beautifully; it was an B & B worth remembering. I made a note in my journal that barely covers the experience: “…everything is so nice, fluffy towels, all kinds of goodies for guests: soaps, etc. A perfect experience.” What a lucky find for us. I only found an image of myself and some guests at breakfast. Delightful!

Note: When I was younger I thought it best to stay in motels. I am a bit shy and wanted my privacy. Now I really enjoy meeting folks from all over the world when you stay at a B & B. People love to share over a morning breakfast or an afternoon glass of wine. I do like a private room and bath, and typically B & B’s are pretty quite, owners are helpful and kind and the atmosphere relaxing. If you haven’t stayed at a B & B you have to give it a go. We do, no matter where we are touring, if there is a nice place available. We find you really don’t pay any more and a nice breakfast is included!

Chatting with the owners we found out that the Bay of Islands has some fantastic cruises and tours. We chose the Dolphin Discovery. I highly recommend it. As we went out on the bay the dolphins swam along side the boat. It was amazing to look over the edge of the boat into the eyes of dolphins. I had never had an experience like this before. I am quite sure any tour or cruise you choose would be a great experience for you.  I saw a man on the boat that looked very much like my brother, Harvey. I wish I would have had the nerve to go talk to him. It was an unusual experience to see a look-a-like there.  I love being on or by the water so this cruise was one of two of my favorite experiences. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our morning tour we had lunch at Salleys (at the Wharf). I had a chicken sandwhich on panchetti and Bruce had the spicy kumara curried soup, both very tasty once again. We are getting spoiled!

We left and drove towards Paihai. We stopped to take a 5 minute boardwalk through the amazing giant Kauri forest.

Here Bruce has taken a beautiful shot looking up to the top of a Kauri.

Forest Exploited: “Kauri are among the world’s mightiest trees, growing to more than 50 metres tall, with trunk girths of up to 16 metres. They covered much of the top half of the North Island when the first people arrived around 1000 years ago.” Read more and discover why the forest is in need of protection by following the link for Kauri forest.

We continued on our drive through the beauty of the north island and stopped in Omapere where we took a nice long walk on the beach and stayed at one of the two places we stayed that wasn’t memorable: the Omapere Tourist Hotel. I wrote nothing about the hotel, but “not memorable.” Sometimes that happens when one is just driving and picking places as you come into a town without much but a tour book with little info. I know there is better places to stay. But it was only a night. The beach was nice though! 

Note: I was amazed at the wonderful tourist centers that seemed to be in each town. If you get there before closing - which we sometimes did not - you will find many pamphlets, newspapers and all the tourist information you could ask for AND helpful staff to guide you to what ever you hope to find, including - get this for helpful -  they will make phone calls to B & B’s, etc. for you - not just give you a number for you to call AND help with your search and reservations. How wonderful is that?! 

We also took a 20 minute walk at the Waipoua Forest and saw the largest Kauri tree and “the Four Sisters.” We called them “Harvey and the Four Sisters”, because my brother Harvey has four sisters! Appropriate, don’t you think?!

Driving towards Keri Keri we saw a hill and a sign: Zorbing! We had to check this out:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUeXCGNYcug]

Bruce Zorbing near Keri Keri, North Island, New Zealand

Here is a good video of a Road Trip through the North Island I found on You Tube.

The YouTube file wouldn’t embed so please click on the link to see them for now.

Going from the tip of the North Island to the bottom of the south is like going from Los Angeles, California to Portland, Oregon - “a rough latitude equivalent”, says Bruce. That is how it also felt, weather wise to me when we visited.

It’s late. Time to go. This will be continued… ta ta for now. Nancy

We’re writing our first post from our home in Eagle Point, Oregon. We’ll be posting our photos, adventures and more from here… Stay tuned!