hunting for home in haa-kwee-uhm

What a great first week here in Hoquiam! Last Sunday we attended Harbor City Church, and we really liked it! The worship and message were great, and we had a nice long conversation with DJ at the connections booth, and with Melanie when she called a few days later. We’re eager to continue attending (there’s a special speaker tomorrow for Super Bowl Sunday – a former Seattle Seahawk) and to eventually join one of their City Groups. We’ll also be attending their Equip classes to learn more about the church and to find a ministry we can serve in.

We found a local vet and laundromat (pet owners will understand the connection there), and a grocery store and meat market that we like. Deron applied for a couple more jobs, and we’ve had fun driving through different neighborhoods looking at various houses for sale, sometimes waiting for one of the swing-span or draw bridges to finish letting a ship through (which we love watching). We’ve been to Olympia to shop at Costco and Trader Joe’s, and yesterday we explored the coastline at Ocean Shores.

Last week I mentioned that this RV park can only accommodate us until March 16, so we started looking at other options in the area (there aren’t many). However, on Wednesday, Deron had another conversation with the park owner, and she was able to work things out so we can stay until June 1^st! All we have to do is move to a different spot next Thursday.

But the topping on the week was when Deron FINALLY got a call back from CAT about the terrible service we received from Rush Truck Repair in Beaumont, TX. (Many of you will remember that they kept our RV for 2.5 weeks while refusing to do the work necessary to determine if any of the new parts San Diego Heavy Truck Repair had just installed were faulty. Instead, they decided that SDHTR was at fault, without any justification, and simply put it back together (even refusing to replace the one part they had decided was bad), and then charged us $3000 for nothing. The final blow was when we got back to San Diego and found the flashlight they had left on top of the muffler, which had melted on the long drive, and almost caused an engine fire.)

CAT was sympathetic, and said they would definitely contact Rush, but all they could really do was discipline and retrain them. Deron was happy with that – he really had just wanted acknowledgement that we’d been wronged. However, within a few hours, Rush also contacted Deron, and let him know the entire team that had worked on our RV had been let go due to various customer service and incompetence issues, and that they’d be reimbursing us the entire $3000!!

In other good news, I saved the best part of “fun on the 101” for last – below I’ve listed all the stops, views, and fun times to be had between Mendocino and Hoquiam. So read on, and be inspired to take a trip to see us in the beautiful PNW!

Stop 5 – Redwood Coast Cabins and RV Resort, Eureka, CA On this trip we only stayed one night in this park, but we’ve enjoyed some sights in Eureka on previous trips – including historic Carson Mansion and Carson House. The park has fun activities like a giant chess set, mini-golf, bocci ball and kids’ bike rentals, and has tent sites and cabins for rent. The Trees of Mystery in Klamath, CA, featuring giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe, is on the way to the next park, as are the funny golden bear statues on the bridge over the Klamath River.

Stop 6 – Bandon/Port Orford KOA, Langlois, OR We love the middle-of-the-forest feel of this RV park! As implied by its name, the park is midway between Bandon and Port Orford, both of which are cute little towns with lots of gorgeous scenery. Like many KOAs, this park offers tent camping and cabins for rent. We visited Coquille River Lighthouse and saw some puffins and crazy rock formations like Face Rock and Devil’s Kitchen. We stopped by the historic Hughes House, built in 1898, on the way to Cape Blanco Lighthouse. And all along the way we were overwhelmed by the raw beauty of the Oregon coast. There are several great little towns on the way to the next park – be sure to check out Florence and Newport in particular… both have local lighthouses and cute downtown areas with great shops and restaurants. We recommend you take a short hike to view Sweet Creek Falls just outside of Florence, then enjoy a tasty cup of coffee at River Roasters and a mouthwatering bowl of clam chowder at Mo’s Seafood and Chowder. And be sure to check out the super-fresh, delicious seafood at Newport’s Local Ocean Seafoods. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to have to wait for a swing-span bridge on your way 😍.

Stop 7 – Lincoln City KOA, Otis, OR This park is located in yet another beautiful part of the Oregon coast and has RV and tent sites, plus cabins for rent. We braved the rain to check out a historic covered bridge, Stella Falls on the Little Nestucca River, and the view of Daly Lake and the beautiful coast from Pacific Crest Wayside. Between Lincoln City and Hoquiam, WA, you can take a quick hike up to Munson Creek Falls in Tillamook, OR, and then you’ll probably want to stop at the Tillamook Creamery for some delicious ice cream and cheese. If you really like oysters, take a detour through Oysterville, WA, on the way to the next park.

Final Stop – Hoquiam River RV Park, Hoquiam, WA This is our first time at this lovely park right on the Little Hoquiam River, but we’re looking forward to exploring all the walking trails in the adjacent nine-acre forest area, and maybe taking a boat down the river when it gets warmer. If you want to come camp with us, I’m sure we can convince the park owner to find a spot for you!

praise & prayer

Over the past year our daughter, Savanah, has been suffering occasional grand mal seizures – the most recent one was yesterday. Up to this point, she’s simply been told to see a neurologist to try to determine the cause; however, the earliest available appointment was in August. Thankfully, after this seizure, she was able to get an appointment in two weeks. Please join us in praying she would find answers, and that the seizures would cease!

Praise God we have a place to stay until the end of May, and a church that we feel great about! Please keep us in prayer as we continue with the many steps it takes to plant a life here… especially that Deron would find a job soon.

We are always available to pray for you – please call or shoot us a text if you’re in need of someone to partner with you in prayer.