We Stay in a Yurt!


(This blog is part travelogue, part advice on traveling with a dog, part discovery of what’s on the minds of Americans, Canadians and other nationalities, part commentary, and other musings.)


Oregon State Park campgrounds are amazing. Although many seem to have campsites packed pretty close together – and there are so many RVs and trailers that seem to be the length of football fields – you can actually get a yurt campsite, which is particularly handy when it rains. I mean, who wants to camp in a tent when you can have a heated and furnished yurt?


 So, from Northern California (Jedediah State Redwoods State Park near the Oregon border – named after Jedediah Strong Smith – why the heck didn’t my parents name me after him?), we headed north on the 101 to Sunset Bay State Park, just southwest of Coos Bay on the South Coast of Oregon.


We were lucky to find an available yurt that is pet friendly (not all of them are) for $43 a night, plus $10 for a pet. The yurt has a bunk bed, a futon couch that makes into a bed, a small table with lamp and two chairs, a small deck, a picnic table and fire ring, a heater inside, pegs to hang your coats and clothes, a nearby bathroom with showers, an overhead light, and curtains on windows. You need your sleeping bag (and, in my case, pillows), and I slept very well.


The evening we arrived, we took a walk to the nearby beach/cove and caught a magnificent sunset. I cooked dinner on a camp stove and met several people, including a friendly couple next yurt-door from Portland who were originally from California and who invited me to share their campfire.


Although it was not raining, I was just too lazy to pitch a tent. And the next day was sunny and beautiful. Luca and I headed north on the 101 to the Central Coast – it gets stunningly gorgeous just north of Coos Bay as you pass the Oregon Dunes and much more.

(NEXT: The Super Dog-Friendly Lodge just north of Yachats, Oregon on the Central Coast.)



Comments

  1. ShelleyOctober 2, 2019 at 6:32 PM

    Hey there Jedediah, way to go finding a Yurt! Your first time in one I presume. The bathroom outside the Yurt? No need to tell you where I would be looking for a...hotel��

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bruce SmithOctober 2, 2019 at 7:20 PM

      Hey Shelley, thanks for your comment! Yes, my first time in a yurt. Yurts are cheaper than motels/hotels. However, I am staying in an awesome, super dog-friendly lodge right now outside Yachats, Oregon because of rain. I'll be posting about this lodge in the next blog entry. As to bathroom, it's a campground, so yes, I need to use the bathroom not in the yurt. That is no problem for me. On Thursday, I am staying in another yurt in another Oregon state park because of rain. BTW, I saw portions of your rehearsals for your play. Very cool!

      Delete

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