May 2001

23rd - to USA. See Blue Book to April 2005

23rd May 2001 - Left Humberside Airport 1pm to Amsterdam, rushed for flight to Minneappolis - bus to another terminal for flight to Portland OR. We arrived Portland 10:30 pm local time after travelling 18 hours. Picked up hire car and went to recommended hotel $75 with breakfast, quite expensive, but after after a long journey and in a strange country we were just relieved to relax.
It happened that Oregon were having unseasonably hot weather 90' the whole week we were there.
We had been told Eugene was easier to get around and RV dealers were closer together, so we drove south.
We booked into Classic Residence Motel. Old and run down but reasonably priced, and we were both feeling out of sorts with sudden (to use) heat and strange foods (to us)

Friday 25 - We found 23 Jamboree 1984 $10,000 we liked floor plan, little bath, plus it was clean and well cared for inside, all original decor and only 45,182 miles on the clock.
We spent next week phoning and running around. Insurance etc. could not get Oregon Drivers Licence. Being a tax-free state, they don't encourage outsiders, but we got fixed up fairly reasonably on D English Drivers Licence.
We also found THRIFT STORES (charity shops) where we bought bedding, cooking utensils, cutlery, crockery, and all bits we felt we needed. We bought reconditioned TV and microwave and at the end of first week our motel room looked like a junk yard.

By Wed 30th we booked out motel, returned hire car and picked up "van". did grocery shopping and headed west for coast and 101 route.
It was strange driving and travelling in this big (to us) van, it sounded like a tank and to cap it, it had a light pitched whistle that we could not shut off. Eventually we pulled into Washburn Park. Supposedly state camping is cheaper and basic but we didn't think so. Located whistle to gas detector, push button for off. What a relief. We stayed two nights to familiarise ourselves with van. Weather was by now back to normal for Oregon pleasant, cold at night.

It rained during night 31st and was fine rain during day, but the coastline beautiful, not much traffic, small seaside towns. Very much like Atlantic coast Europe.