Wright's TrailsEnd: Eugene, OR for RV Work and Covered Bridges

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Eugene, OR for RV Work and Covered Bridges

We spent the first week of staying in the Eugene area at Armitage Park and Richardson Park, both nice county parks. We could only stay at Armitage until Friday, the 5th because the sites were all reserved due to the Oregon Ducks Football game which was a home game. People in this area really love their Ducks, with many signs in shop windows and on cars. We took this time to check out Davis Cabinets. We first just drove over in the Jeep and talked to Amy, part of this family business and she said to bring the RV
over and Shaun, her husband, would be able to help us. Later that afternoon we did that and as we told Shaun what we wanted, he said come with me and took us to a motorhome in the back that they were working on. The desk they had custom made was exactly what we wanted and so we decided to go ahead. They will start working on it and we will come back in the week of the 15th to have it installed. We also stopped at AM Solar, where we had our solar panels installed in 2009. We wanted to find out the cost of boosting up the system in little more. We hope to boondock a lot this winter to save some money after our expensive, but worth it, Alaska trip. We contacted Carriers and Sons, another family business, regarding our slide problem and arrived there on Monday, the 8th. As they checked it out, it got worse and worse and now can't even bring the slide in as it is totally off and rubs into the inside wall. Ugh, we hate this slide equalizer system which is terrible. Anyway, we are stuck here until it is fixed. After going back and forth with Equalizer for 4 days, it was determined that the rams need to be replaced. This after only being replaced last October. Luckily, our insurance will cover it. The parts will be here Monday, the 15th and once the slide is working, we will head to Davis Cabinets. I hadn't been feeling well for over a week with indigestion and nausea and finally went to a Urgent Care. They took my blood and it tested for the H Pelori bacteria which is linked to ulcers. I am being careful of what I eat and taking acid reducers until we get to So Cal and will see my regular doctor. I have been so lucky to be so healthy but I guess old age is finally hitting me. Yippee. :( .

We did spend one day driving to Cottage Grove, which is about 30 or 40 minutes south of Eugene. It is a nice place and home to a number of the famous Covered Bridges of this part of Oregon.

We first stopped at Currin Bridge, constructed in 1925 and restored in 1995. It features white portals and red sides.

Currin Bridge

Fall is here and it was a beautiful drive.

Steward Bridge was constructed in 1930 though the heyday of covered bridges building in Oregon occurred between 1905 and 1925 when there were around 450 covered bridges in the state. By 1977, there were only 56. Cottage Grove has the most of any town in Lane County with 7 of the 20 in the county.

Stewart Bridge

Dorena Bridge was built after the construction of Dorena Dam on Row River, forming the present day lake.

Dorena Bridge is one of those you can actually drive through.

Dorena Bridge

We drove along Dorena Lake where the water level is way down. When we were at Richardson Park, which is on Fern Ridge Lake, we were told they drain the lake every year. Maybe, it was the same for this lake.