As we continue our journey home to Alaska, we sadly leave sunny California and our friends along the central coast but…. the good news is we are moving On to Oregon to visit more friends.
As we cruise up Interstate 5 into northern California it feels good to be back in the mountains again.
We make a brief stop in Castle Crags State Park and visit the quaint town of Dunsmuir. The beautiful Sacramento River canyon has always been a big draw for us since we enjoy California’s scenic train routes and historic towns.
Years ago my brother and I climbed to the summit of Castle Dome during a breaking snow storm. Today we bask in the sunshine at its base while the pups frolic in a creek.
Under clear blue skies we turn east on Hwy 97 and pass under the north face of Mt. Shasta, a most beautiful sight as we enter Oregon bound for Bend and Powell Butte.
Since we had already resuppled at Trader Joe’s in Redding we drive straight to Fort Motsko, the wonderful home of Mark and Phyllis Motsko.
We visited these folks Oct 2014 (remember here) and had a glorious time, this visit was no different.
Fort Motsko got its name when Mark constructed a fence around the entire perimeter of the property to protect their gardens and landscape from marauding rabbits and deer.
LuLu Patrols The Main Gate
The Motsko’s yard is a big favorite for LuLu and Tuks, they have 5 acres to roam and end up becoming very protective of this territory. They have a blast!
Recently Mark constructed a very sweet little greenhouse and stays busy watering and upgrading the landscape.
Mark also ties his own flies and is an avid fly fisherman. We spent a couple of blue sky afternoons fly fishing along the Deschutes River, Mark catching the fish, me filming the action. Stay tuned for an upcoming video about Marks fishing exploits.
Phyllis is a very talented award winning quilter. She is extremely passionate about her art. The entire upstairs of their house is dedicated to quilting and is filled with some very cool sewing machines, cutting tools and lots of beautiful fabrics.
Life with the Motsko’s is very relaxed and easy going. After 6 months on the road we truly enjoyed just hanging out with them.
Their hospitality was much appreciated as we ate locally grown range fed beef, drank some great wine and feasted on greens from their garden.
After spending over 30 years working for the National Park Service Mark and Phyllis always have great stories to tell about living and working in some of America’s greatest natural places. We often talked late into the night.
Don’t miss our newest video of their beautiful home and life at “Fort Motsko”.
Pop in the ear buds, slip on the headphones or bring it up on your Apple TV, but crank the volume up and be sure to watch it in 1080 HD.
Next stop….We had so much fun with Mark and Phyllis at the fort we decide to drive to the Oregon coast with them and take in some salt air. Don’t miss the upcoming post..
Keep you posted……
gone with the dogs 
loved all your videos & posts! 🙂
On Tue, May 3, 2016 at 4:11 PM, Gone With The Dogs wrote:
> gonewiththedogs posted: “As we continue our journey home to Alaska, we > sadly leave sunny California and our friends along the central coast > but…. the good news is we are moving On to Oregon to visit more friends. > As we cruise up Interstate 5 into northern California it f” >
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Thanks Denise, Its great to be home!
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I too LOVED the photo of Lulu in the wagon – too cute! She looked like she was smiling as she sat there.
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That girl knows how to have fun!
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Hi Tim and Denise – thanks again for all the great pictures! Now I especially like the one of LuLu in the wagon – that is so funny with the look she has on her face! I sent this one to my daughter Heidi and she thought it was real cute.
Have a great trip and let us hear from you when you get home – Gert
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Thanks Gert, yes the big dogs had a blast at the Motsko’s we are home now, just behind on our blogging. Stay tuned for final posts on trip home.
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Hi guys,
Sitting in the Fort Rock parking lot and have g4 connection. We are speechless after watching the Fort Motsko video. You guys are awesome!
All of our love,
Mark and Phyllis
Sent from my iPhone
>
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Glad you enjoyed it! It is easy to write about folks that are so active and engaging. Thanks of a wonderful visit.
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What a beautiful place. Love the greenhouse! Thanks for sharing another of your “camping” places and friends.
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Thanks for nice comments, Mark’s greenhouse is his pride and joy.
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First…love Zeppelin & Plant’s haunting voice. Cool video…I will have that Phantom by the next time we see you both. Back in the early 80’s this older young man began his fly fishing “tutorial” on the Upper Sacramento…I have probably waded over 12 miles of that stunning river…not alway throwing a fly…just admiring it’s beauty. Holy ground indeed and I possess many beloved memories of Dunsmuir and the sounds of those passing trains. Your friends have such a beautiful home and acreage…a great Camelot.
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Thanks Michael, My flying camera makes for some great footage for sure but you need plenty of storage space when filming at 4K. Northern Calif most certainly has some fantastic mountain and river locations, what a state!
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Lovely – such special folks!
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We completely agree!
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