Best clam chowder not in New England

Mo's Clam Chowder Restaurant Florence OregonMaine definitely has the lobster thing going for it. But when it comes to New England chowder, look to the left coast for the best around.

Mo’s clam chowder is what made the small family owned chain of seafood restaurants along the Oregon border famous. In 1946 Mohava Marie Niemi opened her first chowder house in Newport, OR.

Mo is gone now, but her grand daughter still runs the business with help from the great grandchildren. With six locations, we found a Mo’s in Florence after hearing an ad on the radio about their famous chowder. I remember reading that Bruce Springsteen once ate at Mo’s, so we just had to go!

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Mystery shots can be dangerous.


Rene and Cija shoot Red Room mystery shotsWhere can you get a good stiff shot for only a dollar? Why, at the Red Room in Portland of course. You just don’t know what that shot may be!

What a great gimmick though. When Cija told us about the “Mystery Shots” at a bar down the street, we just had to find out for ourselves. What’s the harm? We could always stumble back to our home parked in her driveway a few blocks away.

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Breakfast Ride Offers Best Biscuits, and View

Best Biscuits and Gravy on Breakfast Horse RideI might have said it before, but this time I believe I have truly found the best biscuits and gravy on the planet. I can stop looking now.

Perhaps it was the real cowboy coffee, cooked over an open fire, or the crisp rocky mountain air. Maybe it was the horse ride up the mountain, the breathtaking views, or all of the above.

But I can honestly say Carla and Paulette make the best chuck wagon team when it comes to a ranch style breakfast that would please any old cowpoke. Or workamper in this case.

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How Remote Is Too Remote, for Workamping, or Just Living?

Lake Fork Gunnison River Vickers RanchFind us a boondocking spot in beautiful country in the middle of nowhere, and we’re all over it. When we started looking for a summer workamping gig, we wanted a job in remote, mountain location. There were a couple of forest service jobs we could’ve taken, but we ended up here at Vickers because 1) it paid more, and 2) it offered us the chance to see if we’re resort owner material.

But the one thing we didn’t really consider, were the foodie sacrifices we’d have to make to live and work in a really remote mountain town with a year-round population of 500 people.

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The Always New Shower View

Ouray Bluff through RV Skylight from 4J+1+1 CampgroundNearly a year ago now – way back in Deadwood, SD – I wrote about how the view is always different from our kitchen table. Another view that always changes for us is out our Bathroom window.

Being a skylight, the view is usually of the sky. Light during the day, but sometimes we see stars at night. Until it fogs up.

Nevertheless, I am always reminded that this adventure is still fun and exciting whenever I look up and see new trees. Or the best yet, this view of the bluff above our site at the 4J+1+1 Campground in Ouray, CO.

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Look what I found!

surprised cartoon invitation proposalWe’ve found ourselves back at the campground in the grove at the trailhead to Cohab Canyon where I proposed to René about a dozen years ago on our legendary motorcyle tour of the southwest.

We are just feet from where we tent camped. We probably would have moved if this big ol’ rig parked next to us at the time.

I also just found the following autobiographical early “web page code” and have hereby salvaged it from becoming internet detritus….

Surprised? I saved the cartoon shown for many years before giving it to the woman I knew would marry.

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