Major Tom to Range Control

We’re at Camp Rilea, an Oregon National Guard installation in Warrenton, OR at the north west corner of the state.  It has only ten RV spots but we didn’t have any trouble reserving one.  Then we arrived and told the gate guard we had reservations at the RV Camp and he looked surprised.  At that point we’re thinking maybe this wasn’t going to be such a great place.  Besides that, I haven’t seen anyone from the National Guard up close since spring of my freshman year at Ohio State in 1970.

Despite all that, this is a great place.  And in retrospect, the gate guard was putting us on: when two people pull up in a motor home, the only other response to our obvious statement besides looking surprised was probably “duh.”

We knew we could walk to the beach at Camp Rilea, but the ocean-front section of the camp is (honestly) close to the National Guard artillery range and you have to get permission from "Range Control" to  take the road to the beach.  No one was home at Range Control, but the gate guard said if no one is at Range Control, that means no ones shooting and gave us directions to the beach.  So past the artillery range and to the beach we went.  The next day we did it all again, this time with the proper paperwork.  It’s beautiful.

Our campsite is next to a big grassy area, and also has a large grass hill right behind it...

...

... And if I move my camera to the left, you can see that
actually the RV park is just a parking lot.  But the big rig
right next to us pulled out this morning, and only five of
the ten spots are taken.  Plus, Camp Rilea is pretty -- all
the buildings are white with red tin roofs and there is lots
of manicured grass.  The entire camp is very well
maintained.

Another view at Camp Rilea.  Jim was in the National
Guard for about a year before he transferred to the Navy
Reserves, and spent a weekend here in the late 1970s.

This is the sign we pass -- with permission, of course -- to 

get to the ocean.

Then comes the target practice area...  

Then comes the beach.   Here are Jim, Cooper and a message you may not be able to see unless you double click.

Bev found two perfect sand dollars at the nearby Fort Stevens State Park beach, and another one at Camp Rilea Beach.