Trinidad

We had off and on fog between Prairie Creek and Eureka, but there were enough glimpses of blue sky and the coast that I marked it off as a perfectly nice day. Patricks Point was socked in, but Trinidad offered some brief glimpses of the ocean.

Redwoods

We spent a little time in the Redwoods going each way.  We camped at Prairie Creek on the trip south (Sunday) and then got off 101 and followed the Avenue of the Giants on the way north (Friday).  These photos come from both visits.

There is something pretty impressive about these trees and it's unfortunate there aren't more left.  Trees may be a renewable resource when grown like crops, but old forests aren't renewable on any human timescale.  We didn't spend much time exploring - never getting more then a couple of hundred feet from the road - and it would be nice to allow a little more time on a future trip.

It's funny that despite the emotional and spiritual power of these huge trees, the first thing I found myself expecting to see was Ewoks racing by on aerial jet scooters! (M reports that she had no such delusions).

Oregon Coast - south

On Sunday, we stopped in Bandon, visited Cape Blanco (previous post), and had lunch at the Barnacle Bistro in Gold Beach. We stopped south of Cape Sebastian, where M read her book and I wandered among the dunes on the beach.  We also stopped at Arch Rock, where M encountered what sounded from her reaction like it must have been a very large snake, but somehow all I saw was something slightly smaller slithering into the salal.

From there, it was on to California and the Redwoods.

Cape Blanco

Another cape. Another lighthouse. But this one we actually got to go to the top of. Cape Blanco is Oregon's westernmost point (not counting offshore rocks and islets), a point the docent emphasized. She suggested that the westernmost point in the continental U.S. might actually be in Washington (it is), but said it like it was a matter of opinion, not something one could just check on a map.

Did I mention, the weather has been fantastic!

Cape Arago

There are several state parks crowded along this coast west of Coos Bay.  We stayed at Sunset Bay, but visited both Shore Acres (which includes an old estate and formal gardens, along with a spectacular setting) and Cape Arago.  M relaxed up on top, watching for whales spouting and listening to sea lions, while I scrambled down to the beach for more photos and more exercise.

Sunset Bay

Our second and third nights were spent at Sunset Bay State Park, a good base for exploring nearby Shore Acres and Cape Arago.

On Saturday, we had a good lunch at Sharkbites Cafe in Coos Bay, then hung out at Kaffee 101 charging our various eDevices.  The coffee, the space, and the outlets were fine -- the on-the-sleeve religious overtones were a bit much.

Oregon Coast

Can't beat an afternoon like this!

Newport

I guess the second day of any camping trip always involves a stop to pick up the things that were forgotten or overlooked and we took care of that at the Fred Meyer on the north side of town. Then it was out to the bluffs at Nye Beach so I could take pictures of the Jump Off Joe landslide. By then it was lunchtime, which we had at the Chowder Bowl.

Yaquina Head

Our only rain came our first night at Beverly Beach, but it was over by the time we got up and the tent was pretty dry by the time we actually packed up. And the blue skies lasted for days.

It was nice not to be rushed and not to have 400 miles to go by evening. We made it the 5-10 miles down the road to the lighthouse by late morning!

Beverly Beach

Our first night was at Beverly Beach. We can spend half an hour picking out the best campsite in an empty campground, so the idea of having to reserve a site unseen, when very few were left, left us a little nervous. But it worked out fine, both here and at our all of the subsequent campgrounds.  We arrived to overcast, but by morning the weather had cleared and we had mainly gorgeous conditions until we hit the fog bank south of Fort Bragg on the last day going south.

We haven't camped much in recent years and one of the great things about this trip was how well it all worked! Our basic packing scheme was much as it always has been, we kept our meals simple, and the big tent provides elbow (and standing) room. M found us a big air mattress that actually worked really well. And the addition of the camp chairs was long overdue.

Taft

We arrived at the coast in Lincoln City in gray, but perfectly fine, weather. The next few days would be perfectly fine, too, but without the gray. Taft is just south of Lincoln City, on the north side of the entrance to Siletz Bay. We wandered out to the beach. The view south was across the inlet to a bunch (pod, herd, harem) of seals. The view north was of the Inn at Spanish Head, one of those ridiculously located hotels that coastal geologists so often make examples of. In case of tsunami, head for a higher floor.

Portland

The first stop on our way to San Francisco - or at least the first stop that counted - was for lunch at Tasty and Sons.  This was to be a camping trip, at least for the six days heading south, with very simple camp stove breakfasts and dinners-- so our opportunity to eat well came at lunch time. Which we did consistently and well.