Part Two- the Oregon Coast

Part Two of our May adventure began when we arrived at Fort Stevens near the mouth of the Columbia River.  I will say more about our beautiful camping van later, but it was completely fitted for two travelers- queen bed, stove, oven, bathroom, fridge and generator. It was easy to drive. Once in our camping space, we immediately went to the beach to see the famous wreck of the Peter Iredale.  It was a sunny day and crowded.  Pam got this nice photo while I struggled on the opposite side with a ton of people - some digging in the sand, etc.

We saw a fog bank building to the south and rolling towards us. Within fifteen minutes, it captured the beach, and beach goers began heading to their cars as the air cooled. I had a completely different view of the Peter Iredale.  Pam sure got the better image.

The next morning, we were awake early and eagerly heading south to our first stop at Ecola State Park for the classic view of the seastacks at Cannon Beach.

The beaches in Oregon are public property, and access is frequently offered.

Our next stop was on the opposite side of the sea stacks seen above. Easy parking was offered, and we explored the beach looking toward Ecola.  This young lady was exercising her two dogs by throwing a rubber toy into the surf.  They would retrieve it, and tease her until they wanted her to throw it again.

We continued south with stops to see additional ocean views. At Yaquina Bay, the state park offered a view of the iconic bridge over the river.

The park at Yaquina also had a lighthouse marking the entrance to the bay and easy parking for our beautiful Mercedes van.

It had two captains seats in front. A slide out for the bed was located behind the driver's seat. Behind the slide out were storage cabinets on the driver side and a kitchen on the passenger side. To the rear were shower, toilet and wash basin.  The Mercedes was powered by a husky diesel that handled the mountains smoothly.  The vehicle width was a normal van width, which made it easy maneuver.  We loved it.

One of the highlights of the coast was the Devil's Churn at Cape Perpetua.  At high tide, ocean swells roll in to a narrow fissure in the lava rocks that resemble a funnel.  The waves dance and swirl in patterns that are never repeated.

Continuing south, the coastal highway tracks inland before returning to Sunset Bay. As we left our camp we paused at an ocean view that was best presented in monochromatic tones.  Our time there was  limited, but I have to project what this would be with a good storm rolling swells onto the shore.

On May 16, the rhododendrons were reaching peak bloom, and our good fortune was to arrive at nearby Shore Acres State Park to enjoy a wonderful formal garden rich in colors. This is the gardener's cottage.

We found explosions of color.

 There were intimate settings with subtle rhody colors ....

and this garden pavilion, that surely was the scene of many social events.

We reluctantly left Shore Acres and continued on our southerly journey.  Nearby we found the Coquiles River Lighthouse.  Wish the lighting had been better.

Our adventure continued as we followed Seven Devil's Road to find the Face Rock Overlook.  Did not recognize any "face" in the sea stacks, but no matter. The beach surely provides a nice stroll. 

Oregon seems to have a fascination with "Devil". They have Devil's Churn, Devil's Washtub, Devil's Elbow, Seven Devils Road and maybe more.  Our own interest was wider, to include the rugged coast, lighthouses, sea stacks and abundant flora.  Shore Acres was arguably the high point of it all.

On the next leg of our trip we worked in coastal Redwoods and Crater Lake.

Paul  Schmitt

Part One- Riding the Empire Builder to Oregon

For several years, our bucket list of travel has included a cross-country rail trip. We were attracted to the view at ground level of the western landscape, the uncrowded and unhurried pace of travel and the ability to move around the train. Prior trips on the AMTRAK Autotrain to Florida always introduced us to interesting people in the dining car.  We were not disappointed with our three week trip this May.  The AMTRAK crews were always helpful, and we saw some beautiful country not seen from the interstate.

Our route began on a regional train from my brother's home in Kalamazoo to Chicago Union Station.  After lunch in the busy station and a short wait in the lounge, we were aboard the Empire Builder heading to Portland, Oregon for a two day journey.  Our sleeper car was a comfortable private lounge as we rolled through Wisconsin and then Minnesota. Before midnight we were in St. Paul and ready for some sleep.

It turned out that the rear of train was a good place to photograph, and early on the second day the view was of a brilliant sunrise.

As we rolled across on day two in North Dakota, we discovered that the train is a preferred way to travel to the small towns along the northern stretch of high plains.  At each stop, there were cars with family awaiting a returning traveler.

These stops were also fresh air breaks where you could step out and walk about for five or ten minutes. The train does allow the traveler to move about more freely than aircraft, and actually meet fellow travelers, but it is nice to walk without the ground moving underneath.

By the end of the second day, many of the coach seats were empty - indicating how many passengers were finding the train preferable to other routes to northern parts of the Dakotas.

There is no smoking on any AMTRAK train, so the short stops were announced by the conductor with the amount of time available for a smoke break. Breaking that rule would result in being put off at the next stop, which could be remote.

As we rolled across the plains, it struck me that often the highest point in many counties was atop the grain elevator along the rail line.  The idea of winter in North Dakota also was apparent.

Imagine a blizzard of driving snow against this solitary farm house on the rolling prairie.  Whew!

Each day on the rails offered four places to occupy - our sleeping compartment, the dining car, the fresh air platform at longer stops and the observation car.  The dining car introduced us to interesting people such as the father and daughter from England who later joined Pam in the  observation car.  If you wanted a short nap, our compartment was perfect.  Sometimes the view from the compartment was preferred. The platform at a stop was good for a chat with a conductor.  All in all, all four were good.


During the second night, the Empire Builder was split into one section going to Seattle and ours going to Portland.  We slept so well that we did not feel the cars being uncoupled.  When we awoke, the train was smoothly rolling along the upper Columbia River.

We enjoyed a nice boxed breakfast in the observation car.  (The dining car had gone to Seattle, but that was fine.) The view of the Columbia was beautiful.  And, even better, we were close to being on time.

Arriving in Vancouver, Washington, the train then backed across the Columbia River rail bridge and into the Portland station.

It was a quiet Sunday morning in Portland, and the weather was perfect. Our Uber driver was there almost immediately to swiftly take us to the next part of our adventure.  In a little over an hour we were settled in a camper van and ready to explore the Oregon coast for six days.