Wednesday, July 25, 2018

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

2 comments:

  1. Love the Oregon Coast. Your images capture it well.

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  2. What a treat, Paul I've never been there; now I feel as if I had. Thanks. Lucia

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