Wow!!! That was all I could say as we stopped at our first wayside pullout. And the subsequent stops would get even better. The Oregon coast is 363 miles of breath-taking natural beauty, and we are grateful to have been able to experience some of that beauty as we traveled in our camper van down the scenic Highway 101 ... better known as the Pacific Coast Scenic Highway.
We spent almost three weeks traveling north to south along this scenic route that hugs the Pacific Coast. In preparation for our journey, we read a lot of articles about what to see and do along the Oregon coast. Unfortunately, the majority of these articles were written ''pre-covid'' when it was cool to hang out with lots of other tourists. Currently, many museums and visitor centers are closed ... indoor dining is questionable ... campgrounds are limiting services ... and that whale-watching tour on a small crowded boat? We'll pass for now.
But as for beach walks and sunsets over the Pacific?? Count us in!!!
Despite the challenges of traveling during these times, we appreciated the fact that there is so much outdoor beauty to discover and enjoy along the Oregon coast. While we are by no means experts nor did we see and do it all, we would like to share some hints we discovered that made our travels a bit easier during this ''less than travel friendly'' time. And of course, we hope to share some of the Oodles of Outdoor Beauty that are waiting for you to safely discover.
Helpful Hint #2 ... You are going to be passing by some beautiful National Forest areas, National Recreational areas, as well as county and local parks. Research the web and utilize Google Maps and other sites to make sure you don't miss one of these ''hidden gems''. And tap into the expertise of friends who are familiar with the area. We received a ton of helpful ''insider information'' from a friend who knows and loves the Oregon Coast ... Thanks, Mario!
Helpful Hint #3 ... Check out the current local regulations and restrictions for businesses and customers in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Oregon is fairly strict in its attempt to contain the virus, so masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors when unable to maintain six feet distance. People, for the most part, will mask up (as do we) when we approach them on a narrow trail. Restaurants are open to indoor seating, but at decreased occupancy. We still do the majority of our cooking in our van, so we really didn't get to fully experience all the fresh seafood restaurants that is so popular here on the coast. But most challenging for us were the changes at Oregon's state park campgrounds. The showers are closed, there are no ''first come/first serve'' campsites, and the camping fees for out-of-state campers have increased 30%. This was initially a bummer for us, but we found that their state park campgrounds are still a bargain, as long as we remember to make an online reservation the day before. As for showers, we found some very nice and clean private campground facilities when needed.
Helpful Hint #4 ... Search out the types of sights and activities that fascinate you. The Oregon Coast has everything from beaches to lighthouses to sand dunes to tidepools to rain forests to mountains to gardens and more. Make this journey yours!
And with that bit of advice, here are the highlights of our journey as we discover the
Oodles of Outdoor Beauty on the Oregon Coast.
Astoria
We will start our journey at the northernmost part of the Oregon Coast where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific Ocean. Astoria is cute little town and a popular tourist destination with many historic homes, seafood restaurants, and craft breweries. We took a short walk through the quaint town and along the Astoria Riverwalk trail. Astoria is also the setting of the popular 80's movie, ''The Goonies''. But because we don't remember seeing it, we skipped the search for the location of the Goonie house. Better to enjoy a brew from the deck of Astoria Brewing Company while watching the ships make their way upstream.
Fort Stevens State Park
This state park was our home for a week while we met up with our Hymer group of friends and hid from the wild fire smoke. Most mornings we parked in the day use area on a high bank overlooking the beach and enjoyed the ocean views that ranged from clear to foggy to smoggy to rain. Weather permitting, we took beach walks past the Peter Iredale shipwreck and enjoyed a few perfect Pacific sunsets.
Cape Meares
There is a side trip that veers off Highway 101 called the Three Capes Scenic Loop. Because of a mudslide the trip to Cape Meares was an out and back, but it was still worth the effort to see our first of many Oregon Coast Lighthouses.
Oceanside Beach Viewpoint
Coming back from Cape Meares, we found another beautiful dinner spot with a gorgeous view of the sunset ... and our first whale sighting!
Cape Lookout State Park
Besides great campsites right alongside the ocean, Oregon state parks have beautiful day use areas. We used our annual pass to enjoy a morning beach walk at low tide which revealed huge sea caves and hugging starfish.
Cape Kiwanda and Pacific City
The third cape, Cape Kiwanda sits just north of Pacific City. This stretch of coastline is a popular surfing location. If you are not into surfing, then walk the beach, climb a sand dune or check out the tidepools. With this much activity to keep his ''energizer bunny'' happy, Doug earned his ''happy hour'' brew at Pelican Brewing.
Depoe Bay
Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast! Despite some strong wave action, this whale watching expert spotted a few spouts in the distance. The whale museum is closed due to Covid, so we'll save that and a whale watching boat tour for the next time around.
Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint
Another ''not your average'' lunch spot! We watched the waves crash into the rocks below us while we ate, and afterwards hiked down to check out the wave show up close.
Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area
With the help of the wind and the waves, the devil was mixing up quite a concoction in his rock formation punchbowl just in time for happy hour. But we had a few more miles to drive to our campsite, so we will leave the socializing for another time.
Beverly Beach State Park
Our home for two nights. At this point we were getting used to reserving a state park campsite in advance and planning our travels around that location. Because the forecast called for 100% chance of rain the next day, we decided to ''chill'' at Beverly Beach for two nights. Glad that the rain stopped just before sunset so that we could enjoy a short beach walk. It is amazing to us that all the state park campgrounds that we stayed at were either right next to the beach or just a short walk away.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
One problem with ''chilling'' at the state park campground is that there is sometimes poor or no internet. So after awaking to rain drops, we drove to the high cliff area that houses Yaquina Head Lighthouse and ''chilled'' there for the day. In between rain drops we walked around the lighthouse and enjoyed great storm views and strong internet.
Nye Beach in Newport
We were delighted to be able to meet up with a former full-time RVer who explored the Oregon Coast and decided to stay. She now lives in the cute little town of Newport. As we walked the beach, Lil Dude kept us entertained with his amazing ball-fetching skills and dog-model poses ... provided he got a treat afterwards! Our lunch spot was overlooking Yaquina Bay in the shadow of another historic lighthouse.
Seal Rock State Recreation Site
With so many possible stops along the way, it is sometimes hard to pick and choose. When I heard that a friend's sister has a vacation home near Seal Rock, we had to check it out. Once again, we enjoyed a beautiful short hike down to the beach and gorgeous rock formations and views. What do you think ... Does it look like a seal to you?
Another great state park campground with sites right near the ocean ... loved falling asleep to the sound of the waves! Once again, we stayed two nights because of rain in the forecast. But we really didn't spend much time there, because we became big fans of a nearby scenic area ... Cape Perpetua.
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area; Siuslaw National Forest
Thor's Well ... Spouting Horn ... Devil's Churn. All I can say is, ''Super Cool!'' This was probably one of my favorite stops. We arrived during the afternoon high tide on the first day so that we could see the full effects of the powerful waves against the rocks. There were plenty of opportunities to hike along the coastal rocks or through the forest. And the following morning we enjoyed just watching the rain, wind and wave action from our van parked on the high overlook. Be advised: rain gear is needed if your photographer convinces you to pose right as the big wave comes crashing in.
Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint
Two full days of rain helped clear the air and thankfully decrease the local wildfire danger. We were happy to see the fire danger arrow in the green as we checked out Heceta Head Lighthouse. After the half mile hike up to the lighthouse, we continued on the path up the cliff, through a tall forest to the high vista overlooking the shoreline.
Darlingtonia State Natural Site
One of our more unique ''finds'' was Darlingtonia State Natural Site. There we discovered a huge patch of Cobra Lilies growing freely as they are being preserved by the state in their natural habitat. The site containing this large grove of carnivorous plants was about a mile off of Highway 101. We had the area all to ourselves as we walked around along the boardwalk trail and photographed these interesting plants with an appetite for bugs.
Oregon Dunes Day Use Area
A little more than half way down the coast, you can almost hear the hum of the OHVs, and you know that you have reached the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. These huge sand dunes line the coast for about forty miles, and it is very popular to ride the dunes. While it was recommended by our friend to join in the OHV fun, we decided to just hike down a dune to the beach. Unfortunately, heavy fog along the coast prevented us from seeing the great expanse of dunes ... so back up we go. Maybe next time I will arrange for an OHV escort back up to the top.
Umpqua Lighthouse State Park
Another lighthouse and (on a clear day) a good lookout point for whales. Today the view was obscured by fog and the lighthouse closed to visitors so ... short visit. It is sometimes hard to tell if the site is worth a stop, but you never know until you check it out.
Bastendorff Beach
We got off the 101 and found another hidden gem near the city of Charleston, Oregon. This sandy beach was quiet and scenic as we enjoyed another long walk along the shore.
Sunset Bay State Park Campground
Just down road was another one of our ''resting spots'' for the night at Sunset Bay State Park Campground. Once again, praises for its large wooded sites and location close to the beach and nearby two other state parks, Cape Arago and Shore Acres. Sunrises and sunsets are pretty special around here.
Cape Arago State Park
We checked out the views and hiked a short trail to a shaded overlook where we were happy to watch a few whales feeding quite close to the shore.
Simpson Reef Overlook
One of our favorite marine wildlife viewing areas! The overlook gave us a good view of Shell Island where hundreds of noisy sea lions and seals were hanging out. And with our binoculars we were able to continue to watch our whale buddies perform water acrobatics in the distance.
Shore Acres State Park
Another unique state park on the Oregon coast. The land and gardens were donated to the state by the former landowner so visitors can enjoy the meticulously groomed gardens. Doug claims to never have promised me a rose garden, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one for the afternoon.
Bandon, Oregon
Time for a real shower and place to do our laundry. We found that Bandon Wayside Motel and RV Park in the cute little ocean-side town of Bandon fit our needs. We were able to walk around town and enjoy the outdoor art that was made entirely from ''garbage'' collected on the beaches and in the water. Later, laundry done, hair washed, and we were ready to settle in under the pines for another peaceful night.
Cape Blanco State Park
Checking out another lighthouse ... how many is that so far? A clear day gifted us with great views, but the (almost) hurricane force winds had the waves crashing and the Baby Beest rocking and rolling.
Port Orford Heads State Park
This was a short hike through another rainforest with crazy cool trees supporting gardens on their limbs. The loop trail gave us great views as well as a little history lesson. This was the site of a Coast Guard lifesaving station. The museum is currently closed, but the outdoor plaques filled us in on the important and courageous work of these rescue teams.
Battle Rock Wayside Park, Port Orford
Even the city parks are incredible along the Oregon Coast! This one had sea kelp ''art'' along the beach, a sea stack that looked like a hungry hippo to me, and sea caves just waiting to be explored.
Humbug Mountain State Park Campground
This is another great state park campground that is situated at the base of Humbug Mountain. The mountain has a trail that hikers can use to ascend 1730 feet to the summit. Round trip is five and a half miles. Since it was a bit hazy the morning that we were there, we decided to enjoy just a few of the uphill switchbacks through the temperate rainforest for about a mile before turning around and coming back down.
Sisters Rock State Recreational Site
I had to get a picture of the three rocks that make up Sisters Rock to share with my own two sisters. Like my sisters these rocks are strong and supporting each other ... withstanding the strong waves ... standing tall ... with beauty all around! The trail leads down to sea caves, beaches, and tidepools (at the right time of day). The overlook parking area provided a great lunch view and a good internet signal so that we could participate in our weekly Microsoft Teams class with our friends in Colombia, South America.
Otter Point State Recreation Site
The narrow, twisty gravel road leading to Otter Point had me thinking, ''maybe not a good idea''. And the rope that helped us climb down to the beach really had me thinking, ''definitely not a good idea''. I'm so glad that Doug was right (again)! We arrived at low tide and were treated to a deserted beach full of cuddly starfish and colorful rocks. I kept a few of the heart shaped ones ... probably not the best thing to collect when you live in a small van like us, but I kinda like them!
Cape Sebastian State Scenic Corridor
The skies cleared for our last day of exploring the Oregon Coast. Our two mile hike from the Cape Sebastian parking area took us through a beautiful forest and out to the high cliffs where we could see and hear the powerful waves thrashing the rocks below.
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor
This scenic area stretches twelve miles along the southern Oregon Coast and I'm thinking ... We saved the best for last! Arched rocks, forest trails, and secret beaches filled our afternoon.
Harris Beach State Recreation Area Campground
Another beautiful Oregon State Park Campground! We have been thoroughly impressed with the ocean side locations, the abundance of trails, the cleanliness of the parks, and the size of the campsites.
No comments:
Post a Comment