The southern Oregon coast is gorgeous. We've decided to move here. Perhaps take up fishing? We should probably see the rest of the country first...
Stopped at Whaleshead Beach on a whim, and it was great. Big rocks offshore, several streams emptying into the ocean (one frigid, one warm), and lots of cool colored pebbles. A little further up we camped at Sunset Bay state park. Lots of families, but it was a good campground. $19 with as much hot shower water as you want. Go Oregon!
Yesterday we found the rest of the tourists on the coast. Apparently it's a popular place to drive your RV, considering the towns we found (and drove 20 mph through) were about 60% RV park and 40% kitsch shops. And the people driving through the central coast area are idiots. Turn off your GPS and look out the window! Those 40 cars behind you? Yeah that's your fault. Needless to say, it was a frustrating travel day.
We did stop near Umpqua Lighthouse and walked on the dunes and the beach. Dunes? Yep, Oregon has dunes, and lots of them. For $200 we could have rode an ATV around on them, but decided to eat for a few weeks instead. We wound up at Cape Lookout to camp for the night. After a frustrating day of driving, we took ourselves out to Schooners in Netarts (pronounced NEE-tarts, apparently). It was AWESOME. They had Oregon beers on tap (got a Mirror Pond and a Dead Guy), a wood-fired oven, and oh yeah sat right on the ocean. We ate local oysters and clams, very home-made and very excellent chowder, and a pork shoulder that fell apart if you blew on it and was crispified in the aforementioned oven. Definitely eating those leftovers today.
And it rained. Not surprising that it happened, but the timing could have been better. We had to break camp this morning in the rain and stow a bunch of drippy gear. Our boots are still wet from the Redwood Creek crossings. Time to find some deserts. But wait! Next stop is the Seattle area and the largest temperate rain forest on the continent. At least it's summer?
Well, I'm reading it. After I check my email and the Craigslist guitars, you're my next procrastination resource.
ReplyDeleteNice blog. I can really smell the sea and the redwoods, plus get a buzz off the beer. Annie and I went up as far as Salt Point last week. Hiked in the Rhody preserve, stood in awe by the native grass prarie. We had to turn back, though. You kept going,...and going and going and going.
I may feel a little wistful when you leave the Coast. After all, I'm staying. But I'll keep reading as long as you write. Good luck to both of you.
sluntz@earthlink.net
Hilary,
ReplyDeleteI am loving your fresh and accurate descriptions of the Oregon Coast and its inhabitants (or migrants to). Glad to see you had some Rogue on tap, did you stop in Newport where it is brewed?
Safe travels!
M Calpin
Amen to the turn off your gps and look out the window. We have people call us lost, and it turns out they passed us and drove and extra 45 minutes or so to the Marina Plaza in Englewood. Common Sense.
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