Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Down the Coast (Part 2 of 2)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Home Sweet Home (on wheels) and Our First Trip Down the Coast (part 1 of 2)
The first place that we camped along the coast is just barely outside of Astoria. Unfortunately, it was raining when we started our walk down to the beach and I left the camera behind in the car. As we walked down the nearly empty shore past an old shipwreck that looms, rusting and half buried in the sand, we saw two large birds perched in some driftwood. As we approached we confirmed what both of us thought but were a little surprised by: they were bald eagles. They allowed us to walk quite close before they took off in turn and glided over our heads and out to sea. This sad little photo of Seth checking out the map in our dinky camp spot is all I have from this stop, but like I said, it's just outside of Astoria... I'm sure we'll return.
As we headed down the coast along 101, stunning spruce covered cliffs and beaches popped through the mist. There are viewpoints on the side of the road constantly, and it was hard not to stop at every one.
Nehalem Bay
In Nehalem Bay we camped below low bushy trees separated from the beach by grassy dunes.
These yellow flowers line most of highway 101 in Northern Oregon like a wedding chapel. In one direction is a long jetty that we walked out to past piles of driftwood, spotting two more bald eagles along the way. The next day we discovered that we could walk up the beach in the other direction to Manzanita, the little town that we had passed on the way in, where we then discovered that almost everything there is closed on Tuesday. But no matter, the pub was open, where we were able to grab a couple of veggie burgers and pitcher for Seth’s birthday, and outside without getting rained on to boot.
While we were having our lunch, a college-aged kid that I had seen out on 101 wandered in with his “Going South!” sign still in hand. We chatted with him for a few about the beer selection and food, and then about our respective trips south, and by the time we left we had picked up our first hitchhiker. “We’re not going far or fast,” we told him, “but you’re welcome to ride along with us as long as you like when we head out tomorrow morning.” The next morning Michael met us at our campsite bright and early, tossed his pack in the back, and we were all on our way.
Pacific City
That day we came upon this looming rock formation out in the water and pulled off into the public beach parking where several groups of surfers were hauling their boards out to the sand to catch the modest waves that were rolling in. As we ambled out onto the beach and took in the scene, Seth and I realized that we had inadvertently stumbled upon a recommended destination. Before we left, Sarah's friend Lenny had told us, "When you get to Pacific City, there's a beach, and to the right is a huge dune." "You have to climb that dune," he said with a look of loaded mischief.