The Oregon Trail (Post #5)

Yes I'm still recapping our trek up the northern California and Oregon Coasts. Catch up by following the links here-Post 1 (San Francisco To Mendocino), Post 2 (Mendocino continued), Post 3 (Mendocino to Eureka), and Post 4 (Eureka CA to Brookings OR)

Day 4-Brookings Oregon to Newport Oregon (233 miles)

Hubs suggested today I not take ten times longer to write about the trip than we actually spent on the trip, but finding time to blog these days is a real challenge. Life is so busy, but I'm determined to take you all the way to Washington with me. Figuratively speaking I mean.

When last we spoke we were crossing the California State Line into Oregon, aka The Beaver Sate. For the record we did not see any beavers, but we did see plenty of seals and sea lions which more than made up for it.

Also, this day may end up being two posts. We shall see.

Before we leave Brookings let me back up and mention our hotel there. We stayed in the Best Western Beachfront Inn and enjoyed the view from our room and the fact that we could walk across the street for a seafood dinner while watching the sunset.

We're all about seafood, sunsets, and great views no matter where we roam.

We had breakfast at the hotel, but took our coffee out to the beach so we could watch the waves crash and rage. The Pacific Ocean packs a punch and the rocky shoreline helps.

While hubs was checking out I managed to set off the car alarm in the rental vehicle which I'm sure was a treat for all those non-early risers. Sorry! Good morning sleepyheads!

Let me preface these next few miles by saying this stretch of highway has to be one of the prettiest stretches in all of America. It's called the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor and is twelve miles of lush green forests and rugged coastline. There are many well marked view points here and it was hard not to stop at them all.

The skies were foggy early on and we worried we might miss some of the natural beauty we'd read about, but eventually the fog lifted and we didn't miss a thing. I thought the early fog made everything feel ethereal.

Natural Bridges-

Reminded us so much of one of our favorite spots on the English coastline, Durdle Door. Sigh.

Arch Rock-

Pretty much just walk out to the overlook and let your jaw drop. Stunning!

When you reach the end of the scenic twelve mile stretch there is still plenty of scenic highway in front of you, it's just not part of the official Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor.

Sometimes you feel like you're going to drive right into the Pacific.

We spent quite a bit of time at a place called Pistol Rock feeling like the only people on earth.

The size is positively staggering...makes you want to stay all day.

We didn't.
But we definitely could have.

It was real rain (our first in five days) by the time we arrived in the town of Port Orford, so we opted to have lunch at Redfish. Now let us pause for a moment and give this clam chowder it's due-

Hubs and I agree this was the best clam chowder we have ever eaten ever ever ever. They drizzle it with a little chili oil (I think), and it's garnished with whole fresh clams in the shell that were so good. Definitely one of my favorite bites of the 1057 miles we traversed.

We took a short six mile route off the main coastal road in order to visit the Cape Blanco Lighthouse.

A guide takes you inside and up, and shares a lot of information about both the lighthouse and the life of a keeper.

Can you tell it was windy?

Did you know there are sand dunes in Oregon? Miles and miles of dunes that go on for what feels like forever, but in reality is only about 40 miles. Of course 40 miles of sand dunes is nothing to sneeze at, but since the weather was rainy and really windy we opted not to get out and explore. Hubs especially would have loved more time here, but we tended to linger a little long in some of the earlier places, and we didn't want to miss the Sea Lion Caves.

Our road trip philosophy is this-don't be in such a hurry to tick things off a list that you miss taking in all that is right where you are. We said from the start that if we were somewhere and loving it we would stay as long as we wanted to stay and that's what we did. Mostly what we were seeing was nature showing off which has no operating hours to work around, but there were a few things that required arriving before closing time, and the caves were one such spot.

The Sea Lion Caves sit at a literal bend in the road, with a parking area across the street. Not much traffic so you just run across to the entrance.

Now y'all know that no trip of mine is complete until I've been forced to endure some sort of small confined space that makes me breathe a little too fast, be it a gondola hanging over the tea plantations of Taiwan or an elevator inside a mountain taking you down into the dark where sea lions nest.

So that's what we did. We rode the elevator down down down through the mountain and stepped out into this amazing sea lion cave, a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary. This is the largest (known) sea cave in America, and home to the stellar sea lion, although they aren't always present. This isn't a zoo and the animals are free to come and go at will. If the sea lions aren't in residence you're given a discounted entry price and a rain ticket for a return trip within the year at no charge.

It was hard to get good photos from under the mountain! plus they have a guard fence around the rocky ledge so nobody accidentally goes for a swim! but we enjoyed our visit.

 sea lion fossil 

You really need to see this spot in the spring or summer when there might be hundreds here, but the cave itself is cool. Definitely worth the slow ride down on an elevator that gives you zero frame of reference as to how many 'floors' you've traveled and how many you have left before the doors open and you can breathe again.

Also, you get a fantastic view of the Heceta Head Lighthouse from the depths of this cave.

And bonus, the fog was back so we caught the light as it made it's way around and around, warning boaters of the dangerously rocky coast.

We're almost to Newport so I'm going to stop here for now. We had a really interesting dinner in Newport and I want to say more than a line or two about that. This was our longest day of driving, but we agreed we wouldn't change the itinerary. The stopping points worked well for us given what we wanted to see along the way. Some of the little towns you pass through lack accommodations so we were happy with our mileage plan.

Tomorrow-Newport Oregon and close encounters of the Apollo kind.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 328

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1.  In a rut, in a jam, in the groove, out of synch, off balance, out of touch...which saying best fits some area of your life currently (or recently)? Explain.

2. What is it about somebody else's style of work (coworker/employee/shared volunteer project/household chore) that makes you crazy? Why?

3. What's a tradition that always makes you feel at home?

4. A favorite song with a girl's name in the title or lyrics? Any reason why this is a particular favorite?

5. Share a favorite quote, verse, or saying relating to gratitude or thanksgiving.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

American Beauty (Post #4)

Recapping our trip up the Northern California and Oregon Coasts. You can read Day 1 here, Day 2 here, and Day 3 here. 

Day 4-Eureka California to Brookings Oregon (141 miles)

Except I'm not going all the way to Brookings in this post because it got a little long (ha!). We'll pick up on the road where we end today in my next post. You're welcome.  

I'd always imagined the Redwoods were all located within the national park, a single area with trails to follow and a visitors center where you could buy postcards and ask questions and see taxidermied critters on display. While all that's true there are Redwoods growing in several places along the Northern California coast, and you need a bit of a game plan so you can narrow down where and when you want to stop. 

I definitely recommend the Avenue of the Giants which I wrote about in my last post (here), and I also recommend visiting Redwoods National Park. Of course the park is enormous and you can't see it all in a day, but thanks to my online source Josh at California Through My Lens, we did not miss what hubs and I both agree was our favorite stop out of all the many stops we made on this trip- Fern Canyon. Or Fern Gully as I like to call it (shout out to all you moms who watched movies with young children back in the early 90's!) More about that later. 

It was foggy when we left Eureka and we made a brief exit off the coast road into the town of McKinneyville to take a peek at the 'World's Tallest Totem Pole' which technically is no longer the worlds tallest, but is still really tall (160 feet). Also oddly located in a small parking lot behind a shopping center, but I like finding quirky things in our travels and this qualifies. 

We stopped next about 20 miles north of Eureka in the pretty coastal village of Trinidad for a peek at the lighthouse there. You can tell from my photos the weather was ever changing but thankfully the fog lifted as the morning progressed.

The cove below the lighthouse was calling our name so we walked on the beach for a bit, watched more brave surfers (Brrrr)-

...then ran to beat the incoming tide. The coastline is sprinkled with so very many pretty little spots all along the way, nothing fancy- 

...just nature being magnificent. 

Next up was Redwoods National Park. We made a stop in one of the Visitors Centers to get directions to Fern Canyon and were on our way. Josh had written an entire post on his blog about this special place and I was glad I'd read it because the way in is a little wonky. 

Also, he mentioned you would have to cross streams in several places, both by car and on foot, so bring appropriate footwear. As soon as hubs heard he got to drive the car through a stream he was all in. I had my wellies and hubs was in his duck boots and more than one person eyed us with great envy as they attempted to navigate the canyon in tennis shoes. 

To get to the canyon you travel eight miles on a dirt and gravel road that's rutted and winding and does indeed involve driving through three small streams. They weren't deep when we were there, but that isn't always the case so check before you go. We actually followed a couple in who were driving a convertible. A convertible! With the top down! We had the windows rolled up in our vehicle and there was still a lot of dust in the car, so I cannot imagine what theirs looked like. 

Once you reach the parking area (there's a restroom here) it's a short easy walk to the canyon. 

Which is spectacular. Like something out of another time and place. They filmed part of The Lost World here and it's easy to see why. The walls of the canyon are nearly fifty feet high and completely covered in lush green ferns. 

A stream runs through it and there are trees down in several places that you have to crawl over and around. Hubs loves walking the plank of a fallen tree trunk, especially if it's over water. 

He also loves taking pics like these-

The canyon was quiet and still and we had the place to ourselves for the most part. 

 I love wearing my rain boots and running through water like a five year old.

 Yes I splash. Isn't that the point of wearing rain boots? It was hard to leave the canyon but the great thing about driving the coast is you know there is more beauty just around the next bend in the road.

The parking area for the canyon is close to the beach and we did see a whole herd looking very chill and not at all aggressive.

Who knew elk liked to sunbathe?

As we made our way back to the main road we passed another smaller herd. They were close enough to touch if I rolled down my car window but I decided not to test the truth of that sign.

We spent a good part of the afternoon in another section of the National Park called Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

There's a lovely trail through this particular grove and it's a great place to really experience the grandeur and majesty of the trees. If you can't do a lot do this.

Hug a tree-

Stand inside a Redwood and think deep thoughts-

Look up and be amazed-

 Speaking of giants, we made one more stop before crossing the border and that was here-

The Trees of Mystery in Klamath California. It was late in the day so we weren't able to do the tree tour, but they also have a fantastic museum attached to their gift shop and we really enjoyed browsing there. It's called End of the Trail Museum and contains an absolutely wonderful collection of Native American artifacts donated primarily by a woman named Marylee Thompson. It's really impressive how much they have in this out of the way location, and we were so glad to have seen it.

As the day wound down we said farewell for now to California and hello to Oregon-

Stay tuned...she's a beauty!
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A Giant Of A Hodgepodge

I'm in the middle of recapping our trip up the California and Oregon coasts and if you'd like to follow along you'll find those posts here (Post 1), here (Post 2) and here (Post 3). I'll be back at it with Thursday's post, but today it's Wednesday and Wednesdays are all about the Hodgepodge.

If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger linking before you because comments make the blog world go round. Here we go-

  

1. What does/did Halloween look like at your house this year? Did you decorate? Pick pumpkins? Carve pumpkins? Expect trick or treaters? Wear a costume to a party or event? Make a costume? Feel glad you didn't have to come up with a costume? Cook a Halloween themed treat? Eat all the leftover candy?

I generally answer the questions on Tuesday morning, so while it is Halloween not a lot has happened here yet. And likely won't because a) hubs and I both feel like we've got sinus infections and b) I'm contemplating staying in my pajamas all day and c) our driveway is long and there aren't a lot of young children in the neighborhood. A neighbor did tell me we will get some trick-or-treaters and I do have candy to hand out. The weather is great so I might be surprised by how many visitors we get. Also am I the only one who buys a big bag of candy, but has a moment of panic on the actual day and then runs out and buys two more? 

Last night hubs and I looked at each other and said, 'Wow we didn't even buy a pumpkin this year.' We didn't go to any Halloween parties this year either, but that's okay because I lack the creative costume gene and am happy to skip the stress that comes with trying to figure something out. I purposely bought hubs favorite candy, not mine so I would not be tempted to eat all the leftovers.  

Bring on November and my favorite holiday of the year-Thanksgiving! 

2. What are you waiting for? Elaborate

For life to fall into some sort of semi-predictable rhythm. I'm beginning to think no rhythm is our rhythm but maybe that's what keeps us young?

3. Do you wish you were friendlier, braver, more creative, more athletic, or something else? Explain.

Maybe more athletic? While there's always room for improvement I think I'm pretty comfortable with my level of friendliness-bravery-creativity. I am clumsy though, and a little more athleticism would be nice. 

4. When it comes time to paint are you a do-it-yourself-er or do you hire someone? What was the last paint job completed at your house? What room most needs painting now? How do you feel about wallpaper?

Hubs can paint and has painted various rooms in various houses we've owned, but no more. Now we hire a professional and if you can find a good painter they're worth the money. We're particular about edges and corners. 

We've been in our new house almost a year now, so everything is freshly painted. It's time for the painter to come back and touch up a few places, but nothing needs a complete re-do right now. Our painter here is fantastic and also fantastically busy which is what happens when you're good at what you do. 

Wallpaper-eh. I prefer painted walls, and we're strictly painted in this house. I can handle wallpaper in small doses, maybe a powder room or an accent wall, but I prefer paint.

5. What is one specific thing you felt gratitude for in the month of October?

Our slow meander up the California and Oregon coast, the beauty of creation all around us from the mighty Pacific to the towering trees, and time with my grandson which is rare and precious. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

"...No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe." ~John Steinbeck

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 327

I'm in the middle of recapping our trip up the California and Oregon coasts and if you'd like to follow along you'll find them here (Post 1), here (Post 2) and here (Post 3). I'll take a break on Wednesday to host the Hodgepodge, then get back to it Thursday.

In the meantime...here are this week's questions to the Wednesday Hodgepdoge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. What does/did Halloween look like at your house this year? Did you decorate? Pick pumpkins? Carve pumpkins? Expect trick or treaters? Wear a costume to a party or event? Make a costume? Feel glad you didn't have to come up with a costume? Cook a Halloween themed treat? Eat all the leftover candy?

2. What are you waiting for? Elaborate

3. Do you wish you were friendlier, braver, more creative, more athletic, or something else? Explain.

4. When it comes time to paint are you a do-it-yourselfer or do you hire someone? What was the last paint job completed at your house? What room most needs painting now? How do you feel about wallpaper?

5. What is one specific thing you felt gratitude for in the month of October?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.