I was sad to leave the coastal redwoods. That is until I glimpsed the Oregon coast!
Crossing the state border and stopping at a Visitors Center, I picked up a brochure which detailed every stop along Highway 101 in increments of 1/10 mile. I am driving, defensively aware of cars, bikes, and hikers along The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, and now, hyper-attentive navigator. No wonder I’m exhausted at the end of each day!
I spend my first night in OR at The Beachfront Inn in Brookings where samples of clam chowder and fudge welcomed me upon checking in. I was up-graded to an oceanfront room, and it’s gorgeous. I wish all my hotel rooms were as welcoming! Sliding doors open to crashing waves on a beach covered with driftwood and water pounded rocks. It’s too tempting to remain inside!
Dinner is at Catalyst Seafood - a boat to table restaurant where the owners catch your dinner! I enjoy a Columbia River Steelhead Salmon on chimichurri pasta. Absolutely delish!
Another walk on the beach, and I join people as we wait for sunset over the harbor. A few people have started bonfires, and a couple of brave souls have their toes in the freezing water!
I wake early, but it’s difficult to leave my oceanfront retreat. Fog has rolled in obscuring the ocean, but I still hear the wave action. Maybe another walk on the beach!
Breakfast, and yes, I come away with more goodies for future meals....biscuits and bacon, an orange, and a bagel!
I stop at a Visitors Center and convenient bathroom break at Port Orford. Chatting with a volunteer, we compare the OR and CA coast. He explains Hwy 101 in OR is far from the main interstate so it doesn’t get as much traffic as the highway in CA. OR gets my vote as having a better coastal highway along with this cute artsy town for a stroll.
I pass cranberry bogs as I approach Bandon. Most people know Bandon for its golf courses, but it is also the cranberry capital of the west. Face Rock Creamery satisfies my ice cream craving along with multiple cheese tastings. It’s Saturday so they aren’t making cheese today, but I purchase some cranberry walnut cheddar. Yum!
As I search for lighthouses and another perfect photo, my 2 1/2 hr trip morphs into 6 hrs! There is so much to see along this craggy coast filled with state parks and sea-stacks off shore. I stop counting at 12 viewpoints which includes watching wind surfers for an hour while I eat lunch...and then nap!...and short walks down to the beach or along the wall.
Even though it’s late in the season, I’m determined to find a straggling gray whale migrating to Alaska for the summer. No luck, but I do find sea lions lounging on the rocks below.
You can often hear them before you see them. Reminds me of some people!
I had debated if I should drive further along the coast for the night, but after my surprisingly long day, Reedsport is the perfect stop. Before dinner though, I’m on the hunt for Roosevelt Elk which congregate near here. I’ve passed multiple signs for these elk along the highways but no sign of them.
As I approach the meadow, shaggy brown figures lift there heads. Finally, Roosevelt Elk, the largest of the species in North America! Watching them enjoy their grassy dinner from behind a camera or binocular lens, I am so close I hear them pulling the stems from the ground!
Males have velvet covered antlers...some just nubs, but since this is spring and females have recently calfed, there is no aggression and fight for dominance. I am so blessed these creatures chose to feed right by the road tonight!
Dinner is a seafood platter baked on a cedar plank with lemon and dill - halibut, cod, shrimp, and oysters. I like 3 of the 4, but I’m willing to give that slimy crustacean another try. Nope, don’t like them! Which reminds me, whoever first opened an oyster and thought, “Looks good; I think I’ll eat it!”
Breakfast includes make your own waffles....with rainbow sprinkles! I had seen these earlier w/ pancakes but thought it was an anomaly. Do you put them in the batter or on top? Must be a west coast thing, and of course, I try them!
My $7.50 Wal-Mart cooler is coming in handy as I have 2 yogurts and milk for a later meal. I want an earlier start today since I am continuing up the OR coast to Newport before turning inland. I don’t want my 4 1/2 hr drive to triple today!
However, I can’t resist another lighthouse!
Several miles north my brochure indicates a Sunday farmers market! A tent where grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade soup is being made is too tempting. I don’t think I will like the Brazilian Rainbow soup with sausage, peppers, garlic, poblano peppers, and sweet potatoes, but a taste convinces me I am wrong. It is delicious and so unusual with just mild heat. While I wait for my sandwich to brown, I overhear people say they are here for their weekly grilled cheese fix!
A local bakery prompts a quick visit, and I cannot decide between lemon sugar cookies or molasses so I buy both. Definitely...the crunchy lemony sugar!
Just like the redwoods, I am sad to leave the coast. I had heard it was beautiful, but I had no idea just how beautiful it is.
Some observations:
*With gas prices over $4/gallon in CA, it was a pleasant surprise to see them a dollar cheaper in OR!
*When I left VA, temperatures were in the 90’s. The redwoods were pleasant in the 60’s, but the OR coast is in the 50’s during the day with brisk winds of 30mph off the cold Pacific! I’m freezing and holding my hat so I don’t lose it in the wind. However, I am so glad to have escaped the heat wave at home; just hand me another jacket!
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