8/8/13

Cool on the Coast

 

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We are saying goodbye to the marina and are heading south on 101 by noon.  The dry camping area is becoming empty as the lucky  fishermen are carrying their bounty home to their freezers.

Our mission is to see the rest of the Oregon coast as we head to California to visit with hubby’s son.

Cape Perpetua is right down the road.  Devil’s Churn greets us, throwing the sea up into the sky.DSC_5822

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The fog hangs over the ocean…..the sun shows up in the afternoon.  I decide this area’s need for caffeine is related to the constant overcast skies! 

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The road closely follows the shore as we wind down the coast.  Every turn is a treat for the eyes…..I struggle to decide where to stop and take pictures.

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There are national forest campgrounds here and we are looking for the perfect campground for the night.  At Eel River, right above Coos Bay, we find the right one.DSC_5839

This area is known for the great sand dunes….no, the ocean is not on the other side, it’s 3 miles west.  After climbing the dune we discover dune after dune…as far as the eye can see.

Bullard’s Beach State Park is a few miles north of Bandon, OR.  We have missed the egg rally in July but I want to see the park. 

Adjacent to the park, Nina and Paul are working at the Coquille Bay light house.  We stop by to say “hi” and get an excellent description of the light house’s history.

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The setting sun lights up the logs between the lighthouse and the river.

Bandon by the Sea is a delightful little tourist town….. we head downtown to view art made from beach trash. 

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After a pleasantly cool night at the state park we head south toward Cape Blanco.  There’s another light house…unfortunately it is closed on Tuesdays.  The scenery around the old light is magnificent but it’s real foggy.  Would love to see it without the mist.

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Cape Blanco Lighthouse

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The whole area was so foggy…could barely see the ocean.

Thought this unusual rock looked like a woman holding a child!

 

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Saying goodbye to Oregon……we are entering CA! 

Want to bring everyone up to present but just realized the California pictures are still on the camera!  Pictures will need to come later…..

We saw elk grazing by the ocean and many huge sequoias.  After a long drive we are at a COE park on Lake Mendocino.  Tomorrow we will be starting a family visit in Saratoga, CA and expect to be very busy for four days!

This is the first day in a week that we are not on the road….and more tired than if we had driven 200 miles! 

Posted from Star Bucks in Ukiah, CA!

11 comments:

  1. The first, sixth and seventh photos look like my vision of heaven. You take such exquisite photos, Lynne.

    The second one looks like a scene from a recurring nightmare I had as a child living on the beach. I would see a hurricane approaching a narrow inlet like that with a tidal wave of menacing gray water heading toward me.

    Funny... it's not scary to me now. Just a fascinating glimpse of the rugged power of nature. :)

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  2. How strange......as a child I also had a recurring nightmare of a tidal wave washing over me while at the beach.......and I was in TN ....never had been to the beach!

    Must be something in our collective sub conscious..

    Thank you Sharon. Don't know why I was so exhausted yesterday....

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  3. It was great to meet you guys in Bandon. You captured the lighthouse on a PERFECT day (nice shots).

    Nina

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  4. Thanks....it was really fun to meet the people behind the words....thought you two did a great job with the history!

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  5. WOW....such beauty. Glad I used the laptop and not the Smartphone for viewing! That is one coast next summer on my gaga list to see. Thanks for sharing and hints on where you are staying. Hope a landing in CA brings some R&R with family.

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  6. Thks.....looks like Iwill be changing over to Wordpress if Blogger doesnot straighten out.
    Wasit difficult for.you to change?

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    1. Think I did it in an afternoon...not as many widgets to fancy it up...but really friendly using it ...and you get notifications to comments so much easier.

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  7. What beautiful pictures!! I have never been to the West coast but hope to experience this one day. So different from the East coast. Hope you enjoy your time with family!!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. Do hope you can see the West.....completely different in all ways!

      The visit has been great fun so far...

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  8. Your pic's brought back some fantastic memories for us. Love that Oregon coast. I haven't had any issues with Blogger. It could have been a temporary glitch in their system at the time you posted. Have a fun time with the family. Still planning on seeing your smiling face in about a month.:-)

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  9. Glad that you enjoyed the picts and memories.

    Looking forward to a good long visit!

    Relieved the feed straightened out as I had no clue how to fix it.

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