Advertisement
Washington Coast
Oysters secured. Heavenly moments.Once again applying travel logic to thinking, it seemed to make eminent sense that heading south on Memorial Day would “work” as many people would be heading home from the south where the holiday week end had been spent. A good call as the compass, after being firmly stuck in a northerly mode, spun around and HW 5 South was confirmation that we had the direction correct. The basic plan was to allow “Doris” to guide us to the Washington State west coast and then follow HW 101 all the way along the Oregon and California coasts to San Francisco. The Ford Bronco’s time was up on 7
th June.
Given what we had been told at different points on the journey, the trip down the coast on HW 101 was something very special from a scenic
Oregon Coast
Stunning flowering rhododendrons. aspect and we had roughly ten days in which to do this. It’s all about the timing and it looked as though we had got this spot on.
Threading our way out of Seattle was challenging with many switches of lanes, entering on ramps and exits but GPS Sue was on top of her game and no re-routing trauma’s occurred. Huge volumes of automobiles of all shapes and sizes, mostly LARGE, were indeed rushing back to wherever, whereas our routing was quiet. In a moment of reflection, as the beast purred along guzzling gasoline at an alarming rate, it suddenly occurred to me that we had only seen one “fender bender” on this entire trip. Now, this is phenomenal when one considers the distance covered and the huge number of auto’s seen on the multiple highways and byways we had frequented. The other minor observation is the distinct lack of car hooters. People in the USA do not sit on their hooters when they are pissed off. Much of this good road behaviour is emphatically born out in the road safety statistics. Wikipedia is a wonderful source of information and try this for size. Per 100,000 vehicles on the
Oregon Coast
Numerous flat muddy estuarines. road, the USA road death toll rate is 12.9 and in South Africa it is 133.9 (do the maths, we kill each other at a rate ten times greater than the USA). A real game changer to immediately stuff up these impressive USA road safety statistics would be the introduction of SA Toyota HiLux taxis which, I dare to guess, cause at least 50% of the road deaths on our roads in SA.
One of the noticeable features of the countryside as we headed south and then west to the Washington coast, are the endless forests of fir and pine trees. These have been there since time immemorial and where primary forests have been harvested, the secondary plantings retain the green canopy. This is timber country big time and this was very evident as we arrived at Aberdeen, which clings to a title of “The Lumber Capital of the World.” This was to be the first of many, many little harbor towns (all proclaiming “city” status) with lumber maritime histories that we would encounter as we progressed along the coast. Sadly the halcyon days of timber being shipped out of these towns is over, and they now rely on
Oregon Coast
The bridge crossing the mighty Columbia River into Oregon. fishing and tourism to keep their collective hearts beating. Right next door to Aberdeen, sharing Grays Harbour, is Hoquiam a city of 7000 souls which has a welcome board announcing itself as “The Friendliest City”. The tourism tussle is truly on! The other noticeable feature was the weather which suggested winter was not truly over. Grey cloud, a strong chilly wind off the sea and a windswept coastline not unlike that I had seen looking across Royal St Andrews, Scotland to the North Sea. We had booked a “one night stand” at the Ocean City State Park but decided to visit the Ocean Shores beach on the way. Sounded too good to be missed. Well, it looked miserable with a strong offshore wind blasting grey sand in all directions and many beachgoers dressed as if they were heading on an Arctic migration. Vehicles are allowed on the beach and it resembled HW 5 although I suspect being inside an auto was a better option than bravely sitting on the beach. There was absolutely no reason to linger, so with the GPS duly set and bearing in mind it was late afternoon, we sought the refuge of the campsite. On the
Oregon Coast
Columbia River Maritime museum. back road an important discovery led to an impromptu decision to stop and purchase oysters. Apart from lumber, this coast is a massive oyster cultivating region. $9 delivered about 20 of the biggest shucked oysters I have ever seen. There is that size thing again!
The State Park had over 178 campsites ideal for RV’s and mobile homes and it was mostly empty but the Ranger informed us that it had been sold out for the Memorial Day long weekend. Apart from the usual routine of hooking up the power and water supply, one of the enjoyable post arrival activities is to hop on the bike (bought way back in Monterey) and go and check out the park. They are that big and spread out that this can be a pleasant 20 minute cycle and one gets a feel of the lie of the land and “trend spotting”, if there is anything unusual in terms of vehicles or fellow campers (there always is).
There are many things that qualify as “heavenly moments” but chilled Pinot Grigio gently coaxing down gorgeous, creamy oysters is about as good as it gets. A memorable sundowner experience.
HW 101 was beckoning
Oregon Coast
Endless views of jutting lava like rocks and small islands offshore. the following morning as we slowly meandered further down the coast passing through more small towns (still calling themselves “cities”) all of which had a maritime history revolving around lumber and fishing. These included Westport, South Bend and Raymond. There is a fairly repetitive theme in their layout which comprises a main street lined with small service type businesses and numerous seafood themed eateries and the usual hamburger/taco joints. Just about each town has an antique shop which, based on the clutter outside, looks like a community drop off site for any oldish items no longer needed. No doubt that they all rely heavily on tourists like ourselves slowly nudging down the coast. And then of course, the multiple options entering or exiting these towns/cities to book into a motel and there are plenty of these to coax in wary drivers. Or, is it always as it seems?
The famed Long Beach needed to be seen especially as the locals claim it, at 28 km, to be the longest beach in the World. It may be long but that’s about where it ends. On a blustery, cold day even the seagulls looked thoroughly miserable sheltering on the grey sand.
Oregon Coast
Sand and water around just about every corner. The sea had a brownish color which added to it being a beach to miss on the day. Thankfully, there were seafood eateries cluttering main street and it seemed like the prefect day to try clam chowder which was top notch.
The Washington coastline we covered was relatively short and we bade farewell to this State at Chinook which is located on the shores of the mighty Columbia River. A huge and lengthy bridge spans this impressive waterway and delivers one into Astoria, Oregon. The “Pacific Coast Highway” road trip guide we used for reference had made specific mention of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, which was a “must see.” This proved to be a very impressive museum telling the tales in graphic detail and with superb visuals, of the hazards of navigating the treacherous waters of this river. It sealed the fate of over 2000 ships which were unable to navigate the sandbar and aptly earned itself the title of “The Graveyard of the Pacific.” Docked alongside is a vessel “Lightship Columbia” which served as a floating lighthouse some 5 km offshore to provide safe navigation for ships. Easily forgotten in our modern era is the incredible bravery
Oregon Coast
Cliffs plunging down to the sea and steep forests inland. and hardship endured by those brave folk in the mid to late 1800’s as they battled the wild oceans.
The never ending line up of small seaside settlements each had their own unique welcoming emblem but the overriding theme was “we were once important lumber harbor ports.” No high rise buildings on main street but the appearance was consistent. Tourist attractions, motel type accommodation, numerous eateries and occasionally, a city specific museum or art gallery or antique shop. Quaint and appealing.
Cannon Beach seemed to be just another little town or city and yet there was clear evidence that this was upmarket and a little more precocious as confirmed by National Geographic labelling it as “ one of the World’s 100 most beautiful places.” That is one hell of an accolade and well deserved.
All the while HW 101 was hugging a spectacular coastline with endless rivers and estuarine features. Interestingly the estuaries appeared to be shallow and had vast muddy banks which must suit the cultivation of oysters. Crossing these vast expanses of water prompted me to ponder on fishing possibilities but what was very noticeable was the absence of anyone actually fishing. This, despite the
Oregon Coast
Scenery which leaves one breathless. fact that these were once huge repositories of salmon stocks. No boats with fishermen doing their thing and no guys fishing on river or seashore banks. Maybe it all happens inland? Or maybe, seriously over-fished?
We had another “one night stand” lined up at Nehalem Bay State Park on the North Oregon Coast and drifted in late afternoon. Yet another huge camping park with full hook ups and impressively situated just off the beach. A bonus was a 6km bike trail through pristine coastal forest down to the estuary of the Nehalem River. After a long, slow meander following a truly beautiful coastline, it was not difficult to clink glasses and toast another memorable day on the Pacific West Coast.
The following morning, it was with a sense of “can it get any better” that set us off on our further jaunt down HW 101. Incredibly it got a whole lot better. This magnificent roadway hugged the coastline which became increasingly more rugged with steep cliffs on the seaward side and towering tree lined mountains inland. Stunning! Our friend met at Joseph Stewart State Park, Owen Smith, had mentioned that at Tillamook, we needed to get off the
Oregon Coast
A justifiably proud Heceta Headland lighthouse. 101 and onto the 131 and follow the “Three Capes Scenic Route.” This little deviation put us in touch with Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda and some wonderful jutting headlands with wild surf rolling in. A place called Lincoln City is on this stretch and this is where the “city” thing gets interesting (I am banging on about this! No apologies!). Fundamentally, four little towns with a history of fishing and logging, felt so isolated that they got together to form a big town of roughly 8000 people which then got to be called a “city.” Go figure! This confusion was short lived as Boiler Bay came into view with huge lava like rocks sticking out of the bay. This was the start of a long stretch of the Central Oregon Coastline which has numerous bays displaying an incredible array of lava rock shapes which over time broke away from the coastline.
It is challenging to try and describe the beauty of this coastline but after knocking it around in my head, there is only one word that springs to mind. Dramatic! Earlier in the trip we had been blown away by a drive down part of Big Sur on the Southern Californian coast. Hugely impressive but the Central and Southern Oregon coast is breathtakingly beautiful and seems to go on forever and with apologies to Californians, it trumps Big Sur.
After two “one night stands” we checked into another of Oregon’s superb State Parks by name of Carl G. Washburne. Park like setting with towering trees and a delightful sunny RV site set us up for a relaxing stay after covering some serious mileage. It was chilly and necessitated sitting huddled around a roaring log fire quietly reflecting on our coastal meander thus far.
Part of the evening drill is to study maps and guidebooks and this produced a fascinating experience the next day as we set off on a 10.2 km walk to Heceta Head where America’s “most photographed lighthouse” is located. The walk itself through pristine natural forest was sublime with pink wild rhododendrons flowering in amongst the trees. This is no ordinary light house given that it was erected in about 1893 long before roads had been built there. The intricate glass work and masonry supports were designed by a Frenchman in Paris using some incredibly advanced scientific and mathematical thinking. All the components were built in England and then shipped to the USA and delivered by horse drawn cart to this remote Oregon Coast. Remarkably it still stands and functions to this day with all the original glass still in place sending light 21 miles out to sea. The stuff of pure genius on the part of some seriously resourceful people and so with a totally new understanding and deep respect for a lighthouse, we set off back to base camp. No mishaps apart from seeing a small black and white striped snake scuttle off the path. Much too quickly for Sue to strap on her sprinting shoes. Early evening had the usual ambience, campfire and sundowners and in drifted an RV right next to ours. We soon struck up conversation with Cynthia Jenkins travelling on her own back to Alberta, Canada. She had just retired from a tourist position in Yukon, Canada and had decided to embrace the RV travel experience. It was wonderful chatting to her and she offered some real insights to the North West Canadian region which may well become a future RV destination. Got to keep dreaming!
This was one helluva journey down the 101 as we left on day four and entered the southern region of the coast. We had been fortunate weather wise all the way with clear, sunny days adding to the splendor of the scenery. And still we kept passing through numerous small towns along the route all with some claim to timber or fishing to sustain them. Ever alert GPS Sue spotted a seafood vendor in Bandon where we stocked up with shucked oysters. Each of these towns has some form of major natural attraction which is described in the guidebook and forces the Ford Bronco to leave the 101. It just never seemed to end with cliff lined bays and huge jagged islands just offshore. Believe me the word “dramatic” is spot on. And then, an almost crowning moment as we neared the end of the Oregon Coast meander, was a stop at Cape Blanco which is the most westerly point on the Oregon Coast. The view south followed steep jagged cliffs to prominent jutting points in the south.
Our final “one nighter” on this magnificent coast line was the Harris Bay State Park. The customary sundowner experience was considerably enhanced tucking into tantalizingly good oysters. The memories of this coastal journey will linger for a long time.
A further thought. If anyone who reads this blog ever finds themselves travelling in the USA, DO NOT miss a drive along HW 101 down the Oregon Coast. The sands of time are running out. All that remains is the final push into California and San Francisco.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.243s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 11; qc: 55; dbt: 0.1009s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Jeff
non-member comment
Bandon
Pards, you were there! What are touted as America’s links. Bandon Dunes and so much more. 101 is the best of the best.