Blogs from Yachats, Oregon, United States, North America

Oregon 2018. Yachats. D10 Heading south out of town was a bit lumpy and twisty but was better than taking Highway 101 straight from our hotel. At Siletz Bay we crossed the Schooner River bridge and the site of the early indigenous settlement of the Yacona tribe as mentioned yesterday. Lots of wading birds were seen and many grey herons, as usual, along this coast. The day was less hilly than I had expected and the weather came out good when the mist lifted over the sea. The highlight of the morning was when we deviated off the 101 following the coast and we saw several grey whales. Firstly just seeing the spouting and then actually seeing them roll out of the water and their tails up in the air. What a beautiful sight. I managed ... read more

SCENIC PACIFIC COAST BYWAY The rugged and rocky California Coast was both dramatic and bold. We expected the same from the Oregon Coast as we headed north on HWY 101. What we experienced was something we had not anticipated. The trees changed from Redwoods to Cedar, the land leveled out some and then, THE DUNES! Miles and miles of huge Sand Dunes. They were piled against the Coast and the the local economy revolved around them. Dune Buggy Rentals, Rides and Tours. Four Wheelers, Motorcycles and ATVs were everywhere. Hiking to the top was tough, it was steep and the loose footing made it seem like two steps forward and slide one back. But the view from the top was worth the effort. The Dunes stretched for miles and miles and made me marvel at the ... read more

You can't come this far and not see the Pacific Ocean so Sunday, August 19th we headed for the coast. It's so different from home. Much of it unsettled and forested. Driving from Corvallis to the coast on the back roads it was also startling to see the vast areas of clear cut forest. Some areas had just recently been cut and other areas were in various stages of re-growth. The ocean was beautiful but the beaches are not ones that you actually see people sunbathing and swimming. Today was cool and mostly cloudy with showers but even on good days the air and water temperatures are just too cold. We took in the Sea Lion Caves. It was actually pretty amazing. The land is privately owned and operated. You take an elevator down about 200 ... read more