0regon Coast

As we cruised the 400 miles along the Oregon Coast we passed through many small towns and miles of beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.  The Oregon State Parks were numerous and absolutely wonderful.  Many of them had full hookups, but were remote enough so there was no cell phone reception or wifi available.

Bandon State Natural area was the site of our lunch the first day on the coastal road.  From our trailer we had panoramic views of the rocky coastline. After lunch we wandered down the trail hoping to spot a whale.  Instead we enjoyed hearing a local man tell us about his plans to sail his boat all the way to Ketchican, Alaska this summer. We told him we would be looking for him when wen got to Ketchican.

The Heceta Lighthouse is claimed to be the most photographed lighthouse in the county. Naturally we had to give it a try. Really needed to get the tripod out. I guess you learn from experience.

At Carl G. Washburne Memorial State  Park near Florence,  our trailer backed up to a densely forested area where skunk cabbage was in full bloom.  A short walk took us to the beach to watch the sunset.

In Tillamook we toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory and were surprised to learn that they also made not only cheese, but yogurt, butter and ice cream.  We also took a scenic drive to the the Cape Meares Lighthouse and then finished the day with fish and chips at a local diner.

Cape Disappointment State Park was our favorite campground on the coast in southern Washington.  Located near the town of Ilwaco, the campground is right on the ocean.  We were able to watch the waves roll in and the sunset over the ocean all from the back window in our trailer.  The North Head lighthouse was visible as we walked the beach.  Because of its location, we did not have cellphone reception or wifi, but we had one of the most beautiful campsites ever!  Terry thinks this counts as a "beach" vacation, but Sue doesn't agree.   Cold water and a cool breeze made it uninviting to hit the water.

  

Reflecting on the drive along the coast, we decided it would be more enjoyable to drive from north to south as  most of the scenic pull outs were on the left hand side of the road and often difficult to do while pulling a trailer.  Unfortunately, we did not see any of the gray whales migrating,  but we did see seals sleeping on the sandy banks.

Now we are looking forward to spending a few days in Olympia, Washington and Port Angeles before we catch the ferry to Victoria.

More pictures are here.