The Oregon Coast

As we headed up the coast both my daughter and I were experiencing some minor health issues.

one of my favorite flowers

When we stopped at our first destination, Florence, I headed over to a walk-in clinic. I had symptoms of a urinary tract infection and my suspicions were accurate. I started a round of antibiotics and began feeling much better. My daughter, on the other hand, was still coughing away. I was hoping she was going to be able to kick what seemed like a cold. But alas, by the time we landed in Washington state she too needed a round of antibiotics.

Twin Rocks

Medical issues aside, the Oregon coast just didn’t seem to agree with me. I was so excited to go and see it because I had heard such great things. And please don’t get me wrong, the coastline was absolutely beautiful. However, what I struggled with was the temperature both in the air and water. I am not used to sitting outside having a picnic on the Fourth of July wearing a coat with cold hands. And that is exactly what happened.

Florence was extremely windy and the water on the entire Pacific Coast is not conducive to swimming, way too cold!

we called this ‘poop beach’ as there was horse poop all over it

Being the East Coast gal that I am, I just can’t embrace this cold summer weather. I like my oceans warm enough to stick my feet in. I also like to be able to walk along the beach without a jacket on. Sadly, I’ve come to the conclusion that I do not like the beaches on the Pacific Coast. Their beauty is undeniable but I want to be able to enjoy the full experience.

I also didn’t care for the vibe on the Oregon coast. The towns were much too small and secluded and things were pretty expensive. Most of the RV parks are run down and the ones that were decent were hard to secure a spot at. It just seems to me like they’re struggling to survive or haven’t made their way into 2017.

Some people may enjoy this type of environment, it just wasn’t for me. I’m not writing Oregon off as a whole. I’d love to come back and check out the inland portion to see how it compares to the coast.

Please don’t take my assessment as a complaint

I am grateful for each and every place I get to explore. Some just fit me more than others. And we found things that were worth seeing. We explored the beaches, checked out a lighthouse, saw the phenomenon known as Thor’s Well, visited the largest sea cave complete with the adorable sea lions, and got our fill of cheese at the Tillamook cheese factory.

So let me highlight the beaches first. Being the rocky coast that they are we ran into some spectacular caves flowing with water. I love the rocky cliffs, it reminded me so much of beautiful Maine. Check out this little video of a cave flowing with water:

https://youtu.be/xuGXoPbIens

There were days of fog thrown into the mix. This created a mystical feel but also made it colder as it blocked the sunshine.

We also went to check out the Haceta Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse wasn’t open for tours but we were able to see it up close. We also toured the head keepers house. This is what the website, highlighted above, had to say about Haceta:

The lighthouse is a working lighthouse. From a height of 205 feet above the ocean, its “first order” Fresnel lens, casts it’s beams some 21 miles out to sea. It is the brightest light on the Oregon coast. It is said to be the most photographed lighthouse in the United States.

The Heceta Head Keeper’s House is perched on a cliff with a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean and the beach below. Paths from the Keeper’s House lead both to the beach and to the lighthouse.

We don’t usually do many ‘touristy’ things that cost a lot while we travel. We stick to state and national parks and try to find free things to do. However, every now and then, we partake in something that looks neat or I think will pique the kids interest. One of those was the Sea Lion Caves. Heck, even I wanted to check out the cute sea lions.

Flash wasn’t allowed in the sea lion cave so it was hard to get a good picture. The cave is a naturally formed underground cave and claims to be America’s largest. They state, “From the two-acre floor to the vaulted rock dome, this cave is 125 feet high.”

There weren’t a lot of sea lions in the cave but there were different places to see them after you paid for your ticket of course. One of these they called the ‘rookery’, which is where they gather together and breed. This is a view above the rookery:

Another thing we enjoyed while in Oregon was the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The products were twice as expensive as the grocery stores nearby but we were mainly there for the food at the cafe. They had quite a variety to include grilled cheese with bacon and tomato accompanied by a bowl of tomato soup, yum!

Another favorite was the ice cream. The line was really long but we still enjoyed our cold and creamy treat. There were also samples of cheese to be tasted. And taste we did.

On our way out of town, we tried to time our departure with an interesting phenomena called Thor’s Well. In order to view this strange site, it’s best to catch it during high tide. When viewed at high tide, it appears as if there’s a hole in the ocean and the water is draining through it.

In actuality, what’s happening is we’re viewing a sea cave that has lost its ceiling. At high tide, the water goes rushing over it and if captured at the right angle or when the sea is especially rough, it appears to drain the ocean. If you click on the link above, you’ll see some really cool pictures that depict this phenomena much better.

There is also another cool feature that usually occurs at high tide here and it’s called the Spouting Horn. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur while we were there but follow the link for some neat photos.

As we were headed out of Oregon, we had Seattle in sight. The crew was excited as this is where we would meet up with the rest of the family. My husband and one of the twins was flying in to hang out for a bit. I was also swapping one twin for the other. If you haven’t been following for long, you may not know. The teen twins hate RV life. So we let them take turns being on board.

So next up is Seattle and Spokane. Come and see Mt. Rainier with us as well as some highlights of the city.

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{HUGS} from the Crew!