The Oregon Coast

It is goodbye to the mountains and Washington State as I head west and south now along Oregon's beautiful coast. I knew that this stretch was supposed to be lovely, but I was not prepared for the magnificence of this coastline. Endless stretches of gorgeous and quiet beaches awaited me as I began my drive first in Astoria and eventually to the sand dunes of Florence before cutting inland once again. Quaint towns, cute shops and cafes, quiet sunset walks and beautiful rocky outcrops became my life for 5 days.

Day 1 was so much fun as a made my way along the beaches by Seaside. These long gorgeous stretches were virtually deserted, and you could even drive your car along the sand in certain areas. I took my SUV out and could tell things might be a little hairy on the way back to the road: the stretch between the road and the wet sand was loose, dry and deep as the car struggled a little to make it through. I spent a while driving down the sand by the water with the windows rolled down and the ocean breeze sweeping through the car, what a fun way to explore the coastline! I made it down to the end of the allowable driving area, and picked this new spot to make it back to the road. I could see a beach patroller monitoring the exit, and sure enough, although I tried my best to drive straight and carefully, I got burried in the sand and had to get towed out! All for free by Son's Of Beaches Patrol team though. Thank you guys!

Cannon Beach, with is well known Haystack Rock, was another sight to see. I stayed in the area overnight, so I got to see that gorgeous beach at both sunset and sunrise. Evening was particularly fun as I got invited to join in on a bonfire on the beach and watch the mist roll in. Morning I could make it down at low tide and do a little more beach combing.

My days included sunrise walks on the coast and hikes in the nearby state parks, as well as relaxing times at wineries, shops and cafes. Important mentions include Nehalem Bay, an great little spot filled with hippie stores and antique shops. I made a stop at Nehalem Bay Winery, where they gave me so many tastings of their delicious fruit wines free of charge! The gorgeous building and beautiful surroundings made it all the more sweet.

I had been told to stop by Depoe Bay where a resident pod of grey whales resides. At the my first outlook in the area, I stepped out and stared at the sea, thinking spotting a whale by myself in the choppy water would be next to impossible. But sure enough, within a minute, a young grey popped up no more than 100 feet from where I was standing! How amazing. I hung around for about half an hour watching this guy as he munched on the creatures in the muck next to shore. After leaving this spot, I came to another outlook where some people were pointing out to the ocean. There we saw two more whales! Later that same day I had the chance to see one more, making it a count of four whale sightings that day from shore. I've never seen anything like it.

A stop at Devil's Punchbowl where I could listen to the thundering waves hit this hollow rock formation, as well as Strawberry Hill where I saw the seals up close and personal, and I made it to Florence and the Oregon Dunes. As I had been making my way down the coast, I could see the change in coastline from long smooth beaches to sharp volcanic rock, and now it had changed again to giant dunes. That evening and the next morning I managed to do a couple short but tough hikes through the sand, which proved a lot more challenging than expected in the soft sand! Every step forward would bring me half a step back as my feet slid and shoes filled with sand.

Now, what made the coast incredibly easy and affordable was the bed in the SUV. I was now fully comfortable with finding spots to sleep for free at night, often right along the coast and close to public restrooms, and found this to be very enjoyable. Generally syncing my sleep schedule with the sun, the cool coastal evenings worked perfectly with cozying up in my bed for the night. Every night saved from paying for accommodation gave me more money for delicious seafood and beautiful souvenirs.

Done with the coast now, I would next be heading inland through Eugene to Bend and later Crater Lake before making my way to California! Stay tuned, and thanks for reading! -Amanda

(P.s. This is Newport with Yaquina Bridge in the background, a great little city that I would recommend for great food and wine, beautiful local galleries and scenic walks along the pier. )