The Oregon Coast to California

One of thousands of vistas.


Though you probably can't make them out very well there are dozens of sea lions on the rocks in this grotto at Sea Lion Caves.


Top of the lighthouse at Cape Meares.

"Octopus Tree", a 250-300 year old Sitka Spruce. at the Cape Meares Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge.

Another beautiful view that this photo can only hint at. The white band you see is cloud cover hanging above the ocean and completely below yhe level of the road at this point. So one rides above, through, and below the clouds at different times. On a motorcycle this is magical.

I've spent the last two days driving down the Oregon coast along Highway 101, and it's been a spectacular ride. The weather has been perfect, from high fog-covered mid-to-high teens along the coast. to sunny highs of as much as 30 degrees when the road curves inland. In the areas where there is fog it never reaches down to road level; which means it's like you're driving in a cool tunnel. The vistas out along the cragged rocky shoreline with beaches below in many, many places are amazing. If one was to stop at all of the viewpoints one would never reach destination.

Friday's little detour off Highway 101 to the Cape Meares Scenic Viewpoint and Lighthouse was well worth it. I was told by one of the guides at the site that when the lighthouse was commissioned in 1889 it was the 8th in the US. It has been lovingly restored as is being cared for by a group of local "Friends of".

I checked into the Crown Pacific Inn and had a wonderful dinner at the Tidal Raves Seafood Grill accross the street.

Yesterday I got an earlyish start at 8:00 and continued down the Oregon Pacific Coast. After a strong coffee and a croissant at a packed roastery in Newport, my next stop was at a tourist attraction called Sea Lion Caves. Apparently this site is the only place, on mainland USA where sea lions congregate; and there were hundreds on a few ledges, and more interestingly in a grotto 300 feet below road level that visitors access in an elevator which has been installed in a shaft on the cliff. The sight and the sound of these large creatures on rock outcrops jutting from the water in this enclosed space is quite dramatic. Those who run this business have, to my mind, done a very good job at maintaining the balance between protecting the environment and providing access to the public; a good example of sustainable development. Judging by the number of people there and the size of the parking lots at the site this attraction is very popular. I would certainly recommend, especially for children.

While my original tentative destination for the day had been Brookings Oregon, I decided to continue on and cross into California and stop for the night somewhere close to the state line. Last night I had a lovely steak and crab dinner at Beachcomber, a popular establishment right on the coast in Crescent City. As I read Game Change on my Sony Reader and enjoyed the good food and wine I thought of how blessed I was to be able to undertake this voyage, and to have friends and family who love me back home who were interetsed by what I was doing and wished me well. I thought how nice it would be to do this trip again with Jane, possibly in a car. I thought of a cousin of mine whom I have learned from my older brother has just been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer who would never have a chance to do what i was doing. All this makes one very thankful.

This morning as the smell of waffles cooking downstairs wafts up to my room at the Crescent City Hampton Inn and Suites I wonder what I will discover today.