Driving the Oregon Coast

Well folks, this is what it is all about... Driving along, enjoying the view and finding another lovely place to spend a day or two. About 11am yesterday morning we reluctantly said goodbye to our new friends and left the little village of Lakeside, Oregon and drove north along the coast road. Stunning views of the ocean were interspersed with pretty groves of fir trees and idyllic seaside townships and marinas. Can you see the light blinking on the Heceta Head lighthouse? Double click on the photo and when enlarged you will see the light! When the wind came up, it got quite chilly and misty, and reminded us of photos we had seen of Scotland. This area of the Oregon coast is famous for its 40 miles (65 km) of sand dunes, but as it was so windy we weren’t tempted to take up one of the numerous dune buggy ride offers. Instead we stopped in at Old Town in Florence, right on the mouth of the Siuslaw River (just before it enters the sea), and ordered their ‘world famous’ clam chowder. As we were sitting there we watched a seal cavorting in the water just a few feet away from us.

We only travelled 100 miles (160 km) and ended up checking into an RV park right on the Siletz River only 1.5 miles off the main Hwy 101: Coyote Rock RV Resort & Marina, Lincoln City. Who can complain with a riverfront site, mountain views, Cable TV (& WiFi for those who don’t have their own which I do), jetty for fisherman Murray, a quiet park with no traffic to break the tranquility and for $17 all up? Courtesy of Passport America. The park owner says that otters & seals play in the water in front of us, so I am keeping my eyes peeled. He says the otters come up and loll on the jetty, and they tend to stay local, whereas the seals travel in and out to the sea which is less than 2 miles from here. We initially only checked in for one night, but when we woke up this morning to see the sun shining on the river a few feet from our front window, we decided to stay another day and soak up the ‘aura’. Although it is sunny, it is chilly out there! It is 11am and only 12C (53.6F) going for a high of 16C (61F). Brrrr

Thanks to those of you who have emailed in saying you are enjoying the blog. The feedback is great. It’s a shame that those with a military email address are unable to open the photos. If you have a home email, you could forward the blog link there and access the photos that way.