We are so grateful to have friends along our route and our visit with Tina and Kevin Hunter (and their daughter and pup) was incredibly refreshing. Not only did we have a lovely visit, but they opened their home to us to have showers, wash our bedding, wash our clothes, do a deep wash on our our kitchen supplies AND gave us a huge queen size bed to stretch out in for the night. It was lovely to catch up with them and join them at the farmers market in the morning before continuing our trek back to coastal Oregon.
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Driving into Portland was driving into another world after being in such small coastal towns for the last couple weeks. But with it being only an hour from the coast, no trip is complete without a trip to this eclectic Oregon city. As a special treat, our friend Shadia from the World Forestry Center gave us a personal tour of the World Forest Discovery Museum. She also recommend a couple of places for food downtown. Living on the road, we have had limited access to meat and were both craving a good burger. She sent us to Little Big Burger and we were not disappointed. We also had planned a visit to Voodoo doughnuts but she steered us to Blue Star instead. As we walked past Voodoo and into Blue Star, we were grateful. The doughnuts were amazing and we didn't have to wait an hour to get them. And of course, we had to end our day in Portland at Powell's City of Books.
Trucking along as we made our way north and stopping at the two lighthouses outside Newport, OR, we realize how challenging life must have been for the lighthouse keepers and their families. The rich history that lies within these lighthouses draws us in and encourages us to explore more as we continue along the coast. It makes Carolyn even more homesick for Eastern Canada.
One of the most memorable parts of this section was a boondocking spot we found at Rocky Creek State Scenic viewpoint. Not only was the vista especially beautiful while we ate our supper of bratwurst on a tortilla with pico de gallo, but we got our own personal whale show. Dylan was impressed that the whale stayed just off the rocks in front of us for just over an hour, feeding and playing along the surf. She felt as though the show was just for her. Bonus: we saw a blue whale spout about a mile and a half off shore! Our goal has been to explore as much of the coastline as possible and this has proven to help us find some lovely getaways. Charlston was a cute seaside town on a tidal river, making it an ideal spot for shellfish. We then made our way to the Coos Bay farmers market to stock up on fresh produce before heading to Florence for a picnic on the waterfront. All three of these coastal towns were lovely, friendly, quaint and soul filling spaces to spend our time.
Further north we stopped at the Sea Lion Caves, a private facility which you pay to go down a 200 foot elevator to an open-ocean sea cave. Many times of the year the cave is home to a large colony of Stellar Sea Lions and we happened to be there at the right time. A very noisy yet incredible experience to be be this close to these giant sea mammals. There were also spectacular views of the Heceta Lighthouse from this area. No trip is complete in this area without a stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. This quaint yet remarkable aquarium needs to be on anyone's list who is passing through the area. The part that stuck out to me the most was the puffin exhibit - an open air experience in which you can come nose to nose (well beak) with these incredible animals. Dylan's favorite spot was at the tidal touch pool where we had a hard time getting her away from receiving urchin hugs. This stretch of shoreline also provided us with 3 other lighthouses to visit and explore as well as the Cape Perpetua area with its majestic, powerful and humbling rocky features. A truly remarkable place to spend a few days. We did so much around the Bandon area of Oregon that it had to have it's own post. After spending the night at the Floras Lake campground just outside of Langlois and a walk on the sand dunes separating the lake from the ocean, we made our way north stopping at Valentine Blueberries to pick our own breakfast. The blueberries were the perfect combination of sweet and tart. We lucked out by arriving at the peak of the season. After some deliberation, we made the reluctant decision to visit the West Coast Game Park. A small, casual wildlife safari which is a cross between a petting farm and a zoo. You have the option to buy food at the entrance to feed the free-roaming herd of deer, goats, sheep, llamas, and burros. Fair warning, they are not the most polite or patient of customers. Although small, we were impressed to find how relatively large and clean each of the enclosures were. Every member of the staff with whom we interacted had a positive message regarding conservation and protection of the animal ambassadors. We did struggle slightly with the fact that we were able to come face to face and pet baby lions, tigers, and lynx (oh my). As Environmental Educators, we were torn between our ethics and entertainment.
We then drove into Banding which may be one of the coolest towns on the coast. A small town but definitely a tourist area. We stopped at Tony's Crab Shack and rented a crab ring, bought some bait, and a 3-day crabbing licence (all for $29) and took to the pier. There we sat for a couple hours tossing the ring into the bay and pulling it up at 10-minute intervals. Every pull brought with it a multitude of crabs. A majority of which we couldn't keep because they were either the wrong sex or too small. Although reluctant at first, Dylan finally got the nerve to hold one of the crabs and subsequently got pinched. She resisted for awhile thereafter but got up her nerve again after watching nearby kids and had a blast throwing the unwanted crabs back into the water. We ended the day with 4 crabs that were of edible size and male (females are illegal to keep). Tony's crab shack boiled them up for us and we had the best crab dinner we have ever experienced. A very worthwhile adventure. There was a visible and emotional change when we crossed the border from California into Oregon. The cool ocean air greeted us each morning as we woke to the sights and smells of the coast. Most notably on this leg of the trip was an exodus from the bustle of larger cities to a more relaxed atmosphere found in smaller coastal towns. Crossing the border, we picked up numerous pamphlets to guide our journey, one being the guide to lighthouses along the Oregon coast. Speaking to the visitor center staff proved to be valuable in our decision making as has conversations with locals along the way. As much planning as we could do ahead of time, this process really helped us find the hidden gems in the area. For this portion, these gems included Slugs 'n Stones 'n Ice Cream cones in Brookings, Woggy's Fish 'n Chips in Gold Beach, the Cape Blanco lighthouse, and the fishing wharf in Port Orford. On the Port Orford wharf, the locals were very tolerant of us watching the boats unload their daily catch. Carolyn spent almost an hour speaking with one of the seasoned locals about the fishing history in the area, what types of catches were prized, and the basic goings-on of a day in the life of a local fisherman. This interaction proved to be one of the most heart-warming for Carolyn along the shore. We also found a great spot to park overnight at Pistol River State Scenic viewpoint. Oregon has a fairly liberal policy when it comes to overnight parking as long as you are outside city limits and state parks. This was our first, truly great experience with boondocking.
Two weeks ago Carolyn called the Out'n'About Treesort in Southern Oregon to see if they had any openings; as who wouldn't want to sleep in a treehouse? She was told that they had been fully booked through the summer. The concept of a tree resort was incredibly appealing and because it was on our route to Crater Lake, we decided to check it out. When we arrived, we were informed that there had been a cancellation for the next two nights. Although unplanned, we decided to splurge and take this opportunity for this unique experience.
The treehouses are gorgeously built in a variety of styles, sizes, and heights. We were given the first treehouse built on the property, the seed that sprouted the resort. Although we didn't take advantage of the numerous activities at the resort (zip lines through the canopy, horseback rides, giant "Tarzan" swing) we enjoyed the free rope swing, the stream-fed natural swimming pool, communal kitchen, communal fire pit, the outdoor pool table, basketball hoop, blackberry picking, closet full of family games, and the delicious homemade breakfast every morning. We highly recommend this resort. Check on rates and accommodations at their website or call them at 541-592-2208 As a side excursion, we took a day to visit Crater Lake. This incredibly unique National Park is definitely worth taking the time to visit. We only stayed for about two hours and found that sufficient to do all that we desired in the Park. The stories are incredible, the vistas even more so, and the unique clarity and colors of the lake are breathtaking. There are hiking opportunities as well as a boat tour to wizard island. Because of wildfires in the area and smoke creeping in for the afternoon, we decided not to embark on these opportunities. |
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April 2019
AuthorCarolyn and Will Bollwerk share their adventures with their 5 year-old daughter, Dylan. |