The Oregon Coast
I packed up my stuff, headed out of downtown Portland and drove north on I-5 into Washington. In Kelso, I turned onto Hwy 4 and again headed west along the Columbia River. The road hugged the riverbank most of the way, and eventually I hit the Washington coastline.
At the intersection of Hwy 4 and U.S. 101, predictably the fog set in. At this point I had planned to go out to Cape Disappointment, but the fog was so thick I was sure I'd see almost nothing, so I headed south back into Oregon. I crossed the Astoria-Megler bridge hoping to find an interesting port city, but Astoria was seemingly bland so I continued my adventure south. Soon enough, I was in the town of Seaside, OR, a beach town popular with the tourists. To make matters more interesting, the annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament was happening this weekend.
I cruised the town, but the thick crowds were getting me down. The weather was cool, too, as the fog hovered over the beach. It didn't take long to see the sights, so I got back on the road on my way to Cannon Beach.
Now this was a beautiful beach, and wouldn't you know it, it was sunny here. Just five miles south of Seaside, the world was different. Cannon Beach is wide open with amazing scenery and smaller crowds, even on this beautiful Sunday when temperatures were forecasted to be in the 90s just 75 miles away in Portland. And what a great village. I will be back here in the not too distant future.
As I walked the beach, I waded into the Pacific Ocean to get closer to Haystack Rock, a 235-foot tall coastal monolith.
Yep, the water was cold, but there were many people swimming without wetsuits. Of course, all the surfers did wear wet suits.
One observation I made as I viewed the Oregon coast was how froth-free the surf was. I mean, sure, the waves had whitecaps and there was some foam as the water came in, but it wasn't as frothy I've seen lately along the California coast in recent years. It made me wonder how polluted the waters of California really are. Then I decided I better not think about it.
After making my rounds, snapping some photos and having a leisurely lunch, I made my way east. Although I didn't have much time, I did make a swing through the Willamette Valley wine country before pulling into the Portland Airport for my journey back to California.
At the intersection of Hwy 4 and U.S. 101, predictably the fog set in. At this point I had planned to go out to Cape Disappointment, but the fog was so thick I was sure I'd see almost nothing, so I headed south back into Oregon. I crossed the Astoria-Megler bridge hoping to find an interesting port city, but Astoria was seemingly bland so I continued my adventure south. Soon enough, I was in the town of Seaside, OR, a beach town popular with the tourists. To make matters more interesting, the annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament was happening this weekend.
I cruised the town, but the thick crowds were getting me down. The weather was cool, too, as the fog hovered over the beach. It didn't take long to see the sights, so I got back on the road on my way to Cannon Beach.
Now this was a beautiful beach, and wouldn't you know it, it was sunny here. Just five miles south of Seaside, the world was different. Cannon Beach is wide open with amazing scenery and smaller crowds, even on this beautiful Sunday when temperatures were forecasted to be in the 90s just 75 miles away in Portland. And what a great village. I will be back here in the not too distant future.
As I walked the beach, I waded into the Pacific Ocean to get closer to Haystack Rock, a 235-foot tall coastal monolith.
Yep, the water was cold, but there were many people swimming without wetsuits. Of course, all the surfers did wear wet suits.
One observation I made as I viewed the Oregon coast was how froth-free the surf was. I mean, sure, the waves had whitecaps and there was some foam as the water came in, but it wasn't as frothy I've seen lately along the California coast in recent years. It made me wonder how polluted the waters of California really are. Then I decided I better not think about it.
After making my rounds, snapping some photos and having a leisurely lunch, I made my way east. Although I didn't have much time, I did make a swing through the Willamette Valley wine country before pulling into the Portland Airport for my journey back to California.
posted by Leroy at
7:18 PM
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