Frustrated with an endlessly cold and rainy spring, we were
anxious for some sunshine, warmth, and walks on a sandy beach. Gracie had cabin fever from being
self-confined to the house (she’s averse to the cold and wet!), and was more
than ready to pack up and hit the road.
Watching the weather reports, Norm got the prediction of sunshine and 70° for
most of the upcoming week of April 21st.
“Diane, how quickly can you be ready to leave?” --and within three days, we were on our
way!
Cape Lookout had been on our list of parks to
visit for quite some time, so we thought we’d stay for about four days. We spent our first night at Champoeg
State Park (pronounced “shampooey”
by the Oregonians), which has become a “pit stop” for us on treks to Portland
or the coast. The ride over from
Champoeg was beautiful and quite enjoyable, until the last leg of the road off
of Hwy 101...the condition of the pavement was horrible! I attributed it to the high coastal winds and
sea-salty water, but Norm insisted it’s plainly
lack of funding for highway maintenance coupled with bureaucratic indifference
(I like my “glass half full” explanation better).
The camping area at Cape Lookout
is full of oddly shaped trees, Sitka Spruces, which can grow over the stumps
of dead trees and create some intriguing shapes and sizes. Either this one grew over a stump which has
since deteriorated, or it just had the need to “stretch its legs.” You could set up a tent under there!
And how’s this for
size??? --(the tree limbs remind me of
the feet of a prehistoric pterodactyl!)
An old,
once-logged stump shows the horizontal “incision” that was made in order to
insert a springboard for the cutter to stand on. How many years ago was that?
Cape Lookout beach offers a long stretch of open shoreline, great for
walking. There’s an enticing four-mile
hike out to the lighthouse, but I didn’t want to chance it with my bum
knee. As it was, we needed to rest our
weary bones from time to time.
We
sat patiently night after night waiting for a gorgeous sunset, but to no avail.
This
was the best Mother Nature could provide, given the cooler weather and cloudy
skies.
But
we still enjoyed just being there, as we always do.
After
four days at Cape Lookout, we decided to drive on down to our all-time favorite park, Beverly Beach State Park, just north of Newport. Norm had told Barry about the park, and he
and Sarah decided to try it, too! We
were happy to meet up with them again, and shared a lovely few hours in their RV,
where they treated us to cocktails and snacks while we talked and talked. The following evening, we had them over to
our place for dinner, and of course, more delightful chatter. Someday, if we ever get to Australia, we will be excited to look
them up!
Our
first day at Cape Lookout had been super sunny, and I had simply refused to cover up
because it felt so good. Not having had
any sun on my face for longer than I cared to remember, I ended up with a major burn! On our way to Beverly Beach, Norm took me to
the store and insisted I buy a hat to shade my face (a bit late, but good
advice for the future). I loved my new,
colorful sombrero...
Unfortunately,
the wind was so bad it wouldn’t stay on my head! Instead, I had to bundle up in a winter coat
and baseball cap, and use a T-shirt to block the gusty wind. Whoever predicted that 70° weather was nuts!
I was freezing!
In
spite of the cold, windy weather, we had fun looking for fossils in the rock
washes that come down off the cliffs. The
pieces were too large to lug home, so I had to “save” them in photo form
instead...
Strolling
northward, we set our sights on the end of the cove, about 2 miles from the
park. As we approached the base of Otter Rock, we came upon a giant, ancient tree stump tucked away alongside the
cliffside. Its roots created some
gnarly, imaginary creatures...
In
the mood to enjoy some of Mo’s clam chowder (a popular seafood chain along the
coast), we decided to climb the steep cliffside stairway to the restaurant
above...
Whew! --time for a break!
But
the view from the top is breathtaking!
And
here’s the famous Mo’s! (Mo’s West, to
be exact... a small satellite of the full-sized restaurant)...
But
we were five minutes too late!! They
closed early in the day because it isn’t “the season” yet. Now what are we going to do??? We were hungry and thirsty from our long walk
and steep climb. The only thing open was
a winery/gift shop next door, so I went inside and asked the proprietor if he
also sold deli items (meats, cheeses) as some wineries do. No, he didn’t. I noticed some cans of tuna on the shelf, so
I asked if he had a can opener in the back.
Yes, he did, and he even provided some plastic forks and napkins... so
out came the credit card for the best darned can of tuna we ever ate!
We
enjoyed our “lunch” on a park table, then continued on to view “Devil’s
Punchbowl” (the remains of a collapsed sea cave) at the edge of the cliff. The waves whip in and out on windy days, and
the cliffside is a good place to view whales and otters.
The
following day, we headed south along the beach, and came upon some unusual rock
protrusions in the sand...
...and
a tidepool which had been revealed during very low tide. We learned how to hunt for agates from a
couple of friendly folks, and even found a few our first time!
That
night, we finally viewed a sunset up to par for the Oregon coast...
It
was the finishing touch to a delightful (albeit cold) trip to the beach, and we headed for home the next day.
