Summer/Fall 2011 Pacific N/W: Day 46

Left Depoe Bay (Saturday) and continued south on coastal hwy 101. So many picturesque viewpoints we could not stop at them all - especially in the RV with car in tow. Oregon has dozens of day use State Parks along the coast that are scenic areas and hiking trails. The best way to see all the coast offers is to park the RV (as a base) and explore by car and on foot. Not familiar with the areas, I'm reluctant to pull into any parking lot or down any road that I'm not sure I can turn around in. You can not back up an RV towing a car. It's impossible.

Knowing we have at least 2500 miles to go to get home, I'm "rushing through the coast" as Ellen says. And it's true. But it was planned to spent 2-4 days on the north coast, 2-4 days in the middle, and 2-4 days in the south. And so far we have spent 2 days north, 2 days upper middle, currently spending 2 days lower middle, and plan on at least 2 days south. So I don't think we are rushing the original plan. It's just not ample time to do it now that we are here and see what's out there.  If I do this trip again I would come straight to the coast and spend the time it takes to really experience the beauty. Our trip was very "ambitious" with the eight National Park destinations we had before even reaching the coast.  And as great as the trip has been with all the previous stops, the coast is getting slighted somewhat due to time (and weather) constraints.

Weather has been a little on the wet side but we have had luck with it clearing up enough to get some good pictures. Our stop for tonight and tomorrow is Bullards Beach State Park just north of Bandon, OR. Rain ended as we left this morning which made for a good drive.

Got into camp around 5:30 having made so many picture stops.  The sky was clear by then and we rushed to hike the trail from camp to the beach for sunset. The trail turned out to be about 2 miles and we barely made it in time. Took some really good pictures of a beautiful beach and sunset then headed back in a hurry before it got dark. In my rush to get back, I misread the trail sign and made a wrong turn onto a horse trail that headed north away from the campground. Followed it at least a mile in the wrong direction before realizing a mistake was made. Almost dark, cocktail glasses were empty, and we were lost.

Got out my cell phone and Google maps showed us the way back.

Finally made it to the point where I made the wrong turn and gave a big sigh of relief knowing we would not have to spend the night out on the dunes. The sign clearly pointed the way back to camp but I had not payed attention to the arrow pointing towards it. Had to laugh at my stupidity when I saw it. Thought it would be a quick trip so we took Isabelle, but no water, no flashlight, no nothing! Poor Isabelle was really running out of steam and we had no water for her. She is not used to such long hikes.  We eventually made it back to camp in the dark with no damage to us or Isabelle except for my pride.

Cape Perpetua - a rock fissure that has been eroded by the ocean making for some "thunderous" wave action as the water is funneled into the narrowing crack.

We took a trail down to the edge along the rock. In rougher water or higher tides it would not have been possible.

Check out the wave action and the backside of this studly "young" dude! No, that is not Jim; if it were the jeans would be droopy on his ass.......

We took a lot of pictures trying to capture the water as it shot upward hitting the rock walls, but seemed to always be a second too late or too early.

Heceta Head Lighthouse where we saw sea lions sunning on the rocks. Unfortunately, they were too far down for us to take a picture. We did get good views with the bionoculars.