Thursday, July 30, 2009

Oregon, Day 4 - Siuslaw Coast

Day 4 we hit the coast, traveling west from Eugene we popped out in Florence, just south of the Siuslaw Coast. The road out to the coast was a hoot in the Camaro, and the road up the coast north of Florence was even better. Driving back, I'd get clocked by the fuzz trailing behind an Accord going very fast. Somehow the Accord got the ticket...not sure how that worked out in my favor...probably the first time an Accord got a ticket over a Camaro, but thanks Oregon State Police!

The day was a perfect overcast foggy day on the North Pacific shore. This is what the Pacific seems like it should be. The Gulf down in Tampa should never be cold and wet and foggy, and the North Pacific should be a rainy overcast mess that makes you want to dress like the Gorton's Fisherman!

"Devil's Churn"

Looking south down the shore.
We'd eaten up in Yachets at a place called the Dive Inn. It was a restored tavern that back in the day was notorious for a very Hemingway-ish lifestyle. Folks who came to the Dive back in the day, and got a little too tipsy and started stuff with their bar-neighbors, would be hauled upstairs to the makeshift boxing ring to settle their differences like real men. Suck it up!


Jane points out a fishing boat being tossed around pretty good by the turbulent seas. We also saw whales, which were really only visible by their spray, and discernible from smaller critters like dolphins by the big black back that would rise out of the water following the spray. There must have been some underwater formation off the mouth of Devil's Churn that attracted the whales, or their food anyway, because they were everywhere.




Bridge for Highway 101 over the creek at Heceta Head Lighthouse. The big grey steel bridge was a perfect match for the big grey steel day.

Much like Ruby Beach, just to the north along the coast of Washington, there were large rock formations jutting from the turbulent surf.

And like Ruby Beach, the rocks were home to a billion little critters, including this little fellow, which Jane proclaimed was Nemo's house. She then spent 20 minutes trying to say Anemone.

Next Stop...Crater Lake National Park!

1 comment:

Steve Reed said...

Great photos! I remember seeing those anemones at Cannon Beach, around Haystack Rock. You're right, that coastline looks RIGHT when it's gray and misty...