Gone West 5

Gone West 5, The Oregon Coast

From the Redwood Forests of Northern California to the pines and dunes of South Oregon

It wasn’t a Great Bang event, but it didn’t take long for the Redwoods to drop behind us to be replaced by the Oregon Pines and Spruces, we continued along HW 101 (we would continue on it most of the time, with a few branch offs from time to time).

The weather had turned warm just in time for the coming holiday, it was Memorial Weekend, when the whole of the USA remembers the sacrifice all of the services (including the Civil Ones) have given for their country.

We stopped at one of the many Public Information Offices that are dotted all along the Highway and are in most towns, State and National Parks. The wonderful people working within (many volunteers) are always a mine of information and tips, here they actually phoned ahead for us and found out that on this one of the busiest weekends of the year, that if we hurried there were places at Bullard State Park.

So it was a case of whipping the horses and getting the most out of the car, within the speed limits of course, we didn’t want to give fuzzy bear cause to pull us over. We passed through some fantastic country side, pine forested hills, sandy beaches and rocky cliffs. We reached the small fishing town of Bandon and passed through, crossing the impressive girder bridge that spans the coquille river, the turn off to the Bullard State Park comes  left, straight after the bridge and of course I was looking out on the other side, this required a bit of a U-Turn (don’t tell Fuzzy Bear).  We got to the reception to be informed that we could only have a place for the one night and we were planning to stay for three. But the wonderful Honey Blonde lady ranger said to come back in the morning as there could well be some cancellations. We paid the fee and drove to our pitch, the campsite, is large and well laid out, with all the pitches for RVs fitted out with fresh water, electricity and drainage (as I have mentioned most US RVs are completely self-contained). They also have a fire pit and a picnic table, very homely (well it is if you live on a campsite).

But first we needed some victuals as we did not know what the coming weekend would bring, would the shops be open?  As we had come out of Bandon-by-the sea (honest it is called that) we had noticed a Supermarket called Ray’s , we though we may as well give it a try. This was a great Supermarket, having everything for the camper as well as the towns folk, everything that is except the type of gas cylinders for our camp cooker, but they did have charcoal (not as romantic as logs, but gives off a better heat), steaks, chicken, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sour cream, asparagus, so that was our dinner sorted for the night.

We had a drive through the old town and it did seem a nice small fishing harbour, we returned and got Lucy ready for bed (top up and baggage stowed in the penthouse apartment). I then got the BBQ going in the fire ring and oiled and seasoned the Chicken and one pounder boneless ribeye, here in the States there is always a whole cool counter a mile long, with every cut imaginable. One day I am going to get a New York steak this is about 3-4 cm thick, now ya talkin’. While I looked after the BBQing Linda par boiled the spuds and got the asparagus ready for the grill.

I must say it was a very nice meal in a very nice location, we just hoped we could spend another 2 nights, but we would see tomorrow. The campsite was filling up rapidly, everywhere there were American flags and veteran’s corps flags to be seen fluttering in the light breeze, it was a nice warm evening and we had a walk around the park to see how the other half lived.  

Next morning we were sitting having a cup of coffee after, I was writing my blog, Linda was sitting at the table chattering away, she may have been talking to me, but I was in the deaf mode. When a chap walked up to us and introduced himself (quite normal on campsites, our tiny RV was attracting amazed interest at every campsite we had stopped at).

Brent was his name and he was cutting pieces of gum from the different pines and spruces, he explained that the trees excrete the gum as a way to get rid of insects and grubs that bore into them to get at the juicy layer that carries the sap up to the leaves. He cut a lump off a tree next to our table and explained that he made ointments and rubs for the skin with it. We chatted about everything and nothing, he gave us some great tips of what to do and see in the area around Bandon. We explained that if we couldn’t get a pitch here for the night we would have to move on up the coast. He said he was camping with his wife, daughter and son-in-law just across the way. Just then we had another visitor as a Blue Jay climbed down the tree, walked across the ground and hopped onto another tree, climbed to eye level and just stared us in the eyes.

Brent wandered off on his gum collecting exercise, we cleared the decks, dropped the top and got ready to move off, when a lady came across, she introduced herself as Nancy, Brent’s wife, she said that Brent had informed her of our weekend predicament, and said we could share their site if we wished all we had to do was to pay for an extra vehicle (they were real camping in tents) we thanked her dearly and said if they had nothing we would take her up on the kind offer.

We headed to the reception, parked up and went to see if they had a free site, whoopee, yep there was a cancellation and we could have a pitch not far from where we had been last night, to Linda’s delight it was even closer to the “Restrooms and showers” so that was us fitted out for the next two nights.

We headed out of the campsite turned right and headed along the right bank of the river  to the lighthouse and beach and had a little rest at a nice picnic place, while I watched a couple of anglers trying there luck.  The beach, rocks and shoreline were full with a very large amount of washed up  tree trunks, roots and branches all piled up and intertwined, forming a strange and wonderful picture  of nature.

We returned to one of the picnic tables that are situated along the banks of the river, we had a nice chat with a young Ranger (he was a very junior Ranger, so he had the job of cleaning the toilets that morning), we got our breakfast together and sat in the warming sun, watching the bird

life on the river and across in the Bandon Marshes across the it. Life can be so wonderful.

We chatted about what we would do that day, we decided that we would travel down to Cape Aragon to the light house and then work our way back up the coast in time for lunch at one of the crab shacks on Bandon Board harbour walk.

It was a nice drive to the light house and we took a lot of photographs of the long coat line as it disappeared into the distance horizon and the State of California. There are a lot of strange shaped lumps of the coast line that have been eroded by time and tide into bizarr formations. One is called the Arched Rock, for obvious reasons.

We drove up to the lighthouse and I popped into the wonderful old (in American terms) building that has become the lighthouse museum and gift shop.

The lighthouse had been put out of use by the government, back in the 90’s, but the State Coast Guards had decided to keep it running and so it carried on sending out its warning signal to passing ships and mariners, that this was a dangerous stretch of coast. It is often that along this coast (that I have sailed many, many times)that a bank of fog can form off shore, but with a sudden change of wind can be pushed towards the shore making the shoreline and waiting rocks invisible. So it is nice to see a comforting blink of a powerful light and the drone of the fog horn to warn of any impending danger.

We travelled a bit further back up the coast and turned left towards some massive sand dunes, here the sand buggies and trial bikes can play until there heart is content, as they rev up their motors and race up, down and along the sand dunes.

We headed back towards Bandon and the Farmers Market, here the local community gather each weekend to sell their wares and produce, whether it be cupcakes or home produced honey, wood-turned bowls and vases. You can drink a coffee and have a chat as you listen to the music of the 60’s and 70’s being played by the busker at the entrance door. Outside the smokers were in full swing and you could have your choice of pulled pork sandwiches or sticky ribs.

We wandered along the boardwalk and looked at the wares on sale at the anglers swap and sell market, there were lots of good gear and some not so good, buying second hand fishing gear is a bit like buying a second hand car, you pays your money and you takes your chance.

We stopped at the one of the Crab Shacks for a spot of lunch, Linda only wanted a cup of coffee, but I wanted a mixed plate of Shrimp, mussels, clams and Dungeness crab. We took a seat outside in the sun and soon my seafood platter was ready, name shouted out and it was delivered. I am not a one to mince my words when it comes to crab, as I was brought up within shouting distance of the sea and a workmate and an old crew mate of my dad, Uncle Joe, had a coble that he fished out of Cullercoats for salmon, cod, whiting, flatfish, but mainly crab and lobsters. Mother was a genius at dressing crabs, she had very dextrous fingers and could wheedle the last piece of crab meat out of the legs, claws and lower body parts. I love the crabs of Craster or Seahouses, on the Northumberland coast, the famous Norfolk Cromer or the Westbay ones in Dorset,, the swimmers and blue crab of Australia and SE Asia, but these have nothing on the sweetness of the Dungeness crabs of the Western Seaboard of the USA. I fell in love with their succulent, sweet meat. I do love my seafood, especially crustaceans.

Satisfied we walked through town, looking in the various shops and stores, we decided that it was time to have a drink, Linda a coffee and me a beer, we had seen an Irish Pub on the way in, se we headed for that, we were warmly greeted by the, yes, Irish Barman. I ordered my pint of the Black Stuff and Linda her coffee and listened as always to a bit of the blarney.

It was now time to head back to the campsite to get our “tent on wheels” ready for the night so top penthouse suite erected, luggage stored, the bedding rolled out, suitable de-watered we settled down for a good night’s sleep.

I was awoken at my normal time, 06:00 by the call of nature, it has now become so habitual that you can set your watch by it. There was a slight chill in the air, but the warming sun soon put paid to that, Linda slept on for a while, but then decided that she was sufficiently refreshed she could also arise, I went and showered while Linda put the kettle on for the mornings coffee (we had decided that we would dispense with heavy early morning breakfasts and only have a coffee and a piece of fruit. We would normally stop off later and have a more substantial breakfast.

We had, had a chat with Brent the evening before and  he had said there was a lot of nice and interesting things to see up the coast towards Coos Harbour, so that is where we headed, first stop was the Californian or Stella Sealions, these come to breed in large numbers every year on this part of the coast, they even share a cave(purported to be the largest in the USA, therefore the World)with breeding Pigeon Guillemot’s, these Pacific aviators arrive to breed in April and stay to rear there chicks until the end of June when they fly off to gorge themselves of the shoals of whitebait as it moves up the coast the feed in the plankton rich waters of the North Pacific.

Two of the residences and a visiting Sea Lion 

A Whale Breaching

There are also large numbers of breeding Grant’s Cormorants, these breed on the guano covered cliff ledges and slopes just outside the cave. The cave itself is interesting as you can see a line of different coloured sandstone, caused by the slipping and folding of the tectonic plates that have formed most of the continent all those Millennia ago.  This band of sandstone running through the cave at a high level had once been the seabed.

From the vista point at the top of the cliffs we were able to watch a whale cow and calf as they made their way up to the Berent sea  of North Alaska from the breeding grounds around Baja Californian coast. They travel very close to the coast here and it is a great Whale watching place at this time of the year.

We visited another of the Oregon Coast lighthouses, this one nestled amongst the pines at the mouth of the Umpgua River, this river is named after the tribe of Indians that lived and harvested the foods of the sea, river and forests many thousands of years before the coming of the “white invasion”.

The Coast Guards accommodation now a gift shop and a museum

We then went further up the coast to Coos bay, here we crossed a bridge  into the adjoining fishing port and holiday resort of Charleston Parking up, we chatted to some chaps doing a bit of a tidy up around the seafarers memorial, as on the coming day there would be a service of remembrance and the blessing of the fleet, it is a nice little memorial garden, with plaques and monuments to those lost at sea, even last year there had been six lost from vessels leaving this small harbour. We stood a short while to reflect just how unforgiving the sea is and how dangerous are the jobs of those that harvest her.

There is an interesting feature on the coast here, completely man made, this is a triangular lagoon that has been made to grow oysters, the oysters here are the largest that I have ever seen or eaten in my life.

We went to an oyster shack and bought a pint of medium shucked oysters, $6.50 a bargain if ever I had a one, there were 8 massive beasts.

We then looked around the harbour; going into various shacks, including a one that was selling great Pacific Ling Cod, the lady even pulled a one out of the ice to show us. I just love wandering around small fishing harbours (well I just love wandering around any harbour, that being my life for six years back in the 1970’s) and this one was no exception.

We then headed back along the coast to Bandon; Brent had told us we must go to the creamery there, so we did. It is an interesting story, there had been a dairy here for many years, but they amalgamated with a larger firm and as is natural in business, they decided after a while to close the dairy and just take the name with them. Some enterprising locals decided that they could make a ago of it so bought the building and equipment  and started making their own cheese’s and curds, also they manufactured their own ice cream. The whole business became a roaring success, their cheeses winning many State and National awards. The firm that had bought them out tried to stop them using the name Bandon in their products, but after a court case which they won Bandon Creamery is firmly on the State of Oregon map and boy does their wares taste good. The ice cream is some of the best I have tasted and what a portion you get!

We decided we wouldn’t cook that evening but go into town and get Fish n’ chips at a shack we had seen earlier, there had been a large cue waiting (a bit like the Magpie in Scarborough) so that is always a good sign for good food. Unfortunately, we were too late, it was all closed up for the night, we went further along the boardwalk to the Shack were we had lunched that day, they didn’t do fish n’ chips but did do fish sandwiches, so I bought two of those which they packed “to go”, returned to the car and drove the mile back to the camp site. We had just unpacked our evening meal when Brent came along and invited us to their pitch for fruit cobbler; we said that we were just going to dine on our take away “No problem, bring it with you”. This we did and finished our fish sandwich (wonderful and tasty, with kettle chips) drank a beer well I did but Brent and his family were Mormons so didn’t drink alcohol, but not at all the pushy types. Nancy had cooked the cobbler in a Dutch oven and it was divine. We chatted a good while and as we had to be up early to hit the road; we said our good byes and headed off to our tent on wheels. I must say they really were some of the most helpful friendly and interesting folks that we met along the route.

Next morning we were up early, had our showers and I went round to get a final photograph of Brent, Nancy, daughter and son-in-law alas they had already hit the trail for the mountains. So we also packed up and turned Jucy’s head up north and were once more on the Highway 101.

We passed all of the sights that we had visited yesterday crossed the Umpqua river and were in new territory. We were aiming for Astoria the last town in Oregon before crossing the Columbia River into Washington State, but first we had a good bit of driving, another nights camp and a good bit of stopping and looking to do.

There are many nice resorts along the 101 and therefore the coast, the 101 clings to the coast line here and you are never far from the miles and miles of pristine beaches. The State Parks came about by some good thinking ahead by the State legislature, thus securing large tracts of forest and coastline for future generations to enjoy in their pristine condition.

We pulled into at a nice little town called Yachats, we stopped just by chance as we were looking for a Post Office to get some cards off. While looking for the post box we heard some music coming from a nice fish restaurant, outside of restaurant they had built a stage and set up a covered  eating area. We ordered clam chowder Linda hers straight, mine was their special chowder (bacon and cheese). I must say the music being played by the two guitarist/singers was very good and the Chowders fantastic, they had run garlic bread but brought us a large plate of fries in its place.

Our hunger stilled we headed further up the highway until we reached Newport, now there are a whole load of Newport’s spread all around the globe, I have been to a lot of them, but this is the first time I had been to the one at the mouth of the mighty Yaquina bay, this is one of the prime shellfish spots on the Oregon coast, of which there are hundreds. Just before we reached the Yaquina Bay Bridge we saw a sign for a RV park, we hung a sharp left and turned down into Hatfield, we found the  RV site, it was situated right on the Hatfield harbour, I went to reception, and we were given slot on their over-spill park, this was adjacent to the Marine Park and even better right across the road to the Famous Rogue Brewery. We found our pitch, got the mobile tent into sleep mode and deciding what to do was a no brainer, Linda had read up all about the Rogue Brewery, so it would have been a bit more than silly not to pop across the road.

They have a pub and a restaurant attached to the brewery, they are entered through the brewery itself, we went up a flight of stairs into the bar, found a table and were presented with a small glass of their monthly special as a taster, next was the choice, they have 40 different beers, ales and porters on draught.

Linda ordered the Mom Hefeweizen and I the 4 tasting tray, here you get to choose any 4 of the 40 beers on tap. I chose a 4 hop IPA, something called dead guy, the Younger's Special Brew and a Shakespeare Porter (could pass for a Guinness) all tasting different and all very nice.

The pub was very busy and as we were not eating (still far too full from the excellent chowder) so we went below, crossed the road to our van and tried to get the Wi-Fi connection which we did in a manner, but it was that slow we gave up in the end. We settled down for the night and had a nice night’s sleep, though the bridge carrying the 101’s traffic was just a matter of 100 yards away it wasn’t loud enough to keep us awake.

Next morning we decided to cross the bridge (well it was a must unless we wanted to make 100km detour) and pop into Newport proper, it was still quite early and the city was just coming to life, though the harbour was full of life fishermen are early risers and fish markets start at about 04:00.

We parked up at one of the quays and walked down to inspect the large fishing fleet all very nice there were even some selling direct from their boats.

From the next pier came the honking of sea lions, we popped down and there on the pontoons were basking sea lions, and some trying to get onto the pontoons and being warded off, with much honking and splashing.

We crossed the road to a small cafe for a coffee and decided to have a breakfast, I chose bacon 2 eggs and fried potatoes.

Linda had the pancakes with maple syrup.

We walked back to the car and as we needed to go to a bank (though in America it is easy to get by on just plastic I like a bit of real cash in my pocket).

A sign that tickled my fancy

There were none down in the harbour, so we drove around uptown until we found a one, used the ATM and headed back onto the Highway 101 and up North in the direction of our final destination in Oregon, Astoria.

We travelled along the highway taking in the views at Oretown the road leaves the coast and goes inland and through the Oregon  Pine clad hills, at times opening out to lush pastures with the herds of grazing Friesen and Jersey dairy herds and the black Angus Beef herds, the pastures surround the liddle ol’ townships with quaint names like Cloverdale, Beaver and Hemlock,  after about 100 miles it once again turns in towards the coast at Tillamook Bay and the town that takes the biscuit, Garibaldi.

We carried towards a place that had been recommended by Linda’s friend and ex-work colleague Norbert, Cannon Beach, this is the premier holiday beach on the North Oregon coast, but even here it is not overrun. We parked up at the public paring which has a large restaurant just beside it. We decided to pop in and have a bite to eat and a coffee (Linda does like her coffee).  Linda ordered a Pacific  fried Cod sandwich and I ordered a plate of oysters in the half shell, why did they serve it with a small pot of tomato ketchup in the middle, do they eat ketchup with everything?

We then travelled a short distance to Haystack Rock this is a large basalt rock that rises out of the sand a remnant of the geological upheavals of a bygone era.

Haystack Rock (do they still do haystacks?)

Linda at last got to dip her toes in the Pacific, and the Pacific wasn't too happy

The coming and goings of puffins, guillemots and gulls

Sea anemones awaiting the incoming tide

A busy day on Cannon Beach

The Sleepy little town of Cannon Beach

Here we walked out to it, just before it was to be surrounded by the incoming tide.
The rock has a large breeding colony of Guillemot’s, Gulls and the Pacific Puffins. We stopped for a while photographing the coming and going to the rock, before climbing the hill to our sturdy jucy and headed towards our stop for the night and the end of the coastal route in Oregon, Astoria.