On Thursday we took an all-day tour from Portland to the Oregon Coast. It was well worth the ninety minute drive. We had a knowledgeable guide as well as an interesting and diverse group of fellow travelers! Although it was not noticeable, much of the drive was through logging territory. It looked to be shaded on both sides by Douglas Firs and was quite attractive. This was deceptive, however, as the trees had been deliberately planted as a “beauty strip” that was at places, less than twenty feet deep. It was designed to obscure the logging behind it and did exactly that. We would not have been aware had our guide not told us.
Our first destination was Ecola State Park. The road through it was green and verdant – a temperate rain forest, in fact. Lush and leafy and full of trees and a variety of ferns. We got out at Ebola Viewpoint, where we first caught sight of the Haystack Rock, a large basalt rock that we viewed from a cliff. We also saw the town of Cannon Beach. While there, we did a bit of hiking and explored the rocky beach. It was a cool, grey day and watching the surfers gave me the shivers! Our guide promised us an opportunity to see the Haystack Rock from a closer perspective soon. We left and headed in that direction.
Cannon Beach, a tiny seaside town, was picturesque and cute nearly beyond belief. It was full of restaurants, shops and galleries as well as a marijuana store. We had lunch (in a seafood restaurant, of course), headed down the street to check out the shops, and finally ended up at the sandy beach. It was quite cool and with the exception of a few hardy swimmers, most people were walking and snapping pictures of the Haystack Rock, located in the shallow water right off the beach. I was feeling quite hopeful viewing the Rock, hoping to catch a glimpse of tufted puffins! I absolutely love puffins and enjoy their unique appearance. They nest on the rock and this is one of the best places to see them. Unfortunately it was off season and it was not to be!
Our final stop was the Oswald West State Park, which is notable for its old growth western cedars. They were rather amazing- the base sizes of some were reminiscent of California Redwoods. After a short walk down the trail, we returned to the van to head back to Portland. Our return was uneventful and we arrived back in town for dinner and a final evening in the city. On Friday we will re-board Amtrak, spend one night on the train before arriving in San Luis Obispo on Saturday afternoon.
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