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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Us101 And Oregon Coast


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ARYaquinaHeadB.jpg

 

Yaquina Head Light, up close. Just off US101, north side of Newport, Oregon

 

Nothing refreshes and satisfies like a road trip, especially one along the Oregon Coast. The view out the windshield is like a National Geographic special, that you can pause and step into. As much as I love Washington, Oregon has a coast that lifts the spirit and recharges the soul.

 

The history of US 101 in Oregon is the story of building roads along sheer cliffs and through bottomless mud, of spanning great rivers and bays on magnificent bridges, and most of all, of making the beauty of the coast accessible to all. Sheila and I have our favorite haunts, most we have known for more than thirty years and some I enjoyed as a young man 45 years ago. But each visit we discover something new.

 

As the Oregon Coast changes, it only seems to get better. Small villages don’t seem to be debauched by growth.....locals hold their craft fairs, dances, market days, and school celebrations. Fishing as a way of life has declined with a declining catch, and lumber jacks no longer walk the streets in their familiar coveralls and boots. But the small town feeling, with local cafes serving fresh sea foods, and small bakeries preparing mouth watering treats for early morning customers still abound. Mom and Pop businesses prosper, and offer some of the best in lodging and meals.

 

It has been several weeks since we were on the coast, and we hope to visit again next week. Winter is perhaps the best time, if you want to spot whales, observe sea life, and “own” the beaches. Surprisingly, the coast seems to enjoy more nice weather than further inland, so a winter trip is likely to have nice periods of sunshine. But believe it or not, the coast is at its best in a storm when the sight and thunder of the waves outside your window will add a touch of drama to your visit.

 

I posted a few photos from our visit of about a month ago in the gallery under Oregon Coast. CLICK HERE

 

OCCPersonBeach.jpg

 

Ocean Front at Adobe Resort, Yachats, Oregon on US101

 

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Great pictures especially the one from the Adobe. My only whale -- actually spouts -- sighting occurred there. I also recognize the Heceta Head Lighthouse. I've only been along the Oregon coast once and it is certainly beautiful. I can understand your comment that it "lifts the spirit and recharges the soul" though I don't think either phrase would have occurred to me on my own. My memory is of a sort of fearsome beauty that demands caution. Sheer drop offs and rock filled surf leave little doubt that a small goof on land or sea could be disastrous. But it sure is pretty.

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Great pictures especially the one from the Adobe. My only whale -- actually spouts -- sighting occurred there. I also recognize the Heceta Head Lighthouse. I've only been along the Oregon coast once and it is certainly beautiful. I can understand your comment that it "lifts the spirit and recharges the soul" though I don't think either phrase would have occurred to me on my own. My memory is of a sort of fearsome beauty that demands caution. Sheer drop offs and rock filled surf leave little doubt that a small goof on land or sea could be disastrous. But it sure is pretty.

 

Denny,

 

I always appreciate your comebacks, just as I enjoy your travel blog....the best around.

 

I know when I "wax poetic" it may not be the language of typical use, but sometimes it serves my purpose. I suppose that is why I can enjoy reading travel-logs from the 1800's, when all was marvel and delight at the sights.

 

Some of my favorite descriptions are from travelers on railroads as they saw for the first time the sights of the west. Consider Devils Slide in Echo Canyon, Utah. Reading the 1800's descriptions you would think they were seeing the Grand Canyon. Today we flash by on interstate 84 with almost no notice.

 

It is hard to take in the Oregon Coast in one gulp or even a few. For example, I had never visited the Yaquina Head Light. It offered not only the lighthouse, but also three white seals and a rock covered with pelicans. There was even a whale spouting just north of the Light, but I missed it when he surfaced.

 

The shot at the Adobe may be familiar. If you go out on the lawn, then walk across the footbridge on the north side, the beach I shot is right there. The lady sitting on the rocks was taking a photo herself, and I liked the "mood" of someone watching the waves at sunset.

 

There certainly are some cliffs in spots along the coast and at times the road is high above the breakers. I recall there are a few places near Heceta Head where an Ohio boy could get a little vertigo.

 

Have a Happy New Year!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Ohhhh....gorgeous pictures, Dave.

 

Now I want to go back to Oregon and Washington, but I'll be heading east this year.

 

 

 

Cort | 38.m.IL | pigValve + paceMaker + cowValve | 5 MCs + 1 Caprice Classic

CHD.MCs.CC + RoadTrips.hobbies.RadioShows.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I want to see the world before I die" __ Dan Seals __ 'Big Wheels In The Moonlight'

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Dave,

 

Beautiful pictures. I wish we had gotten as close to the lighthouse as you did. We spent the night in Newport last summer as the starting point for our US-20 trip.

 

 

Mike

Mike,

 

Thanks for the comeback! I also enjoyed your Route 66 photos. Great shots, and they brought back lots of memories.

 

As I write this Sheila and I are sitting looking out our window in our room at the Adobe Resort at Yachats, Oregon. The waves are crashing on the rocks just a few hundred feet away, and some fellow with his dog is down on the sand taking pictures. The sunshine we had this morning has turned to clouds and it threatens rain, so I think I will stay here, with a warm beverage. The waves are dramatic against a deep grey background as the rain approaches from offshore.

ARManDog.jpg

 

We left on Monday and will be home tomorrow (Saturday) We got as far south as Coos Bay and enjoyed the beautiful bridges all along 101, small "old town" shopping, glass blowers, and more lighthouses up close. I'll post a few shots as time permits.

 

The Adobe is family owned and the best all round place to stay, assuming you want an up close spectacular ocean view, nice rooms, and a first class restaurant with ocean view Prices are about what you would pay for a cookie cutter room at a name motel beside a freeway interchange.

 

We like the coast at this time of year (January). We had two days of full sun, two of clouds and sun, and one of rain with 50 mpg winds. A coast buffet!!

 

For the most part the Oregon Coast is still a Mom and Pop affair. We ate in half a dozen one of a kind restaurants, and enjoyed local clams, crab, shrimp, and a block buster burger, among other great meals. The shops are all individually owned, from the glass blower to the book store.

 

I will try to post some photos as time permits.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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The Adobe is family owned and the best all round place to stay, assuming you want an up close spectacular ocean view, nice rooms, and a first class restaurant with ocean view Prices are about what you would pay for a cookie cutter room at a name motel beside a freeway interchange.

Ah, the Adobe. I hope they're giving you a discount for all the business you send their way. (Well, I did stay there once.) Great motel and fantastic restaurant.

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Ah, the Adobe. I hope they're giving you a discount for all the business you send their way. (Well, I did stay there once.) Great motel and fantastic restaurant.

 

Denny,

 

We have a favorite room we ask for and I note they now have a brass plaque on the door that says "Dave slept here." :lol: I looked for the Denny plaque but they said it required another stay. B)

 

Dave

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice pictures and report, Dave. Reminds of the times I took the ride up the Oregon coast on 101. The Oregon coast has to be the prettiest sea shore ride in the west.

 

Now my travels are different, but I should do it again.

 

Thanks Dale

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