Oregon Washington Trip, Episode Two
Dick Feaster and Dick Lubman of Southwest Summer Exploration Series and Three Amigos Trip to Yosemite fame, continue their exploration of the coasts of Oregon and Washington. Read the first post of their latest dispatch.
We began this adventure up to the north coast of Oregon and Washington State on May 21st. Our first real stop, other than for coffee earlier in the day, was at the Paul Bunyan exhibit in the Redwood National and State Parks. Paul and Babe were BIG.
We made it to Smith River, CA the first night and stayed at a casino hotel. It was late when we were seated for dinner and two young ladies, who had blue jeans with holes in them, also were waiting. Being inquisitive, we commented on their attire and how we thought it was interesting that the women found it fashionable. As they left the room, they commented that their grandfathers felt the same way. We were: “Cut to the quick.”
The next morning, we could not find a restaurant that was open or did not have a long wait, so we bought some healthy muffins and coffee and ate using the car as a table. We continued north and stopped at several beaches to view the scenery. The Oregon coast has lovely beaches and lots of large rock formations contributing to its ambience. There are nicely maintained rest stops with useful information about the area you are visiting. These areas are the result of Samuel H. Boardman, the father of Oregon state parks. “Boardman transformed a tiny series of roadside parks into a magnificent state park system.” The first day we stopped at Cape Blanco State Park and Heceta Head Lightstation. The weather was fine, and the lushness of the Oregon coast was refreshing. There were plants of many colors, including rhododendrons and azaleas. The second night of the trip was spent at Newport, Oregon where we celebrated the day and trip in a plexiglass enclosed area with a fire pit and the Pacific Ocean behind us.
We stopped the next day, Sunday, to take some pictures of a creekside area, and while we were there, Dick F. struck up a conversation with a couple. The husband asked if we had seen Munson Creek Falls State Park and, if not, we should consider it as a side trip. It was in our direction, so we turned off the highway at the sign and found ourselves on a muddy road for several miles. When we got to the parking area, we had thought we were the only ones that knew about this park, but we were wrong because of the large number of cars there. Hiking through very dense rainforest, we came to the Falls which is the “…tallest waterfall in the Coast Range.” It is 319 feet in height and was well worth the trek. There was not an area of ground that was not covered by dense flora.
The third evening we stayed in Cannon Beach, Oregon and ate at a brew pub that was very dog friendly, but that is an item for the next episode.
