Oregon Coast, Apr 14, 2015

April 14  Oregon Coast

It rained on and off last night and temperature dipped to 30’s – 38 at 7:30.  We go for a walk on nearby Harrison

beach and enjoy the soft light.  The surf is rough and tide high.  Rain starts again, but lightly

We have pancakes and strawberries for breakfast and by 10AM the sun is out.  We break camp and head northward.  At the welcome center we got a handy booklet called mile-by-mile, which gives a rundown of towns and sights along route 101 and the coast.  Very handy, it reminds us of the Alaska Milepost book.  We mark places we think will be interesting ,  along what is variously called Samuel Boardman State Park, Route 101 and The Pacifict Coast Scenic Byway.  The first stop is Whale’s Head which is a huge rock shaped like a whale.  Pretty ocean view.

Next is Thunder Rock Cove and a 20 minute walk to some amazing  views. Oregon must have a zillion State Parks as every other turnout is a State Park.  All of the Oregon coast is public land. Some have restrooms and picnic facilities, fewer have campgrounds and some have a lighthouse or other structure. A few charge a $5 fee, but most are free.

We stop at Port Orford where there is a information center and I chat with two men there while Greg does some PT.  I learn that only southern Oregon is affected by the drought,  this southern coast is referred to as The Banana Belt and has a mild climate, no snow.  Outside the center is a pounding surf and Battle Rock, the site of a fierce battle between early settlers trying to establish a port here and the Indians of Rogue River who already lived here.  You can guess who won. 

 We drive into the town, such as it is, and to the port.  This is a “dolly” port, meaning it has no docks.  There are two huge cranes or winches which haul the ships up and down onto  a pier, where each sits on a trailer or “dolly”.

We have lunch at The Crazy Norwegian, recommended by Fodor’s and by the men at the visitor center.  We share a large fish ‘n’ chips which is very good, lightly battered Pacific Cod in a tempura-type coating. 

We stop at a little gift shop advertising myrtle wood products…have seen this a few times and stop to see what myrtle wood is.  It is a hardwood of various shades from the myrtle tree which grows only in northern CA and southern OR (and a related tree in Israel).  Very pretty and very pricey, we buy a Christmas ornament and admire the rest, made by the checkout gal’s husband.

We take a small detour to the Cape Blanco lighthouse, spotting some wild turkeys and some elk along the way. 

Also many sheep which are marked with what looks like spray paint.  This area is sometimes called Little New Zealand because of all the sheep.

 The lighthouse, while very picturesque, is closed today so we can only admire it from a distance.

We have talked to Bureau of Land Management people about dispersed camping on their property and will visit their hdq tomorrow.  For tonight we head to their Edson Campground which is closed we know, but we camp in a nice area close by.  Technically we own (our government) the property and can camp anywhere on BLM property for free unless it is in an established campground.  Same goes for State owned land in remote areas.  We will investigate further.

A nearby stream provides great background music, along with an occasional frog.