Jeff vs. The West Coast day 4 - Oregon
Sunday saw me head north along highway 101 and across the Oregon border. The 
continued and much like in the drives from the previous days there were more sights and sounds than time to view them so I tried to enjoy what I could. This stretch of highway was nowhere near as white knuckle inducing but featured lots of forest and seaside views.
I didn't have to drive as slowly as I did along the Californian route, but the drive was quite lengthy. Even though the travel time took most of the daylight hours, it definitely didn't seem like it as there was all manner of new things to take in. The more inland areas I passed through were quite rural. It wasn't too dissimilar from the NC countryside, though there were almost always mountains in the background, which resulted in picturesque views of farms and meadows framed by ranges of high hills. I was also kind of surprised about how redneck that area as well as a good bit of California was as well. No reason why I should have been, every area in the world has its own "rednecks" and they tend to congregate in more isolated areas. Still an amazing area that actually brought to mind the areas of upstate NY where my father's family is from.
Around 6 or so I arrived in
A friend familiar with the Pacific Northwest suggested I stay there and upon hearing it's where they filmed the beach scenes from The Goonies (Astoria was only about 30 miles further north) my itinerary was further set. I was really surprised at how nice a hotel this was for the price. While my parsimonious ass is far from a snob about accomodations, it's nice to stay in a place with decent amenities, non-shitty wifi and welcoming staff. The wifi password there was actually a reference to the wild rabbits that supposedly inhabited the area, though I didn't see any.
The sun was setting by the time I got checked in and squared away so I went down to the beach for a bit. The view, scents from the ocean air, and sounds of the waves on the cliffs down the coast was about the best way I can think of to unwind after a long drive. Had my stomach not been insistant on being refilled I could have easily stayed out there until the moon unleashed its magic.
A restaurant abutted the hotel I was staying in, but asking the opinion of a couple of fellows heading out in the parking lot lead me to believe that the mediocre quality seafood in a "family" atmosphere wasn't my idea of a good time. I headed down the road for a mile or two and saw what looked like an Irish pub which probably wouldn't have sucked. The menu for the aforementioned pub was underwhelming, and my attention was occupied by the adjoining building - a hardware store of the independent variety found in most small towns which
Anything this unique was worthy of my attention and I promptly went in and ordered an adult beverage. The place had character without being obnoxiously quirky and the staff had a good sense of humor about themselves. While waiting for my meal, a waitress came in holding two ears of corn. She announced to the bartender that someone had left their corn on the patio, and asked if he wanted it. I told her to look out for transient corn peddlers, as they must be at large in the area.
By the time I'd finished dinner the moon had finally managed to peak over the mountain range. A majority of the lunar eclipse and reddish phase had passed at this point, but it was still about 2/3 covered. I boogied back to my hotel and picked up some essentials before
There were fire pits spaced at intervals along the beach which were available to anyone on a first come first serve basis. A couple from Seattle let me chill by their pit for a little while and I had a good time conversing with them. One worked at a weed dispensary and offered me an edible chocolate ball which, as promised, helped me sleep. After parting ways with them I wandered down the beach a bit.
Unless I'm at work or the weather is absolute shite, I walk out to the lake next to me to enjoy the moon whenever it's full. None of those experiences compared to this. There isn't a ton of light pollution where I live, but there was considerably less out here. The moon and stars stood out in a way I've never seen before, casting shadows and illuminating everything to be seen along the coast. Had I not needed to head into Portland in the morning I likely would have stayed out there until dawn (or the cops kicked me out thinking me some sort of indigent). Sleep came easier than it had thusfar on my vacation and I looked forward to concluding my journey with a day in Portland.
Full set of Highway 101 pictures
Full set of Cannon Beach pictures
continued and much like in the drives from the previous days there were more sights and sounds than time to view them so I tried to enjoy what I could. This stretch of highway was nowhere near as white knuckle inducing but featured lots of forest and seaside views.
I didn't have to drive as slowly as I did along the Californian route, but the drive was quite lengthy. Even though the travel time took most of the daylight hours, it definitely didn't seem like it as there was all manner of new things to take in. The more inland areas I passed through were quite rural. It wasn't too dissimilar from the NC countryside, though there were almost always mountains in the background, which resulted in picturesque views of farms and meadows framed by ranges of high hills. I was also kind of surprised about how redneck that area as well as a good bit of California was as well. No reason why I should have been, every area in the world has its own "rednecks" and they tend to congregate in more isolated areas. Still an amazing area that actually brought to mind the areas of upstate NY where my father's family is from.
Around 6 or so I arrived in
A friend familiar with the Pacific Northwest suggested I stay there and upon hearing it's where they filmed the beach scenes from The Goonies (Astoria was only about 30 miles further north) my itinerary was further set. I was really surprised at how nice a hotel this was for the price. While my parsimonious ass is far from a snob about accomodations, it's nice to stay in a place with decent amenities, non-shitty wifi and welcoming staff. The wifi password there was actually a reference to the wild rabbits that supposedly inhabited the area, though I didn't see any.
The sun was setting by the time I got checked in and squared away so I went down to the beach for a bit. The view, scents from the ocean air, and sounds of the waves on the cliffs down the coast was about the best way I can think of to unwind after a long drive. Had my stomach not been insistant on being refilled I could have easily stayed out there until the moon unleashed its magic.
A restaurant abutted the hotel I was staying in, but asking the opinion of a couple of fellows heading out in the parking lot lead me to believe that the mediocre quality seafood in a "family" atmosphere wasn't my idea of a good time. I headed down the road for a mile or two and saw what looked like an Irish pub which probably wouldn't have sucked. The menu for the aforementioned pub was underwhelming, and my attention was occupied by the adjoining building - a hardware store of the independent variety found in most small towns which
Anything this unique was worthy of my attention and I promptly went in and ordered an adult beverage. The place had character without being obnoxiously quirky and the staff had a good sense of humor about themselves. While waiting for my meal, a waitress came in holding two ears of corn. She announced to the bartender that someone had left their corn on the patio, and asked if he wanted it. I told her to look out for transient corn peddlers, as they must be at large in the area.
By the time I'd finished dinner the moon had finally managed to peak over the mountain range. A majority of the lunar eclipse and reddish phase had passed at this point, but it was still about 2/3 covered. I boogied back to my hotel and picked up some essentials before
There were fire pits spaced at intervals along the beach which were available to anyone on a first come first serve basis. A couple from Seattle let me chill by their pit for a little while and I had a good time conversing with them. One worked at a weed dispensary and offered me an edible chocolate ball which, as promised, helped me sleep. After parting ways with them I wandered down the beach a bit.
Unless I'm at work or the weather is absolute shite, I walk out to the lake next to me to enjoy the moon whenever it's full. None of those experiences compared to this. There isn't a ton of light pollution where I live, but there was considerably less out here. The moon and stars stood out in a way I've never seen before, casting shadows and illuminating everything to be seen along the coast. Had I not needed to head into Portland in the morning I likely would have stayed out there until dawn (or the cops kicked me out thinking me some sort of indigent). Sleep came easier than it had thusfar on my vacation and I looked forward to concluding my journey with a day in Portland.
Full set of Highway 101 pictures
Full set of Cannon Beach pictures