Something about the west coast keeps this song running through my head which feels appropriate for maybe what role this trip has played in the pace of our lives.

I hope this old train breaks down
Then I could take a walk around
And, see what there is to see
Time is just a melody… Jack Johnson

This Oregon coast is both humble and mighty. Extravagant and low key. But altogether natural. And we have loved the birds and sea stars, harbor seals, bull kelp, crabs, and sting rays. We loved the sun. We loved the rain. We even loved the in between. The huge waves chasing us, crashing into rocks, surprising us through geysers and hidden places. And most of all, I personally love how the rivers run into the sea. It’s our favorite confluence; a little bit of everything.

• This was not of first rodeo. Though that first rodeo was brief, this was a return trip. Though we spent a few weeks here, there still are so many stones unturned and corners unexplored.
• We stayed: Beverly Beach State Park, Tillicum Campground (five stars!), Sunset Bay State Park, and Harris Beach State Park (five stars!)
• We explored: Siuslaw National Forest, the towns of Tillamook, Yachats, Newport, Florence, and Coos Bay, as many random turn-outs along the coast that we could manage
• We hiked (or more like we “nature trailed”): other than endless beaches at every stop, we did Hobbit Trail to Hobbit Beach, Thor’s Well, Sunset Bay/Cape Arago Loop, Harris Beach Trail, Harris Beach’s Rocky Beach to the Marine Garden (five stars!/best tidepooling yet!), Secret Beach (five stars!)
• We learned: Hatfield Marine Science Center
• We enjoyed: Tillamook Creamery (tour, lunch, and ice cream), Blue Heron (winery/dairy farm w petting zoo), Luna Sea Fish House, Yachats Brewery + Farmstore (five stars!), the Hukilau (five stars!)
• We read: I tried starting Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion, though I did not make it far…
• Next time: tidepooling near the Overleaf Lodge in Yachats, sledding the sand dunes behind the Fred Meyer in Florence, the Chowder Bowl in Newport, the Nest Cafe in Port Orford, and more exploration of the Capr Perpetua area…

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