After looking at weather forecasts for Beverly State Park in Oregon showing lows in the low 40’s and high in the low 50’s, we wonder if we really want to go there and camp for 2 nights. I guess we really are fair weather campers. After seeing the movie last night about the beautiful places around here, we decided to go for the upgrade room with an ocean view and a king-sized bed for the next 2 nights and then go directly to Crater Lake. We picked up our little bagged breakfast, moved into our new room and enjoyed eating our breakfast on the balcony.
Today we drive up highway 101 and pull off at several lookout points. The first one is quite close to Gold Beach and is REALLY windy where the cars park. So windy that I have trouble opening the car door against the wind. We walk down to the beach and decide to walk into the wind so that the walk back will be easier. The beach is deserted and beautiful. A stream flows into the ocean and the color of the stream changes drastically. Part of it is the turquoise that I think of in the Caribbean. The different water colors are really distinct. Never figured out what causes that.
There was one man on the beach, kneeling and intently looking at the rocks. I ask him what specifically he’s looking for - Agates. The beach is littered with very smooth rocks that have been tossed in the waves for eons. I pick one up that looks a lot like what the man showed me. I show it to him and ask if it is an agate. No, it’s quartz. Takes a trained eye. I’m drawn to the flat smooth ones and pick up a bunch of them. I’m thinking it will be fun to paint them when the grandkids come to visit in August. Sure wouldn’t be picking so many up if we didn’t have a car to carry them home in.
We have lunch at a BarBQ place that got good reviews. It was okay but I don’t think it would make it in the south.
Next stop is high on a bluff. One theoretically can go down closer to the water and we did see some small figures way down there but that wasn’t going to be us. Through the milienia, the water had worn away the rock to form bridges. I walked a little way down the path and especially without my hiking poles there was no way I was going down and back up the path.
Our third stop was another one where we could walk on the beach. The sand is very dark. Soon after going down the path to the water, we had to cross an area where the water was headed to the ocean. No way around it. I guess we have to go through it. Where is the best place to cross? We see someone coming back who just took her shoes off and waded. A bit inland, there are lots of small rocks sticking out of the water and also some big logs. That’s the route I choose. It was dicey but I made it across with dry feet. Nick did more of the wading thing. Took his wet socks off on the other side and wore his sandals. The crashing waves on the protruding boulders in the water was mesmerizing. Seagulls perched on the rocks and trotted over the remnants of the waves that came in. We found a little cubbyhole in the rocks above the hightide mark. I went in and found that logs were set for a fire. What a cool place that would be to spend the night in a cozy sleeping bag. But we have a nice hotel room with an ocean view and a king sized bed waiting for us in Gold Beach.
By now, it’s late afternoon and we head back to the comfort of our room. It’s surprising how tiring it is to walk on the beach in the sun and wind.
Time for dinner. Mexican? Pizza? Seafood? Well, that’s a pretty easy choice. Seafood it is. It’s a cute little place with only about 8 tables. A nice local dark beer to start things off. Then crab and shrimp cakes and shrimp and scallops tacos with cole slaw on them. Oh they were good and big!
Back at our room. Trying to get used to typing on the little IPad keyboard. And then there is the problem of it not recognizing me and I don’t know my passwords because they come up automatically on my computer so I don’t need to remember them and my Word document that has my passwords is on MY COMPUTER. ARGH! There may be a lesson to be learned here.
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