Driving down the Oregon coast
We landed in Portland, OR, last night and stayed in a hotel near the airport. We used frequent flyer miles for the tickets and got stuck in first class. It wasn’t that bad, honestly. Big wide seats and our own flight attendant who kept coming around to ask if we needed anything–alcohol or snacks. On the first leg of the trip–Boston to Charlotte–the guy in front of us seemed to need about 5 vodkas to get him through the two-hour flight. Apparently he was going to see his girlfriend and wanted to get a jump on the weekend. On the second leg of the trip someone made a mistake and put a baby in first class in the seat behind us. We only needed a couple of glasses of wine to drown out his crying. Before we knew it we were descending through a surreal scene of mountain tops sticking through clouds. We landed, got the rental car and drove around in circles trying to find the hotel, which was only supposed to be about 6 miles away.
Day 2. Since I had lost my glasses a couple of days prior to departure, we spent a few hours having my eye-glass prescription faxed from NH and then searching out a Lenscrafters to get it filled. After few minutes of trying on frames by all the hot designers and getting everyone in the store’s opinion, I settled on some RayBans and within an hour had a new set of eyes.
We drove through downtown Portland on our way south and then west to the coast. Golden fields of grain being harvested and then vineyards and orchards and even a couple of Casinos on reservation land. Lots of travelers once we reached the coast, hitting the beaches, scenic overlooks and campgrounds. The coast is much like what we’ve seen in northern Calif with lots of pretty coves, miles of wide sandy beaches strewn with drift wood and broken up by what looks like volcanic rock outcroppings.
Made it to Yachats, a little fising village midway down the coast, by about 6:30 and found a vacancy at Oregon House for only $165/night. All the cheaper and nicer places were booked. OH is in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, eight miles south of Yachats in what the guidebook describes as coastal wonderland – where the forest meets the sea to captivate locals and visitors alike. Had fresh fish dinner back in Yachats at the Luna Fish House, drank local beers–Rogue–and then drove home in the fog that sets in every evening. A few snapshots but no 8 x10s yet, maybe tomorrow.
Bedtime! I can hear the waves breaking and look forward to what tomorrow will bring. More later,
