Simply Outstanding!

Our hero Greg out shooting the beautiful Oregon coast:

I finally have a few days off from taking campsite photos. I will be heading up the coast from Newport to Pacific City, OR. 60 miles of driving, with stops along the way to check stuff out.

Not content to be a good or great natural area, Yaquina Head deems itself an “outstanding” one.

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is located on a point of land jutting due west into the Pacific Ocean at the north end of Newport, Oregon. This headland provides visitors with one of the most accessible wildlife and ocean viewing locations on the Pacific Coast.

It is also a popular surf spot for both surfboards and SUP’s.

AND it has has a lighthouse as well…simply outstanding!

The 93 foot tower is Oregon’s tallest. Winds and rain have buffeted this lighthouse since its beginning in 1872. It took approximately one year, and over 370,000 bricks to construct it. At least that is how many I counted.

I stopped next at Depoe Bay, the smallest navigable harbor in the world consisting of 6 square acres, or so they claim.

In fact, even the locals debate over the harbor’s status.

“Is so!”

“Is not!!”

“Is Sooo!”

I left them yelling at each other in search of the world’s smallest river. And I found it.

The shortest river in the world, D River flows a mere 120 feet from Devils Lake into the roaring ocean. The park is right off the highway with easy access to a busy — and reliably windy –beach. D River Wayside is home to a pair of the world’s largest kite festivals every spring and fall which gives Lincoln City the name Kite Capital of the World.

I arrived at Pacific City on Friday afternoon and set up camp.

I hooked up my entertainment center and listened to some tunes while I read a book.

Saturday morning I drove a couple of miles south to Cape Kiwanda where they have their own version of Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock.

The beach was crowded with surfers and vehicles, so I headed north a few miles.

Found a nice road.

Then a trail.

The trail became wet.

I ended up at the beach!

Finally a nice quiet place to relax. Nothing to the right or left of me.

Are you kidding me?

Arghh!!! Traffic!!! With a dog chasing them no less.

So I took another photo of Haystack Rock from a different angle and went back to camp.

Alexis stopped by to say hi and I called it a day.

Sunday morning. What should I have for breakfast? Yep…

Have you ever just wanted to getaway, but don’t know where? Well, I found it and I’m keeping it a secret.

As I write this mess on Monday, it is the first overcast day day since May 4. It’s also laundry day! Yippee!

I will be heading north on Tuesday – destination Seaside, OR with a stop at Nehalem Bay State Park. Back to work.

Regards, Park Ranger