Today we left the sheep farm in Oregon to head to our next stop in California, but not before exploring the coast. Saturday we met up with AC’s friend Joy. You may remember from a previous post we met her for lunch the same day we arrived at our Oregon Workaway. Anyway, we met Joy at her apartment complex, jumped in her car and headed west to the coast. Our first stop was in Newport at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse which is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon. We walked on the beach and spotted the seals swimming nearby in the water.
From here, we headed south down the coast to Cape Perpetua. We arrived right at high tide which was perfect for seeing the waves crashing into the rocks. We hiked down to the water to get a closer look at Cook’s Chasm. Cook’s Chasm is a group of ocean caves that have collapsed creating pockets amongst the rocks on the coastline.
Once we were down by the water we witnessed the Spouting Horn, which can only to be described as an “ocean geyser” where the water enters a deep hole and the pressure forces water to explode out the top. It kind of looked like a whale’s blowhole.
Next to the Spouting Horn was Thor’s Well. Being high tide we could see water filling up the well like hole and then draining down each time the waves went out. This created a hilarious debate over the pronunciation of the words “well” and “whale.” AC, with her Louisiana accent, was convinced the words were homophones, at least when she says both words they are. However, Joy and I both agreed that “well” and “whale” do not sound the same. Go ahead, try it. Say, “well” and now say, “whale.” Whose side are you on?
After agreeing to disagree, we made our way to the parking lot for lunch. One of our snacks was homemade dried pears that I made on Friday. The farm had lots of extra pears and apples that needed to be used so Friday I had a whole baking day. I made dried pears, apple butter, and apple-pear crisp–you can call me Chartha Stewart 😉 It was fun experimenting with the fruits and trying new recipes I had never made before. Anyhow I digress, after lunch we began our 2.8 mile hike on Saint Perpetua Trail. At the top of the trail, we had a beautiful view of the ocean and coastline. We could see Cook’s Chasm and the waves breaking against the rock. We enjoyed the view for a few minutes then headed back down.
Next up, dinner! AC made us reservations at a seafood restaurant called Local Ocean, which she heard about from our hosts. The restaurant was located right across from the docks in Newport where they bought everything fresh from the ocean. If you know me, I love seafood and was very excited for dinner! I ordered halibut, AC and Joy had a crab melt, and AC and I shared a cup of crab soup. We had a nice dinner looking out across the dock and talking travel adventures. It was a lovely day!
Sunday after church we headed to Eugene to watch the University of Oregon women’s volleyball team, ranked 6th in the country, compete against conference foe, #7-ranked Washington State. We cheered for both teams, just enjoying the high-level competition. (WSU won in 4 sets.) The vibe wasn’t quite as good as what Texas Volleyball has, but it was still a fun afternoon. After the game we headed home to start packing.
Today we made our way to Redwoods National Park. AC opted for the scenic drive down the coast and it did not disappoint. We even saw a herd of elk! We arrived at our campsite around 4pm, checked in, found our tent spot, and then headed to a nearby overlook where we spent the last couple hours of daylight. We cooked dinner overlooking the ocean and then ate, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing and faint sounds of seals in the distance, as we watched the sun set over what seemed to be the never ending Pacific Ocean. How blessed we truly are!
Until next time,
Charli
Amazing photos and videos! I’m with you … well and whale sound entirely different! 😀