When Melissa and I made our trek to Oregon, we took Interstate 5 North, then cut west to the coast highway for the drive home. We’d already been talking about retiring to western Oregon when the time comes, now we’re absolutely set on it. Here are a few of our favorite sights—photos by Melissa.
Once we hit the coast, we did a little jog north to Seaside.
Our first night driving home, we pitched our tent at Devil’s Lake campground.
The coastal bridges in Oregon are wonderful, solidly constructed of steel and concrete, but with crenellations and turrets that set each one apart and speak of a time when beauty wasn’t sacrificed to efficiency.
The dunes were breath-taking, but not where we’ll retire. Melissa took these two photos in a protected area. A few hundred yards to the south, the dunes were given over to all sorts of roaring, grinding all-terrain vehicles that had obliterated the beach grass and wildflowers.
The roadsides were thick with flowers, including a favorite of mine—thistles.
If we could pick any of the spots we stopped at for our future home, we would choose Port Orford. We stayed in a small motel, just across the road from this beach and managed to squeeze in a walk before the rain really started pounding.
Port Orford is the furthest point west in Oregon, so if it’s going to rain anywhere in the state, it will rain there.
When we got home, our tent was still drippy from the rain we had at Devil’s Lake, so Melissa set it up inside to dry out. Damian quickly nominated himself Chief Tent Inspector.
Lucky for us, he seemed to find everything in order.