Posts Tagged With: Pacific Coast

Up The Oregon Coast – A Look Back

We weren’t sure a travel trailer was the life for us, but after five years and well over 20,000 miles, it’s safe to say we’ve found our second home. The trailer has been particularly nice this year…pulling our home behinds us feels pretty safe.

Compared to most trailers on the road, ours might be described as cozy.

The decision to travel this summer was not one we made lightly. Our most recent Oregon coast trip is only our second trip of the year since March…we’ve cancelled more reservations than we’ve kept. These two weeks spent along the Pacific Coast have been relaxing and rejuvenating and filled with gorgeous scenery.

Looking north from the Otter Point State Recreation site, just north of Gold Beach, Oregon.

Even this late in the summer there is still much color to be found. Hike any trail into the forest and you’ll find yourself surrounded by green.

Coastal fog rolls in and out anytime of year, lending a mystical feeling to distant views. It often clears up in the blink of an eye.

Harris Beach State Park outside of Brookings, Oregon is popular with campers and a perfect spot to watch a summer sunset.

We’ve enjoyed many trips to the Oregon Coast and we’ve never failed to discover someplace new. From hidden trails to surprise picnic spots to a previously overlooked viewpoint, the coast never disappoints…but for now, it’s time to return home.

Until next time…
Categories: Oregon, Oregon Coast | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Discover Pismo Preserve

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Rising above Pismo Beach on California’s Central Coast, Pismo Preserve offers 880 acres of unspoiled beauty.  Opened to the public just last week, we were excited to be among the first to explore the 11 miles of hiking trails that weave up and down the hillside.

 

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We chose the Discovery Trail, a 5.2 mile path that led us up the grassy slopes and through groves of twisted oaks.  The views were stunning…we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.

We traveled the perimeter of the preserve, eventually arriving at Lover’s Point, 780 feet above the Pacific Ocean.  As luck would have it, there was a bench and it was lunchtime.

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The trail system is open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. with hours extended to 9:30 p.m. from March through October.  Best of all, it’s free!  Parking is competitive…the lot is on the small side, but you might get lucky.  We had to park about a quarter mile away and walk in.  There are restrooms and drinking water available at the parking lot.

Pismo Preserve is located at 80 Mattie Road, just off Highway 101 in Pismo Beach, California.

Categories: California | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Battery Point Lighthouse

We took advantage of what was, without a doubt, the most beautiful day we’ve ever experienced in Crescent City to explore the Battery Point Lighthouse. Built in 1856, it was the 10th lighthouse built on the west coast and one of 16 Cape Cod style lighthouses built in the 1800s.

Perched on a rocky island point, it’s accessible only at low tide. We scrambled across the rocks without getting our feet the least bit wet, and made the short climb to the top. Too early for a tour, we poked around the outside and tried to imagine what life must have been like for 19th century lighthouse keepers.

Some say this historic building is haunted. Surely it has stories to tell. If it looks familiar, perhaps you’re a Tim McGraw fan. According to Wikipedia:

…the music video for the Tim McGraw song “Not a Moment Too Soon” has scenes of Tim next to the light on the lighthouse’s top balcony and scenes of the Battery Point Light from a distance.

If you listen carefully, perhaps you’ll hear the music!

Categories: Road Trips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coastal Trail reveals hidden beauty

The Coastal Trail weaves like a thread along the rugged Pacific Coast, stringing together scenic viewpoints, state parks, hidden coves and dense forests. The trail also offers numerous opportunities to stretch one's legs, which is exactly what we did while sightseeing on our most recent camping trip on the South Coast of Oregon.

Armed with our Coast Trail and Travel Guide and a picnic lunch, we drove north from Brookings, Oregon one day and south, into California, on another day. The beauty stretches for miles in both directions. The views are easily visible from the road, but I'd encourage you to take a short (or long) walk and enjoy all the Coast Trail has to offer.

The Pacific Ocean appears endless from the cliffs above.

A window to the rocks below.

A misty fog is a familiar sight along the Pacific Coast.

Driftwood creates patterns along the beach.

Forest growth is so dense that it creates a tunnel along the Coastal Trail.

It's hard to resist climbing a tree like this!

Reg is dwarfed by soaring evergreen trees.

A splash of color.

 

Categories: Road Trips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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