I spent the week of 10/10 in Hillsboro, Oregon, just west of Portland working during the day and would go out some evening to try local craft drinks and restaurants. All in all it was a slow week and I really needed a vacation from my vacation and I was not feeling that motivated.
On Friday 10/15 I worked in the morning and stayed in my hotel till about noon before departing to the coast. I arrived at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. It was a cozy little beach town, I stopped on the beach to take a look at Haystack Rock and then at Pelican Bay brewing for some beer and had a delicious clam chowder there. My campground at Nehalem Bay State Park was 30 minutes south. The campground was pretty full and campsites close to each and open without much tree coverage. I had the worst time getting a fire going with the damp wood I bought at the campsite, after 4 fire sticks and newspapers I gave up before going to sleep
On Saturday 10/16 After making some coffee I walked a half mile to the beach in the morning. It was very relaxing and peaceful having coffee watching the waves crash against the shore. I eventually got in my car and headed to the Cape Falcon trail head about 15 minutes away. The narrow trail up to Cape Falcon was muddy and a bit treacherous at times due to the rain of the previous week. The muddiest parts happened to be the steepest parts also and required some concentration to hike and not loose my footing. Other parts would be flat and easy to navigate. The roots of the trees along the narrow path would form stairways that made navigating the mud a bit easier. As I approached the top the thick vegetation to the sides of me formed a labyrinth that provided little visibility. When I arrived at the top I was given a beautiful view from Falcon Point that offered views of the cliffs overlooking over the ocean. The wind was very strong and howling at the peak, but I still stayed for a while to take the sights in.
I descended down to the trail towards the beach below which was filled with surfers, the waves weren’t huge, but I did see some catch a ride in on them. I then headed south towards another viewpoint I had heard off called The Devi’s Cauldron. The hike started off step and muddy like earlier in my day but eventually finished on flat ground. The Cauldron provided some spectacular views. The churning water was violent as it crashed into the rock and reef below, but was calming at the same time from my view up above. I hiked back down to my car after taking in the sights and drove back to my campsite
When I arrived back I was determined to get a fire going with all the wood I had bought. I went all in and put of my smaller pieces of wood along with some fire sticks and paper to try to get an intense fire going, then stated layering on the larger pieces hoping to dry them. This method worked great. You could tell how wet the wood was by the moisture oozing out and the lower logs taking forever to burn and fall apart. I watched the Badger football game before hangout with my neighbors and chatting into the night while watching the flames dance in our warm fire.
Rain was in the forecast from 2am until 5pm the next day. I thought I would sit in my tent and catch up on work Sunday, but around 9am I could already see pools of water forming around my tent and figured it was time to get out of dodge before I was surrounded by a mud bath. I was going to be staying in Eugene Monday thru Friday, so looking at my map I decided to drive down the coastal highway and stop in Newport Beach to spend the night.
The drive along the highway offered some amazing view of the ocean even with the foggy and raining day. I do wish I had my car with all its self-driving technology so I could enjoy the views more. I arrived in Newport Beach and used the opportunity to visit the Rogue Brewery. My first stop was at the original tap house on bay. This was cozy tap room and I ordered a couple flights. It was only 1’oclock so I took a look at my phone to figure out something to do for the day and found the coastal aquarium. This is a nice aquarium with many exhibits and tanks. The highlight was a passage you walked thru that had the tank all around you forming a hallway that allowed you to see sharks and other fish above and to your sides.
After the aquarium I stopped at the Rogue brewery location to have another flight while I waited to check into my hotel. I ended up talking to a gentlemen who was traveling for work and we had a fun time drinking rogue’s delicious beers and chatting.
I was finally able to check into my hotel at 4 and after freshening up went out for some local seafood. I ended the evening back at the Rogue brewery which was close to my hotel and had some of their distilled bourbon and rye that was made from the same grain bill they used in Dead Guy ale and another beer of theirs.
My plan for this next week is to setup in Eugene and work during the day and check out the city at night. One thing I did figure out last week is Phish is doing a mini fall tour and will be playing at Eugene on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I am really looking forward to the shows. I not sure why this wasn’t on my radar earlier. I have to be out of my hotel by noon this Monday so after work in the morning I am going to check out the Devi’s Punchbowl on my way to Eugene.
Full Photo Albums
Oregon Coast – Cannon Beach and Nehalem Bay – https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fs1zoKthUsfmrL698
Newport, Oregon – https://photos.app.goo.gl/AL6DZMdCUZoCs5dv7
Hillsboro, Oregon – https://photos.app.goo.gl/XUDbruRbfa5VYs29A
Highlights