Oregon Family Vacation

There are so many pictures of great areas that both the Pogatshnik's and the Steadman's visited that I will forgo much of my rambling and save the space for photos. We'll begin in order with Candy and Dale's road trip to Portland.

We left Portland the morning after their arrival with temps quickly climbing into the 80's before noon. When we stepped out of the car at the rim of the Pacific we were greeted by howling winds and a temp. at 57 degrees.

The lighthouse at Yaquina head was one of the most scenic any of us had ever visited. The lighthouse sits atop cliffs overlooking 50,000 plus common murres and cormorants nesting on the sea stacks. Harbor seals lounged on distant rocks while US Fish and Wildlife volunteers pointed spotting scopes at hatching sea birds for us tourists. It was an intense place with winds that day that could easily send your hat into the sea.

Our goal for the day was to eventually make it to Beverley Beach Campground where we had a campground reserved for us. The following are images from that particular beach. We had thought the winds were strong out on Yaquina head, but we had no idea how strong they would become with the advancing evening. Because the camp host sold us firewood he probably cut the day before, Jamie and I took to the beach to gather driftwood. Out on the sand we met a northerly breeze we had to literally lean into. It was a sandstorm that felt as if it were eroding our legs as we walked. We settled for wood in a little alcove of big logs and waited for sunset back in the shelter of camp.