Trinidad, CA to Bandon, OR

Orick, CA

4/28

Trinidad, CA to Bandon, OR

I hate packing the car. If I had it my way, I would leave everything in and run back and forth. But enough about me…We left Trinidad without eating breakfast because we could not find a place that served real food, just bean sprouts and tofu…not that I have anything against that, just not for breakfast.

We wound up in Orick, CA at a small diner straight out of the 70’s called the Palms Café. This place looked like it had not been touched by time; wood veneer on the countertops, an AMI jukebox in the corner blaring country music, and homemade pies in the cooler (Yes we had some!!). Just past Orick is the beginning of Redwood National Park. We took several detours, hoping to catch a glimpse of elk or deer, but had no such luck. We did get to see more majestic trees as we wound through the shadows overhanging the road.

Klamath River Overlook

Blowing Sand

We also stopped at the Klamath River overlook. From here if you are lucky, you can see whales migrating to their summer breeding grounds in Mexico. We were not that lucky but we did get to see some amazing vistas. Being up on the side of a mountain really puts into perspective how small we really are.

I think our favorite part of today was actually leaving California in our dust. I was very happy to see that Oregon sign. One beach that we stopped at was called Whales Head beach. The wind was so strong; it was picking up the sand and blowing it in waves down the beach. As waves would break, the tops of the whitecaps would blow back like long hair. The waves of sand and the waves of water met at the waters edge. I wish I could have photographed or somehow captured the raw energy that was exhibited to us. Everything that I took doesn’t even come close to the experience of sand whipping around my face as I try to capture that essence.

Fun with reflections!

 After walking back to the car and shaking sand out of our jackets, we were on the road again. The Oregon coast is much wilder than the California coast. The rocks jut abruptly into the ocean like knives and the wind blown pine trees atop them huddle together like stragglers of a herd. The ocean peeks in between the large pine trees that line the 101, and sometimes we catch a glimpse of the distant vista. Then, over a hill, a long flat beach approaches and we can see for miles.

We stopped for a break in the action at a book store in Gold Beach. Our original plan was to stop there for the night, but we wanted to keep going. We ended up in Bandon, a small town on the coast, full of elderly people and charm. All the shops were closed by the time we finished dinner, so we decided to walk up the beach for dessert. What a treat that was!

 

Sunset here is very late, even for May, about 830. This gave us a long twilight and great light. I photographed mussels clinging to rocks with our new macro lens. We made it back to our room by nightfall and lit a fire in the fireplace as the cold ocean air rolled in. Tonight is the first clear night that we have had, and the stars are beautiful. I may be up early to try some night shots. No promises though!