Happy 4th of July from Oregon

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Fogbow at Depoe Bay, Oregon

The exit portal found in this fogbow opened at the rocky shore of Depoe Bay, allowing Caroline and me the chance to begin the process of leaving Oregon. Without the fogbow, we’d have been stuck here on the coast; not a bad thing, mind you, but we do have other places to be, such as Santa Fe, New Mexico, next week. Now I’m getting ahead of myself – more about that trip later. For now, I have to contend with the situation that we are taking the next four days to drive back to Arizona, which also implies that there will be no blogging during those days and I’ll fall behind, but who’s not up for a big challenge?

R2D2 on the side of Highway 101 in Oregon

It’s the 4th of July today, Independence Day for the United States, where we celebrate the birth of our country, and this Star Wars fan sent R2-D2 out to the curb armed with the stars and stripes to remind everyone to give a nod to this special day.

Mindy and Caroline Wise in Yachats, Oregon

The original departure plan called for us not to get out of the car before we were south of Florence, but that couldn’t really be adhered to anyway, as we knew we’d stop in at the Newport Cafe for yet another yummy Pacific Seafood Scramble. Somehow, we managed to skip one more stop at Boiler Bay to look for whales, but reaching Yachats and seeing that the farmer’s market was happening on this holiday, we had to stop, and good thing we did. Not only did we score another loaf of sourdough from Mindy the Baker, but across from her, we met Broom Chick. Twenty years or more ago, Caroline and I bought a handmade gnarled corn broom at the Renaissance Festival in Arizona. While it’s well worn, we use it to this day. Well, that might not be true much longer as Caroline thought it was high time to replace it, and Samantha the Broom Chick herself, was selling her brooms at the market, and it turns out that it was her company that made our old broom, too. Sadly, we learned that we wouldn’t be able to have our relic given a makeover, so it’ll become our outside broom, and the new one will take its place in our kitchen. [We also stopped one more time at the Green Salmon for more herbal tea of the Crater Lake variety and a couple of mushroom-themed souvenirs. – Caroline]

Thor's Well at Cape Perpetua in Yachats, Oregon

Nope, this is not Florence. We have pulled over near Cape Perpetua south of Yachats for one more look at Thor’s Well hoping that since it is shortly after low tide, we might get a better look into the well. That didn’t quite happen, as you can see for yourself the fountain of water splashing out of this amazing natural feature. Being too close could be life-threatening.

Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon

Here at Heceta Head Lighthouse, we are closer to Florence, but still 13 miles north means we were stopping again.

Sea Gypsy Cottage Gallery in Florence, Oregon

Incorrigible could be our middle name while traveling because here we are, just a few more miles south, and a pond across from Woahink Lake captured our attention. As soon as we were out of the car, something else caught our eyes. This Sea Gypsy inviting people into a gallery was on duty, but I was resilient to Caroline’s pleading and held fast to the idea that we didn’t have the time for a visit.

Water lilies across from Woahink Lake in Florence, Oregon

Of course, we did have time to take photos of the lily pads and their blossoms, as we’d never seen this pond blooming before. Or maybe we had, but neither of us had a memory of such.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Waxmyrtle Campground in Dunes City, Oregon

We made it past Florence and were able to skip another stop at the Happy Kamper Yarn Barn, made easier as it was closed. We also drove right by the Darlingtonia site, but did pull over here at the Waxmyrtle Campground at Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in Dunes City.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Carter Lake Campground in Dunes City, Oregon

We didn’t get far before taking yet another right turn off Highway 101 into the Carter Lake Campground, also part of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Tahkenitch Lake in Gardiner, Oregon

For more than 20 years, we’ve wanted a photograph of Tahkenitch Lake in Gardiner, but getting to a place with a good, clear view was never easy, nor was it today. The “official” overlook one might hope to catch is overgrown, but today’s weather was so perfect we just had to finally figure this out. We located glimpses of the lake through the trees driving back to the north, then parked as far off the road and walked along a narrow piece of the highway to where we could see the lake. Caroline felt she could navigate our way through the dense undergrowth and brambles over the steep terrain, and sure enough, she got us to a small clearing that offered us the greatest view ever of this wild landscape.

Caroline Wise at Driftwood Farms Yarn shop in Reedsport, Oregon

For her terrific pathfinding effort, I rewarded her with a visit to the Driftwood Farms Yarn shop in Reedsport, which, being open, helped in this special gift of mine. Heck, I even offered her a small budget for yarn and roving from my personal bank account that may or may not actually be a shared account that her paycheck is deposited into, but that’s of no real concern. What’s important is my incredible generosity letting her spend her own money.

This stop was a twofer, as we finally learned about My Yarn Shop, which used to be located in Coos Bay, further south of us. That shop in Coos Bay has been closed for a long time. It turns out that its owner, Judy Mogan, heiress to a lumber company, had passed away, and the family working to settle that part of her estate worked out a deal with the owner of Driftwood Farms for her to take on the extensive, seriously absurd, collection of yarn that Judy had amassed. I cannot emphasize enough just how large a collection of yarn was stuffed into her retail space on South Broadway in Coos Bay. It was literally tons of yarn that is now in the possession of Kim and her daughter and business partner, Jessica. Anyone interested in buying random 100-skein boxes of mystery yarn should reach out to the ladies for a real yarn bargain.

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Bandon, Oregon

Here we are at Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Bandon, and because I can’t bring you here myself, I’m including plenty of photos so you can get some small sense of how perspective and position on the bluffs or on the beach can greatly alter the view and make this one of the great stops on the coast. Today the weather was great, but the winds quite strong, making it a bit difficult to stand near the cliff edge.

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Bandon, Oregon

The same place zoomed in. Pretty, isn’t it?

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Bandon, Oregon

Looking to our right from the overlook. We never tire of this view. Off to my right is Cosmo, the Tufted Puffin statue, whose photo (under cloudier conditions) I shared on a previous visit.

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Bandon, Oregon

Down here on the beach below the Coquille Point, there was no escaping the heavy winds either, nor could we escape the intense beauty of it all.

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Bandon, Oregon

The third and final view south down the coast.

Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint in Bandon, Oregon

While Face Rock is just a short drive south of where we just were, this is not looking to the south but is more northwest.

Devils Kitchen in Bandon, Oregon

This being a trip of zooming into the map for any hint of places that might offer us beach access, we discovered this new-to-us location known as Devils Kitchen, also in Bandon.

Devils Kitchen in Bandon, Oregon

The previous view was looking north. This is the view to the south, our direction of travel today.

Hotdog from Langlois Market in Langlois, Oregon

Once again, our entire trip has been centered around the idea that we had to make another pilgrimage to the Langlois Market in, you guessed it, Langlois, Oregon. This small town carries big heft as this little shop has sold over 1,519,845 of their world-famous hot dogs served with their secret mustard and great pickles, though we skipped the onions that should be there, too.

Iris at Floras Lake and the Boice-Cope Park in Langlois, Oregon

As I said, we are zooming into maps, and this find, also in Langlois, is at Floras Lake and the Boice-Cope Park.

Kiteboarding on Floras Lake in Langlois, Oregon

Neither Caroline nor I had any idea that watching a bunch of people kitesurfing would be so exhilarating. These talented weavers, who use massive sails to drag them across the calm waters of Floras Lake, are seriously talented athletes who fly at high speed over the surface of the lake.

Beach next to Floras Lake in Langlois, Oregon

While we could have stayed at the lake for hours, the nearby beach beckoned, but only for a few minutes.

Kiteboarding on Floras Lake in Langlois, Oregon

And then we were right back at the lake watching people flying into the sky, then landing again before the wind recaptured their kite, caught hold after they turned around, and had them speeding away from us.

Garrison Lake in Port Orford, Oregon

As much as I could have stayed there forever, mesmerized by the potential that someone was going to fly off into the ocean, Caroline reminded me that we would probably want to check into our motel before midnight. But then, approaching Port Orford, she spotted Garrison Lake on the map and told me to make a turn and go this way and that. While I might have had a differing opinion about this situation, she, being the navigator, effectively tricked me into not only breaking the spell kiteboarding was having on me but she had me going somewhere that wasn’t our cheap-ass motel.

Fawn at Garrison Lake in Port Orford, Oregon

“But John, I know how much you enjoy seeing fawns because you once told me it was the first movie you remember seeing at the drive-in movie theater in Buffalo, New York, when you were only four or five…and how you cried when Bambi’s mom was shot. I thought you’d like coming out here to see fawns. Google’s mapping service showed me that there were three young deer frolicking by the shore.” What? Excuse me? Then Caroline tried convincing me that just as they show Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks on maps, they added wildlife sightings, too. I think she’s pulling that roving she bought earlier over my eyes.

Garrison Lake in Port Orford, Oregon

Strange how a dozen miles north, the wind was nearly howling and here at Garrison Lake, things were as calm as could be, tranquil even.

Sweet Pea at Tseriadun State Recreation Site in Port Orford, Oregon

You have no idea how many times Caroline and I have shared between us that we feel like we’ve seen everything there is to see on the Oregon coast, but this trip has turned out to be an eye-opener. We have arrived at Tseriadun State Recreation Site, also in Port Orford, late in the day, as in after 8:00 p.m. These flowers are sweet peas, a toxic plant if eaten, but perfectly delightful to be gazed upon.

Caroline Wise at Tseriadun State Recreation Site in Port Orford, Oregon

So much to see, so little time, though our opportunities are greater than most others. We are grateful.

Tseriadun State Recreation Site in Port Orford, Oregon

We are also incredibly fortunate. To have started the day with a fogbow and now to be greeted by a sun dog, effectively a sun rainbow.

Tseriadun State Recreation Site in Port Orford, Oregon

A funny thing happened on the way to the sunset on the other side of a giant rock separating the two halves of the beach here: my camera battery malfunctioned. I took a spectacular photo of this very location with my phone, but the colors are hysterically out of sync with the tones I achieve with my DSLR. I liked the image enough to share it on Facebook – click here to see it. Having never heard of this beach, our expectations were low, but after visiting, we’ll make a note to return again one day.

Tseriadun State Recreation Site in Port Orford, Oregon

This final photo south of Port Orford, just before the sunset, will have to stand in for our fireworks shot because, at 10:00 from the balcony at Motel 6 in Gold Beach, our photos turned out horribly. We didn’t try very hard, and I only used my phone as I was too lazy to set up for shooting under poor lighting conditions. It was after all already a 17-hour day of impressions, and it was so nice to simply watch the beautiful show and listen to the crazy echoes bouncing off the adjacent mountain across the Rogue River. Wow, we’ve stumbled into another perfect 4th of July. Happy birthday, America! We hope you can survive this existential crisis you are suffering through.

Never Ending Oregon Adventure

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Boiler Bay in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Out at the fog line between Fogarty Creek and Gleneden Beach, two whales were working the seas early, letting us have one more in the countless number of whale sightings we’ve experienced on this trip. Our first stop was once again at Boiler Bay, where we’ve had such great luck with whale watching.

North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

North Fogarty Creek Beach was the destination where we collected our steps this morning. That we’d be foiled in getting all we wanted wasn’t known just yet.

Sea Stars at North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Little did we suspect it would be low tide and that we’d run into this family of sea stars posing in the hopes of becoming internet famous.

North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Draining sands leave incredible patterns when the tide recedes into the ocean.

North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

And not all the patterns are the same.

North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Like I said.

North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

The rock formations way out act as a breakwater for the waves, leaving this part of the shore temporarily calm until the waves return to breaking over the walls.

Caroline Wise at North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Choosing what to do and see next requires studied consideration from Caroline.

Anemone at North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

As for me, I just look for more anemones, mussels, barnacles with large peduncles, and sea stars.

North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Barnacles on an island deny me an inspection of their clustering families.

Fresh Rockfall at North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

This is a very recent rockfall, likely in the past hours, as nearby we saw other footprints and dog paw impressions on this side of the beach which is not accessible during high tide but they were obviously left recently in wet sand close to the waterline. We could see how high the tide had been in other parts of the beach and the sand underneath the fallen rocks was clearly smoothed by its lapping water during the night. The smaller chips and stones were absolutely undisturbed and looked fresh.

Bald Eagle at North Fogarty Creek Beach in Depoe Bay, Oregon

A couple of gulls were seen chasing this bald eagle away, and its presence wasn’t enjoyed by the pigeon guillemots who were hanging out on the edges of Fishing Rock. In case you were wondering about the coloring, juvenile bald eagles are dark.

Boiler Bay in Depoe Bay, Oregon

For the duration of this trip and during previous visits over the years, we’ve been calling this general area Boiler Bay, and while that’s correct (the wayside is officially called Boiler Bay State Park), the spit of land that juts furthest into the sea and which we are standing on was, in the past, more commonly called Government Point.

Caroline Wise at Elsie's Discount Roving in Depoe Bay, Oregon

This is not always the easiest shop to visit. We were just about to give up when the owner stepped out of her home and asked if she could help us. That person was Elsie, the proprietor of Elsie’s Discount Roving in Depoe Bay, and those two rugs are going home with us.

Caroline Wise at Gilgamesh Brewing in Lincoln City, Oregon

On Sunday, Caroline and I stopped in at the Lincoln City Outlets, looking for a few things, such as jeans and a couple of books. My very old pair of jeans that have been worn during many a winter in Arizona, trips to Europe, and here in the cold summer environment of Oregon have given out. Caroline tried performing an emergency repair, but with each squat for a photo, I was putting too much pressure on the crotch that has been hanging low due to my significant weight loss since the jeans were purchased. No luck at the store, so I ordered those online later that night. The books we wanted were The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben and The Overstory by Richard Powers, also about trees. Unfortunately, here in the heavily forested lands of coastal Oregon, the bookshop didn’t have either. Walking through the outlets on that day, Caroline considered trying a beer at Gilgamesh Brewing, hoping for an Enkidu brew.  We decided to give them a try today since she won’t be around for happy hour with her coworkers on Friday. They missed the opportunity to brand one of their brews Enkidu, and so Caroline settled on a flight. [My favorite were the Mamba ale and DJ Jazzy Hef hefeweizen (I’m not a fan of some of these names), but the IPAs/pale ales were nice and also the coffee-infused beer. – Caroline]

Cascade Head Rainforest Trail in Otis, Oregon

Also, this past Sunday saw us hiking the Lower Cascade Head Trail. I already wrote about my underlying tensions of being on popular trails in that day’s post. This here was the alternative I had wanted to hike; it is the Cascade Head Rainforest Trail that we are getting in before leaving Depoe Bay tomorrow.

Cascade Head Rainforest Trail in Otis, Oregon

Ferns add vibrant green accents to much of what we see in the forests up here, but maybe because they are so ubiquitous, I seem to neglect paying enough attention to focusing on them exclusively.

Cascade Head Rainforest Trail in Otis, Oregon

So often, many of the most beautiful mini-gardens are found growing out of the broken stumps and fallen trees that adorn the forest.

Banana slug on the Cascade Head Rainforest Trail in Otis, Oregon

Kind of ironic that this is the biggest banana slug we’ve ever seen, and we didn’t have a banana with us to show the scale of this giant. I could tell you that it was larger than my hands, but for all you know I might have tiny Trump hands.

Salmonberry on the Cascade Head Rainforest Trail in Otis, Oregon

Salmonberries! This trail is now depleted of these tasty morsels as we ate them all. Seriously, we must have munched on no less than 40 each.

Cascade Head Rainforest Trail in Otis, Oregon

While we’ve experienced plenty of the coast and low tides on this extended stay in Oregon, I’d hardly gotten enough rainforest therapy, so this was just what I needed to balance it all.

Cascade Head Rainforest Trail in Otis, Oregon

At a point, we made the conscious decision to avoid the Carl G. Washburne State Park with its China Creek Loop via Valley Trail on this trip, as that is likely our favorite trail on the entire coast, and we’d like it to remain that way. This decision was based on our experience on Amanda’s Trail south of Yachats and the dearth of mushrooms. We figured it’s too dry a time of year for those fungi and that China Creek Loop likely holds a significant part of its enchantment due to mushrooms and newts that prefer wetter times of the year.

Neskowin Beach in Neskowin, Oregon

When we were at Gilgamesh Brewing, Brandon, our server, picked up on Caroline’s German accent and consequently shared with her his time studying in Tubingen. When asked about the cost of living on the coast, he told us that he shares a tiny 300-square-foot studio with his wife for $800 a month up in Neskowin (just up the road from Lincoln City), which reminded Caroline that we’d not visited the Proposal Rock area up there yet like we’d wanted to. With the negative tides, the Neskowin Ghost Forest should have been well exposed, too bad we’d gotten carried away with the tide pools. All the same, we decided to visit the beach up there, seeing how the Cascade Head is just south of the area.

Caroline Wise at Neskowin Beach in Neskowin, Oregon

Wind on our last full day on this central part of the coast was all the reason Caroline needed to bring Happy McKiteFace out so it might feel the wind one more time under its wings.

Proposal Rock at Neskowin Beach in Neskowin, Oregon

This is Proposal Rock on Neskowin Beach, and somewhere behind it are the Ghost Trees that are named such because an earthquake caused a subduction event and landslide that saw the trees drop into the ocean and then get broken off and buried in a subsequent tsunami. The trees are best (or maybe only) seen at low tide and that wasn’t happening tonight. Caroline did manage to find a full can of La Croix grapefruit soda on the beach and that was enough of a reward for us.

Caroline Wise and John Wise at Boiler Bay in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Look at these two growing older farts, falling into the subduction zone of aging and getting buried in a tsunami of memories. While this time up in Oregon has been a “remote working” opportunity, both of us feel that the whole thing has been like a vacation.

Sunset at Boiler Bay in Depoe Bay, Oregon

Of course, we had to stop in at Boiler Bay yet again with the hopes of spotting more whales. Though they weren’t to be seen, we did find this awesome sunset just hanging out, waiting to be appreciated. We offered it what it needed, and in return, it gave us everything we needed before heading back to the house in Depoe Bay for our last dip in the hot tub.

Second to Last Day in Depoe Bay, Oregon

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Gleneden Beach in Lincoln Beach, Oregon

Our last visit to Gleneden Beach for this trip to Oregon was had, so it will be with everything else we do over the next 72 hours before we head for the southern exit. Building a dramatic and desperate finality to better over-romanticize the perfection, rarity, and good fortune we’ve been afforded is just the recipe we indulge with every time we leave a place where we find incredible happiness. By the grace of June and Marvin sharing their home, we’ve been able to set down roots, if only for a few wonderful weeks. Our silliness will have us taunting each other about the ‘last’ this and the ‘last’ that, right up to the point we know we are hopeless idiots, making our departure all the more bittersweet. In most honesty, I don’t know that I can say we’ve ever been happy to leave a place. I mean, we are typically overjoyed by the experience, but I don’t believe we were thrilled to have a bad experience come to an end because we don’t have bad experiences. Maybe getting home is the crash landing with a reality that isn’t the best, but that’s okay, too, as it’s only a regathering point to set things up for the next adventure. However, on this trip, it was 58 degrees (14 Celsius) out on the beach this morning; at the same time, before 8:00, it was already 101 degrees (38 Celsius) in Phoenix, Arizona. I’d like to tell you that sounds exotic; the truth is that it’s blistering.

Caroline Wise on Gleneden Beach in Lincoln Beach, Oregon

Always looking for something special, that little thing that says, pick me up!

Bones on Gleneden Beach in Lincoln Beach, Oregon

A vertebra and a bone we can’t identify; they just have to come home with us because they look so interesting.

Agates and tiny Sand Dollars on Gleneden Beach in Lincoln Beach, Oregon

For years, we’ve wondered about agates and thought we simply couldn’t figure them out from all the stones on the beaches we comb, and then blam, all of a sudden, we start seeing them. The angle of the sun helps a lot by illuminating them, so it’s easier to see which stones are translucent. The sand we’ve placed them together on may be more small gravel than sand, but it is tiny, and we hoped it would work for others to see the scale. Sorry, we didn’t have a banana handy. The best keepsake, though, is the tiny sand dollar; we’ve never seen baby sand dollars.

Gleneden Beach in Lincoln Beach, Oregon

Following our lunch at Sticks, likely for the last time this summer, and enjoying halibut yet again, we made a quick pit stop up the overlook at Boiler Bay, which to local fishermen is known as Government Point. While there, on a spectacular blue sky afternoon, we saw whales, and so did the other dozen or more people who were there too.

Getting back to the house, Caroline needed to attend a conference call, and I cleaned some things. We didn’t specifically make a mess of it, but I’m determined that we’ll leave this house as tidy as can be, should it work in influencing a return visit someday when June and Marvin need to head to France or down to Phoenix to visit family.

With less than 48 hours left in Depoe Bay, but one night in Gold Beach, Oregon, before hitting California, we finally got around to making an old favorite of ours, Slovenian Apricot-Almond Bread, for which we had brought the ingredients with us from Phoenix. This will be the salve for treating the sadness of leaving, so at least we have that.

In my head, I’m inventorying everything that must be done. Some kitchen-related things are already packed into the crate they arrived in as most of our cooking here is finished; breakfast tomorrow will be it. I just plugged in the vacuum battery so it doesn’t die on me as it did the first time I went to vacuum the rugs. We replaced some of the staple things we used while here. Why should June and Marvin supply our paper towels, toilet paper, eggs, and butter? Gotta say that I really fell in love with the Amish Country Roll Butter June left.

Caroline Wise at Local Ocean Restaurant in Newport, Oregon

We’ve gone south to Newport for a 5:30 reservation at Local Ocean Restaurant and were sat with a perfect view of the harbor. The drink is called a Strange Beast Old Fashioned and is made of Suntory Toki Japanese whiskey, pandan-infused Plantation 5-year rum, banana peel + pandan syrup, macadamia nut, and Angostura bitters. Our appetizers were all worthy, but it was the main course that carried us away. We opted for the vegetarian version of a dish that otherwise would have been served with halibut, which is called Lion’s Mane & Peaches. Using grilled lion’s mane mushrooms, grilled peaches, roasted poblano pepper, mozzarella cheese, and a perfect cilantro vinaigrette, we were swooning at how absolutely amazing the dish was. As a matter of fact, we made reservations to have it again tomorrow, but who knows if hiking or some other sightseeing doesn’t get in the way.

Newport, Oregon

Our feast necessitated that we get out and walk, and with a pier open to the boat docks, what could be nicer than walking amongst a bunch of stinking fishing boats?

Newport, Oregon

There was a boat for sale, about the size of the Robin Ann here, probably a little bigger and certainly in worse shape. With much of it made of wood, the old boat that didn’t photograph well would need considerable work. Maybe that’s why it’s only $200,000, plus it appeared to come with a crabbing license, which might have more value than I can imagine.

Newport, Oregon

It was 9:00 before we started our drive out of Newport and back up the coast to Depoe Bay. I’m consumed by the laundry list of things I have to tend to tomorrow before we pack up and start our slow four-day meander on small roads back to Arizona, well, except for one thing I have in mind, and that is we will be getting into the hot tub when we get back to the tiny house we have to leave behind shortly.

Dreams of New Oregon Adventures

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Forest near house we are staying at in Depoe Bay, Oregon

If all goes well and we can finagle the vacation days and energy, we’ll be back in Oregon this November. In anticipation of that, I’ve already booked a couple of days at the Carl G. Washburne State Park, where a yurt will await our arrival for Thanksgiving. Should we return, we’ll hopefully be able to stop in and visit June and Marvin and snap a photo of the two so we can share who the gracious couple is who lent us their dream cottage in the woods. This is the small path that cuts over to the next street we’ve been walking back and forth between Highway 101 and their home. If you get the idea that I’m scrambling to capture every detail of our surroundings so we can forever relive these beautiful little moments and things that typically have no relevance, you’d be correct.

Depoe Bay, Oregon

It feels like it was just yesterday that I was posting a photo of moss. Oh yeah, I did, but it wasn’t this kind of moss.

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Jeez, I almost forgot to post dripping needles, an iconic sight, along with drops of moisture on ferns. Now I’ve got to go back and be sure if I’ve shared an image of that.

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Stormy looking ocean, check. This dark green churn is a common sight in the fall during windy, rainy days; it’s part of the allure for Caroline and me as the tempests out here feel moody while also an inviting reason for nesting.

Boiler Bay in Depoe Bay, Oregon

This crazy idea that we are alive and able to witness such sights with our own eyes is so damned extraordinary. Saying something like this, I can hear the chorus of those who might answer such a statement with, “Yeah, for those who can afford it.” Sorry, but nearly everyone, at least a very solid majority, could easily afford it. If they claim that money is too tight, I dispute that by saying it’s a lie, at least a serious exaggeration. Too many are over-extended with stupid shit, such as too many cars, too much vehicle insurance, too many subscription services for entertainment, too many square feet for their home, and too much eating out. Opportunities to see the fog rolling up cliffsides and over forests are mystical experiences, in the imagination anyway. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not lamenting how the vast majority of Americans are content to be at home, living in isolation, afraid of what comes after the axe falls. Stay at home, everyone; leave the solitude and the solemnity found in beautiful places to those who truly appreciate this kind of stuff. To the people on the Lower Cascade Head Trail yesterday whose opinions we were forced to listen to about ‘Fucking Starbucks,” “That shitty person,” and “My boss is so stupid,” we don’t care, and nor should you. Stop normalizing your lament and habituating this idea that there’s a catharsis to be found in vocalizing your troubles when you should have done that crap on your way to the trail and then tuned in to what the world was offering you instead of what you could impose on others within earshot.

Ice cream in Newport, Oregon

I should set up an ice cream stand at popular trailheads and offer free scoops in trade for a promise from the visitors to keep their voices down and not talk about current events, jobs, school, or people they don’t like. I wouldn’t get rich, but the others out on a trail in serene places might appreciate my effort, that is, until those who take the ice cream toss their trash into the woods. Speaking of trash, attention, women, please stop leaving your toilet paper just off the trail; take it with you. Carry a plastic bag with you and stuff it in that. The rains will not wash your pee-pee paper away as quickly as you might think. Should you be wondering why I know the TP belongs to women, guys don’t dab piss from the ends of their dicks. They shake it off and let their underwear capture the last drop. Regarding the ice cream, we needed to visit Newport, which is south of us, because yesterday, I had taken off a sizable amount of shin skin and needed a bandage. Having our priorities in order, we stopped for the ice cream first and then fixed the booboo.

Interstate 20 sign to Boston in Newport, Oregon

Turning onto the street that let us enter the parking lot for Walgreens, we saw this sign we’d never noticed before about a road we’d never heard of prior to this moment. U.S. Route 20 runs 3,365 miles (5,415km) from here in Newport, Oregon, all the way to Boston, Massachusets, wow!

Yaquina River south of Toledo, Oregon

It turns out that just recently, when we’d taken the back road along the Siletz River, we came out on U.S. Route 20 next to Toledo, Oregon. This evening, we are driving the scenic Yaquina Bay Road from Toledo back to Newport.

Oregon Oyster Farm in Newport, Oregon

We first saw the oyster midden before reading that we were at the Oregon Oyster Farms, founded in 1907 and the oldest oyster farm in the state. Caroline suggested that maybe we can visit and buy some oysters should we make it back to Oregon this November.

Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon

So many times, we’ve been on this coast and only now seem to realize that maybe we’ve been too preoccupied with the ocean side of the state. How have we missed being on this side of Yaquina Bay and not looking at the magnificent Newport Bridge from this perspective?

Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon

Not only were we offered new views of the bridge at the end of the day, but we stopped in at Local Ocean restaurant a few minutes before they closed and booked a reservation for tomorrow night.

Trail and Fog in Oregon

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Millport Slough in Lincoln City, Oregon

Some days ago, I mentioned passing the glassy reflective waters of the Siletz River flowing into the Millport Slough and how, an hour or two later, that pristine mirror was gone due to the lightest of winds. Well, this is the view I was talking about.

Otis Cafe in Lincoln City, Oregon

We got out early this morning for breakfast at the Otis Cafe before the crowd descended on the place, and, maybe more importantly, our upcoming hike this morning requires us to arrive at the trailhead early because the parking lot fills up quickly with its own crowd. I should point out regarding the Otis Cafe: there is no confusion about indulgence and healthy here; it is certainly the former, while the latter has never been served on these tables. It’s all good home cooking, meaning it’s slathered with everything artery-clogging, but if you can afford the pounds and enjoy your fats and sugars in large amounts, Otis has what you need.

Foxglove off Highway 101 in Otis, Oregon

We’ve just passed over the bridge that crosses the Salmon River, which we’ll be seeing again in a couple of hours, but first, more foxglove.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

We’ve arrived at the Lower Cascade Head Trail with only about four other cars in the large lot. By the end of this hike, we’d return to more than 40 vehicles, five of which were driving in circles, looking for someone else to finish their hike on this popular trail.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

There was some hemming and hawing on my part prior to driving out to Knight Park, where this trail begins, because while I’d read great reviews of the Cascade Head hike, there also were those reviews that spoke to my anxiety about rude and loud people on the path. Getting out here before 9:00 worked out perfectly, letting me relax with the fact we were skipping the Cascade Head Rainforest Trailhead back at the intersection of Three Rocks Road and Highway 101 with room for possibly three cars, though we’ve never seen anyone parked there in all the years we’ve driven by.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

Part of my kvetching about the trail was because I wanted more rainforest and knew this one reached grassland nearer to the overlook, but I wasn’t sure about the trail before reaching that area. From these images, I hope you can glean how happy I was to be immersed in such luscious shades of green.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

Trees with beards might be the epitome of the Oregon hipster vibe.

Deer on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

This is why Caroline and I walk quietly through the forest: these chance encounters with wildlife that wasn’t frightened away long before our arrival. Instead, like the proverbial deer in the headlights, this black-tailed deer was surprised that we’d snuck up on it, and with a mouthful of yummies, it looked up and froze as though now that it saw us, maybe we’d not be able to see her standing still. I thought I saw a fawn moving on my left, so I turned to look at it, which was the cue for Mom to begin her silent slither out of the area.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

So far, others who passed us have been incredibly polite and seriously quiet, too. Plenty of hikers passed us before we ever reached the lower overlook, as we aimed to be the slowest people on the trail today.

Salmonberries on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

While others race by, we are tasting every salmonberry, looking for other things to nibble, and inspecting and grading the quality of the plants we walk by while listening to the songs of the Swainson’s thrushes, Wilson’s warblers, Pacific wrens, Stellar’s jays, and the squirrels with their pew-pew sound of laser weapons.

Turkey Tail Fungus on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

There’s a serious dearth of mushrooms on this trail, which likely has something to do with the dryness of the climate at this time of year. These turkey tails were the only fungi we saw out here, though I’m thinking there might have been one toppled specimen from the Amanita family.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

We’ve reached the lower Cascade Head overlook. On your left is the Salmon River, running into the Pacific on your right.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

Some other hikers told us of some elk on that outcropping. We searched as hard as we could with the binoculars but couldn’t find them.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

We continued a little higher but agreed that we needn’t hike to the upper overlook. God’s Thumb is the thumbs-up-like rock on the adjacent outcropping, and below it, where the ocean and the jutting rocks from the sea are, was where we were tide pooling last Saturday when Caroline had her octopus encounter.

Caroline Wise and John Wise on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

I could easily argue that there are not enough selfies of the two of us being posted here, and maybe that would be true, but one here and there suffices as the cameraman doesn’t like losing precious time to include himself. Is my forehead growing? Do I need to start using a combover?

Prairie Mallow on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

As you can see from behind us, there are a lot of wildflowers out on this mountainside. These are prairie mallows.

Ribwort Plantain on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

This intriguing example of plant life among the various grasses is called ribwort plantain.

Milk Thistle on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

I think everyone already knows the famous prickly milk thistle.

Ladybug on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

Who doesn’t smile when they look upon a ladybug?

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

Having returned to the woods can only mean that we are on our way back to the beginning of the trail because this is an out-and-back hike.

Salmonberries on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

We’ve been eating a lot of berries, including some dark red ones, which might be a variation of the salmonberry.

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

Once in the forest, there are nearly no expansive views, but at one of the bridges on the trail that crosses a deeper canyon, you can see the sky over the canopy.

Crane Fly on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

Not as visually appealing as the cute ladybug, the crane fly appears like it could inflict some serious pain but it turns out to be completely harmless.

Foxglove on the Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

What is not harmless is this foxglove, also known as Digitalis purpurea, which contains cardiac glycoside digitoxin. The operative word there that most people should understand is cardiac, meaning of the heart; while foxglove is beautiful, it can have dire effects should it be eaten, such as death. [Digitalis is also a powerful ingredient in heart medications, so it’s not all doom and gloom – Caroline]

Lower Cascade Head Trail in Otis, Oregon

By this time, we’d had close to a dozen other groups pass us and were able to listen to more than half of the herd long before we saw them. There was so much loud chatter I was able to conduct a simple experiment whereby, counting one-second intervals after first hearing the piercing tone of an overly enthusiastic voice, I was able to calculate the decibel level by measuring the distance between the first screech and their crossing of our path. The loudest person was estimated to have a voice that projected 110 decibels of sound based on the 8-second interval I measured. By this time, the birds were gone, the laser weapons of the squirrels were put away, and there were no deer left, which also likely explains why we didn’t see the elk while we were at the overlook.

Handmade spoon from Oregon Driftware in Lincoln City, Oregon

After our hike, we celebrated with lunch back at the Otis Cafe to try their sandwiches, then visited the Lincoln City Farmers Market that takes place on Sundays until 3:00, during the summer anyway. It’s a rare day that something other than food catches my eye at a market, but the craftwork of Brooks McKee and his Oregon Driftware company, where he makes vases, boxes, bowls, and spoons from driftwood, did get my attention. I ended up leaving with this spoon, a small salt bowl, and the tiniest spoon I’ve ever held.

Lincoln City Cultural Center in Lincoln City, Oregon

The farmers market was being held next to the Lincoln City Cultural Center, which Caroline wanted to visit due to their fiber arts and weaving exhibition space. On the very left, you can see a small corner of a loom that’s not so interesting, especially compared to these giant jellyfish made by Rebecca Hooper, a.k.a. the Gypsea Weaver of recycled/retired fishing gear from the Oregon Coast.

Mural at the Lincoln City Cultural Center in Lincoln City, Oregon

There’s a lot to see at the Cultural Center, with private art spaces and rotating gallery exhibits that are part of the mix. [This Sunday was the last day of an annual artist studio event, “Art on the Edge” with a few artists exhibiting works at the center in addition to other studio and gallery spaces. – Caroline] As far as we know, this place is unique here along the shore. This mural is a good ten feet long.

Foggy afternoon on Nelscott Beach in Lincoln City, Oregon

While we were at the Cultural Center and farmers market, we were watching the fog roll in, but just how thick it was we didn’t fully appreciate until we took a walk down Nelscott Beach in Lincoln City.

Depoe Bay, Oregon

We were intrigued by how heavy the fog was, as we rarely, if ever, see afternoon fog rolling in during the fall and winter. This was right at Depoe Bay in front of the long wall where throngs of tourists line up to see the occasional whale surfacing.

Depoe Bay on a foggy, summer day in Oregon

We are about 350 feet (107 meters) from those traffic lights, that’s the extent of visibility when I took these photos.

Deer in Depoe Bay, Oregon

When we got back to the house, someone from Bass Pro Shops had delivered this perfect deer yard ornament. If only that were true, this guy would be going home with us. We’ll miss Elmer and his gal Francine when we go back to Arizona. [I thought it was Bambi and Faline… Caroline]

A Bunch of Random Stuff on the Oregon Coast

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

View south from Cape Foulweather in Otter Creek, Oregon

Sometimes, a mystery should remain so. We kept seeing a sign directing us to a historic marker on the side of the road, but only when we were driving north, so we’d often miss the small turnoff when we were wending our way south. This morning, we took our time, determined to stop at this mystery spot. The small road turned out to be an alternative way to Cape Foulweather, but this couldn’t be it; why wouldn’t the sign say such? Well, there’s a fork on that small road, would the historic point must be on it? Nope. Swinging around, we saw the sign again, except this time, we saw that it clearly said Cape Foulweather Historic Point. How’d we miss that so many times in the past weeks? [Because just after the sign for Cape Foulweather there was another sign for “historic point” without the additional info, leading me to believe (incorrectly) that there was a second one – Caroline]

Yaquina Head Lighthouse seen from Moolack Beach overlook in Newport, Oregon

How often have we stopped at the Moolack Beach Overlook gazing south towards Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon? Countless times is exactly how many. We only have two things in mind today: the first was to get breakfast at Newport Cafe for the Pacific Seafood Scramble, and the second was to visit Darlingtonia State Natural Site in Florence.

Kouign-amann (Queen Ah-Mon) from How We Roll Bakery at the Newport Farmers Market in Newport, Oregon

Breakfast was already out of the way when Caroline and I simultaneously spotted the Newport Farmers Market in full swing, and with easy parking available, we were there in a second. The first vendor we spoke with was Frances O’Halloran, owner of LoveJoy Botanicals, who sold Caroline a bottle of Strawberry Rhubarb Rose Shrub, and just before we walked away, she clambered for a bag to show us a purchase she’d made that morning, here at the market, over at How We Roll Bakery. She insisted that we JUST HAD TO go buy some Kouign-Amann (pronounced Queen Ah-Mon). This photo shows those pastries, and they are indeed spectacular. Roy and Jenn are the proprietors of this obviously popular market stand, witnessed by the long line. We were told, or was it warned, that we’d love them just as everyone else has and that maybe two wouldn’t be enough and that soon they’d be sold out. Good thing we were just coming from a big breakfast. Otherwise, I think we could have bought four for each of us and made these the first meal of our day. A laminated pastry with butter, sugar, cardamon, and a ‘hint of salt,’ this couple has perfected their technique.

Patina Thai Jewel Beetle Wing Pendant from Amy J. Pattison in Newport, Oregon

Our next purchase was from Amy Jilliane Pattison, who makes these Thai Jewel Beetle Wing pendants; Caroline also snagged a sea glass pendant.

Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

Uncertain if we’d ever stopped at this particular location, Caroline asked me to pull into the Seal Rock State Recreation Site. Without a real plan, that’s where we are, on our way to the overlook.

Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

This mammoth basalt formation, a sea stack called Elephant Rock, appears to have formed between 15-16 million years ago by the Columbia River lava flow. Here are some amazing scientific facts about that event that lasted millions of years. That flow released 105,633 cubic miles (170,000 cubic kilometers) of lava that flowed from eastern Oregon down to the mouth of the Columbia River, where it turned left and traveled more than 100 more miles until reaching this very area right here, Seal Rock, Oregon. To help you visualize just how much lava that was, if it was water covering the entirety of the continental United States, everywhere would be covered with almost 70 feet of water.

Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

I legitimately thought I was done with tide pools; I really don’t have anything left in me to say about tide pools during this visit to coastal Oregon, other than, to my surprise, we arrived at low tide and found more mussels, barnacles, seaweed, small fish, sea stars, and anemones.

Tide Pools at Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

The problem is that I’m compelled to share more photos of it all because, though I’m at a loss of words, we never tire of seeing the intertidal life that lives right next to us humans.

Tide Pools at Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

I have no idea what the greenish-brownish brain-like stuff is, but I believe that the shell and pebble collection belongs to anemones that are camouflaged by this debris.

Tide Pools at Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

My only excuse for another anemone photo is that these aren’t green.

Tide Pools at Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

But the seaweed is green, and the geology is beautiful.

Great Blue Heron at Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

This great blue heron represents a conflict of opinion between Caroline and myself. You see when I have too many photos chosen for a post, I’ll bring my wife over to help prune my overzealous enthusiasm to overshare. In this case, our choices didn’t agree, so I’m sharing her pick first, separating two heron photos by the following beautiful reflection of a fossilized giant shark fin.

Tide Pools at Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

Just kidding about the fossil, but you can see the resemblance, I’m sure.

Great Blue Heron at Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

And now the same heron, looking north with ruffled feathers after shaking itself following the eating of a fish.

Driftwood State Park in Seal Rock, Oregon

Still in the Seal Rock area, we couldn’t be certain if we’d ever visited the Driftwood State Park before, so we’ll visit it now, possibly not for the first time.

Driftwood State Park in Seal Rock, Oregon

We’ve been smitten by this effect of clouds of steam that are rising out of beach sands. The motion of the moisture floating up is mesmerizing and is better seen on video or, better yet, in person, but this blog is not a vlog, as all this dialogue would move my creations out of TikTok shorts into feature-length films.

Driftwood State Park in Seal Rock, Oregon

How nice it was for someone to erect this cairn so we wouldn’t lose our way off Driftwood Beach.

Vista Point on Highway 101 in Florence, Oregon

For the astute, they might notice I’m looking north, and that’s because I think the views both north and south are tremendous.

Pacific Ocean Vista Point on Highway 101 in Florence, Oregon

This is the view south from the Pacific Ocean Vista Point pullout, the direction in which we are still traveling.

Darlingtonia State Natural Site in Florence, Oregon

The carnivorous Darlingtonia lays in wait for the next over-rambunctious child to fall into its maw. Do you see those red blood vessels running up the side of it? It’s hungry for an innocent unsuspecting life. Those forked appendages under its monsterish green head act as both a bib and napkin for cleaning up after devouring the next mammal that gets too close.

Darlingtonia State Natural Site in Florence, Oregon

This is the blooming flower of the Darlingtonia that only does so in May and June, hence why it was so important to make a special trip down this way.

Darlingtonia State Natural Site in Florence, Oregon

We’ve visited this tiny patch of carnivorous plants previously. They are only found in Northern California and Southern Oregon in bog-like areas.

Berries at Darlingtonia State Natural Site in Florence, Oregon

Growing in the same area were these berry vines. I’d like to identify the variety, but Oregon is chock-a-block full of berry varietals, so I’m not going to even try. What I can tell you is that while they weren’t fully ripe yet, they were tasty.

Hemitomes congestum a.k.a. the gnome plant at Darlingtonia State Natural Site in Florence, Oregon

A woman also visiting the Darlingtonias and hanging out for a good long time while others came and went was sharing travel notes with us and asked if we’d seen these things nearby. We’d not, so she showed us where they were, and it turned out that they were a rare find. Their formal name is Hemitomes congestum, with a common name of the gnome plant. In the family of Hemitomes, it is the only member of that branch. Little is known about the gnome plant, and it’s only speculated that its lack of chlorophyll is due to a parasitic relationship with a fungus from which it gathers its nutrients.

Seal Rock State Recreation Site in Seal Rock, Oregon

The last photo of the day is from Seal Rock Beach, as seen from an overlook.  Out there in the sea on the left by the rocks surrounded by water, that’s where we were exploring tide pools and saw the Great Blue Heron. A late lunch/early dinner once again at Ona Restaurant in Yachats and a cold brew in Newport from Dutch Bros were the final activities of another busy Saturday.