Our Oregon Trail
James and I on Cannon Beach.
We have been on the road full time in our RV for three months this time. I have really settled into the groove of mobile life on this leg of our journey. It might be because I have been wanting to head up the Oregon and Washington coast for some time now, and it’s finally happening. Whatever the reason for the ease, I’ll take it.
We spent around four weeks in the redwood forests of northern California before heading up into Oregon. The redwoods are my sacred place. They are my favorite place to be to let the world just fall away. The trees have such an immense presence in space and time that nothing else I’ve seen yet compares. It feels like a place of deep knowing.
We reached Oregon in late January and started up Hwy 101. I had head nice things about the coastline but hadn’t done much if any research before we got here so I didn’t really know what to expect.
I’ll just say, we have fallen in love. Oregon has really done some things right to protect public access to its beaches and parks. Everything is so easily accessible to the public – it’s so much better than beach access in parts of California.
We have been taking our sweet time heading north and it’s been grand… jagged rocks and sea stacks out in the ocean, water falls inland and along the coast, massive sand dunes that transport you to other worlds, tons of coastal bridges and a lovely art scene.
We drove the bridge from Astoria over the Columbia River to Washington and it was a stunning drive. The Columbia River is massive, and the bridge shows off all its splendor as you drive over the state border mid river.
There is something about the Pacific northwest. I’ve been to Seattle a few times over the last twenty years to visit my aunt and uncle who live there, and I’ve always been struck by its beauty. It feels so good here.
Highlights so far (from south to north):
Samuel H. Board State Scenic Corridor
Bandon Beach
Winchester Bay Sand Dunes
Florence
Cape Perpetua
Yachats
Ona Beach
Manzanita and Nehalem Bay State Park
Cannon Beach Art Scene
Astoria and the Astoria - Megler Bridge to Washington
Be sure to check out my Studio Instagram and Personal Instagram accounts for more pictures.