This particular beach was very unique, yet one of the most beautiful ones that we saw in our last trip along the Oregon Coast. There was another beach, that was known for its huge sand dunes also along this byway. I have never seen the like of those dunes anywhere else in the world that I have ever been.This whole drive along the Oregon coast offered lush evergreen forests; picturesque coastal scenery, rugged cliffs, impressive sand dunes and vast sandy beaches awaited us around every corner along the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, US Highway 101. The Oregon coast has fully developed resort communities with every possible amenity to quiet coastal towns where the loudest sounds you'll hear are waves on the shoreline and seagulls overhead.
The down-home environment of hospitality every season of the year makes the Oregon coast memorable. There are many recreational opportunities from fishing, cycling, flying a kite on the beach, scuba diving, hiking through old-growth forests, windsurfing and surfing, beachcombing, whale and bird watching... the list is almost endless.
There are also many coast attractions including aquariums, art galleries, theaters and festivals, parades and poetry readings. Many lighthouses dot the Oregon coast and you can find hundreds of parks to explore. We spent a night in one of them that was just full of prehistoric ferns and pine trees. I thought that it was quite unique that the campsite was stocked full of free firewood for the fire pit that was right in the center of the campsites.
The solitude of the quiet months on the coast brings relaxing stretches of peaceful beaches, untouched tidal pools, spectacular sunsets and nights beneath star-strewn skies. Storm watching during winter months captures your breath as crashing waves pound the rocky beaches and send water shooting into the sky.
This shot was not far from where we camped, (only we were not on the beach side of the byway). This was taken somewhere south of Coos Bay in an area that I think was called Bandon Beach. Brandon awaits the beachcomber, the explorer, the artist and the dreamer. Located along Bandon's Beach Loop Road, there are several locations with beach access, picnicking and unsurpassed views.
The particular structures that I captured in this shot, looked almost like they could have been put there by “someone” similar to the carved structures on beaches in the Canary Islands. You have to use a little imagination to conjure that up, but I did, none-the-less!
The Oregon coast has beaches all along Hi-way 101 all the way from Astoria on the North down to Brookings-Harbor on the south side of the state. Places like Seaside, Cannon Beach, Garibaldi, Lincoln City, Walport, Florence, North Bend, Coos Bay and Gold Beach, are all easy to reach from the highway. Most of these cities have their own state beaches and most have just beautiful vistas of not only the Pacific Ocean but also of the surrounding forests, sand dunes, rock formations and varieties of vegetation that spot this beautiful part of the Northwestern United States.
"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware." -Martin Buber
