Travelogue: July 25-31

Carol and I are indeed fortunate that the Southern Oregon Coast is soooo accessible. 5.5 hours on Hwy 101 to the Oregon Border...and you don't hit a single signal until Eureka, CA (220 miles in, four hours north). This particular camping run (over the years) has been more prolific even than our beloved Hyw 395 in Southern Caifornia's Sierras. Visually the two highways are as different as night and day, but conversely they're both front-loaded with dramatic landscapes...that seemingly just keep on coming!

Hwy 395 may have the bigger names, the eastern gateway to Yosemite, the majestic Sierra Mountains (incuding Mt. Whitney), Mono and Mammoth Lakes and the 'Road to Death Valley' for starters. But the underrated Hwy 101 counters with its stunning Giant Redwood parks (the only ones left on Earth by the way). And once you enter Oregon, you're served up an array of stunning, pancake-flat beaches. We we're lucky enough this trip to hit low and minus tides along the way that only heightened the photogenic quality of these coastal gems - that include Meyers Beach, Bandon Beach and Cape Blanco, to name just a few.

...and if you're into seafood, the Southern Oregon Coast features plenty of low-key eateries tucked away in the small commercial fishing ports. It's culinary fare that's truely fresh, literally right off the boat (or oyster farm). Visually (to me), these same ports are the harbingers of artistic treasure. 'Found abstractions' in the way of drydocked boat hulls and piles of discarded sea-fairing relics like fishing nets, crab bins, buoys, scrap metal, etc. It's also a 'retro kick' the way these locales remain uber-authentic and unchanged, transporting visitors back to the previous mid-century.

Our short itenirary included one night each at:
1) Humbolt Redwoods State Park, (near Miranda, CA)
2) Humbug Mountain State Park, (near Port Orford, OR)
3) Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, (near Winchestor Bay, OR)
4) Cape Blanco State Park (near Sixes, OR)
5) Eureka, CA (Best Western Bayshore Inn)