Category: 2024 Cross-continent tour

Our last day in the U.S. without driving anywhere. We slept in and enjoyed a relaxing morning while we waited for things to dry out from last nights rain. The sun was supposed to appear today and the afternoon was going to be glorious.

Barb prepared a delicious brunch fry-up after which I finished reading a second book on this trip and then we retrieved the bikes from the bike rack and prepared to go for a ride about the park.

From our last visit here in 2022 we know that the park is laced with paved bike paths making cycling a great way to get about this rather large park. We started by heading towards the dunes and then cycling down to the beach access allowing us to ride on the beach. The tide was out and the sand wonderfully flat. The cool weather was keeping most people hunkered in their trailers, this meant that the cycling trails and the beach were very quiet.

Oddly I was able to utilize 3 bars of 5G connectivity on the beach but only 1 bar of LTE while on our campsite. I took the opportunity to complete and post yesterday’s blog post from the beach while sitting on a driftwood log. The wind was biting (no sunshine) and so shortly after I had posted the entry we headed back inland toward the campground.

After securing the bikes back onto the bike rack we relaxed in the van for the afternoon as yet another brief shower passed over the area. For dinner, chicken fajitas were followed by an evening of TV. Tomorrow we head to Port Angeles, WA where we will spend our last night in the U.S.

One last leg along the Oregon coast awaits us today. Surprise! It rained overnight and continues to drizzle as we get ready for the day. Showers are the stock same as the other Oregon state parks but these seem to have been renovated slightly with new fittings and lights making them feel brighter and cleaner. Hot water (good) so they get a 7/10.

We depart our site at 10:00am and join the line-up to dump our tanks. We leave the park at 10:30am. Our first stop of the day is at “The Devils Punchbowl”. It’s a natural rock arch through which the waves break into what was a large cave before the roof collapsed. Now in certain conditions the waves break and shoot skyward. Not when we arrived however as the tide was not yet at its highest, although the weather and sea conditions made it look like it might have been quite a spectacle later in the day.

The road along this section of US-101 has at times subsided and as such it was quite bumpy and we had to pay attention to the warning signs regarding speed or suffer the consequences of our belongings being flung about the van.

Arriving in Tillamook, OR we stopped first at “The Blue Heron French Cheese Company” where we sampled some lovely cheeses and picked a few pieces up for eating later. We then, of course, made our way to the “Tillamook Creamery” where we visited their museum and viewed the creamery workers making and packaging cheese. The visit concluded with a trip through the gift shop and finally lunch at their cafe where cheese was prominent in all menu choices. Yummy!

The coast ‘softened’ as we headed further North with more of the coast now being wide open sandy beaches dotted with Summer getaway towns such as Rockaway Beach (not the one made famous by The Ramones). We made a stop at a viewpoint high on a cliff top and captured some beautiful shots of this portion of the coast.

We make a quick detour into Warrenton, OR to get a few groceries & fill up with fuel at Fred Meyers. Maybe, just maybe better than H.E.B. in Texas. Barb is smitten.

A short drive from Warrenton we arrive at Fort Stevens State Park where we will camp for the next two nights. This is our second time here as we camped here two years ago and had a great time.

Settling in the for the night under the trees. Good night everyone!

These Oregon State Parks are amazing and we’ve both been sleeping really well since arriving in the state. The rain woke us a couple of times overnight but had passed by the time we awoke. We took our time starting our day allowing the air and ground to dry out.

After a lunch of nachos we set out on our bikes to explore the park. There are a number of paved trails that criss-cross the park that we enjoyed for an hour or so.

A little later in the afternoon we walked to the beach and enjoyed the sunshine that had finally broken through the cloud over of the past few days.

Grill cooked burgers for dinner and we settled in for the evening.

Tomorrow we head to Fort Stevens at the Northern end of Oregon.

Another driving day further North along the Oregon coast. First we enjoy a coffee and light breakfast and then go for a shower. Not quite as nice as the last park, but private and hot. The feeling was probably closer to prison shower than campground shower, 6/10.

It’s a misty day, not raining as such but not dry. We head out a little before 10:00am and shortly up the road the rain starts again. It’s on and off most of the morning which makes the roads a little slippery and so caution was used as we wound our way along the coast.

Coos Bay, OR was the first larger town we passed through. Clearly a logging town built around the railroad and harbour that still operates. We saw piles of lumber and pulp waiting to be shipped out. The rail yards still exist but seem not to be used as much anymore. I suspect that much of the wood is shipped to the far east from here.

North of Coos Bay the highway passes alongside the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This is quite a long and large (31,500 acres) portion of this part of the coast that is comprised of sand dunes (some over 180’ high). Parts are open to buggies and ATVs but most is protected for wildlife and hiking. We stopped at a day use area but did not hike as the wind was cold and the rain intermittent.

The highway at times is twisty and reminds us of the more casual parts of US-1 in California. The trees are right up to the roadside and overhang creating green tunnels for us to drive through. We stop briefly at Heceta Lighthouse where we had lunch in the van. It’s Sunday and many are here with dogs for a walk on the beach and up the trail to the lighthouse perched on the cliff top. We chose to be cheeky and just ate lunch and not pay the fee for parking.

We arrive in Newport, OR and top off the fuel tank before going into the South Beach State Park where we are staying for the next two nights.

Our site is level and the park nowhere near capacity and so are expecting a quiet, albeit wet night. Until tomorrow, stay safe everyone.

Ah, to sleep-in. We both slept until almost 8:30am which is an indication of just how quiet this park is. This led to a slow morning as the rain slowly let up and moved away from the area. We enjoyed an egg and ham sandwich along with a coffee to start our day.

The remainder of the morning was spent relaxing and reading as we waited for things to dry up outside. Shortly after noon we put on our hiking shoes and wind jackets and headed off for a walk about the campground and then onto the beach!

The trail to the beach is sandy as it is shared trail with horse riders. We passed many plants that are now flowering that Barb had to take pictures of. Some of the trail is on boardwalks, one of which was just under water, shallow enough for us to wade through. There were a few other swampy sections that we also managed to go around thus keeping our feet dry.

After about 30min we arrived at the dunes which we climbed over to arrive at a very long windswept beach. The wind was blowing at about 15mph and so we were well and truly coated in sea salt spray and sand by the time we had walked along the beach far enough to head back inland.

The waves being produced were impressive and the sea looked angry as it clawed at the sand relentlessly.

Inland we found and followed a paved path that led back to the campground where we enjoyed a late lunch and then an afternoon nap before dinner.

Tomorrow we move on again heading a little further North in Oregon to Newport.

Last night the rain continued and got quite heavy at times; however, by the time we awoke it had eased and we should be dry as we prepare to leave.

We had coffee and a light breakfast before heading to the showers and enjoying the wonderful facilities for one last time. Packing up the van went well and with a quick reposition we could also utilize the dump connection on-site.

As we left the campground the skies opened again and we had rain as we head North towards Bandon, OR.

US-101 rose & fell while twisting & turning along the coast through forest to grass covered dunes. The scenery was amazing but the weather prevented us from stopping and enjoying the views.

We arrived in Bandon and our first stop was a laundromat. Yes, isn’t van life exciting? Once done we headed to a restaurant for lunch before we drove to Bullards Beach State Park and checked in.

Our site is another fairly level paved site with electricity and water. Again it has nice shrubs around it to provide a sense of separation from the neighboring sites.

We relaxed for the afternoon watching a movie and then enjoyed a chicken curry on rice for dinner. The rain has stopped and we hope, based on the forecast, that tomorrow will be somewhat drier and we will be able to get out exploring. No driving tomorrow.

Today we spent the day at Harris Beach State Park again; however, this time we cowered in the van whilst it rained all day.

Tomorrow we head further North along the coast to another State Park. Hopefully the rain will subside a little to allow us to enjoy the outdoors a little.