Looking back towards the beaches, an unusual vista
It's a hike to/for the birds
Some color near the dunes
We spent the previous Shabbos just north of Coos Bay, close to the Oregon Coast in a wonderful motel suite. Many speak highly of the coast; in our opinion, the praise is more than warranted. We hinted in the previous missive how beautiful Oregon is. It’s covered in trees, colorful plants and water everywhere. Many of the roads, we mean highways, are more like wide lanes with tree canopies shading them while rivers of sparkling, clean water flow parallel. It is truly different from the norm and so attractive—it makes driving an enjoyable experience.
What of the people? This is our fifth or sixth trip to the state so we are still not competent to pass opinions, expert or otherwise. Not that we don’t have opinions or that we would not express them whether asked or not. Back to the people. We have noticed that hunting is a big deal in this state. We even remember being in the wilderness one fine summer day when we came across a hunter and his dog. The latter was dressed in a bright pink cover—we don’t know anything about pet attire so we don’t have a name for it. Our curiosity got the better of us and we approached the hunter with arms raised just in case he thought us game. We’re as game as the next hiker but not the way we feared a hunter might interpret it.
A favorite, standing along the cliff and absorbing incredible colors, shapes and setting
End of the hike, respecting the barrier
He explained that his wife dressed the dog in bright colors in the hope that a hunter would recognize the human clothing and withhold firepower. It did not make us feel too good knowing that we were potential targets for some locals with a rifle slung across a shoulder and perhaps a beer in the hand. At that stage, we decided to wear bright clothes starting with shocking pink and lime green tops. We thought our editor’s suggestion that we paint signs on front and back reading: “We’re not game”, a good one. However, in the end we decided against the idea as someone said not everyone can read in this state.
Serene, calm and colorful, not usual weather we understand
That was a bit of a digression. We meant to write that we notice on many of the properties, the backyards house old and broken down vehicles. Wherever we travel in Oregon, whenever we see homesteads, smallholdings or houses in outlying districts, a collection of rusting metal fills the yard. Who knows what this means but it sure looks untidy. However, on the natural side, it is a beautiful state.
We traveled along the 101 Pacific Coast Byway towards our destination, the town of Garibaldi. It’s not a city as it fails on two counts. In the old days, the criteria were a cathedral and city hall. Nowadays, to qualify, the town should have a Best Western Motel and a MacDonalds Fastfood establishment, preferably with WiFi connections. We stopped for a short hike on the dunes in a town we can’t recall, then pushed onwards to a fabulous hike at Cape Lookout. As the land extends 2.5 miles into the ocean, hence a peninsula, we were able to look back at the beach and mountains, effectively from the ocean—it’s different and quite a sight. It reminded us of our recent trip to South Africa where we hiked at Robberg Peninsula. We were intrigued to see hundreds, if not more, birds floating on the water and making one helluva racket. We were hoping to see whales but that did not happen. We suppose they couldn't deal with the noisy fowl either.
Similarity with Robberg near Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
We do not wish to cause dissension amongst the different nationals. However, as beautiful as the Cape of Good Hope is, the coastline of Oregon is no slouch; we could imagine many favoring it. We like both very much and are fortunate we don't have to choose one above the other. With so much beauty about, we enjoy it all, trying not to make comparisons except when we stand in front of ... and...
The colors and setting rest comfortably within the mind
After a five-mile hike that went up-and-down along the peninsula, we returned to the car and found our way to our motel after another travel day that included a couple of hikes. We worry about hiking on travel days as our car contains all our possessions and valuables including food that would be adversely affected in the heat. Sometimes we take a calculated risk. We don’t quite know what that means but it sounds intelligent, we think.
Gazing through the trees while appearing to stand in the ocean
We completed hike-about 12 with the previous blog, on Saddle Mountain, above the clouds. In the meantime, as we approach the 'Festival of Weeks', we are counting like many others. We count the days to fifty, the weeks to seven as well as the days until we leave Washington and head for Austria. By that time, we'll have finished counting except for our assets. However, that has become easier because as the price of precious metals falls, we have less counting to do. As we mentioned to our editor, we might have to count on...Mom.
We'll see you in Europe, N'H.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
After arriving in Garibaldi, we watched the sun set over the bay
A typical Oregon scene, trees and water in wonderful settings
Washington State: A national monument and active court in South Bend (top left). Olympia, the capital.
Gavin with niece and nephew.
Goodbye...goodnight
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