End of the 2009 Oregon Trail

Well, after a total of about three months in Oregon this summer/fall, we are finally on our way south. We really need to get a move on before the moss starts to grow on us - oops, too late. The drive today took us through the most scenic part of the Oregon coast and the through the super contrast of the redwood forests of northern California. We left Port Orford - the westernmost point in the lower forty-eight, and drove along dramatic coastlines through Gold Beach and Brookings before crossing into CA.

When you hear about winter storms in Oregon, they are commonly occurring in the Cape Blanco/Port Orford area. According to the locals, they normally get four or five storms a winter with wind in excess of 100 mph for days. The coastline turns eastward here after a hundred miles of huge sand dunes, giving them a southern exposure which is the direction the winds come from when  deep low pressure areas come in to the north. Glad we missed them! The 40 mph winds out at the lighthouse were bad enough. The rugged terrain with overlooks along the highway 300 or 400 feet above the waves crashing against the pinnacles makes for dazzling sites. No time today for photo ops, though, so you'll just have to sample it yourselves someday.

Then it was into the coastal mountains below Crescent City, CA and into the magificent redwood forests along US 101. These 250 foot trees are so close to the highway that the speed limit drops to 35 and it seems too fast for some of the tight curves - WATCH OUT! We'll scrape the side of the bus. It's really hard to be a real tree hugger here.

The morning clouds around the RV park just south of the redwood groves make getting on the road exciting the next day.