July 13, 2010
Our first stop today was Oregon City – the ending point for many Oregon Trail travelers. It was a little underwhelming compared to the pioneer museum in Baker City. However, there was a memorial rock marking the end of the trail, along with replicas of pioneer homes and a garden typical of what pioneers would have planted. On our way out of town, we did a quick tour of downtown Portland. We stumbled upon a live music event in one of the squares. It was very cool to see people enjoying their lunch breaks with a Starbucks and a little live music. Portland had a very earthy and laid-back feel, and was also very clean and "green". We only had a little time to explore the city because we had to head south to find a campsite for the night, but would have loved to see more of this river town. Eventually, we made our way over to highway 101 and began the drive down the Oregon coast. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area was quite the sight to see. We got our exercise running up the sandy hills to catch our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. After our winding drive down the coast further, we ended up at Sunset Bay campground in the Oregon State Park system. On our way there, we realized that the park is basically out on an island, and it turned out to be an incredibly beautiful site. We set up the tent and walked out to the beach to watch the sun set behind the cliffs and rocky sea. We snapped some great pictures as the sun disappeared away. We then headed back to make a fire and roast marshmallows. Once we went to sleep, we were glad we picked up extra warm blankets in Portland because it was another cold and windy night in the tent.
Sara and Jenn,
ReplyDeleteI was born and raised on the Pacific. Many a morning was spent watching the sun rise over that beautiful ocean. Your incredible pictures of the sun setting over the Pacific provoke strong memories, even if a little "reversed." Thanks. Enjoy!