Behind Heart Shaped Sunglasses

We are staying in hotels until we hit the coast…somehow it just doesn’t feel like the trip has started yet. That is until we are sleeping in the Bigfoot. Things are pretty easy right now. Drive, continental breakfast, pool, fitness room, comfy hotel bed…repeat. Olive has already proven to be an adventure traveler. While the days can feel long for her driving typically 4- 4.5 hours a day. She is finding appreciation for new hotel lobby Christmas decorations. She’s beyond excited to bellyflop into the hotel pool. Snuggle up in the comfy hotel beds and have pancakes at breakfast!

We crossed the border at the Yak/Kingsgate border crossing in southern BC. It took 5 minutes to cross after a few short questions from the border officer. What a delightful experience! He didn’t even check the camper.

There is some comfort in this particular route to the coast. We did this same drive in 2021 to pick up our yurt from Cottage Grove Oregon. I love the subtle differences of crossing into Northern US. The landscape is pretty similar. But crossing through small towns the obvious chain stores that change (Walgreens, Rite Aid), The decoration of country pride hanging from business’s and on the front lawns of neighborhoods. The deeply rooted dedication and devotion to their religion. Catching the drawl on the tongue of a passerby. There is also a somehow comforting yet kitschy-ness to some areas, often rural. I think Paula Dean and “comfort cookin.” Or rocking chairs on the front porch with the smell of cinnamon and biscuits and gravy.

Cruising through Oregon on the interstate. We quickly drove through Portland, the traffic congestion in this large city often feels like a bit more than we want to experience this time around. So we pass under overlapping freeway roads feeling like an ant super highway. We make it through to the other side of the ant hill. Hillsboro is a city on the outskirts of Portland. We have one last night in the comforts of hotel life then we should be warm enough to camp. Smells of the ocean and the humidity of the coast are on our faces.

An early start takes us over the lush windy roads of the Tillamook State Forest. The trees to seas scenic byway is an impressive 1000ft climb following the a rushing river. The windy road takes us around huge cedar and evergreen trees with large moss covered limbs extending from the massive trunks. We descend out of the forest and onto the west coast at Tillamook; known for its delicious Tillamook cheese. Being on the coast also means fresh seafood! As we pass through the towns dotting the coast we are able to appreciate the large fishing industry here.

Our first campground is at Cape Lookout State Park. Its ocean side, separated by a long spanning sand dune. We stayed 2 nights and were able to experience the rainy season. One of the days being pretty confined to our tiny camper. Only to get out to stretch our legs on the beach before becoming pretty soaked from the rain. Thank goodness it’s relatively warm….low teens.

Olive’s first time on the beach and she’s hooked. She enjoys running away from the waves after seeing what can happen if you get to close. We spend the next two days walking the beach looking for whatever has washed up and exploring the campground in between rain showers. It’s so wet, we are having a hard time keeping our things and the inside of the camper dry.

Moving further south our next campground is in southern Oregon at Sunset Bay State Park. But first a stop in Newport. The harbor is a great place for tourists. Mo’s seafood and chowder serves up a pretty tasty clam chowder in a sourdough bowl. 

We couldn’t wait to introduce Olive to the sea lions that take up residency on some docks that have been built just for them. Her initial experience was that they were too stinky and too  loud…but very quickly she was on her knees peering over the boardwalk in awe of these silly little guys.

We were pretty quick to break the rule of 3. We continued to wind our way along the coast stopping to see the wild ocean crashing waves on the rocky shore. Now realizing we are going to be arriving at our campground after dark we hurry along. Its often kind of stressful driving a windy road at night not exactly sure of where you are going and where your turn off is. But we made it. Stepping out of the truck, Southern Orgegon feels much warmer and even a little less humid than the North. We cook up a quick bbq salmon and salad for supper then its lights out. The state campgrounds are reasonably priced with hot showers and flush toilets. We are pretty self reliant in our Bigfoot. We really just need a place to park, but the comforts of paid camping feel luxurious.

We are here for 3 nights before moving further South to the warmer drier climate of the California Redwoods.