PNW #7 July 24- 31 Forks WA to San Francisco CA

July 24 Bruceport County Park, South Bend, OR

Today we enter Oregon after a glorious 2 weeks in Washington State. Our destination is just outside of South Bend, Oregon, about 160 miles south of Forks, WA. We are traveling on US 101 South, a two lane road that parallels the shore. Jonathan reserved a site in a county campground right on Willipa Bay where we are essentially boondocking with no water or electric but we have plenty of lithium, solar, and generator power for all the creature comforts. We quickly get settled and set out on a walkabout grazing on ripe thimble berries and blackberries as we stroll along the water. Willipa Bay is a major oyster production area primarily made up of aquaculture farms. The tide is low and we can see the oyster harvest underway. It's been a long day so after an early dinner we watch a little TV and lights out. 

The wildflowers are still blooming away.

There is a lot of construction on 101 South making the trip a little slower than planned. We learn there are multiple road projects along this route on the Olympic Peninsula to remove fish barriers like old culverts to improve salmon migration. Knowing this makes the delays tolerable.

We stop for gas adjacent to Speed Bowl, an Asian restaurant. The Bibimbap is delicious a chock full of nutritious goodness.

We have a great camp site with a bay view.

Wild fox gloves in the campground.

Willipa Bay view at dead low tide from our camp site.

Low tide exposes the mesh baskets for easy harvesting.

July 25 Seaside Circle Creek RV Park

Finally a leisurely morning! Coffee with sausage, eggs, and sour dough toast for breakfast. I even get to catch up on long overdue blog posts. On the road by 9, we get a call from the camp host who said we put 20 extra dollars in the envelope by mistake. We tell her to pay it forward to a future camper. Our first stop is at Lewis & Clark National Historical Park. The outside areas of the Park are dog friendly so we hop on the Clay Pit Pond primitive trail adjacent to the visitor center.

This Fort Clatsup replica was the encampment for the Lewis & Clark expedition during the winter of 1805-1806 just prior to their return to St. Louis.

The Clay Pit Pond primitive trail.

Our next stop is Canon Beach in search of the iconic Haystack Rock. We get to the beach road and it is packed. No available parking anywhere. Jonathan pulls down a side street to turn around and we find some "RV Parking Only" spots. There is actually a cop giving tickets to cars parked illegally in these coveted spots. We find an empty one, and off we go. 

It's low tide and and the weather is perfect for the half mile or so we have to walk to Haystack.

Bella much prefers off leash but on this fairly crowded beach we keep her restrained.

Haystack lives up to the hype. We look for puffins but no luck.

I get one shot at a selfie with Jonathan so it has to be quick and count.

Time for lunch at Ecola Seafoods a family owned restaurant featuring boat to table local seafood. 

Steamers, chowder and lump dungeness crab for me. When eating shellfish I usually clean them all before indulging (lower right)

Home tonight is in Seaside at Circle Creek RV park. For 45 bucks it's nothing special but there are laundry facilities so we do a quick load. After a simple dinner of bay scallops and a bag salad we watch a little TV and call it a day.

July 26 Yachats Oregon, Suislaw National Forest, Cape Perpetua Campground 

I so want to slow walk it through Oregon but that will have to happen on a future trip because of a time certain in San Francisco on the 1st. We head South on US 101 toward Yachats which is just under 150 miles. As we go through Lincoln City it's lunch time and we spot a Food Truck village called The Pines and Dine.  

Jonathan opts for Mexican

Poke bowl for the win!

What a selection! And there's a whole other side with even more food trucks.

We continue south and stop at several seaside overlooks that have story boards describing the Oregon coast. We stop at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural area and are delighted that our NP Geezer Pass gets us free admission. We take a hike for some exercise and take in the stunning views.

We parked the van way down by the lighthouse and walked up the cliffs to the overlooks.

Looking back toward the north along the coast.

Lots of bees buzzing about.

We spot a few seals down in the protected cove.

Going by Yaquina Bay Pass as we head south.

The bridge over the Alsea River cut between Waldport and Bayport.

Cape Perpetua campground in the Suislaw National Forest on the central Oregon coast is home for tonight. A deal at 17 bucks.

More foxgloves right in our camp site!

It's about 8:30 am and low tide at the beach. Off we go to see about some tide pooling. 

We approach the tunnel that takes us under the highway to the sea.

We see some wild strawberries along the way. They are tiny, about the size of a fingernail.

I feel like we're being watched!

The wall of sea creatures is magnificent.

So many species revealed in the low intertidal zone when the tide is at its lowest.

She never passes up a chance for a dip.

The tide is starting to come back in and we retreat so we don't get trapped by the water.

The long shadows of the morning sun. 

Bella the explorer.

We're off the beach and back on the trail to the campground.

After a quick stop at the visitor center where we learn of the Gray Whale migrations that can be seen within a mile of shore and the surrounding old growth forests providing habitat for the notorious  Northern Spotted Owl, neither of which we saw. Time to break camp and continue our journey. If there was time we could stay here for days.

July 27 Carter Lake campground Suislaw NF Near Florence OR

On 101 heading south we have only 42 miles to our destination so we take our time and stop at a few beautiful coastal overlooks finally stopping in the town of Florence for lunch. ChatGPT suggested Novelli's right on the docks in the historic downtown. We've had good luck and not so good luck with AI but this time it's 100% on point. Novelli's Crab & Seafood fresh off the boat and never fried. 

A great view of the Heceta Head Lighthouse from the overlook.

Looking down from the overlook we saw sea lions on the rocks...

...and more sea lions swimming in the ocean.

As promised Novelli's is right on the docks.

We arrive just before the lunch rush putting in our order, grabbing a couple of beers, and snagging a table on the docks.

They literally have 4 items on the menu. Dungeness crab, smoked salmon, garlic bread and crab chowder. So we got it all! I'm still dreaming about that meal.

The Dungeness Crab is fresh and delicious.

Live Dungeness Crabs swimming in their tank.

With our bellies full we drive the remaining nine miles to Carter's Lake camp ground also in the Suislaw National Forest. Home for the night. We get settled and strike out to explore the nearby hiking trail. This is a bit of a brutal hike much of which is soft sand taking us over and down 3 successive steep dunes to the beach. The beach is home to nesting snowy plovers so understandably no dogs allowed. We're hot and tired from walking in the soft sand so we head back to camp. Dinner tonight is white chicken chili with all the fixins' followed by a little TV and lights out early.

Off we go.

Bella living her best life. She loves ghost crab hunting.

Oh how I wish we could walk this beach but rules are rules. No dogs allowed.

Back up and over the dunes.

Carter's Lake at dawn.

Time to get back on the road.

July 28 Rougue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Quosatana Campground

Today's destination is Quosatana campground in the Rougue River-Siskiyou National Forest. We will travel about 110 miles south on 101 along the coast and then head east about 15 miles inland where we will camp along the Rogue River.  About half way down the coast we see a scenic beach road loop in the town of Bandon and as spontaneity would have it off we go and soon find ourselves at Bandon South Jetty Park. At the mouth of the Coquille River it has views of the inlet and the Coquille River Lighthouse. It's windy and the Pacific is sporty. But it's low tide, the beach is wide and flat, there are haystacks galore, and lots of large exposed rocks for tide pooling! 

This pay dump station at the Public Works dept in the town of Reedsport is a new one on us but its convenient and also has fresh water so no complaints. 

Coquille River and Lighthouse

These large exposed rocks at low tide are home to an abundance of sea life.

Ochre stars, green sea anemones, mussels, barnacles, and limpets to name a few.

Green sea anemones.

This ochre star is having a meal.

This slot between the haystacks is filling quickly with water as the tide is starting to rise.

My happy place.

This seal has its eye on Bella.

Bella is very interested in the seals and starts to swim toward them. Luckily her rocket return training has her do a 180 when we yell, "Bella, NOW!"  Whew. 

The mighty Pacific can be seen through the slot.

There are several folks sifting through the sand near the jetty and we soon learn that they are searching for agates. 

This agate hunter explains how to search for them and has a huge bag of treasures.

He hands me one to put up to the light so I can see the translucence of the stone. He sells them on eBay and Etsy and kindly gifts me this one. 

The Rogue River.

The shore line and bottom of the Rogue River is made up entirely of river stones. We hobble over them and Bella bounds over them to take a swim. 

Much to Bella's dismay it is also bath time so she's presentable when we stay with our friends in San Francisco.

This turkey who has obviously been fed is lurking near our camp site no doubt for a handout.

This place is steal at 10 bucks per night with the NP senior pass privileges.

Mise en place.

Dinner is a new recipe: meat sauce on top of polenta cakes served with a bag Cesar salad. 

Before heading out in the morning we give Bella a haircut under the watchful eye of a stellar's jay. Yes the peanuts were a draw. Guilty as charged.

The beautiful and colorful stellar's jay.

July 29 Coastal Northern California

Today we leave Oregon behind and bust through to California which brings us back to the coast along US 101 South. Our destination is Big Lagoon County Park right on the ocean in California, about 125 miles away, taking us through redwood country. Shortly after we get underway we see a sign for North Island Trail Viewpoint in Harbor, OR, too inviting to pass up. Afterwards we stop in Brookings to grab some provisions. Making good use of time we divide and conquer. I hit the grocery and Jonathan takes the van across the street for an oil change.  

At the California State line there's an agricultural inspection station and we get flagged for a closer look. They are looking for gypsy moth evidence and inspect the underneath of the van visually and with mirrors. We are free to go, on to Redwood National and State Parks. Rather than one continuous park, this is a mosaic of state and federal parks that stretches over a hundred miles along the coast. Immediately we are in the thick of redwoods a fragrance much different from the pine we've grown accustomed to. It's earthy and a tad sweet. After a quick stop at the visitor center for a NP sticker (#8 on this trip) we set out on the Drury B. Scenic Highway to explore the giants of the forest. 

We finally arrive at our day's destination,  Big Lagoon County Park , 27 dollars with a senior discount. We got the next to the last spot situated waterside. When we pull in to a campground on a first-come first-served basis we drive through the loop and when we find an empty spot we like we park the van and walk back to the pay station to secure it. We are on a big lagoon separated from the Pacific Ocean by a large bluff. After a beach walk Bella takes a dip in the lagoon. So much for her buff and puff!

We feast on heat and eat dry rub ribs and broccoli salad followed by sunset on the lagoon. But danger lurks. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia has triggered a tsunami advisory and it quickly goes from a watch to a warning advising us to seek higher ground. The locals scoff at this and many stay but we are on the low road by the water and if waves breach the road we will be stuck. The van has only front wheel drive and is low to the ground so after much angst and watching many others leave we decide we should too. By this time it's dark and we have no plan B but the camp ground host tells us that under emergency conditions we can pretty much park anywhere on higher ground and not be bothered so off we go. Heading south we gain altitude quickly and are soon out of harms way. We pull into a rest stop along several other RVs where we stay for the night. Wow. Our first tsunami which turned out to be nothing but happy to have erred on the side of caution.

We are still in logging country and have been seeing logging trucks since we entered Washington State 3 weeks ago.

This is the last of the sea stacks that we'll see.

North Island Trail Viewpoint. The ferns are tall and the forest is thick with Firs, Hemlocks, and Cedars. 

The forest opens up to a field bursting with wildflowers and a stunning view of the Pacific which is calm today.

No notes.

After answering a few questions about produce and plants we are waved through. Nothing to see here sir. 

Our van feels like a toy next to these huge trees

One of the biggest of the giants

They just call this one " The Big Tree"

Walking through a wonderland

Big Lagoon County park

Bella on the beach at Big Lagoon

Photo on the left is our camp location at sea level and on the right is where we found higher ground at 339 feet above sea level.

Not oceanfront but the Trinidad Southbound rest area just north of Humboldt is safe and sound.

July 30 Westport-Union Landing State Beach

We get an early start and today's drive takes us to Westport-Union Landing State Beach, CA, 140 miles that will take 3 - 4 hours. Heading south on South 101 we come to Eureka, a good sized town. We stopped for breakfast at Kristina's Restaurant. An old school big breakfast menu with big portions. Yum!  We see a laundromat across the street so we catch up on laundry rugs and all. I manage the laundry and Jonathan gives the inside of the van a good cleaning. Some city workers admire the van and one says, "you are living my dream!" to which Jonathan replies in jest, "yeah, my dream is to be at a laundromat parking lot at 8 in the morning." We all get a good laugh and then they proceed to tell us not to miss the Avenues of the Giants on the way south for another dose of giant redwoods. 

In the morning the parking lot is full of tsunami refugees.

After a night like that comfort food is on the breakfast menu. Our bellies are full and we hardly made a dent!

Obviously a bear den.

Jonathan, in the lower right, is dwarfed by the giants.

A fallen redwood.

Standing next to these fallen trees brings a different perspective to the enormity of them.

After our slight detour to the redwoods we continue south which takes us over the Mendicino mountain range to get back to the coast. It is a nail biter of curves, switchbacks, steep inclines and declines with zero shoulder and no guard rails. Jonathan's cool as a cucumber behind the wheel and I have my hands over my eyes for at least half the drive since I'm right on the scary edge. After the last 180 hairpin we see the Pacific and soon after our campground. There's a nice spot right on the top of the dune overlooking the ocean. We get squared away and take a beach walk after which it's wine o'clock followed by dinner of fresh rock fish pan sauteed with a bag salad. After last night's tsunami episode we're exhausted so it's early to bed for these weary travelers. 

The route from Avenue of the Giants to Westport-Union Landing State Beach.

Waterfront accommodations for 27 bucks.

Time to explore the beach.

Jonathan cannot resist a crack, crevice, or hidey hole of any kind.

Looking up at the vast dune from the shoreline. You can see a tiny camper in the upper right where the top of the dune meets the bluebird sky.

Fresh rock fish fillets for dinner.

We watch the sun disappear from the horizon and call it a day.

July 31

This morning it's bacon and pancakes with blueberry compote then off to Bodega Bay Dunes State Park  about 130 miles away.  Bodega Bay is most noted for being the location of many scenes in the Hitchcock movie, The Birds. 

A quick stop at Mackenney SP to dump the black and gray water and fill up the fresh water tank. This facility has an honor system pay dump station.We pay and dump then move on to fill the fresh water.  There are several large cisterns nearby and the potable water spigot seems iffy. We're unsure of the source for this potable water so first Jonathan puts a little in a glass to taste it and he detects salt so he tests the water with a TDS meter and it reads 800 ppm. The EPA limit is 500 and the desirable amount is 200. Trust your instincts! We'll fill the water at our destination. Jonathan puts a note on the spigot to warn others of the poor water quality.

Heading south we stop to explore Sea Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, run a few errands and then on to Bodega Bay Dunes State Park campground for the night.

This ought to hold us for awhile.

Heavy rains along coastal California are notorious for causing flash floods and rock/mud slides rendering the roads impassable. Many areas along the coastal route are under construction to harden the slopes so they are resistant to damage.

The arid landscape against the backdrop of the Pacific.

Driving through the eucalyptus.

We can see the Pudding Creek trestle bridge from the road and add it to our list to explore next trip. Now a pedestrian bridge, it was built to transport local timber back in the early 1900s.

A much needed stop at a van wash.

Sea Glass Beach is located in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg. The shore has an abundance of sea glass from years of local residents dumping their trash on the shoreline dating back to 1906. It continued until 1967 when local leaders put an end to it. 

The pieces of sea glass are small, almost pebble like.

My catch!

Continuing southward the road is flanked with eucalyptus trees and the fragrance fills the van.

The sign indicates Coastal Access. No RVs. Technically we are are a Dodge Ram 3500 work vehicle. Yeah, were going with that.

The site backs right up against a residential neighborhood.

A boatload of succulents in Bodega Bay.

Shrimp pesto, pasta, and broccoli skillet for dinner.

Tomorrow we are San Francisco bound and though it is just about 85 miles we'll be leaving the quaint towns of the northern California coast and heading right into the belly of the beast aka San Francisco where we'll stay with our Looper friends Russ and Jax for a few days. See you next time.