No Reservations Along The Oregon and Washington Coast

As with all travels, sometimes there are days where you just want to observe and soak in the moment.  I didn't take many photographs today but I did stop to snap this one of the piles and piles of trees in a lumber yard.  You will notice that the hills are a bit bare in Oregon.  Sometimes you will see a lone tree that was left to live on the bald hill.  These weren't so lucky.

After the excitement of meeting new friends at Horse Camp and witnessing a hit and run at the Tillamook factory, Max and I decided to just drive up the coast and enjoy the rest of the day.  This particular night we didn't know where we were going to sleep.  I usually plan it that way but sometimes when the weather is nice and school is out, there are others out there that want to camp too.  Imagine that!

Side Note: Some days are just not that interesting to blog about.  Those particular days will be a bit like this day.  I have been blogging every day for a while now but I don't know how long I will be able to keep it up.  I don't want to bore you with the small details of each travel day if there isn't anything to talk about. If I miss a day, usually it's because it went something like this...

As it was getting late, I stopped at several campsites along the way that I was familiar with but on this day, each one was full. Even some in which I thought would be remote enough to have availability, didn't.  So, we were in a sense...lost with nowhere to go.

However, I didn't give up hope.  I drove to more state parks and places where I thought we would be able to find a place but each time we pulled up, we had the same outcome.

It was a bit frustrating but I kept driving until we were out of cell phone range and without a town in sight.  I pulled into a small campsite (I will link a site once I remember the name) along the coast in Washington and even though there was a sign saying it was full, I saw about 15 sites that were empty.  I thought to myself, "it's late, It's been over two days without a shower and I've been in the car driving all day" so I decided to take a chance.  I set up camp in the smallest spot, took a shower and went to sleep hoping that the owners of the site wouldn't show up in the middle of the night.

I don't recommend this type of traveling for most.  It's a bit stressful at times but in the end I found a great campsite.  Before it got too late, I snapped a photograph from my phone of our view of the lake.  I thought I would be restless with the "knowing" feeling that someone could come in at any moment to tell me to move but I have to tell you that the best sleeping pill is taking a hot shower after days of camping in the dirt without one.  It's like a miracle spa treatment even though you have to scramble for quarters when the water runs out and shampoo is still in your hair.

The next morning I woke up early and headed out on the road again without a plan.

Visiting Tillamook, Driving Up The Oregon Coastline, And Witnessing A Hit And Run

There is always adventure in each day.  Max and I left Horse Camp and headed up the coast on beautiful highway 101, stopping along the way to admire some scenic overlooks.  It was a day to take a leisure drive up the coast without a plan to see where we would end up.

We drove through some charming towns along the way and decided to stop at the Tillamook cheese factory for an ice cream treat.  Well, Max stayed in the car but I enjoyed a delicious one scoop (if you can believe it) of chocolate peanut butter.

I decided to do a little people watching so I sat outside and ate it on a bench during a very windy afternoon.  As I headed back to the parking lot, I decided to sit in the car to catch up on some emails.  As I was on the computer in the car, I witnessed a person back up into another car and hit the bumper.  From where I sat, it looked like a tap and the owner of the vehicle got out to inspect the damage.  I went away on the computer figuring that everything was ok.  About twenty minutes later, I saw a few people gathered around the car looking at the damage.  After a while, a gentleman came up to me to see if I saw anything. I told him my story and what I didn't know (or see) was that she left a big dent on the side of the car.  I told him that I would help out in any way I could since I would be there for a while.

Shortly after, a police officer came to write up a report of the incident.  She came to my car to ask me a few questions and after I answered, I asked her if I could ask her a few questions and take her photograph.  To my surprise, she agreed to it!  So there I was, out in the middle of the Tillamook parking lot taking photographs of the town's female sheriff to perhaps be included in my "Women's Work" project.

It goes to show you that you never know what will happen in your day or who you will come across.  Not only was I able to get caught up on some mail in the parking lot, I was able profile the sheriff of Tillamook and let's not forget that huge scoop of ice cream!  That was enough excitement for the day so we decided to leave and continued our journey north.

Horse Camp On The Oregon Coast

I took a tip from fellow campers that there is a free campsite along the Oregon coast.  Not only was it free, it was one of the best campsites I've ever been to.  The perfect combination!  About 10 miles north of Florence in the Siuslaw National Forest, you turn East on Forest Service road 58 for about 3.5 miles.  There are 15 sites and each one comes with your own horse stable!

When Max and I arrived, we were thrilled about the space and availability.  It's nestled in the forest and at night you can hear the ocean breezes rustle through the trees.

Not only did we like the spot, we enjoyed talking to our camping neighbor, Sandy.  Sandy came to camp a few nights with some friends and her horses Hank and Hoss.  She's been riding for over 35 years and resides in Cheshire, Oregon.  We starting chatting about horses, traveling and camping and after a while, I knew she would be a perfect fit for the "sisters on the fly" group.  I asked her if she's ever heard of them and her eyes lit up.  She is so excited because she's been eyeing a trailer to fix up and decorate the way the sisters do best.  Be on the lookout for a new sister coming your way!  As for me, I am a sister number #1416.

I enjoy taking portraits of people I come across on my travels so be on the lookout if I run into you and ask to take your picture.  It's been great that eveyone has agreed to let me snap away, even a police woman that I came across in Oregon.  More on that story to come.

For now, Max and I are grateful to the campers who told us about this free site and to Sandy who was very friendly to chat with me about her life and her horses, Hank and Hoss.  I look forward to the adventures to come.

The Oregon Coast

After exploring the Redwood Forest, Max and I took a drive up highway 101 to the Oregon coastline.  This has been by far the most beautiful drive.  Through all of the twists and turns, we came across some of the most amazing views and beaches that stretch for miles.

I talked to some campers from Colorado at the last campsite that gave me a tip to a free campsite just outside highway 101 that sounded nice so we were going to head in that direction next.  In the meantime, we took a leisurely drive along the coast and stopped at a beach to enjoy the day and watch some people doing the same.

Max loves being on the sand and really, what's not to love?  The beaches here are so calm and the smell of salt water in the air is one of my favorite scents.  This trip so far has been so different from the last two.  For the most part, I have talked to more people in the first few days than I have in the last two trips combined.  For some reason, I just went along my way and didn't really engage with anyone.  Sometimes you will get the best tips from locals in the area and you never know how the direction will change if you decide to take in the advice and do something you wouldn't have normally done without the exchange.

So we are planning on the unplanned.  It's not going to be perfect, but it will be an adventure and I look forward to while seeing and exploring places I wouldn't have thought of if I didn't take the time to listen and take advantage of a new experience.

For today, we are enjoying all of the beauty of the Oregon coastline.  It is an incredible sight to see.