6/29- Worked a half day then drove to Atlanta for a 7:30 flight to Portland. This was my 3rd visit to Oregon but the first time I drove all the way down the coast. Because of the 3 hour time difference, I landed at 9:30 local time. The line was pretty long at the rental car pickup so I got to the motel around 11:00 and went straight to bed. The motel was just across the river in Vancouver, Washington.
6/30-
Day dawned cloudy but it cleared up nicely by noon. As far as the weather, it could be 90 degrees 2 hours inland but it won't be much warmer than 65 degrees on the coast with a water temperature around 57. Yes, I did wear a wetsuit but it was fairly comfortable in the water as long as it wasn't too windy. I headed north on I-5 toward Seattle then picked up US-30 to Astoria, Oregon, just across the border from Washington then turned south on US-101. First stop was Cannon Beach then it cleared up when I got to the famous overlook in Manzanita.
By mid-afternoon, I arrived at my destination at Cape Kiwanda near Pacific City. It was AMAZINGLY beautiful but it was also very windy. I still caught several good waves out there but it was still chilly even with the wetsuit. I stayed until sunset then went about 30 minutes south to Newport for the night.
Left Newport and stopped at a few random pullouts off the highway. I had a rare sit down breakfast in the town of Coos Bay to pay tribute to Steve Prefontaine. The next planned stop was Gold Beach near the California line but I ended up stopping at Arch Point and Bandon as well. Gold Beach had grayish sand and was also quite windy. I did not go deep into the water. I saved that for California.
I crossed the border into California around 2 PM then it was maybe another 30 minutes to South Beach in Crescent City. I played in the surf for about 2.5 hours. I'd wager that the water was not significantly warmer than Oregon but with sunny skies and calm winds, it was a lot more comfortable. Waves broke between thigh and waist deep so I did not even need a wetsuit top. I even saw a couple of kids in the water with nothing but swim trunks with a water temperature below 60F. You have to go all the way down to Malibu on the Pacific to get comfortable swimming temps (69+ F) even in late summer. I've gone surfing in So-Cal before but Nor-Cal has a totally different vibe.
Probably the most challenging drive of the trip. I was up with the sun to Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park, still in California and met a nice girl at the gas station.
I was only on the interstate for a short time before picking up country roads to Crater Lake NP back in Oregon. If at all possible, get there early. Crowds can be large and parking may be limited but I had no such problems. I hiked for about 1.5 miles on the Rim trail before turning around. It was breathtaking. Even in July, there were still spots with snow on the ground at 6.000+ feet elevation. The water is so clear that words cannot express. I wish I had a bit more time here but I had to get a move on if I was to make it to Eugene by dark.
I did make one stop on the way at Tokettee Falls, which included another half mile hike but was just off the road on the way to Eugene. There, I stopped at Hayward Field and walked around the practice track. It looks very much different since the remodeling.
7/3-
Left Eugene for the coast. This time, I crossed the bridge in Astoria going north to Washington state. My surf spot was Long Beach. This completes a bucket list item for me. With Washington and Oregon, I've gone swimming and caught a wave in every state with an ocean coastline in the continental US. This includes the Atlantic, Pacific and the Gulf plus two Hawaiian islands. I intend to go for a swim in Alaska but the surf may be too far off the beaten path.
It was nice and sunny just a few miles inland but foggy on the beach. It did eventually burn off and I had a short and cautious but fun surf session. I did not venture beyond waist deep water because of the strong currents but still caught more than a few good rides. Water temp was not significantly cooler than Oregon and Nor-Cal and again the winds were calm. Next stop was the not so aptly named Cape Disappointment also in Washington. My only regret on this trip was not spending more time here instead of at Long Beach. It looked much nicer.
7/4-
Sit down breakfast. Short delay on the flight home but no major issues. This is one of my all time favorite trips.
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