Drive To The Oregon Coast

[WAYNO]

An unplanned drive to the beach. For us, it's a bit less than two hours from Oregon City.

Traveling West from Salem, the Willamette Valley is flat from the Coast Range to the Cascade Range. You can see the Coast Range in the distance.


Then as we get into the foothills of the Coast Range, the little hills start mounding up.




Here's a small section of the beach in Lincoln City, looking from the Chinooks Winds Casino motel.. The beaches in Oregon are public property and are always open to the public.






Used to be we'd head to the beach a couple times a month. Now we seldom go there. When we do, I'm reminded how gorgeous it is.

WAYNO.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I can't see the bottom of that sign, I assume it says "Please No NUDE sunbathing". Was that left over from when you used to go frequently???

 

[bogus bill]

It`s been a long time since I been there. Does Oregon still have the law where you cant pump your own gas?

 

[Poco Oso]

Yep.

 

[powder smoke]

Linda and I use to frequent the coast since the kids have grown not so much.

Thanks for the picks looks wonderful. Kinda makes me want to take a drive. ps

 

[WAYNO]

I can't see the bottom of that sign, I assume it says "Please No NUDE sunbathing". Was that left over from when you used to go frequently???

Close. :mrgreen:



Seriously, in Oregon, nude sunbathing would be perfectly acceptable. Even the weirdos would create a law against it if they ever saw me naked on their beach. Or they'd load me with dynamite thinking I was whale washed ashore. 8)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79tl2H3QzT0


WAYNO.

 

[don44]

My wife and I used to go there every year. Now she has a hard time getting around and about.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for the pictures. It looks wonderful.

 

[Colonialgirl]

When I lived in Portland my Jr HS year, we would drive up the Columbia River to ROOSTER ROCK state park to swim.. OR there was another little river where we would go, you could jump in off the highway bridge or flaot around in an old inner tube.

 

[sfhogman]

I love the Oregon coast. I've spent many happy hours there straightening curves out on the motorcycle, camping, and just soaking it in...

Jeff

 

[Poco Oso]

Great pics WAYNO. I can almost feel that gentle sea breeze. :wink: We try to make it to the coast a couple times a year, at least. I'm a little sad that they've closed my favorite little cabin rental motel in Yachats though.

 

[AJGUNNER]

When I lived in Portland my Jr HS year, we would drive up the Columbia River to ROOSTER ROCK state park to swim.. OR there was another little river where we would go, you could jump in off the highway bridge or flaot around in an old inner tube.

Rooster Rock State Park has been a designated nude beach for a long time. The river you are thinking of is probably the Sandy River.

Portland actually saw the first drowning of the year yesterday. The Clackamas River (real close to Wayno) is a well known spot to cool of when the temps rise around here. Well we saw the low 70's the past few days and even though the Clackamas River is still only about 48-50 degrees, a group of young fellas decided to give swimming a try. One of them didn't make it to the other side. The county dive team spent 2 hours bringing up the body. I think this particular spot on this river claims about 5 every year. Same story---hot outside so lets cool off in the river. I guess they never think about the river coming straight out of the mountains 40-60 miles upriver. Mt Hood is getting more fresh snow today.

 

[FastEd]

Yes, the Oregon Coast is beautiful.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Seriously, in Oregon, nude sunbathing would be perfectly acceptable. Even the weirdos would create a law against it if they ever saw me naked on their beach.

Hi,

For many years we'd see pictures of the city with the signs "Keep Portland Weird." A buddy and his wife were up there last year. Unknown to them when they planned the trip, they arrived right in time for the annual nude bicycle ride. He suggested they should change their city's motto to "Portland, making Austin look normal." Any truth in that?

Rick C

 

[WAYNO]

Seriously, in Oregon, nude sunbathing would be perfectly acceptable. Even the weirdos would create a law against it if they ever saw me naked on their beach.

Hi,

For many years we'd see pictures of the city with the signs "Keep Portland Weird." A buddy and his wife were up there last year. Unknown to them when they planned the trip, they arrived right in time for the annual nude bicycle ride. He suggested they should change their city's motto to "Portland, making Austin look normal." Any truth in that?

Rick C

I see Portland as beyond weird. It's actually creepy. I make every attempt to stay away from there, but being the big metro-center that it is, I'm too often forced to go go there for business, shopping, or medical. And I can't wait to get out. And I've also heard that Austin is off the wall. I've been there and never experienced that it was any different than any mid-western or Southern city. So that leads me to believe that Portland does make other places look normal. 8)

WAYNO.

 

[Jim Puke]

Thanks for the pics.

 

[Colonialgirl]

When I lived in Portland my Jr HS year, we would drive up the Columbia River to ROOSTER ROCK state park to swim.. OR there was another little river where we would go, you could jump in off the highway bridge or flaot around in an old inner tube.

Rooster Rock State Park has been a designated nude beach for a long time. The river you are thinking of is probably the Sandy River.

Well, Not back in 1958 when I was swimming there !!

 

[SAJohn]

The coldest winter I ever experienced was a summer on the Oregon coast.

 

[Trucker]

Oregon is a beautiful state. One of my favorites! Years ago I seriously considered moving there but the politics ............. nuff sed!

Had an old school buddy that built a beautiful home right on the Rogue River there in Grants Pass. Dunno if he's still there or not .... it's a long ways from the suburbs of Atlanta, GA! You reading this Harold?

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I can't see the bottom of that sign, I assume it says "Please No NUDE sunbathing". Was that left over from when you used to go frequently???

Close. :mrgreen:

Seriously, in Oregon, nude sunbathing would be perfectly acceptable. Even the weirdos would create a law against it if they ever saw me naked on their beach. Or they'd load me with dynamite thinking I was whale washed ashore. 8)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79tl2H3QzT0
WAYNO.

That's funny. I lived for 4 years up in Barrow Alaska. In the spring they hunted Bowhead whales in their skin boats. In the fall they hunted Bowhead whales in their motor boats.
When they got a whale they would harpoon them, (many times trying for the blow hole) and then they would shoot them with a black powder gun that put a bomb into them to kill them. They would tie off bouys on them (big ones) so they didn't get lost. But once in a while they would start to sink before they could harpoon them good enough to tie off the bouys and a whale would sink. Wouldn't take long they would gas, and pop up and the tide would bring them to the beach. If they were too close to town they'd use a D9 to take them farther down the beach. Polar bears and sometimes even a couple of brown bears would show up to clean up the mess, not to mention, more gulls than you can believe. When they came up and came on the beach they were referred to as "Stinkers". And they were. Course all kinds of people would show up to take pictures of the polar bears on the whale. Gene pool is going to get a cleaning at some point. People did some dome things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L56KOpZ6vI4

 

[Robb Barnes]

Now THAT is funny Wayno! As you took your first picture just going over the train tracks you probably grabbed your nose due to the 2000 cow CAFO dairy out your left window. That "pond" you just passed was one of their "liquid organic cow fertilizer" reservoirs. If you look up at that brown clearcut on the hill straight out the front window you are looking at where we ride the mules for miles and miles back into the hills. The "rolling hills" in the next set are Basket Slough NWF refuge and that hill on the right behind the water has a great hiking observation deck on top of it with great gravel trails up to it and around the rest of the refuge. We used to see 20-30 deer an evening out there but with the cougar moving into those hills the deer numbers have plummeted but a nice herd of elk have moved in on the north side of the refuge and they wander between the refuge and the vineyards to the north. Shoot, you were only 3 miles from my house on the hills outside Dallas when you took all those first pictures!

 

[dougader]

Been living in Oregon since about 1982, and I guess we take the beautiful coast for granted.

On Portland, we moved away in 2000 and I go to that freak show less and less.

 

[WAYNO]

Now THAT is funny Wayno! As you took your first picture just going over the train tracks you probably grabbed your nose due to the 2000 cow CAFO dairy out your left window. That "pond" you just passed was one of their "liquid organic cow fertilizer" reservoirs. If you look up at that brown clearcut on the hill straight out the front window you are looking at where we ride the mules for miles and miles back into the hills. The "rolling hills" in the next set are Basket Slough NWF refuge and that hill on the right behind the water has a great hiking observation deck on top of it with great gravel trails up to it and around the rest of the refuge. We used to see 20-30 deer an evening out there but with the cougar moving into those hills the deer numbers have plummeted but a nice herd of elk have moved in on the north side of the refuge and they wander between the refuge and the vineyards to the north. Shoot, you were only 3 miles from my house on the hills outside Dallas when you took all those first pictures!

I know all too well of the "organic pond", there and elsewhere. My wife always blames me for the smell.

And Baskett Slough? I know it well too. I knew it better when they still had an outhouse there. :?

Been living in Oregon since about 1982, and I guess we take the beautiful coast for granted.

On Portland, we moved away in 2000 and I go to that freak show less and less.

Yep. Freak Show describes it all too well. :mrgreen:

WAYNO.

 

[Mega Twin]

The coldest winter I ever experienced was a summer on the Oregon coast.

We rode the motorsickle out there 2 years ago in June.Nearly froze to death!

 

[dougader]

Ah, 73 here today; 84 forecast for tomorrow, and I've been walking to work in short sleeves. 8)

Years ago I rode a motorcycle from Salem (on a nice sunny spring day) up to Silver Creek Falls. It felt pretty cold as I approached and I thought I'd just get there and warm up in the log cabin/gift shop there. Well, it was too early in the spring and the shop was still closed. I tried to walk around in the sun to warm up, but it did no good. I hopped on the bike and headed back to Salem but hypothermia was setting in. Man, it was all I could do to shift and stay on the road.

When I got home I just left the bike near the front door, went straight into the shower, and took about 30 minutes to warm up. Brrrr...

 

[exavid]

I don't go to Portland for any reason, same as I wouldn't go to California if I had a choice. To nutty and restrictive. Though you can carry open or concealed in Oregon. Other than the Eugene-Portland area Oregon is a beautiful state and mostly conservative. Here in Medford we have great weather, the coast a couple hours ride West, desert a couple hours East. Here we have mountains with miles and miles of Jeep trails and Forest Service roads. The Rogue river right near by for great rafting and fishing. I don't miss Alaska so much now, it's great to have a real summer EVERY year. It was 85F here today. Wonderful.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

An unplanned drive to the beach. For us, it's a bit less than two hours from Oregon City.

Used to be we'd head to the beach a couple times a month. Now we seldom go there. When we do, I'm reminded how gorgeous it is.

WAYNO.

Interesting trip, not at all what I think of as the beach. It looks kinda wet and cold and not very inviting. ...but interesting and beautiful.

 

[callshot]

We went over to the coast from Vancouver a couple days ago. I'm from the Idaho desert, so it was interesting. Nice beautiful place to visit. I didn't see any squirrels or badgers. We had fun.