Day 1: The Beach Is Back
It�s a 5 � 6 hour drive from Seattle to our destination on the Oregon coast, which is halfway between Florence and Yachats (ya-HOTS). Our route involves two cognitive segments: a 250-mile slog down I-5 to Corvallis which, to be fair, can be really scenic if it�s clear and you can see Mts. Rainier, St. Helens, Hood and Bachelor, as well as the Columbia River crossing and a panoramic view of Portland; and a winding 70-mile run from Corvallis thru the coast range to the ocean that nicely draws a curtain on the I-5 corridor.
We reached the coast about 5 pm, had dinner in Yachats and then headed south to our lodgings. It was an uncharacteristically warm, sunny day on the coast � nearly 80 degrees � and I felt a kickass sunset coming on as we drove along US 101, the coast highway. I pulled off the road at Cape Perpetua, a campground and scenic area maintained by the Forest Service, and laid my trap for the sunset. Here are the results, framed by a Sitka spruce (Click to enlarge):
