Ann is your author again. Maybe I should just turn this over to her...

Alan

We have finally found the pretty part of the Oregon Coast.  It runs south from Coos Bay to at least the California border, maybe further.  Majestic rock formations, high cliffs, Caribbean blue sea (very few rivers flowing in to dirty the water). There are also several little beach towns dotting the coast, including the one we’re staying in, Gold Beach. 

Sitting at the mouth of the Rogue River, the main attraction at Gold Beach is the Jet Boats.  Looks like great fun, speeding up river, spinning in circles, making waves, but as one who gets sea sick just thinking about being on a boat, I declined to partake. Given my decision, Alan declined to spend the money to do it alone.  We have instead spent our time exploring the beaches, state parks and local little towns along the coastline.  We are finding that much of the Oregon coast is surprisingly rural, more so than we had anticipated.  Its main attraction is not in the small towns, but in its rugged beauty and recreational activities afforded by the surrounding countryside and coastline: golfing, hiking, fishing, beachcombing and camping.   

 

The beaches here are quite dramatic, giant rocks with natural arches jutting up just off the shoreline, surrounded by turbulent turquoise blue sea.  I am absolutely loving being able to sit on the sand and stare out at the never ending horizon….listening to the waves crashing in…. watching the sun set.  Puppy has decided she is a beach dog or maybe a bird dog… she goes crazy when we take her out on the sand… she bounces around, digs holes, chases the birds or her ball and generally has a blast, although she has discovered chasing and catching tennis balls comes with a mouthful of sand.  She doesn’t like that much. 

The Rogue River has it’s own attraction too with its many picturesque campsites, a wide pebble shoreline and shallow waters in places that invite rolling up one’s jeans and wading around in the cool clear waters. We went upriver today and spent a few hours. I wish we had packed a picnic before setting out this morning.  It would have been nice to stay a while and relax by the river; the weather was perfect and the setting scenic enough that it invited the idea that maybe fishing could be fun.

 

We move down the coast tomorrow and then prepare to start moving inland.  Although the Oregon coast has not been our favorite place, it has certainly been worth the visit.

Ann