We took a lunchtime drive today up to Charleston, OR. It's a small little fishing town on Coos Bay, and we'd done a little research and decided to pick up some fresh scallops, fish, and Dungeness crab at a spot down at Dock D called Fishermen's Wharf:
What a great find. They had tons of fresh crab (live and cooked) and a good variety of fresh fish.
We also took a drive out to Cape Arago State Park, Sunset Bay State Park, Shore Acres State Park, and the Simpson Reef. There are hundreds of sea lions and seals out there hanging out on the rocks, and the shoreline is spectacular.
This is from the bluff at Shore Acres (they've also got a nice botanical garden here):
Check the textures on these rocks!
Dark horizon at sea:
Sea lions (two kinds), harbor seals, elephant seals at Simpson Reef:
Wide shot of Simpson Reef:
And some elephant seals. (These babies get up to 5,000 pounds!!)
One of the park rangers told us there was a pod of five or six orcas spotted up here at the reef just the other day. Sweet! (We didn't see any, however.)
This is such a great part of the coast. I spent 8 months being a camp host just up the read from there at Tuggman State Park, It you get a chance to stay there it is really nice.
It is right on 101.Right after Lakeside.
There is a great book witten by Jane Kirkpatrick that is about this are in the first part of the century.
If you get to Central Oregon in in Prineville for the next two months.
Happy Trails
Hazlyn