The Oregon Coast

THE FIRST VISIT

Me and my hubby were looking for a place to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. I had just moved to Portland from Houston back in 2013 and we did not really know a lot many places to explore near by. Did not know many folks to even ask for recommendations. We just knew it had to be a special place, cozy n romantic and of course, with abundance of nature’s beauty around us. I left the job of searching for a good place to my hubby, because he is good at it , and also very patient! He started exploring on Google Maps, places that looked close to portland and came across the Oregon coast which seemed pretty near. He saw a number of small towns lined up along the coast and we both felt it would be the perfect spot and started exploring hotels and towns. Saw a few and finally decided on the town of ‘Yachats’ (pronounced Yaa-Haats’) and booked an awesome sea-facing suite at the Overleaf Lodge and Spa resort. Honestly speaking, since I had never heard of the Oregon Coast before (as opposed to the California Coast which is world famous) I thought it would be just an OK place.

We drove from Portland and hit Lincoln City, the first part of the coast on our drive. The moment we approached it, I was in awe. I had never driven on a highway right by the ocean , and here I was, miles and miles ahead of us going right next to the gorgeous coast. Got super excited. We stopped in a lot of places along the way to gaze at the ocean and for pictures. Many small cute towns crossed us and we finally reached Yachats. Little did I know that I was about to get my heart stolen by the Oregon Coast, piece by piece, in the next few days.. months.. years.. !

We reached the Overleaf lodge. In its website, it had an ordinary looking appearance from the outside, however once we stepped in, it had a beautiful rustic decor. It is right on the beach and when we entered our suite, we were greeted with an ‘oh-so-gorgeous’ view - of the suite as well as the ocean and the crashing waves. Staying in a hotel right on the beach was another ‘First Time’ for me. I used to think this is an experience only reserved for the dreamy tropical islands like Hawaii, the bahamas.. etc etc. But this was so close to home and so affordable, minus all the touristy crowds.. It was a dream come true ! ( I did miss the beautiful weather that comes with a tropical island. This being the pacific north west, and winter, it was mostly dark and cold with some drizzles with the sunny days being a rare visitor, but beautiful nevertheless!)

It is now 3 years later, I have moved out of Portland to Seattle and we have already visited the Coast about 6 or 7 times..and I am still not done with it :) It is by far one of the few places that’s grown close to my heart. No matter where I move to next, the Oregon coast will always remain a special place. In this blog , I wish to share the abundance of beauty that the coast has to offer. In all these trips, I have taken about 7000 photos, so it is quite a task for me to choose just a handful of favorite ones for uploading here ! Hope I do justice ..

There never really is a dull moment , or a dull spot on the coast. Our fave pastime is always…

watching the sunset! :)

Not to mention the abundance of photo ops. Below are some of the most prettiest spots where you are just in awe irrespective of whether you are a photographer, or just a plain admirer of Nature.

THOR’S WELL - This is a Big gaping hole at the edge of the coast, where water always rushes in and also fills in from below, giving it an appearance of a boiling cauldron, or as if the sea is draining into it. According to Myths, apparently Thor came and struck this place with his huge hammer, thus creating this gaping hole in the ocean. This place is always lined up with photographers and tripods, especially during sunset :-)

Thor's well

Beautiful Arched rocks at the THREE ARCH ROCKS WILDLIFE REFUGE. This place is one of the richest in wildlife like Seals , Sea lions, Birds and whales!! We got to see a whole bunch of Humpback whales feeding here

HAYSTACK ROCK at Cannon Beach

and the plain old sunset..

Driving along the US 101 is always like a dream.. There is the gorgeous pacific ocean right along you almost all the way, and some of the spots for viewpoints are just unbelievably gorgeous! I cannot describe this place’s beauty enough!