090828 - The Oregon Coast Highway
Friday, August 28, 2009
THE OREGON COAST HIGHWAY
When traveling thru the northwest, one area we look forward to seeing is the Oregon Coast Highway.
My usual response to someone who tells me about a scenic roadway is “I’ll bet you weren’t driving.”
Most of the time, scenic roads are winding, narrow, strenuous and stressful to drive and the driver has all he can do to keep the vehicle on the road and his passengers safe. He rarely has the opportunity to turn his head to enjoy the view.
There are a couple of exceptions to this rule and I can think of 2. One is the Cascade Highway across northern Washington and the Oregon Coast Highway.
On a clear, crisp summer day, you can see breathtaking views as you drive around turns in roads cut into the cliffs over looking the Pacific and look down miles of a beautiful beach lined coast.
Other times we are winding thru national park forests that spread to the ocean with lush foliage and century old trees.
Then there are the small towns and harbors that dot the coast with their unique curio shops, diners and restaurants that you want to stop at just to get the flavor and scent of the area. Places like Nehalem, Seaside, Rockaway Beach, Cannon Beach, Depoe Bay and Newport.
Unfortunately, today was an overcast and mostly rainy day and it sort of put a small damper on the ride down the coast. From Fort Stevens to our destination of Lakeside is a 220-mile trip, which I miscalculated because I forgot about all the twisted and winding roads thru the forests and small towns which posted speed limits as low as 25 miles in some parts and 35 MPH in many others. When you are driving thru small towns with a California license, it is prudent to match your speed to the posted limits to prevent delays and donations to the local police. Well, the 3-hour trip we calculated actually took almost 6 hours but despite the fog and rain, it still was worth the ride.
As unhappy as I was with the poor weather, I had to feel compassion for the many cyclists that we passed on the highway with their camping gear packs, windbreakers and weatherproof hoods as they peddled on thru the rain.
THE OREGON COAST HIGHWAY
When traveling thru the northwest, one area we look forward to seeing is the Oregon Coast Highway.
My usual response to someone who tells me about a scenic roadway is “I’ll bet you weren’t driving.”
Most of the time, scenic roads are winding, narrow, strenuous and stressful to drive and the driver has all he can do to keep the vehicle on the road and his passengers safe. He rarely has the opportunity to turn his head to enjoy the view.
There are a couple of exceptions to this rule and I can think of 2. One is the Cascade Highway across northern Washington and the Oregon Coast Highway.
On a clear, crisp summer day, you can see breathtaking views as you drive around turns in roads cut into the cliffs over looking the Pacific and look down miles of a beautiful beach lined coast.
Other times we are winding thru national park forests that spread to the ocean with lush foliage and century old trees.
Then there are the small towns and harbors that dot the coast with their unique curio shops, diners and restaurants that you want to stop at just to get the flavor and scent of the area. Places like Nehalem, Seaside, Rockaway Beach, Cannon Beach, Depoe Bay and Newport.
Unfortunately, today was an overcast and mostly rainy day and it sort of put a small damper on the ride down the coast. From Fort Stevens to our destination of Lakeside is a 220-mile trip, which I miscalculated because I forgot about all the twisted and winding roads thru the forests and small towns which posted speed limits as low as 25 miles in some parts and 35 MPH in many others. When you are driving thru small towns with a California license, it is prudent to match your speed to the posted limits to prevent delays and donations to the local police. Well, the 3-hour trip we calculated actually took almost 6 hours but despite the fog and rain, it still was worth the ride.
As unhappy as I was with the poor weather, I had to feel compassion for the many cyclists that we passed on the highway with their camping gear packs, windbreakers and weatherproof hoods as they peddled on thru the rain.
posted by The Highway Guys @ 9:25 PM
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