2010 Race 2 Finish travel blog

approaching Yaquina Head on Highway 101 - the lighthouse is in the...

the National Park has bird rookeries and tide pools as well as...

the rocks are especially popular with cormorants

 

a stately and venerable old lighthouse - and one still in operation

it has a first order Fresnel lens

the beautiful ironwork was recently sent to the Carolinas for restoration

south of Yaquina Head the city of Newport, Oregon has a long...

 

 

the light is automated now

 

the west side has windows to light the spiral stairway

this plaque stands facing the sea

the inside stairway

 

offshore a flight of pelicans skimmed over the water

 

they have an ungainly elegance

this one decided to join the cormorants

 

the cormorants don't seem to mind

 

these trees are in all my paintings

this cormorant enjoyed the water

while his mates stayed on the rocks

 

this guy splashed around like a little kid

the road south took us through Newport

and over the bridge

 

a few miles farther we crossed this bridge into Waldport

 

 

there is no end to the bridges on this highway

the Pacific Coast spoils you for scenery

the scenery of the Atlantic can't compare - until you get to...

in a few places the highway tunnels under the cliffs

another beauty

this one at Heceta Head

at the bottom of these cliffs there are sea lion caves

 

 

 

ahead at the end of that beach is the city of Florence,...

 

south of Florence more bridges

and finally this one at Reedsport

 

 

 

 

beyond Reedsport the city of Coos Bay

Coos Bay is the scene of some heavy shipping

and one of the products is lumber

south of Coos Bay we turned inland

 

from the coast it's about 40 miles to I-5

 

 

 

just before I-5 you come to the town of Roseburg

another lumber town

a few miles farther we came to our campground at Myrtle Creek


A visit to Yaquina Head

We bid goodbye to Kate and Don (over blueberry muffins) then headed down the Oregon coast. The drive through Newport was nostalgic as we’ve spent a lot of time up here over the years and have some good memories.

On our way through we stopped at Yaquina Head Lighthouse. I’ve painted this lighthouse more times than I can count, and it was good to see it again. I think of it as a remote and lonely place but today it was crowded with tourists. I like my mental picture more than the reality but everyone has the right to enjoy it as I have. If I was still painting I would find a lot of good customers here!

Our route down Highway 101 took us past the beautiful Hecita Head Lighthouse, then through Florence, Reedsport and Coos Bay. South of Coos Bay we turned inland and ended the day driving to a nice campground on the South Umpqua River. Tomorrow we will push on to Eagle Point northeast of Medford to see Arlene, then turn south again and go into California on Monday.

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