Last month we took a three-week trip down — and back up — the Oregon coast. We are not lovers of hot weather, so we figured midsummer is the right time to head for the coast. We tried to prepare for a mix of weather — from socked in to sultry — and we were rewarded.
First stop:
Our Oregon coast trip began here. It’s a lovely park, and probably lovelier in the off-season.
This park occupies a good portion of a long sand spit that splits the Pacific Ocean and Nehalem Bay, on the northern Oregon coast. It was a five-hour drive for us — we don’t go very fast, especially over hills and around curves, and the route offered plenty of both. Also, I missed a turn and that cost us 20 minutes. Oops.
It was July, so the campground was packed with happy vacationers of all ages. Many parts of the campground seemed overcrowded — lots of people in every site, lots of cars — but we were luckily in a quieter corner. So glad to kick back after a long day’s drive.
We relaxed that first night — Sooz had wisely put some easy-to-fix leftover in the fridge, and we dumped it into the kitchen sink at a rest area so it would be fully thawed by dinnertime. Next morning, we explored. And found many things.
There is a horse camping facility at the park, and I think they allow humans to accompany the horses. The humans we saw didn’t seem capable of reading these signs.
The Day Use area would seem to be like the beach by the campground… but nesting Snowy Plovers mean no canines allowed. Horses are allowed… apparently horses are not a threat to Snowy Plovers as long as they stay on the wet sand. But I promise you Wally is a threat. He could deafen them with barking, all the way from the wet sand to the dunes.
Next, we went back to the campsite and explored the nearby beach — just over the dunes, we assumed, from our dune-front site.
My Internet Research had not revealed that the dunes are 5,700 feet high (I could be exaggerating). But it’s not hyperbole to say: Impossibly. Soft. Sand. Pay not attention to that blue thing in Sooz’s hand.
I walked Wally, and Sooz walked Tyler, which by definition means I was a few dozen yards ahead of Sooz. Wally wants to get there; Tyler enjoys the journey.
I saw this; Wally is too short, and the wind blew the scent away from him.
Caught in the act of dune-grazing.
… and then we got to the sand. The dogs — 8 and 9 years old, respectively — turned into puppies.
After the trek over the dunes, Sooz and I were ready for a nap, or a massage, or something. Tyler too (on the left). But Wally? Ready for Digging Adventure.
Yes, that is Tyler, behaving as he had in puppyhood: pensive. And Wally, behaving as he had in puppyhood: disruptive. He should have been in software marketing.
“Dad! Dad! I’m eating sand! YESSSSS!”
That evening, Sooz and I made our second attempt at Dutch oven cooking. This was a modest effort (on my part): I just managed the oven. Sooz prepped the pizza. We made two — one to cook indirectly on the grill, and one to bake in the Dutch oven.
The gourmet pizza pies, ready for the dutch oven and the grill. Apparently an ingredient called “Mondavi” goes in the pizza.
This was our very first Dutch oven cook while camping. We had tried a pot roast at home… it didn’t come out so well. We blame the recipe! Anyway if you could see through this lid you’d see pizza baking.
Voila. The pizza came out quite good! You might notice here that the pepperoni slices are a little askew. I didn’t notice it at all, but you might.
The next day I took a bike ride on the 2-mile loop that runs from the campground out to Nehalem Bay and back. Then even later Sooz joined me and we walked the dogs around the same loop.
Great 2-mile trail begins and ends at the campground. Most of it’s paved, but watch for root-raised bumps and a washed-out section near the bay.
Along the path: runway 33. Sooz and I discussed why this is also runway 15, if you look the other direction.
Just beyond the runway, the path arrives at Nehalem Bay.
The rest of the path traverses a sunlight-dappled forest through low, rolling hills. You can’t go fast on a bike, due to the aforementioned bumps; even the doggie stroller bounced around some. Nice path though.
…and those are our Nehalem Bay State Park highlights for today. We enjoyed our stay, but were anxious to move on to our next, highly anticipated, ocean-view campsite at Beachside State Park. Please do stay tuned for our report.
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