May 11 - Sisters, OR to Cape Lookout, OR

May 11 - Sisters, OR to Cape Lookout, OR

We were up early, took a walk along the river and then headed west once again on Route 20. This was a torturous section through the Willamette national Forest with steep ups and downs, sharp curves and the ever present logging truck behind you. Fortunately OR's highway department builds many pullouts along their roads so traffic doesn't build up behind larger vehicles. Love the name of some of the towns we passed through - Sweet Home, Lebanon, Philomath. The center of this section of Route 20 flattened out but the end near Newport got "interesting". These are the roads and drives we love the most so the morning was a lot of fun.

In Newport, we decided to try for an oyster lunch after visiting the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Either our patience was at low ebb or the fates just weren't with us. The roads near the harbor portion of Newport are filled with tourist type shops and the parking was impossible. We tried even as far as a mile from where we wanted to lunch but no parking places and this isn't even tourist season!! The same occurred at the aquarium. The RV lot was closed and the car parking lots were full with people circling for a space.

Even at a place like an aquarium there are informational signs on what to do in case of a tsunami warning. We also wondered how the houses built so close to the cliff edges would fair.

North we went on US 101 and lucked into a small local diner called the Newport Cafe. Three generations were working the kitchen and wait staff and we had excellent broiled oysters and friend shrimp.

Oregon has amazing access to the ocean, viewpoints out over the ocean and beaches. In Maine you have to work very hard to drive along the seashore as most roads are inland and don't often connect with the sea. Here you have almost constant views out to sea and places to stop, walk on the sand, or look at the rock formations.

We stopped at Otter Rock and walked the cliff edges, watching the surfers below.

Tonight we are camped in Cape Lookout State Park just south of Tillamook. We took a two mile beach walk on the close to deserted beach, picking up all those sea shells and rocks you think you are going to take home but return to the beach tomorrow. There were signs posted to collect and bag any debris still coming into the Oregon coast from the tsunami in Japan several years ago.

We found the beach to be remarkably clean with no trash at all. We had no reservations and took a chance on coming here since the weather is good and it is May after all. Our site is just behind the last sand dune before the beach. Fingers crossed for no tsunami in the night.