Beverly Beach

The Newport grocery store clerk tells me Beverly Beach is a really nice campground. However, before making a final decision on where to stay, I take a quick look at KOA – they have Internet access and other nice conveniences. Although it’s nice the place feels more like a green parking lot. Trees surround the perimeter of the place but don’t divide the camping areas. So you park on gravel or dirt and camp on the grass. I want to sleep in a place that feels like it is removed from civilization.

So the place to sleep is Beverly Beach Campgrounds. As the name of the place indicates it is on the beach. However, I quickly realize this campground is much more developed than Patrick’s Point. The entire grounds are covered in plants and trees but less greenery, as if the forest was thinned. So although there’s distance between camp spots, it’s much less private. And the place is crowded. It feels more like a big picnic but still really nice.

There are no hiking trails so I walk along the beach sinking my feet in the sand and daring to stick them in the icy ocean water. Lots of people are walking their dogs who look like they’re in heaven running around in and out of the water and playing with one another.

On to the Oregon Coast

Northern California and the Pacific Northwest are still experiencing record temperatures. It’s definitely not comfortable, probably in the high 90s.

As soon as I hit the first town in Oregon the gas prices go down. It seems so bizarre that you can’t pump it yourself.

The towns along the coast all appear to be small, some more touristy than others. There’s plenty of beaches along the way. Here’s a couple of pictures.

 

More of Patrick’s Point

Here’s another picture from the trail.

The white ocean and misty air makes it feel, almost like being on another planet.

This area reminds me of the TV show Lost. If you’ve ever seen the first season, this wall brought to mind the sheltered inland area where the characters discovered water in episode 6, House of the Rising Sun.

Patrick’s Point the Next Morning

There is a sign at the entrance to the grounds that a bear had been spotted a week earlier. When I woke up the next morning I’m relieved that no bears came looking for food during the night. Imagine waking up to a bear shaking the truck and trying pry his way in because he smells food.

It’s a beautiful morning and as usual I’m awake before pretty much anyone else around. On my run to the bathroom I see a man walking his precious dog. For breakfast I grab a couple of hard boiled eggs and a slice of bread. It’s a little chilly and I would love to have a hot cup of coffee or tea. No luck with the hot stuff, so water will work as a good substitute and venturing on the park’s trails will quickly warm me up.

I grab my camera and head out on the trail. Here’s some of the sights.

 
This part of the trail is amazing, simply because people built stairs and walls on a small section of cliff that hangs out over the ocean.

This is a view from the bottom of the cliff. The waves look amazingly fierce as they crash into the huge, craggy boulders. The air is cool and I imagine the ocean is cold. It would most definitely be a spot that would require hospitalization if one fell in the ocean.