Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Oregon Coast and Cascade Head Trail

The beaches are down steep cliffs.  These are the stairs down to the beach from our motel.
The Oregon coast is very rugged.











Our friends...Nathan and Cinnamon















It was rainy and foggy the first day we got here.









Our accommodations...the Sea Horse.










Lots of rockiness along the shoreline...



Don't know if you can make this out.  The wind was blowing so hard it
was making weird designs in the sand around these rocks.


These were everywhere. The last tsunami on the Oregon coast was in the 
1700's.  Fifty foot waves over several days...at least that
is what they say.

I don't think the little man is going to make it.







The sun started to break through
around evening.



















That Nathan is such a HAM!!


This is called the Devil's Punch Bowl.  When the tide comes in it fills
the center of this rock formation. Looks like a churning punch bowl.



Sun came out...













Wind and thousands of years of erosion wear at the
rock along the cliffs. Trees survive in this environment. Sometimes the roots are exposed along the rock.  WOW!!














Sepia got turned on...but this is the root base of what was once a very large
tree along the beach.  Who knows how long it had been there.  All that 
is left are the roots.  The surf comes up over this during the high tides.



Cascade Head trail was our Wednesday morning activity.  It was beautiful.
A little rainy at the bottom and very rainy at the top.


You can check out the website if you are interested.  It was too
foggy at the top to get any pictures, so the above link will show you what
it looks like on a clear day.

Big flowers....


This was the view of the ocean at the base of the trail.  I am pretty sure the trail climbs to 1,400 feet.


The woodlands are incredible.









The trees are huge.  These are not redwoods or
sequoias.  They are just really BIG!















Ferns and other plants were giant because of all the rain.


Monica!!!


My only clear picture from the meadows at the top.
Believe it or not, it was pouring down the rain. I never thought 
anything would come out.


                                                                                                     Foxglove...


It is very lush here...









A peaceful trail...



Sights from the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.








Very cool jellyfish.























There were three tunnels like this...


This was one of the little sharks.


This is not a penguin. He is a common murre.



He is a tufted puffin...


Had an epiphany this trip.  It excites me to think we will have all
eternity to explore the world.  Even scientists who study such
things have only scratched the surface of what is out there.
We could travel exclusively and not be able to take it all in in a lifetime.

No wonder the Bible says..."the righteous will possess the earth and they will reside forever
upon it" -Psalm 37:29

To think that God would allow man to destroy this masterpiece is inconceivable and 
obviously he has no intention of doing it. (Ecclesiastes 1:3)

Hope to have more for you later.  Love to all from us.

Sorry to get all philosophical, but this was amazing.