I am writing this near the shores of the Pacific Ocean — in front of a campfire — at Harris Beach State Park, easily my favorite of all the campgrounds in Oregon. It is a fitting way to end my exploration of the great state of Oregon.
Oregon, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. First, one of the best movies of the ’80s, “The Goonies,” was filmed in Astoria and Cannon Beach. Who doesn’t love that movie? Second, fresh, local, incredible food is available from undiscovered vendors at farmers’ markets in downtown Portland. Pair it with a bottle of wine from any one of the hundreds of vineyards and wineries in Oregon, like Yamhill Valley Vineyards. So good! Third, the same temperate climate that makes great wine is the same temperate climate perfect for lush, green golf courses playable year-round. The best one I played was Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora. Finally, Howard Hughes’ famous airplane, the “Spruce Goose,” is at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville. I was so happy to stumble upon this museum — like “kid in a candy store” happy!
I know Oregon sometimes is associated with pot smoking hippies and a rainy climate, but there is also much, much more the state has to offer. (For the record, I didn’t see too many hippies, didn’t smoke any pot, and only felt a little rain.) Here is a sample of the photos I took as I followed Highway 101 from Astoria down to Brookings, with a side trip into the Portland area. OK, time to watch a copy of the “The Goonies” that I found on the internet!
- View from Mo's Restaurant of famous Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach
- Long Beach, Oregon is apparently home to the "World's Longest Beach"
- I have absolutely no idea which "Bolstad" it is, but I definitely need to track that person down. The views were awesome!
- The entire Long Beach area had this mystical aura that morning.
- Flags at half-staff presumably for Ted Kennedy
- Leaving Long Beach
- Basil, peaches, raspberries, tomatoes, cookies, nuts, you name it; all kinds of delicious food at the Portland Farmers Market.
- Portland's very sleek public transportation system, TriMet.
- Impressive collection of roses with views of downtown at Portland's Rose Garden
- Sculpture at Portland's Rose Gardens
- This is what greets you at the entrance to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville
- Apollo capsule
- Actual Titan missile used to launch satellites
- Lockheed SR-71A "Blackbird", the fastest aircraft ever built
- Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor "Tin Goose" Exterior
- Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor "Tin Goose" Interior
- The Douglas DC-3A revolutionized the look of the modern airliner
- Curtiss-Wright A-22 (CW-22) "Falcon"
- The "Spruce Goose" dwarfs everything else in the museum.
- Seriously, it is that big.
- Hughes Flying Boat, H-4, HK-1 "Spruce Goose" Interior
- Yamhill Valley Vineyards
- Yamhill Valley Vineyards
- Yamhill Valley Vineyards
- Pacific City, Oregon
- Pacific City, Oregon
- Cape Kiwanda, a very cool beach in Pacific City that still allows motor vehicles right on the sand!
- Tillamook Cheese Factory
- Tillamook Cheese Factory
- Tillamook Cheese Factory
- Along Highway 101 (near Devil's Punch Bowl)
- Along Highway 101
- Catching up on emails along Highway 101
- One of the very few rainy days during my stay. This is the beach across the street from Seal Rocks RV Cove.
- Cape Blanco State Park
- Lighthouse at Cape Blanco State Park
- Across highway from Humbug Mountain State Park
- Entrance to Humbug Mountain State Park
- Along Highway 101
- I spent Labor Day hanging out at a totally secluded Gold Beach
- Harris Beach State Park, probably the best kept secret in all of Oregon
- Low tide at Harris Beach State Park
- Harris Beach State Park
- Sunset at Harris Beach State Park
- Sunset at Harris Beach State Park
Kyle, glad you enjoyed Oregon as much as we did, glad you also went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and glad you got to visit Harris Beach State Park (I missed out on that one but really wanted to see it – so I enjoyed your pictures.) Sounds like you had a great time. Safe travels!
Thanks! Yeah, Oregon has been a great time! Have fun with Hong. See you sometime on the road…
Harris Beach SP is a very nice one. The Evergreen museum is well worth it, we saw it when we were in Salem for the International. Next time you are in California, you can not only drive on the beach at Pismo Beach but you can camp out there also!
Sweet! I will definitely check out Pismo Beach. I am headed that direction.
I’m glad you hit the Evergreen Air and Space. Luke and I go there all the time. I can’t believe I forgot to tell you to check it out. Keep the adventure going and you’re welcome back here anytime. Make sure you hit a few Diners, Drive-ins and Dives!
Love the pictures – we will definitely have to make it out to Oregon in the future. Hope we can see you on the Web cam one of these days.
Safe travels,
Kim
Ah, the Goonies! I just watched that again for the I don’t know how many-th time a few weeks ago. Your pictures make Oregon look even better than it did in the movie (except for a few shots of Pacific City, which look like they came straight from the film!) When are you coming down to Bama? The weather has finally cooled down (more or less), and the Zielinski/ Sanduskys will be down in October; maybe we can have another poker night in Auburn!
Added bonus: we just got 3G in Tuscaloosa!
3G is so yesterday! Incredibly fast Sprint 4G was in Portland. Now if only AT&T could figure things out. I will let you know about Bama.
Great pictures of Oregon, glad you like it as much as we do! That’s weird, I missed the part of your recap where you visited an old high school friend and had a lovely gourmet meal with her and her family. Just kidding. Happy travels!!!
Ha! I am still laughing at your comment as I write. I don’t put absolutely everything on the blog because I figure random people really don’t care about my personal life. For the record everyone — Jill and her husband, Dan, cooked some amazing salmon on the grill. The fresh basil, tomatoes, and broccoli from their farm made everything taste even better! I will be back to have dinner again! Thanks, Haeners!