19. Oregon Coast

I grew up in the mountains, so it’s no surprise that I love them. And probably no surprise that I love water since I grew up on a river.  But I also love the ocean.  I can’t say I’m particularly fond of being out on the open sea anymore than I like being on the open plains, but I do love the crashing of the surf, tide pools and all the amazing sea life.  So my love of the Oregon coast seems obvious. There are the mountains smack dab against the sea, sometimes almost violently crashing together. It’s absolutely beautiful.

            The Oregon coast is also very rural.  You remember all those small American towns I spoke of in an earlier entry?  That’s all there are on the Oregon coast.  True, they can be a bit touristy, but why not when you’re in such a beautiful setting?  The heavy forests of the Pacific Northwest meet the icy Pacific waters to form misty days.  Summer is almost always cool on the coast because the heat east of the Coast Range causes the icy waters of the Pacific to steam up creating fog and rain on the west slopes of those coastal mountains.  Winter is winter here, so it’s damp, wet and cold but not freezing like inland, again because of the tempering of the Pacific.  If you just want beautiful, warm sunny days on the beach your best bet is the autumn when the chill starts gripping the interior landscapes and the winter rains haven’t yet hit.  Spring can also have some beautiful sunny days, but spring in the Northwest can never really decide if winter has gone.  I’ve been in Newport in March and that’s when I’ve seen snow frosting that Coast Range even as the sun shone brightly on the beach.

            I love the Oregon coast. It’s beautiful, not usually my preferred weather… but I’m so thankful for it.  Just thinking about it makes me want to go on a run through the woods pretending the breeze is coming off the surf.  But right now I’m several hundred miles inland…