Errands and fatigue had us leaving Portland around 5pm. With a 4 ½ hour drive to Coos Bay ahead, we should have reconsidered our plan to cut back to U.S. Highway 101 at Newport.
Nope, we raced to the coast, arrived at the Pacific Ocean and turned left onto Highway 101 after sunset on a moonless night.
Gorgeous beaches and landscapes rolled out just beyond the Escape Mobile’s passenger-side windows, but we couldn’t see a damn thing. With concentration, we squinted to focus on the reflection markers aligning curves and helping to prevent cars from plummeting over cliffs. It was harrowing drive, but I imagine not as much as it was for the poor guy we passed riding a bicycle without a headlight. We would have offered him a ride but he was traveling the opposite direction. I still feel for him.
With a solid night’s sleep in a cozy Best Western, we awoke the next morning to discover Coos Bay a charming, hard-working, coastal community.
Yelp led us to Mom’s Kitchen for a hearty breakfast with hashbrowns O’Brien, a Pacific Northwest staple we discovered in Seattle.
Next stretch…
Although cloudy, the Pacific views were gorgeous and non-stop!
Like the drive between Astoria and Lincoln City, we stretched the three hour trip into four hours with several stops to whale watch…
walk the beach…
and take photographs.
Approaching the California state line, we noticed a turnoff for “Arch Rock” viewing area. From the small parking area, a path leads through a mushroom lined thicket of firs to a ledge overlooking the Pacific.
Except for a friendly snake, we had the path and views to ourselves.
From there, we were forty minutes away from our next destination… camping among the giant redwoods!
For US Hwy 101 Coastline Drive, Part 1, see Olympic National Park
For US Hwy 101 Coastline Drive, Part 2, see Astoria
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