16 Feb 2001
Into Oregon

A lone cypress leans over a hilltop, shaped by the wind, overlooking a tumble of large rocks just off shore Patrick's Point

We continue to be drawn to the ocean. It's mild weather, even though there are clouds and a storm threatens. The ocean near the shore is foamy. Bob points out that the color is - - - - aquamarine!

Today our first sight was Patrick's Point, a State Park north of Eureka/Arcata. Except for someone still asleep in his or her orange tent, bicycle close by, we were the only people in the park this morning. We climbed a path through the mossy and fern-filled forest to the top of a huge rock, or, according to the Park sign, a seastack--the rocky remains of land which has been eroded by weather and ocean. Along the way, and from the top of the rock, we had dazzling views of the ocean foaming onto the rocks at the shore. The path A narrow channel cuts through the barrachois, a wide gray sand bar at the mouth of the Klamath River Mouth of the Klamath River down to Agate Beach was closed for repair.

We passed through more groves of redwoods, in state and national parks. The redwoods must no longer be a popular destination, for the cabins and tourist stops all appeared rather run down. There are plenty of chain saw sculptors, though, and nothing can match the beauty of these majestic trees themselves. We hope the park rangers enable these giants to survive, but we may not know for sure for 2000 years!

The Oregon shore is somewhat more accessible; there are a string of small coastal towns. But the principal business remains tourism, with some lumbering and a little bit of fishing thrown in. We can walk out of our motel room and right down a path through sea-grass to the empty black beach; we'll probably stay a few days and gaze at the waves.