Farewell California, hello Oregon

Some people claim far northern California might as well be southern Oregon. Well, the line on the map is arbitrary, and I crossed the 42th parallel yesterday. If it weren’t for the California agricultural inspection station, the Welcome to Oregon sign, and the lower speed limit, it does, indeed, look the same.

And unlike California,there are the dozens and dozens of state parks, recreation areas, nature preserves and scenic lookouts along the Oregon coast, seemingly butting up to each other. Fifty-nine percent of the Oregon coast is publicly held, and public access to all beaches, including access easements through private property, is protected by law.

 

Umpqua lighthouse, Winchester Bay

Although I avoid driving on holidays, and particularly long holiday weekends, US-101 was smooth sailing. Maybe that was because they got an earlier start that I did. I had sort of planned stopping in Bandon, a little over two hours away. But by the time I got there I was still in the mood to drive. So I put in another hour and ended up in Reedsport.

I like Reedsport. I can overnight in the parking lot of the dog park. And there are good and cheap showers at the marina in nearby Manchester Bay. Furthermore I like playing with the name. Rather than the port being named after early settler Alfred W. Reed, I imagine a sport involving reeds, like the cestas in jai alai. Or a form of snorkeling. Or competitive basket weaving.

Sand dunes are a big tourist draw in this part of the coast, like from Coos Bay to Florence. The campgrounds hereabouts are packed with not only RVs but also dune buggies. So I’m glad there’s easy, free, and much quieter streetdocking in Reedsport.

Anyway, yesterday was about fireworks. The group that was setting them off near me were an odd bunch. They were silent. No chatting. No ooo’s or aaah’s. Simply standing around and setting off fireworks as if they were just doing a job. Even the kids seemed bored. They got big points, though, for cleaning up after themselves.

“Uh-yup. Fireworks.”