Cape Perpetua

Wednesday and Thursday we spent hiking the trails around Cape Perpetua through old growth forest and up to the Cape Viewpoint. It is a really beautiful place, just like a postcard with windswept trees, rocky cliffs, and crashing Pacific Ocean.

As a Midwesterner I’ve spent my whole life with Florida being the point of reference for “the beach”. This place

couldn’t be more different. Not better or worse (though I personally think Oregon is better), just another world where you have to appreciate the ocean not for sunning and swimming, but for scenic beauty and wildlife. It is very cold, utterly unswimmable, jagged volcanic rock, wild waves,

and windy as all get out. We’ve encountered 50 degree nights and 40 mile an hour winds…. Winter clothes and a fire is a must. All the locals seem to find the weather delightful. This doesn’t say much for their winter. All that being said, with a little preparation, we’ve been having the time of our lives! Last night we went to the beach (where no one else braved it), bundled up, and drank wine and watched the sunset with the entire pacific to ourselves.

Now I will admit that our campsite also lacked showers, so I’ve taken the liberty of booking us the Marriot in Portland for Friday night. And I won’t be cooking on the camp propane stove; Pizza!

The campground host was a family of 7 that called the pictured red bus as their summer home…..questionable.