Cannon Beach

Our last stop in Oregon is at the famous Cannon Beach. Here we find a nice wide and long beach where people enjoy a pleasant walk along the shore. In the summer this place is packed and traffic is a mess. But now, after school has started back and the weather is turning, it is quite pleasant.

Birds of Yaquina Head

The birds do not always get such sunny pleasant weather in which to preen and digest (and obviously poop). Yet this day was a good one for everyone.

Yaquina Head - II

The headlands here have trails and parking lots for people to be able to explore the flora and fauna of the environment. And there is a section of the ocean surrounding it that is also protected to give the sea creatures a chance at flourishing as well.

Yaquina Head

After a nice rest in Reedsport, we continued north up the coast hwy and stopped just north of Newport at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Here is a cornucopia of natural delights with birds, seals, a lighthouse (these are natural, right?) and scenic ocean everywhere. The cormorant above is coming in for a landing on one of the many offshore rocks.

Rocky Shores

I really like the way the modest extension of the exposure time gives the water a painterly look as if the artists brush strokes were made visible. In the image above, there is a transition from the fixed or nearly still things in the shallows to the motion of the waves in deeper water that accentuates this effect as one looks upward in the image.

A Lighthouse in the Mist

The clouds and mist give this simple beach scene an ominous look...like something out of a Stephen King novel as the evil thing approaches shore.

More Sea Stacks

This large close-to-shore formation of rock has clearly taking quite a beating over the eons here. You'll notice that the ocean has punched a keyhole at the bottom and, surprisingly, also nea the top. I suppose there were a couple softer spots in the stone that wore down more quickly.

A Complicated, Messy Coastline

This beach is place that catches a lot of driftwood. Somehow, I suspect, this is aided by the presence of so many sea stacks.

Surf and Sand

Waves breaking over the near-shore rocks adds drama to the visit. The roar of the ocean hear, as everywhere we stopped on this drive, was loud and constant. Before one wave could run ashore, two more developed behind it to fill the gap and the sound was continuous. So much for the "Pacific" ocean.

A Portion of the Rocky Shore

We stopped many places to have a look at the shore. Each place has its own character. The marine layer was still present when we arrived at this beach.

Along the Coast of Oregon

 

Getting to Eureka was the long day's drive on the journey home. The rest of our days are shorter drives filled with lots of stops for sight/beach seeing. Like a good (not) photographer, I failed to write down where we were exactly for any of the stops. This is partly because I was lazy and partly because we stopped pretty frequently and I was too lazy to write all that down. Did I mention that I was lazy?