Just got back from the coast.... *sigh* (Lincoln City, Bandon: buying, school)

[darjoh]

Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf

Isn't Moolack Beach where you can sometimes see the petrified forests - or the petrified stumps of the 4000+ year-old trees? Wow!! Do you have a picture of the Agate you found? How awesome.

The winds are something I'm trying to wrap my head around... I have read that there are certain beaches which are better to visit depending on which way the winds are blowing - it all having to do with how they are sheltered by dense forest or cliffs and rocks and so on. Do the winds blow one direction (South?) in the winters and the opposite direction (North?) during the Summer?

There is an old stump exposed on the beach, but the ones that I remember seeing in the Newport News Times a couple years ago was in Beverly Beach, within a mile north of Moolack Beach.

I don't have a way to put pictures on the 'net as I am away from home. The camera is with my wife, although I would love to post it, I also want to post it on my blog.

The wind question; I have never noticed a direction change according to the season. If I was concerned about it, I would watch the TV news weather the night before, or check on the web. Being your from the valley, I think the local FOX news has the weather forecast with the neat arrows to show the predicted wind direction.

Hope that helps

[Neal2009]

Since we are on the topic of the coast, thought i'd mention I hiked Mt. Neahkahnie(did I spell that right) today. This was my first coast hike and it was absolutely glorious. At times I was even overwhelmed, thinking "Am I really here, seeing this!!" I hiked through about 2 miles of old growth forest, gaining 1000 feet or so in elevation with an absolutely breathtaking view of the Pacific, the town of Manzanita and the other coastal range mountains in the distance. That may have been the view of a lifetime. And the old growth forest, I didn't know such a forest existed!

When I came down I went to short sands beach and observed the brave surfers, who were pounding the waves hard. Luckily for me, there was plenty of sunshine and temperatures were in the high 50's. All in all a glorious day and I cant wait for my next coast hike. Any suggestions.

[KarlaT2]

Awesome posts and pictures. I felt as if I was there too. I can't wait to get back for another visit.

[haggardhouseelf]

We just got back again! It's 3:30am and I can't sleep because I'm still dreamy with all the fun we had on the coast. We went to some places we hadn't been before, like Face Rock at Bandon. We finally saw Horsfal beach, and we explored Bullards Beach. We drove north the next day and stopped at... I think it was called Big Creek beach?

We saw all kinds of sea creatures, collected some beautiful medium-sized agates and some other kinds of shiny rocks with opalescent stripes in them (we called them zebra rocks), some scallop shells, some smooth driftood "wizard wands" my boys had to keep, found a really old and weathered-looking lightbulb on the beach - unbroken, which surprised us, and we built sandcastles everywhere we went. We came upon anothe really awesome driftwood fort someone had built. It is the third or fourth that we have discovered in all our time having spent on the coast the past few years. I love coming upon those... who builds them? How long have they been there? Is it a homeless persons shelter? You wonder all these things, and more.

I looked and looked, though, and didn't find a single sand dollar. We're going back in mid-May, yurt camping, so perhaps then we'll have better luck.

I'm reading a great book for Oregon coast lovers, maybe you guys would like to check it out, too: "Strand" by Bonnie Hendersen. A very cool read. Books by Bonnie Henderson

Ooooh... and we explored the Dunes Overlook! Ooooh. Amazing. Another new favorite spot.

And we even found a bucket on the coast at one point, which was perfect timing because the dinky little plastic bag we brought for our treasures just wasn't cutting it any longer... the bucket washed up at just the right moment.

The weather, too, seemed to be in sync with our running amuck. We would get out of the car, and the sun would come out. We'd play and meander... then get back in the car, and it would begin to sprinkle and rain. It was great!

We stayed this time at the Bandon Best Western Inn at Face Rock. Again - clean and cozy place, indoor pool the kids had fun in, dry sauna, spa, free breakfast, nice clean crisp linens on the beds... a good place to stay if you need a place in that area. The bathtub was nice - brought a LUSH bath bomb with me and soaked a long, wonderful time after our daily jaunts getting dirtied up with all our funning around.

Good place to grab some grub and relax in Bandon, too, is Brewed Awakening. Good food, good coffee, super nice people, very casual place. Piano for playing, lots of reads laying around - magazines, newspapers, etc. Very cool, laid-back place. Very clean and happy bathrooms, too!

[seashelly]

[quote=haggardhouseelf;8050240]We just got back again! It's 3:30am and I can't sleep because I'm still dreamy with all the fun we had on the coast. We went to some places we hadn't been before, like Face Rock at Bandon. We finally saw Horsfal beach, and we explored Bullards Beach. We drove north the next day and stopped at... I think it was called Big Creek beach?

We saw all kinds of sea creatures, collected some beautiful medium-sized agates and some other kinds of shiny rocks with opalescent stripes in them (we called them zebra rocks), some scallop shells, some smooth driftood "wizard wands" my boys had to keep, found a really old and weathered-looking lightbulb on the beach - unbroken, which surprised us, and we built sandcastles everywhere we went. We came upon anothe really awesome driftwood fort someone had built. It is the third or fourth that we have discovered in all our time having spent on the coast the past few years. I love coming upon those... who builds them? How long have they been there? Is it a homeless persons shelter? You wonder all these things, and more.

I looked and looked, though, and didn't find a single sand dollar. We're going back in mid-May, yurt camping, so perhaps then we'll have better luck.

QUOTE]

Hi Haggardhouseelf! I'm glad you got a chance to explore the South Coast with your family. I, too, was on South Jetty Beach and Face Rock Beach (Bandon) on Sunday and saw lots of people standing with their hands in their pockets and hoods up on their hoodies watching the surf. The sky was beautiful that day with the storms moving around our area. The beach forts you see are built while just playing around for the day on the beach and also work as great wind shelters. No overnight camping allowed on the beaches. Was the unbroken light bulb you found wedged in a piece of driftwood log along Seven Devils Beach (North of Bullards Beach) by any chance? I smiled when I walked by that too.

[haggardhouseelf]

Hey SeaShelly! Who knows we might have even seen each other on the beach! The lightbulb, when we found it, was just laying out in the open on the beach. I do have a picture of it, just as we found it. I will upload it to photobucket and post it here in a little bit. My son picked it up after I took it's picture and incorporated it into his sand fortress design.

OK... I'll go upload some pictures now! Be back in a minute!

[haggardhouseelf]

Sorry about that... my bad. I will figure this out soon though - promise.

[haggardhouseelf]

Picasa Web Albums - bloggity - oregon coast

OK... That link should take you to a slideshow of some of our coast pictures... the lightbulb picture is included You can stop, slow down, and modify the slideshow as you like (I think )

[seashelly]

(LOL, nope, the lightbulb I came across was clear.) I see you saw the exposed shipwreck Sujameca on Horsfall Beach. Awesome pictures! Thanks for sharing them.

[tiffela74]

Great pics!!!