Many years ago, about a year after we were married, Russ and I finally got to take a honeymoon. We left the kids with his parents, borrowed their truck and 16’ camp trailer and headed for the coast. I was real excited because it would be the first time I had camped in a trailer that had a bathroom. It didn’t matter that the “bathroom” consisted of a port-a-potty set on the floor of the clothes closet!!
We camped at Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park, just outside of Crescent City, CA This was the last place we visited on our trip this year. We have gone from Long Beach, Washington to Crescent City, CA, driving the entire route on the coastal highway, a distance of about 382 miles. It was a time for us to relax, regroup, and make some new memories, while remembering the good times of the past.
Crescent City has changed over the years. When we were there in 1974, some of the remains of the 1964 tsunami still littered the harbor. It has since been rebuilt, only to suffer extensive damage during the Japan tsunami in 2011. In all, Crescent City has been hit by 34 tsunamis since a tidal gauge was installed in the city’s harbor in 1934. Some caused no damage and others devastated the small town. The harbor is also home to about a zillion seals and sea lions, and they all have something to say.
Crescent City is home to the Battery Point lighthouse. This is still a working lighthouse used for private navigation. The lighthouse keeper still lives in the residence at the lighthouse. Tours are available but you have to plan ahead. The lighthouse is only accessible at low tide. Click on the link to read about the unique landmark.
A short drive from Crescent City and you are in the majestic redwood forests of northern California. One of the best places to visit is Stout Grove. We didn’t go there this time choosing instead to re-visit the place of our delayed honeymoon so many years ago, Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park. Although there is a day use fee, the nice lady let us without charge in just to look around a bit. The camping fee here is now $35 for a no hook-up site. This is the picnic area is right on the banks of the Smith River.
The river hasn’t changed much in all those years!! Guess it just keeps rolling along. It’s a scenic river with crystal clear water but the bank is all rocky rather than sandy.
I put together a short video of some of our movies from 1974 and our pictures from 2013 – a span of 39 years for those of you who don’t want to do the math (you’re welcome, Paul). Back then all we had was a silent movie camera – but at least we had color film! Still shots are lost somewhere in the dozens of boxes of photos I have in a cupboard. Someday I’ll sort through them..of course I will!! In the meantime, here’s a little walk down memory lane.
Although we were urban camped during our stay in Brookings, that did not keep us from taking drives and enjoying the splendor of the Oregon coast. There are many scenic stops that we passed by on our journey south. We hesitate to pull into unknown places when we are driving the motorhome and towing. We have had to unhitch more than once in order to get out of a tight spot, so now we park the motorhome and then go exploring in the Fit.
One of the places of interest is Arch Rock. It is an overlook within the Samuel Boardman State Park. The park runs along several miles of Hwy. 101 with various lookouts, hiking trails, and day use areas. This is the view from the parking lot looking through the window of the Fit, dashboard in the foreground. I was glad there were parking bumpers!
This stop is about 6-8 miles north of Brookings – can’t seem to find an accurate mileage anywhere. At any rate it is an easy drive and well worth the stop. There are picnic tables and restrooms here.
The trail to the viewpoint goes in a circle, winding through dense underbrush and coastal trees. It’s an easy walk with a bit of up and down. There is a fence all along the trail as the cliff here is very steep and dangerous.
As with our other coastal stops, there is not a bad view from anywhere on the trail.
I almost caught this butterfly before he moved completely out of range. I tried to identify this butterfly and I think it is a CORONIS FRITILLARY – if anyone knows differently, please correct me.
I also enjoyed watching this little sparrow flit around and hide in the bushes. He was right on the edge of the cliff.
More views were around every turn in the path. There are many interesting rock formations, but this is the one for which the park is named.
Russ had his own way of looking at things.
Just another beautiful day exploring the Oregon coast. Tomorrow we go a bit further south to Crescent City, CA. The last day of our coastal adventure will bring this journey to a close.
We had noticed a few small signs in town pointing to Chetco Point Park – a Brookings City Park. We followed the signs and found ourselves at the local waste-water treatment plant – SAY WHAT!!
This cannot be good! See the out-house hiding behind the Fit? At least they don’t have far to go to dump it.
Hmmm…improvement project going on? Looking at the humble entrance I would say it’s needed. What a snob I am.
But what the heck, we’re here and if one’
s eyes are turned towards the path and the sea, you hardly notice you are walking past a waste-water treatment plant.
It is an easy, paved path and the treatment plant is soon out of sight and out of mind. How can one think of sewage on a trail that offers such beauty?
It’s a moderately steep downhill slope 
– which is fine. I don’t want to think yet about the return trip! We saw only one other person on this trail, a woman walking her energetic black lab – have you ever seen a black lab that wasn’t energetic?
She was going all the way down to the beach and wanted to know if we had heard any news about the whale! Seems a sperm whale washed ashore in June and it had created an awful stench on the beach. This lady had stayed away all summer and was hoping the problem was over by now. Apparently the carcass had decomposed and nature had solved the problem as we didn’t see or smell anything and the lady and her dog did not come running back holding their noses.
A strategically placed picnic table sits at the top of the bluff which offers a stunning view of the ocean. There was also a stunning view of a very handsome man taking a picture of the stunning view!
With such beauty in all directions, it was hard to know where to point the camera next.
Anyone for an after dinner stroll on the beach?
We paused on the way back up the trail to view the ancient coastal hieroglyphics. Some are at least as old as last year, but someday they will be ancient. I don’t like to see this kind of destruction but I often wonder if the teenagers of ancient peoples were not responsible for some of what we consider to be treasures nowadays! See the heart symbol on the left? Obviously this was a rock where lovers met and ancient fertility rituals took place. (well, it could happen!)
Near the top of the path there is a tree that has been shaped by the often harsh coastal weather. Doesn’t that have some interesting lines?
I know, I know, I should have made a slide-show and I’m sorry I got carried away with the photos. There is just so much beauty in the area that I can’t seem to help myself. If you ever get to the southern Oregon coast and find yourself in the little town of Brookings, do take the short drive to the waste-water treatment plant and visit Chetco Point Park. You won’t be sorry.
Just about a mile south of Harris Beach is the town of Brookings and its next door neighbor, Harbor. Most everyone just calls the whole area Brookings but it is two separate towns. This area has the reputation as having the best weather on the Oregon coast, and we enjoyed some sunny days – and a bit of fog on some days as well.
We got kicked out of Harris Beach campground just because someone else had the foresight to reserve our site ahead of time. The NERVE!! Before we leave Harris Beach, enjoy some of the pictures we took of the area. Thankfully we had a sunny day and the fog bank hovered way off shore.
One of the nice things about the day use area is its easy accessibility. There is a concrete walkway that is wheelchair accessible and this picnic table that overlooks the wonderful beach.
It’s all about the rocks here. So many beautiful and interesting formations.
No matter which direction you look, there is another picture to snap.
Russ got some good ones too.
There are no shortages of private places to park your RV in town, which is what we ended up doing. Not quite like the Harris Beach campground, but clean convenient and close to everything. We stayed at Driftwood RV Park. It was nice enough as a place to park, the people were terrific, and we even had a tiny view of the ocean from our spot. I forgot to take any pictures but you can visit their website for more info. I would stay here again if I couldn’t get into the state park.
The ocean is within walking distance as is a great restaurant, Sebastian's. They are a bit spendy for lunch and dinner but they have a terrific senior breakfast deal. I had 2 bacon and 1 egg, hash browns and 1 piece of toast, PLUS coffee and a small juice – all for $7.00. There are several entrees to chose from on this special, including hash and egg, or Russ’s favorite diced ham and scrambled eggs. It was a generous serving and delicious AND it comes with an ocean view. Highly recommended. But stay out of the gift shop right next door. Their fudge is nearly irresistible.
Brookings-Harbor is a working fishing village. In the two-basin harbor, are over 400 commercial boats and 80 recreational boats that set off each day in search of albacore tuna, crab, and bottom fish – or whatever happens to be in season. We ate lunch sitting outdoors on the deck of the Sporthaven Marina Bar and Grill and had a wonderful view of the boats, plus a delicious lunch.
Russ got some colorful shots of the boats in the basin.
I don’t know what it is about this picture, but I love the colors and the water, and the boats, and even the pilings!!
It seems there is no end to the scenic beauty of this area. If you get tired of the beach, you can drive inland along the Chetco River. Upriver is Loeb State Park, about 8 miles in, but the access road is somewhat dicey. It’s a nice park if you’re willing to do the drive. They are closing for the winter soon to upgrade the water and electric. They also have cabins there and the scenery is unbeatable. It is right on the Chetco River.
My next blog will take us to Chetco Point, a Brookings City Park. We were somewhat taken aback when we saw the path was adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant! Not to worry though, if you look out to sea and not behind you, you never know the treatment plant is there. Definitely worth seeing.
In my personal opinion, Harris Beach is one of the most scenic in Oregon. It has sea stacks, cliffs, a creek, and flowers all adding an element of beauty to the scene. While we were camped there, we were lucky enough to be treated to a spectacular sunset.
The beach parking lot was crazy with people trying to get a picture. One woman we talked to was a photographer for the local paper. She said in her four years of being in the area, she had never seen a sunset like this one.
Our photos won’t do it justice, but I want to share some of what we saw as the sky went from blue/gray to pink to a fiery orange-yellow. The water took on the glow of the sky as the colors changed. I didn’t think I wanted to take pictures so I left my camera in the motorhome!! BIG mistake – let that be a lesson to you!! Most of the photos are Russ’s but every once in a while I would grab his camera for a shot I wanted to try.
The glow of the setting sun reflected on the rocks, giving them an amber glow.
All too soon the last glow was dying away and it was time to head on back to camp.
We were traveling without reservations so we only had a spot for one night at Harris Beach campground. The campground itself is located on a bluff above the beach and the day use area. There is a path down to the beach. Some of the sites have an ocean view – and the sites along the edge also have cable TV! That’s not something you see in a state campground very often. We paid $26 for FHU, and the cable sites with water and electric are a dollar more. I was so busy looking at the sunset that I neglected to take a picture of the campground but you can see it at the Oregon State Parks webpage. Also, The Sue and Mo of The MOHO and Other Traveling Tales, go here quite often and have blogged about it before. Go to their blog and do a search on Harris Beach for more pictures of the campground.
This campground is right on Hwy 101 less than a mile north of Brookings, OR. It is easy in and out, but be warned, you will probably need reservations almost any time of the year if you want to be assured a spot to park. We were very surprised at the number of people wanting to get into the park. We thought it would slow down after Labor Day but apparently, it doesn’t slow down at all until the weather turns nasty.
I highly recommend this campground, for it’s ease of access and its stunning physical beauty.
