Oregon Coast and into Washington! Day Thirteen and Fourteen!

July 19, 2026: My overnight just south of Cannon Beach on Highway 101 was quiet once the traffic died down, but not optimal. I was parked next to a wall of blackberry vines. Unfortunately, they were not ripe. Not even close.

I got up early, washed my hair with a bucket of cold water (I couldn't wait any longer!), and headed to Cannon Beach to beat the Sunday crowds. I found my favorite fish and chips place and OMG! It now costs $20 for fish and chips. No thanks.  I don't even care if they are gluten free! I walked the town, ate breakfast in my van, then left.

Seaside was next on my route. I used to walk this beach all the time. It was freezing cold, cloudy, drizzly, but I was determined to walk every beach on the coast so I trudged right through that sand down to the water. Brrrrr!!! However, the clean ocean air was refreshing and I kept taking deep breaths!

I saw a shower icon on iOverlander and thought I'd check it out. It supposedly costs only $1. Unfortunately, it was in the Fort Stevens State Park in their campground. Hmmm...not sure if I would be even allowed to use it, although it says online it's permissable. Online also says time is unlimited, but the water got lukewarm then cool really fast! It felt so cleansing after too long without a shower and too many hikes and beach walks!  This is good if I'm going to visit a friend.

Drove to Astoria. As soon as I got to Warrenton, I felt strangely depressed and kept almost crying. Trauma recall hits hard. I really don't want to be here. I have no desire to be close to my former residence. Twenty years of horrible neighbors, toxic polluted air, mold, and general stress took its toll. I parked by the food co-op, walked to the Astoria Sunday Farmer's Market, then back to the food co-op where they were having their 52nd anniversary with free food! I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and wondering if I should cross the Astoria-Megler Bridge and be in no man's land. I wondered if I could do it without a meltdown?

Later in the day with encouragement from my friend claiming her house is NOT in the town of horror, I braved the drive up the Washington Coast to visit her. I cried the whole way. I worried the van would break down and I'd be stuck in that horrible town. Or maybe I'd get in a wreck and be transported to that hospital of hell. If I didn't want to visit my friend, I would have avoided Washington. The visit was wonderful! I also handwashed my stinky wool blanket and Goodwill garments and hung them to dry in her yard. It was so strange to be there after too long, but the visit with her incredible family was just what I needed!

July 20, 2026: Spent the day lounging around, catching up with my bestie, and waiting for that damn blanket to dry. It still smells. All this washing doesn't seem to do a bit of good. Walked to the artesian well just down the forest road from her house for water refills. I used this well for my drinking water for years.

My friend's son and his girlfriend were also visiting. He lives in a painted camper and she in a huge painted storage freezer truck. His girlfriend is an artist and travels around to various festivals selling paintings and handmade clothes that are printed onto fabric from her paintings. She also does on-site painting at these festivals for free entry. He does on-site poetry writing and often works for Burning Man helping with the logistics. My friend joked she should start a campground and charge us! LOL!

My friend's house is an art museum with her walls filled with art. I love being surrounded by this creativity. She has so much of my art on her walls and displayed all over. I had forgotten. It made me cry since so much of the art I had has disappeared from my life. YES! I used to do art in another lifetime!!!

Although the weather is nice and cool, it's DAMP! All my Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms have returned: burning eyes, face and body, sore throat, joint pain, coughing constantly, congestion, runny nose. I can't stay long. There is too much mold in the air.

Oregon Coast! Day Twelve!

July 18, 2026: I would have thought being up on a hill directly above the ocean would be incredibly wet, but my windows aren't even covered with mist. Maybe there is more wind up here to keep everything drier. Quiet night. I woke up to gray clouds and cold temperatures. Had a nice, relaxing morning doing nothing, then started driving north. I'm not feeling it today....

First stop, Rockaway Beach and the Big Tree Trail that is about a half mile of boardwalk into a wooded area with giant cedar trees. 

There were plants on the side of the boardwalk, HUGE plants that looked like skunk cabbage only five times larger. I stopped a man and asked and he said they were skunk cabbage. No way!!! Everything is giant here!

There were two trees that were massive.

I drove into Rockaway Beach. I am now in familiar territory! I know this town. I know Nehalem Bay which is the next town. I know Manzanita. All towns were incredibly crowded with tourists since it is a Saturday. The beaches looked like California beaches with people all over and I had no desire to do any beach walking. I saw a whole line of people sitting on a row of beach benches staring at their phones. Why do go the beach to stare at a phone? I did find a little health food store in Manzanita with handpainted tables! I appreciate a handpainted table!!

I checked out a few little trade libraries, walked the towns, and bought a bottle of what used to be my favorite wine at Nehalem Bay Winery. I used to buy cases of this stuff and use the bottles as hostess gifts, etc. It's been one of those days where I just want to drink the whole thing...

Oregon has the worst drivers. At first I thought the worst were in Massachusetts followed by Tucson, but Oregon drivers are consistently and purposely thoughtless and reckless. For example. Nehalem isn't a very big town so they don't have stop lights. There is one major intersection where highway 101 going north runs through town and then turns to the left. The 101 traffic from the north going south has a free right turn. The traffic that is coming from straight ahead has a stop sign. WHAT A MESS! But then throw in a line up of bad, inconsiderate drivers and it's a catastrophe. I wasn't there very long, but I crossed this intersection a few times. It was suicide as a cross-walker with some drivers motioning me to walk and others nearly running into me, then another guy who got mad because I wasn't walking because the other car wasn't stopping and he starts waving his arms at me illustrating his impatience! (I shook my head and laughed at him.) Good god! I watched a free right turn driver stop for a whole family of pedestrians and everyone behind him leaned onto their horns aggressively. So impatient as if they really have anywhere to be in this tiny town. I watched as the free left turn almost ran into someone running the stop sign. This small intersection is just a microcosm of what I've seen all over Oregon. They get really pissed off if I'm driving the speed limit on 101 and why can't these people stay in their own lanes?? Too often I round a corner and there is a truck coming right at me over the center line! I've even encountered bicyclists over the center lane! Do they have a death wish?

I'm testy. Maybe it's because I'm on the northern end of the Oregon Coast which is much more touristy and crowded with rude, entitled people. Not just drivers. I walked through these touristy towns, every now and then stopping to look at clothes displayed outside. Fashionable, overly made-up stinkers smelling like French whores would step in front of me or nearly run into me as they loudly talked to whomever they were with not even aware I was there. Sometimes they'd bang into me then look at me with daggers wondering why I was in their space. I'd be walking down the sidewalk and couples walking toward me wouldn't even move a little to let me by. It was exhausting being invisible and having to protect myself from getting pushed off the sidewalk.

Why do I feel so stressful? Then it dawns on me. I have plans to visit a friend in Washington. Do I want to even for a day get close to my old residence? This feels like trauma recall of a different kind. Years of hell living in that backward town surrounded by barking dogs and horrible neighbors. The idea is creeping me out, but I really want to see my friend.

Oregon Coast! Day Eleven!

July 17, 2026: Although this Blue Heron parking field is filled to the brim with traveling vehicles, it was a quiet night. However, it is so cloudy, drizzly, and damp here! This is why I moved from the coast. The thought of living in this weather again is TRAUMA RECALL! No wonder I have a body full of mold of every kind from growing up in the Pacific Northwest. I hope my van survives this trip. I constantly study the weather all over and both Arizona and Colorado are getting thunderstorms and flooding right now. At least it's not full-blown raining here, but where do I go that has warm, but mild temperatures and is dry? 

I checked my oil, coolant, and filled window washer. Later I noticed the floor in front of my passenger seat is soaking wet!!?? Is the window washer leaking? Oh, for god's sake - it's always something! It's exhausting!

I headed to the Tillamook Creamery for a self-tour. Very nicely organized. The self-tour is an upper floor with windows overlooking the factory including all kinds of educational explanation. 

It was fascinating watching these people get paid to check the steps of packaging the cheese. Some of them sit. I could do that!

I asked at the information desk and was informed one can sign up for more in-depth tours. The cheese tasting tour was something like $17 and the ice cream tasting tour was $49. Watching people work the conveyor belt got me thinking so I asked, "What personal hygiene rules do these employees have since they work around food?" I explained it's clear they wear hair nets, gloves, etc. I didn't ask for any specifics, but she said, "No jewelry, no make up, no fingernail polish, etc." I bet they aren't allowed to wear perfume! This might be my dream job! I could sit around looking at cheese all day for money! I wonder if it gets horribly boring?

Next I headed to Oceanside to see Three Arch Rocks and Maxwell's Point. The town is gorgeous, built on a cliff. Some of the roads were a little narrow and steep. Unfortunately, it was crowded!  The very small parking lot and tiny side of street parking were full. I'm not sure what Maxwell's Point was. Google Maps took me up to the top of a cliff, told me to turn left, but there was a huge metal gate, so no access. I turned around, meandered through twisty roads and ended up at a trail to Short Beach with a parking space on the side of the road waiting for Big Blue. Nice hike down with steps. Gorgeous beach. 

Notice this last photo. There are houses up on that cliff ledge. See the landslide?? Good god, I wouldn't want to own a house up there!!

I drove up the hill and found Cape Meares with a lighthouse. At the parking lot closest to the lighthouse a sign said I needed a parking ticket. I looked all over for instructions, saw a sign that said the Federal Interior of Something managed it so I thought, It's national so my America the Beautiful pass should work! Maybe? I hiked to the lighthouse and asked at the gift store. They said no, it's a state park, move your ass! (No, they didn't really say that. They were very nice.) I never really know especially since so many capes and lighthouses do take the card. So I hiked back up to the parking lot, drove the 1/2 mile driveway, and parked at the top of the driveway where there are no parking ticket signs. I did a little hike to the largest spruce tree in Oregon. There was a Y in the trail and I was told it goes to the lighthouse. I considered it, but I was already tired. Then drove to the top of another hill called Cape Meares Lookout overlooking the whole cape and relaxed. I need to remember to relax. I'm not in a hurry to see everything in one day. I have another two and a half months to kill!

View from Cape Meares Lookout

I was just going to relax that afternoon and go back to the Blue Heron for the night, but then I thought, Just stay here for the night! There isn't enough room for it to be as crowded as the Blue Heron! There are no "No Overnight" signs. This is the place!" So I did. Tourists kept stopping, but there isn't much to look at so they leave quickly. 

Around dusk, four other vehicles pulled in for the night. Two cars, one van, and one camper pickup. Three of them parked sideways which I thought was incredibly rude to take up all the parking spaces, but I've learned people are just thoughtless and rude! One tourist car with two women pulled in, parked right next to me, but the passenger couldn't see me in the van due to the tinted windows. She opens her door and dumps garbage under the car! After they left I walked over to see what it was: eight cheese sample packets from Tillamook Creamery! How absolutely thoughtless can people be just dumping whatever they want!! She couldn't wait to find a garbage bin? I considered for a minute going over to the car and asking if she dropped something, but then she'd probably start filming me and posting it on a "Karen Sighting" page. You can't win! I picked the packets up and put them in my garbage bag. People disgust me!

Quiet night. Not as wet as Tillamook, but still damp. The mold is growing....

Oregon Coast! Day Ten!

 

July 16, 2026: It was a quiet night on the side of the one way road called Otter Crest Loop. A nice change from the traffic noise of 101!

I woke up early as usual and around 6am a white van pulls up and parks across the street where the cliff is. Is this the same white van from last night? It's white, but I don't remember details. I watched through the openings in my window covers. OMG! It looks like the same man! He gets out and walks to the cliff looking at the scenery. I really don't know. It's early in the morning, foggy, and truthfully, I was too busy last night waiting for a break in traffic to notice what he looked like other than older, slim, and short white hair. It looks just like him! I watched until he left. If he would have started toward my van, I would have grabbed my chef's knife and he would have been done with. LOL! He left. Later I saw his van at another overlook parking lot. I figured we were both heading north, but I hope not to run into him anywhere for fear of what I might say to him. I'm not into confrontations especially since I hate people on a good day.

The weather is cloudy, cold and drizzly. Well, I didn't want 100 degree temperatures so I can't complain! I drove to Lincoln City, but couldn't find anything to see. Continued to Neskowin where there was supposed to be a "ghost beach". In photos there were pieces of driftwood standing upright. I saw two. Not impressive. Nice beach with an island I walked around. Got to the far side and it's either try to walk on sand-covered wet rocks (TRAUMA RECALL!) or wade through a foot of water. I opted to walk all the way back around.

The beaches are starting to look the same...

Island

Walkway through wet rocks.

Barnacles covering the base of the island.

So even though I was a little disappointed not to see ghosts, the universe rewarded me...with a $20 bill! It was just laying there on the sand. There were people in the distance in every direction. For a moment I considered maybe I should chase them down one by one and ask if they were missing money. That sounds like a stink risk: perfume, detergent, body spray, hair garbage. No. I'll keep it. Then I thought, If I keep it, will that bring bad luck? I don't know where I got this karma retribution worldview. I think if I keep it, I'm just $20 richer!

Then I drove the gorgeous green countryside to McMinnville along highway 130 with single lane bridges all the way. All day I was passing signs for covered bridges, but I didn't stop. I was told by someone I might like to live in this town so I wanted to have a look, but the fields of toxic agriculture surrounding the town and the stench of fertilizer made me turn and run. So I headed to Salem.

Salem was weirdly disorganized. Or maybe that was Google Map's fault? Anywhere I wanted to go I felt disoriented with routes through strange neighborhoods and districts circling through repeating streets. It felt like a neverending maze. It was also very congested which didn't help with Google's directions. "Turn right immediately!" Ah, there are two lanes of bumper to bumper cars HOW am I supposed to get over to the right? 

I went to the Kettle Chip Factory because I read online they give tours. Since I don't eat their potato chips I considered this might be a stupid idea, but since I was there, why not? Well, the guy who answered the high-security door didn't know anything so I left. Why do they need a high-security door on a potato chip factory? Maybe it's not a potato chip factory at all, but some secret government department planning nefarious activities?

I headed west to Tillamook and I hoped the Tillamook Creamery knows they have tours!! I was told by a swimming woman in Coos Bay to stay at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. They have a huge grassy field that serves as an overnight parking lot where one can stay for five days. FREE! So I followed directions and checked in during business hours to get my pass and the girl at the counter asks me if I'm a member of Harvest Host? No. (Not interested.) She proceeds to tell me I have to be a member in order to stay. Ah, no. Not according to online. I thought, Oh! Not again! Not some silly employee not having any clue what is going on. She tells me the manager will know and calls her over. 

The manager was lovely. Confusing, but lovely. She asked if I was a Harvest Host member. No. She says that's fine, they charge, but we don't. I was so confused by these people, but eventually she said, "Yes, you can stay for free. No need to be a member of Harvest Host." People honestly make me want to scream. Thankfully I can keep the screaming silent and in my head while I continue smiling sweetly. I got my dashboard placard and I am good to go! Hooray! Lots of other nomads, mostly RVs, a few buses, and some vans. Not sure if this is a good idea, but for a day or two I might be able to tolerate parking next to others like sardines.

The blueberry thief showed up and parked in the back. I didn't think I'd see her again since I was making all these side trips. Hopefully I can avoid her so she doesn't throw her dog in my van again or tell me she wants blueberries and hand them off to some man right in front of me.

As you can see from the above photo, it's still cloudy, cold and drizzly. Sometimes in the afternoon it'll clear up, but not today. It's so damp here!

Oregon Coast: Takin' a Break: Day Six!

 July 12, 2026: Once the highway 101 traffic died down, it was a very quiet night. I woke up at 5am. I love this time of the day. People still sleeping. No traffic. I feel like I have the earth to myself. The photo below is the morning view of the coastline. The clouds and drizzle are finally clearing, but it's time for a break from the gray and damp.

I drove south, back to Florence, and headed east to Eugene on highway 126. Did a bee line to Whole Foods for a shot of civilization. It's so nice when they have a meat/fish counter and I can buy one piece of stuff instead of huge packages that just go bad since I don't eat it fast enough.

Then on to the Amazon Swimming Pool which opens on Sunday at 11:30. It's big, but so darn crowded! There are no reservations so the line outside started around 10:30am. Way too chaotic and noisy with lap swimmers, water walkers, hoards of screaming kids and many lanes of the swim team practicing. I did my 45 minutes and got the hell out of there. But I couldn't smell any chlorine! I recently read the smell of chlorine isn't really the chlorine, but the chlorine mixed with sweat and other human excrements so the stronger the smell, the dirtier the pool. I find that hard to believe. I'm sure chlorine right out of the bottle stinks. I don't know....

I planned to go to Bend, but found a nice pullout on a little road past Blue River Reservoir that goes to the reservoir's official campground.  I washed my Goodwill clothes that still stink (third handwashing) soaking them in Borax. I washed my rims that no longer have hubcabs because one fell off and I won't spend $50 on a hubcab so I took them all off. Washing the rims did not make them look better. Then I ate blueberries and gazed at the view:

It's much warmer here at 80 degrees and the sun is actually out!

Oregon Coast! Day Five!

 July 11, 2026: In the morning I walked a lap around the dog park then through the town of Reedsport. I left early on Highway 35 to an organic blueberry farm (Estill Farms) for some u-picking!! Google Maps took me to who knows where and I parked under their sign and tried to call but no one answered or returned my call. Then on the way back I found the blueberry farm. HUGE blueberries covering the bushes! Easy to pick, and oh, they were so tasty! I babbled the ear off of the woman in the row next to me. Her name was Yvonne and she grew flowers. I intended to pick about a half of a bucket, but I was talking so much I wasn't paying attention. I picked 10 pounds! At $3.50 per pound (for organic berries!!) that was $35!! Thankfully they fit in my refrigerator!

I then headed to Florence to a very, very busy laundromat, but the only one in town with top loaders. The parking lot was filled including three vans and two campers. They had seven top loaders and five were broken! The incredibly nice laundry lady said it's really difficult to get parts for the older machines. So that explains why so many in other laundromats are broken!

I met another van woman doing her laundry. It was fun to talk to someone else living in a van. However, I'm not sure why van women think I want their dogs in my van. They always walk right up and either throw the dog in my van or let it jump in. Would it be fine with them if I jumped into their vans uninvited? 

Earlier I offered her some of my blueberries and she said, "Yes." Not five seconds after I gave her a baggie of blueberries she asked me if it would be OK if she gave them to some man...???!!! WHAT???!!! I was livid! So incredibly RUDE. Why not just wait until I leave and give them to him? Why take them if she didn't want them? Why would she think my gift to her was to be given to someone else right in front of me? Why not wait until I'm gone and the do it? Just the question was rude. The guy loudly thanked her for the blueberries and I loudly said, "YOUR WELCOME" back. I've never met another woman living in a van who wasn't absolutely obnoxious, self-centered, condescending or just rude in some way. Probably from spending so much time alone? I wonder if I'm as socially inept?

I drove around Florence, walked to the market, then headed north along highway 101. I stopped at Bob's Creek beach. I walked on the beach and attempted to walk on rocks with pools of sea water, but it brought on TRAUMA RECALL...it felt too slippery. I had my high top hiking boots on which makes me feel secure, but...

Then I drove just south of Yachats to Thor's Well which is a collapsed cave that spurts water with the waves. The hike was only .4 miles on a paved walkway which is good since my ankle, knee and leg have been hurting. The weather was cloudy and drizzly. The walkways were wet. TRAUMA RECALL!! as I very carefully tiptoed down the path making sure I wouldn't slip.

I briefly watched as they carried someone out on a gurney and again, TRAUMA RECALL! I wonder if the person broke their ankle? Eeeewww! Beaches will never be the relaxing experience they once were!

I spent the rest of the day eating blueberries. I parked on a pullout on highway 101, but I really need to stop parking on the highway. It's so noisy with all the traffic. Unfortunately, I really don't want to drive on a dusty, dirt road up into the middle of no where to camp either. I think I'm tired of the gray, cloudy, drizzly days and noisy highway. Tomorrow I'll drive east.

Oregon Coast! Day Four!

 July 10, 2026: Awoke to clouds. Walked the boardwalk and passed a woman saturated in perfume. WHY??? WHY, I ask?? I find these people pathetically self-centered and lacking in self-esteem at the same time. It has to be a mental illness to have such a toxic addiction.

I came upon this bit of passionate graffitti while walking. Another daily reminder of where I am. I'm more inclined to cross out the yeast. As beautiful as the Oregon Coast is in the summer, I know during the winter with dark, cloudy days and constant rain, mold is an epidemic here. So toxic.

And then there is Ford. Another horrible experience. I get there 30 minutes early for my appointment. The service agent who was so helpful the other day is dismissive and condescending. This odd schitzophrenia is unnerving and my spidey-senses spiked. Is this change in personality because he knows he's about to try to screw me over? Another young guy who I think was a mechanic says they might not be able to rotate my tires because the van is too high. Excuse me? I didn't call in for an appointment. I showed up in person with the van that the service agent looked at. He couldn't tell me this two days ago? 

I said, "The only reason I'm here is to get a tire rotation." I was absolutely horrified. I'm so tired of these auto MEN manipulating and conniving to get me to spend money by luring me into the shop under false pretenses, "Oh, but we can do your oil change instead". 

I look over at the asshole agent and ask, "Can Les Schwab rotate my tires?" He said, "I don't know." He told me days ago that Les Schwab will have to balance the tires. It seems his information is selective when it's convenient. Then he told me because of the type of tires I have, they will more than likely wear out earlier than normal around 30,000 miles. 

I said, "I'm already at 30,000 miles and every mechanic I've encountered in the last couple months has told me they have another 30,000 miles to go!"

He looked at me like I was stupid and said, "How could you have put 30,000 miles on them? You've only had them a year."

I replied, "I drove to Alaska last year and across Canada, and then across the United States." I guess I caught him in another lie.

So I left! I walked out. Got in my van and drove next door to Les Schwab. Yes, they can rotate my tires and they don't have to lift it off the ground to do it, but they might not be able to do the oil change. I was having a meltdown at this point from all the man manipulation. So I asked them to rotate and balance the tires and if they can get to the oil and filter change, that would be good or I'll just go somewhere else for that. They did it all! Not sure why these people always create so much stress. This isn't rocket science.

So my van is actually running so much better! No loud noise! No sputtering up a hill! All these problems I've had in the last year and a half is because of the bad tires that one dealership sold me!! They also need to be rotated all the time, twice as often as I would normally do. In another month, I'll replace the tires.

After all this shenanigans, I couldn't wait to leave Coos Bay. I headed north to Reedsport and parked overnight at the dog park! It's highly recommended online. It was a quiet night other than the yappy dog at the house next door, but eventually even the yapper was brought inside and peace prevailed.

Just before bedtime, I tripped over my rice cooker cord spilling the pot with old food and dirty water all over my rugs!! There have been so many times I almost did this so it's not surprising. When you don't have a whole lot of room to move around, these things are bound to happen. (To date, I still have NOT spilled my urine containers!) I tried to soak up the liquid as much as possible, then stuffed the throw rugs into a plastic garbage bag. I'll need to find a laundromat tomorrow. I can't have wet rugs covered in old food sitting around the van especially in this damp environment.

Day Four has concluded. See you on Day Five!

Oregon Coast! Day Three!

 July 9, 2026: Once the loud-talking group left taking the cackling woman with them last night, it was a very quiet night with a lovely, peaceful morning. I woke early to sunshine and walked the city venturing out on the boardwalk along the bay.

Sunny, cool, beautiful, and the air smelled so clean and refreshing! Coos Bay is a nice town, spread out with wide streets often one-way. It's a little run down with vacant buildings, but Central Avenue is well-kept with street murals and hanging flower baskets.

They have a food co-op that is right downtown (a block away from where I parked) that is well-stocked with everything and a few blocks away a Natural Grocers that, like Whole Foods, is familiar and consistent. The Coos Bay Information Center was horrible, smelling like perfume. I asked them if they had air fresheners and she said no. She asked why and I said, "It smells like toxic perfume." I left immediately with the beginnings of a headache. I was hoping to find out about the music festival this weekend and maybe get some free postcards. Oh well. It's not worth getting poisoned!

Swam at the pool. People are really friendly even if I HATE having to share a lane that is too small. The woman I was sharing with who was incredibly nice decided to back stroke and she kept crossing over into my half of the lane to the point where I had to hug the float line to keep from getting hit. I was so spoiled swimming in Tucson where the pool requires reservations and is so big one doesn't have to share!

Hiked around Mingus Park. The trails go way up into the forest. So beautiful and the air is so clean.

Parked overnight at the 24 hour public parking again. Very quiet night.

Oregon Coast! Day One and a Half!

July 6, 2026: After waiting for too long for my forwarded voting ballot to arrive, I finally gave up and left for the coast! All that work to get registered to vote and I don't even get to vote!!

I stopped in Medford for my free windshield wipers, walked downtown Ashland, drove through the surrounding countryside, then headed back north, west, then southwest on Highway 199 into California and up Highway 101. When I arrived in California the temperature dropped from 97 degrees to 85 degrees. Once on Highway 101, the temperature was a cool, clammy 57 degrees. I arrived around 5pm and it was already foggy. My plan is to start at the far southern coastline and work my way up stopping at every beach I can find.

First stop, furthest south over the Californian-Oregon border: Brookings. Eeeewww. Creepy. The population is 6,800 and the homeless percentage is way higher than any place I've ever been! I attempted to find a place to park for the night and encountered debilitated RVs, junky cars, and banged up vans with homeless men staring at me from their sitting spots in the dirt. Hoards of homeless roaming the streets together like feral dogs. I left and headed north. I was told later the closer one is to California, the more drug addicts are living on the streets.

I parked overnight on a trailhead pullout right on Highway 101 called Thomas Creek. It's within the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. The temperature was a cool 57 degrees, but everything felt so wet from the fog. I thought I'd hike down to the water the next day, but I didn't realize how far up on a cliff I was and there is no access to the beach! The trail to who knows where was steep and scary looking! Do I need to break another ankle? No thanks.

July 7, 2026: In the morning a really nice, very clean, white car pulled up and parked. The man in it got out. He looked homeless. Clothes brown with saturated dirt. Very dark, dirty tan and scruffy, long hair. I thought it very strange the dicotomy between his appearance and his car. He went into the woods. 

Soon after I could hear a dog barking like crazy and both the man and the dog came out of the woods. The man kept trying to catch the dog, but the dog was not having it. Beautiful dog and looked well-cared for. The dog came near my van. I opened the side door and tried to get it to come closer. He seemed scared. I had a weird feeling I should not leave my van unattended with that guy around. Another car pulled up and the dog was continuously barking at everyone. Very nervous. I heard the homeless-looking guy say it wasn't his dog. As I left, the new car was calling the authorities on the dog worried it was dumped off. I told them the dog was not here last night and seemed showed up with that white car although I did not see the dog get out of the car. Something was going on there...my instincts said to leave.

I headed north to the next pullout and hiked the trail through the woods. The views through the trees were spectacular even with the heavy cloud cover and fog, but again, I was up on a cliff with no access to the beach or what is known as Secret Beach. (See photo above.)

I continued north and stopped at another lookout with a view of The Arch. Very frustrating not being able to get down to the sand as I've seen photos of people frollicking on these beaches.

Continued north and found Meyers Creek Beach, huge pull-out, and lots of beach! The sun finally came out!!

Stopped at Gold Beach and walked the beach. Didn't take any photos, but I did gather some gorgeous rocks! Lots of dog poop bag dispensers...I use the bags for rocks and shells!

Continued to Sisters Rocks that has a wonderful trail from the highway pullout to the rock cliffs.

Parked overnight on another pullout just north of Sisters Rocks. All night semi trucks would pull in behind me and idle their engines for an hour then take off. So irritating. How can men be so incredibly thoughtless??

And that was the first day and a half!!