Nehalm Bay State Park, Oregon

A Repost from February, 2020:

I really enjoyed the expansive scenery at Neahkahnie (Manzanita) beach in Northwest Oregon.  I parked on the roadside near a pine covered slope on Ocean Road.  I was about 40' above the surf.  It was a clear day in the 40's F, with wind and sprinkles.  A few people were walking the wide flat sandy beach or roadway.  The sheer cliffs of the south-west face of Neahkahnie Mountain go straight down into the crashing surf.  I enjoyed watching a stunt kite flyer show his fine skills.

At the end of the day, I walked alone in the sand dunes on the west side of Nehalem Bay State Park (NBSP) .  The sand dunes are both high and wide and 5 miles long.  The wind and cold were daunting if you were not dressed properly.  It was getting dark.  The endless Pacific Ocean waves came pounding in to the sandy shore - thundering and roaring day and night.  Tide after tide, for eons, now, seemingly "forever."  The billions of bunch grasses bent away from the gusting wind. 

I was comfortable and dry in my clean yurt.  It has lights and electricity.  NBSP is well maintained.  This beautiful park was 95% empty.  A one night camping fee of $31, and a reserved yurt fee of $55.00.  I'd choose yurt #A11 for a family camp-out.  It got down to a chilly 35F at night, so nobody was tent camping, and only about 10 RVs in the whole campground.  Empty, Cold, Drizzling, Windy, Raining, Damp - Winter Camping in Coastal Oregon.  Come prepared! 

The town of Manzanita has everything Karen and I would need for a two-night motel getaway.  If you want shopping, drive 21 miles north to Cannon Beach.  We have stayed together here twice at NBSP in a yurt in the summer.

Today, I drove home: Cannon Beach, 101, Seaside, Astoria, 30, Ranier, Longview, I5, Kalama, Vancouver.  Highway 30, an excellent major highway, is relatively flat and straight and very fast for my tastes.  I pulled over and let cars pass many times.  I could return the way I came (Portland, route 26, and route 53 to Nehalem).  Or, drive 70 miles south on 101 to Lincoln City and back to Salem.  Or, take 101 north to Astoria.  All are beautiful drives if you take your time.  Pull over, stop a lot, stretch your legs, sip a favorite beverage, step outside your car, walk, enjoy the views.

Beautiful scenery: pine covered mountains, logged and planted tracts, port and tourist towns, fishing, coastal weathered homes, enchanting rivers and bays, farmsteads, isolation, lovely country roads, spectacular homes and estates, Highway 101 history and lore, cliffs, wind and rain, the thundering of the surf.  Coastal Oregon - my favorite.

Today, I was home, unpacked, and resting at 2 pm.  Art class at 6 pm.