ExplOregon coast vacation: Patrick's Point State Park.

Okay, technically not Oregon, but Patrick's Point State Park is really beautiful nonetheless. We made this our first stop for obvious and nostalgic reasons.

 

why yes, that *is* a bowling pin!
(a running theme throughout the trip)

And it was a great start to the trip.  Here are five reasons why, in no particular order:

1. Wildlife sightings.  Bunnies greeted us as we drove through the campgrounds looking for a site.  Bunnies hopped around while we explored the trails.  Bunnies stopped to sniff and forage and pose for photos.

bunnies, it must be bunnies!

I am not sure why, exactly, but the wild bunnies were more exciting than the Roosevelt Elk we saw on the way down 101.  But the elk were pretty neat too.

Roosevelt Elk along Highway 101

And harbor seals are always really fun to watch, even though they don't do much.  At all.  Really.  Not much at all.  We saw the guys below on our last walk around the coastal trail right before we left the park on Sunday morning.

doing a whole lot of not much

 

additional wildlife that followed us around all week

2. The sunset that evening was stunning.  There is just nothing like a Northern California coastal sunset on a perfectly clear night.

the first of many

But really, there's just nothing like a clear coastal night no matter what state or side of the country/continent you are on.  The weather throughout the trip was phenomenal; seems that September really is the best time to do this kind of trip.  Which leads to reason #3...

3. Stars!  No photo available, obviously, but the stars that evening were just as amazing as the sunset.  We would see the Milky Way at least twice that week, and several shooting stars.  I need more stars in my life.

4. The campsite itself.  We stuck to state parks for this trip, most of which have combo RV/tent sites and not many tent-only sites.  RV/tent sites are bigger and often more exposed.  The ranger recommended campsite #33 as a good tent site; it was small but we totally loved it.  We were surrounded by spruce and redwood trees, and the site was pretty well isolated by bushes from the road traffic and other campers.

campsite 33

5. The Redwoods.  I mean, I love trees and all, but holy cow do I love redwoods.

happy day #1!

streeeeettttcccchhhh

Aside #1: on the way down (and back up the next day) we passed through Orick.  I just read a friend's emotional post about witnessing poverty in Peru, and I have to say I had the same reaction to Orick.  Maybe even more so, with it being in the US (and right near fairly prosperous towns like Crescent City and Eureka).  It made me simultaneously sad and very grateful for what I have.

Aside #2: always check the college football schedule before heading south from Portland on I-5.  ALWAYS.  I don't care if it's Wednesday, or July, or snowpocalypsing, or Obama is speaking in Portland that day.  Check the college football schedule.  Apparently the Beavers AND the Ducks had home games.  With I-5 as our only option, we sat quite sadly in traffic for way too long on Saturday morning.  Almost three hour later we could at least say we caught the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me airing outside of Eugene.  ("There's no 'I' in team - but there is a 'me'!")  So there was that...

 

 there are a few 'I's in 'idiot' though