After five months along the Oregon and Washington coast, we headed south to Brookings, our final stop in Oregon. Even though we waited until almost noon to leave, there was still a heavy fog/sea mist hovering over the area. The drive from Bandon to Brookings is a very scenic and beautiful drive but because of the fog we were unable to see any of the coastline. We passed over the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge, over the Rogue River. Oregon sure has some beautiful bridges! The picture doesn’t show the heavy fog which could be seen just by looking to the right toward the water.
We spent a week in Brookings at Harris Beach State Park, one of the most popular Oregon state parks. We were last here in May, 2014. Due to its relatively mild climate and the fact that it gets more sun than any other Oregon coastal town because of its south facing position, Brookings is often referred to as “The Banana Belt of Oregon”. Flowers bloom all year and 90% of the country’s Easter lilies are grown here. It is also home to many myrtle trees and coastal redwoods.
One day we drove back up the coast along the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor which parallels the Oregon Coast Trail, a 362 mile hiking trail along the entire coast of Oregon. We stopped at several scenic overlooks including Arch Rock.
We wanted a picture of the Thomas Creek Bridge since it is the highest in Oregon but the bridge was having major construction. We did find a path which was described as leading to a bridge vista point. A sign said the trail was severely eroded and caution was needed so I stayed behind while Bill walked down to get a picture . Unfortunately trees have blocked much of the view.
While in Brookings we did a little more weekly shopping to take advantage of Oregon’s no sales tax. We have enjoyed not paying sales tax but their ten cent deposit on all cans and bottles has been a bit of a pain. This view in town shows the sea mist wafting through the area creating a smoky looking haze.
Most evenings the fog prevented us from viewing good sunsets but we did manage to catch one.
Next up: Eureka, CA