Some could say it’s because I’m from California, but I am obsessed with the ocean. I love the way it sounds, the power you feel standing next to it, the experience of being at the edge of land. I want to be next to it for as long as I possibly can before I head to the desert and land-locked states (BIG YIKES). Dobby and I fueled up in Bend, then headed West. I didn’t have a plan for exactly where I wanted to stop, but after a considerable amount of driving for the day, I stopped south of Florence, Oregon at a spot I found on one of the dispersed camping apps I use. We pulled off on a side road off the highway, and I looked at Dobby and told him “Let’s see how far we can go”, but he didn’t look as excited as me.
Another thing about me is I am the type of person who always thinks there might be something better (commitment problems?) so as Dobby and I drove over many potholes and curvy roads, we got to a flooded road and realized that’s how far we could go. Thankfully, this Christmas I was gifted with a trailer backup camera and it has saved my life, so we got backed out and returned to one of the pullouts we passed about a half mile in, haha. We stayed for the night and our only visitor was a large furry cat who I initially thought was a raccoon when I was brushing my teeth in the pitch black and did get pretty scared (wtf am I going to do when I see my first bear in the wild). I was able to sleep after a while of thinking about how dark and quiet it was outside. Dobby had his morning sips of water and some breakfast while I had coffee from the French Press and some breakfast before we took off on the road to the Natural Land Bridges near Brookings, Oregon.
Luckily, at the trailhead there was plenty of room for my rig. After I parked and explored a little with Dobby, I packed a lunch and a blanket, then started on a hike toward the bridge. I looked at the small amount of climbing required to cross the land bridge, felt the strength of the water and wind, looked at Dobby, and decided we went far enough. We ate our lunch, listening to the water and staring at the beautiful coast. I am realizing the importance of daylight on the road. The idea of finding my sleep for the night when it’s dark out is still too daunting. Dobby and I hustled back to the truck.
I drove much farther than anticipated (again because no spot was justtttt right) and ended up heading into California, which I have to say has some of the parks I am most excited to see. This may be my bias coming up though.
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