"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."
As we walked our Bandon beach on Wednesday morning, Neil made an interesting statement. He said, "The beaches of the Oregon Coast are an introvert's paradise."
It was funny that he should say that as I had just purchased this book from Powell's to act as my beach read.
Neil is right. Those who frequent the Caribbean may be disappointed in the beaches of the northwest. Oregon's beaches are for those who love the ocean but prefer never to swim in it, who don't mind putting on a hoodie and a pair of galoshes to enjoy the beach rather than a swimsuit, who kind of like the fact that they may not encounter another living soul as they beachcomb.
The Oregon Coast beaches are chilly, and windy, and rustic, and breathtakingly beautiful.
We bundled up for our stroll along the beach this particular morning. It was a stormy day, and the beach was extra windy and extra cold. As usual, Neil was the only one who bundled up sufficiently with his winter coat, beanie, and winter gloves. The rest of us were still slightly chilly.
This couple was ready to go explore the beach without the company of hyper little brothers and doting parents, so this shot was taken, and then they quickly disappeared.
This is the fog horn that sits perched on the edge of a jetty. Our beach shack was just down the way, so we were awoken every morning by the sound of its faithful warning. There is something wonderful about the sounds that accompany the sea. They are sounds so unfamiliar to me and so pleasant.
This young lady had one real goal in mind. That was to collect as many beautiful shells and rocks as the sea would allow her. She was disappointed at the lack of sand dollars but thrilled by the abundance of agates and sea glass.
And this little turkey cannot stay out of the water! The water and air was frigid, and he was in jeans, but it wasn't longer than ten minutes before he was up to his thighs in cold salty ocean water. Galoshes seem futile if you're going to frolic in the waves. You could hear the water sloshing around in his boots the rest of the morning, and he emptied a small pond of sea water out of each boot when we got home.
Looking for ocean treasures.
The beach in Bandon is much rockier than the beaches up north which is why it may now be my new favorite Oregon Coast beach. There is something pleasing about those large dark rocks juxtaposed against the sandy beaches and blue ocean. And it makes for much better tide pooling.
There's Jonah taunting the waves again.
It makes me feel a little nervous inside to think of what kind of force was necessary to wedge this large tree into this rock. The ocean is a powerful thing. I feel respect and awe whenever I visit this part of God's creations.
When we couldn't feel our fingers anymore and our noses were sufficiently red and glasses seasprayed to the point of losing transparency, we decided to head back to the shack, where Sabrina began to clean and sort through her ocean spoils.
The sea was generous in its offerings this brisk morning.
Meanwhile, Jessica snacked on what was left of our Blue Star donuts.
I love this artwork done by the children of the owner of the beach shack. You can tell this family loves little Bandon. How nice that they are willing to share their shack with others.
Eventually everyone wanted a snack, so we broke out the cheese and crackers, Tillamook cheese of course. When in Oregon, eat nothing but Tillamook. I think that's some kind of unwritten rule.
This was our only source of heat in the shack, much to Jonah's inexpressible glee. "Hey Dad, should we get a fire going?" were the words constantly hanging from his lips. Who says the Watsons don't camp?
Vacations on the coast offer much needed down time.
I loved this little porch room that was stocked with galoshes for everyone and plenty of firewood to keep the fire stoked at all times.
After sufficient vegetating had transpired, we decided we wanted dinner. This is when we discovered that the sleepy coastal town of Bandon shuts down at about 4:00 during the off season. Luckily, there was a pizza joint open, where we met a delightful gentleman who lives in the area and happened to be a member of the LDS church. He told us all about the great people in the little branch here in Bandon and snickered at the fact that I was photographing our food. I forget that that's not normal for most people.
After dinner, we took a scenic drive so as to enjoy the view of the beaches we had combed that morning from atop the Bandon cliffs.
This may be my favorite photo of the day. This is my Jonah. A boy with a newly acquired stick, exploring the cliff with feverish abandon.
This is probably my second favorite photo. A boy and his dad, overlooking the sea with all of its wonders.
I'll leave you with a few final shots from that evening in Bandon.
I fell in love with this lighthouse nearly 19 years ago when Neil and I visited the coast for the first time. How lovely that our house was nestled just across the beach from it.
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