 |
| gateway to the beach |
There is about a two-mile stretch of flat beach where we walked/ran while here. To me, of the beaches we have recently walked, this beach seems more wild and remote.
The sand is more grey, and I noticed more tangled seaweed deposited by the pounding surf. I noticed, too, a general absence of shells and the typical groups of squawking gulls.
Just to the south, we could see the Yaquina light house atop Yaquina Head.
One day several turkey vultures were circling the bluffs before landing on the beach.
Judging by their angled tops, the trees clinging to the cliffs look like they have struggled to resist the strong onshore winds. Mention the word beach and depending on where you grew up, the images will be very different. For us, the beach evokes piercing hot sun, golden sand, rows of skimpily clad bodies reclining on beach towels or under beach umbrellas, and many folks bobbing about in the crashing surf.
It has taken us decades to get used to a beach that is cold, often windy and enshrouded in mist, where we typically walk dressed in long pants, and wear hoodies and sneakers, sometimes gloves and hats, even in summer.
Though different, the scenery is still stunning and folks still come in droves to enjoy themselves. Some are even brave enough to plunge into the icy cold water.
We enjoyed a couple of bright, sunny days before the clouds and mist rolled in. But we still had a good time, and enjoyed our walks along this wild and woolly beach with its pounding surf.
The cherry for us was seeing whale spouts where a pod of whales was having dinner one early evening. Look for the white puff in the middle of the blue sea... it was a lucky shot and it was a very exciting moment to see a flipper and tail emerge before the whale dived under again.
