Stormy Day on the Pacific Ocean [4/18]

A new day on the Oregon coast dawned on us and with it came a moody sky, wind and a little bit of rain. Most travelers would shriek at the notion, but I think it was equally important to see the Oregon coastline with the stormy weather. It's a time when nature here comes alive, and some landmarks (like the devil's churn) are best seen at those times. Though the weather would change for the better as the day went on we truly did enjoy the stormier times. In this post we will cover a part of our drive towards Coos Bay and end just before the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area, which we will cover in the next part.

This is only a part of our travel series to the Pacific Northwest

Click here to view the other parts 

Devil's Churn

Devils Churn was our fist stop for the day. It is a narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean south of Yachats. It is located in the Siuslaw National Forest and is accessible via the Restless Waters trail from the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area visitor's center or the U.S. Route 101 overlook. Access to the trail requires a United States Forest Service pass, which I have talked about in the previous part. The inlet developed over many thousands of years as wave action carved into the basalt shoreline, first forming a deep sea cave whose roof eventually collapsed. As the tide comes in it can throw spray several hundred feet into the air when the waves reach the end of the churn. Visitors are urged to be cautious when visiting the churn as it can be dangerous. Especially when the stormy weather brings up the ocean onto the paths.

Once you climb down it gets really dangerous. If you ever visit here be very cautious. We were, but still we also wanted to be close to the ocean. Watching the strong waves crashing into the scenery here is both exciting and very humbling.

Views along the way

We stopped many times on this day. No special places, but all the views warranted a prolonged road trip. There are Sea Caves here where you can see seals (which you have to pay to enter). We didn't enter them, but we did see some seals the next day. From the parking spot of the visitors center you can get some amazing views from the surrounding scenery: paths leading down to the ocean, lighthouses, and a seemingly never ending coastline.

Dangerous Flora: Inside the Darlingtonia Gardens

Darlingtonia State Natural Site is a state park and botanical preserve located five miles (8 km) north of Florence, Oregon and it's dedicated to the preservation of a rare plant. Darlingtonia californica is a carnivorous plant, commonly known as the cobra lily, which traps insects in its hollow tubular leaves, whose top is flared into a hollow dome with a forked "tongue" that gives the species its common name.

In late spring, they bear purple and yellow flowers that rise above the green cobra-like leaves. Darlingtonia are found only in wet meadows and bogs with acidic soils low in nitrogen. The rare, strangely shaped plant is the only member of the pitcher plant family Sarraceniaceae in Oregon. The park has a short loop trail through a peat bog area overlooking patches of Darlingtonia. It is the only Oregon state park dedicated to the protection of a single plant species. Below is me acting afraid though standing close to so many of them does evoke a sense of danger. :)

Lonesome sights

There are so many beaches and places to make you stop along the way. Make sure to have food and water with you and go out and explore. There are numerous places where nature just stunned us. I really have to take a moment and take these images in. The waves of the wild pacific are a dream.

We made a small stop in the Three Rivers Casino in Florence, just to get away from the rain. We didn't spend that much time here, because next up was the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area which was one of the top sights on the Oregon coast.

End of Part Four

To be continued...

Where I'm Linking To