Surf and sunshine

Day Two on the Oregon Coast.  South of Newport, I checked out a few state parks along the coast.  The tides were slowly rising, and the surf was heavy, which made for beautiful pictures. The skies were a bit hazy early in the morning, but gave way to bright sun.

My animal photo of the day shows nesting pelagic cormorants.  The sea birds choose their nest locations well, high on top of rocks and cliffs predators can't climb or swim to.

 

I spent the afternoon at Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, part of the Siuslaw National Forest.  This park had everything I needed to experience a perfect day. Trails took me to great views of the rocky coastline, and into a forested area to see a Sitka spruce tree over 500 years old.  I started with Devil's Churn, where the surf become trapped in a rocky bowl.

Next, I hiked a two-mile round trip to see the Giant Spruce tree. It was pretty majestic.  Back to the ocean, one of the high points of the park...literally.  Spouting Horn is created by a narrow channel in the rocks that shoots water up in the air when the surf comes in just the right way.  Nearby is another, albeit tamer watery phenomenon called Thor's Well.  The rocks form a cauldron which overflows with water with each approaching wave.

 

Tomorrow will be my last day in Oregon.  I'll be continuing south into California, speeding up my trip a little bit more.  I need to get to Los Angeles in four days for the other music concert of my road trip.  I haven't seen John Ondrasik since he performed at a charity event in Seattle back in 2011.  And, this show is a charity thing, too.  My excitement hasn't really kicking in yet, but it will...guaranteed.