Happy Monday! Today we continued our journey up the beautiful coast of Oregon. It's become tradition in the mornings to hunt for the closest Starbucks to give us the kick start we need for our day. It's also become tradition for us to sleep in later and later each day...today we didn't get on the road until almost 11:00am! Geesh. The roadtrippers have become a little lazy.
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| Nancy at Sea Lion Cave (we promise there were real ones) |
Once we got our coffee and breakfast, we felt rejuvenated enough to head out for Seaside, OR. Our first stop of the day was about an hour up the road at the world's largest Sea Lion Cave. This was a really neat experience! After the tacky gift shop, we walked out to an elevator which lowered us 200 feet below the steep cliffs to the inside of the cool, damp cave where we got to see about a dozen wild Steller Sea Lions resting on the rocks. There was also a nice informational video which chronicled the creation and discovery of the cave, as well as a nice lookout point to the northern shore and picturesque Heceta Head lighthouse. Back on top of the cliffs, there was also a viewpoint which you were able to see about 100 more of the sea lions basking in the sun on a rock ledge outside the cave. It was really amazing to get to see these magnificent creatures in their wild habitat. Sea Lion Cave is definitely worth the stop!
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| The view from Cape Perpetua |
We then continued our drive up the coast through many small lumber and fishing towns- all looking way too alike. This was definitely a spectacular portion of our drive, though; right along the coastal cliffs and beaches, which looked a little similar in places to Big Sur, CA. One of the best views was from Cape Perpetua. We took a small detour off Highway 101 up a two-mile windy road which took us to a cliff 800 feet about the Pacific. Wow, what a breathtaking view this was. It was so cold and windy at the top, we only stayed long enough to grab a couple pictures and get back in the car!
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| Otis Cafe in Otis, OR- YUM! |
Now it was time for a late lunch at a spot recommended in the Road Food Book- The Otis Cafe in Otis, OR. This tiny cafe boasts for serving the most calories within the smallest square feet. Sounds like our kind of place! Seated beside a tiny post office, this intimate joint is famous for it's huge portions of deliciously flavored home-style cooking and it's extraordinary desserts- including the yummy marionberry pie (a cousin to the raspberry). We tried the biscuits and gravy, breakfast omelette, and buffalo burger- all which we highly recommend. The marionberry pie and pumpkin bread we got for dessert were also delicious and the waitress was very friendly and accommodating.
It wasn't too long after our meal until we arrived at our destination for the night- the charming town of Seaside right along the coast. The town is famous for being the end of the Lewis and Clark trail and is full of neat shops and places for us to check out. Our hotel also has a heated pool, so if the town doesn't prove too interesting, that's where we'll be (most likely with a drink in hand).
Tomorrow we head onto Portland!
Cheers!
Total travel time: 9 hours
Total miles: 224.8
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