Harris Beach State Park – Brookings, Oregon
We cannot be more excited about this park. The beach is across the street, and the view is unreal. Individual sites are spacious and nestled among beautiful Sitka Spruce and Douglas Fir trees. Unable to stop at the viewpoints coming here, we decided to backtrack along the twelve-mile stretch of the Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor with our destination at Gold Beach. A visit to Arch Rock which is known for its sea stacks which looks like a rock bridge was well worth the stop. An unfamiliar adventurous thought came out of my mouth as I said to Mitch, “Let’s hike it down there.” My comment came as a surprise, and he quickly agreed. After hiking a quarter of the steep trail, I began to question my enthusiasm. With Mitch’s encouragement, we continued, and the views were spectacular. No regrets.
Continuing down the scenic corridor, the overlooks were plenty and each had views of the offshore rock formations and beaches littered with driftwood. At one point, we were in an area where the trees were narrow but tall. Occassionally, a knocking noise was heard and the realization was strong winds made the trees sway. Their tree trunks connected like the sound of a powerful axe as it connects with the log to be splintered when chopping wood. The knocking noise was odd in an otherwise quiet, serene forest.
There was one sign in various places on highway 101 which we found interesting, and it said either entering or leaving a Tsunami area. Research said the last tsunami to hit was in 2011. The Redwood Nature Trail was our last stop for the day, and it was a prelude to tomorrow’s trip to the Redwood National Park.
The following day, Mitch came back from his morning run and excitedly told me to get dressed. His explorations on the beach yielded a sight I had been waiting to see. In our probing of many tidal pools, starfish seem to elude us. However, this morning -jackpot! There were so many starfish clinging to the rocks. Their size was much biger than those in Florida. The child in me couldn’t wait to find them all until I slipped on an algae covered rock, and down I went, face to face with the seaweed.
After a change of clothes, we drove to the Redwood National Park. We were in awe the entire time. These trees were massive, and pictures don’t do them justice. Not only is their circumference impressive, but to view their height was neck straining. It felt like we were in our own – Honey, I shrunk the kid’s movie. Strolling through this park was like visiting a nature’s art museum. Fallen tree roots created unusual sculptures, one more beautiful than the other. It was a natural amusement park for kids as numerous nooks and crannies were present in tree basins. Once again, this visit emphasized the innate beauty this country possesses.
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