On Day 5, we drove from Hillsboro to the Oregon Coast. This was an amazing day. I have never been on a Pacific Coast Beach. It was so different from the beaches in the Alabama Gulf. Huge boulders rise out of the coast waters. Mossy rock formations and cliffs make up the coastline. The sand between these formations is brown and seaweed scatters the shoreline left behind from the high tide.
DAY 5 MAP
The map below shows where we traveled on Day 5. Starting Point: Hillsboro Stop 1: Devil's Punchbowl Stop 2: Overleaf Spa Stop 3: Thor's Well Stop 4: The Driftwood Hotel and Restaurant Ending Point: Overleaf Lodge
THE DRIVE FROM WINE COUNTRY TO THE COAST
It was a cloudy morning on the drive from Hillsboro to the Oregon Coast. One thing that struck me was how beautiful the bridges were. These pictures do not do it justice. When we first started seeing the beach, it appeared similar to the Gulf Coast with one exception. Instead of white sand, the sand was a dark beige or light brown. As we drove down the coast, the coast scenery changed from the brown sandy beaches to rocky ledges with enormous rock formations covered in bright green mosses.
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THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL
On our drive from Hillsboro to the Overleaf Spa, we saw the sign for the Devil's Punchbowl. I had this on my places I wanted to see while in Oregon, but did not think we would have time to see it. We called the Overleaf and asked if we could have a later time for our spa day. They were able to move us back and so we were able to stop at the Devil's Punchbowl. It was really incredible. We walked down to the bottom and looked up. It was amazing to think that by the evening high tide, this "bowl" we were standing in would be filled with the sea.
Click on each picture below to enlarge the picture and view the whole photo. The pictures that appear blurry are actually panoramic views of the area. I recommend clicking on these. They give you a better feeling of what it was like to stand in the "bowl."
THE OVERLEAF LODGE & SPA
The Overleaf Lodge and Spa was the first place we stayed that was not an Air BnB. We booked massages in the spa because we thought it would be a nice end to all of our hiking. It was! I was incredibly relaxing. We ordered a picnic basket to pick up after our massages, so that we could have a beach picnic at Thor's Well. After Thor's Well and our beach picnic, we went and grabbed dinner, and went back to the Overleaf to enjoy the beach view there. As the sun went down, we ran to the spa hot tub, to enjoy the sunset from there. That night, we only closed the screen part of our sliding glass door and slept with the sliding glass door open so that we could fall asleep to the sound of the waves. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.
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THOR'S WELL
Thor's well was an incredible sight! Thor's Well looks like it is the drain of the Pacific Ocean or a sinkhole that swallows the water and then allows it to erupt like a lava from a volcano. Scientists say that it was more than likely a sea cave where the roof eventually fell in. This created openings at the bottom and top where the ocean spray erupts out. I took a plethora of pictures with different settings. I am not a photographer, but it was sure fun playing with the camera and pretending to be one with this beautiful view. I made some really bad videos at the end that you can see. I think my best picture is the one above. I caught the light just right. The water color through the sunlight gave the water a light blue or aqua hue. It was beautiful!
The thing that surprised me the most about this place, is that, of all the places in the world, I saw one of my students from Alabama at Thor's Well. He and his family were staying at the Overleaf as also. It was the funniest thing. As I was enjoying the water bellowing up and splashing over, I heard a father say, "Not too close, Hudson." I said, "Awe. I have a Hudson in my class." (I mean, Hudson is not a name you hear everyday.) Then the boy looked at me. I looked at him. We stared at each other for what seemed like an hour. I thought, "Man, this sure looks like my Hudson. How crazy!" Then I saw the shirt...."Trussville Huskies." I exclaimed, "You are my Hudson!" We talked for awhile and then got our picture together because if we didn't have proof, I don't think people would have believed us.
If you want to visit Thor's Well, the best time to go is about an hour before high tide. This will give you time to get a place (it can get crowded) and set up a camera if you have a tripod. From an hour before to several hours after, you will get the best views. High tide was about 5:30 PM while we there. If you could go when high tide was close to sunset, I can't even imagine the incredible pictures you could get.
After we got beautiful shots, we decided to step back and let others have our spots. We went back on shore and had our picnic. If you do go and you stay at the Overleaf, I recommend choosing the gourmet pickles and Doug's Nuts. They were delicious!!!
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DRIFT INN RESTAURANT
We tried to eat lunch at the Drift Inn in Yachats, but it was packed. After Thor's Well, we went here for dinner. The food was delicious.
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