Last Minute Getaway!

School started this week but last week I was fortunate to spend an entire week at the beach. There was hiking and reading and eating and family and all the things that make a week long vacation perfect. The weather was beautiful the entire time (which if you know anything about the Oregon coast is a miracle in itself).

Cascade Head Trail was amazing. It was perfectly long and ended in an amazing view that was viewed from a high coastal meadow.

I have visited the Yaquina Head lighthouse several times but never knew there were so many trails around it to explore. All the trails are short but make up for it in spectacular views. The clear weather also provided some pretty sweet views of the resident whales that live in the bay.

And finally Beaver Creek state park was super different and interesting. At the trail head there was a sign that stated there had been bear and cougar sightings over the summer which was a little intimidating. The trail starts out on a marsh that is inaccessible in the winter because it is covered in water. It felt a little eerie to walk over squishy marsh grass that is surrounded by water. The hiking trails began after the marsh and wound through the forest and all over a small hill/mountain. It was challenging as well as beautiful. Next time I would love to rent kayaks and paddle through the marsh.

It was a perfect end to the summer and now the hectic school season has begun!