Heading South Along the Oregon Coast

We spent eight days meandering down the southern half of the Oregon Coast.  We left Salem, OR on Tuesday August 13, stopping in Newport, OR and at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park for a few days before arriving in Crescent City, CA the afternoon of August 20.

Along this route, there were a lot of scenic overlooks and pullouts to see the beautiful mountains descending into the sea.

And we have had really great weather.  After the fog burns off, the sun has been shining most of our time here.

The last few weeks on our travel days we have been going about 200 - 250 miles.  This seems like a good length for us and we can get into the new campground by early afternoon and get set up.  Early arrival also allows us to have some choices if we want another campsite.  Usually that doesn't happen but now and then we have overhanging trees or a small car parking area or something like that.

And only going 200+ miles a day means we only drive about 4-5 hours at a time which is fine with us. Even when the road and highway is good, sometimes the stress of being alert and concentrating on safety items can make for a tiring day.  I revert back to some Air Force training and think of 'Safety Procedures'.  One thing about air crew members is that they are always always drilled on Safety Procedures when they fly.  They are always taught to think, "What would I do if…"  So they are ready and are not caught by surprise.

I try to be aware of those things on the road when I drive.  What would I do if I had a flat tire, lost my brakes?…. some of those items.  The main thing I think about is how much braking time do I have with the car/vehicle in front of me.

Other than that, driving is a wonderful thing in this comfy Roadrunner Allegro Bus.  With a 400 HP engine, we have no trouble getting up and down the mountains.  But going down the mountains (especially along the coast here) I have been using my Auxiliary Brake /"Jake Brake" so I don't wear out or burn up my brakes.  Other than those things, I spend a lot of time seeing the majestic views along the coast.

When we pull off at the overlooks and scenic lookouts, we are treated with just breath taking views. I recently posted 15 photos of some of my favorite views.  I didn't show you the hundreds of other shots I took.  Yes - hundreds.  I wish I could remember the vivid details of these places more.  Since I don't/can't I am relying on my pictures to refresh my mind.

On our last leg down U.S. Highway 101 we stopped at a lot of places for pictures.  And lunch.

Later on down the road we saw this

And stopped again

For this

It was another day full of memories.  And pictures.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Thanks for joining us!  Until next time...