moody skies over nye beach . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

Day four was here, and my last day along the coast. It started off cloudy (what else was new?!) but it was going to be a much more leisurely day of travel because I had less distance to cover to my next destination. So that allowed me spend more time exploring places. :) I started the morning off journaling in my pajamas while looking out the window over the ocean, then grabbing some coffee and a camera and heading down to the beach. (Coffee and I would become great friends on this trip). I absolutely loved how moody the clouds were over the water.

moody skies over nye beach . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

crab shell . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

just the two of us . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

beach grass . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

After a good stroll, I headed towards the bayfront, and then to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. It’s very similar to the lighthouse in Point Loma, shaped like a house, and the inside set up with 19 century items. I love seeing all those things, and imagining how they lived back then. After touring the lighthouse a bit, I hit the road for Cannon Beach.

bayfront . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

bayfront . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

yaquina bay lighthouse . newport, oregon . polaroid sx-70

yaquina bay lighthouse interior . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

yaquina bay lighthouse interior . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

yaquina bay lighthouse . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

yaquina bay bridge . newport, oregon . canon 5d mk2

trees in grass . oregon coast highway . canon 5d mk2

two lands joining together . oregon coast highway . canon 5d mk2

tree on rock . oregon coast highway . canon 5d mk2

haystack rock . cannon beach, oregon . canon 5d mk2

to haystack rock . cannon beach, oregon . canon 5d mk2

haystack rock . cannon beach, oregon . polaroid sx-70

the beach . cannon beach, oregon . canon 5d mk2

haystack rock . cannon beach, oregon . canon 5d mk2

Immediately, Cannon Beach struck me how much it reminded me of San Diego beaches, except the huge sea stacks that were smack on the beach & in the ocean. It almost gives you a sense of scale and grandeur. Also, instead cliffs like you see in San Diego, you see mountains. I stopped into town for lunch (Sweet Basil Cafe) before heading towards Astoria, my last stop before heading to Portland.

mini sand dues & rain n shine . cannon beach, oregon . canon 5d mk2

quaint little barn by the water . cannon beach, oregon . canon 5d mk2

I literally stopped the car in the middle of to road after passing by this barn and said out lout “You’ve got to be kidding me!” It was that quaint & unassuming!

on the way to washington . columbia river, oregon/washington border . canon 5d mk2

whoops! welcome to washington . point ellice, washington . canon 5d mk2

Hm. Whoops! When navigating through Astoria, I ignored my GPS and went left instead of right, which forced me to cross the Columbia river into Washington! And let me tell you, that has got to be the scariest bridge ride I’ve ever done (and I’ve done many), because of how high you visibly climb in the beginning, and then how close you are to the actual water towards the end. And I wasn’t thrilled to have to do it all over again to make it back!

back over the bridge . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

astoria-megler bridge . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

While in Astoria (which reminds me of a miniature San Francisco), I decided to go up to the Astoria Column which I found on Yelp (let me tell you, Yelp was my *go to* when I was on my own during this trip!), and walked up the 164 flights of stairs to the very top, which was EXHAUSTING, but well worth the stunning 360 view.

astoria column . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

looking northwest . astoria column . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

looking west . astoria column . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

looking south . astoria column . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

looking east . astoria column . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

‘little’ boats . astoria column . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

sun rays . astoria column . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

I was falling in love with Astoria, one bit at a time.

I had a bit more time before sunset (I was determined to see a sunset on this trip!) so I hurried into downtown, to see if I could get a view over the water.

through the trees . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

quaint little neighborhood . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

quaint little neighborhood . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

Before getting to the waterfront, I decided to walk a bit through the town. I really fell in love with Astoria. The vibe, the feel, it really was like a miniature SF! I so wanted to stay longer, but I couldn’t. However, I did find this charming, charming, charming coffeehouse (Astoria Coffeehouse Cafe) and hung out there a bit. I fell in love with the entire place and ordered myself a chai to drink, which was the best chai I’ve ever had in my life. They also offered Stumptown coffee, which you will hear more of down the line. :)

astoria coffeehouse cafe. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

astoria coffeehouse cafe. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

astoria coffeehouse cafe. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

astoria coffeehouse cafe. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

godfather’s books. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

godfather’s books. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

liberty theater. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

streeview. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

pilot. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

astoria-megler bridge. astoria, oregon . polaroid sx-70

Reached the waterfront! But blast! I can’t see the actual sunset, so I headed back up to the column to try & see if I could catch it up there.

columbia river looking towards washington. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

from my polaroid travel journal. astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

astoria-megler bridge, after sunset . astoria, oregon . canon 5d mk2

Of course, by the time I drove up there, the sun was gone. Alas, another sunset has alluded me on this trip.

But I had fallen in love with an entirely new town. Astoria, though my time with you had been brief, you are lovely in every way. I will be back soon. :)

Thus ends the coastal portion of my trip and I head inland.

Portland, here I come :)

*

Previous road trip posts:

the beginning.
day one.
day two.
day three.