#192 Oregon Coast Trip

Anne and I finally got to do a little traveling, a very short trip on the Oregon coast. I did remember to set myself a photographic goal: try to get five photos each of the three days of the trip that are good enough—quality or story content—to share on a blog post.

Day One. We packed the Forester and were on the road by 9:30 AM. The weather was overcast and cool, but good for traveling down the I-5 and then to Junction City and the Poodle Creek cutoff to Florence (a route we had used many times when we lived in Brookings).

Our first stop was at the freeway rest stop (like a layby) just before Albany. We pulled into the facility and had to park near an individual having a dramatically punctuated discussion with himself. He was loudly argumentative and obviously high or mentally/emotionally challenged or both. From the car I took a picture, the first of the trip, but I don’t believe I should share the photo—perhaps if I were a photojournalist doing a story I might feel differently. Lots of weirdness in the world. Stop two was at Fiddler’s Green Golf Shop between Junction City and Eugene. We love to browse this shop and usually find an item or two to add to our golf supplies. On this trip, besides balls to lose, I bought a new PING putter because you can never have enough putters. It was a pleasant hour drive from Fiddler’s Green to Old Town Florence and coffee and a sweet at River Roasters. 

Anne at River Roasters

After a relaxed 45 minute break we walked down toward the docks and Anne’s favorite stop in town, All About Olives. There she spent almost as much on olives as I did on a PING putter—I do exaggerate…a little.

This plaque at the gazebo in Old Town Florence commemorates The Oregon Dune Mushers Mail Run, a trip by dog team over dunes, through rivers and streams, over quick sand flats for 72 miles in two days. I was one of the original mushers who ran the trail. I participated in the Mail Run for the first five years before my speech team activities got in the way.

We next drove out to the South Jetty for photos in the dunes. We managed to get a couple of decent photo stops, but the lighting was very flat. We killed a little time trying to get a few good images.

Grebe or Cormorant?

I think this is some kind of pussy willow which grows wild in the wetlands between the dunes.

It was now time to check in to the Landmark Inn, a block off Hwy 101 and only a few blocks from Old Town. Our unit was nice, a one bedroom with kitchenette (only missing an oven) and a dinette on the ground floor. The parking there is slightly tricky, but fine with the Forester (last visit we had a full size pickup). We took a short rest and then went back to Old Town for dinner at The Waterfront Depot. We didn’t have table reservations, but did get two seats at the end of the bar. The bartender was our waiter and put on a good show mixing drinks. Dinner wasn’t cheap (nothing on the coast is), but the meal was outstanding and well worth the price. Anne and I shared yummy calamari strips as an appetizer and I had the best seafood alfredo I’ve ever had. Even with my Glenfarclas 10 year old single malt, 

My Evening Tipple

we didn’t break the bank. We tried to pay for part of our trip at the Three Rivers Casino, but a couple of hours was enough to give up all we wanted. Time to go to our home for the next two nights.

Day Two. Late start this morning, both of us were tired from a travel day (out of practice). We got out to breakfast at the Little Brown Hen by almost 10:00. Always busy, always good. There are so many delicious breakfast choices it makes deciding difficult. I ordered two eggs, a side of bacon, and a plate-sized blueberry pancake. 

Several people (customers as well as waitstaff) commented or asked about the way I ate the pancake from the middle out. Even Anne had never noticed I do that. When I explained that starting in the middle keeps the syrup corralled, whereas starting the edge risks slopping syrup off the edge of the plate, I even got one “brilliant!”

After breakfast we drove down to the North Jetty where we’d never explored. We found some interesting forest paths and good river views. 

Too much photoshop?

Visited with a friendly local in the back of his pickup in the North Jetty parking lot.

The best photo opportunities came when we got closer to the dunes near the river mouth. 

Dunes of North Jetty

War of the Worlds anyone?

I’m glad we saw the North Jetty area, but the South has more photo potential. From North Jetty we drove back to the casino where Anne had a little luck and I ended up as slot fodder. Lattes and work time at the coffee shop took care of the rest of the afternoon. 

For dinner we went back to Old Town to the 1285 Restobar, a favorite of ours for good food and excellent service. I again had seafood alfredo which was delicious, but not quite as good as at Waterfront the night before. Give one 10/10 and the other 9.5/10. We went back to the motel and struggled to stay up until about 9:30. We are definitely out of traveling practice—it really wore us out.

Day Three. The trip home. We got a more efficient start today; up and packed and ready to check out by 9:05. Breakfast was again at Little Brown Hen—it’s the best spot in town and nothing else is very close. I had bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. Treat of the morning was the special homemade jams, blackberry and strawberry, which I used on the toast. Simple, delicious.

On our way out of town we stopped for gas at the local Fred Meyers. The whole trip in the Forester took one tank of petrol—good with current prices over $4 a gallon. We had planned on photographing at two locations on the way home. First was Haceta Head and Lighthouse. 

Hecta Head stands out in black and white.

I got good shots of a crow and the lighthouse from the Hwy 101 cliffside pullout. 

Hereto Beach

We walked out on the Haceta Beach for more photos before stoppong at our second spot, Seal Beach. Part of the walkway with views at Seal Beach was closed for repairs, but we still got some good views from where we could still walk.

The rocks at Seal Beach are more dramatic in monochrome. For those who know some Oregon coast geography, the small pinpoint of white at the upper right is Yaquina Head Lighhouse north of Newport. For those who don't know the geography, the dot is still the lighthouse.

In Newport we went to Starbucks for a latte break. Then, because we were making good time, we drove out to the Yaquina Head for photos of the lighthouse and resting sea lions. Our last planned stop of the trip was in Lincoln City at the Robert’s Bookshop. It’s my favorite used bookstore and I found a couple of photo books on the West and Southwest. 

But who's counting.

They make good editions to my collection. Anne bought a couple of books as well. 

The rest of the drive home was uneventful, In fact, the whole trip had been uneventful, but even though it may seem boring we both had had fun and felt safe. Now, Covid restrictions are opening up, but there’s a new variant to contend with. We’ll see what travel is next for us.

   

It's About Me

It’s about Me

This post is about me. First is a story about my senior year at South Salem HS. Second will be 21 photos (some of my favorites) that I’ve never shared or displayed or sold as prints. I feel good about sharing both of these.

My Senior Speech Year at South Salem HS

My third year on the South Salem speech team was quite special and yet nobody really noticed. Throughout the entire year in debate, individual events, and special speeches I won awards in every event I entered—most of the time third place and never first. Besides debate, the individual events I participated in was quite a variety: extemporaneous speaking, impromptu, oratory, dramatic interp, salesmanship (Linfield College), public address (Linfienld), and student congress. In every one of these events in six different competitions (high school and college tournaments) I won awards. I also entered two scholarship competitions and won awards in each (Odd Fellows United Nations competition and American Legion Oratorical).  

Highlights for the year included winning five Superior or Excellent awards at Portland State in five different events—I competed in 3 events one hour and two events the next hour—I was awarded Outstanding Speaker in the tournament by Coach Dr. Ben Padrow. At the Linfield College tournament I placed in the three individual events I entered and with my partner, Mike Harrell, won 2nd in Sr. Debate. I did receive a speech scholarship to Linfield from Dr. Hap Mahaffey. At the state tournament at Oregon State University Mike and I along with Catrhy Stone placed third in team debate, and at the NW Regional National Qualifying Tournament at Evergreen College in Washington I won 3rd  in Men’s Extemp (top two got to go to Nationals).

With approximately forty trophies (all seconds or thirds) won in my senior year of high school, it was encouraging that my partner at Linfield, Paul Butcher, and I took first place (undefeated) in our first college tournament.

Some Favorite Photos

There’s no significant order to these photos, They are just images I like or that bring back good memories, yet I’ve never before shared them. I thought it was time they were seen and shared. Let me know which ones you like (or don't like).

Health and Safety doesn't like this picture.

Crown Point Vista House, Early Morning

Ancient standing stone and small castle in Central Scotland.

This really is a selfie taken on a Scottish ferry trip.

Grafitti Wall in Santa Fe

Anne enjoys a scone in a stationary rail car tearoom in Dufftopwn, Scotland.

An ancient stone circle in a cow field near Killin, Scotland.

Abandoned crofts on an island we passed on a ferry from the mainland to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Dramatic clouds framed the dunes along Balnakeil Beach in the far Northwest corner of Scotland.

Anne crossing a clapper bridge (large flat stone bridge) in Datmoor National Park, England.

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A small croft in the Scottish highlands near Braemar.

Gathering Pollen in Scotland

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse on a rare summer day.

Abiquiu Lake, New Mexico, near the home and studio of artist Georgia O'Keeffe

Forest bridge on the trail to the Burn O'Vat near Ballatter, Scotland.

Sunset in Arches National Park, Moab, Utah.

I have absolutely no idea what this creature is, but I know I wouldn't want to meet it in a dark alley. Photo taken near Sisters, OR.

Old Friends (Elgin, Scotland)

Anne on the trail in the far northwest of Scotland, near Durness.

Credit the photographer, Anne, for catching me at work in an ancient cairn in Ireland.

Store window and street reflection in Scotland. Is Anne inside or out?

Scotland Spring 2004: A Writing Trip

On our first trip to Scotland in the fall of 2000, we joined the Historic Scotland National Trust. Within two years I had written and sold two articles to Historic Scotland magazine—“Old Tom Morris: A National Treasure” about a major Scottish golf figure whose grave is featured in St Andrews Cathedral under the care of Historic Scotland, and “Mark of the Mason” about the identity marks masons left in castles, churches, abbeys and other buildings protected by Historic Scotland. While waiting to see these articles in print, the editor of Historic Scotland emailed an offer to me. In the fall of 2003, I met with Joanne Morrison in the Edinburgh offices of Historic Scotland to finalize my position as guest columnist in the magazine and to give me specific assignments. Not wanting to drive in a large confusing city (remember in Scotland they drive on the other side) we rode the train from Dunblane to Waverly station in Edinburgh and then got a cab to Historic Scotland offices near Leith. At our meeting we agreed on a series of assignments for me to be accomplished over the next few trips to Scotland. 

The assignments included Historic Scotland properties reached by small ferries, properties with tearooms of note, properties with award winning gardens, industrial sites under care of Historic Scotland, and properties with the best views. These are the assignments to be worked on, but the one that needed to be completed on our spring 2004 trip was “The Stones of Isle Arran,” a guide to ancient Historic Scotland properties on the Isle of Arran in the Kilbrannan Sound off the Ayrshire coast. This was to be the lead article in fall 2004 issue.

This sets the scene for our fifth trip to Scotland in April and May (five weeks) in 2004. On this trip we played plenty of golf and did necessary sightseeing as we neared our finish to our first golf guide, Scotland’s Hidden Gems: Golf Courses and Pubs, published in February, 2005. But spring 2004 was the first trip we planned with writing for Historic Scotland in mind. This blog post tells and shows a little of the story of that writing trip.

The trip begins as almost all of our subsequent trips did in our home base of Crieff in Central Scotland. 

Crieff in Early Morning Light

After a few days we headed southeast to the Borders region, then west to Isle Arran, north to the highlands, and back to Crieff for the last two and a half weeks. But our writing story really begins on Arran.

The Stones of Arran

View of Holy Isle  and Lamlash Bay from our B&B on Arran--Lilybank in Lamlash.

The article on the stones found on Isle Arran in the Kilbrannon Sound between Ayrshire and Kintyre Peninsula was to include most of the ancient sites on the island under the care of Historic Scotland. These sites included standing stones, burial cairns, stone circles, and even one ancient castle. The main site is called Machrie Moor, an area in the southern uplands of the island containing numerous ancient sites in the region of 3000 years old. 

Moss Farm Road stone circle on the path to Machrie Moor.

One of several sets of standing stones on Machrie Moor.

We had a good day for the mile and half hike to the moor and spent an hour or two exploring the area. While on Arran we also visited Auchagallon stone circle on the west coast (noted for its astronomical alignment) 

and Torrylin burial cairn in the south, along with a couple of lesser sites. 

The site that didn’t quite fit with the others was Lochranza Castle

—a 13th century tower associated with Stewarts and Hamiltons among others—but it is ancient, made out of stones, and a Historic Scotland site. Morrisaon agreed it fit the article.

The Main Road around Isle Arran

Gardens of Historic Scotland

During our spring trip we visited several gardens at Historic Scotland properties. Castles were the predominant locations with our travel itinerary including stops at three iconic Scottish castles. Aberdour Castle on Firth of Forth was our first stop to visit the walled garden.  

This castle  built in  the 12th century is one oldest in Scotland. 

Darlington Castle

Next we visited the longest herbaceous garden in the world at the medieval fortress of Dirlington Castle in North Berwick. The last castle garden we stopped at was at one of Scotland’s most important sites, Stirling Castle located above the town of Stirling on the volcanic plug called Castle Hill. 

Fought over for centuries, it was said that who held Stirling Castle held Scotland. The garden we saw was created by William Watt in 1629. On this trip we also visited the herb garden at Jedburgh Abbey. 

The 12th century Augustinian abbey has been in the care of Historic Scotland since 1917. Future trips added more gardens to finish the article.

Industrial Sites of Historic Scotland

This article was not one I proposed, but it turned out to be one of the most interesting. Joanne Morrison suggested several sites (I added more) of industrial interest under the care of Historic Scotland. Many of the places I would never have thought to visit—for instance, I had no idea what a beam engine was or that they even existed—but I found them very interesting when a visited. Without much difficulty we fit three sites into our planned itinerary: the Wanlochead beam engine, 

The Beam Engine is a water powered pump used to pump water out of the lead mines.

The village of Wanlockhead is the highest village in Scotland at around 1500 feet in elevation. Notice the sheep in the front yard.

Bonawe Iron Furnace, 

The Bonawe Iron Furnace complex operated in the 18th century and at its height employed 600 people.

and the New Abbey Corn Mill. 

The corn mill in New Abbey in southern Scotland operates during the summer months. The 18th century mill is located a quarter of a mile from Sweetheart Abbey, another HS site.

The beam engine visit took us into a little visited area of Scotland we had never thought to visit. 

Best Views from Historic Scotland

Editor Joanne Morrison left the selection of best views to my choice as the tourist. There might be some tremendous views that I missed, but Anne and I had a great deal of fun discussing which views to include in this article. On the spring 2004 trip we selected three castle views for the article—Craigmillar Castle, 

Located three miles from the centre of Edinburgh, this 16th century castle has a great view over the capitol city.

Stirling Castle, 

The view from Stirling Castle includes the Wallace Monument a couple of miles away and the Ochill Hills behind.

and Tantallon Castle. 

This is the view of Bass Rock you get from the ruins the 14th century Douglas Clan stronghold of Tantallon Castle.

We also selected two views from ancient sites to be included in the article—Dunadd 

The view from the top of the ruins of Dunadd, at one time capital of the Kingdom of Dal Raise which would one day become Scotland. The hill fort was first occupied in the 600s.

It's a challenging little hike to the top of Dunadd for a couple of older tourists.

and Cairnpapple Hill. 

The Neolithic Cairnpapple Hill is a burial tomb commanding a spectacular view. From the 1000 foot elevation of the cairn, on a clear day one can see the entire width of Scotland--from North Berick on east coast to Ayrshire on the west, a view of at least 70 miles in all directions.

Which view would you pick as the best? I’ll let you know our choice at the end of the post.

Not an Historic Scotland site, but a worthwhile edition to this post is the view of Brig O'Doon in Alloway. The bridge was made famous by the Robert Burns poem "Tam O'Shanter." Oh, and I think it plays some part in a popular musical.

What is our choice as the best view from Historic Scotland sites? We picked the view from coast to coast we got at Cairpapple Hill Cairn. Note: the second time we visited the hill, it was so foggy we could nae see the cairn from a hundred feet away.