While I eventually made it to the northern end of the Oregon Coast, my initial journey started in the south so that I could check out Medford, the Rogue River Valley, and Grants Pass on the way to Brookings. I traveled through Southern Oregon, traversing roughly 500 miles of mostly barren desert areas and roughly marked highways. My GPS unit was a lifesaver! As I traveled closer to the coast, I had to take a route through Northern California's mountainous and heavily forested border area to reach Brookings late in the evening. Upon arrival, I found the nearest beach and watched the ocean at night. It was beautiful, mysterious, and a bit unnerving to stare out into the watery darkness.
The next morning, the air was cool and salty, but the skies were clear. I went out to the pier for a walk. The next day, I went to Chetco Point.
“Hark, now hear the sailors cry, Smell the sea, and feel the sky, Let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic." - Van Morrison
My experience at Chetco Point was filled with waves of emotion that flowed in tandem with the ocean. Looking out at the ocean and feeling the cool wind in my face was like a reset button for my soul. I was at an uncertain place in my life, already negotiating a new job offer with a new company and looking towards fresh starts while still processing the events that brought me to the top of the hill at Chetco. I was ready to enter a new phase in my life, but I still needed time to make space for myself and make peace with my stressful past. Looking at the ocean, in its seeming infinity as it stretched beyond the horizon, served to give me an important lesson on perspective. As I left Brookings and headed north to Newport, I had much on my mind.
“I was happy anywhere I could see the ocean.” ― Ai Yazawa, Nana, Vol. 18
When I finally made it to Newport, I was ready to take a trip to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. I had wanted to check out the aquarium for years. When the aquarium was closed during the pandemic, I thought I might never have the chance to go. It was an amazing experience, full of all manner of sea life from otters and seabirds, to jellyfish and sharks. As the final stop on my Oregon Coast vacation, I feel like I saved the best for last - I only wish I took more pictures!
Looking at the experience now, almost two years later, I am so grateful for my Oregon Coast trip. It drew me closer to the ocean and closer to the watery, beating heart of the earth. I hope to travel to the Oregon Coast again in the future to experience the kind of magical feeling that only the ocean can provide.
"I will find comfort in the rhythm of the sea.” ― Charlotte Eriksson
Credits:
Amy Dillon