We had planned a trip to Mt Rainier for my birthday week. Then my wonky hip started acting up, and my breathing felt really challenged on my last couple of mountain hikes. When my doctor decided I needed a full cardiac work up, we realized that expecting to enjoy hiking the steep trails at Mt Rainier was unrealistic. Luckily, the place we stayed in Bandon last January had a room available, so we pivoted. At the worst, I could sit on the balcony overlooking the beach and stare at the horizon and the wave trains. I could go for some flat walks on the beach, and find a rock to sit on while my husband walked farther. It turned out to be a very good week for us. We had beautiful weather, some lovely beach walks, and so far, all my medical work ups have not turned up anything other than a likely bad reaction to a new medicine I was trying, and being out of shape because of not doing as much hiking as usual while I was in Utah (too hot), and while my husband was recuperating from his neck surgery in the spring. And maybe, just the entropy of being one year older…

8/3 – Bandon Beach South

Our first evening, we took a walk to the south of our hotel…

8/4 – Face Rock North

We were expecting low tide in the afternoon, so a perfect day for walking north from Face Rock, enjoying the beautiful beach and the marine wildlife.

We spent a fair amount of time watching a flock of whimbrels.

I wasn’t the only one beach combing for agates in the swash zone as the tide went out.

Around lunch time, we saw a pod of seals napping on a nearby islet.

Walking back south, we encountered a bit more marine life…

Back at the hotel, we were treated to another lovely sunset.

8/5 – Shore Acres and Cape Arago State Parks

We drove north to Shore Acres and Cape Arago State Parks. This road was closed by a landslide when we were here in January. We visited several beach overlooks and a beautiful cove, and then walked in the historic Shore Acres Garden.

Our first stop was the Shore Acres cliff viewpoints, where we could see dipping sandstone beds and their oddly eroded concretions. It reminded me of the shoreline at Point Lobos, in California. The one other time I was here, it was windy and there were huge waves. Today, it was very calm.

Looking south from some of the viewpoints:

We drove farther south in the park, to the Simpson Reef Overlook.

Farther south along this dead end road is Cape Arago. We walked the short trail to the North Cove overlook.

And then we walked the short trail down to the South Cove.

Next, we walked through the Shore Acres Gardens.

We drove back to Bandon, and had a delicious fish and chips dinner at the harbor.

8/6 – Port Orford and Cape Blanco

Another beautiful, calm day on the Oregon Coast. We drove south to Port Orford, where we had been once before, in 2007, to see the views and the beaches. We walked the trails at Port Orford Head, to the viewpoints, then had lunch at nearby Battlerock State Beach.

Lunch stop at Battlerock Beach:

On to Cape Blanco, remembering our lovely walk here in January.

By the time we returned to our hotel, mist had rolled in all along the coast, so there was no sunset view.

8/7 – Home again, home again, jiggity jig

The next day, we drove home, passing over one of the beautiful Art Deco bridges on the Oregon Coast.

It had been a lovely week, despite my hiking limitations. I brought home some agates, postcards, and a few small birthday gifts, along with my memories.