The Oregon Coast – II

by oBelIX

I drove this last year – The Oregon Coast. This year, @roh4n had come up to Seattle and wanted to drive back and of course, while blasting down the interstate does get you to San Fransisco faster, it is much less scenic. So, we did the following ~900 mi:

We left on a Friday, at around 5:30 in the evening, fully aware that traffic near that ugly place where there is an upside-down-bowl-of-concrete would be terrible. Still, it made sense and we did end up getting into Portland at around 8:30-ish. Now, traditionally I’ve been a fan of Chennai Masala in Hillsboro, one Rava Dosa and a filter coffee can keep me going for a bit but this time we headed over to the Bollywood Theater. There was a line, which was to be expected, a Friday evening. The décor was brilliant, the ambience doubly so. It felt real without really being overdone. The ads in the bathroom were epic:

 

I will not translate this

 

and I liked the devnagiri font over there

The food was decent. I wouldn’t really drive over to Portland to eat it again (unlike Bombay Chaat which is a foodtruck that serves heavenly chaat). If you are here though then do order the Kathi Roll. Also, this was the first time in a long time that I had trouble finishing food on the table.

 

dinner … pav bhaji to the right where the bhaji lacked spice and dahi-papdi to the left which had some masala that felt incorrect

 

It was at this time night and there was fog and we drove on I5, continuing past Salem and Eugene. This part of the drive was uneventful, relaxing. The traffic had thinned and people were driving sensibly despite the fog. Somewhere past Eugene we turned onto OR-38 which is another one of those brilliant roads in Oregon. Last year, I had driven West on OR-42 in the wee hours of the morning with the sun rising behind me and it had been memorable. This year, at midnight I was driving west on a very similar road. There was a little bit of fog, the Umpqua river next to us for the most part and mountains. I am sure this road is brilliant during the day, scenic and beautiful but at night the experience was exhilarating. We turned onto 101 and halted at “The Best Western” in Coos Bay for the night.

The next morning after breakfast we headed south on US-101.

 

weird car parked at a grocery store – I forget what groceries we got

 

it was a gloomy, overcast day.

 

windy as hell

 

at the first cape that we stopped at.

I’ll take a moment here to chit-chat about what I think is a good way to do the Oregon coast.

Step 1: Get a nice car. This is important if you like to drive.

Step 2: Wait for December end or January. This is important if you want the road to yourself and free from random grandmothers

Step 3: Drive either North or South on 101

Step 4: When you see a sign-post saying “Vista Point” or “Cape **** State Park” put on your turn-signal and pull over

Step 5: Step outside the car.

Step 6: Marvel at the sheer power of the Pacific

Step 7: Feel the wind through your sweatshirt and your jacket

Step 8: Breathe!

Step 9: Rinse and repeat till you see a signboard that says either, “Welcome to California” or “Welcome to Washington”

This is pretty much what we did.

 

foam and surf

 

US-101 and the Pacific

 

We eventually hit the town of Gold Coast which is approached by a rather decent looking bridge. It has a beach, which at this time was deserted. I suspect it would be a nice place to visit during the summer as well.

 

This is a rather good photo

 

The Pincochio Hippo. Yes, I was lazy, drew it with my foot.

 

You never get tired of the views!

 

and the ocean

 

and the road

It should be noted that there is a small part for which 101 does leave the coast and goes around a hill, Humbolt or Humtumps or Hum something or the other. Be awake, this little bit is incredibly beautiful with small streams and a different shade of green and quiet.

 

Eventually though, Oregon ended. California began. 101 becomes a different road out here and gradually transitions to a carrier of people. We did however, get off 101 and head onto this brilliant road called, “Avenue of The Giants”. Cut through redwoods and going along some type of water-body (a river and then a lake), in foggy weather it was beautiful.

 

glomp – that is just amazing road

 

the river I was talking about

 

Redwoods are tall. Really tall. I took this looking vertically up. Makes you think a lot.

 

no description required.

 

Eventually though, it became dark, the redwoods became normal trees and then grasses. The rain started to come down like a torrent. The drivers started to drive like idiots. The rest of the drive after sunset was just a grind, counting down the miles to San Francisco and dinner (which was rather nice, at Dosa on Filmore).

That is now, twice in two years. Ty, Oregon!

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