Cape Lookout State Park...the trail home.

"There's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline,

no matter how many times it's sent away"

Sarah Kay

Along with Dick and Melinda, we departed Henry Rierson Spruce Run Campground, and headed southwest toward Tillamook, Oregon and Cape Lookout State Park. The park is nestled in a very lush coastal forest on a sand spit between Netarts Bay and the Pacific Ocean, offering terrific views of the ocean while at the same time easy access to it's beautiful beach.

This park proved to be a wonderful destination for sightseers, campers, hikers, beachcombers and of course "Lifedancers" who appreciate the harmonious blend of nature and recreation. 

Imkelina and her "girls" never grew tired of walking the miles of open beach. It seems her day is different at the beach as her passage doesn't move hour to hour. Her adventures are guided by the currents, planned around the tides and follow the rise and setting of the sun. Her day seems timeless...and they are as she never wears a watch. As I watch her stand before this beautiful beach, I can hear the waves whispering to her...continue to choose the simple things and find the joy in nature's simple treasures...life and living need not be so hard.

There is also a short walking trail, The Nature Trail, through the campground which is pretty tame. The Cape Lookout Trail, a five mile round trip hike, is also located nearby. During World War II, a B-17 bomber was flying north along the Oregon coast on a transit run. On that day in 1943 Cape Lookout was shrouded with fog. The pilots mistook the cape for a cloudbank and flew straight into its 800-foot cliffs. There were no survivors. Although the trail passes just above the crash site, the wreckage is no longer visible.

Santa Maria Ribs and grilled veggies

We enjoyed our last day here, savoring weather that stimulated Weber time and a vivid sunset that provided an opening act to our campfire talks. Soon it would be time to head south and home to our "Central Coast Hidey Hole." Driving south along the coastal headlands, soaring sand dunes, massive rock formations, mile long beaches and old growth forests always leaves a lasting remembrance of this beloved state.

At Waypoint 45.366820, -123.962148