Sorry for the slow blogging, we have been traveling almost every weekend so I can barely keep up with the blog. Em has been traveling a lot with her new job, and I have been on-call for work during the week. Back in Feb, we took a weekend trip to the Oregon coast. It is littered with small towns boasting great seafood and small-town feel. As per a recommendation from Uncle Charlie, we went to visit the local sea lion population. During the winter, these furry friends huddle up inside sea caves to keep warm. Luckily, Oregon is home to the world's largest seacave. Putting 2 and 2 together means we have a lot of sea lions hanging out in Oregon for the winter months. So no, we are not crazy for venturing towards the coast during the cold winter months....besides, it doesn't get much colder than 35 degrees here in the winter (I am honestly thinking of getting rid of that down coat in the closet that served me so well in Chicago). :)
Along the coast near Florence is a natural formation called "Devils Churn". It is a weak spot in the volcanic rock that has been eroded by the constant ocean waves.
Devils Churn carves its way very deep into the shoreline. As the water crashes into the narrow channel, deep reverberations produce thunderous low rumbles.
Heceta Head Lighthouse (barely visible in the distance) was built in 1894 and is claimed to be the most photographed lighthouse. I will try my best to help it maintain this status.
Finally, we reach the focus of this trip.....sealions! If you are ever in the area in the winter, I highly suggest a visit to see the sealions. I am a huge fan of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat (which is why I love SCUBA diving) instead of seeing animals trapped in cages at the zoo.
Finally, we reach the focus of this trip.....sealions! If you are ever in the area in the winter, I highly suggest a visit to see the sealions. I am a huge fan of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat (which is why I love SCUBA diving) instead of seeing animals trapped in cages at the zoo.
Here are a few dozen sealions sunning on a rock. The cliff is definitely too steep and treacherous for a closer view. And besides, you can just take the elevator down to the cave for a better view.
Inside the cave you will find several hundred sea lions. Sorry for the low light photos, as flashes are not allowed because it will disturb the sea lions. The echoes of their barks in the cave walls is quite loud, and it smells of fish. These lucky guys get to eat fresh sashimi everyday. Jealous.
The bigger sea lions vie for the top spots on the rocks. Occasionally, you will witness a small scuffle between them for the best place to take a nap.
I could have stayed and watched them play in the water all day....but I was out-voted by the rest of the group. :(
Hey, there's Heceta Head Lighthouse again....this is the view north from inside the cave (just a ~200 ft view lower perspective than the pic above).
OK, remind me to pack an extra inner tube if I go mountain biking out here in the summer. These nasty thorn bushes decorate the trails on the coast.
There are several places along the coast where freshwater steams flow into the ocean right across the beach. The sandy beach is constantly reshaped with the changing direction of the stream.
Here you can see the mixture of brown sand with black volcanic sand. The two mix with the flow of the water. As the water flow slows, the different densities of the two sands cause them to settle in different areas, producing intricate patterns that reveal the topography of the terrain.
Some of the rocks are absolutely covered in this slippery moss. It is quite shaggy and feels like petting a wet dog.
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