Coast

Just about 10 miles south of Newport, we discover another little jewel at Ona Beach State Park. As we embark upon the park's trail toward the beach, we have shades of Cumberland Island at many points. The lush tree forest transports us to a wide beautiful beach via a bridge over a sand dune.
Our first sight through the fog are a couple of lone horseback riders along the surf's rim. It is a truly beautiful sight and a flood of familiarity rings at once.

This beach has both the dramatic cliffs and soft white sand with only a spattering of other guests. Walking along the shoreline, in and out of the fog is one of those truly magical moments.

An attempted dip of the toes in the water reminds quickly we are not in the south, however. This water is COLD!!! Yes, mid summer and we're still in coats. Honestly, not missing the heat back east at all....

The little detour at the end of our travel day has been more than rewarding - ths completely unplanned stop at Ona Beach rewards us with one of our most special beach walks ever! And, once again confirms how gorgeous this Oregon coast is. (Is it clear yet how much we like it here?!)

Beach Fun

After a good night's sleep in our little beach cottage and a slow wake up this morning, a beach hike seems to be a grand idea. Though chilly and foggy, the coastline is spectacular and we enjoy an amazing journey along the shore.


The beach is easy to walk on once we pass the deep white sand at the entrance, the low tide brings hard packed sand and a very wide walking path. Exposed rocks toward the cliff area provides a fun and good workout, as well as a discovery spot for interesting marine life.

Horseback riders saunter down the dune area as we head back toward the little city's town core. The quaint town has a wonderful little book store where we spend a good amount of time finding new reads and make some great purchases for future escapes. It is well past noon by the time we finish our walk and book tour and the sun has still not peeked through. As we have several days in this area, we opt to stay close to home this afternoon, reading and enjoying the sleepy town's energy.

Later in the day, dune buggies traverse the pretty beach and kites easily float in the windy skies. With all the beauty surrounding, we don't even miss the sun. We throrougly enjoy our lazy day and the comforts provided by our little beach cottage. Resting up for a big excursion tomorrow seems to be the perfect decison. The quiet we experience here is very welcomed!