I have to say, we had an absolutely wonderful month in Oregon. I could already tell when I posted my Gleneden Beach: We’re Home post that we were going to love it and we did. By the time we left, I started thinking of it as “M’oregon” because it just seemed to have more of all the things we love: awe-inspiring sights, great trails to hike, and good food and wine. And on top of it all, we really believe our Airbnb there was the best we’ve ever stayed in. Here are a few of the things we had more of in Oregon.
More Hiking
In my last post, I mentioned all the nice local hikes and walks we’d been taking, but soon we noticed the forecast for Crater Lake National Park was getting ready to cool, so we planned a somewhat-spontaneous (two days’ notice) overnight getaway to the park. Along the way, we stopped at some of the best coastal attractions on the central coast, including the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area in Siuslaw National Forest.
There we saw cool features like Thor’s well (check out the video), Devil’s Churn, and we hiked the Hobbit Trail to Hobbit Beach (and through a cool part of the state park with lots of what we call “grinch trees” that are full of moss). We spent the night at a motel in Shady Cove (Edgewater Inn), which was fine and then the next day got up, worked just a bit, then headed on to Crater Lake National Park.
Devil’s Churn 
Chad looking into Thor’s Well 
Masked on the Hobbit Trail 
Hobbit Trail entrance from Hobbit Beach 
Hobbit Beach 
Grinch Trees along the trails 
Impressive trees on the China Creek Loop
Only a small part of the road in the park was still open, but that led to the Rim Village area, where we were able to hike one of the top-rated trails, Garfield Peak. It was not overly crowded – we saw maybe 20 people on the trail all morning, and the views from the top were completely worth it. We enjoyed a nice picnic and then had been thinking we would hike a bit of the Rim Trail before heading home, but being a flat trail, there were tons of people on it. So we made the 6-hour drive back home. Even doing only one hike, the whole excursion was worth it, especially seeing the gorgeous blue water in the crater.
View of Crater Lake 
Jaime on the trail 
Chad on the trail 
Garfield Peak selfie 
View of Crater Lake from the peak
Besides more hikes around Lincoln City and Depoe Bay, our other great moment of natural wonder came our last weekend in Oregon, when they were experiencing “king tides,” which are really high, high tides. The difference at our beach was amazing – the waves completely overtook the beach and we could only see it safely from above.
Even better, we drove down to Depoe and the tides made the anomaly go nuts. There were tons of people out to view it (safely masked and socially distanced), giving the whole spectacle kind of a festival feel. You can see the cool spray in the video. We lucked into a fairly warm, dry day (mid-50s temps, so great for hiking) and did the Depoe Bay loop again, a great end to our trip.
God’s Thumb feature on the Knoll hike in Lincoln Beach 
Bridge in a Lincoln each Park 
Ducks on the Salishan Lagoon 
Where the Salishan River meets the Pacific Ocean 
We didn’t see seals or sea lions, but understand they hang out in the area sometimes 
Epic rays on the Salishan Loop
More Coziness
With the cooler weather and lack of outdoor dining options, we really couldn’t go anywhere other than on walks and hikes, so it was good that we splurged on such a delightful cozy home. We actually enjoyed the protracted election week and watching all the coverage (and Chad doing the voter count math each day until the media made it official that yes, Biden would definitely win). And, the final result on that Saturday morning was a great excuse for day drinking! We also brought in some nice takeout each week for date night, especially our final seafood feast from Mo’s, which is known for their clam chowder (it was excellent). We even completed a second puzzle, this one 1000 pieces. And liked it so much that we’ve already bought one for home! I’m so happy we stretched our budget to get such a nice home for that period since we spent so much time there. I already put photos in my last post, but my glowing review and link to the Airbnb listing are below.
Our 1000-piece puzzle 
Dinner from Mo’s 
Chad did a Q&A with a college in PA from our cozy living room 
Election celebration – it was a fun, slightly nerve-wracking week (though Chad never lost confidence in the outcome)
More Peace and Tranquility
Most of all, our time in Oregon was just really calm and peaceful. Work stuff went well for us both, we were able to get outside even on the cool days for at least a mile or two of walking around our neighborhood and on the beach (we were pushing ourselves to achieve our 250-mile goal) and we made some great meals in the home’s kitchen. Just like we’ll always think back fondly on our time in Costa Rica at the start of the pandemic, Gleneden Beach and Greycoast (the name of the house) will always have a place in our hearts. I hope we make it back again in the future.
Pretty sunset from the point above Fogarty Creek 
Pretty sunset from the entrance to our beach
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Airbnb Review
Wonderful home, wonderful host, I really can’t say enough good things about our month-long stay at Greycoast. If Airbnb had a level beyond super-host, Scott would definitely qualify! Gleneden Beach is a really sweet community and such a nice neighborhood to walk in, especially the little three-minute walk to the beach. You can hear the waves from the yard, and even sometimes from inside the house! The decor and layout of the home are so comfortable (loved the electric fireplace) and the kitchen is extremely well-equipped. Oh, and so clean! The hosts have provided a million thoughtful touches and the wifi was super-fast and consistent. There is a lot to see and do in the area and we picked up takeout from several great restaurants that were an easy drive away. This was such a cozy home for us for fall and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17047591