I realized a few weeks ago that I have been living in Oregon for three months and I have not made it to the coast yet! I knew I would make it there eventually, but it just hit me, like why the heck am I waiting?! I need to stop putting it off and just go!!

So, I decided I would go the upcoming weekend. I only work Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on the mountain, so I was planning on leaving early Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, I woke up Monday morning with strep throat… Thankfully, antibiotics are literally miracle workers and by Tuesday morning, I felt a zillion times better! The doctor said I was technically still contagious until 48 hours after I started taking the antibiotics, which was Wednesday around noon. Tuesday night around 8, I decided since I was feeling so much better, I was going to follow through with my original plans and go to the coast!

Having done a total of zero research, I ran downstairs, asked my roommate Alex his best suggestions, marked them all on my map, and made a super tentative plan. I grabbed both my rain coats, my camp stove, sleeping bag, pillow, gopro, sweatpants, laptop, and wetsuit and stuffed them all in my backpack and called it a night.

Day 1

My alarm woke me up at 5:45, where I grabbed a few last-minute things, threw all my leftovers from the fridge in a bag and hopped in the car. I set my GPS to Astoria and embarked on my 4 hour and 37 minute journey.

Oregon is literally so gorgeous and it was such a spectacular drive through the mountains and the countryside. My drive also took me a few miles into southern Washington, which was pretty exciting since I’ve never been to Washington (but I’m not gonna count it on my scratch-off map because I didn’t really go to Washington, just drove on the interstate).

I arrived in the port city of Astoria around 11:30am. I parked right along the water, walked for a bit on the Riverwalk and checked out some of the ships. From there, I followed the map of historic downtown and drove up the tallest hill to see the historic Astoria Column. It was a beautifully painted column of Astoria’s history, standing 125 feet tall. I wanted to get a closer look, but parking was $5, and hey, I’m on a budget here! It was still cool to see from the car though.

After that, I drove to check out the Garden of Surging Waves and the historic Liberty Theater. The garden was a beautiful collection of Chinese-inspired art to honor and celebrate the Chinese heritage in Astoria. From there, I walked over to the Liberty Theater, which was so intricate and beautiful, but disappointing because the inside was unfortunately closed. I decided to walk the few streets of downtown to check out the shops, but most of them were closed on Wednesdays. I did, however, get to go to the cutest bookshop called Lucy’s Books where I browsed around for a while.

After my downtown stroll, I was planning on heading out and continuing my journey down the coast. However, when I don’t have much of a plan, I find myself stopping just about every five minutes because I see something that catches my attention. I really wanted to go out onto the water, so basically anything that said “pier” or “dock” or “waterfront” on it, you know I was stopping. I parked at Pier 11 and I’m so glad I did! I walked along the water for a bit, then saw a sign outside that said “Antique Mall Inside”. Oh, heck yea!! I love antique malls! I meandered through all the shops, admiring all the interesting trinkets and goodies and had to keep myself from buying literally everything!

From that little excursion, I continued on with my journey. Since Astoria wasn’t technically on the coast yet, just on the Columbia River before hitting the ocean, I made my way west to Fort Stevens State Park. I parked at Peter Iredale shipwreck and basically ran to the ocean!

It’s been over SIX MONTHS since I’ve seen the ocean and that is way too long!! With my beanie and two jackets on, you could say it was a bit chilly, but I just had to feel the sand between my toes. I took off my shoes and dug my feet so deep in the sand, I almost lost em! I also needed to feel the ocean, so I walked in the crashing waves for a bit until my poor toes felt like they were on the brink of frostbite!

I walked back to my car, threw my warmest wool socks and my snow boots on, made myself a sandwich, fixed me a nice glass of rosé, grabbed my book and headed back to the ocean. I had a lovely little picnic watching the waves crash and then did a bit of reading.

I’m currently reading Spiritual Writings, which is a collection of John Muir’s journal entries from his many years spent living in the woods and the spiritual connections he feels to the natural world. It is a really beautiful book that gives you a much deeper appreciation for our natural world and I would recommend it to anyone.

After that relaxing afternoon, I broke the drone out for the first time in months! I got some really cool photos and videos and will hopefully have that up on my YouTube channel soon!

Wanting to continue my journey and find a good spot to watch the sunset and a place to camp for the night before it got too late, I hopped in my car. However, as I was driving out of the park, I saw a parking area that paralleled the water, and I figured that might honestly be the best spot to watch the sunset from the back of my car and it would give me a chance to just relax and enjoy the simplicity of my little home.

I sat in my bed, all snuggled up with the trunk open and watched the sun sink into the ocean. I was able to get some videos edited, work on a few blog posts, and do a bit of journaling. Once it got dark, I flicked my fairy lights on and cooked me a nice dinner of brussel sprouts, potatoes, and bell peppers.

The signs when entering the state park said “No Overnight Parking”, so I was planning on finding a different place to camp. However, well after sunset, there was another van and an RV still hanging out in the same parking lot as me, and I decided that if they’re gonna stay, then I will too. Sadly though, around 9, both of them headed out. Being alone in that parking lot, I decided not to risk getting that dreaded 3AM knock on my window telling me to leave, so I headed out as well.

I checked all my free campsite finder sources and sadly found nothing… After living in my car for a while though, I’ve definitely found a couple tricks to find a safe place to stay for the night. What I’ve learned is that most neighborhoods around bigger towns or cities have free street parking. They’re generally safe areas, being around a lot of family homes and typically well lit. I found a nice neighborhood a couple of miles off the coast and found a nice cozy spot to park for the night. I did a bit of reading before I called it a night around 10:30.

Day 2

I set my alarm at 6:15 in hopes of catching the sunrise. Obviously, the sun rises in the east, so it wouldn’t be an ocean sunrise, but I marked a point on my map along the bay in hopes of still getting a nice over-the-water sunrise. Sadly, the road to get out there was blocked off, so I had to figure out a new plan. There was a bridge crossing the bay directly east, so I hopped on that bridge, drove super slow, and was able to see a beautiful cloudy, but colorful sunrise right over the water. The bridge was only about a mile long, so it was very short lived, but still good!

I turned around, drove back over the bridge, then plopped myself in the Natural Grocers parking lot to watch the rest of it. I mean, it definitely wasn’t the most magical place for sunrise viewing, but sometimes, you gotta take what you can get!

I then hopped in the back and made a nice avocado toast for breakfast. Around 8, I headed over to Starbucks to bum some wifi for my weekly counseling session. Spontaneous road trips should not mean that self-care gets neglected!

I had a great session with Courtney, then drove down to Sunset Beach. There, I had a relaxing morning with a bit of reading and journaling and went on a long walk along the water. The forecast called for a storm starting around 12, but it showed up a couple hours early and basically blew me off the beach!

I continued my drive south and made it down to Seaside. I drove along the water for a bit then drove around downtown and checked out all the shops and restaurants. I decided to skip walking around there because it seemed like it was the same type of beach as Sunset and I still had so much more to see!

I drove a couple miles south of town to the Tillamook Head Trailhead. I parked right on the edge of the forest, opened my back hatch and watched the rain while I made some lunch. After my leftovers burrito, I grabbed all my raingear, my waterproof gopro case, and my sturdiest hiking boots and jumped on the trail.

Rainy hiking conditions aren’t the most ideal, but honestly, it really made the forest come alive, with all of the plants becoming a bright, vibrant green! It also scared everyone else away, so I had the whole trail to myself!

I instantly fell in love with this trail! My heart is so deeply rooted in both the mountains and the ocean and this trail was a beautiful combination of both. One second, you’re in the middle of thick, deep, pine, mountainous forest, and the next, you’re at the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean!

At first, I was pretty bummed about the rain, but the longer I stayed in it, the more I started to love it. It hadn’t occurred to me that it had been literal months since I had seen rain. Anytime there’s been precipitation in Bend, it’s just been snow. I honestly forgot what it felt like to feel the rain on my face and I didn’t realize how much I missed that! So, I happily trudged through the rain and mud puddles and just marveled in the beauty of this amazing ecosystem.

There had been warning signs at the beginning of the trail saying to look out for fallen trees along the trail and that some sections might be impassable from the recent storm. I made it about two miles in when I found what they were talking about. I hit a section of the trail with massive trees down. I attempted to get around them with hopes of the trail opening up on the other side. But after lots of bushwhacking and climbing, there was no end in sight and the debris was getting thicker and thicker. I sadly turned around, but found ways to make the most of it.

I found another fallen down tree near the overlook spot and popped a squat there for a minute just to feel the rain and watch the waves roll. I also took my sweet time hiking back, being sure to look around and truly appreciate the beauty that was around me.

After getting back from my hike, I drove down to check out Ecola State Park. A couple miles in, the road was blocked off due to a wash out, so I parked at the last parking area to see the few parts of the park that were open. I parked and opened my door to get out and felt like it was about to get ripped off by what felt like hurricane-force winds!

I walked over to the closest cliff-side viewing area and literally felt like one of those weather reporters out in their raincoats in the middle of a hurricane basically getting blown off the screen! I wish I could have stayed longer because the views were absolutely amazing and reminded me so much of the Great Ocean Road in Australia. But sadly, if I stayed any longer, I would have been blown off the cliff!

I successfully got back into my car without losing my door or getting blown off the mountain, which I would say is a win! I drove south and made my way to the famous Haystack Rock. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but what I saw was not it! I followed my map to the parking area and had to keep driving because it was full. I turned a corner and the view opened up to the ocean and I was completely blown away! This rock was MASSIVE!! I literally did a double-take, which I don’t know if I’ve ever done in real life!

I found a parking spot about a half a mile away and booked it to the beach! It was still storming almost as bad as it was at Ecola, so it definitely wasn’t ideal conditions for walking that far, but I just had to see this giant rock! I made it to the beach and was totally captivated by its size! I was able to find a big rock on the beach to shelter myself from the storm a bit while I sat there and stared at this incredible natural creation! I marveled only for about 10 minutes before heading back to the car.

From that excursion, I drove down to Hug Point to explore around that area. Again, due to the storm, I was the only one on the beach, which was so nice! There was a really neat cave at the north end of the beach, that of course, I went check out! It was a really cool spot to be sheltered from the storm but still be able to see the waves.

I tried having a little photo shoot with my gopro and tripod while standing on this big rock on shore. But shortly into it, a massive wave crashed on to the beach, knocking me off my nice platform and completely soaking me! I canceled my photo shoot after that adventure…

It had been a pretty eventful day, so I wanted to find a place where I could hang out in my car and just chill for a minute. I was also hoping the clouds would clear up a bit in time for the sunset. I backed my car up to the shore at Arcadia State Beach and curled up in my sleeping back and listened to the rain and watched the waves crash.

That full day got me super hungry, so I grabbed the easiest thing I had and threw it on the stove. I sat there eating my canned tomato soup and just loving the simple life. Sadly, there was no sunset to watch, but I still loved just sitting in my car, playing some guitar and editing some videos.

I was definitely hoping to find more free campsites around that area, but unfortunately, the options were pretty slim pickings. The only thing I had found while scoping it out was a pull-off a few miles south off Highway 1 that didn’t have any “No Overnight Parking” signs.

When stealth camping, it is best to arrive places late and leave early in the morning, so I stayed at Arcadia until around 10 when I could barely keep my eyes open. I drove to the site and found the most off-the-road, secluded spot in a pull-off and got ready for bed. I was able to read about three pages in my book before I passed out around 10:30.

Day 3

I set my alarm for 6:15 so I could drive a bit south and catch the sunrise over the bay. Unfortunately, I woke up to pouring rain and no hope of seeing any sort of sunrise. I snoozed my alarm until 6:45 when I finally got up and got ready for the day! I drove about three miles south into Oswald State Park and parked at the Short Sands Beach Trailhead.

I sat in my car, looking out at the trail for who knows how long debating if I really wanted to hike in the pouring rain on a trail I didn’t even know the length of. I decided to extend my contemplation time by cooking myself some breakfast and making coffee.

My car was a total hot mess (literally what’s new though?!) and it took a while to both find everything that I needed, and then get it all set up. I knew I had brought a lighter to start up my pocket rocket, but had no idea where to even starting looking for it. I threw the eggs and toast onto my self-lighting stove as I continued my search. Thanks to past Meg (and not cleaning out her car), I actually found a lighter in the same spot I used to keep them on my road trip.

Just as my eggs and toast were done, I started boiling up the water for some coffee. I enjoyed a lovely avocado toast breakfast with hazelnut coffee while listening to the rain on the metal roof of my car.

Just as I was about done with everything, I started cleaning up and got a little too crazy with my camp stove and knocked over my mug of coffee… Thankfully, I was almost done with it, so there wasn’t too much that spilled out, but it did manage to get all over my guitar case, my hiking boots and a pretty big section of my bed. The realities of life on the road…

After getting that all cleaned up, I decided I would suck up my discomfort, put on all my rain layers, and go on that hike! Goodness gracious, I am so glad I did!! The hike only ended up being about a half a mile through the most green, luscious forest along a beautiful little creek!

As soon as I broke through the woods and caught a glimpse of the ocean, I was in awe. The way cliffs just fall into the ocean will never case to amaze me. There were also beautiful gushing rivers crashing over the rocks, flowing right into the ocean. I stood there for a second just captivated by its beauty.

All the way on the other side of the beach, I saw a massive waterfall and made a beeline straight for it. Unfortunately, the rivers were blocking my path. On any other day, I’d just walk straight through it, but it was fast flowing and over knee-deep at some spots. With it being about 40^o outside and probably 25^o or 30^o in the water, I just didn’t want to risk the water going over my ankles and into my boots. So, I hiked a bit upstream to hopefully find a safe crossing there. There were no clear trails, so I had to do a fair bit of bushwacking.

I was able to make it over one section of the river, but it split in two and I was faced with another deep river crossing. I tried to find a good spot upstream, but to no avail. Again, there were no spots shallow enough to walk where my boots wouldn’t get soaked. As I was about to just turn around, I figured I’d suck up the cold feet for a few minutes and just cross it barefoot.

Dang, that was cold!! My feet/legs felt so icy after that and I immediately threw my wool socks and snow boots back on! I continued on my journey to the waterfall, stopping to check out every stream and small waterfall flowing into the ocean! It was a pretty long beach and after about a half a mile, I reached my destination. Unfortunately, the waterfall wasn’t right on shore, it was a bit farther out in the water and with the tide incoming and storm-like waves crashing on shore, it was not the smartest or safest decision to rock-hop my way over to it. Still, I admired it from afar and watched the water flow into the ocean.

I decided to attempt another beach photo shoot, this time hopefully not getting attacked by the waves. I got a few cool shots, then decided to head back and check out the other side of the beach.

I walked around for a while trying again to find a shallow enough spot to cross the rivers without having to drop the boots. My attempt was unsuccessful and my poor feet had to take the plunge again!

It wasn’t quite as bad the second time because I was more prepared for it, and again just threw my socks and boots back on as soon as I was across, which definitely warmed them up pretty quick. The southern side of the beach was full of tidepools, which of course I went explore! Tidepools will never, ever cease to amaze me! These plants and animals have adapted to be able to survive with absolutely zero water and also while completely submerged under water! How freaking cool is that?! Dang, nature is amazing!

I explored the tidepools for a while, but then my hands started to get numb, so I made my way back to the car. I drove south through Nehalem, admiring the bay through the windows, then made my way to Rockaway Beach.

The rain was super loud in my car the night before, and honestly, I wasn’t able to get much sleep. Because of this, I was so tired and decided to take it easy for a bit. I opened up my hatch and did a bit of journaling and cooked some lunch. My lunch for the day was a Campbell’s broccoli and cheddar soup and I was sadly very disappointed with it. Something about it, I don’t know, it just did not taste good at all! I don’t agree with food waste, so I ate it all, but I definitely will not be buying that one again!

I walked on the beach for a bit, then drove down to Barview Jetty to do some rock hopping! From there, I went to Netarts Bay, which was a bit disappointing. There wasn’t really much to see, so I only stayed for a few minutes.

I then made my way down to Pacific City. I pulled into the first beach access lot that I found and hopped out to take a walk. There was a sign for Cape Kiwanda and then a giant sand hill that everyone was hiking up. I got curious and decided to follow the crowd to see what the hype was about.

The hype was definitely well deserved though. This place was amazing! The way the waves have carved out this rocky cliffside is absolutely incredible. Watching the waves roll through the cape was honestly mesmerizing and I could have stayed there all day! It started pouring while I was up there, so again, I had the place all to myself! I hiked around and explored the whole area until my pants were almost completely soaked through.

I had found a place in town where I could camp for the night and headed that way. I decided to check the weather for the next day in both Pacific City and in Bend. I immediately saw that Bend was going to be getting about three inches of snow that night. That clicked in my brain that if Bend is getting snow, the other cities that are higher in elevation that I will be driving through should also be getting snow.

The weather app showed that every single place I would be driving through was going to be getting multiple inches of snow overnight and all throughout the morning. This poor girl from Louisiana and Florida does not have a car equipped for the snow. Jack is 2-wheel drive and does not have snow tires yet…

I called my roommate to get his opinion on whether he thought it would be safer to drive that night and try to beat the storm or to wait until morning and just make the drive then. If I left right at that time, I would be hitting the worst spot right around 9pm, which is when it was supposed to start snowing. Alex said that since I’m not super comfortable driving in snow yet, it would probably be smarter to leave then and beat most of the snow. I also knew I probably wouldn’t sleep that night, just being so nervous about the drive home. So, a bit disappointed, I packed up my stuff and headed home.

It was about a four-hour drive home that ended up being close to five because of the snow storm blowing in over the pass. I made it home at about 10 and woke up early the next morning to go enjoy the fresh powder up on the mountain!

~~~

This trip was so incredibly refreshing to my soul. It had been quite a while since I had done a solo trip like that and I felt like I was thriving! To be back out on the road, on my own, seeing new spots in the world, going on crazy adventures, having lots of self-care and personal time, it’s exactly what I needed. I’m absolutely loving my time in Bend, but my heart is definitely craving some more adventures out on the road. I guess we’ll see where the wind takes me over the next few months, so stay tuned!

Thank yall for reading! If you want to help support my travels and adventures, check out my Patreon and see how to do that (the big orange button below!). You can also subscribe to stay up to date with all my adventures by entering your email at the bottom of this page. As always, remember to make every day an adventure!

~Meg