Cape Perpetua, June 2018
In late June 2018 Elaine Schimek and I visited Cape Perptua in the Siuslaw National Forest, just south of Yachats. Oregon's coast has so many spectacular spots, and probably my favorite element of them all is how easy it is to reconnect with nature. The ocean here is alive, teeming with whales and starfish and anemones and much more. (And while I couldn't snag a photo of the whales, I assure you they were there, in a pod right off the northerly bend in the cape.) Perpetua is a great spot for feeling this natural connection with trails leading you down from the highway through thick forests, then tall grasses, and then out onto rugged basalt fields right on the water. Basalt is the perfect environment for making tide pools, which then fill with mollusks, tadpoles, and other life. And as the waves slowly eat away at the basalt you get fun (though potentially dangerous, so pay attention) crevices and holes. Thor's Well is a particularly majestic hole where you can watch the waves burst up from under you in a loud rushing roar. Don't miss it when you visit!
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