Port Orford OR - Cape Blanco

...Not so yum...I was sick as a dog Sunday night (very unfortunately, I may have a shellfish allergy). After nursing me all night, Tom was raring to hit the road on Memorial Day! (Me, not so much...)

Our rig (DaBeast) and our "toad" at an Oregon rest stop

We had hoped to be able to visit Harris Beach State Park, but because of its popularity, we would have only been able to reserve a one-night stay. Instead, we opted to make the 2 hour drive to Cape Blanco State Park, which is 92 miles north of Crescent City.

Cape Blanco and Lighthouse (Lighthouse #3 on our trip)

Cape Blanco doesn't take reservations, so when we arrived, we took the car for a quick spin around the campground to choose our site. About halfway around the campground loop, we found the very narrow, windy, bumpy, steep road to the beach. No campsites down there!

We were a little disappointed that none of the campsites had a full view of the ocean, but we finally settled on a campsite that had a peek-a-boo view and the coastal trail running right behind it. The site was long, wide, and level; parking was a breeze. An added plus was that all of the sites had water and electrical hook-ups for $22 a day. (I LOVE Oregon State Parks!!!)

First meadow

The story only gets better from here. Each end of the coastal trail at the park plateaus out at a meadow with an ocean vista. The meadows were only a short, easy walk from our campsite, and each had a spectacular view, from about 200' above the ocean.

Second meadow

Even better, the second meadow connected to the road to the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, the second of nine lighthouses as you head north along the coast of Oregon. Cape Blanco is the westernmost point of land on the contiguous United States. The climate at Cape Blanco is very mild with average highs in the 50's and lows in the 40's year round. During winter storms however, winds can gust up to 100 mph.