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Road Trip! Into the wilds of the Oregon Coast

The drive today, crossing the border from California to Oregon, is different. The trip thus far up the California coast, spectacular as it was, felt like man tamed and preserved the coastline.

Well-heeled beach communities filled with old men in convertibles driving their "nieces" to the beach and CPA's on big motorcycles dressed in biker costumes. Nothing wrong with that. Just seemed like the whole world, including the road along the California beaches, was all about them.

In Oregon, the people became fewer, the convertibles gave way to pick-up trucks and the landscape looked wilder. Here everything seems more about nature. A respectful reverence for a climate that looks like it could turn on you at any moment.

Whether that's right or wrong, today the weather was again good for these Las Vegas travelers. Although we did hit a spot of rain, I doubt the residents here would call it anything more than moist air.

We're hoping for a sunny day tomorrow for golf at Bandon Dunes. But we're preparing to brave wind and rain. We're taking to heart the Irish admonition that goes something like this: There's no such thing as bad golf weather, just inappropriately dressed golfers.


We're in Oregon now. Here's a look back on the first bit of Oregon coastline.


This is the coastline of Brookings, Ore. The Japanese bombed the mountainside above this coastal city during WWII in an attempt to start a huge, uncontrollable fire. The weird strategy failed because the forest was so wet from rain it was easily extinguished. The berg of Brookings years later made peace with the Japanese pilot who flew the mission and his family gave the city his samurai sword.


A look upstream as the Highway 101 crosses over the mighty Rogue River, home to some of the best fishing in North America.


And what report would be complete without a picture of our mighty Mini-Cooper which has managed to sneak up on a yellow-bellied Oregon T-Rex. When we took the kids on road trips, I guarantee you that we would have had to stop here. No kids now, so we stopped only for this picture. Woo-hoo!

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