Sunny Sunday on the Oregon Coast

Yesterday was a grand Sunday on the Oregon coast, with brilliant sunshine and mild weather in the upper 50s. Though winter is usually wet and stormy, every year there are a few warm, dry spells, and I was lucky enough to hit one on this day. This is a coastal scene near Bandon.

Face Rock, off the beach at Bandon. The face, oriented looking toward the upper right of the picture, has been venerated since Indian times.

Battle Rock, on the beach in central Port Orford. In 1851 a handful of wouldbe white settlers came ashore here, intent on setting up shop on Indian land. The local tribe understandably took exception to this move and besieged the settlers on this rock for about a week, until reinforcements came and chased the Indians away. The Indians were dispersed farther up the coast...the usual bad ending. But a century and a half later, the locals are finally getting their due. Now the Indians have casinos all over the place and are finally getting compensation from the whites...voluntarily, no less!

The Oregon Dunes, between Florence and Coos Bay, are an interesting blend of desert and rain forest. There are islands of trees amidst the sand, like the one above. Yet, vast seas of sand are found in between the trees. And of course, it's hardly ever hot...usually the temperature ranges from the 40s to the 60s. It's quite surreal to stomp around the dunes and absorb the sun, sand, sea, sky, and forest.

Hard to believe this spot gets about 80 inches of rain a year. By the way, for awesome dune pix from above, go to Google Earth 5, then to the Empty Quarter in Southeastern Saudi Arabia. There are some hi res areas and the dunes in them form absolutely surreal patterns.