A trip to the Oregon coast was in order this past weekend, so John and I headed out Friday afternoon to spend a few nights in beautiful Cannon Beach, about 1.5 hours away. Cannon Beach is a quaint little walkable town with numerous galleries, shops, and restaurants. The evening was chilly and grey, but once settled, we headed down to the beach (only a short stroll from our hotel). The views were amazing and I think the weather only added to it!
The view down the coast.
We were really close to Haystack Rock, which is a famous landmark. Made from lava flows millions of years ago and shaped by the sea, it stands at about 240 ft and is a haven for wildlife. Its also seen in The Goonies!
Haystack Rock
Saturday morning, we scouted out nearby Ecola State Park and did a little hiking. Amazing scenery was everywhere and we saw lots of birds and even some Roosevelt Elk. Next time, I'll be sure to bring the binoculars to try to get a better view of the infamous puffins which nest here. Around noon, we headed back down to Haystack Rock for low tide to check out the tide pools at its base. We saw starfish, mussels, anemones, lots of seaweed, and barnacles! I'm glad we didn't miss it. We spent Saturday afternoon shopping and dining out on the town. The sun even made an appearance and we were able to enjoy the nice weather.
The tide pools at the base of Haystack Rock. Purple and orange starfish are surrounded by blue/green sea anemones (opened and closed), as well as mussels.
Sunday morning, we went for a quick run down Cannon beach and got our last glimpses of the shore. We'll definitely be back! Check out our cool pics with the new camera we bought--John's becoming a pro! We also have some April pics posted of our Portland Japanese garden visit.