How we spent 40 GLORIOUS truck-free hours in a place that holds a piece of my heart.
Mike and I honeymooned on Cannon Beach in 2010, so adding a stop there before heading back east made perfect sense to us. The more difficult decision was HOW to get there from Port Angeles, WA. We desperately wanted to drive down the coast of Washington to see more of Olympic National Park and the Pacific Coast. We wanted to stop by Ruby Beach. But we also desperately needed a break from driving and riding.
We decided to shave the better part of two hours from our trip by following the fastest inland route from Port Angeles to Cannon Beach. Better yet, we vowed to drive NOWHERE from the moment we parked at our site at the Cannon Beach RV Park until we hitched up two days later to head to Eugene.
The break from driving was only 40 hours long in total, but it was necessary for, and appreciated by, all four of us.
The walk to the public access point of Cannon Beach was about 3/4 of a mile from our campsite. On our first night in Cannon Beach, we packed up snacks and a blanket and walked to the beach to enjoy the sunset. We needed a few grocery essentials, so I walked on my own another mile into town. It had been fourteen years since I had visited Cannon Beach, and my grocery walk reminded me of how much, and why, I loved the spot.
On our second, and only full day, in Cannon Beach, our crew slept in a bit before heading to the puffin viewing activity being held for free at Haystack Rock. We loved watching the beautiful tufted puffins through the naturalist’s telescope, and we all really enjoyed walking around Haystack Rock and taking in all of the wildlife – the anemone, the sea stars, the mussels, and more.
We spent the early afternoon walking into “town”, doing our part for the local tourist consumerism scene by picking up mini pies, candy, baked goods, and local art. We went back to the campground for a swim and hot tub soak (the pool and hot tub were indoors, and children were allowed to use the hot tub here, hooray!). Our youngest made some friends on the playground, and our whole family had a little relaxation time before eating an early dinner OUT (we NEVER eat out – no driving AND no cooking – what a treat!) at the Pelican Brewery.
We ended our night with a family viewing of an episode of the Netflix series “Sprint” in honor of our next stop in Eugene, OR, aka “Track town USA”. And in anticipation of the 2024 Summer Olympics, too I suppose!
When we pulled out of our campsite the next day and began our trip back east, I felt refreshed from nearly two full days of complete R&R. But I also felt so very sad. First, I have always loved Oregon. From our honeymoon there fourteen years ago, and on every return visit to the state (seven trips to Oregon I think Mike and I have made together?) I have always felt at home there, and always felt a twinge of homesickness leaving. On this trip, heading east also meant that our trip was on the proverbial downhill stretch, and I didn’t want to see it end.
So many people asked me while we were traveling, and have asked since we returned, “oh, are you all missing home?”, or “oh, you all so happy to be home?” And, well…no? The big all-weather camper mat we throw down when our site is grass or dirt is adorned with the common camping phrase “Home is Where You Park It”. I like our mat, but home is really where the four of us are. And this summer, that was wherever we had set up camp, wherever we were hiking, wherever we were on the open road. I love our home in Northeastern, Pa. I love our extended family and feel fortunate to live near so many of them. But boy – life on the road is, for me, truly life at its finest.
