Our first cloudy day, we slept in at Waxmyrtle before wandering up the coast. We explored campgrounds and ATV staging parking lots, and a pitcher plant (carnivorous) meadow (not surprisingly, there were no flying bugs). I think Sharon's mood is affected by the weather, she isn't interested in the beach 'cause it just looks like Jax Beach. To me it seems significantly wider, much less populated, and the surf is a steady roar that makes conversation more like a crowded bar than an empty beach.
Darlingtonia Californica is the proper name for the plant. There was a little sign ("Natural Site") along 101 that was too suggestive to ignore, so we braked hard to make the turn. A little parking lot, and a 50 yard walk to an amazing meadow of carnivorous plants broken up by the wooden boardwalk we're on. It was eerie seeing so many plants, all around you, all wanting to eat a passing bug. This seems clearly to be an area where the plants are winning over the animals. Is this walkway a trap? Fortunately it wasn't, and we carried on to our next stop.
The Oregon coast is pretty awesome. US-101 is a swoopy road, nominally 55 mph, but the majority is slower for the turns and much slower for the towns. It would be a lot more fun on a motorcycle, but Ernie is doing pretty well. And the views are spectacular.
Tillicum Beach was recommended to Sharon at the Forest Visitor Center. It's a National Forest campground with electric sites. We were able to get one of two remaining electric sites, but we have to be out tomorrow. The campground is just above the beach, a set of stairs provide access to miles of glorious beachfront. The internal sites are amongst the water oaks, providing the best of both worlds.
We walked a while down the beach and back, not talking much above the roar of the Pacific waves crashing on the beach. We met some fellow campers, and ended up having a delightful evening with them, and got some great ideas for improving Ernie's latches and places to take him.
Pics of the day are at https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qxp4UoR4DKnpeL1n8
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