Day 10 – the Natural Bridges
We got up at the crack of dawn and quickly set out for the 45-ish minute drive to Brookings where we would find the natural bridges along the coast. These rock formations were made by erosion and weathering over millions of years, and provide an unrivaled landscape to watch a foggy sunrise. Starting on the trail right with the first light, we trekked through the short but steep trail down to the beginning of the ridge that led to the bridge over the rough surf below. While there was a viewing platform set far back by the parking lot, I knew I wanted an up-close experience for this one.
I decided to stop about 30-40 feet from the actual bridge, as it got pretty challenging on top of the fact that the surf beneath was churning like a washing machine. It wasn’t a fall that I wanted to risk – nor cause undue stress on a fragile rock formation. If you decide to venture down as well – its best to stay off of the actual bridge, and do your best to avoid dislodging any rocks along the ridge. Watching the surf come in and through the bridge and entrance to the bay of sorts behind it was mesmerizing.
After enjoying the view for a bit – I headed back up to head out and enjoy some of the scenic roads as well as the beaches along the coast. While we made a short trip back into Jedediah State Park, the coast was really the highlight of the day. I truly enjoyed the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, and would have spent hours gazing out at the seemingly unreal boulders off of the coast. This is one of the spots where the magic and mysticism of the Pacific Northwest really comes alive.
After dropping my travel partner off at the AirBnB and setting out on my own for a bit (for the first time the entire trip other than for food), I set out to find a beach to explore and watch what was bound to be a beautiful sunset. I had heard about the impressive driftwood on some of the beaches, and was excited to see it up close with the backdrop of the megalithic boulders on the beach. And – yeah I just wanted to get my feet in the sand as well. I grew up around beaches in Florida, and it is one thing that I miss now that I spend much more of my time up north around the mountains.
I went to Crescent City’s South Beach, which also featured a lighthouse and a pier towards the more south side, as well as pristine beach area with views of the magnificent Castle Rock (which felt much closer to an island). There weren’t too many visitors this time of the year, so it was a nice and quiet spot to wind down the day.
Roulette Travel 