Shortly after our arrival in Portland, the temperatures started to rise, until they reached almost 40°C, but fortunately the temperature drops at night. We were cool in our basement but we didn't want to spend our weekend locked up. The weather indicated cooler temperatures on the coast, so it was an opportunity to meet the Pacific.
Of course we weren't the only ones who had this idea, especially as in the United States, people go out a lot on weekends, having little leave. So here we are on the road, in traffic jams, the road will be quite long.
We cross the mountains that separate Portland from the coast, the winding road through the forest. We go down to Cannon Beach, but we're quick to get out of it, because it's a busy seaside resort, and we want to be calm.
So we continue our way to Ecola State Park, a little further north. We had some glimpses of the ocean, but here we really discover the Pacific. What a spectacle! We must say that we would not have thought of seeing him one day, it is difficult to realize that we are at the other end of a continent, itself far from our country.
You walk on the forest path, after taking care to read the instructions in case of encounter with a cougar (!).
It is a humid forest (Rain Forest), benefiting from the large amount of winter precipitation, but also from the frequent spray and mist. We survey a lush forest, with trees lying down, a carpet of ferns fills the undergrowth. The atmosphere is very special.
At one intersection, another path descends to the beach, we cannot miss this. The descent is quite steep, because even if there are beaches, the cliff is not far behind. The show is breathtaking: a few meters from the shore, rocky masses are home to grey pelicans, the waves come down on the beach, the grey sand (probably due to volcanic activity) extends away. We hurry to get barefoot to taste water... and we will not go further because it is extremely cold, like a mountain river. We knew that there were few bathers and that the water was not very hot, but not so hot.
Later in the evening, we settle on the heights to enjoy the view until sunset.
Then it's the return to Portland, the big city. Even if it's late enough, we find the car procession to go. This parenthesis was welcome.
