By Day 3 of our Oregon Coast adventure, we had accepted the fate of a very chilly, rainy weekend. The beauty of Oregon is that I honestly believe it was made to be seen in the rain. I've never visited another place on the planet that seemed to radiate good looks in such crappy weather, other than maybe London. It's like the cute puppy that looks even cuter soaking wet. We started the day in Newport, heading back inland to enjoy the vineyards.
Missed the first two parts of the trip? Check them out here and here!
Devil's Churn & Cape Cove
Before heading inland, we heard that we absolutely had to stop at Devil's Churn. Located about 30 minutes south of our hotel, we pulled off the highway at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center. This is the only stop we made that required a parking pass, so make sure you have some cash on you. For many state parks, you simply fill out an envelope with the information about your vehicle, add the cash, and put it into a box on site. You won't be able to pay via credit card.
Devil's Churn is a chasm on the shoreline that was carved out by the power of the ocean and volcanic history. The fracture was slowly expanded by the ocean waves, making it now more than 80 feet wide where it meets the ocean. The funnel effect of the chasm causes the water to churn to froth and waves to leap up the walls. In very basic terms, it's like a natural Splash Mountain so expect to get wet if you are close enough. You can simply watch the chasm from above or go walk along its edges (be safe!). If you have comfortable shoes and good balance, I suggest wandering the tide pools around the churn. With the ocean waves splashing up all around you and the unique rock features, it was one of the most beautiful parts of our trip.
From the visitor center, you can take the Restless Waters trail to the Cape Cove trail. This trail will give you a different view of Devil's Churn, the ocean, and ultimately Cape Cove. The path is an easy out-and-back. You are surrounded by overhanging tree to one side and the ocean on the other. I would recommend stopping to stretch your legs for this short hike.
Eugene
To maximize our time on the ocean and stop at viewpoints along the way, we drove down to Florence before heading inland to Eugene. After about 2 hours, we were in the middle of the city heading for the Saturday Market. The Saturday Market is also known as the oldest open-air crafts market in the United States, open every Saturday regardless of weather. If I'm being honest, the market was just okay. I think we had built up the anticipation based on its history and positive reviews, but it was a bit haphazard for me.
We did get to wander around the city a bit though, finding a larger farmer's market. We discovered a little food truck there called "The Vegan Farmer." Obviously, I had to try it! Good Earth Farms uses their local products to create cozy vegan meals. I went with the grilled cheese and tomato soup. On a dreary day, it was perfect to warm me up before we hit the road again.
The Vintages
After multiple days leisurely traveling the coast, today was planned as primarily a driving day to make our way back towards Willamette Valley. We had a little less than a 2 hour drive north, which was of course filled with many complex discussions including which season of Bridgerton was better, what couples belonged together from Love is Blind, my friend trying to convince me that Love Island was good enough to watch a new episode every day, and creating a summer time playlist. We have our priorities in check.
We had been waiting in anticipation to reach our final hotel, the Vintages Trailer Resort. Located right in the middle of Willamette Valley, surrounded by some of the best vineyards, is The Vintages - a trailer park that converted old, retro trailers into a resort. Each trailer is renovated to the time period it was built, with all the appropriate touches. From the 1947 Spartan Manor to the more modern Airstream Bambi, these trailers are such a fun and different type of stay.
We arrived at "The General Store," filled with wine, local products, and fun mementoes. Each trailer has its own key with a unique key chain. You drive down a cute row of trailers, each with their own parking space, small patio space, and outdoor chairs. We stayed in the 1963 Airstream Overlander with two twin beds, a small bathroom, kitchenette, and couch. We opted for an option with a private bathroom, which included our own toilet and small shower. Many of the smaller trailers don't have these options, but there is a very nice public bathroom and shower area near the outdoor pool. Since you are limited on hot water, we chose to use the public bathrooms anyways.
As someone who travels frequently, I found this place had all the right little details. We had a robe, slippers, and shower caddy to take to the bathrooms. The mini refrigerator had a chilled bottle of wine waiting for us that could be purchased. Each trailer has heating and air, making it very comfortable. They even had little touches like ear plugs and pour-over coffee. If you want, they off add-ons to your trip including:
Flock It To Me - Champagne Shirley Temple Kit and lawn flamingos for your stay
Little Campfire Kit - wine, s'mores kit, and tiny campfire
Stay & Play - a dog friendly package that includes toys, treats, and bowls
Near the pool is a campfire area that overlooks the neighboring vineyards. We spent the evening drinking wine next to the campfire and snacking on the many road trip snacks we hadn't finish (can anyone say "donuts"?). It was the perfect, relaxing night after a few days on the road.
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