Disclaimer: This post is one of those that ended up being written years after the experience was had. While there was a paragraph or two posted way back then with a single photo, there were no other notes taken, so most of what is shared here must be extracted from the images and what memories they may have lent us.
Packed up and cleaned out, we are leaving our yurt at the Cape Lookout State Park just the way we found it when we checked in two days ago. While you may not be able to see it for yourself, this is the most luxurious of all lodgings we consistently return to; nothing is better or more romantic in our view.
Move with the first light of day; you might, on occasion, stumble into sights that will stay with you for a lifetime. They become special due to their rarity as after some time, you’ll recognize that most of the sights are yours alone as people cherish laziness and the warmth of their bed more than the luxury that the new day offers those looking for it.
Guess who’s out here with us? That’s right, Mr. Sunlight is here and will hopefully start warming our cheeks.
Nope, no fog that way, nor anyone else.
Well, there is this woodpecker out on the trail with us, and while it certainly is known to make noise, it’s somehow more appealing than the chatter that might come from those who enjoy speaking loudly in quiet places.
The light said, “Come into me, and I will deliver you to a place of eternal perfection,” and so we went, and there we were.
Once we’d had enough of perfection, we moved on to this view that was adequate. Sorry about the snark; it was perfect.
Could this get any better? Yes, that part is in the next photo.
Meet Ann; we did, on the Cape Lookout Trail that we’ve been hiking this morning. This nice lady is a mere 70 years old and was hiking briskly along all by herself. She told us how she has hiked nearly every trail between Ft. Stevens and Cape Lookout and over 30 miles of trail in Forest Park, Portland. Not one to be fearful, Ann shared her stories of venturing into Africa and New Zealand on her own, too. Her husband passed away some years ago, but she did not let that slow her down. It is always inspiring to meet such a determined spirit who is charging into life instead of passively watching it slip by. We were honored to meet her at the end of the trail, where Caroline, Ann, and I chatted for a while, listening and looking for whales.
Intermittent terror walked with me on some of these trails where some flimsy bushes were all that stood between me and death should I somehow be thrust off the trail or misstep and catapult myself a few feet into the air and off the side. Yep, certain death at every corner.
What happened to the rest of the day? There’s no telling as without notes detailing what we might have done; we only have these visual fragments that cannot tell the full story.
Though the images easily convey the fact that we experienced the day under glorious skies and must certainly have had a great time, had the day delivered otherwise, the photographic proof would have shown the derailing of perfection.
Spending the night down there on the left near Devils Lake in Lincoln City, another night in a yurt, and for only about $30, it’s the greatest deal in all of America.