Devil's Lake State Park, Lincoln City, Oregon

This morning I called three state parks on the Oregon coast  to see if they might have first-come-first-served spots we could grab for tonight.  All of them said the chances were good, so we decided to stop at the first park we came to:  Devil's Lake State Recreation Area in Lincoln City, Oregon.  The park is tucked between the Pacific Ocean and a three-mile long lake that shares its name.  It's the only coastal Oregon state park in a city.

We drove around the park, found a site we liked and got it for two days -- we think.  The ranger said he'd let us know for sure if it's reserved for tomorrow night and we haven't heard back, so we're hoping no news is good news.  The park has 26 sites with water/electric/sewer hook ups (we got one of those), a couple sites with just electricity, and at least 50 tent sites.

The campground is about a half-mile walk from the ocean.  After we got settled in, we took Cooper to the beach, then brought him back to the rig because a mile-and-a-half is about all our 14-year-old dog wants to do anymore.  Then Jim and I did another three miles along the water. Tomorrow we want to get in some kayaking on Devil's Lake, and explore Lincoln City. 

Part of the pretty drive to Lincoln City, Oregon, from Tualatin, where we've been for a week.  We must have seen signs advertising two dozen nearby wineries, plus fruit and veggie stands.  We also drove by the Evergreen Air and Space Museum in McMinnville, which houses Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose."  Built entirely of wood, at the time it was constructed it was the largest airplane ever built and is still one of the largest.  The Spruce Goose was only flown once:  a one-mile trip just 70 feet in the air.  Jim and I saw it on an Oregon trip several years ago, so we didn't stop at the museum on this trip.

Part  of our 75-mile drive today was on the Van Duzer Forest Scenic Corridor on Oregon's State Route 18.  It was an early wagon route from the Willamette Valley to the coast.

Bev on the beach near Lincoln City.  The Oregon coast can be windy and cold, but it was nice today.  Jim says September and October are the best times to visit.

Mussels stick to the basalt rocks along the shore at Lincoln City.  Out of staters can buy an annual permit for $17 ($7 for Oregon residents) and harvest as many as 72 mussels a day.  All you do is pull them off the rocks, but it's best to wear heavy gloves and take along something to help you pry them off the rocks. 

Jim reminding me that, per the campground brochure, "Play it safe on the beach ... don't turn your back on the ocean." The waves seemed huge to me.