Beverly Beach State Park

(+4 insets) No Internet For Weeks But We're Doing Great! Steve and I have been having a lovely trip! So many adventures!! However, our connection to the internet has been on and off so I haven't been able to keep my posting up. And of course, sometimes we've had a connection and I just haven't been in the right state of mind to put up pictures and trip notes. However, for the past couple of weeks we've been in an actual canyon with zero phone or internet service--the only way to get data is to drive miles out to the canyon's edge! We finally left that black hole of connectivity a few days ago and are at one of our favorite campsites, Lapine State Park! After my last post showing the awesome Harris Beach State Park, we travelled north to Beverly Beach, a place we'd never visit before. WHAT AN EDEN! So GREEN! So VERDANT! So GLOWING! A totally magical place that we absolutely adored. I lost my mind taking pictures--what a spectacular place for normal, vista, panorama and macro photography! I've only processed a tiny fraction of the billions of winner shots I managed to capture, but here are a few to give you an idea of this marvelous Oregon coast gem. Today's Pictures My main picture today shows Spencer Creek in dappled light. This creek meanders through the campground and eventually empties out into the ocean. There is a truly magical footpath just five minutes from our RV that skirts one edge of the creek, crosses a wonderful little bridge and then leads back down along the creek nearly to the ocean. This trail is so green and beautiful that you cannot help but ooh and ahh in amazement! Dotted with wildflowers and edged with countless ferns, horsetails and skunk cabbage, looking up further dazzles with the glowing green coins of translucent leaves from the canopy above. This path leads out to a road near the beach and a few minutes' walk will have you walking under the Highway 101 bridge and staring at the ocean beyond. Then, after a jaunt around the edge of one of the park's many loops, the other side of the park's nature loop trail pulls you back into the deep shade of the conifer forest, your footsteps silent on the thick bed of pine needles which carpet the trail. The path leads past a brilliant opening to the park's lovely green bog, a spot I stopped to appreciate every day of our stay. Finally, the path leads out to a park loop and then tucks back onto a path that leads back to the Spencer Creek trail. What a loop. What a place! My heart is all a-flutter when I think about beautiful Beverly Beach State Park! Today's Inset Pictures Inset one shows the coast looking north from Beverly Beach. We had a lot of wind, rain, and unfortunate weather while we were there, so cold I couldn't bear the chill on the beach. But one day the weather was simply fabulous and I got some really wonderful pictures, including this one! Inset two is a view of the Highway 101 bridge from the beach--I just loved the shape of it! The black and white format suited the mist-filled, cloudy day. Inset three shows the dazzling green of the bog which I couldn't get enough of! Inset four is just one example of the amazing trees found at Beverly Beach. This one is growing out of a stump, its roots stretching down to the ground. Eventually the stump rots away, leaving the roots which look just like a natural cage! Incredible! I hope everyone is doing well! We are fully vaccinated now and couldn't be happier! By the way, I did want to send my good vibes to someone who isn't so fortunate--one of our community, Andy Rodker, has been fighting a dire battle against Covid since April and I am hoping every day that he gets better. You can read more and contribute to our photo group here: Pictures for Andy Explored on 6/13/21; highest placement #4.

(+6 insets) Our Next Stop: Beverly Beach! Pulling up our stakes, we waved goodbye to wonderful Honeyman State Park and drove north on a short trip of just 1.5 hours, arriving at our campsite in the early afternoon (I've included the map image which shows our trip as the first inset). With such a short trip, we figured we have our carpets rolled out, so to speak, with plenty of time to acquaint ourselves. Little did we know, it would be dinner time before we could finally relax. Parking an RV, Especially a Big One, Can Be a Nightmare! With a couple of years' experience under our belts, Steve's learned to pick our sites very carefully, with attention to parking angles and obstacles which might be a problem. Before confirming a reservation, he studies overhead satellite images, park maps, and pictures by folks who dedicate themselves to sharing images of every site in Oregon parks. However, the site we thought looked easy to get into, turned out to be a nightmare. The spot was on a slight incline for one, which always made it very hard to level our trailer. Much worse were the tree roots which had pushed up the cement where we needed to back our trailer over. Four of the six leveling jacks under our trailer needed to clear those bumps and though I guided Steve safely over them, there was a unavoidable tiny bit of scraping on the ground. (Our leveling jacks are only about 18" off the ground when totally retracted and this presents problems if there are mounds or bumps on the path. To see what these look like, and to see them in action, check out this link by the company that made our pre-installed system.) Anytime there is a situation like this, we get extremely stressed out because we can't avoid imagining the "what ifs." After we were in our final position, Steve began to set things up while I looked to see that there would be room to open our slides, turning the narrow trailer into a homey living space. Very narrow, I fretted at the trees that were awfully close. Then I looked at our sewer hookup. It was buried! WHAT?! Wait, we paid for a site that had full hookups! Before Steve did anything else I alerted him and together we wondered aloud why this wasn't mentioned and what we could do about it. Finally Steve went to the registration booth to ask about our situation. Long story short, we ended up getting a different site a few spots away, which turned out to be a total dream! It was a bit of a challenge to get into but the space was large, flat and perfect! We learned that this was a special spot reserved for park staff relatives but because we were misled on our original spot, they let us have it. WHEW! Crisis averted, we were finally able to get set up by late afternoon, relieved and exhausted but very happy in the end. Today's Picture Located a mere minute's walk from our trailer was the entrance to a mind-bogglingly beautiful trail that led up one side of Spencer Creek and down the other side, popping out very close to the path to Beverly Beach. My first walk on this trail had me nearly tripping all over myself, exclaiming out loud because I couldn't believe the sight of this stunning creek and the glowing greenery everywhere. This view of the dappled shadows on the creek shows off the verdant forest and its lovely stream. Today's Insets Inset #1: I've included the map graphic of our trip and Beverly Beach is #4. :) Inset #2: Dazzling ferns of many kinds in glowing perfection were everywhere to be seen. This emerald eyeful shows one of the treats I enjoyed standing and staring at in pure joy. Inset #3: The deeply lined, heart-shaped leaves of a False Lily of the Valley lay over a thick layer of moss covering a log. Inset #4: I was lucky enough to capture this hungry hoverfly on a delicate and extremely tiny Bristle Flower, so unusual in its brown color. Inset #5: One of the most amazing sights on my daily walk was a true bog which literally took my breath away every time I stopped to gaze in wonder. The life there was very special to behold, with insects everywhere, birds, amphibians and even snakes enjoying the bounty that lived there above and below water. Steve and I adored this treasured spot and it looked very different as the light and weather changed its appearance throughout the day. Inset #6: Magnificent Beverly Beach was just incredible to see, and this panorama gives a glimpse of what it was like. The extremely windy, frigid and stormy conditions kept us off the beach for all but a couple of days but I took advantage the instant the weather allowed for a visit! Thank You For Your Visits! As always, I very much appreciate all your visits, comments and stars and I hope you've had a nice weekend. Let us hope your new week is a happy and healthy one! Explored on 1/31/22; highest placement #2.

(+6 insets) Canopy of Green When reading about popular campgrounds in Oregon, Beverly Beach was one that came up a lot. People jumping up and down about how beautiful it was. It's one of those places that, if you don't sit on the reservation window when the sites become available, you won't get to stay there. We were really happy when we got a full two-weeks reservation because it's true, Beverly Beach is GORGEOUS! I couldn't believe the greenery everywhere, it was like a rainforest! Today's Picture Right next to the prehistoric-looking bog that I shared in my last post, my attention was drawn to this lovely tree with large leaves. The leaves were so pretty that I spent a while just staring, moving my position and looking again to appreciate the glowing leaves and beautiful textures of the veining. This image will give you an idea of what I was looking at! (I don't know what kind of tree this is…do you know?) Today's Insets Inset #1 &#2: Each morning I watched the trail carefully because quite often there would be a Rough-Skinned Newt making its rounds. They didn't move very fast and blended in with the trail so I watched for any movement as I walked along. Here was one of the little cutie-pies I happened upon, along with a close-up so you can see its face better. Inset #3: As you can imagine, such a lush and moist forest was a perfect environment for fungi and they were all over the place! Steve discovered this moss-covered trunk that was covered with an entire village of little mushrooms! Aren't they grand! Inset #4: One of the unusual features of this park was the great number of trees with these fabulous roots! They formed such large cage-like areas that I would often find clusters of children playing inside, giggling when I spotted them! Inset #5: The deep shore of Beverly Beach seemed to go on and on at low tide. On this grey and stormy day, I thought it was interesting how the receding waves seemed to entice me to follow them out to the ocean. Yikes! Inset #6: This is very close to the end of Spencer Creek, where it empties out into the Pacific Ocean at Beverly Beach. I loved looking at the waving grass under the clear water but this image, though pretty, cannot capture the mesmerizing sight. Thank You For Stopping By! I appreciate your visits, comments and stars more than you know. I fight with my feelings of guilt for not returning the favor and am still dealing with issues regarding anxiety but I'm getting more days that are better. It's a slow road. Today is the first day of February and spring is fast-approaching! I hope you all have a super week with signs of new growth and maybe even a crocus or two! Explored on 2/1/22; highest placement #5.

(+6 insets) Oregon is Brimming with Lovely Sights The number of beautiful places in Oregon is simply staggering, with an endless variety of landscapes and environments to appreciate. We've had the privilege of seeing many of its treasures, but honestly, we've really only scratched the surface. In fact, we haven't seen the eastern part of the state at all, which ranges from towering forested mountains to arid, sprawling deserts. And though we've spent plenty of time up and down the coastline, there are so many places we haven't seen. And, even when parks may be close together, the habitats are often entirely different, so I'm always prepared for wonderful surprises wherever we go. Today's Picture There were lots of beautiful mushrooms to find on my walks and this perfect group was in just the right spot for an easy picture. I often have to spend time "clearing the stage" by removing sticks, leaves, bits of grass and other distractions, but once in a while I don't have to do anything! Seated in a bed of moss, I was dazzled at the wonderful texture and shape of this group's mocha-colored caps. Today's Insets Inset #1: Related to Bleeding Hearts and Dutchman's Breeches, this flower's name will make you laugh-- Squirrel Corn! The name comes from its underground food storage structures which look like corn kernels. Like many wildflowers, they contain chemicals that, if consumed in sufficient quantities, can be toxic. Inset #2: Beautiful new growth on conifers was everywhere to be seen and I loved to stare at the bright green sprigs that contrasted dramatically against the deep green of last year's growth. Inset #3: A pair of trees, entwined for life, look like a loving green couple to me and I smiled up at them every day as I passed by. Aren't they wonderful? Inset #4: The number of plant species that grew along the Spencer Creek trail was ridiculous and reminded me of a rain forest in the number and variety. For many days, I walked by clusters of what looked like dried-up brown flowers before I stopped and took a closer look. They weren't dried up at all, nor were they brown! They were so small I didn't notice them for what they were--tiny Bristle Flowers in stunning tones of striped magenta, pink and maroon. Inset #5: A vertical panorama of Spencer's Creek show the majesty of what I saw every day. Dappled stripes, shadows and sparkles on the shallow steam, and the stunning greenery that stretched for the sky. Inset #6: A pile of bull kelp on the sand at Beverly's Beach grabbed my attention in this image; in the distance a man threw a ball for his dog on this moody and magical day. Thank You For Coming By! I appreciate all of your visits, comments, and stars so much. With February rolling out before us, the promise of spring gets stronger with every passing day. Twinkling frosty mornings greet me and I hope that your weekend and upcoming week are full of pretty days too! Explored on 2/5/22; highest placement #2.

This tree's roots made a fun cave for kids to crawl around in. My husband had fun looking like a crazy person for my picture of him! :D

(+7 insets) The Beverly Beach Trail…the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly When I read about this park, there were remarks that the trail which makes a loop around the park is hugely popular--too popular in fact--for people hoping for peace and serenity. I wondered about that and discovered that the proclamation was both true and false. An early morning walk met with no others and I shared the forest with twittering birds and lovely light. As the day went on, however, the number of people I encountered went up dramatically. Weekends were a high point for sure. Unleashed in this safe haven, children ran amok without supervision, screaming and yelling, breaking off branches--and even toppling a young tree in fact!--destroying and trampling plants, and leaving destruction visible everywhere. The park rangers and hosts would come through and clean up the mess on Monday and I did my part too. However, even though there was damage on occasion and far too many people (and their dogs) in the middle of the day, I was able to avoid the majority of the inundation. I was happy that people could enjoy such beauty and hoped that parents would guide their kids towards respecting nature instead of destroying it. I was happy that very little lasting damage occurred and that this amazing place could bring such joy to so many people! Today's Picture The trail leading down the edge of Spencer Creek breaks away here and there to meander through the forest. I discovered this moss and lichen-encrusted bench next to a magnificent tree and enjoyed appreciating this pair every day when I walked by. I imagined couples and kids sitting there through the years and it brought a smile to my face picturing the many stories that could be told from this lovely spot. Today's Insets Inset #1: This is a view of Spencer Creek where it meets the ocean on a very dramatic, cloud-filled morning on Beverly Beach. Inset #2: There was ivy crawling up trees in many places, a subject I have a hard time resisting! This perfect grouping of fresh new leaves made a nice basis for a fun, filtered image. Inset #3: Breathtaking Spencer Creek, adorned with greenery and lovely reflections. The park's main trail led up one side of the creek, over a foot bridge and down the other side and took walkers to the beach trail and was the emerald jewel of the park! Inset #4: A remarkable feature of Beverly Beach was its marvelous trees with cage-like roots that rose up and made wonderful caves that kids loved to play in. Here is my silly husband looking like a crazy person, peeking out from one of the tree's roots. (These trees begin by establishing themselves on a stump. Over the years the stump disintegrates and leaves the roots seemingly growing out of the ground in a cage-like appearance.) Inset #5: Fascinating detail of the unusual horsehair fern, a favorite plant of mine. It always makes me pause in wonder to think about the age of this living fossil. It is the remaining species of its genus and has survived for over 100 million years! It, along with many additional species at that time once dominated the understory of late Paleozoic forests. Remarkable! Inset #6: A vertical panorama which shows the lush forest encroaching on the footpath along Spencer Creek Inset #7: The other day I posted a picture showing a close-up of these beautiful leaves. Here they are again in their entirety, along with forest bokeh to set them off. Thanks for Your Visit! I hope all of you have a wonderful new week! Please stay safe! Explored on 2/7/22; highest placement #2.

(+7 insets) Being a Photographer Opens Your Eyes When we decide to record things we see in the world, at some point a flip switches and we see things differently. Instead of just taking a quick picture of the thing that's grabbed our attention, the impassioned photographer looks at the world with different eyes. Whatever your specialty--if you even have one--you will find yourself constantly scanning for the next composition, the next special subject to put on stage. Some places, like Beverly Beach, are so full of incredible sights that it seems that you could stand in one spot and fill a memory card with an endless variety of fabulous sights. Today's Picture The trail along Spencer Creek meandered into an area which was obviously quite wet most of the year. This was where a bunch of horsehair ferns grew and I loved staring at their unusual forms as I walked by. Imagine my surprise when I found this Banana Slug creeping slowly over one of these ferns! I couldn't believe my eyes! It's the only time I've seen such a thing and I never saw another slug there after that day. Lucky me! Today's Insets Inset #1: Dazzling buttercups twinkled cheerfully along the trail and I loved to see their shining golden faces smiling up at me. Inset #2: Depending on what time of the day and the weather, the view of the awesome bog changed dramatically. A blindingly bright but overcast day really made the greenery glow! Inset #3: A side view of a Bristle Flower shows its striped coloration and the sticky droplets that adorned its stems. Inset #4: Stepping over this dead fern frond that lay on the trail, I stopped and went back to take a picture because I thought the scene was really pretty. Inset #5: Trees are always falling across trails and many times they are too large to move and only the lighter side is pulled away (sometimes a path is sawn through the felled tree which is always fun to walk through!). This tree must have fallen a number of years ago and I loved looking at the moss taking over the end of it. Inset #6: A vertical panorama of Spencer Creek showing the canopy above and sparkling water below. Inset #7: One of the only days I could walk out to Beverly Beach without rain or blasting wind, the dramatic beauty of Spencer Creek emptying out into the ocean against a stormy sky is really something to look at! Thanks for Stopping By! I really appreciate your attention and support and all of the wonderful comments and stars too. The ipernity community really is my online family and I love you guys so much! Have a wonderful rest of your week! Explored on 2/10/22; highest placement #5.

(+7 insets) No Agates on Agate Beach But We Didn't Care! The Oregon coast has many beaches which call attention to the lovely rocks which can wash up on the shore. Agates are a very popular draw and since our campground was nearby, we were enticed to visit a beach with the namesake one day. Rockhounds scour the shore first thing in the morning so we didn't expect to find anything, but we went for the stroll more than the rocks. It turned out to be a gorgeous, warm day with very little wind and the beach was very popular, as we expected it would be. Dozens of people were enjoying the miles-long beach with us and there was plenty of room for everyone. I didn't look too hard for rocks and it was a good thing because there wasn't anything interesting that I could see. I didn't care though--the real prize was the memorable walk we had that day. It was relaxing and beautiful with dogs bouncing around in the water, surfers enjoying the small waves, kids playing in the sand and couples walking by holding hands…those were just a few sights that greeted us on our walk. What a wonderful time we had. Afterwards we went up to an area overlooking the beach with picnic tables and had a late lunch to stave off our appetite. We were all smiles and so happy we visited that pretty beach--even if there wasn't a single agate to be found! :) Today's Picture The cement path that led to the beach trail lead over a creek and I seized the opportunity for a neat fence picture. We weren't sure why it was there but loved how it looked with the creek and ocean beyond. Today's Insets Inset #1: This is a view of the creek from the beach-side and you can see how it wanders along the top of the beach for a ways before heading down to the ocean. Isn't it just beautiful? Inset #2: There were lots of shore birds to see and I got some very nice pictures, including this wonderful Long-Billed Curlew, which was hunting for a meal in the surf. Inset #3 & #4: Two different images of the creek's water as it wandered out to the sea. I can't ever get enough of the lovely patterns and ripples in the sand and water. So pretty! Inset #5: At one point I looked up at the top of the beach and saw this line of people and their dog walking perfectly-spaced one behind the other and snagged a shot to share! Inset #6: The far side of the beach--a mile's walk--rewarded us with a boulder-strewn cliff complete with mussel-and-limpet-incrusted rocks to study with rapt fascination. Looking out to the ocean also showed another stream's passage to the water and created a very nice composition. Inset #7: Finally, an image which shows the tightly-packed mussels that covered the rocks there, aren't they amazing? Thanks for Stopping By! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Please stay safe! Explored on 2/12/22; highest placement #3.

(+7 insets) Too Many Pictures, Not Enough Time I was looking through my folders brimming with pictures from our visit to Beverly Beach and nearby attractions and had to sigh deeply in resignation. There are just too many pictures that deserve attention and showcasing and not enough time to share them. In fact, I am quickly running out of days to show pictures from our whole trip last year. There will be a total of 15 stops out of the 20 that I won't be able to share--what a bummer! When I first realized this a couple of months ago I tried to come up with a solution to include all of the places we visited but in the end I realized that it just doesn't matter. At some point maybe I can share them but at any event, they are all loaded up in my computer slide shows and we do see them this way. The worst thing would be if I didn't have a chance to process any pictures at all. I also have trip notes from most places we went to, so that's good too. Anyway, my takeaway is that whatever pictures I have time to share will be a treat for me and hopefully you folks will enjoy them too! :) How incredibly lucky to have so many adventures that I don't have time to share pictures from all of them! Today's Picture I was walking along the Spencer Creek trail one morning when I noticed a rotting log covered with a carpet of glowing moss. Nestled within it I saw this lovely trio of mushrooms that posed elegantly for this picture! Today's Insets Inset #1: Bristle flowers are so small and their dark maroon color so close to brown that I mistook them for dried up blossoms. One day it occurred to me that I should look closer. I literally gasped in surprise as I crouched down for a better look. These gorgeous, orchid-like flowers are just stunning with their sparkling maroon and pink stripes and bright orange-yellow pistils. Inset #2: The jaw-dropping expanse of Beverly Beach at low tide with morning mist drifting up the hillside. All I could do was stand there and gawk. How lucky that the weather eased that day so I could experience that incredible sight. :) Inset #3: Gorgeous dappling of algae and water plants floating on the shallow water of Beverly Creek's prehistoric-like bog. The light was just perfect to show this wondrous sight, along with the moss-covered logs and glowing plant life that grew there. This place made me glad to be alive! :) Inset #4&5: A close-up of a horsehair fern with an even closer view to see more detail. Such fascinating plants. I wasn't surprised to learn that these living fossils are so resilient that getting rid of them is next to impossible once established. Inset #6: One day when the weather allowed me to walk out to the beach without freezing to death or being blown away by fierce gales, I saw a man tossing sticks for his happy dog. What fun it was to watch these two enjoying a beautiful morning together! Inset #7: The trail up and down Spencer Creek were interrupted by plenty of roots to step over. Pity the person who wasn't paying attention because they would certainly trip and go flying over these roots! I love to look at them though, and find them to be a favorite trail feature wherever I walk! Thank You For Stopping By! Reading your comments and seeing your stars makes me so happy, and I appreciate every one of you. I feel so fortunate to be in such a generous and warm community--let us hope that our ipernity finds the needed leadership they are looking so desperately for at this closing deadline! Hoping that everyone is doing well and finishing out your weekend on a happy, healthy note! Explored on 2/13/22; highest placement #3.