Sitting in a lovely inn in Garabaldi after a wonderful dinner it’s easy to forget that the Oregon Coast Trail nearly killed us yesterday. It took us nearly 9 hours to go the 15 miles or so from Cannon Beach to Manzanita because of two mountains with close to 5,000 feet of ascent over the course of the day.
We did have stunning views and saw a black bear (no pictures unfortunately).
Today was a relatively easy beach stroll of ~14 miles that included our first boat ride across a bay. On the walk to Nehalem Bay we saw a couple of elk on the beach (too far for a picture). We arrived at the north jetty of Nehalem Bay and called Jetty Fisheries for a boat ride and were told to wait and not disturb the harbor seals.
In short order Phil arrived and ferried us across the bay. Now, THIS is hiking! After some coffee and a muffin we headed down the train tracks back to the beach. After 5 or six miles of hiking we left the beach making the decision to hike the train tracks the three miles or so into Garabaldi rather than highway 101 because, well, anything is preferable to the highway. And it was actually quite nice with views of Tillamook Bay.
So here’s what we’ve learned so far on the OCT:
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- They have the best oysters in the world here. Seriously. To die for.
- It sucks to hike along Highway 101. Any other option is preferable.
- The scenery is stunning.
- Tides are important if you don’t want to get wet. Pay attention.
- Boats are way more fun than hiking.
- It’s not all flat on the Oregon Coast!
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Our Adventures 
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