Southern Oregon Coast: The Cabin

This spot fell in the middle of the trip. Three wave-lulling nights on a crumbling hillside, coastal highway hideaway, tucked into trees and situated down from the bluff it sits on just enough to allow the thick and choking wildfire smoke to pass over top. It was a refuge after two days of travel from Portland down Interstate-5 to Grants Pass, and the Redwood Highway to Crescent City, California, and then onto Brookings the next day via Hwy 101. Nearly all of it engulfed in wildfire smoke.

Why, exactly, did we take this trip?

The Cabin was updated rustic with nautical vibes and accoutrements. The windows and views they afforded were stellar, and the deck overlooking it all was our nightly dining spot where we lounged until the sun went down.

Though the smoke didn’t descend the bluff immediately and affect the air at the cabin or beach below, it did still affect the view. I chose this cabin specifically for the view of Mack Arch and Reef.

The Mack Arch and Reef make up part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and although the beach itself is public land in Oregon, access to it is hard to come by without trespassing on the privately owned Crook Point Ranch, land owned by the Crook family that comprises private homes and rentals.

While we were staying in the cabin, the reef seemed to have a research vessel bobbing around between the various sea stacks. You can see it just past the driftwood teepee in the photo above.

At the time, we questioned our sanity at taking the trip after the Chetco Bar Fire became so bad and areas right around Brookings were being evacuated. We felt guilty for coming to an area that didn’t need an influx of tourists during a disaster, but the owners of the rental assured us no one else was cancelling in their other rentals and we were still welcome.

In retrospect, I’m immensely glad we went. I didn’t know it would be one of the last trips with my Mom “intact.” She’s has been dealing with worsening dementia for the past six months, though I suspect it to have been going on for a few years. Even though this trip was only five years ago, as I went through the pictures and I sent a few to her, she doesn’t remember it today.

Note: I may update this post with more pictures as I make edits and have time after completing the series.

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