Oregon Coast provides picturesque scenes

ROAMING THE GRID

The Oregon Coast offers spectacular views. Photos by Tom Victoria

The Oregon Coast boasts some of the most beautiful sights nature has to offer. Spanning more than 360 miles, the coastline of the Pacific Ocean includes cliffs, beaches and sand dunes.

In late September, the Grid traveresed Route 101, the highway closest to the coast through the Beaver State. Numerous port towns are situated along the route.

Folks swim, surf and watch for grey whales along the coast, which has public access along its entirety. Tourist attractions include historic lighthouses and state parks.

The Oregon coast also has the distinction of being the only part of the continental United States to be attacked during World War II.

Fort Stevens sustained minimal damage from 17 rounds fired by a Japanese submarine, the I-25, on June 21 in 1942. Months later, incendiary bombs were dropped on Mount Emily in the Klamath Mountains by a seaplane from the same sub surfacing off Cape Blanco September 9 to be followed by another air raid on September 29.   

The Japanese pilot, Nobuo Fujita, visited Brookings, Oregon, in 1962, when he presented his family’s 400-year old sword to the city in a gesture of good will.

This is the first of an ongoing series of pieces highlighting interesting places on and off the grid.