On Tuesday morning, after fuelling up on more pancakes at Byways Cafe in Portland and picking up some supplies at Safeway, we headed west for the Oregon coast on a lovely sunny day.

After an hour or so on the interstate and on Highway 6 through wooded hillsides, a little less spectacular than those we'd seen in Washington, we reached the town of Tillamook. From there we took what is called the Three Capes Scenic Drive, a winding and badly maintained road looping round the scenic coast south of Tillamook before rejoining our old friend, Highway 101.

With the poor road conditions making me feel very much at home, we enjoyed stopping off at Cape Meares, featuring amazing views up and down the coast from its 19th century lighthouse complete with 6,000 lb crystal lens (sadly damaged by vandals). Still on the Three Capes Scenic Drive, we continued south to Cape Lookout and stopped at a beach pounded by dramatic Pacific waves, before carrying on past Cape Kiwanda, which seemed popular with surfers, with a long sandy beach.

After rejoining the 101, we continued south with dramatic views of the coast around every headland. The forested hills would often end in dramatic cliffs dropping to the ocean below, and the bays between these headlands would be filled with long sandy beaches, often with rocks or small sea stacks just off the coast.

We passed through the towns of Lincoln City then Depoe Bay, where we stopped to try and see whales on their migratory path north, but only succeeded in seeing a squirrel trying to avoid plumes of spray from a 'spouting horn' in the rocks on the beach.

We next stopped at Cape Foulweather, where a quaint souvenir shop sits right at the precipice of huge cliffs plunging into the sea. The view from the shop and the cape itself were spectacular, and looking south we were able to see the beach we would be camping next to that night.

Descending from the cape, we stopped at The Devil's Punchbowl, a collapsed seacave which allegedly provides a dramatic show as the waves rush into it and crash against the rocks, spouting into the air. Unfortunately, the tide was out so we could only imagine the dramatic spouting. After asking for directions at the outpost of a local winery (and trying a sip of wine in the process), we drove another mile along the coast to Beverly Beach campsite.

Cunningly placed in mature woods just behind the highway, the campsite was sheltered from the winds blowing in off the Pacific but allowed access to the massive sandy beach via a short path under the highway bridge. We set up our camp and made some dinner, then walked down to the beach to sit on a log and watch the sun make its way down through the cloudless sky into the Pacific. The rest of the evening was spent sitting at the campfire, sipping beer and studying the guidebooks and road atlas trying to plan some of the rest of our US road trip.

On Wednesday, after a comfortable night in the tent, we got up early, grabbed some breakfast and a shower before getting packed up and back onto Highway 101.

The first stop of the day was Yaquina Head Lighthouse, where once again we were treated to amazing views of the Oregon coastline stretching north and south with its rocky headlands and long golden beaches. The highlight of this stop though was spotting some whales breaching offshore, a glimpse of their huge grey bodies as they surfaced confirming that it wasn't just some waves cresting.

From Yaquina we continued down 101, eventually reaching Florence, which isn't quite as pretty as I imagine its namesake to be, but was still nice in its own way. We made our way to the old town which takes the form a few classic small-town American streets with colourful wooden-fronted buildings set along one side of the Suislaw River, some with decks out the back onto the river itself. Here, we got some fish tacos and blackened cod at Mo's, a famous Oregon seafood restaurant which has eateries up and down the coast. After this we nipped across the street and got some home made ice cream which we enjoyed whilst walking along the dock.

Fully refuelled, we continued our journey south into the Oregon Dunes Recreational Area which, as its name suggests, features miles and miles of sand dunes, many with mature forests growing on them. The area is popular with ATV and 4x4 drivers and, though tempted by the offers of rental vehicles, we pressed on south into the more wild southern part of the Oregon coast, before eventually reaching Cape Blanco, our campsite for the night.

After finding a spot in the campsite, set back in woods atop high cliffs over the ocean, and getting set up, Lucy took a nap while I went to investigate the beach and get some firewood. With the fire going, we ate some dinner and spent the night watching the stars through the trees.