Back in Redding, we picked up our car with a new transmission and a hefty bill. We high-tailed it out of town driving north past the magnificent Mt. Shasta and into Oregon where we immediately cut west through the rolling, forested hills to the coast - hitting the Pacific at Coos Bay, a working fishing and lumber town. From the moment we entered the Northern most part of California, the importance of the logging industry on the region is very apparent. We are constantly passing logging trucks loaded up with fir, spruce, and redwood heading in one direction, and semis filled with freshly cut 2-by-4s heading the other. Giant lumber yards and sawmills dot the small downs along the state highways and occasionally we round a bend to see a hillside devoid of trees. The spotty nature of the cutting indicates that the forest is being carefully managed and we never see huge tracks of land clear cut but rather only a section here or there (at least that's what we see from the road). Shortly after hitting the coastline, we pass the Oregon Dunes - a long stretch of sandy dunes spreading from the water's edge inland several miles blown by the incessant winds. Stopping at a State Park to hike a trail through the forest and along the sand, we quickly found ourselves running up the dunes for a glimpse of the ocean six miles to the west. After frolicking in the sand for a while, we went searching for a campsite for the night. We ended up at a state park up the coast with seven walk-in tent sites that had us hauling our gear a hundred yards into a nice little isolated campsite complete with a table, fire pit and our own water spigot - all out of sight of the parking lot and other campers - lovely! The forest here is dripping with moss and as we collected some wood for a campfire we noticed most of it was still damp even though it hasn't rained in days - this truly is a rainforest! Before cooking up some dinner we strolled along a short path to the beach through a magically green forest then past some beach grass and onto the rocky (and extremely windy) coast. The forest is exploding in Rhododendron blossoms that drip their peddles in front of us along the path as if we are mythic royalty walking amongst our loyal subjects. That night we got a smoky fire going and roasted marshmallows for the best s'mores of our lives, then huddled in our mummy bags for a long night's slumber. The next day we hiked a six-mile trail to the Heceta Head lighthouse along a burbling steam, through an emerald forest, under moss covered branches and over the rocky point to the still-operational lighthouse marking a river entrance. We then stopped just down the coast at Sea Lion Cave - the largest sea cave in the world and home to hundreds of sea lions. There's actually an elevator that takes you 200 feet down into the sea cave and walking paths all around the unique geological formation. Stopping for lunch in the small fishing town of Newport, we gulped down deliciously fresh clam chowder and admired the seascapes and murals covering the walls of the town. Next stop, Portland, to cash in some more Marriott points and enjoy a shower to get the smoke out of our hair. Next, to the mountains of Washington State...