Scott Loring - Events Chair
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The Friday, July 17th start of our tour left on schedule and was led by the always “chipper skipper”, Pete Olson. We had a wonderful, smooth-paced drive in the warm Oregon sun all the way to Eugene. There, we were met by HDR members Gail and Linda Overgard who piloted us to a private and tasty lunch at the Shadow Hills Country Club in Junction City. The Overgard’s local knowledge was invaluable to get us in and out of the city and on to some very nifty, picturesque, and curvy roads that took us all the way to the coast.
The Overleaf Lodge in Yachats was splendid and friendly! The afternoon allowed us time to hike around the seashore enjoying the rugged view while keeping a wary eye on the surf as we were in a major tsunami zone. We ate our dinner that night in the hotel dining area. Pete and I went to downtown Yachats and picked up a really nice lasagna and Italian bread dinner previously ordered by Ann Sampson. She also sent along abundant salad makings that were prepared right in the hotel’s kitchen by Kathi and which rounded out the menu nicely. Pete and I bought too much ice cream to accompany the peach pie that was served for dessert, but everyone worked extra hard to see it not go to waste (it did go to waist)!
Saturday morning saw Don and Laura Clark leading the main group on a scenic and unique outing after a fabulous lunch at “Ona” in Yachats. We first visited the Devil’s Churn, a roiling inlet around the hill from a peaceful beach. We were able to take a short walk to several observation areas. Then we got back in our cars and headed south to the Heceta Head Lighthouse built in 1894. This still working beacon is the strongest light on the Oregon coast and is maintained by the State Parks and Rec. An uphill half mile walk brought us to the lighthouse and a few of us took an informational tour and lots of photos. Finally, we took off again to drive up (and up) to the Cape Perpetua overlook which offers inspiring views of the coastline and surrounding flora. More photos!
We shared wine and appetizers at the hotel that evening followed by dinner at a restaurant back in town. We had lots of laughs amid a chilly outdoor venue and returned to our warm rooms for an early turn in for our travel home on Sunday. Thanks to Pete, Ann, Mike, Gail, Linda, Kathi, Don, and Laura for making our tour so memorable and enjoyable. See you all next year!