Organic, Artsy, & Free in Oregon

392-prism British-made Fresnel lens with a 21 mile visibility from shore limited only by the curvature of the earth. Photo: Adrienne C. Wilson

My day didn’t exactly begin by getting all this delicious brain food and future Jeopardy knowledge. First, I took a stroll through Eugene’s Saturday Market after running a few early morning errands. The market in short is a nice place to pick up local handicrafts and munch on good food which is hard to resist after a whiff or two. It is said that it is one of the oldest, largest, longest running open-air markets in the U.S. and it is a real treat if you happen to be touring through Eugene. I ended picking up earrings and a matching necklace from Jewel of the I and some very, very yummy Afghani food. I even treated myself to half a basket of blackberries before heading back to my hotel to prepare for the quick run to the Oregon Coast.

Highway 126 will take you from Eugene to the end of the road in an area called Florence. Hook a right onto the 101 Northbound and 26 miles down the road you’ll find the Heceta Head Lighthouse in Yachats (pronounced Ya-hots). I’d always heard about how magical coastal Oregon is and being a big fan of beaches in addition to the sound of crashing water it seemed well-worth my time to head over. The drive there wasn’t too bad either and with all the beautiful greens from all the trees it felt extremely refreshing. Once my co-worker and I found our way to the lighthouse we took the short tour given by Nina from Van Buren, AR. Before the tour had even started there was a gent outside the lighthouse asking whether we’d ever seen a Fresnel lens like the one found inside. He was real geeked out about the thing and when we got inside I saw why. It is a beautiful piece of work and the parts rotating it underneath are all the original parts from back in the 1800′s. Impressive – eh? The only thing making the tour uncomfortable was the kelp flies that landed on us repeatedly and took their time buzzing off when swooshed at with our hands. Boy, were they a real annoyance!

Once we were done getting our small fill of Oregon history we retreated down the .05 mile path to the beach to take a couple of test shots, but not without a pit-stop or two. Different twists and turns provide different views of the lighthouse and being the tourist we are we wanted to be in the shot. I was hoping for a nice sunset to top off the afternoon, but a big gray cloud started to loom over making my dreams for a coastal sunset head to the car much faster than my legs could work their way there. To make up for the lack of sun I pulled out my tobacco filter and the rest is history.

Please enjoy the shots from my day below. All pictures taken by me and my co-worker, Mariella Coello with the exception of when pictured together which was taken by Nina inside the lighthouse.

Mountain, woods, and beach… heavenly! Photo: Adrienne C. Wilson

Above: Cheetah pose part of the Adrienne Geographic series. Bottom: Self-portrait / Natura. Photos: Mariella Coello & Adrienne C. Wilson

Above: Leap frog pose part of the Adrienne Geographic series. Bottom: Orange cloudy beach. Photos: Mariella Coello & Adrienne C. Wilson

Above: Twigs part of the Adrienne Geographic series. Bottom: Mermaid pose and typical yoga stuff. Photos: Mariella Coello & Adrienne C. Wilson

Above: Reaching branches. Bottom: Bridge & Coast. Photos: Adrienne C. Wilson

Above: Cold water tip-toe. Bottom: Mariella’s Piggies & Oregon Coast Maybelline Application. Photos: Adrienne C. Wilson & Mariella Coello

Above: It’s log–log–it’s better than bad it’s good… Bottom: Preparing to dive. Checking the cell. Photos: Adrienne C. Wilson & Mariella Coello

If the Peruvian authorities come looking for a Peruvian Princess or Ocean Mermaid, I know nothing… Oh, wait! How did she get there? My co-worker is pretty cool to go on photo safari’s… Photo: Adrienne C. Wilson

Strength, Nature, Love, Blackberries and Light,
Adrienne