S’mOregon
- Joanie Foley
- Oct 6, 2021
- 3 min read

We were surprised by the variety and magnitude of Oregon - so we needed "some more" time in this wild west state! We left Crater Lake and headed to Brookings, Oregon. Our AirBnB was along the Coastal Cliffs, we enjoyed the scenic drive from Gold Beach to Brookings, did some kissing at Kissing Rock, heard and felt the thunder at Thunder Cove, and in nearby Crescent City, CA -we were made to feel small by the majestic redwoods of Redwood National and State Parks: Stout Memorial Grove.
Coastal Cliffs Bed and Breakfast
We enjoyed a beautiful property and breathtaking views.
The stairs were truly an adventure ....
but they led the brave hearts that took them down to this precious secluded beach - that we just fell in love with.

Kissing Rock
We wouldn't be us if we didn't send groan worthy pics of us kissing at "Kissing Rock" to the kids!
Pssst....Secret Beach is No Secret
We were going to do a hike to " Secret Beach" but the unmarked trailhead was overflowing with cars so we passed and drove 1/4 mile down the road and did the Thunder Cove Trail. Advice - skip the Secret Beach Trailhead. If you really have desire to see Secret Beach you can get there from the Thunder Cove Trail as well! ( We did not want to deal with so many people on the Secret Beach and the tide was coming in.)
Thunder Cove
We had no idea what this trail had in store as we had no service and were winging it. We were surprised we had this trail entirely to ourselves and really could not believe we were alone when we saw / heard/ and felt what the trail opened up to. When a large wave enters the cove it wraps around a cave. Large amounts of water and surrounding air are forced into the back of the cave, creating a lot of pressure -pushing the wave and air backwards which creates a sound and vibration like thunder. It was so weird- when the ground first shook I worried about an earthquake until we figured out sound was coming from the waves in the cave. Hike was relaxing through pines and some redwoods and views were surreal!
Arch Rock
This was a really nice little walk that had a pretty picnic area.
Stout Grove
Stout Grove ( https://www.nps.gov/places/stoutgrove.htm ) is a 44 acre grove of dense, tall (up to 300 feet), and old ( some 2,000 years old) redwood trees. The drive getting to this trail is wild- and I could not capture it but there is not an inch to spare ( for good reasons- lots of huge trees) and the turns are very tight. The drive is exhilarating and the forest is flat with lots of ferns and not much else in way of understory - leaving the beautiful roots and barks very exposed. The trail was easy ~ 1/2 mile flat loop. Parking looked cramped but we felt pretty alone as we walked about the path. These trees are too beautiful for words - so grateful to have been able to walk among them!
World Famous Drive Through Tree
We could not pass up the cheesy billboard for the WORLD FAMOUS drive through tree - and we were so glad we stopped. We could not drive through because our car was too wide...but the 2,400 year old Chandelier Tree was spectacular ( I am conflicted that they gutted to make a drive thru attraction). Anyway- the tree was stunning and we enjoyed the wood carving made of the dead trees on the property- very well done!
OreFUN
All throughout Oregon we randomly spotted " Bigfoot" in fields, on porches, etc. Thank you Oregon people...we appreciated your fun sense of humor!

Jelly you saw bigfoot!
In retaliation for the kissing pics, I will intentionally make Rusty blush at least three times next time I see him! <3