Oregon Coast etc.

Yesterday we headed out a little later than expected. I think it was about 1:30 pm when we finally left the Woodman's. They were wonderful hosts, providing us with good food and shelter, and warm Christian fellowship. We drove down I-5 a bit, then headed West towards the Oregon coast. What's amazing abut the West coast, especially in Oregon, is that it is so sparse! I think I had this vision in my head of jam-packed freeways and Starbucks from border to border, but that is most definitely not the case. Western Oregon is really just a country place with beautiful mountains interlaced with robust rivers. It was getting late when we finally made it to the coast, so we grabbed the first camping site we could find that was on the beach. We set up camp, then headed down to the water to get front row seats to one of those spectacular sunsets that the Pacific side has to offer. There were a few surfers out on the surprisingly small surf, and I found out later that surf that small is really quite rare, even in summer. The local told me that the problem with surfing in Oregon is that the surf is usually too big, and you're usually waiting around for it to get small enough before you paddle out. But even so, I really can't see how people surf there, because the water is frigid! Anyway, we witnessed a beautiful sunset, a testimony to the artistry of God's creative hand. And we also met an eccentric Oregonian who had an interesting (and heretical) perspective on the Bible.
Back at the camp, we got the fire roaring to a nice blaze, which was most definitely needed. The air temperature most have been in the upper 50's, a far cry from the sweltering summer nights that I am so used to in the South. However, once I got cozily settled in by the fire, I found it was so pleasant that I just slept right there under he stars while Ben slept in the tent. The weather was perfect, there were no bugs, and there was no rain all night. I know emphatically that God loves me through His sacrifice on the cross, but last night was a little something extra, a display of His absolute goodness to His children.
We left the campsite at about 9:45 am, and started the long trek down HWY 101 to San Francisco. Parts of the drive gave me joy beyond description, with the clear blue water of the Pacific glistening in the morning sunlight, dotted with large rocks protruding out of the water, and other parts were rather average. We did see some neat stuff though, like the mighty Redwood forest, which made me feel like I would see an ewok from Return of the Jedi at any moment, as well as some Bigfoot tourist traps (which I was a total sucker for), and the famous drive-thru Redwood in Legitt, CA, the tree you can actually drive your car through, which we did for a mere $5.
Moving on down the coast we came to the California wine country, which made me think for a minute I was somewhere in central Italy like Tuscany. After a long days driving, eating a quick dinner at In'N'Out, and a couple of lattes we finally arrived in San Fracisco. Unfortunately we arrived after sunset, so the photos I got of the Golden Gate bridge turned out very average. Right now Ben and I are sitting in a cafe in downtown, which has a very European feel to it. I think any downtown area for me takes a little getting used to, and this one is no different. Crazy traffic, cafes, ristorantes, and strip clubs all over the place, and a chilly July breeze of about 56 degrees. I wish we had a little more time in the city, but we probably won't get to see everything that you're supposed to see when you come here.
All in all, the trip is turning out to be a whole lot of fun, as well as a helpful transition from my rigid schedule that I just came from in the Navy. I miss my friends back home, but I'm also glad to see some old ones along the way. And tomorrow is the best day of the week, cause I get to go to church!