Do you favor the forest, or the beach?

If you could live in the mountains, or at the beach, which would you chose? I've heard this question asked as a sort personality test, the idea being that people gravitate strongly toward one or the other. Me? I am lucky to live within easy driving distance of both, I don't have to chose. I can visit the forest and the beach, even on the same vacation! Andrew and I took off for the beach recently, destination Rockaway Beach, on the Oregon Coast. On the way we stopped off at the Wilson River, in the Tillamook Forest, he fished, I explored. 

We parked at the Tillamook Forest Center, there were pathways along the river—it was a pretty tame version of the forest, but still fun. At first I thought this carved mushroom would be repeated along the pathway, but no, it was a one-off.

Moss? Fungus?

I wish I could have seen the wild lilies in bloom.

One must always remember to look up.

Mahonia

More mahonia, and moss.

Can I ID these berries? No. But the birds seemed to love them.

This area, along the trail, felt like story time. All that was missing was a firepit for smores.

I was fun to be immersed in ferns (bracken ferns, I think?) that were much taller than me.

This was interesting, some sort of witches broom I assume?

I'm always enchanted by the fungus.

The Wilson River is not exactly raging this time of year—then again we've not had measurable rain for months. Summer dry...

Daucus carota, I believe.

Before we left the fancy Tillamook Forest Center I had to take a photo of Andrew and I with our friend Smokey. He does good work.

Once at the beach we visited Cape Mears, which is where I spotted this giant gunnera in a marooned boat.

Ya gotta love it when someone one-ups the expected beach themed plantings.

Also at Cape Mears, I swear that was an arctostaphylos growing in driftwood on the beach.

This bit of driftwood had many little micro-climates within it's sandy crevices, and what even appeared to be balls of moss, but were probably "seaweed".

Up by the Barview Jetty I was able to indulge my architecture interests...

Wildlife architecture

Up at Rockaway Beach now where I've discovered Andrew and my future beach home, so modern and sleek—yes please! (are those Madonna's cone-shaped breasts buried in the sand?)

Twin Rocks... (yes, it's a place)

Half dollar

There are plenty of large trunking cordylines and huge flowering phormium at the beach.

And manzanitas (arctostaphylos)! We drove north of Rockaway to visit Manzanita (a city further up the coast) and I took at little detour thru the neighborhoods to see what I could find, I was thrilled to come upon several lovely arctostaphylos. Like this one...

I can't even begin to guess which species these are, but it was still fun to see them. Note that orange ribbon...

There was construction happening next door and I think the orange ribbon was a signal to take care. At least I hope so.

Peeling bark on another speciman.

This large plant was in a sort of natural area and large parts of it were dead, but still quite beautiful.

Nature knows what it's doing.

A parting shot of the beach from our balcony...

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