Manifest Destiny

Well, we've finally made it to the Pacific. Despite having arrived on the West Coast some three weeks ago, we hadn't seen the sea.
Our first glimpse came at Florence, Oregon.
Long overshadowed by its neighbor to the south, Oregonians are understated people who are quietly proud of where they live.
That way, the state's citizens - who we were told number fewer than the inhabitants of Brooklyn - get the whole place to themselves.
We drove the length of the state twice - one and a half times on Interstate 5, and then the final half down US Highway 101 along the coast.
The latter is by far the superior option, allowing drivers to gasp at the spectacular seashore.
And at the adjoining sparkling freshwater lakes, towering primordial forests, Sahara like dunes and rivers teaming with life.
Plus, the food and drink are fantastic! Nice cheddar (yey, finally!), good microbrews, amazing coffee, plentiful seafood and tons of orchard fruit.
We loved it, despite the daily - and nightly - torrential downpours. We would have stayed, but we were worried about ourselves and the Airstream becoming waterlogged.
We all need more Gore-tex.