Cannon Beach, Oregon

On the Road 1 Minute

The Oregon coast near Portland is rugged and cold in August, at least by Florida standards. It is separated from inland Oregon by a low mountain range that looks much like the temperate rain forest ranges of the Olympic Peninsula to the north, only smaller.

Walking the beaches there today felt like Florida after a winter blast has just pushed through. Temperatures were in the low 60s with a sharp sea breeze making it feel colder.

It was an amazing contrast with Portland, where an arid high of 94 degrees produced an excessive heat warning. But the dry air in the city made it seem much cooler.

By local standards, Jim and I were over-bundled. Nonetheless, I was very comfortable in sweat pants and a sweat shirt.

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Published by Robert Craig Waters

Robert Craig Waters is a Florida writer. After leaving journalism in the early 1980s, he worked as an attorney, communications director, and public spokesman for the Florida Supreme Court in Tallahassee for 35 years. He grew up on a family farm in Beulah, Florida, not far from the Alabama border, before attending Brown University in the 1970s. His mother's family traces its roots to Weaverville, North Carolina. His father's family is from the small village of Burnt Corn, Alabama, where Mr. Waters spent part of his childhood.

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