Tafoni at Shore Acres

Although its etymology is unclear, tafoni is believed to originate from the Greek word for holes. Created by weathering of soft stone, typically sandstone, it can be found worldwide. I have observed it on the West Coast. First at Point Lobos in California, but also last year in Oregon at Shore Acres. This photo captures a small portion of the rock formation there. Anne in her purple fleece adds scale.

Shore Acres Newt

Shore Acres, now a state park, originated as a private estate. It combines the rugged beauty of the Pacific coast, with the structured beauty of a formal garden. The garden’s central water feature came complete with a newt. “She turned me into a newt… I got better.” The park is part of the Pacific Coast Trail and as such one can hike for miles along the coast.

Mule Deer on Simpson Beach 50′ Below

If I recall correctly, the family who owned the estate ended in tragedy (fire, death and the Depression) and the land was bequeathed to the state. There are the ruins of an old tennis court, but really all that remain of the estate are the gardens and they are something to behold. In Oregon’s lush coastal environment it is not hard to grow a garden. The garden is mainly box and roses, but there is also an exquisite Japanese garden. The garden is surrounded by a 10′ fence to keep the deer out and the garden’s exotics in.

We later saw deer at nearby Simpson Beach. They were down on the sand and we were 100′ directly above them. They kept looking up worriedly at us. We also saw an Allen’s Hummingbird. It especially loved the garden’s Torch flowers. We did one more run by the sea lion vistas, with middling success, before bagging it and heading into Coos Bay. We loaded up the larder, before heading back to camp. We stopped at the swimming beach again and saw an island that wasn’t there before, then dinner and a fire.

Allen’s Hummingbird and Torch Plant