Author and photographer Marques Vickers escorts you on a scenic whirlwind adventure along the picturesque Oregon coastline. With his edition "16-Hour Road Trip: Oregon Coast", Vickers begins his pictorial journey from the Art Deco styled Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge to the stunning sunset descent below the Neskowin seastack cove. His over 125 images capture the natural splendor of the Oregon Sand Dunes National Park, Humbug Mountain's base creeks and fauna, Battle Rock, Bullards Beach, Spinreel Campground, Tahkenitch, Beaver and Lagoon Creeks, Haceta Head, Devil's Churn, Seat Rock Wayside, Yaquina Head and the Devil's Punchbowl. At each site, Vickers provides detailed historical background and insight into each destination's significance and topography. En route, Vickers' camera feasts on the design imagery of the notable Haceta Head and Yaquina Head Lighthouses and the Patterson, Bullards and Yaquina Bay Bridges. The Oregon Sand Dunes National Park, which stretches forty miles from the Coos River in North Bend to the Siuslaw River in Florence, is prolifically immortalized from numerous photographic perspectives. The unspoiled Dunes comprise the largest expanse of sand dunes in North America. Two significant coastal rock formations, the Devil's Churn and Punchbowl are intimately photographed detailing the swirling turbulence, sprays and force generated by the relentlessly pounding surf within. The photographic visit is encapsulated within a sixteen-hour visit and locations chosen based on their beauty and accessibility. Vickers freely admits that equally worthy sites were bypassed due to time and daylight constraints. The author concludes that any excursion along the Oregon coastline mandates an extended time commitment and closer scrutiny. For the road trip warrior, this abbreviated jaunts skims a most desirable surface of a 250-mile highway stretch. Lesser traveled and renowned than its California counterpart, the scenery compares equally in aesthetics without the accompanying crowds. Excerpt: Devil's Churn Devil's Churn is aptly named. The subterranean land formation is accessible by a descending stone stairway. Regardless of weather, its jagged rock base is a reminder of just who is in control of nature...no one. The inlet was carved following thousands of years of wave actions shaping the basalt shoreline. The waves formed a deep-sea cavern whose roof eventually collapsed. The subsequent 100-foot crevice funnels momentous energy, as waves are compressed within. The ensuing spillage of spray and sea foam creates violent explosions and arbitrary hurling of water. The sequential drama of Devil's Churn resembles a vortex lashing out violently in all directions with the ferocity a whip's tail. Sprays may vault thirty feet in height. Individuals securely fastened to overhanging ledges may discover themselves instantly drenched. For those daring enough to navigate the walkway to its base, the turbulence is a worthy spectator performance. Debris is tossed and potential menace is a real threat. The impressive crown of Cape Perpetua, suspended 700 feet above the Churn, makes the descent into Hades particularly impressive. Avoid venturing into hell alone...unless you are a photographer with no better sense.
About the Author: Visual Artist, Writer and Photographer Marques Vickers is a California native presently living in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, Washington regions. He was born in 1957 and raised in Vallejo, California. He is a 1979 Business Administration graduate from Azusa Pacific University in the Los Angeles area. Following graduation, he became the Public Relations and ultimately Executive Director of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce between 1979-84. He subsequently became the Vice President of Sales for AsTRA Tours and Travel in Westwood between 1984-86. Following a one-year residence in Dijon, France where he studied at the University of Bourgogne, he began Marquis Enterprises in 1987. His company operations have included sports apparel exporting, travel and tour operations, wine brokering, publishing, rare book and collectibles reselling. He has established numerous e-commerce, barter exchange and art websites including MarquesV.com, ArtsInAmerica.com, InsiderSeriesBooks.com, DiscountVintages.com and WineScalper.com. Between 2005-2009, he relocated to the Languedoc region of southern France. He concentrated on his painting and sculptural work while restoring two 19th century stone village residences. His figurative painting, photography and sculptural works have been sold and exhibited internationally since 1986. He re-established his Pacific Coast residence in 2009 and has focused his creative productivity on writing and photography. His published works span a diverse variety of subjects including true crime, international travel, California wines, architecture, history, Southern France, Pacific Coast attractions, fiction, auctions, fine art marketing, poetry, fiction and photojournalism. He has two daughters, Charline and Caroline who presently reside in Europe.