Brookings is the first Oregon town you meet coming up Highway 101 from California, and it greets you with unusual warmth. A quirk of the terrain and the warm winds that come down the Chetco River valley make it the mildest spot on the Oregon coast, nicknamed the banana belt, with winter temperatures that are several degrees above anywhere nearby. That climate suits flowers. More than ninety per cent of the Easter lily bulbs grown in the country come from fields around here, and in early summer the farms along the road are a sea of white trumpets.
The town has about six and a half thousand people, a working fishing harbour at the mouth of the Chetco, and a certain unfussy charm. It has one odd claim to fame: in September 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced offshore, and a floatplane flew over the forests and dropped incendiary bombs near Mount Emily. It was the only aerial bombing of the mainland United States in the war, and the fires did little damage in the damp forest. Decades later the pilot, Nobuo Fujita, returned to Brookings as a guest, presented the town with his family's samurai sword, and planted a tree near the site as a gesture of reconciliation.
For riders, the real treat lies just north. The Samuel H. Boardman scenic corridor runs for some twelve miles along the cliffs, where the highway weaves through spruce and hemlock forest and a series of turn-offs lead to dramatic views of sea stacks, arches and hidden beaches. The road is a gentle, winding ribbon, with the sea appearing between the trees, and the drop to the water is steep. Fog is frequent in summer, bringing damp roads and dim light, and sudden wind and rain showers are normal. The shoulder is narrow in places, and RVs can be slow, so patience is useful. Summer weekends bring traffic, so go early.
Brookings is a good place to prepare for the ride, with fuel stations, grocery stores and simple restaurants, and it is the last place for a while with a full set of services if you are heading north, so top up. Harris Beach State Park, on the northern edge of town, has a long sandy beach and campground. Fresh seafood, particularly Dungeness crab in season and fish and chips, is the local order of the day.