Saturday, July 31, 2010

July 31, 2010

Back to the Coast

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This morning we loaded the car with some items to take to Auburn for Rick and Tabby’s wedding.  Saves them some space.

Back west to the coast.  Much nicer drive than I-5.  Overcast almost all the way.  Started to clear about 45 minutes from Port Orford.  Coast is pretty but much nicer in sunshine.  Fog was still hugging the shore when we got to RV campground.  After parking we went to visitor center and learned that tours of Cape Blanco Lighthouse ended at 3:30 for the day.  So off we went to what they claim is the western most point in the lower 48 United States. (A spot in Washington has a similar claim)  When we drove up to the light house the fog was still thick enough to hide the view and even haze the light house only yards away.  We went to sign up for tour and when we came outside this is what we saw.

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View from Headlands south of light house.  Site of old Coast Guard rescue station.

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On our drive back from the Coast Guard State Park/Museum we met this guy.

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Port Orford dock.  This is the only port that directly faces the ocean.  No bay or even jetty to protect it.

DSC08323 Port Orford Dock

Some times the sun does shine on the Oregon coast.

DSC08329 us at bay at Visitor Center



July 30, 2010

Inland for a Day

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We turned our path east for a day.  Our primary reason was to visit Rick and Tabby whose wedding we will be attending next month.  They live in Springfield which is just east of Eugene. 

Just north of Eugene is the western manufacturing plant for Monaco motor coaches.  We arrived in the area in time for the days’ tour so we went to see how RVs are put together.  Like all RV makers, Monaco has seen better times but they are still in business and making RVs.  Pretty impressive to see the whole process.  No pictures allowed so we can just recommend taking the tour if you are in the area.

Following the tour we went to Rick and Tabby’s.  Nice visit.  Tasty meal.  Conversation on many things.  Toured the house and garden. Met the ducks.  :)  Fun evening. Nice visit.  Got late too fast.

 DSC08228 Rick and Tabby's house in Springfield, OR



Friday, July 30, 2010

July 29, 2010

Cheese Factory, Coast Views, and Sand Dunes

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We started our day (late morning) with a visit to the Tillamook Cheese factory.

20100729-7 Tillamook Cheese Factory

This morning was far less crowded than yesterday afternoon.  They have spruced things up a bit from last time we were here but layout is pretty much unchanged.  Self guided tour (basically a second floor viewing area looking down on cutting and packing operations), gift shop, cheese shop, cafe, ice cream counter.  We each got an ice cream cone.  Very good.

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Sign in gift shop

 

 

South along some of the most scenic of the Oregon coast.  Going from north to south is definitely the more scenic direction.  Also easier to access turnouts.

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Guardian of a view point

 

 

 

 

20100729-106 Heceta Head Lighthouse

We camped in a state park just south of Florence which is at the northern end of the Oregon Sand Dunes.

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Dune buggy

 

 

 

 

 

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Wild cranberry plant



Wednesday, July 28, 2010

July 28, 2010

Into Oregon

Day 89

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Another short day.  Over a long bridge across the Columbia River to Astoria and then down the Oregon coast.

Before heading down the coast we visited Fort Clatsop (again).  This is the site where Lewis and Clark and their party wintered over after reaching the Pacific.

20100728-43 Fort Clapson 20100728-44 Fort Clapson, inside with Pete 20100728-45 Fort Clapson, inside 20100728-58 Fort Clapson , canoe

Now south.

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Haystack Rock.  Often photo’d landmark

 

 

 

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Oregon coast a little south of Haystack Rock

 

 

 

We stopped in Tillamook and were going to visit the cheese factory.  Before going in we called a nearby state park to inquire about space.  They only had two spots left and they were first come first served.  Cheese tour was put on hold as we hurried to state park to get a spot.  We will go back tomorrow.

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Looking south from Cape Lookout SP.

 

 

 

 

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Looking north from Cape Lookout SP.

 

 

 

 

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Waves directly off shore.



July 27, 2010

Longest Beach, Kites, Cranberries

Happy Birthday Ken!

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We took the very rural scenic route south.  Our road the shore of several bays passing several fishing and logging towns, clamming flats, cranberry farms, and other picturesque farms and lands.

20100727-52 South Bend

 

 

20100727-66 Oyster cannery

 

 

Cannery with pile of shells on left

 

 

 20100727-11 Oyster farms along Hwy 105

 

Oyster farm

 

 

 

 

20100727-151 Long Beach 20100727-152 Long Beach, World's Longest Beach

 

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Cranberry farm

 

 

 

 

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Cranberries up close

 

 

 

 

20100727-94 Long Beach, Kite Museum, WWII weather and Barrage Kites

 

Kite museum. 



Monday, July 26, 2010

July 26, 2010

To the Coast

Day 87

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Avoiding I-5 as long as we could we took back roads through forests and farm land for sixty miles. 

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Eventually we had to take the freeway. 

DSC07683 passed by a car on a car on the freeway

We stopped several times to visit our favorite stores (Sam’s, Costco, Joann) to reacquaint ourselves :) and pick up some things that we have held up getting ‘till we back where prices were more sane.

DSC07680 Mt. Ranier from 167 S near Auburn

 

One good thing about the Seattle area – the view on a day like today.  Mount Rainier.

 

 

 

After enduring the Seattle area and freeways for several hours we happily headed west on a highway toward the coast.

We located an Elks lodge in Hoquiam (you pronounce it, I have no idea) with quiet RV parking.  The weather was twenty degrees cooler too.



July 25, 2010

North Cascades National Park

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Filled up on gas and propane and then headed south again.  We had to travel I-5 for a while but it wasn’t too bad.  Then east toward the mountains on two lane road with not much traffic.  We drove into the mountains but never felt like we were going up.  With the exception of some isolated peaks, the Cascade Mountains and the river valleys therein are lower and flatter than anything we have seen this year.  Pretty country though.  Rolling farm land and then river valleys with farms in the wide areas and then wide rivers with just the road next to them.

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We stayed in a campground in North Cascade National Park.  Very nice government campground.  No hookups but large, long camp sites with paved parking that would hold most large RVs.

Hiked from campground to visitor center.  Watched a couple of videos and strolled the museum.  Hiked back by a different route that went through old growth forest and along side a wide river.

DSC07643 Pete and Sue on trail DSC07654 furry tree at Skagit River DSC07655 Skagit River

Camped in a pretty thick forest of very tall trees, down on the floor of a valley with high steep sides, located at a lower latitude, it actually was pretty dark at nine o’clock.