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| Astoria Column, Astoria OR |
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| Sunday Market, Astoria OR |
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| At Fr. Stevens, Hammond, OR |
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| Hiking Sand Dunes, North Bend, OR |
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| At Timberline Lodge, on Mt. Hood OR |
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| Multnoma Falls, Columbia River Gorge |
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| Mt. St. Helens from McClellan Overlook, WA |
Friday, July 27, 2012
Pictures!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Cascade Locks, OR July 14 - 22
We arrived on Friday the 13th (we aren't superstitious) and set up. We met the KOA cat, Thomas, a real moocher! On Saturday morning we enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes and sausage at the campground, and then decided to go across the river to Stevenson, WA to find the church and see what else is in the town. The Visitor's Center was open, and the volunteer loaded us down with brochures AND directions to the church and incidentally the Gorge Interpretive Center Museum was on the same road. Since it was cloudy and threatening to rain, we decided to stop there and check it out. Fantastic! We especially enjoyed seeing the information and equipment on salmon fishing and the exhibit of the wood industry.
I was particularly looking forward to visiting the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive center in Oregon City, about an hour from Cascade Locks. We drove over on Sunday and found the site with no problem....except that the site was no longer open. It had been closed in May. It evidently had run into hard times and had struggled for some time, as the buildings were in need of care. There was a walk with signs on the outside, so we read the informative signs about the various people who lived in the area, and then drove back to the campground.
On July 16 we drove the scenic route to Mt. Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon. Our goal was to see the Timberline Lodge at the 6000 ft. level. It was built by the WPA and dedicated by Roosevelt in 1937. We ate lunch at the Rams bar on the second floor, and enjoyed watching the skiers and snowboarders on the ski runs. We toured the building and the day use building next door where skiers got their lift tickets and got their equipment for skiing. It seems that the Timberline Lodge is home to several ski teams who use the ski runs to practice during the summer. We continued on hwy 26 to Sandy and Gresham and then back to I-84 and since it was late afternoon when we arrived, we were able to find parking at the Multnomah Falls, the 620 ft. waterfall right on I-84.
Some of the other experiences we had while camping at Cascade Locks include the 2-hour ride on the Crystal Dolphin, a tour boat that sails from Cascade Locks on the Columbia River. The river is a training area for sailing in high winds, and we were treated to the sight of Laser sail boats on the river. It seems that the Olympic sailing team uses the area between Cascade Locks and Hood River for experience in high winds. Another day we crossed the river and went to McClellan's Overlook, about 40 miles from camp, to view Mt. St. Helen's. The side we saw was the south side, so we didn't view the crater that was formed after the 1980 volcanic eruption. Another excursion was to the Evergreen Museum in McMinnville, OR about 80 miles from camp. The museum has two buildings: the first houses experimental aircraft and military planes from WWII and older. The most famous plane is the huge Spruce Goose, the enormous experimental plane built by Howard Hughes. In fact, in order to obtain the plane, the museum had to promise that the plane would be housed inside and so the hangar had to be built to hold the plane! The second museum building holds planes from the Korean War to the 1990's, rockets and space exhibits.
It was an awesome museum!
On our last day in Cascade Locks we went to the Maritime museum in town and then drove to the edge of town where I bought 5 lbs. of cherries for $10.00. I wish the kids were closer so I could share my loot!
The historic Columbia River Gorge area is beautiful, and Cascade Locks was a central area from which we could explore the area. We loved the waterfalls, the river and the mountains (we could see Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood) and the KOA folks were really great. I of course loved the cat, Thomas :-). The only negative to the whole experience was THE TRAINS! They roared past the campground at all hours of the day and night (5-6 per night), with their whistles blowing from one side of the camp to the other. Jack lost a lot of sleep due to their whistles! After a few nights, I generally slept through them.
On July 23 we left the Columbia River Gorge and moved into Washington.
I was particularly looking forward to visiting the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive center in Oregon City, about an hour from Cascade Locks. We drove over on Sunday and found the site with no problem....except that the site was no longer open. It had been closed in May. It evidently had run into hard times and had struggled for some time, as the buildings were in need of care. There was a walk with signs on the outside, so we read the informative signs about the various people who lived in the area, and then drove back to the campground.
On July 16 we drove the scenic route to Mt. Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon. Our goal was to see the Timberline Lodge at the 6000 ft. level. It was built by the WPA and dedicated by Roosevelt in 1937. We ate lunch at the Rams bar on the second floor, and enjoyed watching the skiers and snowboarders on the ski runs. We toured the building and the day use building next door where skiers got their lift tickets and got their equipment for skiing. It seems that the Timberline Lodge is home to several ski teams who use the ski runs to practice during the summer. We continued on hwy 26 to Sandy and Gresham and then back to I-84 and since it was late afternoon when we arrived, we were able to find parking at the Multnomah Falls, the 620 ft. waterfall right on I-84.
Some of the other experiences we had while camping at Cascade Locks include the 2-hour ride on the Crystal Dolphin, a tour boat that sails from Cascade Locks on the Columbia River. The river is a training area for sailing in high winds, and we were treated to the sight of Laser sail boats on the river. It seems that the Olympic sailing team uses the area between Cascade Locks and Hood River for experience in high winds. Another day we crossed the river and went to McClellan's Overlook, about 40 miles from camp, to view Mt. St. Helen's. The side we saw was the south side, so we didn't view the crater that was formed after the 1980 volcanic eruption. Another excursion was to the Evergreen Museum in McMinnville, OR about 80 miles from camp. The museum has two buildings: the first houses experimental aircraft and military planes from WWII and older. The most famous plane is the huge Spruce Goose, the enormous experimental plane built by Howard Hughes. In fact, in order to obtain the plane, the museum had to promise that the plane would be housed inside and so the hangar had to be built to hold the plane! The second museum building holds planes from the Korean War to the 1990's, rockets and space exhibits.
It was an awesome museum!
On our last day in Cascade Locks we went to the Maritime museum in town and then drove to the edge of town where I bought 5 lbs. of cherries for $10.00. I wish the kids were closer so I could share my loot!
The historic Columbia River Gorge area is beautiful, and Cascade Locks was a central area from which we could explore the area. We loved the waterfalls, the river and the mountains (we could see Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood) and the KOA folks were really great. I of course loved the cat, Thomas :-). The only negative to the whole experience was THE TRAINS! They roared past the campground at all hours of the day and night (5-6 per night), with their whistles blowing from one side of the camp to the other. Jack lost a lot of sleep due to their whistles! After a few nights, I generally slept through them.
On July 23 we left the Columbia River Gorge and moved into Washington.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Warrenton/Astoria OR July 6-12, 2012
AWK! No fast foods in Warrenton! Oh no! What are we going to do for breakfast????? Horrors!
We arrived after lunch on the 6th, and got settled in our campsite at Kampers West in Warrenton. Our GPS suggested that there was salvation across the river in Astoria, a mere 8 miles from camp. Saturday morning we drove over and discovered a bakery, and then hit the McDonalds to use their wifi and get our drinks. After breakfast we came back to Warrenton and went to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park to visit Fort Clatsop, the Corp of Discovery's winter camp. The fort is a reconstruction on the actual site of the original fort. Our next goal was to visit Seaside, 15 miles south, to see their salt camp, but traffic was stop and roll on Hwy 101, so headed back to Warrenton.
Sunday found us back in Astoria at St. Mary, Star of the Sea. To live in Astoria is a constant climb up hill. It was a steep climb to the church (thankfully we drove it!) and then there were STEPS! After breakfast we visited the 3-block Sunday Market . Fruits, veggies, food trucks, and crafts of every kind were available. I spent $6 on 2 pts. of raspberries and $3 on some beautiful tomatoes. The flower stalls were tempting, but with no vase or fruit jars to put them in, I had to pass.
Monday dawned cloudy and foggy but we drove over the HUGE Astoria-Megler bridge to Washington to see Cape Disappointment and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. The center contained exhibits offering a view of the entire journey from St. Louis to the Pacific of the Corp. They originally stopped here, and then after taking a vote crossed the Columbia and made camp at Fort Clatsop. The site also had the remains of Fort Canby, a fort built in 1863 and used until 1947 as protection of the area during WWII. We saw the Cape Disappointment lighthouse, and then drove to the North Head lighthouse. Both are automated.
Tuesday dawned SUNNY! Back to Astoria for breakfast and then drove the steep and winding road to the Astoria Column, which is 125 ft. high and depicts the history of local Native Americans and the early Development in Astoria on a series of murals winding around the column. If ambitious, you may climb 164 steps to the observation deck to view the area. We opted to view the area from the ground. The Column was paid for by the Great Northern Railroad and Vincent Astor, great-grandson of John Jacob Astor.
Back to Warrenton and into Hammond to Fort Stevens State Park which houses the remains of Fort Stevens which was constructed in 1865 to protect the Columbia River. The Fort remained active until the end of WWII. Fort Stevens was the ONLY US site fired on by the Japanese in WWII. It was the only attack on the US by a foreign power since the war of 1812! The fort did not return fire, and the sub went up the Pacific to the Aleutian Islands. As a result of not firing on the sub, 20 men went AWOL in disgust.
On July 11 we went back to Astoria (more clouds, more fog) to tour the Flavel House Museum, home of Captain George Flavel in 1885 and owned by members of the family until 1935 when it was donated to the city of Astoria. We also visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum where we learned about the fishing industry (39 canneries at one time), the Coast Guard Rescue Training site, and the river pilots and Columbia River BAR pilots, a group of 20 pilots who board ships and direct them over the treacherous river bars into the Pacific. Their job is to travel the 15 mile section of water, one of the most respected and feared in the world. It's known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.
To wrap up our time in this region, we went back to Astoria on Thursday to tour the Clatsop Historical
Society Museum. We spent 2 1/2 hours there, enjoying their exhibits. Tomorrow we'll go inland to Cascade Locks, a town along the famous Columbia River Gorge.
We arrived after lunch on the 6th, and got settled in our campsite at Kampers West in Warrenton. Our GPS suggested that there was salvation across the river in Astoria, a mere 8 miles from camp. Saturday morning we drove over and discovered a bakery, and then hit the McDonalds to use their wifi and get our drinks. After breakfast we came back to Warrenton and went to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park to visit Fort Clatsop, the Corp of Discovery's winter camp. The fort is a reconstruction on the actual site of the original fort. Our next goal was to visit Seaside, 15 miles south, to see their salt camp, but traffic was stop and roll on Hwy 101, so headed back to Warrenton.
Sunday found us back in Astoria at St. Mary, Star of the Sea. To live in Astoria is a constant climb up hill. It was a steep climb to the church (thankfully we drove it!) and then there were STEPS! After breakfast we visited the 3-block Sunday Market . Fruits, veggies, food trucks, and crafts of every kind were available. I spent $6 on 2 pts. of raspberries and $3 on some beautiful tomatoes. The flower stalls were tempting, but with no vase or fruit jars to put them in, I had to pass.
Monday dawned cloudy and foggy but we drove over the HUGE Astoria-Megler bridge to Washington to see Cape Disappointment and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. The center contained exhibits offering a view of the entire journey from St. Louis to the Pacific of the Corp. They originally stopped here, and then after taking a vote crossed the Columbia and made camp at Fort Clatsop. The site also had the remains of Fort Canby, a fort built in 1863 and used until 1947 as protection of the area during WWII. We saw the Cape Disappointment lighthouse, and then drove to the North Head lighthouse. Both are automated.
Tuesday dawned SUNNY! Back to Astoria for breakfast and then drove the steep and winding road to the Astoria Column, which is 125 ft. high and depicts the history of local Native Americans and the early Development in Astoria on a series of murals winding around the column. If ambitious, you may climb 164 steps to the observation deck to view the area. We opted to view the area from the ground. The Column was paid for by the Great Northern Railroad and Vincent Astor, great-grandson of John Jacob Astor.
Back to Warrenton and into Hammond to Fort Stevens State Park which houses the remains of Fort Stevens which was constructed in 1865 to protect the Columbia River. The Fort remained active until the end of WWII. Fort Stevens was the ONLY US site fired on by the Japanese in WWII. It was the only attack on the US by a foreign power since the war of 1812! The fort did not return fire, and the sub went up the Pacific to the Aleutian Islands. As a result of not firing on the sub, 20 men went AWOL in disgust.
On July 11 we went back to Astoria (more clouds, more fog) to tour the Flavel House Museum, home of Captain George Flavel in 1885 and owned by members of the family until 1935 when it was donated to the city of Astoria. We also visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum where we learned about the fishing industry (39 canneries at one time), the Coast Guard Rescue Training site, and the river pilots and Columbia River BAR pilots, a group of 20 pilots who board ships and direct them over the treacherous river bars into the Pacific. Their job is to travel the 15 mile section of water, one of the most respected and feared in the world. It's known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.
To wrap up our time in this region, we went back to Astoria on Thursday to tour the Clatsop Historical
Society Museum. We spent 2 1/2 hours there, enjoying their exhibits. Tomorrow we'll go inland to Cascade Locks, a town along the famous Columbia River Gorge.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Waldport/Newport OR July 3-5, 2012
The drive from North Bend to Waldport was beautiful. We saw sandy beaches and farm land and tons of Oregon State Parks. Nothing like the NC coast, where it's one big hotel or house after another. The legislature of Oregon was really great about making the beach accessible to all. Wish NC had been thinking like that too!
Our KOA was celebrating Independence day on July 3, so at 7:30 I participated in a S'mores party at the community fire pit. I guess I overdosed on S'mores as a Girl Scout leader, as I only wanted the toasted marshmallows. Yummy!!!!! At 10 the town had their fireworks, so I only had to walk to the edge of the campground to watch. Very nice, but by 10:20 I was COLD so headed back to the trailer.
July 4 we went across the bay for breakfast and stopped at a small street market before heading up 101 to Newport. It's a bigger town and is 15 miles north of Waldport. Ah, civilization!!!!! A Safe-way grocery store (think Harris-Teeter), fast food, beauty salon and lighthouses to tour!
On Thursday we satisfied our need to sightsee by heading back up to Newport to see the Yaquina Head lighthouse. It's a National site, complete with a Visitor/Interpretive center. We then drove to the lighthouse. It's the tallest one on the OR coast at 93 ft. tall. It was built in 1873 and has a Freznel #1 lens, which beams its light 20 miles out into the Pacific. It was open for tours, but we declined....114 steps and a long wait wasn't at all what we had in mind. We did enjoy seeing the thousands of birds on the rocks, a short distance from the light. We also saw six Pacific sea lions sunbathing on the rocks below us and were able to get pictures. When we get the camera unloaded I'll add some to the blog.
From the Yaquina Head lighthouse, we drove to the historic Yaquina Bay lighthouse, which was built first, in 1872. It has a Fresnel #5 lens, which only shines about 8 miles into the bay. Since it wasn't sufficient for the area, it was closed and decommissioned only two years after being finished. It sat for the next 100 years or so, and then the Historic Society of Yaquina Bay restored the house and the light, and started offering tours. In 1995 the light was turned back on, and since then has provided the light to local navigators in the Bay.
July 6 we headed 141 miles north to Warrenton and Astoria, OR.
Our KOA was celebrating Independence day on July 3, so at 7:30 I participated in a S'mores party at the community fire pit. I guess I overdosed on S'mores as a Girl Scout leader, as I only wanted the toasted marshmallows. Yummy!!!!! At 10 the town had their fireworks, so I only had to walk to the edge of the campground to watch. Very nice, but by 10:20 I was COLD so headed back to the trailer.
July 4 we went across the bay for breakfast and stopped at a small street market before heading up 101 to Newport. It's a bigger town and is 15 miles north of Waldport. Ah, civilization!!!!! A Safe-way grocery store (think Harris-Teeter), fast food, beauty salon and lighthouses to tour!
On Thursday we satisfied our need to sightsee by heading back up to Newport to see the Yaquina Head lighthouse. It's a National site, complete with a Visitor/Interpretive center. We then drove to the lighthouse. It's the tallest one on the OR coast at 93 ft. tall. It was built in 1873 and has a Freznel #1 lens, which beams its light 20 miles out into the Pacific. It was open for tours, but we declined....114 steps and a long wait wasn't at all what we had in mind. We did enjoy seeing the thousands of birds on the rocks, a short distance from the light. We also saw six Pacific sea lions sunbathing on the rocks below us and were able to get pictures. When we get the camera unloaded I'll add some to the blog.
From the Yaquina Head lighthouse, we drove to the historic Yaquina Bay lighthouse, which was built first, in 1872. It has a Fresnel #5 lens, which only shines about 8 miles into the bay. Since it wasn't sufficient for the area, it was closed and decommissioned only two years after being finished. It sat for the next 100 years or so, and then the Historic Society of Yaquina Bay restored the house and the light, and started offering tours. In 1995 the light was turned back on, and since then has provided the light to local navigators in the Bay.
July 6 we headed 141 miles north to Warrenton and Astoria, OR.
North Bend, OR June 30 - July 3
We arrived from Gold Hill in the rain. The road into the campground was a quagmire of mud and ruts. I was cussing up a storm, as I had my Merrills on, not my waterproof hiking boots. Sure did a number on my clean kitchen floor -- even WITH a mat and papers to step on! This campground is a Off Road Vehicle friendly campground, so almost every camp site has 3-6 quads parked next to their trailers. Lots of guys, not a lot of women. The reason it's so popular with the ORVers is that there is direct access behind the campground to the sand dunes where they spend their days roaring up and down the dunes.
We settled in and read our brochures and decided on a plan of action for Sunday and Monday. Luckily the rain stopped overnight, so after breakfast we headed out to the visitor's center for more into and directions. Our first jaunt was to the Cape Arago highway which took us to the OR beaches, state parks, and Charleston, a small historic fishing village. The road is about 16 miles long, and has features such as Simpson Bay were you can stand on an overlook and experts help you direct the telescopes to a rocky stretch which is populated by Pacific sea lions. We tried to take a picture through the lens of the telescope. You can see brown "bumps" on the beach -- those are the sea lions! We also saw the Cape Arago lighthouse, which is deserted and unreachable. From there we came back past our campground and headed to Hall Lake loop where we could see the coast's largest dune at 140 ft. in height. Deciding we really needed to get close and personsal with the dunes, the visitor's center suggested that the safest place to hike would be the John Dellenback Dunes Trail, as on other dunes you would likely be competing with the quads. The north half of the trail was an easy hike, and the trail was paved. When we got to the dunes we climbed the closest dune. Whew! That was a job with the soft sand and going up one of the highest dunes along the coast. The southern trail back to the trail head was sand for a good part of it, so my legs felt like rubber when I got to the truck. ENOUGH!
Monday we decided to tour a Myrtlewood factory and learn about the myrtlewood trees that only grow in a small area of OR and Northern CA and in Israel. The tree reminds me of a Bradford pear in shape, but it has many thick trunks. It's slow growing, and takes 100 years to get to a size that can be used. The factory makes furniture, golf putters, decorative and kitchen items. Very pretty.
Tomorrow (July 3) we will drive about 75 miles to Walport, OR where we'll hide out until July 6.
We settled in and read our brochures and decided on a plan of action for Sunday and Monday. Luckily the rain stopped overnight, so after breakfast we headed out to the visitor's center for more into and directions. Our first jaunt was to the Cape Arago highway which took us to the OR beaches, state parks, and Charleston, a small historic fishing village. The road is about 16 miles long, and has features such as Simpson Bay were you can stand on an overlook and experts help you direct the telescopes to a rocky stretch which is populated by Pacific sea lions. We tried to take a picture through the lens of the telescope. You can see brown "bumps" on the beach -- those are the sea lions! We also saw the Cape Arago lighthouse, which is deserted and unreachable. From there we came back past our campground and headed to Hall Lake loop where we could see the coast's largest dune at 140 ft. in height. Deciding we really needed to get close and personsal with the dunes, the visitor's center suggested that the safest place to hike would be the John Dellenback Dunes Trail, as on other dunes you would likely be competing with the quads. The north half of the trail was an easy hike, and the trail was paved. When we got to the dunes we climbed the closest dune. Whew! That was a job with the soft sand and going up one of the highest dunes along the coast. The southern trail back to the trail head was sand for a good part of it, so my legs felt like rubber when I got to the truck. ENOUGH!
Monday we decided to tour a Myrtlewood factory and learn about the myrtlewood trees that only grow in a small area of OR and Northern CA and in Israel. The tree reminds me of a Bradford pear in shape, but it has many thick trunks. It's slow growing, and takes 100 years to get to a size that can be used. The factory makes furniture, golf putters, decorative and kitchen items. Very pretty.
Tomorrow (July 3) we will drive about 75 miles to Walport, OR where we'll hide out until July 6.
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