Motorhoming to Colorado and Beyond 2011

Well, the  great Northwest did not disappoint. Once again we woke to pouring rain, wind and grey, grey, grey weather. Ron got soaked unhooking the MH as did I. Fortunately, it was a short 35 mile ride to Cape Lookout State Park. Once again we were lucky enough to get two days with full hook-ups. The state parks in Oregon are quite beautiful, well maintained, reasonably priced  ($26.00 per night) with at least electric and water hook-ups some with sewer.

Our site was perfect for us and once again we got soaked setting up. WOW, it was really pouring and the fog was intense.

 

We have noticed a lot of dead trees out here that have new  trees growing our of them. They are called nurse logs. There was one outside our door at the campground.

After settling in, drying off and eating lunch (Ron thinks we eat to frequently) we headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for a tour.

I used to work in a factory after school that was an assembly line type job. Don’t think I could do the same thing over and over again now. Not enough patience anymore.

 

 

We didn’t buy any chees because it was more expensive then in the grocery but we did have some of their delicious ice cream.

Always happy to see these signs. Especially since the ground has been shaking in this area for the last three months.

Another day walking in the  rain on the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun is suppose to shine on Thursday – We shall see!!!!

Another day of dreary weather  and rain with a possibility of intermittent clearing. We decided to head out to Seaside a beach town that has been described as very special. Well, it was a beach town but not any different then any others we had been to. We didn’t even stop to walk around just drove through and headed for Ecola State Park to check out the views.

Once again we were not disappointed. The viewpoints gave one an especially breathtaking view of the haystacks, coastline and lighthouse.

The walk to the viewpoint was cold and the wind was whipping. The trees have been under the forces of the wind so long that they are leaning to one side.

 

After having a picnic lunch we took advantage of the sunshine and headed to Indian Point Beach. Once again we were pleased with the views and although a much smaller beach it reminded us of Rialto Beach in Washington.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After spending about two hours enjoying the beach we  headed over to what we first thought was Cannon Beach. We actually pulled into the parking lot of Tolovana Beach and walked a mile up the beach to Cannon Beach where the  Haystack Rock, reaches 235 feet above the ocean and  is one of the largest monoliths in the world. It was quite impressive and it is one of the most photographed rocks in the world as well.

After leaving the ocean beaches and tremendous scenery we stopped in a town called Manzanita and indulged in the locally famous Tillamook ice cream. It was definitely everything  it had been promoted to be and more. We will be taking in the tour at the Tillamook Cheese Factory tomorrow.

Jewel was happy when we got back to the CG and even happier when we took her for a walk on the beach.

 

We will be heading to Cape Lookout State Park and more adventures.

The weather has not been very cooperative.  Clouds, rain and more rain!!!! The great Northwest indeed!! We packed up and drove down the coast 28 miles to Nehalem Bay State Park. Once again we were lucky and managed to secure a site for two nights.

It was chilly but we got our beach walk in despite the wind and rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The campground was not crowded but we always seem to manage to get a site with a rotted out picnic table. All the sites around us has shiny new wood on theirs. We thought about changing the table but it was way too heavy.

 

 

 

 

The site was really nice and had plenty of room to open our slides – not so with the TV antenna. We haven’t been able to get good reception so it really didn’t matter that we couldn’t put the antenna up.

 

There was  a MOM and her two Children walking along the side of the road and they were beautiful.

 

We were hoping for better weather for the next few days but it’s not very promising. We’ll just have to deal with what Mother Nature has to offer.

Well, I was right about Tuesdays – bright and sunny- but not today. Overcast, cloudy with threatening rain. This area is lush and green but has way too much rain for us.

We spent the day finishing the cleaning, washing and generally preparing for the next leg of our journey.

Later we had dinner with Patrick and picked Kelly up at the airport. She had a good trip but was very tired. We chatted for a while and headed back to the MH so she could get some rest.

On Thursday we decided to wash the windows on the MH, finish the laundry and ironing and get the last minute details finished for impending launch.

 

While waiting for Kelly to get home from work Patrick was telling us about a KISS concert that was going on in town. He told us that his friend Gene Simmons was planning on stopping by before the concert. We though he was kidding but about 15 minutes later the doorbell rang and OMG!!!!!!! Gene Simmons was standing there in full garb. After the shock of that visit we couldn’t wait for Kelly to get home to tell her.

Kelly wasn’t so surprised because he had come to visit last year too.

We went to a great restaurant (Claim Jumper) with Kelly and Patrick for our  last dinner before leaving. Our meal was the best ever and the company equally as good.

Kelly was exhausted from her trip and had a lot of stuff going on at work. Her business partners kept  texting her. We so remember all that stress and are glad we don’t have to deal with it anymore.

After a nice visit we left with big hugs and kisses. We can’t believe the time went by so quickly. Once again we had a wonderful visit and enjoyed seeing everyone. Megan is still in Vegas so didn’t get to see her today.

Tomorrow we will be leaving for the Oregon Coast then on to California. Not sure what we will be doing  - just take it as it comes.

 

 

We had no difficulty keeping our site for another night since there was a mass exodus from the CG when the weekenders left. Not so sure we’ll do as well on July 4th weekend.

The Fort Stevens Military Reservation guarded the mouth of the Columbia River from the Civil War through World War II. Fort Stevens was named for territorial Governor General Isaac Ingalls Stevens who was killed in Chantilly, Virginia, in 1862. The fort was constructed during the Civil War and remained active until shortly after World War II. From 1897 to 1904, the fort experienced ongoing development, including the construction of eight gun batteries. All the guns have been removed but nearly all of the batteries remain. After the army coast artillery abandoned Fort Stevens, many of the buildings were demolished.

Our first stop was at the Museum/War Games Building.  The building was used for several different purposes over the years but now houses the Military Museum’s collection of photos and displays portraying various eras of the fort. There is a huge diorama in one room that is  replica of the fort when it was in full use.

We took a tour on a  WWII Army Truck around the fort. The narrated tour was extremely interesting.

Fort Stevens is the only fort on American soil that was attacked by  a Japanese submarine during WWII. The commanding officer refused to fire back for two reasons. He did not want to let the attacking submarine know that they were there and also that the firepower at the fort could not reach the submarine 10 miles out in the Columbia.

Following our first tour we opted to take the guided tour through Battery Mishler. Our tour guides were retired from the Army and were well versed on all things military.

The most interesting feature of Battery Mishler is that it was different from the Lewis and Walker batteries in that it had circular gun pits with 360-degree fields of fire. The two guns had remained in the battery as a curiosity during the years of lax security between the wars.

At the beginning of WWII the pits were covered over and it wasn’t until the end of the war that the guns were removed. At the same time interior tunnels were transformed into the harbor entrance control post for all military forces at the mouth of the Columbia River. Battery Mishler is the only facility of its kind open to the public in the United States

 

 

 

We enjoyed the private tour we had and learned a lot about forts including the fact that the same template was used for all the forts in the country as I had suspected.

Back at the CG we had dinner, a campfire and planned our next move.

We got a late start on Saturday because we had to wait until 1 PM to find out if we could stay at our site, move or leave. We ended up having  to move to a different site but still weren’t able to secure it for two nights. The place is mobbed and those of us who don’t believe in reservations (RON) sometimes get left out.

r0n NOTE:

Notice we did get a site!!!!!!!

Once we were moved we headed into Astoria to the  Columbia River Maritime Museum.The Museum provided combined history with cutting edge technology. We were told not to take pictures inside but of course Ron had to sneak at least one or maybe two.

 

There were videos and exhibits explaining the difficulty of crossing the hazardous and challenging Columbia River Bar. The place where the river spills into the ocean causing 40 foot waves, treacherous winds and a shifting sandbar. There are specially trained river pilots and bar pilots whose job it is to get the ships across the bar safely. Not a job for the faint of heart.

The Columbia River Bar, where the Pacific Ocean and Columbia River  meet, can be a navigational nightmare. Since 1792 approximately 2000 ships have sunk in this area, earning it the nickname “Graveyard of the Pacific.”

Water, weather and geography work together making the bar treacherous. The Columbia River flows into the Pacific through  a narrow channel. As the river water surges toward the ocean, it slows down, dropping sand and slit forming a fan-shaped sandbar that extends  more then six miles into the ocean.

Sometimes strong river discharges collide with heavy Pacific waves making passage extremely dangerous  for all vessels. The bar’s weather and waves are notoriously violent and quick to change. Therefore the need to have trained pilots.

We then took a tour of a retired floating lighthouse – the Lightship Columbia.This lightship was essentially a small town anchored five miles out at sea. Everything the crew needed had to be on board because in the winter, weeks of rough weather prevented any supplies from being delivered. The Columbia stored more than 12 tons of food, 13,000 gallons of fresh water and 47,0000 gallons of fuel.

 

 

The crew of 17 worked two to four week rotations with ten men on board at all times. Their tours on board were described as long stretches of boredom intermixed with riding out gale force winds and 30 foot waves.

The lightships were designed to serve where major aid to navigation is required but where the depth of the water or other conditions made building a lighthouse impractical. A lightship remains anchored in one place to mark the entrance of an important river or dangerous reef or shoal. For nearly a century, from 1892 until 1979, a lightship marked the entrance to the Columbia River. As I mentioned earlier we always seem to come across something that was built in New England and the Lightship Columbia was no exception. It was built in Bath, Maine.

When driving through Astoria we passed the Flavel House Museum that we had toured eight years ago.

I spotted a sign leading to the Astoria Column. We had also climbed the tower eight years ago but decided we would do it again. The views from the top are unbeatable and its free so off we went.

 

We climbed to the top and although it didn’t beat the over 500  steps Kelly and Patrick climbed at the Tower of London it was still a challenge for us. The 125 foot Astoria Column commemorates the area’s history through artistic renderings carved into the column. The 164 steps of the spiral staircase brings you to a lookout with panoramic views of Mt. Saint Helen’s, the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River and the town of Astoria below. Well worth the climb.

 

We then went back to the MH for dinner and planned our evening adventures. Ron was hell bent on going on the beach – me not so much.

We took a ride to Battery Russell and checked out the areas used to protect Fort Stevens during WWI and WWII. I noted that the battery and gun riggings looked the same as those we saw in Pensacola and I thought the government may have used the same template.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped to climb the viewing platform overlooking the South Jetty. Quite spectacular indeed. I failed at video taping as I put the camera on when walking and shut it off when I thought I was taping. Much like Ron video taping the inside of his pocket. LOL. I f  don’t watch it I’ll be fired from that job!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then against my wishes we headed to the beach or should I say the very sandy road to the beach that Ron insisted we should try. When we got to the road there were other trucks and suv’s contemplating the ride down to the beach. Not my Ron, he swung around a big truck and only stopped after I bellowed. Then two guys egged him on and without warning we were down the hill on the beach. YIKES!!!!! The man is certifiable.

We drove down the beach and waited for another beautiful sunset. However, it got so cold we had to get back in the Jeep and turn the heat on. So much for warm temps at the end of June.

 

 

 

Then it was back up the hill in the Jeep in the very deep sand. OH BOY!!!

Another day of adventures – some planned – some not.

AMEN: