A Walk Back In Time

On Saturday morning, on the last day of our stay  in Rockaway Beach, we ventured just across Hwy 101 from our cabin to explore the Cedar Wetlands Preserve. We had walked the rough trail to the "big tree" before, quite a long time ago, but had not taken advantage of the new completely accessable mile long board walk through the forested coastal swamp.

Giant skunk cabbages grow here. 

So do big trees.

Non-native hardy fuchsias, obviously planted by birds. 

A jumble of undergrowth under towering trees. 

Old rotted nurse stumps support haphazard new growth. 

Tom tasted red huckleberries growing on an old stump.

Long ago someone did some logging here of some earlier forest giants. 

Most of these are legacy trees, old second growth. 

But not this beauty. 

The "Big Cedar", a survivor, estimated to be 800 to 1200 years old.

A few yards away was another giant tree, just not as giantic. 

When I had rested enough and appreciated much, we began a slow walk back, noticing more  little things, like mushrooms.

And the scaley bark of spruce trees. 

I was so glad I was able to take this walk and marvel at the nature it reveals. I love big trees.

That afternoon we began our drive home, the first  two+ hours avoiding the crowded coast highway and taking backroads, driving through the magnificent forests of the Coast Range, before emerging at Longview on the Columbia River and joining the I-5 freeway home to Seattle.

I am always happy to be home, but I will have very good memories of this getaway to the sea. 

Friday at Rockaway

 We have been home since Saturday night, but I am still processing my photos.

Friday was a slow day. We went for another beach walk. There were clouds but the weather was calm and not cold.

We did lots of sitting and reading. Then we went out to dinner, seeking the meal we had been waiting for.

Pirates Cove, down the highway in Garibaldi, has the best razor clams, and this day they were fresh from up the coast at Seaside.  They were yummy. They came with clam chowder for me and oyster stew for Tom. 

As we were finishing dinner overlooking Tillamook Bay, the sun was setting. 

The photos out the window aren't great, but the view was. 

We got a few outside before begining our drive back.

We stopped at the overlook of the Three Graces for another view. 

Then I couldn't quit when I got back to the cabin.

Inside I thought it was done, but as the sun sank lower and lower into the sea the colors got brighter and brighter. 

It was a very good day.

The next day we would be going home, but we had one more excursion in mind first. 

Tuesday was actually Wednesday, this is Thursday

 I have a hard enough time keeping track of the days at home, so when I'm on vacation, it's anyone's guess. 

As it turns out, last Tuesday the fog never cleared and it wasn't until Wednesday that we actually saw the ocean. 

On Thursday we went sight seeing down the coast. 

We discovered a newly constructed road that could take us from Bayocean to Cape Meares to Netarts Bay to Cape Kiwanda, where before a major washout had meant lots of backtracking.

Driftwood is all that remains of a once forested town between the ocean and Tillamook Bay.

Cape Meares has wonderful views on both sides of the cape.

And a lighthouse at the end. 

At Netarts Bay we stopped at Jacobson's Salt to get more flaked sea salt and some salted caramels. 

By the time we got to Cape Kiwanda it was past time for lunch, which we ate at the Pelican Brew Pub, with views of the cape sand stone and dunes. 

From there we turned inland back to Hwy 101 and stopped in Cloverdale at a small creamery. Tom bought cheese and we had a fun conversation with the vendor, as we also did at Jacobsen's Salt. We like visiting with people we meet. We always have something to learn and something in common

We were back at the cabin in time to hook up our devices in order to stream the Seahawks game on Thursday night football. I made hamburgers for dinner, my only real cooking on this trip. Tuesday and Wednesday were take out from the Old Oregon Smoke House in Rockaway. 

We took time out to appreciate another another glorious sunset from in front of the cabin.