Rockaway Beach - Day Three

Last Wednesday we woke to heavy fog, but the weather man told us it would go away. We had plans to do some exploring, so we just delayed our start and that worked. By the time we drove around the south side of Tillamook Bay, the fog and water and hills beyond were beginning to separate into distinct features. With the sky reflected in the bay, it was one big watery, cloudy scene. We were headed on the Three Capes Loop Scenic Drive. First stop, Cape Meares. Just at the entrance to the state park, a small parking area provides access to a forest of old growth trees. Through these big trees we were headed to visit a giant.

There it is ahead, through the trees. See that branch that is as broad as a tree itself?

One of my favorite things in the natural world, old forest giants.

Can you get an idea of the immensity of this Sitka Spruce? I am standing at it's base and Tom is saying that it is too big to fit into the picture.

On another side these giant burls grow on the trunk.

With the renewed rain, new green has sprung up, and the Johnny Jump Ups are re-blooming.

This is a rain forest, and the moss grows like a beard on the tree trunks.

Also at Cape Meares state Park is another old friend, the Octopus Tree.

(Click to enlarge and read the sign)

And great views.

And a lighthouse.

We continued on our way to Cape Lookout, where we ate our picnic lunch and enjoyed the music of the surf.

While this camping and picnic area is crowded with people in the summer, in October we had it mostly to ourselves.

Cape Lookout reaches out into the sea. There is a trail out to the end, about a five mile hike round trip. I did it once a long time ago.

Next stop, Cape Kiawanda. Here is a monument to a special kind of fisherman with a special kind of boat, the dory. They are pointed a both ends and launched in the surf from the beach. There were none around that day, and the high tide limited the exploring.

Cape Kiawanda at Pacific City.

Many times in the past I have climbed these dunes. When we were kids we climbed up so we could run (fly) down. As adults we climbed to enjoy the view. This time we did not climb.

From here we drove back north on Hwy 101 to Tillamook, where we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream before returning to the cabin.

That evening we were treated to another beautiful sunset.

As the light faded, we were off to Pirate's Cove for a dinner of razor clams. Yum.