Final Post From the Coast

It was last Thursday, a week ago now already, that we spent a final morning at the cabin before beginning our trip back home. 

Tom spent a lot of time vacuuming up other users' dust and dirt and sand while I went for a beach walk. Thank you, Tom.

You may have figured out that walking distances is not as easy for me now as it once was, but with a mild, mostly windless morning and with the tide still out far enough to leave a wide swath of hard packed sand, I decided to walk the mile to the distant creek and then back. The gulls were hanging out there.

Having reached my turn around point, I found a log to sit on for a breather and pulled out my phone. There I found a text from our son, Jake, who was working east on the mountains in Washington, and wanted to know about a bird he saw there that he didn't know. So here I was on a log on the beach on the Oregon coast, text-talking to Jake in the wilds of central Washington, identifying a bird. I knew from his description that it was a magpie, texted so, he 
Googled to confirm, and replied in the affirmative. And I marveled at the technology that we have now that could make that possible. 

Back at the cabin, we finished cleaning up and packing up and headed north up the coast. We had a plan to stop along the way at a place we had not visited for many years.

 Fort Clatsop, part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, was the over-wintering site of the Lewis and Clark "Corp of Discovery". Arriving at the site on Dec. 7, 1805, the corp had the sheltering fort constructed by Christmas, and stayed throughout the wet winter, until March 23, 1806. 

From the large visitor's center, the trail leads into the spruce forest past the statue of Sacajawea.

 The Clatsop Indians arrived almost every day to trade and help with the food supply.

 The fort has been reconstructed several times, in the location believed to be close to the original, following the original plans. 

 The sentry house.

 The captains' quarters. 

 The members of the Corps of Discovery.  Of the 106 days that the men spent at the fort, it rained all but 12. They all suffered from ailments and insects and rotting clothing. 

 Spruce trees grow big here in these coastal rain forest conditions. 

 We enjoyed our walk surrounded by the native flora. 

 We walked out along the river toward the canoe landing before returning through the forest to the visitor's center. 

 The visitor's center has a good museum, and showings of videos, which we did not take the time to watch. I'll finish with this statue of  Captain Lewis standing tall with his dog, Seaman, and Captain Clark sketching the flounder that the Clatsop Indian is showing 
him. 
 

We were glad that we finally took the time to make this stop, and we enjoyed our walk through history. We recommend it. 

And now, Happy Solstice! Summer is here!