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!
A week ago Wednesday we were enjoying another sunny day on the Oregon coast. We spent some time lazily strolling around the docks in Garibaldi, on Tillamook Bay. Due to illness, the elderly couple that runs the Bay Front Bakery have had to close their business, and we miss them and the apple fritters, but we hope for the best for them.
The charter fishing boats were coming in from out in the ocean.
The gulls were ready for treats, like fish heads.
The wind spinners were still for sale and twirling in the breeze.
The fish cleaning station got busy as the day's catches arrived.
We took our customary stroll on the docks.
And then on the way back to the cabin we stopped at the jetty.
It was so calm and warm, so unlike other stops here.
That afternoon we walked into town to check out some shops and, of course, get Tillamook ice cream.
The tourist steam train was running between Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach.
When we listened to the news in the evening we discovered that it reached 95 degrees at home in Seattle. We were happy to enjoy the coolness of the coast, and another sunset.
We have been back home now for a while, but I have more to share from our little trip to the Oregon coast.
A week ago Tuesday was our first full day at the cabin at Rockaway Beach. I prided myself in completing my PT exercise routine each day while on "vacation". Then Tuesday morning we took our walk at the Kilchis Point Reserve.
This is a point of land along the south side of Tillamook Bay, maintained by the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum. A mile in, and a mile back out, with some wanderings out along the bay, it's flat and just right for my daily walk.
The first section is hard surface. We go from open area to woodland.
There are fun guy (fungi), and we met a few fun guys along the way too.
With marshes on both sides of the point, water is present, much to the delight of the skunk cabbage.
There are benches all along the way too, thanks to the memorials of past members of the Pioneer Museum Society.
This shrub is unknown to me. Any ideas? After the tube like yellow flowers, the red bracts are left.
The trail ends at a viewing gazebo.
We venture out onto the shore of the marshy backwater of the bay.
Tom still has springs in his legs. I don't.
After prowling around, we were sitting on a bench just under the trees, with this view, when we heard eagles singing. Eagles are fierce, huge birds, but when they sing, the song is a sweet, chattery chirping. We got up from our seats to look for them.
There they were, across the marsh, in the trees. I only had my phone camera, but if you look very closely you might see one on a tree top left of center, and the other on the right about half way down. Eagle singing makes me happy. I do like those other Eagles that sing too.
Wild roses are in bloom.
More wild life, the infamous banana slug.
Moisture and moderate temperatures make for abundant growth on the forest floor.
At the end of the walk, a brief rest under a honeysuckle bower.
And then we went to the Tillamook cheese Factory for lunch. Tom had a gooey grilled cheese sandwich with embellishments.
I had a really good salad with cheese, apple, hazelnuts and cranberries.
Later in the afternoon I took a short beach walk. The weather was lovely, but there is almost always a chilly wind blowing on the coast.
The sunset Tuesday evening, after 9:00!, was beautiful and lingering.
I took this last photo from the porch of the cabin, where we sat out the last of the day's glow.
