4th of July – Day 5

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Crater Lake National Park in Oregon

Well, here we are for a return visit to Crater Lake National Park. This good fortune of making follow-up visits seems to be a thing in our lives. There’s no exaggeration when I tell you that never in our wildest dreams did we ever believe we’d be this lucky. But here we are, two years nearly to the day after our first visit, again standing on the rim of this ancient volcano looking into the deepest blue waters either of us has ever seen.

Caroline Wise at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon

We never expected this much snow at this time of year; this is crazy. So are the mosquitoes feasting on Caroline – so bad that we stopped at the visitors center to buy some “scented” repellent, but it seems there’s just no way of making DEET pleasant to the nose. Good thing it works, and good thing we don’t want children as this stuff is wicked evil.

I don’t know how many other times I’ve mentioned this (probably dozens), but the shirt Caroline is wearing that seems to go on all of our travels is effectively Caroline’s wedding dress. To hell with the white dress stuff; this shirt that we picked up at Eurodisney in Paris, France, on her 25th Birthday in 1992 is the one she wore a couple of years later in Las Vegas, Nevada when we were married at the Little White Chapel. Traveling with memories to make new memories that’s how we go down the road of life.

Crater Lake National Park in Oregon

It might be slightly difficult to see in such a wide view, but there’s a small island out there on the left; it’s called the Phantom Ship and stands 170 feet above the lake surface. So consider that the tiny island is actually the height of about a 15-story building and maybe you get an idea of the scale of this ancient crater. Actually, this crater is not all that ancient, as it was created a mere 7,700 years ago.

Crater Lake National Park in Oregon

Deep blue skies, deep blue waters, bright white snow, and cragged cliffs all blur together to create Crater Lake. There’s something otherworldly up here that makes you feel you are at heights never experienced before. The idea that we are only about 110 miles from the Pacific Ocean as the crow flies is difficult to comprehend when the universe up here is in such a contrast to the one below.

Caroline Wise at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon

This is how you make a beautiful site even more so.

On the way out of the national park, we stopped at the Rogue River Gorge viewpoint so Caroline could add these waters to the growing list of places her feet have felt the pulse and flow of another fluid highway. Unable to score some more Tillamook ice cream this far south in Oregon, we felt like we still won as we stopped in Medford for pastries and coffee at our favorite Oregon coffee shop, Dutch Bros.

Mt. Shasta in California

If this is Mount Shasta in California, this must mean we are traveling south and are likely headed home from yet another one of our ridiculous out-and-back marathons.

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

The day is too beautiful, too perfect, too inviting to just plow through the rest of it so with Lassen Volcanic National Park on the horizon we just had to pass through and hopefully find something or other we could do quickly.

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

Considering it’s already after 4:00 p.m. when we enter Lassen, we should admit that, in some way, we are moving at an ant’s pace, and maybe we should just embrace that we can’t be rushed.

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

So if we are going to take our time and accept that we are going to be late by the time we reach Lee Vining, nearly 300 miles south of here, then we’ll do something meaningful. That bit of distraction cost us a couple of hours as we climbed along Kings Creek, which does not require anyone to stand in its rushing waters that cascade down the mountain just feet away from the trail, but this is Caroline, and ice water only adds to the challenge.

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

Marmots are supposed to talk, or have I watched too many videos where this kind of animal screeches at people or other animals? Or maybe it should stand up and do a chubby rendition of the Hamster Dance!

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

Just then, Lassen Volcano erupted, killing us instantly. This was the last photo I ever took before my untimely death.

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

So, while there was zero exaggeration about our passing from this life, we were shortly afterward reincarnated as improved versions of ourselves over at Emerald Lake just before 7:00, a kind of miracle really.

Carson City, Nevada

With the recognition of how lucky the events of the day were, considering we were alive, dead, and alive again, we decided to skip over to the Nugget Casino in Carson City, Nevada, to win big. Now that we’re millionaires and not broken zombies, we’ll live better lives trying to share our good fortune.

4th of July – Day 4

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Caroline Wise and John Wise at Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

We greet ourselves with astonishment that we are so fortunate to visit one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been to a second time. Who gets this lucky in life? Less than two years ago, we crept down the road for our first visit to a legitimate rainforest, listening to Enya, Brian Eno, and Vangelis.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

Driving in, I spot purple in the sea of green. It’s not hard to make a quick stop when you are only driving five mph. I think this is a Marsh Orchid, though, in reality, I’m not a botanist who really cares what it is beyond its striking characteristics of vibrant, colorful contrast to all that’s around it.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

The visitor center wasn’t open yet when we arrived at the Hall of Mosses Trail, but that didn’t mean the trail was closed. This being summer, we were certain the throngs would be out in force, but it turns out that Hurricane Ridge is the main draw in this massive national park. When we visited this part of the park back in 2002, we left our motel before daybreak to be the first on the trail in order to best experience the quiet and solitude, but it so happened that we were never disturbed. Today is playing out much the same.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

Note to selves: visit in late summer or early fall depending on when the wild berries are edible. A question to ourselves: if we really want to eat wild berries, will we be in competition with bears for one of their food sources?

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

I don’t know what others see in this image, but it looked awfully sensual to Caroline and me, almost naughty really.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

The larger world is so easy to see, but it is what is hidden and small, out of sight, and requiring a closer look that holds an enchantment that I long to want to know, to understand, to go within.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

I should exclaim at some point here an enthusiastic “Happy Independence Day!” as it is the 4th of July in America. While we’ll miss any fireworks displays later today, the spectacle we are able to indulge our senses on both here in the Hoh Rainforest and later at the ocean will make up for missing anything exploded in the night sky with a giant boom.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

I probably should have chosen a lot fewer photos to accompany this blog entry, as our notes about this leg of the trip consisted of a single line entry that noted what time we arrived and left the area. So, the visual narrative will have to suffice where you can deduce that the images are a sequential story that followed our two-hour walk into the rainforest.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

Hall of Mosses now makes all the more sense, though Cave of Mosses would also have worked on this part of the trail.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

Land of Big Trees works occasionally, too. By the way, that tiny blue spot is Caroline, who is standing there for comparison.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

Would you believe this is a giant sandworm? Maybe a wood-colored forest snake? Okay, so the truth is it’s a 2,000-foot-long tree that fell in the last ice age that is a hollowed-out portal to another dimension; maybe not, but it could be.

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, Washington

Limax Maximus isn’t the greatest superhero name when the two words are used together, but Limax sounds like one of the greatest superhero names to me. A spotted leopard slug, on the other hand, does not sound the least bit super or heroic. Sexy, though, comes to mind because what’s not sexy about slugs?

Ruby Beach in Washington

From spotted slugs to starfish, they could take on an air of unwholesomeness, but your mind would have to be in the gutter. Not that my mind is necessarily in the gutter (though it’s been known to flounder there from time to time), so what I was alluding to is transitioning from the slug to the chocolate starfish. I shouldn’t have gone there, but I did, so that’s that. By the way, we are at Ruby Beach out here on the Washington Coast, and it just so happens to be low tide.

Ruby Beach in Washington

Don’t worry; I know of no way to besmirch the innocent anemone by dragging it into sexual innuendo that puts my immaturity on display. Funny how we’d never ask an anemone to act its age and remain appropriate as it gets away with showing us its anus. Come on now, have you really ever thought about it that the center hole is both its mouth and its butthole? Oh, how I wish I was built the same way.

Ruby Beach in Washington

Right about now, the reader must be wishing their eyes and ears were like these crustaceans, sealed up tightly.

Ruby Beach in Washington

Who’s that knocking at my door?
Said the fair young maiden!

Well, it’s only me from over the sea,
Said Barnacle Bill, the Sailor,
I’m all lit up like a Christmas tree,
Said Barnacle Bill the Sailor.
I’ll sail the sea until I croak,
Drink my whiskey, swear, and smoke,
But I can’t swim a bloody stroke,
Said Barnacle Bill the Sailor.

Of the over 1,200 species of barnacles, it’s probably not a bad thing that when Ballochy Bill The Sailor was adapted to a cleaner version of the song known as Barnacle Bill The Sailor, the writer didn’t know about these acorn barnacles as the song would certainly not had the same cadence and flow. Click the link for the song’s history, and you can read the original lyrics of the raunchier version; seriously, you should read those lyrics.

Ruby Beach in Washington

Can you grow back like a starfish? Do you even know the reference? Try listening to this song from Antony and the Johnsons titled Cripple And The Starfish.

Caroline Wise at Ruby Beach in Washington

It’s sunny when it needs to be, while at other times, a bit of moody, overcast sky sets a tone that paints the environment with the appropriate colors to suit our senses and create just enough magic that makes it all special.

Oregon

It was 2:00 p.m. as we left Aberdeen, Washington. Sadly, our notes point out that we ate at KFC in town, not that Aberdeen has a lot more to offer than that but it’s kind of embarrassing to admit we ate there. Maybe I should also come clean that we once ate at a Taco Bell leaving Death Valley, though we tossed it after a few bites, deciding to wait for something reasonable further down the road. Plus, we had to eat fried chicken in commemoration of Jim Morrison. Are you intrigued why the singer for the Doors inspired this instead of Aberdeen’s most famous resident, Kurt Cobain? Because punk rock and LSD.

Toketee Waterfalls east of Roseburg, Oregon

This is the most unceremonious passing through Oregon EVER! We enter the state on Interstate 5, and nearly without pause, we just drive south. Reaching Roseburg, we turn left as we’re staying at the Featherbed Inn in Chemult, Oregon, but before we get there and with the few remnants of available daylight, we stop at Toketee Falls. From rainforest scenes and marine life at the edge of the sea to a walk in the forest to this waterfall, we cannot complain that this 4th of July was anything other than spectacular.

4th of July – Day 2

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Highway 50 Nevada

It was 5:30 a.m. when we hit the road, taking Interstate 50 West, which is also known as “The Loneliest Road” in America.

In Eureka, Nevada on Highway 50

Arriving in Eureka, Nevada, we stopped at the Pony Express Deli, and while it’s under new ownership the breakfast was as great as it was on our previous visit. We weren’t in town long, though, because of the nearly 800 miles we’ll be driving today. From here, we leave Interstate 50 for NV-278 going north.

Cicada on Highway 50 in Nevada

Our breakfast was burritos with eggs, while this cicada enjoyed a cannibal burrito of cicada head cheese scraped right from the half-shell. This was not something we sought out by stopping the car and checking the bushes for acts of such barbarity, but the sound of millions of these seasonal insects was here en masse. Rotting cicada corpses baked in the morning sun while their brethren clambered across the highway, trying to get to the other side before another car passed. When we stopped to listen to the symphony, we were startled by a nearby bush that appeared to shift as the cicadas that were occupying it all moved simultaneously away from the sound of our car door shutting. It was there that we spotted this Alferd Packer of the cicada world.

Leaving these millions of cicadas presented us with a relatively serious problem: we would have to kill more of them. We rolled up the windows tightly to escape their screams and put the car in drive. Maybe we should have tried going quickly, but, like crispy potato chips, the sound of the crunching was intrinsically satisfying, so I crept along in the rising fog of decomposing cicada life juice that was evaporating off the hot street. Dear God, do not present us with such an attack of the senses ever again, please.

Nevada

Green meadows, freshwater, snowy peaks, and blue skies were the nose and eyeball cleansing therapy we needed, and nature delivered after the horrors of our previous stop along the road.

Nevada

We’re now up on NV-225, passing the Wild Horse Reservoir, just enjoying this beautiful summer drive on a perfect Friday morning.

Caroline Wise and John Wise entering Idaho

As we pass into Idaho, the road changes numbers to become ID-51. We are on the Duck Valley Reservation, which is home to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe.

Idaho

Somehow, we are able to tune in to an NPR station off in the distance, and out here in the middle of nowhere, we are being introduced to the fascinating story of a Hasidic Jew named Chaim who took on the stage name Curly Oxide and joined the underground band Vic Thrill. Next up, we learned that Marlon Brando died the day before. A strange aspect of our travels is that we are mostly off the grid when it comes to current events, and it has happened that upon getting home, we can be in astonishment at what was going on while we were away. Why didn’t anyone tell us of the major news? Maybe they figured we already knew.

Caroline Wise and John Wise entering Oregon

We stayed away from the freeway that would have taken us past Boise, Idaho in order to continue the avoidance of large populations and the frantic nature of cities. Instead, we traveled on the ID-78 towards Marsing, Idaho, staying south of the Snake River, to make our way through Homedale onto State Highway 19, which brought us into Oregon.

Adrian, Oregon

God damn you,  Rocky.

Somewhere in Oregon

Here we are at one of those spots on the map where people will tell others about the “ugly” part of the state. In this case, it’s the eastern edge of Oregon that can’t compare to the coast, the mountains, or the Columbia River Gorge. Well, we are enchanted by the beauty of it all as we drive north from Adrian towards Owyhee.

Somewhere in Oregon

There are more than a few braids of the Owyhee River out here, including this mudflow slicing its way through the heavy, luscious growth. For people needing to drive 800 miles today, we seem to be making a lot of frequent stops. This is the luxury of the long days of summer that grow longer the further north we go.

Jamieson, Oregon

We left the “major” road for Lytle Boulevard that brought us to the John Day Highway or US-26 and the epicenter where everything is happening: Jamieson, Oregon. Note that this is the entire downtown hub of the place that is known as Jamieson; there is nothing else here. You are seeing it all.

Somewhere in Oregon

Somewhere on the other side of Unity, Oregon.

Caroline Wise standing in a small river in Oregon

Caroline’s standing in the Middle Fork of the John Day River somewhere near Galena, Oregon. We have decided to deviate from the itinerary by taking a “shortcut” past Susanville, which travels a more northwesterly route. It’s approaching 5:00 in the afternoon, so maybe we should start paying attention to getting to Rimrock, Washington, where we already have a room booked. As for our shortcut, I swear the road didn’t look that twisty on the map.

Somewhere in Oregon

From County Road 20 over the US-395, there was some spot where we ran out of the forest for a moment, but where exactly we are, I cannot say.

Somewhere in Oregon

We continued on the 395 as far as Nye, Oregon, where the road forked at the OR-74 that became the Big Butter Creek Road. This photo does not correspond to what I’m describing at all, but I have no reference points to explain where we are in this image; I suppose we’ll just have to retrace our steps someday and take better notes.

Somewhere in Oregon

North of Pine City, Oregon, we merged onto the 207, also known as the Lexington-Echo Highway.

Somewhere in Oregon

Not many stops anymore as we could feel the time working against us but we couldn’t pass up a bunch of photogenic horses standing at the fence line looking all needy.

Columbia River in Oregon

We crossed the Columbia River between Umatilla, Oregon, and Plymouth, Washington. Needing to keep up our pace, we drove along the north side of the Columbia on the 14 until we arrived in Alderdale; then we turned right towards Mabton.

Caroline Wise standing in the Columbia River in Oregon

Okay, we can afford one more stop, but only one. The Yakima River was calling Caroline to take her shoes off one more time so she could step into yet another American waterway. It’s already after 9:00 p.m. at this pitstop and we still needed something from Walmart up in Yakima. By the time we reached Rimrock and the Game Ridge Motel, it was already almost 11:00 p.m. Our room way out of the way was only $55, but seeing we would have forfeited that money should we have opted at the last minute to call it quits in Yakima, we drove on into the night with all of these experiences of the day traveling with us.

Oregon Coast – Day 5

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Monterey Bay California at sunrise

A vacation for Caroline and I can never be reduced to a single day, hour, or moment. It is the collection of all moments of every hour and each day seen as a tapestry of experience that helps define the journey. Maybe because I focus on the nicer photos I’ve captured of the trip, it’s easier to remember the brilliant times out in America instead of the random ugly moments that have certainly occurred. Other than the travel book industry focusing on hard times out on the road and the evening news that requires tragedy to be the center of attention, we do not and hopefully never will focus on the small and slightly aggravating instances when weirdness happens. Instead, we focus on the sunrise and pinch ourselves that even though we might race around on these jaunts into far away places, often we seem to be at the right place at the right moment and are rewarded with scenes such as this sunrise over Monterey Bay, California.

Cannery Row in Monterey Bay, California

By this time, we’ve lost count of how many times we’ve visited Monterey Bay, but what I do know is that it was back in January 1992 that Caroline Engelhardt (we were just dating then) made her first visit to America with me and it was right near here that she took her first good look at the Pacific Ocean.

Monarch Butterfly at Pacific Grove, California

Finally timed our visit correctly with the migration of the monarch butterflies wintering over in Pacific Grove.

Central Valley in California

Out of the coastal range and into Salinas Valley near Soledad.

Route 146 to Pinnacles National Park, California

On the road to visit our next national park.

Caroline Wise at Pinnacles National Park in California

Look way down at the bottom of the photo for tiny little Caroline to better understand the scale of that boulder at Pinnacles National Park in California.

Canyon in Pinnacles National Park, California

The canyons and rock spires are amazing at this national park. Sadly, we will not be able to stay long as we still have 10 hours and 650 miles left to drive before getting home.

Pinnacles National Park, California

On the way back to our car in Pinnacles National Park.

Caroline Wise at Soledad Mission in California

My chicken feeding another chicken at Soledad Mission.

Yellow rose at Soledad Mission in California

A perfect yellow rose at Soledad Mission.

San Miguel Mission in California

Remember what I said about how much time we’d need to drive home? Well, we are still relatively young….a little exhaustion never hurt anyone. We had just arrived at San Miguel Mission and had to stop because it was right there on the way home anyway.

San Miguel Mission in California

That’s an early television on the left prior to the electrified version arriving. Back then, people would place a circular or rectangular frame next to the wall and stare at it while telling stories. To the right of that is a spinning wheel for turning fibers into yarn, and behind that is a broken-down loom for weaving that yarn into cloth. You might also notice the floor is uneven and made of stone, along with a fireplace to warm this area; this is because back in 1797, when the mission was founded, this was the way things were done.

San Miguel Mission in California

Twenty-one days after our visit a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the San Simeon area that was strong enough to cause serious damage here at the mission about 30 miles away. The church seen here was closed for the next six years for repairs.

San Miguel Mission in California

Mission bells like these at San Miguel are one of the iconic images of the entire chain of 21 missions across California.

San Miguel Mission in California

Lucky for all of us, California and the Catholic Church have been caring for these historic sites that stretch from San Diego in the south to San Francisco in the north.

Red Cedar Vineyard fountain in Shandon, California

In a landscape of brown, tan, and blue, this fountain at the Red Cedar Vineyard, flowing with purple water, demanded we pull over and snap a picture. This would be the last stop for photos as we still had 580 miles to drive home, and it was already 3:30 p.m., putting us home after midnight.

Oregon Coast – Day 4

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Fishing in Elk River north of Port Orford, Oregon

It was still dark when we left this morning, but an hour later, it was looking wonderful to us. Living in the Arizona desert gives us a special appreciation for the clouds, fog, and drizzle that make a day feel romantic and offer one more reason to snuggle and indulge in hot drinks. The landscape here is courtesy of the Elk River just north of Port Orford, Oregon.

South Oregon Coast

Taking time for an overlook at Port Orford Heads State Park, cementing our love of this rugged coast.

Battle Rock Bay at Port Orford, Oregon

Fishing boats in Battle Rock Bay at Port Orford, Oregon.

Near Gold Beach, Oregon

Meyers Beach North near Gold Beach, Oregon.

Caroline Wise and John Wise Dutch Brothers Coffee in Brookings, Oregon

Our very first cup of Dutch Bros. Coffee ever in Brookings, Oregon. Over the coming years, we would stop again and again at various Dutch Bros. along the coast and collect way too many loyalty cards that we would always forget to bring on subsequent trips. Again and again, we would tell the baristas how much we loved their coffee and the funky, happy people who worked these roadside drive-thru coffee shops that were always open in the wee hours until late at night, well after the hour that coffee shops close in Arizona. We also never forgot to mention we were from Arizona, so when Dutch Bros. started opening outside of Oregon and chose Phoenix as one of their markets, we couldn’t help but think we played some small role in that decision.

Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, California

Another sight we will always try to make time for are lighthouses. This one is at Battery Park in Crescent City, California. Take note to visit the Battery Point Lighthouse.

Driftwood on Enderts Beach in Crescent City, California

I took a few photographs of driftwood, but this root ball from a redwood was one of the most amazing natural sculptures I’ve yet seen washed up on a beach. We are at Enderts Beach in Crescent City, California.

Caroline Wise on Enderts Beach in Crescent City, California

Caroline walks along Enderts Beach collecting souvenirs.

Berry's along the trail to Enderts Beach in Crescent City, California

If we find berries along the trail, we eat those berries unless they are poisonous, and then we just admire them, take their picture, and leave them alone.

Fall colors on a random leaf in California

The colors of fall found near the beach in northern California.

Redwoods in California

Redwoods National Park.

Lady Bird Johnson Grove of Redwoods in California

Took some time to stretch our legs in the Lady Bird Johnson Grove at Redwoods National Park.

Black bulgar fungi growing on a tree in Northern California

Black Bulgar fungi are also known as Bachelor’s Buttons growing here on a fallen dead hardwood tree. This was the end of our explorations for the day as the long Thanksgiving day weekend was coming to an end, and we needed to get as far south as possible so we could drive back to Phoenix tomorrow. With a few windy roads, fog, and the traffic around San Francisco, we now had little time to spare. We finally pulled into a motel in Watsonville, California, at 11:00 p.m. We’ll ask for a 6:00 wake-up call.

Oregon Coast – Day 3

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Yurt at Nehalem Bay State Park in Oregon

It’s raining when we wake during the night, but listening to the rain patter on our canvas yurt was like the sound of a perfect lullaby. We only booked two nights in yurts on this first exploration of the Oregon Coast and now wish we had one more night in a yurt before heading back to Phoenix. We’ve already decided that we will have to return again and again, and as often as we can, we’ll make an effort to stay in a yurt.

Dawn on the Oregon coast

Because it has been our goal to see the coast from bottom to top and back to bottom during our stay out here, it’s imperative that we rise with first light. We know that we’ll miss stuff as we drive at night, but hope that on the way back, we’ll catch some of what we missed. Also, due to the relatively short amount of time we have up here, we must curtail some of the stops for photos, or we’d get nowhere. As it is, I’m going to be posting quite a few images to accompany this day because so many of these images stood out to us and cut an indelible impression in our imaginations forming some memories we hope to carry our entire lives.

On the beach shortly after dawn on a foggy day on the coast of Oregon

Our first real walk of the day was at Arcadia Beach. The dampness, color, fog, and sound of the crashing waves all work to make for perfect scenery for both Caroline and me.

Caroline Wise standing in the surf on the Oregon coast

The cold will not deter Caroline from doffing her shoes and rolling up her pants (that rarely helps because she so frequently gets caught by the wave she didn’t see) to step into the Pacific for that picture of her standing in water. Some day, I will have to collect all the images from coast to coast we’ve shot of her standing in a lake, river, ocean, or creek and post a blog entry just about her visits to America’s waterways.

Oregon Coast

The contrast between the wild ocean and wind-swept golden grass is a sight for us to remember. Click the image for a larger view of the panorama, or click here.

Two slugs in love on the Oregon coast

Two slugs in love on the coast of Oregon reminds Caroline and me of us!

Fort Clatsop Lewis and Clark National Historic Park in Astoria, Oregon

Lewis and Clark slept here. Well, not really right here, as this is a recreation, but this site marks the end of their journey across the western territories to the Pacific. We are at Fort Clatsop – Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in Astoria, Oregon, near the mouth of the Columbia River.

Fort Clatsop in Astoria, Oregon

It’s another world out here at Fort Clatsop, with the weather lending to the sense of what a cold, wet day might have been like for Lewis and Clark.

Crossing into Washington from Oregon over the Columbia River in Astoria

Crossing from Astoria, Oregon, into Washington over the Columbia River.

Caroline Wise and John Wise on the Lewis and Clark Trail in Washington on the Columbia River

We went to Washington for bragging rights, so this trip on the Oregon coast would include visits to California and Washington too.

Looking south from Washington to Oregon

Looking back south to some dark, harsh weather over in Oregon while we head into clearer skies in Washington…

Caroline Wise and John Wise in front of the Welcome to Washington state sign

…things were delightful. Sure, this selfie is similar to the one just two photos ago, but that one was to commemorate being on another part of the Lewis and Clark Trail, and this one is to prove we were in Washington on this trip.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse in Southern Washington

Cape Disappointment in southern Washington at the mouth of the Columbia River. We’ve never visited this lighthouse as of me writing this blog entry in 2018 (takes note to rectify this).

Fort Stevens State Park in Oregon

We did the accelerated 15-minute tour of Fort Stevens State Park and only afterward learned we missed an amazing old shipwreck on the beach, the Peter Iredale.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Moving south again, we stopped to visit the Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach in Oregon. This turns out to be a favorite place for long walks along the ocean and will remain so for years to come.

Fishing on the Oregon coast

A couple of fishermen heading in.

Tillamook Cheese Factory Tour in Tillamook, Oregon

Just enough time to squeeze in a quick tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory. While we enjoyed our brief tour, I have the feeling this place would leave many a French person feeling a bit disgusted by it all.

Tillamook Cheese Factory ice cream shop in Tillamook, Oregon

While the people of the Netherlands might also balk at our cheese-making skills here in America (except for those women of Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes, California), they would be pacified by a taste of Tillamook Marionberry Pie ice cream. This ice cream shop is part of the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Blue Heron French Cheese Company in Tillamook, Oregon

Neither Caroline nor I remember if we were able to visit the Blue Heron French Cheese Company on this first visit to the coast. I have a vague memory it was closed by the time we reached the place, but who knows? What I do know is that we ultimately did visit here on a subsequent trip and were introduced to smoked brie and have been coming back ever since just for it.

Blue Heron French Cheese Company in Tillamook, Oregon

The colors and contrast of the orange, rust, black, woods, grass, moss in the windows, and foggy background all worked to make this a favorite of mine.

Caroline Wise stepping into the ocean in Lincoln City, Oregon

One more time, stepping into the ocean before darkness overtakes the day. What I said earlier about Caroline rolling up her pant legs, look at her right leg for proof that she could do better.

We stayed at the Bayshore Motel in Coos Bay for only $34 and dined at Abby’s Legendary Pizza. Besides Cannon Beach, we find that there are not a lot of fine dining options on the Oregon Coast.