Visiting Astoria

     Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, offering more points of historical interest than any other place on the Oregon coast. The northern boundary of the city runs along the southern bank of the Columbia River. Just across the river is the state of Washington. You can get there by driving across the Astoria Megler Bridge (part of which is pictured above). The bridge itself is over four miles long and is the longest continuous three span, through truss bridge in the world. Construction began in 1962 and completed in 1966. Prior to this, the coast highway, Highway 101, terminated in Astoria. With the completion of the bridge, 101 now runs unbroken between the Mexican and the Canadian borders!

Looking towards Washington State

     While driving around Astoria, some things may seem familiar and you don't know why. Well, surprisingly enough, several movies have been filmed in and around Astoria. Kindergarten Cop and Free Willy among them. The cult classic Goonies shot many scenes here. We didn't get to see it on this visit but the Oregon Film Museum is located in downtown and it highlights many of the films that have been shot here.

The bridge to the cannery

     We stayed the evening in a nice hotel overlooking the harbor and got up early the next morning to continue our sightseeing. First stop was a former fish cannery. Up until just recently, Bumble Bee Tuna was canned here. To get to the cannery you drove across what looked like a boardwalk. Two way traffic was questionable. The cannery museum was free and self guided. While not immaculately organized or laid out, it was still a very interesting view of the life of the cannery and its workers.

The machine that puts the tuna into a can

A canning station with a photo of how it was used

     From the Cannery we went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. This is listed by several trip organizations as the #1 thing to do/see in Astoria. It is a remarkable museum. Exhibits highlight all manner of fishing and maritime use of the Columbia River.

     There is a wing dedicated to the Coast Guard Rough Water Rescue teams. This rescue boat is perched at a frightening angle. What makes it even more scary is that this is the usual angle this boat is forced to navigate through. Waves toss it about and the crew has to remain onboard and accomplish a rescue of seamen in trouble. Looks to me like it could be a good ride for Disney!!

     This display was great. Not sure if you can zoom in on the 10 things that are good/bad luck but some of them are:
     - Never leave the hatch covers upside down
     - The boat's bottom paint is better if applied by the light of the full moon
     - Cans of food, or anything else, must be stored with labels right side up to keep the boat from capsizing. Upside down cans also throw off the compass
     - Never cook pea soup on a vessel, it brings on storms
     - Never whistle onboard as it calls up the wind
     - Rabbits or pigs should never be mentioned, it is bad luck
     - It's bad luck to leave on a fishing trip on a Friday
By the way, the fish in the picture is a record 83 lb. Chinook Salmon caught in 1936.

     This fishing boat was used to catch abalone and sea urchins in Japan. It was caught up in the tsunami of 2011 and ended up on the Washington coast (just across the river) two years later. Using the registration, they actually found the owner. The 72 year old fisherman was glad to hear that his boat had been found but he did not want it back.

     Before GPS's and satellite navigation, mariners had to use several instruments to determine their location on the open oceans. Several of these are displayed in the museum and, in one case, a sextant is available to the museum patron to try their luck at finding their latitude. It's not as easy as it looks!!

   
     We then rode the Astoria River Front Trolley. This trolley runs back and forth along the seawall and gives you a great view of Astoria. You can ride it once or for a mere $2 you can "hop on/hop off" along any of the various stops. Surprisingly, you can bring your pets onboard also, so Misty got to ride. I say this because of something magical. As we took our seats, there was a young girl across the aisle from us who was obviously not having a good time. She was curled up and crying softly into her hat. Nothing her Mom or sister did would make her happy. As we rode along, the little girl would steal a peek at Misty. At one point Barb asked the Mom if it would be OK for Misty to come see the little girl. She said yes and Misty promptly curled up in the girl's lap and started licking her fingers. The change was remarkable and immediate! The little girl started to smile and her face brightened up like a sunbeam. By the time they got off the trolley, the little girl was happy and cheerful. Mom was relieved and appreciative and everyone on the trolley witnessed the transformation. As people got off, they would reach over and rub her head. At one point, two couples asked if they could hold her and they proceeded to take pictures. As I said in our Facebook post that day, never underestimate the power of the puppy!!

Lewis & Clark Journey Ends, Ours Begins

     For our next adventure, we decided to spend a couple of days in the Astoria area. Astoria is in the upper northwest corner of Oregon, on the coast and just across the Columbia River from Washington state.

     No trip up the Oregon coast is complete without a stop at the Tillamook Cheese headquarters. Here you can sample various cheeses (which are then available for purchase in copious quantities in the gift shop). Or you can sample a wide variety of ice cream. We bought some cheese for the road.

     We trekked further up US Highway 101 stopping first at Fort Stevens State Park. It is here that several ships have wrecked in the treacherous waters. There has also been an artillery outpost here from the Civil War until the end of WW II. One of the ships that wrecked here was the Peter Iredale. It is pictured above shortly after being beached ashore. Nowadays it looks like this...

     Almost all of the vessel has been salvaged except for this small portion of the bow. The waters here are especially dangerous because here is where the large quantity of fresh water flowing from the Columbia River meets with the ocean currents of the Pacific through a narrow opening called the Bar. The water can go from smooth and calm to 30' waves in moments and without warning. In fact, vessels that come into the river from the ocean must have a Bar Pilot on board to help navigate. After the ship clears the Bar and enters the Columbia River, then the Bar Pilot is replaced by a River Pilot who then assists in navigating upriver to Portland. The waters are so rough and unpredictable that the Coast Guard maintains a station at the mouth of the Bar just to rescue stranded vessels (which they do to the tune of 400+ per year!!). The Coast Guard also has their rough water rescue training center here.

What's left of an old artillery emplacement

     For those familiar with the travels of Lewis & Clark, you know that they reached the Pacific Ocean near here and established Fort Clatsop. They had been traveling across the country since leaving St. Louis on May 14, 1804. They spent the winter of December 1805 to March 1806 in the fort. They named it for the local Clatsop Indians whom Clark described as "close bargainers and who came to the fort almost daily to trade and to visit." As usual in the Pacific Northwest, of the 106 days that they spent in the fort, it rained all but 12 of them! Because of the humidity, the building materials of the fort have not withstood the test of time. Historians are confident that the current Fort Clatsop re-creation is located very near to the original spot, but everything you can see and visit is not original. There are many artifacts that survived their travels and many of them are on display at the Visitor's Center.

Welcome to Fort Clatsop!

Inside Lewis' & Clark's room

     While visiting the National Historical Park, we were treated to a demonstration by a Ranger in period costume. He demonstrated the proper use, and the hazards of, the Springfield flintlock rifle used by many on the expedition. It was very informative and the Ranger was quite humorous! The demonstration was capped off by the firing of a bread bullet (biodegradable and edible by the local wildlife).

Ready, Aim, Fire!

A Hidden Gem in McMinnville

          Today we took a day trip to the little town of McMinnville, OR. It is near Salem and made for a  scenic drive. Leaving the coastal shores you cross the mountain range and enter wine and farm country. Vineyards and fields as far as the eye can see. Then, smack dab in the middle of all this is the Evergreen Museum and Water Park. This modern complex houses impressive Aviation and Space museums along with an IMAX theater and a large indoor water park. They have golf carts that are used by the staff and to help folks navigate the complex. I need to get one like the one pictured above!!

     The complex is divided into a Space Museum and an Aviation Museum. The Space museum is well played out and a major part of the exhibit is a large timeline display detailing significant events in man's quest for space travel. Several rockets and spacecraft are on display to include a V-1 and V-2, a Titan II, a Gemini and Apollo space capsule, a Lunar Lander and the Lunar Rover. There are an impressive display of space artifacts from astronaut food to equipment and space suits. What was interesting to me was many of the artifacts on display were on loan from the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS (a place I've been to many times when I lived in Wichita). Who knew that their stuff would be out here on display!?! Above is an SR-71 showing some of the payloads that it carried (most of which were classified). At the east end of the gallery there are a number of helicopters on display. Just some of them are pictured below.

     We next ventured over to the Aviation Museum. Here they have an impressive number of restored aircraft from the earliest days of aviation to the latest. In fact, on the roof of the museum is a full sized 747 with Museum markings. Outside, circling the museum are a number of aircraft on static display. But inside is the museum's prize possession. In fact, I was told that the museum was built specifically to house this piece. It is designated the Hughes Flying Boat HK-1. It is also known by its more common title: the Spruce Goose.

     To say this aircraft is massive is an understatement! We couldn't even get it all in the picture! And look how many aircraft sit in the shadow of just one wing.

     Visitors enter the cargo bay through the platform as shown in the above photo. There they have walled off the bay with plexiglass but you can still see the support structure. For an extra fee, you can take a more extensive tour and get to go up to the flight deck.

The view of the hold looking aft

     I expected a small collection of old aircraft and some space artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian in a museum that would take a couple hours maximum to tour. Who knew there was this fine and extensive a collection of Air and Space craft in the middle of Oregon???  I could have spent DAYS going through the exhibits, but I didn't have that kind of time. If you have any interest in aviation or space travel, I highly recommend this complex. For more detailed information check it out by clicking here.

     After leaving McMinnville, we decided to head to Salem and get some shopping done. We set the GPS and took off. After a short while we saw signs that led us to think that there was a ferryboat up ahead. Since we were in the middle of Oregon we were confused. Well sure enough, we rounded the corner and the only way to cross the river was by taking the ferry. It only cost a couple of dollars and we would have spent that in gas trying to find another way around. Besides, how can you pass this up? We boarded and soon continued on our way. All in all we had a great time touring and really enjoyed the day. Guess that's why we retired to this lifestyle huh ?!?

Touring Locally

     Up to now we haven't done much in the way of touring. We have just settled in to our workamping routine. We have taken several trips to the surrounding towns of Newport and Lincoln City. As you can see from the above photo, the sea lions were in town and resting up for a busy summer! Everybody is just fine until someone new wants to join in. Then the uproar begins and the barking and noise is so loud you can't hear yourself think!! In a couple week they will all be gone out to sea and these platforms will be vacant for most of the summer.

Also in Newport, there were two replica sailing ships. For varying donation amounts you could tour the vessels in port, sail the harbor, or participate in a mock battle out at sea. Unfortunately, we came down on their day off so all we got to sea was the ship moored at its berth.

     While in Lincoln City, we were walking on the beach and came upon several families that were crabbing. All were having good luck but this guy was bringing in the really nice ones. They have a wire mesh trap that they put a piece of bait in. Then they fling this trap into the bay and wait. After only a few minutes they pull the trap in and they may or may not have a crab (or two or three) in it. Size limits are in place and enforced so the smaller ones are released and the process repeats itself. In the meantime there is a boiling pot on the fire on shore and the choicest catch is served up for dinner. Talk about fresh catch of the day!!!

     After seeing a movie in town, we stopped by the Yaquina Head lighthouse. The tide was out and the tide pools were alive with marine specimens This beach is also made up of stone "cobbles". They were once volcanic rocks that have been tumbled, shaped, and polished into a variety of oval balls. When the waves flow out over them they make quite a racket, sounding like rain on a tin roof. It also makes walking on the beach tricky, kind of like walking on an assortment of ball bearings.

     Above a starfish is just above the waterline and several anemones are below. It's amazing the variety and colors that exist in these tide pools. And the neat thing is everything will be different after the next tide cycle.

Oregon Caves and Beyond

     From the Redwoods, we travelled north and then turned on US 199 at Crescent City. Now I thought that a US highway would be OK for my rig. Well, the GPS differed with me. Seems that there are stretches that total lengths of 60 feet or over are a bit too much and not recommended. With our tow vehicle attached, we are right at 60 feet. Portions of the road turned narrow and filled with tight winding curves. To top things off, there was very little shoulder and it dropped off to a very steep and deep cliff face. Needless to say it was a long 60 miles of white knuckle driving until we finally arrived at our stop for the day, Lone Mountain RV park near Cave Junction, Oregon. We knew it was going to be a short driving day and that we would arrive pretty early at our destination so we had called them and they were more than happy to let us check in early. The park is very nice with paved roads, level gravel pads, and nicely landscaped. They also have several camping TeePees out back. Now these aren't your average Boy Scout TeePee. They are very large and nicely furnished.

Outside view

Inside view

     They have a picnic table and grill also on the site with water and bathrooms nearby. All in a forest meadow setting. Unique and well done. 

     After setting up we drove off to our destination visit for the day, Oregon Caves National Monument. Tucked away far off the beaten path you drive and come to the Cave. You explore over 1/2 mile of twisting passageways. There are 500+ stair steps and the cave is quite damp. Cave temperature hovers around 40 degrees so it is also a bit chilly. There are several large rooms and many narrow passageways, some no more than 48 inches high. About as different as you can get from Carlsbad Caverns! You enter the cave through the original entrance discovered in 1874. Story has it that Elijah Davidson was hunting bear in the area and the bear went into the cave. Elijah's dog followed, hot on the bear's trail. He called to the dog but he didn't come out. After a bit, Elijah went in the opening and armed only with matches, began looking for his dog. About 4 matches into the search Elijah realized that he was out of matches! Suddenly in total darkness, he had to find his way out. Resourceful guy that he was, he followed the stream as it flowed out of the cave and eventually came out. Over the years the Park Service has built pathways through the cave so visitors don't have to trek through the stream, but the cave still seeps groundwater and you will get wet when you get a "cave kiss." There is evidence of people on tours in the early 1900's that took souvenirs or even wrote their names on the rock. The flow of water over the years has covered this vandalism with a thin layer of protection and now it is a part of the rock. In another 100 or so years the cave processes will completely obliterate the marks and it will be swallowed up into the cave. 

     What is interesting in the above photo--notice the two colors, brown and white, in the formations. The white is the original color of the formation. The brown is the result of human contamination (touching the rock or just the process of being in the cave oils and chemicals are released that stain the formations). There is one place on the tour that has never been touched by human hands (as it is too inaccessible ). It is pristine white and almost glows compared to the other formations. You exit the cave 220 feet above where you entered and can choose to walk back to the Visitors Center or continue on a short hike that takes you to the top of the ridge where the entire valley and surrounding mountains can be seen in a breathtaking vista. We took the hike!

     After our day exploring the caves we returned to the campground and packed up.  We left early the next morning and drove to Eugene, OR in final preparation for our arrival at our summer destination. We trusted our Good Sam directory and its ratings, and didn't check the campground reviews for the Park near Eugene or look at the campground on Google Earth, or we would have chosen something else. Seems that it went bankrupt several years back and was sold to a church. They are building a church and slowly demolishing the RV slots. They still have them but it is a nightmare getting in or out of the "park". So if you are traveling, River Life RV Resort is not RV friendly nor much of a Resort. If you want to see how the big "Rock Star" tour busses are made, you can tour the Marathon RV manufacturer in nearby Coburg, OR. They start with a Prevost chassis and build from there. After $1-2 million of work you can have a new motorhome!! No, we did not go there. Kind of like eating a steak dinner in front of a starving man. Why torture yourself??

     So we moved on to Depoe Bay and have set up at Sea & Sand RV Park. We will be here through mid September and will enjoy, once again, what the Oregon coast has to offer for the summer.

Redwoods National Park

     Let me start with blatantly plagiarizing from Barb's Facebook post. She sums up this visit quite well.

"My neck hurts! When we originally planned this trip, I almost skipped Redwood National Park, thinking "If you've seen one big tree, you've seen them all." I was wrong. After our trip through Sequoia National Park, I was very impressed by the size and age of the trees there. Today, we hiked one of many trails in the Redwood National Park area, and I was happy to be disproven by the Coast Redwoods. While both trees are considered redwoods, the Sequoia only grows on the Sierra range, while the Coast Redwoods only grow on the coast. The Sequoia can grow up to 311 feet high, 40 feet in diameter and live to 3,200 years. The Coast Redwood grows taller to nearly 380 feet, narrower to 22 feet in diameter, and does not live as long, living "only" to 2,000 years. Thus, my neck problem. I spent all day looking up at the trees hundreds of feet in the air! The fun part of our hike, however, was we were two of a limited number who could hike this trail, and with that quiet, we heard the trees "talk" as they swayed in the wind so high above us! Great day!"

     When she says "...heard the trees "talk" as they swayed" it was really amazing.  First a little background... The trail that we had chosen for that day was called Tall Trees Trail. It was accessed by permit only and only 50 permits are issued daily.  We didn't know how many folks would be waiting and wanting to go on this hike (and with our luck so far, they would be lined up out the door!!). We got up early and arrived at the Ranger station before they opened. We were first in line and got our permit. From the Ranger station we drove up the mountain to a gated trail off road. Part of our permit included the combination to the lock on the gate.

Unlocking the gate.

     We then drove down a pretty rugged logging trail road to the trailhead. We hiked down about 1.5 miles with a descent of approximately 775 feet. We then walked the 1 mile loop of the Redwood grove. The weather was such that there was a stiff breeze coming in from the ocean. This breeze is what caused the tall trees to sway and "talk." Sometimes it sounded like a squeaking door opening. Other times there were cracks and pops. Still other times, it sounded like someone rubbing their hand across an inflated balloon. The different sounds were quite unique and we felt wonder that we got to hear it. Nowhere else in our travels have we ever heard the forest talk like that.

Saving Barb from catastrophe! :)

Not as wide as a Sequoia but it is taller

     We also came across the elusive Banana Slug. This guy eats everything on the forest floor EXCEPT Redwood seeds. This means that he helps the Redwoods get a good start on life as they sprout from young seeds. They look remarkably like fallen leaves which are also yellow and long. You really had to keep a sharp eye out to find one.

     There is also a resident heard of Roosevelt Elk that inhabit the area. There are numerous "Watch for Elk" and "Elk Crossing" signs along the highway. We came across them in where else but a place called Elk Meadow.

    We took another hike called the Trillium Falls loop. The namesake falls are not overly dramatic like those in Yosemite, but it is a quaint little waterfall nestled in among the Coast Redwoods. Very serene and relaxing to sit and listen to.

Trillium Falls

     For all of you Star Wars fans, I read that George Lucas used locations in the Redwood National Park to represent the forest moon of Endor where the Ewoks lived.

I love how the light is captured filtering through the forest!

     Now I hope that this turns out. Below is a video file Barb shot that gives you a good idea just how big these trees really are (you should be able to double-click on the photo and the movie should play). You can't capture them in a single photo shot. They are too wide and too tall. If this turns out, you should see me at the bottom of an average Redwood tree as Barb pans skyward to the top of the canopy.

     We trooped out to a place called Fern Canyon. This was reached from another bumpy logging road with two stream crossings. Our Honda CR-V got to be a "Jeep for a day?" This canyon is back along a stream and stays relatively cool and humid, thus being able to grow some massive ferns all along the canyon walls.

All three of the above are from Fern Canyon

     So far we have hiked on trails south of our campground. Tomorrow we will find a couple north of us and check them out. Then, on Sunday, we pack up and head a little bit farther north and actually get into Oregon for a quick visit to the Oregon Caves National Monument.