Finally got a beautiful day to go to the beach...been rainy most of the week so we've been driving around taking in the sites around the area. The pups love the beach & water so they were satisfied with the outing. Got some great photos and seeing Haystack Rock in person was worth it in it self.
Yesterday went 20 miles North to Warrenton to get some things at a Costco and took advantage of $3.73gal. diesel at a Fred Meyers store (Kroger).
Haystack Rock is a 235-foot (72-meter) sea stack located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of downtown Cannon Beach, Oregon and about 80 miles (130 km) west of Portland.. It is sometimes claimed locally to be the third-tallest such "intertidal" (meaning it can be reached by land) structure in the world, but there are no scientific references to support this.
A popular tourist destination, the monolithic rock is adjacent to the beach and accessible by foot at low tide. The Haystack Rock tide pools are home to many intertidal animals, including starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs. The rock is also a nesting site for many sea birds, including terns and puffins.
Tomorrow we drve about 2.5 hours North to Westport, WA where we will be until July 7th. Look for more updates from there....
We will have an itinerary change update up when we get to Westport. We are going to bypass Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons on this trip due to a virus in the Parks.
"(Reuters) - Two of America's premier national parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, warned visitors on Wednesday about a gastrointestinal illness that has sickened at least 200 people at the start of the summer tourist season.
The rare health advisory, tied to a suspected outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus, comes in the early weeks of a season that drew about 6 million people to the parks last year.
A tour group visiting Yellowstone, home to the Old Faithful geyser, first complained June 7 of symptoms linked to norovirus, the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The illness has since affected 100 Yellowstone employees, 50 Grand Teton workers and at least 50 visitors, park officials said.
The warning comes a year after Yosemite National Park last September warned 230,000 visitors of a hantavirus outbreak that had infected nine overnight visitors and killed three."
Some other time for us 'old folks'!!
We arrived in Cannon Beach about 1pm Sunday after a short (less than an hour) drive up the 101. Rainy all the way and pretty much more of the same since we set up.
Cannon Beach RV Resort is great and our stay with all the things to see and do in the area should be wonderful.
Bailey's anti-biotics seem to be working as the lump on her throat is smaller but of course we will continue to monitor.
More later....
Stolen from another site---- Nine miles of wide, walkable beach invite visitors to Cannon Beach. The scenic beauty of the seastacks offshore and headlands onshore make your stroll down the sand particularly memorable. Fly a kite, watch the sea creatures in the tidepools, or take pictures of famous Haystack Rock. Relaxing on the beach is part of the Cannon Beach experience.
The arts are emphasized in Cannon Beach, and some of the best crafts, shopping and galleries on the coast are located here. The city is planned for strolling, and many visitors take advantage of this to visit the quaint bookstores, shops and bistros. Strict planning regulations have helped Cannon Beach keep its earth toned, rustic look.
Cannon Beach was named for a cannon that was discovered on the beach. In 1846, the U.S. Navy schooner Shark was wrecked while trying to leave the Columbia River. A large piece of the schooner's deck with a cannon and capstan attached washed up on the beach, and the town's name is based on this event.
We've had a great stay here in Garibaldi seeing some of the sites/places the area offers. Oh ya, the seafood!!
Went to Rockaway Beach (6 miles N.) the other day and the pups had a blast. Just have to say the word 'beach' and they are ready to go. Rockaway Beach is well known for having seven miles of sandy shoreline which is why it is one of the most popular vacation destinations of the Oregon coast.
Visited Cape Meares Lighthouse also during the week.
Captain John Meares was the first to sail into Tillamook Bay, naming it Quick Sand Bay because of the mud at low tide. Captain Robert Gray was the first American on the scene and he called it Murderers Harbor because one of his crew was killed by natives there.
The lighthouse was built in 1889 and commissioned on January 1, 1890. The tower stands 38 feet high and is the shortest lighthouse in Oregon. It is constructed of bricks (made right on site at a cost of $2,900) with iron plates covering it.
The oil lamp was replaced in 1910 with an oil vapor light similar to the Coleman lanterns of today. This was replaced in 1934 with electricity produced by generators and eventually by central power. The light today is automated and produces 57,000 candle power. It is located in a building adjacent to the historic structure.
More info on the Cape Meares Lighthouse by clicking here.
Sorry no photos...forgot to bring the camera.
Just got back from the vet hospital in Tillamook after noticing a lump on Bailey's throat the other day. Vet did a biopsy and is calling it an abscess probably caused from eating something picked up off the ground that was sharp...crab claws maybe? He gave us 2 weeks of anti-biotics to contain and reduce but we have to keep any eye on it. She shows no signs of pain and eats and drinks normally.
We leave tomorrow for a short, but another scenic drive up the 101, 31 mile run to Cannon Beach located on the Pacific Northwest Coast of Oregon, 80 miles west of Portland and 25 miles south of Astoria.
We arrived in Garibaldi just North of Tillamook yesterday after about an 85 mile drive up the 101 that took 2.5 hours. Curvy road with a lot of 35mph turns but a beautiful drive.
Harbor View RV Park is located at the Marina and Boat launch at historic Garibaldi Harbor, gateway to the Pacific. Picturesque views of Tillamook Bay and the marina and only 300 feet from the boat launch. Walking distance to the harbor, restaurants, museums, antique shops. Across the street at the Garibaldi Marina, you can rent crab rings, boats and fishing gear.
Our site, you will see in the photos, backs up to Harbor so we have a great view.
Visited the Tillamook Cheese factory today and it is a great place to see. We have fresh CHEESE CURDS...and more. The 'mud slide' ice cream is to die for!!!
My birthday tomorrow and we have a place picked out already right here on the docks to get a couple more fresh Dungeness crabs for dinner right off one of the boats.
Started raining so we are inside with spaghetti Italian sausage with sauce simmering.
Coast Guard station on a dock just outside our site and a 'chopper' just came in for about 15 min. and left...cool.
We will be here for a week so check back as we add more.
We arrived here on the 12th after a great stay in Winchester Bay.
Beverly Beach State Park, just North of Newport, gave us a break from where we have been on this trip. Site was tight to get into but once in the actual site area is large with no view of the people next to us. Water/electric site, no Wi-Fi, cable or view for Satellite. We were able to catch up on some DVD's that we wanted to see anyway so this worked out well. All in all a great stay. Will leave Sunday the 16th for Garibaldi just North of Tillamook.
You will see in the photos some of the great beach and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse which we gladly added to our list of 'lights' we've visited on the Oregon coast.
Click for>>> Yaquina Head Light
Built from 1871 to 1873 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Yaquina Head Light was first lit August 20,1873 and automated in 1966. It is active with an identifying light characteristic of two seconds on, two seconds off, two seconds on, and 14 seconds off.
A two-story keepers' dwelling was built at the time the lighthouse tower and its adjoining oil house were constructed. In 1923, a one-story keepers' house was added a short distance to the east. In 1938, a one-story building replaced the original two-story dwelling. Both dwellings and all outbuildings (a shed, a garage, etc.) were then demolished in 1984. The space is now a grassy area.
Yaquina Head typically had three lighthouse keepers under the U.S. Lighthouse Service; a Head Keeper, and First and Second Assistant. The Head Keeper as well as the First Assistant usually stayed in the two-story keepers' dwelling with their families and the Second Assistant was usually a bachelor. In 1939 the U.S. Coast Guard took over the management. During WWII 17 Servicemen were stationed at Yaquina Head keeping a lookout for enemy ships.
The lighthouse still uses its original 1868 French-made, 1st order, Fixed Fresnel lens; visible 19 miles (31 km) out to sea. In 1993, the lighthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (reference number #73002340).
Just south of the lighthouse are amazing tide pools where seaweeds, sea stars, hermit crabs, purple urchins, and anemones can be seen. The lighthouse is still quite popular, receiving over 400,000 visitors a year. It is only open to the public during daylight hours. Perhaps so no one gets spooked.
The lighthouse was used as the setting for the "Moesko Island Lighthouse" in the 2002 film The Ring. It had already appeared in an earlier film, Hysterical (1983), and The Nancy Drew Mysteries 1977 television series episode "The Mystery of Pirate's Cove".
The 100-acre site was established by Congress as an Outstanding Natural Area in 1980. The Bureau of Land Management manages the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, including the lighthouse. The Yaquina Head Interpretive Center opened in 1997 and includes exhibits about the history and preservation of the lighthouse, and the marine life found in tide pools and along the coast. The center includes a gift shop.
The lighthouse lantern is operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitors off-shore bird rookeries and wildlife. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife manages the intertidal animals and the Oregon Department of State Lands is responsible for the intertidal lands.
Celebrated our anniversary with fresh crab from Fisherman's Wharf and a bottle of wine overlooking Winchester Bay, OR.
Today we visited the Umpqua River lighthouse about a mile down the road from our site.
During the summer of 1849, the Coast Survey, headed by Alexander D. Bache, set out along the unmarked West Coast to determine the most beneficial locations for lighthouses. The Umpqua River mouth was selected as one of only six sites in the Oregon territory, which included the modern day states of Oregon and Washington.
In 1851, Congress appropriated $15,000 for the Umpqua River Lighthouse and thirty-three acres were set aside for the site. Work was delayed when on September 13, 1853, the supplies for the light were destroyed when the schooner Oriole foundered just off Cape Disappointment. Finally, in 1856, construction began.
Many thought the Umpqua River area would become a major shipping center due to its abundance of "green gold," the pristine timber rapidly being harvested. The turbulent force with which the river collided with the ocean created a great hazard for ships, and a beacon marking the spot was greatly needed.
The original lighthouse at this location was built in 1857. Construction didn't come easy. A band of local Indians pestered the crew and site. They would steal anything left around the sight, including tools and supplies. Before the two groups broke down and began fighting, a foreman lit a stick of dynamite. The Indians were so terrified by the loud blast that they scattered and never came around again.
The first tower lasted only four years until its foundation gave way the tower collapsed into the river. It would take many more ships being lost before a new tower would be built. Almost forty years would pass before the current tower was built in 1894. The tower stands a mere 65 feet tall, but with the cliffs, the light stands 165 feet above sea level and its light is visible 21 miles away.
