Stop Ten - Cascade Locks

We have moved on to the Cascade Locks KOA just outside of Cascade Locks, Oregon.  The weather has been nice with highs in the 70’s and lows in the 50’s and no rain.  This park overlooks the Columbia River and gorge which is a very scenic location.

We got to our campground early enough to do some sightseeing.  We took the Bridge of the Gods into Washington where we drove up the Columbia River.  We came to the very popular  Mayer State Park where wind and kite surfers surf for hours.  We spoke to a local man and he said that this area is very popular because of how the cool air currents from the coast meet the warm air currents from the mountains.  This makes wind conditions perfect for sailing.

 Jessica came with us from the coast but needed to catch a flight home the next day.  She was going out late in the afternoon so we took a drive all the way around Mt. Hood with a stop at Timberline Lodge.  We didn’t have any time to stop and do anything but still took in the views during the drive.  It was nice to have Jessica with us for seven days and now it is back to just us two.

Most of our time with this stop has had us doing chores and maintenance on the trailer and truck.  We did manage to visit Multnomah Falls while Jessica was still here.  Then hiked on the Herman Creek trail later in the week.  Our turnaround point on the Herman Creek hike is an area called the Herman Creek Pinnacles.  The pinnacles are large chunks of basalt that slid off the cliff face above during ancient landslides.  This trail junctions with the Pacific Crest Trail two miles in.  

We start our move south and will park just outside Crater Lake.  It will start heating up but we are looking forward to Southern Oregon  which has many options for outdoor activities. 

If you wish to access previous posts just click the blog name and you will be redirected to the website with all prior posts.  You can also double click any picture to see a larger version.

Stop Nine - Wheeler Oregon

We have moved on to Paradise Cove RV Park just outside of Wheeler, Oregon.  The weather has been nice with highs in the 60’s and lows in the 50’s. Paradise Cove looks onto the Nehalem Bay.  We have enjoyed seeing Blue Herons fishing in the bay.

We forgot to mention that Jessica flew in from Phoenix to Portland last Wednesday and drove to Newport to meet up with us for about a week. She was looking forward to seeing the coast again and getting out of the Phoenix heat.

We’re still checking out the various lighthouses and the many beaches.   We took a drive toward Portland on an Oregon Scenic Road which goes through the Tillamook State Forest.  After many years of hiking in New Mexico and Colorado you get a much different feel with the wet and dense forests here.  There are ferns, flowers, and moss everywhere.  Very pretty.

For the Costco shoppers - we took a tour of the Tillamook cheese factory with free samples of cheese and a look into the processing plant.  That same day we stopped by the Latimer Quilt & Textile Museum.  This is a living, working museum whose mission is to preserve, promote, display and facilitate the creation of textile arts.  They had many antique quilts on display that were meticulously hand quilted.  After that we drove to the Cape Lookout State Park.  Jessica and I took a one-way two mile hike on the North Trail.  Gloria drove the to end point and hiked to meet us around the last mile on the trail.  There were beautiful views of the coast along the way. 

The next day, we drove up to Astoria. We drove over the Astoria-Megler Bridge.  The bridge is a steel cantilever through truss bridge that spans the Columbia River between Astoria and Point Ellice, Washington.  We then slowly worked our way back down the coast stopping at various beaches and state parks.  We spent a day at Cannon Beach for some beach and shopping time.  Sorry - no stops for Goonies fans.

We start our move inland and will miss the coast with the nice locations and great temperatures.  Next we are on to the Columbia river area just east of Portland.

Stop Eight - Beverly Beach State Park

We have moved on to Beverly Beach State Park just outside of Newport, Oregon.  The weather was nice the first couple of days but then rain showed up for the last few days of our stay.

We’ve been spending a lot of time going to various lighthouses and strolling the many beaches here.  Oregon passed the Public Beach Bill back in the 60’s which made all beaches open to the public.  This makes it nice to take long walks along the beach without trespassing on someone else’s property. Oregon also has a large number of state parks making parking and beach access much easier.     During our beach time, we have spotted several tide pools, sea lions, and two bald eagles. 

 As some people know I am on a lifetime search of the perfect Rueben and Fish & Chips, so I have been keeping that research going while I am on the coast. Yum!  

Next we are on to the Tillamook area.

Stop Seven - Sunset Bay State Park

We have moved on to Sunset Bay State Park just outside Coos Bay, Oregon.  These Oregon state parks are well run and managed.  

One day we took a day trip to Bandon.  Bandon is well known for the golf courses on the north side of town.  We found a list of the top ten Fish and Chips restaurants that included a fish market in Bandon so we had to give it a run.  We hung out on the beach looking for sea glass and shells.  

On Friday, we took a trip to the Golden and Silver Falls State Park which is east of Coos Bay. We took a short hike to the Silver Falls and then to the Golden Falls overlook.  We stayed at the park for our picnic lunch.  

On Saturday, we took a day hike that starts at our campground and goes to the Shore Acres and Cape Arago State Parks.  This is about a 5 mile round trip hike.  Shore Acres was donated by a lumberman and shipbuilder that includes a beautiful garden.  Cape Arago has a series of rock islands which is a hanging out point for five different breeds of seals.  We also had our first gray whale mother and baby sightings but could not get a picture.  They entertained us for about an hour.  We were able to see the mom whale skim the water and then dive with her tale out of the water.  It was very cool.  Gray whales are the only bottom feeding whale.  It scoops and filters its food from the mud, which is why they are comfortable in the shallow coastal waters.  

 On to Beverly Beach State Park just north of Newport Oregon.  We are not getting cell phone service at these state parks so we are do our best to stay connected,